Chapter 2 IMELDA
IMELDA’s POV.
I almost laugh at his question. What does he mean by what is Italy? Did his family leave him here because he is mad? Did I mistakenly free a mad man?
The realization spread dread around me. I should look for a way to leave this place before I become toast for the news.
“Tell me,” he continues, “what is Italy, amber?”
“My name is not Amber.”
“You will answer when I speak to you!” He half yells, “you are just a lowly servant and I am speaking to you.”
Now I badly want to laugh. This is hilarious. Is he being serious right now?
“When we get back to Asfort, I will make you kneel in the courtyard for the entire night before I chop off your head. Now tell me.”
“Look, Mr—uhmmm
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know my name.”
“I don’t know your name but I will call you sleeping beauty”
His forehead creases the more as he places his hands on his waist. This makes me realize he is still naked. I immediately remove the scarf around my neck and throw it over to him.
“Wear that until you get some clothes,” I tell him.
He picks it up from the ground and stares at it for a long time, his frown deepening with wax passing second.
“A ladies undies?” He corks an eyebrow.
“What?” My eyes almost pop out of their socket, “Jesus. No!” I blurt out, “that’s a scarf for the hair.”
Fuck! Who is this man and why am I the one stuck with him?
“You should tie it around your waist. You are naked,” I further add.
“That’s not what you say when you choke on it night after night, Amber.”
Eww!! I scrunch my face at his outburst: who the heck is he by the way?
“Look,” I take a step towards him, “I am going to leave now okay? I will get someone to come help you, okay?”
Before he can respond, I rush out of the cave and make my way back to where I am coming from. But I have not even gone far when someone grabs a hold of my hand and I let out a little scream. I turn to see him behind me, an amused smirk on his face.
“I let you go that night, Amber,” he whispers, “I am not letting you go again.”
Before I can put myself together, he snaps his hand around my waist and everything goes pitch black.
It is only when I feel him pull away from me that I open my eyes.
My jaw drops at the building in front of me. The building is huge but not in a flashy way. It looks expensive without even trying to. The stone walls are huge and pale, stretching from one floor to the next. The whole building stood upon about two hectares of land.
I genuinely don’t understand what’s going on. First of all, I see this mad man in the bush and as if that’s not enough, he magically brings us here and now—this.
This is surely a dream. If I close my eyes, I should wake up in my hotel room in Italy right?
I close my eyes but nothing happened. I only open them to see him still staring at me with an amused look on his face. Whatever is going on, he must be enjoying it.
“Remember Asfort?” He asks as he begins to walk towards the building, the scarf hanging daintily on his waist. He doesn’t even look the least scared or nervous.
“Please,” I begin to speak, “I don’t know what’s going on but I need to leave now. I—
The sound of a car behind me cut off my speech and I turn to see the latest Range Rover model come to a halt in front of us.
A man immediately alights and my jaw drops again for the umpteenth time. His handsomeness can not be compared to sleeping beauty right here but the aura surrounding him is almost the same.
His silver hair is pulled into a ponytail and his dark onyx eyes look like they carry an age long mystery. He is clad in a suit, one I have never seen before. He smells of old money, money so old it belongs in a museum.
“Master,” he says lightly as he bows, “I came as soon as I felt you wake up.”
Master? Now this is becoming something else.
Sleeping beauty’s eyes travel over him for a moment. I am sure he is wondering what he heck is going on just as I am too.
“What’s all this you are wearing? He finally asks.
“I will tell you everything, come let’s go in.”
“And you are?” I finally ask.
It seems sleeping beauty doesn’t really know what’s going on. How long was he in that cave for?
“Amber,” the man calls as his lips curl into a tiny smile, “you found her?”
The smile don’t quite reach his eyes and it seems like I am the only one lost here.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on here?” I suddenly yell, “what’s this place and who are you people? Look, you should take me back to where you brought me?”
“Tie her up in the courtyard,” he orders, “I will deal with her later,”
Before I can say anything, he starts to walk away and I stand in the middle of nowhere wondering where it all went wrong. I open my mouth to say something but that is when my eyes catch the huge dragon tattoo on his back. The tattoo covers the entirety of his back and it looks alive, it’s red eyes glowing. It looks like it is waiting for permission to soar into the sky. Did he sit and allow them tattoo this realistic thing on his back? It must have hurt so much but why? Why would someone do this?
The more I asked myself, the more confused I got.
“Who are you people?” I yell after them, “who—
“When did she start talking too much?” Sleeping beauty asks the Zeke guys who spares me another dangerous look before turning away. He doesn’t like me at all—or is evident in his eyes.
With my heart in my mouth, I rush towards them. Is the universe punishing me in some kind of way?
What the actual fuck?
