Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 190: The Key to Her Room

"Did Imogen feed you well?" Ruelle looked up and found her father’s attention on her. He said, "You should eat more. Your wedding gown will not fit properly otherwise."

The concern in his voice sat oddly with her. It made the food in front of her harder to swallow. It was a performance to show they were the perfect family, but there was no one here to watch it. Yet her parents kept pretending.

With only a bite of food, Ruelle had poured herself a glass of wine and taken small sips along with Hailey. The bitter warmth sat easier in her throat than the food.

"Speaking of the wedding," Mrs. Belmont said, cutting through her husband’s words. "We need clothes. It is too near now and nothing has been prepared." She turned to Ruelle. "I was thinking we should place our orders where you had your gowns made. The courthouse is paying for it all, after all."

Mrs. Belmont’s eyes then moved to Harold and she asked, "What do you think?"

If there is a wedding at all, thought Ezekiel before he gave a small nod. Then said, "I will be the one walking with her."

And though what he said was him thinking of the future, Ruelle took it as her father walking her down the aisle and she corrected him, "You won’t have to. I have already asked Lachlan to do that."

A frown touched her father’s face, while her step mother blinked. She asked,

"Lachlan is your cousin. Not even your first cousin, Ruelle. Your father should be the one to walk you. "Do you know how that will look? People will ask questions."

Ruelle’s grip tightened around the stem of her wine glass. The thin crystal pressed cold against her fingers. She replied,

"If you want people to look, then perhaps I should alter the gown. So they see what was done to all those years."

The words landed heavily and Mrs. Belmont’s lips pursed as she knew exactly what Ruelle meant.

"That’s enough, Megan," her father said softly, patting his wife’s hand as if none of it mattered. Then he looked at Ruelle and stated, "If that is what you wish."

His hand reached for the serving bowl. He continued, "Still, everyone should eat well." He began serving the dishes around the table. When he reached her, Ruelle’s hand moved and she said,

"I am fine."

But her father didn’t stop. The spoon kept moving, trying to slip past the hand she had placed there. At the same moment, her hand jerked with the wine glass still in it and the glass tipped.

Red wine spilled across her lap, soaking through the front of her dress. She saw her father’s jaw tightened and he snapped,

"Why didn’t you move your hand?" irritation flashed through his eyes.

The sharpness of it made Ruelle look at him. There it was, the true him.

Ezekiel realised his Ruelle had changed and instead of accepting what he was giving her. In the past, she listened to everything that was said and that would mean he would have to bring her back to the right track.

"I told you," Ruelle said, her voice steady as she pushed back from the table, "I have no appetite." Her soaked skirts clung to her legs. "We already ate enough at Aunt Imogen’s."

Before she could reach for a napkin, her father was already there. He had picked the cloth and now dabbed her dress. Ruelle sat frozen by her father’s attempt to help.

"I can do the rest," she took the napkin from him quickly. "Excuse me." She rose at once and left.

Hailey shoved two quick bites into her mouth before jumping up. Offering a hurried bow, she rushed after her.

Ezekiel watched the door long after Ruelle disappeared.

"What?" he asked when he felt Mrs. Belmont staring.

Her brows were furrowed. She asked, "Why are you doing that? Caring for her suddenly." She sounded more confused than suspicious.

Ezekiel leaned back in his chair and sighed. "We cannot afford for the treaty to break because of us. So of course we must be careful."

that. She took another bite and hummed softly at

snapped his fingers at the servants and ordered,

bowed

the clock. An hour or more,

dropped

had eaten, Mrs. Belmont too and the servants would

Ruelle... She had barely taken a bite or two. His jaw tightened on how less obedient and less willing she was. For a moment,

it onto the floor. Then she slipped into her nightgown, the

you something else to eat?" Hailey asked as she stepped into the room. "I am an excellent cook,

that she was away from them, Ruelle could feel her appetite returning. She thought

wine was good, wasn’t it? I might go back for another glass later," and a yawn slipped from

her body were drifting. She sat down on the

Or do you use some spell?"

have no idea," Ruelle

the thought aside, she picked up the other book with the basics. Flipping through the

of it was simple like how to hide a witch’s blood by forcing it to mimic human blood. How to dull certain scents. How to weaken traces left behind. Then came the trick the old

traced the symbols carefully, remembering the way the books had disappeared one by one as though they had never existed. It was

said the same thing in different

up, feeling uncomfortable at the idea of using anything in here

came from Hailey which

softer today," she murmured, already sinking against

"Sleepy already? I thought you

now."That was strong wine. Don’t you feel

her eyes and the heaviness in her arms.

barely stirred. She frowned at that but Hailey had eaten more

blew out the candle near the far wall and darkness swallowed that side at once. Only the candle beside her bed remained burning, its weak light

eyes shifted from the darkness to the writings on

it is. Removing a

body. And though Lucian had told her it was her battle scars, she

and see how far it goes,"

crossed to the fireplace. Taking a handful of ash that had grown cold on the side, she poured it carefully onto the floor, shaping the symbol exactly as the book

uneven at first so she

symbols. Only memory and will, and use the salt in the

far from that. Even the old witch had

at the pale scar there. Gripping the dagger next, she

"I’ll never

words from the page under her breath and then turned her eyes to the scar. But

the blood wasn’t enough, she thought to herself. Taking a breath, she dragged the blade deeper across her palm this time. Fresh blood dripped faster into the circle. The sting made her

next moment, the scar

quickly used the enchantment on her entire body. One by one, the old scars

with the rest of the marks on her skin. For a moment, she only

book?" she made her way to the bed and picked

sign she had drawn near the fireplace, Ruelle quickly dropped to her knees and blew the ash apart, watching it scatter across the floorboards before she used her handkerchief to wipe away the drops of blood. Her fingers

past ten at night. Who would come to her room

eyes darted to Hailey and she whispered, "Hailey?" But her friend was in deep slumber

Slowly, she bent down and peered through the small hole in the door. The first thing she saw was her

glance once over his shoulder before slipping his hand into his

key to her

Without wasting another second, she reached up and pushed the latch into place, careful not to make

alone. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should simply threaten him with the dagger and tell him to stay out of her room and out of her life entirely. But the guards would only dismiss it as family matters,

wanted was a little peace and quiet so she could read through the books and understand what they