NIGHTS OF HALLOW

★★Earlier★★

Perdita!” Sthena’s voice resounded as he rushed towards the shocked Perdita whose eyes had widened in utter disbelief as blood was quick to rush out, soaking her dress.

”Sth... Sthena,” Perdita’s voice called to him, her hands stretched to hold him for support as her legs gave in to the excruciating pain from the arrow that pierced into her chest.

”Hold tight, Love,” Sthena’s soothing and reassuring words reached her ears, her green eyes glazy with unshed tears while staring at the arrow and the blood that oozed out of her chest.

Holding her close, Sthena gently laid her on the ground, observing where the arrow had struck. He said, his tone soft, ”Luckily, it wasn’t directly into your heart.” He exhaled just as he finished speaking, his eyes darkening when he placed his palm on hers which held the arrow, blood continuing to seep out of the wound and onto the ground.

”Get it out, pl-please,” Perdita gasped, the pain stopping her from speaking more.

”Look at me, love. Do not panic. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll get this out to enable you heal, but you need to be strong for me. Can you do that for me?”

Perdita nodded her head, merely trying to hold back the pain that numbed her heart and every nerve in her body like she was being punctured with a thousand pins.

She could feel Sthena’s eyes on her, every movement but she could barely focus. Breathing felt like torture.

”Take a deep breath, my love, I’ll pull this out now,” Sthena coaxed her as his left hand held her in place while the other one gently went to hold the arrow, and without wasting another second, he pulled the arrow out.

”Ahhh!” Perdita’s cry sprang out as the arrow was pulled out from her chest, blood splattering as it came off. Her breathing hitched, eyes dilated as they watered at the excruciating pain that followed afterwards. Not long after, the wound slowly began closing in, healing itself immediately. The blood on her dress remained the only evidence she had been shot.

Sthena held her close as he leaned in to leave a kiss on her lips. ”You did well, love.” He whispered, trying hard to suppress the anger that was ready to burst through him at the thought that someone had hurt Perdita. Not hurt, the person had obviously wanted to kill her. He wasn’t going to take it lightly with whomever it was.

”How are you feeling?” He inquired as he continued to hold Perdita, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

”I-I am fine now,” Her voice slightly broke as she spoke. The shock from what had happened quite evident on her face. ”Someone wants me dead.” She whispered, her mind reeling from the near-death experience. If that arrow had struck into her heart, she would have been a dead vampiress now.

”Whoever it was, I promise to get hold of. The person had just signed a death wish. I won’t let this slide.” Sthena’s hard tone sounded just as his eyes reflected the anger that boiled within him he couldn’t wait to get hold of whomever it was.

”Could it be, Vetis?” Perdita questioned, adjusting her position to a more comfortable one on the ground.

”No. This arrow came from the castle.” Sthena replied raising the bloodied arrow in the air. ”Vetis killing you would be the most foolish thing for him to do. If he finds out that someone even killed you, he will destroy them. He needs you alive not dead.”

”If it is not Vetis, then who could it be? Are there other people also after me?” Perdita’s eyes widened as she spoke. Was there another person who had entered the forest just to shoot at her and perhaps kill her? She wasn’t going to be on everyone’s wanted list, was she?

Sthena’s eyes remained darkened and distant as he stared ahead of him. He stood up, helping Perdita to her feet and said, ”The person is here and whoever it is should probably be saying their last prayers.”

”What? Here?” Perdita quizzed, her head a little foggy at the thought. She felt her body sway and Sthena was quick to hold her and keep her steady.

Who would want her dead? Could it be Lady Rosamonda? She had tried killing her once, and she knew the pure-blooded vampiress wasn’t going to stop.

”Come here, darling,” Sthena held Perdita close to him. His hand protectively wrapped around her to reassure himself she was there with him, alive and safe.

His jaws clenched at the thought of the word safe. He had failed to keep her safe. Who knew what would have happened if she had been hit in her heart. The thought made him tighten his hold around her as he kissed her forehead.

Perdita, on the other hand, relaxed into his embrace, feeling safe and warm at the thought Sthena had been there to save her. Noticing the shift in his embrace, she held him closer and whispered, ”I am here, Sth. Thank you for saving me, I didn’t know what I would have done if—”

A soft kiss from Sthena on her lips shut the remaining words from leaving her lips as they stared into each other’s eyes. She heard him say, ”I’m deeply sorry for not being there to save you on time. I don’t want to imagine the worst that could have happened today. I love you dearly, Perdita. Please, don’t scare me like that again, love.”

A soft blush crept up Perdita’s face as she leaned in and kissed the lips of Sthena, his very presence warming every part of her heart and being.

Loosening from each other’s embrace but holding her close to him, Sthena said, the expression on his face hardening, ”I need you to do something for me,”

Perdita’s brows arched in question. She skeptically asked, ”What is that going to be?”

”You will pretend as though this arrow was still in your body. More so, act as though you were dying.”

”What? Why?” Perdita quizzed, confusion clearly written all over her face.

”Play the fool game to outsmart the fool,” Sthena replied, walking towards where his horse was stationed.

”Come, love,” He beckoned, a charming smile on his face that didn’t match the raging fire that swirled his glacial red eyes. ”It is time to put some person in their graves which I would gladly do.”