Chapter 54: The Game of Masks
"I’m afraid, Lirian...I’m afraid of the darkness in my head, the voices...but ever since I met you...I have the courage to fight them..."
Gabriel was touching her cheeks, wishing she could hear him, but unfortunately to him, she was far into deep sleep...
She curled on the bed like a baby, her breathing seemed soft and even as she remained oblivious to the words he was saying to her.
But suddenly, the door to the room slammed open with a force that sent a brutal echo through the chamber.
"Gabriel!" Daria’s voice rang out in his ears, so demanding and commanding.
Gabriel, seated in a chair near the bed, didn’t flinch.
He turned his head slowly, cold as ice as he regarded Daria’s furious body storming toward him.
"What is it now, Daria?" he asked, surprisingly calmly, the kind of calm that promised wars.
"You left me," Daria snapped, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"You abandoned me in that garden while you played house with her!"
She gestured angrily toward Lirian, who remained unaware, lost in sleep.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, impassive. "And?"
Daria’s eyes widened, her anger flared up from the heat.
"You were supposed to take care of me! I’ve always been there for you, Gabriel! How can you treat me like this?"
Gabriel stood, his towering shoulders casted a shadow over her.
He folded his arms across his chest, darkening his expression.
"Take care of you?" he repeated, as if he was mocking her.
"Daria, you’re not here as my guest. You’re here as my prisoner."
Her breath caught, and she took a step back.
"Prisoner?" she echoed, her voice trembled with both disbelief and anger.
"That’s right," Gabriel replied. "You’re lucky I haven’t dealt with you the way I should have after what you did."
"I don’t understand!" Daria cried, desperation forced into her voice. "Why are you treating me this way? What did I do to deserve this?"
Gabriel let out a cold, humorless laugh.
"You poisoned my mind, Daria. You used fairy dust to manipulate me, to control me like I was some puppet for your schemes. And now you stand here and complain?"
Her eyes filled with tears, but Gabriel’s expression didn’t soften any bit.
"I did it because I love you!" Daria insisted, breaking down. "I was only trying to make you see what we could have together!"
"Love?" Gabriel sneered, shaking his head. "Don’t insult me. What you feel isn’t love—it’s obsession. And worse, it’s pathetic."
Daria flinched, her tears falling freely now.
"You think she’s better than me?" she demanded, pointing at Lirian. "Lirian is cruel, manipulative, and selfish! I’m kinder, I’m better, I’m everything you should want!"
"Hah!" Gabriel’s laugh cut through the air like a blade.
"That’s where you’re wrong," he said, his golden eyes started shining with a dangerous light.
"It’s exactly those things you hate about her that I like. I don’t need kind. I don’t want perfect." He stepped closer, his voice turned to a cold whisper.
"You’re nothing but a cheap copy, Daria. A hollow imitation of what you think I want."
Her face twisted with anger, all the wrinkles on her forehead were forced to appear.
Her lips trembled by the pressure she was putting in.
"I can change!" she cried, and it sounded more like she was pleading.
"I’ll do whatever you want, Gabriel. Just give me a chance!"
He shook his head, hardening his glare on her.
"You don’t get it, do you? No matter what you do, you’ll never be her. And without your tricks, you’re nothing. No power, no family, no worth. If it were up to me, I’d have ended this charade a long time ago."
Daria’s desperation reached a fever pitch.
Her breathing came in short, erratic gasps, and before Gabriel could react, she surged forward and grabbed his face, pressing her lips against his.
Gabriel’s body went rigid, his hands shooting up to push her away.
But the moment he inhaled, the sickly-sweet scent of enchantment filled his lungs, and his eyes blinked, his golden eyes looked clouded over with a dull, glassy sheen.
Daria pulled back, her lips trembled as she saw the change take hold.
"Gabriel," she whispered, like she was having hope. "Do you see now? Do you feel it?"
Gabriel blinked slowly, a moment before an evil grin spread across his face.
His hand went up, grabbing Daria’s wrist with a grip that made her wince.
"You really are desperate," he smiled.
Daria’s eyes widened in shock. "Gabriel, I—"
"You think you can control me again?" he growled, his grip tightened with more force.
"You think I’m some plaything you can use for your little games?"
"Gabriel, please," she begged, struggling to free herself. "I just wanted you to see—"
"To see what?" he interrupted, raising his tone.
"That you’re a scheming, pathetic coward who can’t stand the fact that I’ll never want you?"
"Stop it!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.
He released her with a shove, sending her stumbling back.
"Get out of my sight," he snapped. "Before I decide to end this for good."
Daria clutched her wrist, her sobs were heard in every the chamber.
She cast one last, desperate look at Gabriel before fleeing the room.
Gabriel turned back to the bed, his breaths felt heavy and uneven.
Lirian stirred slightly, her face looked peaceful as she continued being unaware of the mess that had happened.
As he glanced at her, the dull haze in his eyes began to fade, replaced by clarity and an overwhelming sense of dread.
"Daria," he muttered under his breath, his jaw tightened. "This isn’t over."
He sat back down in his chair, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to steady fix his emotions.
He would deal with Daria soon enough, but for now, his focus was on protecting Lirian—no matter the cost.
"I’m not going to let you poison me again...not when I’m so close to winning Lirian...not when I’m so close to getting back my real status."