Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 586: Deranged

Chapter 586: Deranged

Note: This Chapter contains graphic violence and gore. Reader discretion is advised.

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Freak. Abomination. The epitome of anomaly.

Maxi was still grappling with the weight of those words when Anya forced her into a chair and secured her hands with iron chains, leaving no room for escape. It was clear that Anya wasn’t taking any chances with her .

"Perfect," Anya remarked, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "I think we can have a little chat like this."

Muffled sounds emanated from behind Maxi, indicating Oma’s presence. Anya observed Isaac’s mother with a bored expression before addressing her.

"Don’t worry, Oma," Anya reassured her with a dismissive wave. "You’ll be free to go once I’m finished here. No hard feelings, but you need to witness the true nature of the monster you’ve accepted into your son’s life."

Oma’s muffled screams grew louder, and Maxi knew she must be unleashing a barrage of curses in defiance. Despite her own dire situation, Maxi felt a surge of pride in Oma’s fighting spirit, though her attempts to smile were thwarted by her paralyzed face.

Anya’s annoyance became palpable as she charged toward Oma with malicious intent, causing Maxi’s heart to race with dread. Maxi’s gaze bore into Soma with a deadly intensity, silently warning her against Anya laying a hand on Oma. Soma, sensing the gravity of the situation, quickly rushed to Anya’s side and seized her arm.

"She’s not worth it. And the effects of the poison won’t last forever. Let’s get this over with already." Her words carried a sense of urgency, urging Anya to refocus on their shared goal.

Anya heeded Soma’s words and gave Oma a warning glance. "Make a sound, and your dear daughter-in-law will suffer the consequences," she threatened.

Oma remained silent, and she couldn’t help but chuckle at her compliance. Anya, once revered and respected Oma, but now, she reveled in her newfound power, consumed by resentment toward Issac’s mother. With a sense of twisted satisfaction, Anya relished the opportunity to toy with both Oma and Maxi, feeling as though she stood atop the world.

Returning to Maxi with a sickeningly sweet smile, Anya continued, "Now, where were we? Ah, yes..." She tapped her finger against her lips in mock contemplation. "I was just about to unveil the delightful plans I have in store for you."

As if time were of no consequence, Anya casually selected another seat and positioned herself across from Maxi, resting her chin on the wooden edge as she gazed at Maxi with a sense of contentment

"Now, where should I begin?" Anya mused, her voice dripping with smugness."When I discovered your true identity, my initial instinct was to report you to the King’s guard. After all, how could a dark Fae, even one with the ability to shift into a horse, be allowed to roam freely? However, I realized I couldn’t act hastily. If you’ve managed to evade suspicion for all these years, it suggests you’re a formidable adversary. Besides, I couldn’t ignore the possibility of you posing a threat to Issac’s safety. What if, backed into a corner, you decided to harm him as a last resort?"

Anya threw her head back and erupted into laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks even as she continued to speak. "So, you can imagine my astonishment when I went to warn Oma about your true nature, only to discover that she had been aware of it all along and chose to keep it a secret." She turned her gaze toward Oma, who remained rigid, meeting Anya’s stare with unwavering resolve.

"Do you even comprehend the consequences of harboring a dark Fae? It’s death," Anya’s voice dripped with venom as she fixed Maxi with a piercing stare. "Oma was willing to risk everything—her life, her family—for your sake. And yet, I am condemned for merely indulging in my desires with Issac," she sneered, a bitter edge to her laughter. "Is that not the epitome of hypocrisy?"

Suddenly, Anya’s demeanor shifted, her rage bubbling to the surface like a volcano about to erupt. With a violent motion, she rose from her seat, sending the chair crashing to the ground in a fit of fury. Anya loomed over Maxi, her eyes ablaze with anger, her breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"Oma had the audacity to reject me!" Anya spat out the words, her voice laced with fury. "She chose Issac over me, the one who has stood by their side for years. Issac belongs to me. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him as a child that he was destined to be mine! And yet..." The tension in the air crackled like lightning, a dark storm brewing on the horizon. "She dared to deny me my rightful destiny and give it to whom? A dark Fae?"

Anya’s laughter filled the room, reverberating off the walls as she found the situation utterly amusing. But amidst her fit of hysteria, Maxi remained unfazed, her expression impassive. She had faced far scarier adversaries than a jealous, unhinged love rival, and she refused to let Anya’s antics unsettle her. Beneath her composed facade, however, Maxi seethed with controlled anger, biding her time for the opportune moment to strike. She knew all too well that psychopaths like Anya were bound to slip up—it was only a matter of time.

As Anya’s laughter subsided, she cast Maxi a haunted look, her demeanor shifting as she confessed, "I did what I believed was necessary. I knew it was wrong, but Oma needed to see the truth, and that’s precisely what I intend to show her." Leaning in closer, her face inches from Maxi’s, Anya’s malicious intent was unmistakable. "Once I’m finished with you," she whispered, the malevolence evident in her voice, "I’ll hand over what’s left of you to them, and they can deal with the scraps."

Anya’s laughter grew more manic, fueled by the burning anticipation coursing through her veins. Her intentions were crystal clear: she intended to kill Maxi. No one would bat an eye at the death of a dark Fae; it was well within her right to do so. According to the laws of the light Fae, any encounter with a dark Fae warranted immediate execution.

"But first, let’s reveal the monster within," Anya declared with a twisted grin. Without hesitation, she plunged a knife into Maxi’s thigh, eliciting an agonized grunt from Maxi as she writhed in pain, her features contorted in anguish.

Oma’s screams of protest filled the air, but Anya merely laughed in response, savoring the torment she inflicted. Soma, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the unfolding brutality, swallowed nervously, realizing that Anya had crossed a line.

Tentatively, Soma reached out to Anya, her voice trembling with fear as she attempted to intervene. "I don’t think that was part of the plan—"

Anya spun around with alarming speed, catching Soma off guard, and plunged the knife into her neck with brutal force. Blood gushed from the wound like a crimson river as Soma’s horrified expression pleaded for understanding.

"You were useful..." Anya’s voice was cold as ice as she withdrew the knife, only to drive it into Soma’s chest this time, gripping the hilt with both hands and thrusting it deeper, eliciting a sickening sound as it twisted within her.

"I trusted you..." Soma managed to gasp, blood spilling from her lips and splashing onto Anya’s face, but the murderous gleam in Anya’s eyes remained unfazed as she watched the light dim in Soma’s eyes.

"Goodbye, ’friend’," Anya sneered cruelly, wrenching the knife from Soma’s chest with callous disregard, causing her lifeless body to crumple to the ground in a heap.

She began to convulse on the floor, her body wracked with the desperate struggle to cling to life. But Soma, being a low Fae, succumbed swiftly, her movements gradually ceasing until her once vibrant amethyst eyes dulled and the light within them faded away.

Anya’s laughter reverberated through the hall once more, but this time it sent shivers down Oma’s spine. The realization hit her with a sickening clarity: she had nearly convinced Issac to take Anya as his wife. Anya had labeled Maxi a monster because of her dark Fae heritage, but now, the true monster in the room was glaringly apparent to her.

Anya wiped the blood from her face with a cold detachment, her gaze fixated on Maxi without a hint of remorse for Soma’s demise. The low Fae had served her purpose and had become expendable in Anya’s quest for vengeance. Though she had once harbored a fondness for Soma, Anya’s priorities had shifted, and Soma’s presence had become an inconvenience.

No one would stand in her way as she sought retribution against Maxi. No one. Once the King guards arrive, Anya had already devised a plan to pin the blame for Soma’s death onto Maxi. Soma was now merely a casualty, a tragic example of the cruelty of dark Faeries—an embodiment of the threat Maxi posed.

"Now, where are you hiding it?" Anya’s voice took on a singsong quality as her eyes scanned over Maxi’s form, searching for any trace of the glamor that concealed her true identity as a dark Fae. Anya’s plan was clear: to strip away Maxi’s disguise and expose her monstrous nature to the world.

"Where do you wear the charm?" Anya’s voice dripped with malice as she traced Maxi’s features with the tip of her knife, following the invisible trail of the glamor down to her neck and then to her right arm, finally resting on her fingers. "Ah, there it is," she exclaimed, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"The perfect disguise," Anya remarked with a twisted sense of admiration. "An engagement ring—a clever cover for the deceit beneath." Her smile turned chilling as she continued, "But this ring doesn’t belong to you at all."

With a swift, merciless motion, Anya severed Maxi’s finger along with the ring, causing her to scream out in agony as the sound reverberated throughout the room. Unfazed by Maxi’s suffering, Anya laughed sadistically, clutching the severed finger like a grotesque trophy of her victory.

With the ring gone, the glamor dissolved, and Maxi’s true form was unveiled, the black markings on her face emerging into view. Yet, amidst the chaos and pain, Maxi became acutely aware of one undeniable truth.

She was screaming.