The explosion magic placed on the palace wall wasn't just any ordinary spell, it was high-level, the kind that could kill someone in seconds or at least leave them horribly burned from head to toe.
The deafening blast echoed through the air, and not long after, I could hear footsteps rushing toward the eastern side.
People were yelling, their voices blurred and muffled. I couldn't make out what they were saying because my ears were ringing too much from the explosion.
I couldn't move a single muscle.
It felt like my whole body had been set on fire. My skin was blistering, like someone had poured a bucket of boiling water all over me.
Honestly, I didn't expect to get burned this soon.
I could barely breathe. But unfortunately, I knew better than to hope for death.
Even if my lungs were charred, even if my skin was peeling off, even if most of my organs were destroyed in the explosion …
I would still survive.
"He's coming," my wolf whispered.
Who?
"Your mate," she replied with a dark chuckle, sounding a little too pleased with my misery. "Just pretend to be weak. Who knows? Maybe he'll give you something nice. Like a big house, if that's what you want."
Why would he ever give me something like that?
We barely spoke. We hardly interacted. So how on earth would Theron be dumb enough to fall for some act and just hand me a house?
My wolf laughed softly. "Oh, Evie … you have no idea."
"What happened here?!" Finally, a voice broke through my ears, and it was Theron's. He was shouting.
Was he mad because I blew up his precious palace wall?
One of the soldiers answered, "Your Majesty! Lady Evelyn, she—"
But Theron cut him off right away. "What are you waiting for?! Call the doctor, now!"
A doctor? Why would he want to do that?
From a normal person's point of view, I must've looked like a piece of overcooked meat, just waiting to die. There was no use calling a doctor for someone like me.
If anything, Theron should've been glad I was dying.
That way, he wouldn't have to be tied to someone like me, someone cursed, someone who brought nothing but misfortune to those around her.
"Evelyn!"
Theron dropped to his knees beside me. His hands hovered above me like he wanted to hold me, but didn't dare. Maybe he was afraid touching me would only make it worse.
"No … no, no!" he whispered, his voice full of panic. "I should've told you about the wall … I should've warned you!"
So I wouldn't have accidentally blown it up, right?
I didn't want to see the look on his face—whether it was guilt or anger—so I just closed my eyes and quietly folded my arms over my chest.
Who would've guessed that such a simple action would send him into a panic?
"EVELYN!" he cried out in a frenzy.
Was he really that furious because I damaged his palace wall and tried to run away by pretending to be dead?
But … I didn't even have money to fix it.
"Where's the doctor?!" he yelled again, louder this time.
He probably just wanted to keep me alive long enough to make me pay for the damage.
Honestly, I'd rather die than be forced to pay for a broken wall.
Faintly, I heard Theron whisper, "Is living here really that unbearable … that you'd rather run away?"
Unbearable?
I never thought this place was bad. On the contrary, it was too good. Too perfect. Too much like a dream.
That's why I needed to escape.
I knew Heaven had shut its doors on me a long time ago. I wasn't meant for beautiful things.
And deep down, I knew … if I stayed in this heavenly place, something terrible would come for me.
"No … maybe it's not this place," Theron muttered. "It's me, isn't it? You just don't like me …"
He gritted his teeth so hard I could hear the sound of it.
His hands clenched into fists, and he dug his nails into his palms until they started to bleed.
"If I had known you hated me this much …" he said through gritted teeth, "I would've let you go from the very beginning. But …"
He must've thought it was too late now because I was already on the verge of death, just waiting for the grim reaper to come and collect my soul.
But what he didn't know was that even death didn't want me anymore.
The grim reaper probably hated me so much he wouldn't even bother to show up.
Honestly, I could imagine him rolling his eyes and yelling, "Oh, it's you again? Ugh. Go die somewhere else!"
When Theron couldn't finish his sentence, I slowly opened my eyes and said, "Is that true?"
He looked startled, but before he could respond, I continued, "Would you really have let me go if I told you I didn't want to stay here? We don't even have to reject the bond. Maybe just … put it on hold for a while, or maybe … forever."
Theron stared at me in complete disbelief, looking pale, like he'd just seen a corpse rise from the grave.
"You … you're alive?"
He turned to the doctor who had just arrived, and I could see the confusion written all over his face, like he wanted to ask, "She looks like she was roasted alive. How is she still breathing?"
"Yes, I'm alive."
I pushed myself up into a sitting position and tried brushing the ash and dirt off my clothes, though honestly, my clothes were pretty much torn to shreds.
If not for the charred skin covering me, I'd basically be naked.
"I know you're probably about to accuse me of using dark magic, but save it, alright?" I tried to stand, but my legs were still weak, so I awkwardly sat back down in front of him.
Clearing my throat, I continued, "You don't need to worry. I won't bring any more bad luck to your palace, and you don't need to bother burning me at the stake either. Just let me go, and I'll take the curse with me."
"So … you're alive," Theron repeated again, softer this time. "You're really alive."
I frowned. "Yes. I'm still breathing. You don't have to keep saying it like it's a spell."
"And your wounds …" His eyes widened as he watched my body heal faster than a rifle being reloaded. "I've never seen anything like this."
I let out a long, tired sigh.
People always said the same thing whenever they saw how fast I could heal.
Then, without fail, they'd grab their torches, pitchforks, and build a wooden stake while screaming, "SHE'S A WITCH! BURN HER! BURN HER TO ASHES!"
Seriously. Get new lines, people.
"Listen," I said, "before you order your soldiers to light me on fire, can I just leave now?"
My gaze shifted to the charred wall behind me. "And since I don't have money to pay for the damage, feel free to add it to my debt list."
Like hell I'd ever pay that debt. Not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't.
"No." His answer was firm and immediate.
My eyes widened. "W-What? Didn't you say earlier you'd let me go if that's what I wanted?"
Was it because I didn't die? Should I pretend to be dead again?
"You don't even have money to pay for the wall," he said, his voice calm but firm. "How are you supposed to survive out there? Dig through trash? Beg for food?"
He shook his head as he looked me up and down. "If you leave in this condition … No. I can't let you go."
Before I could say a word, he suddenly picked me up, lifting me like a princess who had just scraped her knees after tripping over a tree root.
"What are you doing? Put me down." I looked him straight in the eyes. "If you're planning to throw me into a pit of fire, just let me walk there myself."
I'd rather walk into the flames on my own than be tossed like some giant sack.
"My Lady …" Theron took a deep breath, looking like he was already tired of dealing with me. "No one is going to throw you into a pit of fire."
I frowned, not even bothering to hide how confused I was.
This … was new.
No one had ever carried me like this without tossing me off a cliff or into something burning.
"Then … what exactly are you doing?" I asked.
Theron didn't answer right away. He just kept walking, carrying me through a crowd of maids and soldiers who were all staring at me, like I was some kind of strange creature that had escaped from a cage.
"I don't think rejecting or postponing our bond is an option anymore," Theron finally said. "If I let you go, I'm afraid you'll only suffer out there."
"I've been suffering for years," I replied calmly. "What's the problem with a few more?"
Theron closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again, "That's exactly the problem, My Lady."
He let out a sigh. "I can't just stand by and let my mate suffer alone. And besides …" he glanced down at me, "if you go wandering the streets like a beggar, people will think I'm some broke man who can't even take care of his own mate."