Now that’s an imposter!!...

It’s such a fine line between feeling everything and nothing at all!!...

Proserpina

The stranger’s eyes pulsated hellfire as they stared at me when our feet touched the ocean floor. My heart almost skipped a beat when his face mask shifted, revealing the raw and rugged beauty within. There was something unnatural, almost haunting but utterly mesmerizing about him. His hair was an unusual brown and tied, and an uneven stubble covered the lower part of his chiselled jaw. His upper torso was naked, while his legs were covered with baggy pants. His chest spanned into muscular pecks and broad shoulders, and his biceps were a bulky mass of raw muscles. His furrowed brows, narrowed eyes, and body language reeked of a predator. A deep, thick scar ran through his left cheek and neck, all the way through his upper body, disappearing beneath the waistband of his trousers. My fingers tried to trail his scar.

“Do you breathe underwater?” His voice echoed through the water. I was almost paralyzed in shock when the thought of what I was doing hit me. ‘Am I so desperate for a man’s touch, or it’s just him?’ I asked myself. He crunched his brows again in question. I just shook my head in response.

“Great, because me neither,” he said, kicking his legs to push us over the surface. Looking around at the sharp rocks, I almost screamed in shock, “We could have died.”

“We surely would if we don’t leave this place right now. And trust me, getting lynched by those fugglies is not a great way to die.” He said, pointing over to the sky. The dark clouds were looming over, ready to hide the Sun again.

“You seem to know a lot about these creatures,” I asked him while trying to untangle my hair.

“Weren’t you running away from those creatures?” He spoke. My body tensed as his tone was not right. Although my heart was screaming soul-mate like a sleazy teenager, my brain couldn’t trust him before knowing his identity and intention.

“I am not running,” I stated bravely, trying to ease my hormones and calm my girly bits. He raised his brows in surprise and grinned as if he had just caught my pretence.

“Then why was that guard chasing you?” he asked, mocking me and enjoying every bit.

“I…I…” I stuttered, and his damn eyes made it difficult to think.

“I am listening,” he taunted, knuckling his fingers.

“I was hiding from….” I stumbled on my words again.

“From? Come on, Princess. I will be in my coffin before long.” He was losing his patience.

“Why in the coffin? Are you a vampire?” My question must have hit his nerve because of his pissed-off look. Oh! What am I even saying? He doesn’t seem to be a vampire because he is insensitive to sunlight, and who in the right mind jumps over flying? He also killed those vampires, which is rarely heard of. I had listened to the stories of how often my father and his army tried to capture and kill those vampires but couldn’t lay a hand on even one of them. Perhaps, the mystery man is the first ever to kill a vampire.

The impatient look on his face made me speak up. “I…I was running from that guard.”

At this, his lips twitched with amusement, and his gaze hardened. I suddenly felt like being studied by a predator.

“So, will you tell me why that guard wanted to harm you, or am I left to guess?” He asked in a haughty tone.

“And who are you to question me? And why were those guards and vampires running after you? Are you a prisoner or a run-away convict?” I rolled my eyes after finally finding a slice of bravery. My words snapped something in him because of the unmistakable glint in his eyes, the same one I saw in the wolf-man of my dreams. He jerked away from me and stepped back, replying sarcastically, “Do I look like a prisoner, Princess!?”

Shit! Did he say, Princess? How does he know?

“Why are you calling me that?!” I snapped in defiance, avoiding looking into his eyes.

“But that is exactly what you are, Proserpina,” He replied, and the way I froze, people could confuse me for a snowman.

“No, I’m not,” I said with determination, but he just laughed.

“You are Proserpina!” He said, making me jerk in disbelief.

“I’m Kora. K.O.R.A.” I screamed the last words as if doing so would make him believe me.

Kora was the name which no one knew of, as my parents only used it.

“No, I think it’s a liar,” he said, grabbing my wrist tightly and yanking me forward. I let my impulses kick in and swing my free hand to deliver a slap on his face. He held my hand sternly and warned me, “Try that again and see where it gets you.” I swallowed hard, losing some of my bravery.

“And where will it get me?” I asked.

“Your rightful place, The Northern Palace!”

My mouth hung open in shock that I couldn’t even think of a response. The only logical thing that came to mind was kicking him in the nuts and making a run.

“You know what? Screw you!” I barked at him before storming off. However, I didn’t get far as I was suddenly gripped from behind and whipped back to face him.

“Word of warning, Princess. It’s not wise to run away from your fate.” His words were more like a warning.

“Why save me when all you wanted to take me back again?” I tried to keep my face straight to appear serious.

“I got carried away a bit!” He argued back.

“Don’t take me back to the palace.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Okay, then your dick will be at my dagger’s mercy,” I warned him. He grinned at me as if enjoying the conversation, giving me this invincible look.

“Don’t be so proud. Sometimes a wolf can be at the mercy of a raven.”

At this, his eyes flashed, and I could feel raw anger shadowing his face.

“Just try me by speaking one more word.” He warned.

I got scared by two things now, his anger and the fact that we had reached the gates of the Northern Kingdom.

Mystery man ignored me and walked towards a clumsy guard, who in turn gave him a knowing grin exposing his black, rotten gums and extended his dirty hand as if asking for something. Guard knows the mystery man!

The mystery man looked around and noticed the other guard was not watching. Before my eyes went for the next blink, the mystery man grabbed the guard’s neck and snapped it in the wrong direction. He inserted his hand inside that guard’s coat, took out a cloth bag with gold coins, clinked it once, and pushed the guard’s limp body back behind the pillar.

“This was mine!” He said while eyeing the bag. “Hide the dagger and walk with me,” he said.

“Where are you going?” The other guard, oblivious to his fellow guard’s fate, asked. The mystery man handed over that clinking gold bag to the guard and grabbed the blanket. The guard let us pass.

“Cover yourself and keep walking, Princess,” He said, handing over that blanket.

When we walked the streets, a young boy dressed in rags smiled and waved at us. I waved back.

“That priceless smell will cease to exist.” The mystery man spoke.

“Sorry?” I asked.

“One of the reasons why I’m taking you back to the palace is you won’t survive even a couple of days beyond those walls. The second one is Vlad will kill every single one of them, even those small kids, and burn down the whole Northern Kingdom if he loses you.” He said while looking over the people.

“You know Vlad?” I asked. He ignored my question and kept walking towards the palace. There was a commotion opposite the palace gates.

“What’s going on?” The mystery man asked a man standing beside us.

“They are taking Princess Proserpina to the Kingdom of Bucuresti. It’s not safe for her here.” The man replied.

Those words drain the blood off our faces.

“If you are Proserpina, then who is she?” The mystery man asked me, pointing at the woman in a princess gown.

“Following” was all I could answer as I was more curious than him. Someone had stolen my identity, and the thought of that was enough to send shockwaves over my body.

The girl dressed in a white gown emerged, with her dark hair sticking to her face. My heart was jumping in my chest when my eyes bore into hers. And I’m not sure if I’m cursed or what, as she stared back at me as if a strange force alerted her of my presence. She warned Sigurd, who was standing behind her.

“Time to play you.” She mouthed the words and smirked with those evil eyes at me in a haunting way sending a chill through my spine.

I know that face and the identity of the imposter—

Justina-the bitch!

What a beautiful day to be irritated by everything!!...