Star Blood |✔|

12| KNOCK

Knock. 

Someone is knocking.

The girls start to scream and run to the other end of the room, tears of panic welling within their eyes.

I step forward.

I see their look of relief that I am there.

Saint though, beats me to the door.

"What?"

A guard stands on the other end, eyeing Saint up and down with a lustful gaze.

She lets him, giving him full few of her body that is tightly packed within a thin, black piece.

Fabrics of clothing came for us several days ago, all the girls awing over the finery of it.

I let them choose first before I picked several dresses from the mix.

Saint though and a few others, ripped their way through, vicious to get to the best.

The guard let's his eyes roam a few seconds more before he turns and stares at the rest of the girls.

"The King requests a girl."

Saint steps forward, smiling what can only be a look of seduction.

I stay silent.

I did not want to be chosen.

"If it pleases the King, I'll go."

The guard smiles back. I notice he is still within the doorway. His feet just at the threshold, but not over.

Maybe Jonaus spoke some truth in saying that darkness could not invade this room.

"Not you."

Saint's smile falls, and is quickly replaced with a glare.

"Why the hell not?"

The guard's eyes light up at the curse, "Not you but maybe-,"

Before he can finish she is walking away, tossing her golden hair aside, "As if."

The guard's eyes flash in anger. I watch carefully but he still doesn't come in and reach for Saint.

Still on the outside.

"What girl?"

His red eyes of anger fall on Oceane as she steps forward and asks. I feel a rising sense of panic at her boldness.

Not her.

But the guard sighs and says, "ReRe."

I glance around at the girls.

The name alone indicates that it's origin is from the Rottsland. Confirming my thoughts, a girl steps forward, shaking with fear clear in her eyes. Though we have a nice adjoining wash room, filled with water and pools to bathe in, I can still see the faint trace of red, etched upon her skin.

No scrubbing could get the stain off.

"N-n-no, please."

The guard shrugs, "it's your choice. The King will not force you."

We all stop and stare, in confound confusion at his words.

The girl ReRe seems conflicted. Then to my utter astonishment, she nods and walks towards the door.

Before she can reach it though, I step in front, blocking her path.

"What are you doing."

Her eyes widen, maybe at the fact that I have chosen to talk to her, or at the overwhelming presence of the light that is sinking into her skin as I softly touch her arm.

Either way, her gaze flickers from the door to me.

"I...I was going to see why the King summoned me."

I shake my head, "It's a trap. Don't go."

The guard behind me laughs, "What trap? You already know what would happen to you the moment the reaping began."

I ignore him and try to get the girl to focus only on me.

"ReRe. Look at me. You can refuse."

Her honey brown eyes find me as she shakes her head, "But...but then he may come here..."

"And if he does then I will protect you."

She glances up and down at me, taking me in.

And then she pulls away.

I have never felt a sense of such despair and turmoil, as I have in that moment.

"ReRe." Her name is whispered now. I can't understand her actions.

"He...he chose me...out of all the girls." Her eyes glance over to Saint, taking in the girl as she glares from the corner, "Why would he want me?"

The guard comments in then, "Come and you will find out."

I have never had the urge to scream at anyone. I have always remained calm. Cool. Collective. My training required it and I had absolute faith within the Moon. Within her blessing.

But now.

Now I felt raw pain and panic shoot through me.

I grabbed her arm twisting her to look at me.

"Do not be foolish ReRe," the girls are edging closer, their eyes widening as they take in the scene. "Don't forget what he did the first day we saw this King. Don't forget Sara. Don't forget what happened to her. Don't delude yourself into thinking that you will be safe in the darkness."

She pulls away and rubs her arm, red spots surfacing on it.

"That hurt." It comes out as a crushed whisper. And in that moment I realize my mistake as the girl turns away from me and walks to the guard.

With an air of importance she raises her head and says, "Take me to the King."

He bows his head, and steps aside, letting her walk past.

I take one last glance at her back as she straightens it and walks down the hall, before the guard shoots me a grin and follows behind.

The girls stand in stunned silence at what they've witness.

Before they slowly retreat back to their corners.

I continue staring down the hall.

The girl had scrubbed so hard at her skin.

So hard to erase where she had come from.

So hard to forget her origins.

But her name still said it.

Her faint traces of red still reminded her.

So she choice to pick a path that separates herself from the rest of her dirty, red people.

She chose in that moment, for a different color, a much darker and more permanent one, to stain her skin, and now her soul.