NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”Marco!” Perdita screamed at the top of her voice, her hands outstretched in front of her as she woke up with sweat covering her body as if water poured on her.

Remembering the dream, she gasped clearly frightened by the terrible dream she just dreamt. Her heart drummed against her ribcage like it was being beaten by mini soldiers inside her chest. Her green eyes fearfully looked around the room searching for anyone or probably Daemon who she had dreamt about.

She shivered just like she remembered shivering in the dream and her gaze immediately went to the window. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the window was open but the only difference this time was that snow was not falling and there was no one standing there.

After looking at the window, her eyes fell on her body to see if truly her clothes were ripped apart.

”It is still intact,” Perdita whispered and heaved a sigh of relief. That dream had been so real that for once she forgot she was asleep and was not dreaming.

Wait! How long had she been asleep? Perdita questioned herself and quickly scrambled out of bed and went to the window.

Oh no! Perdita internally screamed. She had slept from noon to evening! Marco. Oh my goodness!

Perdita hysterically rushed out of the room, already forgotten about the dream.

As soon as Perdita opened the door of her room and rushed out was the same time Regan ran into the hallway where Sthena now stood with his right hand around Daemon’s neck both of them standing near the door of Marco’s room.

Wait! What is going on? Was the question that crossed Perdita’s and Regan’s minds. Both of them simultaneously approached the furious men with slow and cautious steps.

Perdita tried opening her mouth to call Sthena but found no voice. As she got closer, she could feel the tension in the air and she heard Sthena question Daemon.

”Why did you do it, Dae? Why?!” Sthena’s voice boomed in the hallway as he angrily punched the wall next to him making small particles of the bricks fall next to them.

”Why?” Daemon questioned back. His voice sounded rough because of Sthena’s hold on him that haven’t loosened around his neck since he held him.

Daemon continued with a smile on his pain-filled face. ”Isn’t it obvious why I am doing what I am yet to complete? You ask stupid questions, Your Majesty.” Even the way he called ’His Majesty’ was as if he was mocking the king.

When Perdita heard Daemon’s words, she stopped in her tracks trying to process what she just heard.

Did Daemon really mean he wanted the throne? She internally questioned herself, her thoughts going back to the dream she had. So that dream was true! It was really happening right in front of her eyes. Daemon actually betrayed Sthena after being so close to each other like brothers. Oh my!

Sthena gritted his teeth in pain of being betrayed by the only person he called a friend. The only one who stood by him even before he ascended the throne.

”Fuck!” Sthena cursed and withdrew his hand. The pain still on his face he hung low in disappointment. ”You leave me no choice but to go ahead with killing you. No one betrays me and goes scot free, Daemon. I’ll pretend I never knew a brother like you.”

”Go on,” Daemon urged Sthena as if anticipating his death. ”Kill me and kill everything you know about me. About us.”

Perdita’s mouth fell open at the scene being displayed right in front of her. Both men hadn’t noticed or didn’t want to pay attention to her arrival. A thoughtful look appeared on Perdita’s face as she looked closely at Daemon and noticed something off about him. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Sthena’s hand went Daemon’s heart and in less than a second, he tore his heart out of his body.

Blood splattered everywhere and on Sthena’s face and clothes as Daemon fell limply to the ground. Sthena’s fingers holding Daemon’s heart slowly released it from his hold and it fell next to his dead body.

Perdita gasped and covered her mouth in horror at what just happened. She couldn’t believe Sthena would go ahead to kill Daemon without a second thought. Without trial or questioning. Was this how cruel and heartless he was?

Not only Perdita was shocked, even Regan too was speechless. He couldn’t believe that before his eyes, the king had killed his chief advisor. This would surely cause an uproar in the castle and the kingdom at large.

Regan staggered in his steps and made a U-turn so he could inform his mother. He had also forgotten he came to report what was happening in the East wing to Sthena. But before he could take a step forward, he heard the icy voice of Sthena.

”Where do you think you are going?”

”Ah, ah...I w—was going, no, I mean coming to inform you about what was happening in the East wing.” Regan answered quickly in a stutter, feeling his neck was the next one that would be slit.

”Mm?” Sthena nodded his head knowingly. He said, ”Since you are investigating that, why don’t you investigate this dead body too?” His question came out teasing but Regan knew this was no joke.

He nervously laughed and took another step back. ”No, Your Majesty. I wasn’t investigating. It’s just that I saw the flames and decided to check what was happening and I came to report to you immediately.”

”Now!” Sthena commanded, unbothered by the complaints laid by Regan. ”Take the body with you for proper investigation and also call a maid to come clean this place.”

Regan swallowed hard and walked forward to take the dead body of Daemon as he tried to conceal the nervousness in him.

”Are you sure you want me to take the body? I can do the investigation without it.” Regan stopped near the body still apprehensive to take it with him.

”My instructions were clear,” Sthena remarked without turning to look at Regan as his eyes were now fixed on Perdita who hadn’t moved from the place she stood.

Regan regretted coming to find Sthena to inform him about what was happening in the East wing of the castle. Now he was going to carry a dead man’s body. Perhaps he should bring it to his mother so she will see what he had investigated. He shouldn’t be the only one to suffer it.

Regan slowly and hesitantly carried the dead body of Daemon over his shoulder, the blood staining his expensive clothes and his shining silver hair that cascaded down his shoulders before leaving Perdita and Sthena staring at each other with mixed expressions on their faces.

Perdita felt her knees go weak at the scene she witnessed. She had never seen someone being killed in such a gruesome manner. And it was not anyone who was just killed, it was Daemon. Daemon, the chief advisor to the King.

They continued looking at each other for a while and the first words that came out of Perdita’s mouth were, ”How could you? How could you kill him without a trial or questioning? He was like a brother to you.”

Sthena exhaled and retracted his claws. He walked towards Perdita with slow steps. It took everything in Perdita not to run away from him as she tried to maintain her stand.

”Are you scared?” Sthena asked. His voice was gentle and his eyes patiently stared into hers.

”Who wouldn’t be?” Perdita questioned back, trying hard not to sound weak.

”I’m sorry,” Sthena apologized for scaring her but not for killing Daemon.

Perdita shook her head and muttered, ”It doesn’t change anything.”

”It does,” Sthena interrupted. ”It does change something because the man I killed is not Daemon.”