Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 553: Seed Of Suspicion

Chapter 553: Seed Of Suspicion

With a keen awareness of Derek’s intentions, Islinda braced herself as he made his move. As his hand extended towards her, ostensibly to inspect the wound, she swiftly intercepted his hand with her good hand, preventing his grasp.

Derek met her gaze, surprised at her quick reflex. With resignation settling over her, Islinda acknowledged that Valerie and Derek were now on her trail, and their suspicions ignited. Now she stood at a crossroads.

She could either confirm their suspicions, potentially exposing herself, or she could employ intimidation tactics to dissuade them from further probing. Perhaps, she thought, a combination of both strategies would be necessary to ensure they left her alone.

Islinda was done playing.

"You...." Derek frowned now when he sensed Islinda’s grip tightened and he was unable to pull away from her grasp.

A flicker of surprise mingled with fear briefly crossed his expression before he quickly masked it, his training as a soldier kicking in to maintain composure.

Islinda found out that she was able to draw out her supernatural strength when her emotions ran high and right now, she was pissed. If Valerie was curious about her identity, he could have asked, not ordered his second in command to pull such an underhanded method. Not that she would have told him anyway, her trust in the summer prince was quickly fading away.

"Why won’t you continue that speech? Cat got your tongue." Islinda’s taunt dripped with venom as she stared Derek down, a sinister smile playing on her lips. With a calculated move, she applied just enough pressure to his hand to inflict pain without causing permanent damage, testing his resilience. Yet, despite the discomfort, Derek remained stoic, his lips pressed tightly together as he refused to give her the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

"Islinda?" Gabbi hesitantly called out her name, a trace of fear laced her voice, triggering a sense of déjà vu. Memories of the Incident at Safe Raven flooded Gabbi’s mind, casting a shadow of apprehension over the present moment. Islinda’s demeanor seemed transformed, evoking a sense of unease in Gabbi’s heart.

With a steely resolve, Islinda leaned forward, her voice a mere whisper as she delivered a chilling warning directly into Derek’s ears. "Don’t. Ever. Touch. Me. Again."

In response, Islinda flung Derek’s arm away with force, releasing him from her grip. Derek fought the urge to let out a relieved breath as Islinda turned away, leaving him behind. However, a deep frown creased his brow, his mind swirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

Contrary to Islinda’s expectations, her actions only proved one thing to Derek: Islinda was not human. He had felt her strength. The way she had grabbed him, it was embarrassing to admit but he hasn’t been able to release himself. That must have been the way the Fae guard must have felt before she beat the life out of him.

face.

Derek could take the result to Valerie right away, but he needed more details. Valerie would never take his word until he had proof. Proof he would have gotten except Islinda sensed his plan. She was smarter than he gave her credit for. However, his duty was Prince Valerie and Islinda seemed like a threat and he can’t have the both of them together anymore.

He always had that feeling deep down that Islinda would be the end of Prince Valerie and it seemed his fear was coming true. Derek hardened his resolve, he would not give up until he exposed whatever Islinda was and sent her back to wherever she crept out from. He would find out the truth.

Alone in the sanctuary of her room, Islinda’s gaze drifted down to her forearm, where the injury from earlier had marred her skin. However, to her astonishment, she found no trace of the cut; her skin appeared flawless, unblemished as if untouched by the ordeal.

"F-fuck," Islinda muttered under her breath, her voice trembling with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

Taking a shaky breath, Islinda tentatively traced her flawless skin, as if seeking confirmation of the reality before her. Knowing that she could resurrect from death, possess super strength, and now accelerated healing? Her head reeled with all the discoveries.

Islinda lifted her head and glanced at herself in the mirror, her gaze fixated on the spot where the wound had been. To her astonishment, aside from dried blood, there was no trace of a scar. Her skin appeared flawless, as if the injury had never occurred.

Intrigued by this miraculous healing, Islinda stepped closer to the mirror, her reflection drawing her in. She stared intently at herself, her fingers tracing the contours of her face. Yet, despite her familiarity with her own appearance, she couldn’t shake the feeling of disconnect. She no longer recognized the person staring back at her.

Suddenly, a sense of allure emanated from her reflection, captivating Islinda’s attention. She watched in fascination as her mirror image began to move, tilting her head in a hypnotic sway. A sinister smirk crept across her features, transforming her reflection into something altogether different.

In an instant, Islinda’s reflection changed, morphing into another face. Long blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders, and a devious glint danced in her eyes. It was a face Islinda knew all too well, yet it was not her own.

"Hello, Islinda."

A startled scream tore from her lips, her body jerking away in sheer terror. What the hell?

Wide-eyed and trembling, Islinda stared at the mirror, her heart racing with fear. Yet, to her relief and confusion, there was nothing but her own reflection staring back at her.

Tentatively, she approached the mirror, her movements hesitant as she checked it thoroughly, searching for any sign of the demon from her dream. But there was nothing. No trace of the malevolent entity that had haunted her nightmares. Only her own reflection remained, its familiarity offering little solace in the face of her escalating unease.

A cold shiver rippled down Islinda’s spine, what was going on?

Islinda was more confused than ever. Had she been hallucinating or were her visions now coming to haunt her? There was no way the demon from her dreams just called her name. What was their connection? Was the demon still alive? How are they related? She had so many questions in her head yet no answer and it was slowly beginning to drive her crazy.

Despite the frustration, Islinda had other issues to deal with. She cleaned the wound and since there was no medical kit in her room, Islinda tore a piece of clean cloth and tied it around her wound even though she was no longer injured. It was meant to fool others into believing she was injured — even though Derek suspected otherwise. However, Islinda was thrilled to play this game with Valerie. They started it. She would end it.