To His Hell and Back
Chapter 91: Sing Birdie or Drown?-II

Chapter 91: Sing Birdie or Drown?-II

It was no secret of how dangerous Adele is. Her eyes had spoken of her annoyance on seeing a human who she had seen lower than her had somehow managed to put her tail around Cassius. From what she had heard from Princess Marissa it seems that the royalties held a tradition of marrying cousin to the heir of the crown.

As Adele was deemed far too young for Cassius, their engagement was never solidified, unlike the Princess who had no choice but to be engaged to Lucien. To Arabella this was odd. From the village, anyone who marries their cousin was judged insane but it seems royalties were more focused on keeping their blood thick. While Marissa was unhappy with the union, it seems Adele wished that the union happen. Though not between Marissa and her brother, but rather between herself and Cassius.

Therefore the aggression that Adele showed to her for being able to attract Cassius’ attention wasn’t too impossible to guess.

She knew that it would get dangerous and so she acted like a docile human pet. One who doesn’t talk back and only knows how to bow and satisfy their cruel desire to reign above humans.

But Adele was not so easily fooled.

Arabella could feel the younger vampire’s gaze slicing through her like a blade, dissecting her every move, every breath, every careful submission. Adele was searching—waiting—for the slightest slip, the smallest crack where she could sink her claws and tear her apart.

She was young, yes, but not stupid. And certainly not patient.

"Strange," Adele mused one evening, her voice honeyed yet sharp as she circled Arabella like a cat toying with a trapped mouse. "You kneel so easily, little pet. Yet my dear cousin, who does not waste his time on fragile things, keeps you close. How is that?"

Arabella was quiet, knowing that the question was rhetoric.

She leaned in then, her breath cool against Arabella’s ear.

"Cassius does not keep useless things. You know," she began, voice syrupy sweet, "it truly baffles me how you of all creatures managed to catch Cassius’s eye. A human. And not even one of noble birth, just a villager." She laughed lightly as if the idea itself was too absurd to take seriously. "How did you seduce him? Your blood? Or was it by sleeping with him?"

Arabella’s green eyes shook. She clenched her fists as she endured the humiliation in quietness.

"I heard that you are disobedient but you seem rather docile now. What? Scared of me?"

Feigning her obedience, Arabella remains as mute as a dead mouse.

"This isn’t fun," sang Adele. "How about I tell you a story? This is the story of a young girl with a very powerful older cousin. One day there was a human who dared to harm the young girl so she ran and cried woefully to her older cousin."

Apprehensive, Arabella looked at Adele’s eyes, the redness of her gaze was filled with mischief and malice.

"So my beloved cousin took his sword and took away that human servant. You don’t understand what I am saying, ugly duckling?" Adele reached out her index finger and pushed Arabella by her shoulder, pushing her stronger and stronger with one poke to another until Bella felt her feet reaching the edge of the lake.

Panic washed over her as she stopped stiffly before she was pushed into the lake. Oh no! Oh no. Dearest Heaven! She couldn’t swim!

Adele tilted her head, her wicked smile widening as she drank in Arabella’s panic like the sweetest wine.

"What I am saying is," she continued, her voice lilting like a cruel lullaby, "my dear cousin does not tolerate anything that displeases me. And you, little villager—" she prodded Arabella’s shoulder again, the pressure making her heels teeter at the very edge of the lake, "—you are beginning to displease me."

Arabella’s breath hitched. She wanted to run, to fight, to do something, but she knew that showing fear would only make Adele enjoy this more.

Adele leaned in, her crimson eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Do you think he’ll come running if I drown you? Do you think he’ll care?" She let out a mock gasp. "Oh, don’t tell me you actually believe he does?"

Arabella’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Adele giggled, twirling a lock of her golden hair. "Cassius is like a child with a new toy. Fascinated, obsessed... for a while." Her grin turned razor-sharp. "But toys break. They bore him. And when that happens, hehe," She made a soft clucking sound. "Well, let’s just say he doesn’t keep broken things."

The words burned. Arabella clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms.

This girl doesn’t know. Not only was she a toy to Cassius but to him, everyone in this castle is his toy including the girl herself. But if she said this to the lady’s face, it would surely anger Adele and warrant something bad so she stayed quiet. Staying quiet would lead her to no trouble. Ariel had always warned her that less word is silver but no words at all are golden so that was what she had to do.

At times in life you have to stay quiet even in front of a foolish person who was trying to provoke you, and this was the time.

Adele sighed, almost pitying that she was mute from fear, not knowing that she was trying to hold back all her usual retorts.

"You must know this, don’t you? You’re just a momentary amusement. A distraction. A pet." Adele’s voice dipped lower, silk hiding steel. "But you see, Arabella, I am his blood. His future." She lifted her chin, smug. "It is not you who belongs by his side, but me."

Arabella knew what she wanted. She wanted her to fight back, to lash out, to give Adele a reason to go crying to Cassius, playing the victim, painting Arabella as the aggressor.

So she didn’t. She exhaled slowly, lowering her gaze, feigning submission.

Adele huffed, clearly unsatisfied. "Tch. Not even fun to torment, are you? But, I noticed that you are scared of the lake. Can’t swim? Cas called you a bird, but you can’t sing to me and you seem scared of the lake, how could that be?"

The pitying noise only made Arabella grit her teeth. The vampiress knowing that she was scared of the lake was pushing her buttons.

"Say birdie," Adele grinned, "If you can’t sing. You should at least be able to swim. If you could do more tricks who knows perhaps even my Cassius would keep you around him for longer. Do you really think just because you are close to him you know everything about him? That he would fancy you more than everyone else?"

No. Of course not.

Cassius wouldn’t prioritize anyone above himself she knows that yet the words Adele said this time suddenly made her annoyance hit the roof.

Arabella felt something snap in her. She looked at Adele in a glare, her defiance rising into her throat. But she managed to hold her tongue and looked at the ground.

But Adele who saw her glare frowned, "You know what? I wanted to only tease you a little but," Adele reached out her hand and suddenly Arabella felt the lady holding her shoulders together and shoved her downward.

Her heart dropped and as the world swirls, she finally realized that she had been pushed to that large body of water. Shivers ran down her spine and her hands shot out, trying to grab what could stop her from drowning, the only person in front of her— Adele.

She tried to reach forward to hold the vampiress and drag her down the lake with her but being a vampire, Adele was quicker in pulling her hands away, watching with a grin as she submerged instantly into the lake. Her body fell first into the water which felt much colder than it looked, enough to cause cold needles to prick into her marrows. But before the cold could bother her, it was the fact that her body immediately pulled down to the bottom of the lake and the fact that her face could barely float as water seeped into her lips and nose.

"If you can’t sing or swim," Adele said as she struggled to breathe, the vampiress’ face appeared like the devil itself as Arabella grinned between her wet eyes, "Then drown," was the last word Arabella had heard before the mischievous young vampiress heels clicked and she ran away from the lake, leaving her alone.

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