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Blake slammed the doors to the castle open, his eyes glowing a dark red with his demonic powers activating. The wood crashed against the stone walls, leaving a deafening sound echoing across the castle.
He didn’t take a second of hesitation to head up the stairs, boots crashing through the ground, leaving the stone to crack.
After storming up to Ella’s room, he threw the door open, the hinges breaking as it was thrown across the air.
“Ella.” His voice was deep and cold, he could hear the anger in his tone.
The bed was empty, so he scanned the room, searching for life.
“Ella, where are you?” he growled, though he tried so hard to calm his tone. He didn’t want her afraid... but he was pissed...
In the silence, Blake heard quiet whimpering... Almost as if it was muffled.
Then he walked further into the room, glancing around for signs of Ivy or Olivia.
When he moved passed the corner of the bed, there was a body sprawled across the floor.
A slight rush of cold ran up his spine, but he saw she was wearing a grey dress, and her hair was black. Though her originally golden eyes were shaded over with a dark grey
Not Ella...
Mia.
Blood was spattered across the floor from where she was, staining the blue rug red.
“Ella!” Blake screamed. “ELLA!”
Someone muffled a cry in the room, and Blake scanned the area. “Ella?”
The voice sounded as if it was sobbing, though he wasn’t sure.
When he turned to the desk in her room, there was a girl sitting on the floor. Her wrists were tied behind her back tightly, pinning her to the legs of the table. The ropes were making her creamy white skin glow an angry red, and there was blood dripping down her forehead, arms, and legs. Bruises scattered across her skin like she was hit several times.
“Ella!” he exclaimed. “Baby!”
Blake ran over to her. She flinched away when he reached for her. Her mouth was taped shut, though he could hear her muffled cries.
Clearly, she was trying to move away from him, but she was held so tightly to the desk that she couldn’t get very far.
“It’s okay,” Blake whispered. “It’s okay, Princess.”
Ella flinched away again when he tried to take the tape off her mouth.
“Princess...” he breathed. “It’s just me. Can you see me?”
Ella closed her lashes that stuck together with blood. She tried to sob something, but nothing auditable came out.
Blake saw tears slip down the length of her cheeks.
“Are they still here...?” He managed to calm his tone. “The people who hurt you?”
She shook her head, still trying to move away.
“It’s okay, Sweetheart,” Blake murmured. “You’re safe now.”
Her response were strangled sobs.
He reached for her again, and she started squirming, crying.
“I’m just going to take the tape off,” he assured her. “That’s all, Sweetheart. Will you let me?”
She was still for a moment, studying him. Then she nodded.
Blake pulled the tape off her mouth, making Ella gasp for air.
Ella’s eyes were wider than they’d ever been. She was crying, tears streaming down her blood stained cheeks.
Even though she was terrified, Blake couldn’t help pulling her into his chest and holding her. Ella wiggled in his grip, crying.
“Don’t touch me! Please! You’re scaring me!”
He loosened his grip... What did he do? Why was she so scared of him?
“Your eyes!” she sobbed. “Your eyes were red! Like...” she struggled to move, “like a demon...!”
“I was scared,” Blake murmured into her neck. “I was also angry because I was afraid someone was hurting you.”
Ella shook her head, refusing to believe him.
“My eyes turn red when my powers activate, Princess,” he explained. “They activated because someone was hurting you.”
Ella started sobbing, her cries making Blake’s heart shatter into pieces. He untied her wrists with a quick movement, pressing her to him so hard he felt his arms ache.
He murmured soft sounds, hoping to calm her down, but all she did was grab onto his shirt, pulling the fabric into her fist and cry, holding onto him, and he let her, gently running his hands down her arms.
“She killed her...!” Ella cried. “She killed Mia!”
Blake didn’t respond, just held Ella to him as she let out her frustration. Her fear. Hatred.
“I couldn’t save her...!” Ella continued. “I tried! I really tried!”
“I know,” Blake whispered calmly. “I know, Angel.”
God... what would’ve happened if he didn’t come back in time? Would Ella be dead? He cringed at the thought. Why was he such an idiot? He played into Ivy’s hands like a doll, and he couldn’t help but scream at himself internally.
He let go for a brief moment, feeling something sticky clinging to her arms.
Blake’s eyes widened at the large lacerations that cut deep into her skin. “Ella, you’re bleeding!”
She pulled away from him, looking down as she forced herself to respond calmly. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” he urged. “Please... come here....”
She held her place, eyes aimed on the rug burns that the ropes left on her wrist.
“Ella,” Blake warned.
She closed her eyes tightly, clearly trying to stop the tears from falling. “I’m okay,” she assured him.
“Let me—”
“No!” she yelled, backing away from him like he was the monster. “Please... I don’t want you to help me... No... not anymore....”
“If you won’t let me heal you,” he whispered, “then at least let me hold you.” And he reached for her again.
“Get back!” Ella kicked out her feet as she scrambled away.
“Ella! Please!” Blake begged. “I need to make sure you’re okay!”
“I’m okay,” she said, clearly holding back tears. “I said that already!.”
He watched her for a moment as her head grew heavy.
“Ella...” he breathed as her vision blurred. “Did you hit your head?”
“I’m fine!” she yelled, dodging his reach again.
“Ella, come here,” Blake held out his hand.
She closed her eyes, trying to stop her head from pounding. “God... stop... God! I can’t think!”
“Sweetheart...” he murmured, “let me help....”
“Hold on!” Ella cried, unsure if she should be scared of him or not. “I need to think! Give me a second!”
She didn’t notice him crawl beside her. “Come on.” And he slipped his arms under her.
“I SAID TO LET ME THINK!” she shouted, but too exhausted to try to push him away. “Please, God! I can’t think!”
“Shhh...” Blake soothed. “I’ll help. I’ll help....”
*****
IT WAS THREE IN THE afternoon, and Blake was holding Ella against his chest as she trembled, resting in his room, refusing sleep.
He understood why. She was attacked, and one of the people she cared about was murdered. Blake just let her do what she wanted, she was terrified for her life and the lives of others. That was understandable.
He knew Ella needed comfort. Support. So he was going to give it to her. Clearly, she was beaten. The bruises and the lacerations on her skin showed it.
She said she didn’t want to be healed. The reason why, he didn’t know, but he just accepted it. Ella didn’t need to be pushed around.
She shivered in his arms. Almost like she was in a freezer with no warmth to hold on to. Blake tried to sooth her tremors by rubbing her back softly, but it wasn’t working with her in so much pain...
Even though she was safe, he felt something boil inside him... No... burn... like a blazing fire. And he wanted revenge.
One of the maids he most trusted was murdered, and the girl who he cared about more than his own parents was beaten. Hurt. Tied to a table like she was an animal.
The tears that streamed down Ella’s cheeks made him feel his heart ache, and at the same time it made his blood venomous. He was burning like acid. And he knew he was going to do drastic things to put this to an end.
“Prince Blake,” Ella whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.
He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Are you okay, Princess?”
A nod. “I’m hurting...” she admitted softly.
“I know, Sweetheart. I can heal it, but you have to let me.”
“Your healing makes me tired...” she responded. “I don’t want to sleep... I’m afraid she’ll come back again....”
“I’m right here, Princess,” Blake said. “I’m not leaving you.”
Ella’s head dropped down, but not before he saw a tear slide down her cheek. “You said that last time... And then... when I woke you were gone... And she was above me... she screamed at me and started hitting me with a something wooden... I thought you were going to stay...
“I was begging for you to come back...” she said, the words spilling out. “I was hoping that you would show... but...” Ella exhaled a shuttering breath, “Mia walked in... and then she... she stabbed Mia through the stomach....” Ella’s voice broke. “I was crying...! I was begging for her to stop...! But she wouldn’t...! She just turned to me... and she said... ‘maybe you should’ve thought twice before disobeying me. Now I have you under my control, and you can’t escape it.’
“It was then... that I knew I would never be safe... Never... No matter how many times people tell me... I started believing you... I really did... but I was wrong... I was stupid....”
“Ella...” Blake whispered, heart drowning in guilt.
“I’m an idiot...” she said, closing her eyes tightly. “I should’ve known... That I can’t escape her... I never will... And... now she’s going to kill everything I love... Everything....”
Ella bent forward, digging her fingers through her hair, whispering, “Everything... everything... everything....”
“Ella,” Blake said again.
“Everything. Everything...!” She slammed her head against the headboard. “EVERYTHING!”
“Ella!” Blake yelled, heart pounding rapidly.
“EVERYTHING!” she screamed, constantly bashing her head against the wood. “EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!”
Blake caught her wrists and pulled her into a hold, pressing her head to his shoulder while his other pinned her arms together.
Ella just sobbed, dark red trickling down her forehead, into her lashes. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I’m sorry!”
“Shhh...” Blake cooed, rocking back and forth. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
“You... lied... to... me...” she wept.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” Blake whispered, still cradling her to his chest. “I was going to confront your stepmother, Sweetheart. The message that was on your arm,” he gently ran his thumb along the scar, “it said ‘follow to where the family lives, and you will find the daughter who KILLS.’”
“Why did you leave me...?”
He sighed softly. “I wanted to help... I was trying to prevent another injury... but they were planning that... and they used that time to get to the castle and hurt you.”
“I felt helpless...” Ella sobbed. “I was tied up... and she taped my mouth shut so I wouldn’t scream for help... I couldn’t breathe with it... I thought I was dying....”
“Who was it, Princess?” Blake wondered softly. “Who hurt you?”
“Ivy...” Ella said. “It’s always Ivy....”
“Did she say anything about spells or curses?”
She shook her head. “Just angry rants....”
“Okay,” he said. When he tilted her chin up she had blood and tears staining her face, but she turned away so he couldn’t see the fear in her eyes.
“Princess,” he whispered, running his thumb along the red that streamed down from her new wound that she caused, “you have a concussion.”
“I do?” Ella sounded surprised.
“Your pupils are dilated, your forehead is bleeding, and you’re acting kind of off. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be scared or angry,” he added to the angry look she gave him. “I’m saying that you need to rest and heal.”
“No,” she stated. “I need to stay awake so she doesn’t hurt me again....”
“I’ll be right here,” Blake assured her. “Right here. Next to you.”
“You’re lying...” she said silently. “You said that last time....”
Blake felt his stomach turn with guilt. That he was stupid enough to fall for Ivy’s tricks. That he could cause Ella so much pain. That he made her lose her trust of him.
Well he would prove her wrong.
“Sleep, Sweetheart,” Blake breathed. “Close your eyes.”
“Prince—”
“No,” he said gently. “You are going to close your eyes, and you are going to rest.”
“I can’t—”
“Ella,” his tone grew stern, “I will not let anyone touch you. Never again. I mean it this time. You. Are. Safe. So close your eyes.”
All that did was make tears build.
Blake leaned down, gently pressing his lips to every wound on her body. Her forehead, her cheeks, arms, legs. They lit up and glistened like glitter. The lacerations started sealing shut, and Ella stared down at her arms that shimmered with gold. She watched as the bruises glowed and vanished to white skin.
“Pretty, huh?” Blake studied her as she became limp, falling into him. “I know you said you didn’t want me to heal it, but I know this is a form of punishment for yourself. The hurting, aching, burning.”
Ella looked up at him, her lashes lowered. “I...” she breathed. “I’m sorry.”
But what she was apologizing for was unknown, because she fell asleep in his arms once more. And Blake was never going to leave her again.
*****
WHILE ELLA WAS SLEEPING, Blake grabbed the pitcher of water that rested at her bed side, pouring it into a basin, and let a couple drops of some soft soap into the water, carrying it over to the bed.
When he set the basin down, he looked up to see Ella’s eyes open. A little shockwave of surprise passed through him.
She stared at him lazily as he sat on the bed.
“What are you doing...?” she wondered groggily.
“I was just going to wash off the blood off your arms and face,” he responded.
“Oh,” she said, too tired to react, “okay.”
Blake chuckled. “What did you think I was doing?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
He smiled softly. “I guess that now you’re awake this’ll be a lot easier. Do you mind sitting up?”
Ella shook her head, indicating, I don’t mind. She pushed herself off the bed and dangled her feet into the water that rested below the frame. She watched as Blake massaged the soap into her skin and scrubbed off all the dried blood. She didn’t want to admit it... but it felt nice... when he massaged her feet... They ached so badly... So did every other part of her body, though.
She watched as he wiped all the grime off her arms and legs with a cloth, and then grabbed a bottle of lotion off the nightstand, gently massaging her shoulders, neck, arms, and rubbing it in the red marks around her wrists.
He’s so gentle with me, Ella thought. I never knew he could be so kind.
Blake smiled when she thought that, and she felt her cheeks burn.
Oh... that’s right... he can read minds...
“What time is it, Prince?” she wondered, discarding her embarrassment.
“No more ‘Prince,’” he stated. “I don’t want you calling me that.”
“Why? You call me ‘Princess.’”
He was silent for a moment, just pouring the dirty water into the sink. “Well... you say it because you think you’re ‘less than.’ I say it because it’s a nickname I made for you.”
“What made you come up with it?” Ella wondered.
He glanced over at her and smiled. “You’re beautiful, kind, and so pretty.”
Ella’s cheeks burned, and he chuckled.
“What’s the time?” she managed to repeat, changing the topic.
“It’s almost eight,” Blake said, ringing out the rag into the sink.
“Wait... in the morning or at night...?”
“Night.”
Ella tried to resist saying it. “Is it dinner time?”
It only made him smile. “Are you hungry?”
“Maybe.”
Blake chuckled. “Okay, you’re hungry. We can go down to the dining hall.”
He held out his hand and Ella took it, she stood and they made it out of the room, down to the dining hall.