>>Amber

The fear reached its peak, something within me snapped. The familiar but soft burning sensation flared at the base of my neck. The world around me began to blur, the edges of reality fraying as the magic took hold.

The assassin's face twisted into a snarl as he realized what was happening, but it was too late. The teleportation magic surged through me, yanking me away from the danger.

The world shattered into a blinding light, and for a moment, I was suspended in nothingness, the pain and fear still clinging to me like a second skin. Then, just as quickly as it had started, the sensation ended, and I was slammed back into reality.

I collapsed onto cold, hard ground, gasping for breath.

???

Unsure of what just happened, I shot my head around, looking for where I was. I forced myself to look up, my vision swimming as I tried to make sense of my surroundings.

I wasn't in the prince's chamber anymore. The rich, oppressive atmosphere had been replaced by something colder, more sterile.

I was back in the hallway.

???

"You might want to run in," I heard Hael's voice and turned my body around to see him as he was talking with the head butler, "It seems there's danger in the prince's quarters."

The butler's face went pale, he didn't even spend a second to question Hael's words and ran towards the door.

"Your Highness!!" He burst through the doors, his voice so loud it alerted the guards at the edge of the corridor and they all came running.

I watched the butler go in, as the doors opened I saw the assassin standing there, right next to Lyal. Hovering over him, trying to plunge the dagger which was very obviously laced with some sort of magic, into his heart but Lyal had woken up. He was still on the bed, his hands slammed together, holding the dagger in between.

As the butler ran inside, the assassin's attention got diverted. It was a game of seconds. The moment the assassin looked at the butler, Lyal kicked the intruder in the gut, making him drop the dagger.

The butler extended his hand towards the assassin, "Stop right there!" A spear formed in mid-air, right above the butler's hand, made of ice. It had a raw form, but as soon as it came into existence, the butler launched it towards the assassin.

The other party barely had any time to react, but he did. He moved out of the place but couldn't fully save himself. The spear pierced his arm as he was moving, the impact made him stumble and half fall down.

Just then the guards ran past us, running into the room.

The assassin's eyes went wide and he tried to scramble to his feet to make a run for it. He got up, tried to run towards the window but anyone could see he was done for.

He was against too many people.

"Quite a poor attempt," I snapped back to my senses when I heard Hael again and turned to look at him.

Right,

I had been teleported to him.

I let out a deep subconscious breath as I stared at him while he was looking at the assassin being apprehended.

Right when I was about to get seriously hurt, I got teleported... to him.

"Why are you staring, My Lady?" His soft gaze came to me as he moved his head in my direction.

"Um," I looked at him. " You have me enchanted don't you!" He raised his eyebrows at me, "If I'm in trouble I will get teleported to you!"

"Yes" He smiled,"In a way, it gets activated because of your emotions. When you feel extreme fear, of fear for your life, it activates."

>>Hael

The being in trouble part was added later. It was really so that no one else can try and touch you inappropriately

No one else but me

But I don't need to tell her that.

I noticed the blood on her skin and stepped towards her.

On that note, it should have worked immediately. It might be because the mark I put on her is running out of magic. Teleportation requires a lot of mana, the magic mark might be fading. I'll have to put more of my magic to make sure it works right.

"But you know what this all means?" I folded my arms

>>Amber

"What?"

He was looking at me in disappointment.

"It means you failed." He shook his head at me

"I failed?" I had no clue what he was saying

"You failed to protect yourself, even though you can form a perfectly good shield."

'Oh..." It didn't even cross my mind.

"Not only that, you also could have called out to me. All you had to do was call my name." He kept shaking his head and I felt very ashamed, "And I would have come, but you-" He pointed both of his hands at me after he unfolded his arms, "What did you do?" He was so disappointed he didn't stop shaking his head. He licked his lips and let out a sigh, "You did nothing."

Damn

...

"Well, no worries," He passed me a sinister smile, "I'll just have to change your training." He came and held my arm, very gently at that. He moved my sleeve back and looked at my injury. I had a cut that started from the side of my wrist and extended five inches upwards.

I had a very bad feeling at that time

"What are you going to do?"

He didn't answer, he just passed me a smile as he placed his other hand on that fresh injury that was seeping blood, but to my suprise, he didn't heal me immediately.

He used some sort of magic to collect the blood first. I watched as the blood dripping down my arm moved into his magic bottle.

That made me frown, "What are you doing?" I asked.

"You'll find out," He answered. The bottle of his was about six inches big. It was just magic though so it was a hazy purple color that collected a more vivid thing in it. And for some reason, I felt like he was actually drawing my blood out of the wound too.

...

No,

He wouldn't do that. I stared at the bottle, but it's far more blood than what was coming out of the wound

"Hael," I looked at him as the bottle was almost filled, "I want to know what you're doing,"

He looked at me but didn't answer. I tried to remove my arms from his grip but he didn't let me.

"Patience," He said and I looked up to glare at him, "I'll tell you." He then finished his magic and placed his hand on my skin, "I'll heal you." He slid his fingers on my skin, across the wound, healing it.

I kept glaring at him, "Tell me," I demanded.

"I will," He replied, "But I'll have to show you too, so not now."

"Hael!"

He let my arm go and locked his eyes into mine, "Why are you on an edge?"

"You're collecting my blood!"

"For good reason," He replied calmly

"Then tell me the reason!" I was a bit aggressive

"Did I not say, I'll tell you, when I show it to you," The magic bottle hovered by his side, "Have I ever lied to you? You think I won't tell you?"

!!!

I paused

That's right. He's never really lied to me. There are things he doesn't say, but he never lies...

"Fine," I replied and looked back as the sound of commotion caught my attention. The guards had caught the assassin, "I wonder who sent him?"

"Could be anyone," Hael replied, "Lyal was far too injured to help himself, and if someone had killed him in this condition, no one would have suspected much, since he was near death anyway. Situations like these are perfect for an assassination attempt."

"Don't kill him yet!" The butler ordered the two guards who were holding the assassin's arms, "Take him to the dungeon to interrogate him."

"Yeah, but why Lyal? He's the third prince," We both were looking into the room.

"A prince," Hael replied, "Who has gained a lot of popularity and support from people." We turned our heads to look at each other, "Enough popularity that there's a chance he can become the crown prince."

!!!!

I turned my head to look in the room again.

Right,

Lyal was always with Illaris who was purifying the miasma. It boosted his repute off the charts.

The guards carried the unconscious assassin past us. I gave him a glance, the ice spear in his arm had melted and vanished, but the blood was dripping down his black clothes.

I then turned to look inside the room again.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" The Butler was standing by Lyal's side, looking worried.

"I'm fine, Sebas," Lyal answered and then looked out the room.

Right at me

Our eyes met and I felt a snap.

I turned away, "Let's go," I began to walk through the hallway.

Hael followed without question.

>>Lyal

I shouldn't have done that.

I watched Corvina disappear as she moved out of the limited view the doorframe provided.

I was too hasty.

I should have taken my time to seduce her.

I'll have to work on it. I can't lose what I've built so far.

I smiled

I survived the monster, even killed it. That is bound to work in my favor.

I haven't lost yet.

>>Amber

Hael teleported me back to my room on the second floor of the cafe but he didn't come with me. Well, he doesn't need to either.

I walked to my bed and sat there

I made a bold move today.

I turned my body to look out the window, my eyes traveling to the beautiful moon in the starry sky.

I hope Hael can sort out his feelings soon and tell me what I want to hear.

***

>>Hael

I walked in my lab and grabbed a clear glass bottle from the shelf, then transferred the blood I had just collected from Amber into it and then removed my magic, letting the magic bottle disappear into thin air as I kept walking.

I walked to the edge of the lab, stood between the shelves, in front of the empty wall.

I placed my hand on the wall, "Edro" I whispered the word and a door appeared there. With one hand holding the bottle, I grabbed the knob with my free hand and opened the door to step inside the other part of my lab.

Closing the door behind me, I walked to the center of the spacious place, right where the magic artifact was placed

The machine had done its work.

I smiled as I grabbed the other glass bottle from the center of the machine.

It was now filled with blood.

My mother's blood

The blood that was on her dress. The machine had done a fine job of taking it out in its purest form and transferring it in this bottle, drop by drop.

Once I grabbed the bottle from the machine, it died down and rested as it originally was.

I stared at the bottles of blood in my hands.

Perfect