The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 53: Hunting In The Forest

Chapter 53: Hunting In The Forest

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Malika asked frantically with genuine worry etched on her face.

Rama didn’t see any reason to bother Malika about the seers prophecies and what had ensued, she wouldn’t understand anyway even she didn’t understand so how could she? She’d only burden the girl with worry.

"I’m fine, it’s just hard being Draco’s personal maid, he’s a night creature after all." Rama said, giving her assurance that all was well and Malika sighed in relief.

"Be safe alright? It’ll be hard without you here, although Reina is a nice soul but I still need you." Malika said with a solemn countenance as she hugged her.

Rama couldn’t help but chuckle at how confident and straightforward she had been with her recently and she was glad she saw that side of Malika, not that she changed but she had gained more confidence to converse with her, not as a handmaid to her mistress but as a friend.

Rama hugged her petite figure with a pat on her back, as a smile washed over her face. Draco’s aura had been so heavy and dark, Malika’s light and warm aura soothed her, made her feel an odd but satisfying sense of relief.

They were in their passionate filled embrace when a familiar voice made them jerk, disrupting their embrace abruptly as they pulled apart.

"Miss Rama." Damien’s baritone voice whisked into their ears as he approached them.

The sun basked its light on his figure, but it didn’t do much to dissuade the natural dark atmosphere around him even with the cheery smile plastered on his face, although it wasn’t as domineering and intimidating as Draco’s. His blood red hair gleamed beautifully under the sunlight, every red silky strand adorning his head glimmered as the sun illuminated its light on it.

Gold as always, adorned his body from his head to toe. His hair was styled in a ponytail with gold ribbons and hairpins. He was clad in a black jacket with gold rivets and embroideries embellished in his luxurious outfit.

Gold necklace adorned his neck and a golden drop earring hung from one lobe of his ear.

She observed him as he approached them with that daunting smile on his face rather than it be cheerful, who was he trying to fool? She hissed inwardly.

Malika curtsied as per the norm and Rama stiffly curtsied after her, they were maids after all.

His gaze averted from her to Malika but it dropped back on her with a swift change.

"What a beautiful friendship you share, anyway, I didn’t mean to interrupt." Damien said in a polite manner as his gaze lingered on her, not faltering in the slightest.

You already interrupted, she would have said but she kept her lips tightly shut, not a sound escaping it, though she didn’t trust her instincts and she knew sooner or later, the overly nice vampire would tick her off with his gentleman facade and that stupid, yet charming smile on his face.

"Would you like to escort me during my hunting trip with my brother?" Damien suddenly implied, making her eyebrows twitch.

Malika’s head had been lowered, not giving out any sign of reaction and would do as she was told, but Rama’s gaze was fixated on him with a high chin. She had always been used to keeping her head up high, it was almost impossible for her to conform to keeping her head lowered, but she did give her head a slight tilt down sometimes, but this was not one of those times.

The thought of hunting did interest her, it was one of her favourite activities growing up. She had loved hunting with her father, but hunting with the night creatures seemed like more of a devious act. It felt as if they were the predators and she would be the prey they would hunt instead of animals, so the idea of hunting didn’t sit well with her.

"I’m sorry lord Damien, I’ll have to decline your offer, I’m only assigned to meet lord Draco’s personal needs." Rama said in a respectful manner but still, a whiff of repulse lingered in her tone.

She knew his personality wasn’t been fabricated, but the thought of a night creature retaining traits of a gentleman irked her, after all they committed grave crimes and atrocities.

"I think you’ve gotten it wrong miss Rama."

His charming grin gradually faded, but there wasn’t any trace of displeasure as he spoke.

"I wasn’t asking your permission, I was telling you." Damien said with a stern countenance but soon after a smile followed.

"Lord Draco wouldn’t be pleased if he goes back to his chamber and doesn’t find me there." Rama pointed out and his brows creased in slight confusion.

"You share a chamber with him now?" Damien asked rhetorically with a short chuckle.

"Anyways, Draco’s left the castle, so you have nothing to worry about, besides I doubt he’ll make a furor out of a trivial matter that I took his personal servant hunting." Damien said in nonchalance as he shrugged his shoulders.

She knew holding a debate with him would be futile, as much as he was a gentleman, she could sense a strong whiff of stubbornness in him which irked her even more and he was right, Draco wouldn’t bat an eyelid if she escorted him hunting as long as she didn’t escape.

She opened her mouth to speak as her instincts told her it was connected to the seers and maybe he had gone to see the seers for clarification? She pondered.

Zamiel’s unexpected appearance made her swallow her words back and soon after, a carriage halted in front of them.

He didn’t spare them a glance as he approached the carriage with a stoic expression and opened the door as he occupied it.

"Come on." Damien said and she had no choice but to go in after him, while Malika stood still, not daring to steal a glance but his gaze narrowed on her.

"Both of you." Damien ordered and Malika looked a bit confused before scurrying towards the carriage and emerged inside it after Rama and then, Damien followed.

Rama and Malika both took the seats opposite the vampire brothers and the carriage proceeded into the forest for their hunting trip to begin.

Malika kept her head and gaze down as she linked her fingers nervously and then sometimes twirled her braided hair pooled at her lap, occupying herself with trivial things that would dissuade her mind off the vampires that intimidated her, not daring to steal even the tiniest glance at the vampire brothers seating opposite them, while Rama looked out the window.

"Since when did we go hunting with girls?" Zamiel’s rigid voice echoed in the carriage.

"They’ll assist us in doing menial tasks, that’s why they’re here." Damien said, obviously it wasn’t a good enough reason for Zamiel.

"Menial tasks." Zamiel murmured with a scoff.

"Or as baits." Damien said and Rama shot her head towards his direction with creased brows in wary.

"Don’t fret, you’ll be in one piece. It’s only to lure out the animals." Damien said in a light tone and she returned her gaze back to look outside the window. The forest wasn’t far off from the castle and she could see it from a distance as the carriage moved down the rocky path.

"What a nice dress you have there for a maid." Damien broke the unnerving silence again, but this time his cheerful voice was not so cheerful, instead a whiff of nostalgia lingered heavily as his gaze fixated on her.

Malika became more agitated with his unexpected remark.

"Thank you my lord." She spluttered in her smallest voice yet.

"It looks just like my sister’s." Damien muttered, but it was loud enough for all to hear. Zamiel didn’t react to his remark, and for the first time, Rama saw the darkness concealed beneath Damien’s cheerful expression erupt to suffice him, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

Malika’s hands clutched into a tight balled fist as her uneasiness intensified. With the air suddenly changing with the mention of his sister, she figured whatever happened to their sister was nothing good and she was presumably dead.

"I’m sorry, I had no idea it was your sister’s." Malika apologised with bowed head, ringlets of her golden locks came loose from the rough single braid she styled her hair which pooled at her lap.

"It’s alright. You look ravishing in it." Damien complimented with a short smile, his voice was a tad dull in comparison to his cheerful one, unable to hide the anguish he felt.

"I’ll take off the dress as soon as we arrive the palace." Malika said in a rushed tone, a sense of guilt eating her for making him feel sorrow but Rama felt the opposite, she hoped they would drown in their griefs even though a part of her still felt empathetic, as she was familiar with what it felt like to lose a loved one, but she let her rage overpower her, it was easier hating them.

"I didn’t tell you to take it off." Zamiel suddenly spoke and Malika’s head tilted up as she stole a glance at him, his red eyes locked into hers with the impulsive eye contact and she flinched as she averted her gaze from his, not speaking another word.