47. Princess Davina
Chapter 47
Princess Davina
“The most powerful weapon on earth
is the human soul on fire.”
— Ferdinand Foch
“ G ood morning,” Rafe greets me with a wry smile as he casually strokes Juliet’s hair, who is perched comfortably on his lap at the dining table. “Did you get enough beauty sleep, Princess?”
I shoot him a look. “I don’t know how Juliet puts up with you. She must have the patience of a saint.”
Rafe chuckles and leans in, his tone teasing. “Oh, she does. And I’m lucky she does, because otherwise, I’d be out of luck with finding someone who can handle my charm.”
Juliet, barely glancing up from her breakfast, just shakes her head with a bright smile. “You two should really stop. It’s too early for your banter.”
Rafe straightens up, feigning indignation. “Hey, I spent a good half-hour braiding your hair yesterday, and this is the thanks I get?” He pouts dramatically.
I raise my brows in shock. “You braided her hair?” I ask, grinning. “Wow, Juliet, he must really be smitten with you.”
She giggles and blushes, playfully nudging Rafe. “He’s just trying to avoid doing the dishes.”
Rafe shakes his head vigorously. “Not true at all,” he insists. “I’d do the dishes on my knees if you asked me to.”
Juliet’s laughter rings out, filling the room with warmth. She reaches over and gives him a quick peck on the cheek. “There you go. That’s for the braiding and all.”
He leans back with a satisfied grin. “Much better. Now I can start my day with a full heart.”
Juliet snorts and looks at me with an inviting grin, gesturing towards the table. “You should sit and eat with us. There’s plenty of food.”
I hesitate for a moment, glancing at the breakfast. The scent of the food is tempting, but my thoughts are elsewhere. “I appreciate the offer, but I actually need to talk to Cole.”
Rafe gives a supportive nod. “Alright, well, if you change your mind or need anything, you know where to find us.”
Juliet’s smile remains, though there’s a touch of disappointment in her eyes. “We’ll save some breakfast for you if you decide to join us later.”
I nod gratefully. “Thanks.”
I haven’t seen Cole since yesterday, and I need to know what happened. Despite everything, I need to know my father is alright.
I make my way down the hall toward Cole’s room, but with each step, the knot in my stomach tightens. By the time I reach his door, my throat feels dry and scratchy, so I turn on my heel and head to the kitchen instead.
With a weary sigh, I pour myself some water.
“Hi, pretty princess.”
My heart skips a beat, and I jump, startled by his sudden appearance. The glass slips from my hand and shatters on the floor.
Cole just stands there, an amused smirk on his lips.
“You scared me!” I gasp and drop to my knees, frantically picking up the shards. Pain sears through my palm. A shard of glass has cut me, blood welling up and trickling down onto the pristine marble floor.
“Hell, Davina.” In an instant, Cole is kneeling beside me. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m sorry.” I push myself to my feet with a sigh, leaning against the counter. “I didn’t mean to make a mess.”
“The mess is the least of my worries,” he says as he finishes up tidying the shattered glass.
I notice the way he winces slightly as he straightens up. His expression tightens in a way that makes my heart clench.
“Are you alright?” I ask. “Did Lorelda hurt you?”
He shakes his head, though his eyes betray a flicker of something darker. “I’m fine. Just a little sore, that’s all.” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
I frown, not buying it for a second. “I’m not convinced?—”
He gently grips my wrist. “Let me see.”
“It’s nothing, just a small cut.”
“Stubborn little thing,” he mutters under his breath.
I wince as he examines my hand. “Well, not all of us can be perfect like you, Your Highness.”
“Perfect? You must be confusing me with someone else,” he says as he guides me to the sink and turns on the faucet, letting the water flow over it.
I hiss as the sting intensifies, but he’s relentless, tightening his grip.
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that hiss of yours sounded like a very convincing attempt to get me to stick around.”
I shoot him a sidelong glance. “Oh, really?”
He nods, leaning in. “You don’t have to hurt yourself to get my attention.”
I roll my eyes, noticing despite the water running over it, the cut doesn’t stop bleeding. “Great,” I huff out a laugh. “I’ll probably bleed out before you get a bandage.”
“Maybe it just needs a little more attention.” Without missing a beat, he lifts my hand to his mouth and licks the blood from my palm, his eyes never leaving mine. “Can’t have you bleeding out on me, can I?”
I shake my head, trying to suppress a smile. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love it,” he says with a wink, grabbing a towel to wrap it around my hand, staunching the bleeding. “There, all better.”
“Thanks,” I say, lifting my gaze to meet his. “Can you fill me in on what happened yesterday?”
He hesitates, his playful demeanor fading. “To sum it up…” he begins, sighing, “Lorelda’s keeping him prisoner.”
A heavy weight settles in my chest at his words. “What is she going to do to him?” The question slips out before I can stop myself. A part of me doesn’t even want to know.
“I don’t know,” he replies, his expression showing that the shift in conversation doesn’t sit well with him. “I’m sorry.”
The fear that she might kill him gnaws at me, but I try to push the thought out of my mind, knowing I can’t let this get to me or I’ll go crazy.
Cole pours me a glass of water, waiting for me to drink before he adds, “Shall we? Train, I mean.”
I nod, allowing him to guide me toward the room where we’ve fought before. The cold metal of the silver dagger I’m carrying presses against my thigh as I follow him.
Maybe a fight will help clear the turmoil in my mind.
The room is dimly lit, looking exactly like the last time, the air thick with the scent of sweat and leather.
“I want you to focus on the energy around you and try to manipulate it in any way you can.”
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath as I try to feel any kind of energy swirling around me.
Nothing.
I concentrate harder and try to summon something, anything that could indicate my power.
Nothing.
I open my eyes, letting out a weary sigh. “I can’t feel anything.”
His expression softens. “This isn’t about winning or losing, okay?”
“It’s not about winning or losing?” I smile despite myself. “Good to know, because I was about to ask if you wanted me to go easy on you. How about we just fight instead?”
“There’s nothing I’d rather do, except maybe getting to see that smile up close while we’re at it.”
“I wouldn’t want you to get distracted by my dazzling smile.”
He chuckles. “Distracted? Oh, I can handle it. But I might need a closer look to really appreciate it.” He steps closer, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “How about you give me something to remember when I win?”
I circle him, our eyes locked. “Well, I suppose I could give you something memorable. But you’ll have to catch me first.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Definitely,” I reply, fully aware that I can’t beat him.
“A challenge, then.” He squares his shoulders and nods. “I do love a good one.”
I open my mouth as if to speak, drawing his attention. A smirk plays on his lips, anticipating my words. But instead, I use the distraction to lunge forward, aiming a punch at his chest.
Unsurprisingly, he’s quick, sidestepping my punch effortlessly. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
“I’m just getting warmed up,” I mutter, each movement a calculated dance. My mind races, searching for any potential opening. He suddenly lunges, and I barely dodge his attack. His speed is astounding, a blur of motion that leaves me breathless.
I shift my weight, preparing for his next move. He comes at me again. I feint to the left, and when he moves to counter, I pivot and manage to land a glancing blow to his side.
He laughs, a sound full of genuine amusement. “Not bad. I felt that one.”
We continue, the intensity increasing as we’re sparring.
But there’s no magical energy for me to feel.
Finally, a thought strikes, and I address it. “Can you hit me for real?”
“What are you talking about?” Confusion flickers across his face. “I won’t hit you.”
“What if it triggers something?” I push, desperation creeping into my tone. “What if I need to get hurt, and the self-defense… I don’t know, maybe a real hit might unleash whatever’s locked inside me?”
He shakes his head. “Davina, I won’t hit you. There’s got to be another way?—”
“Coward.”
He laughs, though his eyes remain serious. “I’d rather be called a coward than be the one who hurts you.”
I cross my arms. “Why won’t you do it?”
“Davina,” he says, then scowls. “I would hurt you.”
“Do it,” I demand, “or we’re done here.”
He studies me for a moment. With a resigned sigh, he nods reluctantly. “Alright, but I’m not going to go all out. Just enough for you to?—”
“Just do it, Cole.”
I brace myself as he moves forward. I barely have time to react, raising my arms to block his initial strike. His first hit lands on my arm, a sting spreading through it. The force of it sends a shockwave through my body, and I stagger back, struggling to maintain my balance.
“Harder,” I say, catching my breath.
“Is this really what you want? At least fight back. I don’t want to hurt you.”
I nod, the training room seeming to fade around us as he attacks me again.
I close my eyes for a split second to center myself, but the moment of distraction cost me dearly. Cole’s fist connects with my shoulder and sends me sprawling to the floor. I gasp, the wind knocked out of me and pain shooting through my body.
Glancing at him, I see a fleeting glimpse of anger twisting his features; his eyes go dark. I blink, and he’s back to his usual calm self.
Shaking my head, I try to dismiss it as a trick of the light.
But it happens again, his face full of rage.
“Get up,” he commands, his voice sharp and unyielding. “You can’t discover your power lying on the ground.”
Gritting my teeth, I push myself up, my muscles screaming in protest. I know he’s just trying to push me by saying this, but his words sting.
He circles me like a predator sizing up its prey, and I try to steady myself, refocusing my energy.
I shake my head, trying to clear the fog in my mind. “Wait a second.”
He gives me a skeptical look but doesn’t press further.
I brace myself for another attack, the sense of unease growing stronger. Cole’s face begins to change again, his features twisting into a cruel, mocking sneer. I blink, convinced it’s a trick of the light, but the vision persists.
“What’s wrong?” I say, more to myself than to him.
“What do you mean?” he asks, his voice laced with confusion.
I stand stock still, my heart pounding. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“So... cruel —” I step back, fear gripping me.
His expression shifts to one of alarm. “Davina, I think that?—”
But I can’t hear him.
All I see is his eyes darkening with malice as he steps closer.
“I… I need a break,” I stammer, retreating further. I swallow, trying to dispel the version of him, but the image remains.
His features distort into a pure mask of cruelty, his voice dripping with disdain. “Pathetic,” he hisses. “You’re not worthy of your powers.”
He draws his sword and I panic, stumbling back into the wall and raising my hands defensively. “Cole, please stop.”
He steps closer, his expression growing darker with each step he takes. “You’re weak. You’ll never be able to control it.”
The room seems to spin as he approaches me, fear tightening its grip on my heart.
“Davina, listen to me!”
“Stay away from me!” I scream, the walls closing in around me.
He smirks, eyes glinting with dark amusement. “I’m still contemplating my options for you—let you bleed out slowly or find something more creative.”
“Please,” I manage to choke out, my eyes shut tight. “Just go away.”
“It’s a delusion,” he shouts, but his words barely register.
This can’t be a hallucination.
It’s too vivid.
Too real .
“Breathe—open your eyes?—”
He laughs, a low, menacing sound that echoes in my mind.
“Please,” I repeat, desperation in my voice. “ Please, stay away from me.”
“Davina, snap out of—” a voice breaks through the haze, but it sounds distant, almost drowned out.
The figure before me is no longer Cole but a nightmarish distortion of him. I quickly squeeze my eyes shut again, desperate to escape this haunting vision.
“Davina, stop—not real.”
I feel hands on me.
He wants to kill me.
He curses under his breath, his hands gliding up my legs frantically. “ Fuck —where’s your dagger?— ”
He is going to kill me.
“Please, just stop,” I whimper, sinking to the floor, my body trembling uncontrollably. My heart hammers in my chest, cold sweat trickling down my back. “ Please , don’t hurt me?—”
Something cold is pressed into my hand. I open my eyes tentatively, and Cole kneels in front of me, panic in his eyes.
He guides my hand until the blade of my dagger presses against his throat. “It’s not real,” he says softly, letting go of my wrist.
My hand trembles, the dagger heavy in my grip as it’s pressed against him. The look of genuine worry on his face is a small comfort, and I take deep breaths, the hallucination slowly fading. The cruel look on his face is gone, and I let the dagger fall, my hands shaking.
I lost control, and he wanted to give it back to me.
“I’m so sorry,” I rasp, my voice cracking under the weight of shame. “It felt so real?—”
“Don’t be sorry,” he murmurs, helping me to my feet and wrapping his arms around me.
“Cole, I—I don’t want to be afraid of my own mind.”
“You won’t be,” he says, palming my head. “We’ll figure this out together.”
“I could have hurt you?—”
“Davina,” he says softly, lifting my chin so I have to meet his eyes. “You could slit my throat, and I would use my last breath to apologize for bleeding on your hand.”