Chapter 65: While still in the forest
The witch ran past the trees, her footsteps echoing through the path that she picked and left behind. With the moon that had hidden behind the clouds, the forest had turned darker, and it made her believe that it was an easy escape. The couple she left behind would not be able to catch up to—13
Suddenly, Sable heard something flap above her, and it sounded bigger than a bird's wings. She then made her way towards a tree behind which she had placed her belongings, but they were missing.
"Looking for this one here?" Hadeon inquired while holding a crooked broom in his hand. 5
"You are fast," Sable acknowledged, and she said, "Give me my broom. Hand it back to me, unless you want to die while writhing against the ground."19
"How rude, Sable dear," Hadeon clicked his tongue with mock disapproval. "I thought you were interested in me, and wanted to spend the rest of your life with me. I am hurt, right here in my cold, empty heart. But if you still insist, perhaps we can share it?" He broke the broom in two halves and asked, "Which side would you like?" 21
The witch turned furious at the sight of her broken broom and said, "You fucking bloodsucker! I will kill you!" 8
"Now there's the energy I was looking for," Hadeon remarked in a cheerful voice, before one corner of his lips curled. 5
Sable pulled out six long needles from her black cloak, where each one was held between her fingers. The tips of the needles sizzled as if they were dipped in a pot of poison. The next moment, she came right at him, swiping the needles close to him.
When one hand's needles grazed against the bark of a tree, the wood began to melt, and the pureblooded vampire said, "Spicy!" 15
But the witch only turned angrier at Hadeon's nonchalant attitude, as if he were mocking her ability. She exclaimed, "Fucking bastard, I hate vampires. Especially ones like you! You won't be acting smug once I pull out your innards." 6
"Is that all the love you had for me? But you are right," Hadeon suddenly grabbed the witch's wrist, twisting it with force before throwing her body. "I am someone without a father," he chuckled, while still holding her torn arm, which quickly turned into dust.
The witch screamed in pain, her voice echoing through the forest, which even Mallory heard from a distance. The sound of the owl's hoot made her heart tremble, and she was compelled to follow it. At the same time, the village, which was residing near the forest, was woken up by it and they gathered in worry before beginning to search.7
Sable was in pain, clutching her torn arm while rolling on the ground for a few seconds. She took a deep breath and demanded, "Why aren't you killing me?! What do you want?? I already told all that Mallory wanted to hear!"
Hadeon hummed and replied, "I think there are some things you might have forgotten."
"I don't know!" Sable tried to get up and tried to run once again.
But Hadeon's card was quick to slice through her back before he caught up to her and whacked her head with the wood he found lying on the forest ground. The witch fell once again. 5
"I was wondering where you have stored your tea that wipes memory. I find it fascinating," Hadeon stated.
"It is in the third cupboard on the right side of the kitchen. You will find it there!" Sable quickly answered, but then the glint in the witch's eyes changed, and she pulled out the stake, before plunging it into Hadeon's chest.
Hadeon froze along with his movements, before he looked down at his chest, where fumes had started to appear from there. 9
"Did you think a witch like me isn't prepared for a vampire like you?" Sable spat with a glare. "Even though I have only one arm now, which I will soon grow, you are not an equal with me!"
"I am glad that you agree with me that we are nowhere equal, not even close," Hadeon responded in a calm voice, and the witch staggered, not knowing why nothing was working on this vampire when the stake was poisoned like her needles! "Because clearly I am far too superior than you can ever comprehend," he said, pulling out the stake which had left a gaping hole in his chest.
The pureblooded vampire took a closer look at the stake where he could see fumes continue to emit from it as well as his chest.
"Let us see how this one reacts to a witch, shall we?" Hadeon asked, and the blink of an eye, he pushed the stake in the witch's only arm. 3
Soon the good arm of Sable turned into dust as it scattered on the forest floor. The witch now lacked arms and she tried to run faster than before, but all it took was a trip before she tumbled and rolled against one of the trees there. 6
Sable noticed the sadist gleam in the vampire's eyes as he slowly walked towards her, watching her being humiliated and toying with her instead of finishing her. She could hear the village folks' voices, who had entered the forest.
"Who is there?!"
"Is someone out here?"
Sable noticed how Hadeon had only his cards and she smiled, that had the vampire continue to look at her. She said, "If I am going down, I am going to take you with me." Taking a deep breath, she then opened her mouth to yell. "I am here! Help me! This vam—"3
BANG!
There was a hole at the centre of the witch's forehead, and soon the woman disintegrated into a heap of dust. Mallory had come in time to witness the sight in front of her. For a moment, she couldn't believe that the person she knew had turned into a heap of dust, but then she hadn't forgotten that this person had wanted to cook her in the pot. 4
Hadeon stood before the witch's dust with his hand carrying the gun from which he had shot. "Take me down? Foolish woman," he murmured in disdain. He said, "I came from below." 15
"Master Hades, we should leave!" Mallory whisper yelled at him when she came to stand next to him.
"Hm, already?" Hadeon asked, as if he wasn't done.
"The villagers are coming this way, and I heard Sable scream…" Mallory's voice trailed. It was how she knew that Hadeon and Sable were close by.
"Pity that I have to miss such a fancy feast!" Hadeon remarked, and then turned to look in two directions, where the villagers might have split to search the forest. 4
Less than a minute later, the villagers quickly arrived at the scene, carrying torches of fire with them.
"That was Sable's voice and it came from here!" said one village man.
"Look here!" another pointed, who had walked forward and found Sable's clothes and dust filled in it. "This must belong to her!"
"Do you think someone took her away?! We need to keep looking for her! Poor Sable!" The villager empathised with the missing woman, and they continued to walk through the forest in search of her. 7
"Poor Sable indeed," Hadeon clicked his tongue with a sigh. "Perhaps we should have left her alive and waited for her to cook their hearts up. How exciting would that be?"
"M—Master Hades…" came Mallory's shaky voice.
"Hm?"
Right now, Mallory was hugging one of the branches of the tree. Hadeon had made her sit along with him. The tree was tall and it was making her dizzy, not to mention that her hands were sweaty enough that she was worried she was going to fall. 18
"I can't believe you are struggling to stay still," Hadeon sent her a look of disapproval, who was sitting on the opposite side of the branch. "Here, let me help you," he offered.
"No! Don't come near!" Mallory exclaimed, not wanting the branch she was sitting on to break. She asked him, "Why couldn't we just fly away from here again?"
"After such a dire night you went through, I thought you needed some air and what better place than at the top of the tree?" Hadeon asked her with a grin. "If you ask me, you are doing just fine. I would expect nothing less from the monkey." 12
Mallory gritted her teeth. On one side, Hadeon saved her and the other side he took immense pleasure in doing things like this! Hearing a slight crack, her head snapped to the side and she noticed the pureblooded vampire stand gracefully on his feet, and on the branch of the tree.
"Master Hades… I believe I'm alright now," Mallory's words rushed out as she watched him take two steps closer to her position. Please don't jump… she said in her mind.
"But I am not," Hadeon remarked, before fluidly springing onto her branch with the grace of a stalking cat.22
