It took thirty minutes, but Ella was led deep into the woods. It was pitch black outside, and the trees looked like menacing shadows leaning over her like they would attack.
Blake was next to her, walking by her side, his green eyes staring off into the distance.
“Prince Blake...” Ella whispered, “it’s been more than twenty minutes. I can’t be out here with you. I can’t be with you, period.”
He looked over at Ella to find her staring at the ground, her blue eyes shining with tears.
“Princess,” he breathed.
“I can’t be with you...” she murmured, voice breaking.
They’ll hurt me again...
“Princess,” Blake whispered, holding out his hand. Clearly he was offering comfort.
When Ella didn’t take it, he lightly grasped hers, twining their fingers together and she tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. Blake was warm. She could feel his grip heat her cold skin. It was as if she had never been warm in her entire life.
“Let go…” she demanded.
They stopped walking and Blake lightly tugged her arm. “Come here.”
Ella shook her head, trying to resist falling into his embrace and crying. She knew the moment he wrapped his arms around her, she wouldn’t be able to let him go.
Blake stared at her for a moment, as if he were studying her. And he stepped closer until he was inches from her. Ella could feel the heat of his stare, but she couldn’t look at him.
“Don’t get any closer…” she warned.
She was going to get beaten, cut, injured to the point of where she would want to die. And she didn’t want to feel the pain, but it lied ahead of her… Waiting… Taunting her…
Barely, Ella felt the back of Blake’s hand run down the length of her cheek, she turned her head away, but she felt him tuck away strands hair that covered her eyes.
And he lightly cupped her cheek, making her close her lashes as she tried to resist his comfort.
“Princess,” he pleaded, “can you look at me?”
Ella shook her head, but he grasped her chin and tilted it up to his gaze. Soft. Soothing. Calm.
“You’re scared,” he breathed. “I can tell.” But he didn’t ask what she was scared of... It was like he already knew...
“You’re safe,” Blake promised in a soft voice. “They can’t hurt you. Not anymore. I won’t allow it.”
Ella looked down, trying to push away the screaming voice in her head that was wondering how he knew everything she was thinking. “I can’t be with you. I have to go back.”
“Because Olivia wants to be Princess, right?” Blake asked softly.
How was he doing that? Ella didn’t mention her name, right? She didn’t mention she had an abusive stepsister, right?
“Princess,” Blake whispered, “can I tell you something?”
“Depends,” Ella said.
“I’m not an average human,” he explained as if she said yes.
That’s when she looked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you know of the hidden world?” Blake wondered.
Ella just blinked. What the hell was he talking about? Was this boy deranged?
“I’m guessing not, then.” He chuckled at her confused stare. “Your parents,” he continued, “Jack and Margot Magaroth were not human. Your father, Princess, was an Angel.” Ella’s eyes widened in disbelief. She was about to deny it when Blake put his index finger to her mouth, silencing her. “Let me finish.”
“You’re lying—”
But he interrupted her. “Your last name, Princess, is ‘Magaroth.’ All last names in our world are based on Latin. ‘Maga’ means witch. So you, Princess, are part of the first generation of witches. And you’re also half Angel.”
“That can’t be possible,” Ella said, shaking her head. “I don’t have any powers... Is this your plot to get me to trust you? Tell me that I have magic when I don’t?”
“Yet,” Blake finished with a soft smile, but clearly he was amused. “Your magic hasn’t formed yet.”
“This doesn’t make any sense...” Ella whispered. “It’s not true. It couldn’t be real.”
His smile didn’t waver. “It’s hard to understand, I know. Your parents kept you in the dark your entire life. Well,” he corrected, “your father.”
Ella looked down, thoughts rushing through her head like a hurricane. “Lemme guess,” she whispered hesitantly, “then you must be a magical being too… What are you, huh? A zombie?”
“I am a magical being, if that’s what you’re asking,” he let out through a chuckle. “I’m a fallen Angel.”
Ella’s eyes darkened in fear. “You’re a demon? Well… that kind of makes sense….” She felt tears build in her eyes as she thought she pieced things together, but she was unsure as she said it. “You want to kill me then…? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Wow, you really don’t trust easily, do you?” Blake sighed. “Not all demons are bad, Princess. I only fell because my parents didn’t want me. So I ditched them. The royal family took me in as their own. That doesn’t mean I want to hurt people.”
All the sudden, it hit her. “Can you... read minds...?”
A smile that curved at his mouth answered her question.
“So... you knew... the entire time... that I was afraid of my family hurting me...?” Her tone grew. “You knew everything I was thinking?”
A nod, but his smile vanished into something she couldn’t comprehend. Something dark but angry. Like a black fire deep within his gaze.
Ella looked down, not wanting to believe this, but it made sense. It made total sense.
“You’re an ass…” she mumbled, trying to mask her fear with anger.
“Aww…” Blake said sarcastically, “thanks for the compliment. Though, I would prefer, ‘I’ll let you help me now.’”
“I don’t need help.”
“So…” Blake said, trying to intimidate her, “if I try to comfort you, right now, and you know that you want it but you still resist, then what should I do?”
Not stop… she thought.
“Okay.” He sounded clearly satisfied with her response.
GODDAMN IT! Why couldn’t she control herself?
“I don’t want you in my head…” she murmured.
“I know,” his voice softened a touch, “but I also know why. And I’m not okay with what you’re doing to yourself. So what do you want me to do to help?”
“I don’t want help…” she admitted. Then she corrected at the realization that he knew she was lying, “I mean… I do… but… part of me is too scared to ask….”
“Can I try some methods?” he asked, making her shoot him a terrified look. “I’m not going to hurt you, Sweetheart. I’m not them.”
“What… kind of methods…?” Ella said suspiciously.
“Hmm…” he thought for a moment. “Well… I know you lay by the fire sometimes, pretending that someone’s holding you, but really… you’re holding yourself.”
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“Do you want me to hold you?”
“No….”
But her mind said differently. Yes…
He smiled. “Alright, Princess. Well then, I’ll do what your heart desires.” He nodded his head to the ground. “Sit, please.”
“Blake,” she warned.
“Sit.”
She blinked and looked down, settling down onto the fresh grass that lined the forest floor.
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