Beauty and the Immortal: It started with a dig - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Crash course with the vampire
Panic surged through Mallory as she felt herself moving farther away from Hadeon, her hands flailing wildly in the air. Despite the distance, she noticed the wicked gleam in the pureblooded vampire’s eyes, as if he relished the idea of her becoming a bloody mess on the ground.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and in a desperate attempt to avoid a disastrous fall, she managed to grab onto a tree branch. Her palms burned from the rough texture as she clung on for dear life.

“What the hell was that?!” Mallory demanded through gritted teeth.

Hadeon let out a soft harrumph of displeasure, tilting his head as he looked down at her. “We should have moved two steps aside so you didn’t have something to hold on to, monkey. That’s fine. Nothing that can’t be fixed.”

With a fluid motion, Hadeon leapt from the roof and landed gracefully on the same branch Mallory was hanging from. He instructed her, “Drop.”

“To break my bones?” Mallory retorted, struggling to pull herself up, while Hadeon made no effort to help.

“Precisely. Now drop,” Hadeon said, his expression serious and devoid of any playfulness, which only heightened her worry.

Mallory could guess that Hadeon was testing her abilities, but this was far too dangerous. Her heart would stop with his antics. She complained, “This is a terrible way of making my abilities work.”

“I must agree with you. Perhaps we should go back to the roof and have you fall where there’s no tree, or would you like me to fly you to the sky and leave you there? You can see how it feels to fly.” A dark chuckle escaped from Hadeon’s lips before his smile faded.

“Though my mother fell to the ground, I didn’t hit my head to drop,” Mallory retorted. When she glanced down, she realised she had clung to the highest branch available.

“Suit yourself then,” Hadeon hummed, pulling a gun from his back and aiming it at the branch. Mallory gritted her teeth, sensing the craziness that ran in his blood. What was she, a bird to fly in the air? She barely shared any of his hobbies—

The pureblooded vampire pulled the trigger, and Mallory only heard the echo of the gunshot and felt the jerk of her body before her heart leaped into her throat. Crap! Her eyes squinted shut, and she felt goosebumps all over her arms. She braced herself for the impact, but she kept falling.

Why wasn’t she hitting the ground?

When Mallory opened her eyes, she noticed the darkness surrounding her and her face paled with the rushing wind. She was in the air! Unable to stop herself from panicking, she shrieked, “AH!!”

Suddenly, Mallory felt herself being scooped up into the air by Hadeon. His majestic bat-like wings flapped steadily, keeping them suspended mid-air, the moon shining brightly above them.

“That was an interesting place to end up in,” Hadeon remarked with a grin.

“H—How did I end up in the air?!” Mallory asked in shock, her hands circling his neck in a better grip so that she didn’t fall in case he decided to drop her for ‘fun’.

“Did you think that just because you were near the ground, you would end up there? You must have thought about the sky or something along those lines to end up here,” Hadeon explained. “It is important to think about where you want to be. Imagine you are running from someone, think about that someone and end up right where you started.”

Mallory could still feel her heart pounding, with her head momentarily turning dizzy. She murmured, “I am not liking this…” this near-death feeling.

“You will get used to this. I told you, didn’t I? My methods are crash courses that are effective,” Hadeon remarked confidently.

With the human in his arms, he could look at her closer than before. Her sterling blue eyes, a pretty shade with specks of grey, reflected the moonlight. Her fringes fluttered with the wind, and her lips quivered from the adrenaline of the experience.

He studied her face intently, the proximity making every detail stand out. The moonlight highlighted her features, casting a soft glow that made her look ethereal.

“This is madness,” Mallory said to him with dread, her eyes meeting his now golden ones.

“You will see that there’s beauty in the madness,” Hadeon stated, his gaze fixed on her as his smile broadened.

Mallory gave him a suspicious look and asked, “Can we return to the ground, mister-down-to-earth?”

“I like the way you phrased it, though I can sense the insincerity,” Hadeon’s lips twisted into an amused smirk. “Let’s try it one more time before we descend. You can aim for your room, but be sure not to end up in my room and bed.”

“I am not ready for it!” Mallory tightened her grip around his neck, anticipating his next move.

“Are you suggesting that you’ll crawl into my bed one night when I’m asleep?” Hadeon feigned a gasp, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Such ambition. But for now, let’s do this. One…”

Two and three never came, as Hadeon flew them higher before releasing her from his arms. Another shriek escaped Mallory’s lips as she tried desperately to think about her room and bed.

Hadeon’s wings flapped steadily in the air as he watched her plummet towards the ground. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared from his sight, and his eyes shifted towards the castle where her room was located. Paying closer attention, he could hear her heart thundering in her chest and her voice cursing him.

His lips curled into a grin as he murmured, “A pity you didn’t end up in my room.”

In Mallory’s room, she hugged her bed with her eyes closed. She whispered to herself, “What would have happened if it didn’t work?”

But then, a smile spread across her face as she murmured, “It worked… I can apparate!” The exhilaration of having done it, even in a moment of fear, was palpable.

Determined, Mallory resolved to practice her ability, starting with short distances until she could confidently cover longer ones. The prospect of mastering this newfound skill filled her with a sense of pride and anticipation. She muttered to herself, “Just a little longer.” Soon, she would be ready to travel north with Hadeon, to the place her mother came from.

Her thoughts turned to her father. Who was he? Did he belong to a high family or come from humble beginnings? Was he alive, and if so, could she find him? Questions swirled around her mind, but the sudden pang of hunger interrupted her musings. She decided to head to the kitchen.

Near the kitchen, Mallory focused all her energy on teleporting. In an instant, she appeared behind Hattie, who was busy cutting fruits.

“Oh dear, God!” Hattie exclaimed, startled. “I didn’t hear you come in,” she laughed.

“It worked!” Mallory said it excitedly.

“Huh?” Hattie looked puzzled.

“You didn’t hear me walk in,” Mallory said, deciding to keep her new ability a secret until she could fully control it. She couldn’t wait to surprise Hattie with it.

Meanwhile, not far from the kitchen, Ivy entered Hadeon’s study. He was sitting on the edge of the desk, his gaze fixed on her.

“You wanted to see me, milord?” Ivy bowed deeply.

Hadeon smiled at the maid, a chilling curve to his lips, before questioning her in a calm voice, “What is this I hear about the oil spill this morning? Something you would like to share?”