To His Hell and Back-Chapter 28: Pretty Little Weakness

Why was he looking at her so confused? Wasn't she the one who was supposed to be confused?! He was the one who told her to retrieve the object, yet now his gaze lingered on the necklace she wore as if he'd never seen it before.

This had to be the necklace, right? Had she gotten it wrong— after all that suffering?

"What was the object I was supposed to take from the maze if not this necklace?" Bella demanded, clutching her torn dress at the hem, her fingers curling tighter until the fabric creased. Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her fraying nerves. She glared at him, her brows furrowing as though her determination alone could drag the truth out of him.

Cassius tilted his head, crimson eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin. "It's a round object," he began, his tone annoyingly casual, as though this were a simple conversation and not the result of her risking life and limb.

"Round?" she echoed, trying to picture it.

"Well," he corrected, "more oval than round. It's not alive, but it's not dead either. It's heavy and malleable, even. The material has a certain... pliability to it. It has all these ornaments made up of gold and diamond. The color is blue, or maybe green? Turquoise, but also had a hint of purple. Or maybe it's red?"

Bella stared at him in disbelief as he kept changing his description. "How is there even an object like that?! You're lying!"

Cassius's lips curved into a slow smile as he pointed at her necklace. "I didn't know the maze held that," he remarked, his voice dripping with amusement. "But I can assure you, I didn't send you into the jaws of that maze to fetch this. Especially after you try to feed yourself into this maze's stomach."

His mocking tone sent a flare of frustration through her. She balled her fists, the heat of anger flooding her veins. Before she could stop herself, she struck his chest— not once, but again and again, even as the blows landed uselessly against his unyielding frame.

She wished her punches could go heavier as she saw him brush all the hits as if it were nothing but a tickle.

"You liar!" she shouted, each word punctuated with a hit. "There's no such object in that maze! You're making it up! You're— WOAH!"

Her voice broke into a startled yelp as Cassius's hands suddenly gripped her waist. She braced for the humiliation of being flung to the ground, but instead, her world tipped sideways. With unnerving ease, he hoisted her up, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

"What are you doing?!" she screeched, her panic surging as her fists beat against his back.

Cassius chuckled, his voice rich with amusement. "What does it look like, little bird? You've had your fun for the day. Time to go back to your cage."

"No! Let me go, you lying piece of—" She squirmed, but froze mid-struggle when she felt his grip shift. Her feet dangled precariously, and instinctively, her arms shot out to wrap around his neck.

He laughed at her reaction, a sound low and infuriatingly smug. "Ah, I loosen my hold, and suddenly, you cling to me like a frightened kitten. What's wrong, poison flower?"

She gritted her teeth, her cheeks burning. "You're an evil monster!"

"I've heard worse," he replied airily, as though her insults were merely background noise.

"Horrible! Wretched monster!"

"Still repeating yourself, birdie? I thought that sharp tongue of yours would have more variety."

His calm, mocking tone only fueled her anger. "I hate you!"

"Good," he said, his smile audible in his voice. "Hate me all you like. It only makes this more entertaining."

Bella's chest heaved with frustration, her green eyes burning with defiance even as she hung over his shoulder. Somewhere deep down, she realized he wasn't even trying to provoke her— this was simply who he was. A creature who delighted in chaos.

And she was trapped in his web.

She wanted to cry out of anger, annoyed and frustrated by Cassius who after putting her to the brink of death wasn't going to let her escape her castle. She wanted to hit him more, wanted to yell at him more but her body was far too exhausted after all the fear she suffered the entire evening.

When she turned her face to her surroundings, she saw Lady Lilah and Lady Clarissa's faces were drained of blood, they seemed to be the most surprised by how she had not only yelled at him as a monster but also hit him, yet Cassius was still all smile, like someone who was enjoying the suffering of a cute adorable child while teasing them out of their candies.

Among the crowd, Bella's gaze caught on a woman whose features bore a striking resemblance to Cassius. Her regal presence was impossible to miss, her posture was impeccably straight, exuding the poise of someone who belonged in the highest echelons of society.

Dark inky hair that contrasted her bright red gown, meticulously curled, was styled into an intricate design pinned to form a floral shape on the right side of her head. In her slender hands, she held a folded fan the color of blood, the deep red stark against her pale skin. Her lips, painted a purple hue, were set in a line of displeasure.

Unlike the other ladies, who looked both shocked and terrified by Cassius's presence, this woman met him with an expression of surprise tinged with a frown. There was no fear in her eyes; Only a sharp, assessing gaze that seemed to dissect him with every passing moment. Hers was the lone expression of defiance amidst the sea of wide eyed apprehension.

"Cassius," said the woman, "What are you doing?"

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Cassius who looked at the woman who had called his name with such ease and tone only curled his lips. Though he wasn't murderous his violence was still brimming in his eyes even as he talked to the woman, "What am I doing other than bringing my pet back to my castle? She had enough of fun today, she ought to rest after such an entertainment."

"It's a human," Princess Marissa said, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "A pet human. You know what they're used for, don't you? Entertainment. Food. Sustainable. Are you seeing what you're doing?"

Bella gulped. She didn't know who this woman was but by her narrowing gaze, as she looked at her, it seemed that this woman really despised humans and looked down on them as nothing but food and entertainment. It also seemed that she took offense that Cassius had let her attitude aside when usually it would have caused her death.

Seeing the disapproval, even Bella could only shrink on Cassius's shoulders, hoping she could get off and hide but his grasp on her waist was tight as if he didn't want her to fly downward.

Cassius let out a dramatic sigh, his tone dripping with annoyance. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his sister.

The usual playful smile that often graced his lips was completely absent now, replaced by a cold, almost dangerous look. "Since when do rules apply to me, sister?"

Sister? Bella echoed in her head.

His voice dropped to a low, venomous tone. He was talking to his sweet sister but his voice was rigid and dangerously cold, "Let me remind you, I make the rules here. There's no decree that a pet human must live for only a certain time or serve a single purpose. It's my choice how I treat my birdie." He paused, his expression growing even more biting. "And it's your choice to sit there like a pathetic princess, waiting for your white-armored knight to save you. You were betrayed by your human knight once and you act as if the world has caved under you, pathetic."

Marissa's anger was palpable, her body trembling with barely contained rage. Her wide eyes burned with fury, and her face seemed to vibrate from the intensity of her emotions.

As a vampiress, she was known for her cruelty, but nothing she had ever done could compare to the sharp sting of Cassius's words. He had struck at the most tender and sore parts of her heart, his every syllable a precise jab aimed at her deepest insecurities. The venom in his voice was a poison she hadn't expected, and it rattled her in a way that made her momentarily forget her usual composure.

Even Bella could see how she had clenched her wooden folded fan so tightly that it had crushed under her fists, destroyed to sharp small splinters.

Her lips were dreadful and her tone grim, "Watch your mouth, Cassius."

"Watch your warnings, Marissa," Cassius quipped. "No one, especially not you, should ever dictate me. I'm leaving. If you dislike the fact that all your tea parties end like this because of my presence, then don't ever invite me again. This invitation has been annoying me for quite a long while now."

Then Cassius turned toward the door while Bella watched from his back how Marissa had fallen into complete silent anger. Through the gap in the doorframe, she could see Marissa struggling to maintain her composure. Her lips trembled, and her features twisted with fury. Each attempt to suppress her emotions only seemed to intensify the rage boiling inside her as if it had no intention of staying hidden.

Marissa's bloodshot eyes glowed with a ferocity that sent a chill down Bella's spine, and for a moment, it seemed as though she might break. The calm exterior she usually wore was shattered, leaving her exposed and vulnerable in the wake of Cassius's cutting words.

It seems that this sister and brother both despise each other's guts as if there was something deeper that had caused their hatred of one another.

The cause was... humans.

As if humans are these beautiful monsters' weaknesses.