Chapter 71: Hadeon’s encouraging approach
The gunshot echoed through the grounds of Van Doren's estate, the sound sharp and menacing. The maid turned pale, as if her very soul had fled her body. Mallory's mouth hung open in shock.7
"Master Hades, you cannot put Hattie under fire!" Mallory's words were swift, desperate to prevent any harm from befalling her dear maid. She should have known that Hadeon had ulterior motives when he brought the young woman to the castle.
"Fire is indeed a wonderful way to test, though the possibility of her turning into charred vegetables is more likely," Hadeon remarked, his tone chillingly nonchalant while Mallory and her maid fretted.8
"You should stop joking! There must be another way to do this," Mallory gritted her teeth, her frustration mounting.
"It would be folly for you to think that I am joking. You want her alive? Then do something about it. Because with every shot, the bullet will get closer. You don't want her first day to be her last, do you?" Hadeon's eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint.9
Mallory clenched her hands together. This man was insufferable! Just when she thought he might have a shred of decency, he revealed a heap of tricks from his coffin. She whispered, "You're crazy…"13
"So I've been told," Hadeon replied, his voice filled with dark pride. He pointed the gun again, his tone turning dead serious, "Stop wasting time and focus. Or start saying goodbye."
"I don't even know if I have any abilities! What if I have none?" Mallory demanded, but Hadeon ignored her, his finger squeezing the trigger. The bullet landed right next to the maid's feet, causing her to jump aside in fear. "...!"
"Lady Mallory!" Hattie shrieked, flinging her hands upward in terror. In that instant, Hadeon took another shot, and the apple on Hattie's head shattered into pieces, falling to the ground.
Mallory felt a sudden worry for Hattie's life. Perhaps her maid was better off without her, rather than living in constant dread. Hadeon's voice broke through her thoughts, "I guess Hattie is useless to you, as she's also a useless apple picker." This time, he aimed the gun at the maid's head. "Any last words?" he asked, his voice dull as he pulled back the hammer of the gun.4
"Don't…" Mallory's eyes widened, a sliver of fear trailing down her spine. The look in Hadeon's eyes told her he was going to pull the trigger at any moment.
When Hadeon's eyes met Mallory's, his hand momentarily dropped, but the next instant, he swung his arm and pulled the trigger at the standing maid. Mallory saw it all in slow motion as the bullet sped towards the young woman.11
In that moment, fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins. The need to protect Hattie surged within her, and she sprinted towards her. She took one step towards the maid, and before she could blink, she was standing in front of Hattie, shielding her from the bullet.9
Mallory watched in horror as the bullet sped towards her, realising too late that she should have pulled Hattie out of harm's way instead of stepping into the line of fire herself. As the bullet closed in, it suddenly curved in its trajectory, passing just inches from her face. She felt the searing heat of its passage graze her cheek before it embedded itself into the tree behind them.10
Feeling utterly drained from the pressure she had been under in a spare few minutes, Mallory's knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.6
Hadeon made his way towards Mallory before sitting on heels to level his eyes with hers, while Hattie recovered from the shock that she was still alive and uninjured. He ordered the maid, "You can return inside the castle. Your duties will be delegated to you."
The maid wore a look of worry, and with an apprehensive look, she did as she was told. As she walked towards the castle, the young woman turned to look at Mallory, who was still sitting on the ground.
"Do you want people to hate you?!" Mallory asked as she gathered herself and raised her head to look at Hadeon.
"Why? Are you planning to love me?" Hadeon asked with a grin, his fangs appearing in sight. "I should warn you, though, that I am not built for love," before he joked, "but I could try for wifey."19
"I am going to have a short life next to you…" Mallory muttered, before asking him, "Did I change the direction of the bullet?"7
Hadeon chuckled, "That was me. A skill where I am able to manipulate how I want the bullet to go." After a pause, he then said, "You didn't disappoint me, Mallory Winchester. You have the ability to defend. Just yourself, though." 9
Mallory's eyebrows furrowed, and she replied, "You said I had nothing to do with the bullet." She hadn't realised what had happened.
"Usually abilities are often categorised between offense and defense," Hadeon explained to her. "I would say my abilities are of offense, but so is my whole existence. Most of the high families have defense, which I find to be funny. Anyways, yours is more on the interesting side. Teleportation or apparation. Though it seems still in its beginning stage and needs to be worked on."14
She had an ability...
Mallory stared at him, stunned. A thought crept into her mind, and she asked, "Do I have it because my mother had this ability too?"2
"Hard to say," Hadeon replied casually, his brilliant golden eyes fixed on her. "Sometimes these abilities skip generations. The more we learn about your mother's bloodline, the better we'll understand. Cawlin is already on it."7
He then murmured, "Maybe if you master your ability, you can avoid becoming someone's stew by disappearing from one place to another. But it's crucial not to reveal your ability to anyone—not even your dear maid. Some secrets are meant to be carried alone."6
"But you know…" Mallory stated.2
"I am the exception to the rule." A wicked smile appeared on Hadeon's lips. 11
"I almost turned into stew last night, but the ability never appeared," Mallory pointed out to him, and she saw him cock his head to the side. Wasn't the ability flawed?
"Want to know why nothing happened?" Hadeon asked, slowly leaning towards her. He then whispered, "Because you knew I would come to save you. Or you hoped I would, leaving your fate in my hands."14
Mallory noticed the sly look on the pureblooded vampire's face, and her heart shuddered. She replied to him, "But the ability is still flawed."
"That it is, as it is still a seed that needs to grow, and I will help you grow it." At Hadeon's words, a wry smile appeared on Mallory's face. She asked him, "About my mother's grave…"3
"We will be visiting someone today," Hadeon said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "An old acquaintance of mine. It will be easier to find out if you have any living family members from the same bloodline."18
