The Crown and The Rose
Chapter 17: She Devil

Chapter 17: She Devil

The Crown

In Syx, there are many classes that all students attend regardless of their years. And swordplay is one of them. So there will be some upperclassmen too. They will be more vicious and more dangerous.

Edward and I enter the room, trying to lie as low as possible. And as if the Gods will let me. Everyone present there turns their heads in our direction. Edward stiffens and his black eyes flicker nervously. I grip his hand and caress the back of it soothingly. The professor approaches us.

"You guys are new here right?" He asks as he expands his scroll to check our names. "Jonas Collins and Edward Millers, am I right?"

"Yes," I answer, my face resembles a lifeless statue.

"So do you guys know how to wield a sword?" He asks, not looking up at us from his scroll as if it’s more important than us.

"Yes, a little bit," I reply.

"We will start the class now, circle around the mat." He instructs and orders everyone to get into the formation. We do as we are told.

I don’t see Seraphina here which is a good sign. I don’t want to see her here more less fight with her. And as if the Gods will let me do that. Every whisper dies down as three individuals enter the room and my heart squeezes tightly and my breath catches. The temperature around us starts to decrease and I feel like ice jolting down my spine.

Vermilion is here with Seraphina on his left and Phillip on his left. Vermilion’s eyes meet mine and I stop. Everything around me stops. I forget how to breathe. I forget how to take my eyes off those ruby glinting at me. Only me. I am mesmerized by his beauty.

"Your Highness?" Edward whispers in my ear and I am snapped out of it.

"H-Huh?" I jolt and jerk my head left and right, freaked out.

"Jonas, handle yourself!" Edward nudges me with his elbow, keeping his head and expression straight.

"S-Sorry." My spine straightens and I put my mask on place again.

The professor rushes to Vermilion, "My lord." He bows deeply and everyone in the room falls to one knee so do we. "If you just called me, I would have rushed to you instantly."

Vermilion peers over at him, like he is some kind of insect, "I came here to observe the class. You may begin. Do not mind me and get to your feet." He commands and we oblige like he is our master and we are his dogs.

How can we not mind you when you are practically crushing us beneath your presence?!

Cold sweat drips from my brow, and my breath turns shallow. The tension here is palpable and the knots and twists it’s creating are suffocating me. Seraphina bows to Vermilion and then joins the rest of the students. Vermilion and Phillip stand there with the professor, over-watching the mat.

"Well, I forgot to mention one thing." Vermilion drawls, ice latched to his every voice and it makes me wonder if he can even show any emotions at all. "How about we do something new? Instead of picking students up for sparring, let them challenge themselves here. The one kills, the one wins."

My blood runs cold and my eyes dart to Seraphina in an instant. She is standing across from me on the other side of the mat, a sinister smile etched on her face, her pretty red eyes are boring holes through me. Clearly happy with the new system.

I knew something was wrong the moment she came in with lord Vermilion.

"Yes, my lord, your wish is the law for us." The professor bows and then turns his attention to the students, "I believe you all heard lord Vermilion. I do not see any reason for you all to keep waiting. Challenge whoever you want to and get onto the mat. Now." He instructs more like an order.

Just as I am about to challenge Edward, Seraphina grabs my hand and yanks into the mat. "I am challenging him, professor." She announces. I lose my footing and fall on my butt on the mat.

Edward’s eyes widen in shock and terror. A wave of whispers and murmur rises in the room.

- "Isn’t it the new enroller? How did he manage to get into Seraphina’s nerve?"

- "Man, he is so very screwed."

- "It will be fun to see how Seraphina hunts him."

All these whispers are making my ribs squeeze together, blocking the air in my throat. I haphazardly crawl back to my feet, my breathing is labored and my heart is palpitating inside my chest. The professor comes to us and gives each of us one sword. It’s heavy and the thing isn’t as polished and beautiful as it should be. It’s just a basic design of a sword.

I have never owned a sword since I made swords for myself, but I used to be the swordsman in the entire Empire. I feel the cold metal’s sensation racing along my skin and wrecking the killing intent inside me as I grip it tightly. I take in a deep breath and calm my nerves. I now feel like I am standing on still water, there is no ripple here. The world fades into a far far away dimension and all I can think about is the killing intent hovering over me.

My eyes narrow into slits as I eye Seraphina standing across me, her smile never wavering. My eyes have a predator’s glim in them as I take my stance with the sword given to me.

"So that you know, Collins." Seraphina takes her stance too, she is skilled and it’s evident, "I will kill you right here and now."

I smirk, my heart all of a sudden very calm, "We will see, former president."

Seraphina’s eyes narrow dangerously and her smile wavers a little. She charges at me, her speed is as fast as the wind itself, and her movements are like birds, agile and hard to follow. But I could do better. She strikes, her blow strong, and knows no restrain. I block the strike swiftly, frim, and steady on my feet.

Seraphina’s eyes widen for a split second before I raise my leg at lightning speed and kick her guts hard. She rolls over the mat, and a low feral growl escapes her throat. She doesn’t take long to climb back to her feet, coughing. Her footing is unsteady and she is swaying a little on her feet. I smirk.

"You son of a bitch." She curses, fire blazing in her red eyes, her expression is dark with fury.

I smirk, "I said I wouldn’t go down that easily, former president." I say mockingly.

Seraphina charges forward again but this time she doesn’t go for my throat, she dips and kicks at my leg. I fall to the ground with a loud thud. She instantly pouches but I roll to my back and block her blade with mine.

"I have got you now." Her smile is returning to its place again.

But not so soon.

"We are still on the mat, Seraphina, and you haven’t yet managed to slit my throat, so don’t daydream just yet," I say and kick at her leg which causes her to lose her footing and come crashing down at me.

I slip away from beneath her before she can process what happened and fall over me. I grab the back of her throat and slam her face to the mat, her armed hand firmly pressed beneath my knee and her other hand is tightly pinned behind her back with my other foot. She goes down while making an inhuman noise at the depth of her throat. She is completely at my mercy now.

"Damn fuck." She growls and the side of her face is pressed on the mat.

I grin, "I told you not to be so happy before you take me down."

Seraphina smirks, "You are solely mistaken, Your Highness." And her whole body catches fire. I automatically let her go and step back. My clothes have caught fire.

"Jonas! Take off your shirt!" Edward screams at me, his tone is dripping with horror and worry.

I quickly rip off my shirt in one swift motion, revealing my perfectly toned muscles and the red rose mark on my side. Thank Gods, Edward told me to use fake skin to hide my birthmark this morning before coming to the class.

Magic is forbidden in the swordplay classes but it’s allowed in hand-to-hand combat. Seraphina is breaking the rule.

"Magic isn’t allowed here, Seraphina." the professor barks but a cold and calm voice stops him.

"Let them be." My head darts in the direction to find Vermilion eyeing me like he is my predator and I am his prey. A cold chill runs down my spine. But my attention is soon caught by the heat trying to burn my skin. In this cold atmosphere, the fire should be warm but it’s quite different. Seraphina’s fire isn’t nothing like warm and gentle, it’s fierce and overbearing.

Seraphina’s whole body is still blazing as she comes back to her feet, a sinister smile painted on her perfect face, "I am just getting started, Collins." Her every word is grounded and I now know that I am in grave danger.