The rain stumbled across my window, wakening me up from my sleep or so I thought. I turned over my stomach and look outside. The days were passing by slowly but they were and the solar eclipse was at the edge.

"You aren't sleeping properly," Jaqueline said, appearing from nowhere. It wasn't new, she usually came in form of visions to inform me about something or give me news.

Days had passed by since I last went to the castle. I lost count—of everything. I no longer remembered who I was or where I came from. Everything around me made me emotionless.

"I will be fine," I told her. "Is there something new?"

"Yes," she replied, "I wanted you to know that Charlotte's misconduct has been caught. She will be executed for causing chaos and siding with the witches."

I sat up straight, surprised. "What? Really?" My eyes widened.

"Yes. I am not aware of what happened on that morning when you were with Luciano but things had been severe since then. He has called for execution of every woman and man that has disobeyed his laws,"

No.

"Why?" This was wrong.

"I'm not sure. I've asked Vincent to talk to him but he hasn't spoken to anyone, not even me." Jaqueline continued, her eyes full of pain. "Is there something you want to tell me? His behavior isn't normal,"

My gaze traveled to the window and worry spread across my features. This was because of me.

"I told him that I didn't love him anymore,"

"And, do you?" Her eyes flicked at me.

"I'm not sure of what I feel for him,"

"Is it anger? Fear? Hatred?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Maybe fear that havoc will keep following me if I am with him." I wasn't sure about it either.

"So, it's not hatred?"

"Maybe...maybe not. I hate him for the things he had done. I hate him for so many things!" I exclaimed, my heart beat escalating. "But, I'm confused."

"Oh, you're confused because your daughter is away from you. Once this is over, you'll be fine and maybe then you can decide whether you love him or not." Jaqueline said, rubbing the sides of my knees.

"Do you think he hates me?" I raised a brow at her, "I've killed many of his men, disobeyed him, provoked him. He should hate me." For some reason, I wanted him to hate me so I wouldn't feel so guilty about hating him.

"From what I see, he doesn't hates you and he won't, no matter what you do. My son, even if you kill him, he will take your name in his last breath."

Tears welled down my eyes and I could help but crack a smile at what she hold me.

"I won't kill him," I assured her, "I don't have that much power to kill a King," I never wanted to do it either. Killing a man I loved once wasn't my intention.

"You will, Red." She nodded.

A shudder ran down my spine and I looked at her, "I won't," I said with shame. "I'm not going too. We have a plan, don't we?" I began panicking when Jaqueline uttered nothing.

After a long moment she replied, "He'll die from grief,"

"No," And just there, suddenly, I felt something. Shaking my head, I got up, "He won't,"

"Red, he will. Not today but he will,"

"No, never!" I shouted, pulling my hair away from my face. The truth was, I still loved him and letting him die wasn't what I wanted.

Never.

I rushed down on my knees beside Jaqueline and sobbed. For a brief minute, my heart ached and I felt suffocated with the energy around me. Vivid flashes of Luciano appeared in my mind and I began falling apart with the thought of his death.

"I can't live without him," I mumbled, still crying.

Jaqueline ran her hands through my hair, "You will. His death won't kill you, Red."

"No,"

"Go sleep. You're wretched. We will talk tomorrow," she said.

"No, no."

"Goodnight,"

When I woke up, I was shaking and heartbroken. I tried contacting Jaqueline with the link we had but it didn't go through. She cut me off. She was mad at me too. She had to be.

It was all Gretel's fault. She filled my mind with images, she forced me to hate Luciano, she turned me against him so when the right time came, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him. It was what she wanted.

I didn't hate him.

I never did.

It was just an illusion Gretel created in my mind, for her own fucking purpose—so she could avenge the death of her own daughter and all the witches that had been killed by werewolves.

She played the game so well. She wanted me to hate Luciano and I did. She wanted me to side with her and I did. She wanted me to protect witches and I did.

I did whatever she wanted me to do.

I dashed out of the room, anger searing through my veins as I made my way down the hall and to where I found find Gretel.

I was done being her puppet.

I stopped by the door where I found Gretel seated with her friends, laughing and cheering. When she noticed something wrong, she raised her head and looked at me.

"Inceptictum," I said, lifting my hand at her.

"Sileus," She quickly snapped back, breaking the spell before it affected her. "What is wrong with you?"

"Rot in hell," I gritted my teeth together and twisted my hand at her, "Illumienum Vexatate," I used her own spell at her, to end her, to finish this all. I didn't need to wait any longer.

Gretel broke the spell and got up, "Red!" She shouted, approaching me. She raised her hand at me, hitting my face and filling my mouth with blood. "What's wrong with you?"

"Fuck you," I showed her my finger and then said, "Reduactus,"

All the cabinets inside the room came falling down on the ground. Glasses cracked and whipped around in the air. Gretel's friends stood up, screaming and scurrying out of the room.

She grabbed my face and forced me to look at her, "If you want fight me, then do it outside."

I scoffed and pushed her away, "I don't want to fight with you. I'm leaving. Fuck you,"

Silently, I made my way towards the entrance door of the mansion. Shards slipped into my skin, splitting my foot but the pain didn't matter.

I was done.

The door was slammed shut before I could even leave. I turned around, looking at Gretel who came closer.

"You can't leave,"

"I will. Watch me,"

"Increendo,"

Everything in front of me blurred, my lips parted and I fell on the ground as pain went through my body, killing me. Gretel cursed out a few more spells at me and it worsened. Pressing my hands against my hair, I screamed and curled my body together as strange, loud noises split me in half.

"Stop!"

Gretel got down beside me and yanked my hands away from my ears, "Enjoy the pain,"

"Fuck you," I spat at her face and while she handled that, I stood up, hands still on my ears to lessen the voices. "Sileus,"

After breaking every spell she put on me, it took me a few seconds to recover but when I did, I ran out of the mansion and before Gretel could ever reach for me, I vanished, for good. To hell with her and her plans.

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