Chapter 73

73 A sweet kiss vs dangerous kiss

“Well, hello again, your majesty.”

The creepy man then pushed Justice and make him stumble at Xavier, the two friends were ready to face the man, but they were cautious of him.

“I have to say my gratitude to you, your majesty.” Said the mysterious man. He even bows to Justice with an exaggeration.

“Why? Why do you owe me gratitude? I don’t even know you?!” He shouted at the man, confused and also afraid to gaze at his black eyes, the creepy black color that now fills his eyes.

“Oh, but I do know you, recognized you immediately,” He smiled and slowly got closer to him and Xavier.

“F*ck, what is this? How come you have gone with him from the sewer?” Whispered Xavier, his great axe already in his hand, ready to attack anytime that he wished for.

“Tell me that Anne is with you the whole time? Because that f*cker over there shapeshifted into Anne.” Justice pointed at the mysterious man with a face full of rage. He felt deceived.

The realization goes to Xavier’s face immediately, “What... did you just say?!” He throw his great axe, and straight punched the man in the face. He was getting out of control until Anne shouted at him from afar.

“Xavier?! Xavier what are you doing?! Oh my God!” Anne rushed into him, but before she could reach the man, Justice was already there to prevent her from getting closer to Xavier.

.....

“Don’t, Anne! It’s dangerous for you to get closer!”

Anne turned her head, obviously panicking and frustrated. “Then do something!”

Justice saw his guards and Andy came closer. He asked them to hold Xavier and let him pin the mysterious man alone. They succeed to calm Xavier, especially after he saw Anne unharmed by the mysterious man. She hold his hand and tried to ease his anger.

“Xavier, I’m right here, don’t worry,”

With a panted breath, he looks at the girl and put his head on her shoulder. “Oh, Anne, I thought... I thought he was doing something to you.”

Tightly, Anne gets a hold of his huge body while Xavier gets to savor her scent, a peculiar but sweet scent. He likes it and really has a calming effect on Xavier. Justice saw them and was surprised by how easily Anne calmed the nerves of his friend.

The mysterious man beside him chuckles like a maniac, “Jealous, your majesty? It seems your friend was hogging the attention of your woman.”

Frowning at the mysterious man, he asked him while his guards tie him up in the dead tree, “Jealous? Then you know nothing about me. Who are you anyway?”

The man creepingly smile and said, “I am complicated.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Xavier, who’s already calmed his nerved came around and glared at the man.

The man whiffed the air around, and somehow the creepy smile widen, “Apparently, so do you.” He said, while staring at Xavier.

Xavier clutched his hand, and with gritted teeth, he walk closer to the man and said, “Shut your d*mn mouth, you know nothing!”

Looking at Justice, Anne tucked into his coat and asked him, “What did he say about Xavier?”

“Nothing, it was gibberish. Stay close to me. We need to know about this man.” Said Justice to Anne.

“By the way, I’ve met him at the moonlight town.” Muttered Anne.

Justice turned to see Anne. “He told me about it.” He then walked in front of the man. “Who are you? Are you a magi? Where did you come from?”

“I was once a magi, and I am from here. I am what all of you couldn’t possibly know about.” The man gave an answer that raised more questions than before.

Justice frustratingly rustled his hair. “Was a magi? coming from here? Just tell us your identity already!”

The man unexpectedly laughs maniacally, and from nowhere came a lightning strike into the dead tree where the man is being held, Justice, Anne, and Xavier got thrown away by the force of the lightning strike, and the dead tree got burned in front of them. The mysterious man somehow remains unscathed and now hovering above Justice.

“What? what do you want?” Justice bravely confronted the man, his eyes looks around and saw Anne being saved by Xavier and Andy, he looked at his sword, but before he could reach for the sword, the man pulled him from the ground using a raw magica from the palm of his hand.

Looking at his friend in distress, Xavier plunged himself into the man, but a force field threw him into the ground, meanwhile, inside the force field, the man spoke to Justice while looking at his face thoroughly, “My, my, you’re perfect as one of my helper later on.”

“What? what did you say?!” Asked Justice. He tried so hard to release the grip of the man while questioning his motive. The man just gave him a smirk and do something odd and terrifying. Fangs appeared from his teeth, and he bit Justice’s neck.

Screaming in agony, Justice could finally call for his sword and release himself from the grip of the mysterious man. The force field was destroyed, and Anne and Xavier go to Justice immediately, the bite wound still bleeding profusely, and Anne close the wound immediately with her hand and asked Andy to grab her bag on the carriage. Xavier fought with the man. He was raging, and although trying so hard to slash or grab the man, not once he succeeded.

“You will never defeat me, young man, you need practice and much more power within you,” said the man hovering around, “Tell your friend, I will be back, and I hope you will be ready for me,” his crimson long hair flowing from the wind, a pair of wings appear from his back, and he flew away from the cemetery.

Cursing at the sky, he goes to look into his friend. Anne was in the middle of stopping the bleeding from the bite wound but to no avail.

“What happened?” Asked Xavier.

“The bleeding was too severe... I don’t have the correct medicines for it,” Anne was panicking, the bite wound, although small but could nick into one of the arteries.

Justice still screaming in agony, she need to find a solution fast or he could pass out from the bleeding. Anne asked Xavier to hold Justice in a certain position while she run outside the cemetery as fast as she could. The afternoon loomed while the moonlight almost appear, Anne frantically looking for the perfect plants. Maybe because of her prayer or a coincidence, a waning light from the afternoon sun shining directly into a yellow flower around the bushes.

“That’s it!” She shouted excitedly and brought the flower to the cemetery. She ground the petals and mix them with the crystal water. Afterward, Anne rubbed the concoction to Justice’s wound.

Thankfully, the plant worked wondrously, and Justice breathed regularly and finally calm down. Xavier and the guards brought him back to the carriage. He put his head into Anne’s lap, and before night come, the carriage was on the way to the moonlight inn once again.

“Thank God you found the plant. What is it anyway?” Asked Xavier to Anne.

“Sheperdoes, the wildflower origin. I remember my father used the flower to treat any bleeding from a stab wound.” Anne answered his question while her hand caressed the crown prince’s hair. “I think I’ll be going to accompany him all night, just to make sure. Can you put him in my room instead? I have a double bed and a sofa, perfect for attending the sick.”

“Alright, but take a rest from time to time. I don’t want you to get ill.” Said Xavier.

“I will, thank you for your concerned,” Smiling at Xavier, she gave him another of her hand to be held by him, for Anne they are becoming more and more irreplaceable for her.

Long night for Anne, she cared for Justice while occasionally taking a nap here and there; he got a fever at two in the morning, and she change his clothes and also tend to his need, he wasn’t lucid enough for a couple of days and Anne doesn’t want to risk his health. They stayed at the inn, Xavier informed the palace, and they send prince Jason along with chief Obatto to assist Anne.

After a week, Justice’s fever subsided, and he was healthy as he can be. Chief Obatto praised our heroine for how caring she was looking after the crown prince almost with no rest. She doesn’t want to get any credit, although Justice knew. He felt every touch and every soothing voice from Anne. When chef Obatto excused himself to inform prince Jason, Justice gazed at the young woman that had been by his side for almost a week.

Her purple color hair shines brightly from the sunlight. It feels magical to him.

“Justice? Are you alright?”

He wasn’t realized for a moment his eyes were following every movement of Anne until the girl is close enough to his face. She looks concerned at him, “did your fever raise again?” Anne put his forehead into his.

Suddenly, Justice took a deep breath, and with his two hands, he lock her face and kissed her softly. Her eyes widen at his sudden action, how his lips caressed hers, how her eyes closed and enjoyed every moment. This is not her first kiss, but this is what you called an adoration and longing from Justice. A sweet kiss from the crown prince, and Anne feels so alive by it. Afterward, he smiles at her, with his thumbs rubbing at her blushed cheek.

The sweet moment dissipates immediately when Xavier and Jason entered the room. Their face says that something bad just happened.

“What happened?” Asked Justice to the two of them.

Xavier then said, “Silver Hawk was here. Gaftan is in grave danger.”