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13.49% Beauty and the Immortal: It started with a dig / Chapter 17: Hide and Seek

Chapter 17: Hide and Seek

Mallory watched George run out of the castle's grand entrance with a speed she didn't know he possessed. However, when she turned, she caught Hadeon's amused yet darkly delighted gaze.

"How about a little deal with me, Mallory Winchester?" Hadeon proposed, the corner of his mouth curling as he held the hammer. 

"I highly doubt it would be to my liking," Mallory responded in apprehension. 

"Oh, this offer will interest you," Hadeon promised with a grin. He continued, "We shall play an exciting game of hide and seek. Should I catch you before I do little Georgie, you'll agree to bind yourself in my service—no more of this little game of escape. However, if I catch him first, I'll grant you your freedom." 

Mallory was intrigued but suspicious at the same time. She pressed, "Why? I thought you were dealing with George."

"Isn't it obvious, monkey?" Hadeon smiled in a way that unnerved her. "A little wager to ensure you remain on your best behaviour. Refuse, and we might have to resort to... discipline that you might find less pleasant."

Mallory stared hard at him before asking, "How do I know you won't hunt me first the moment I step outside the castle?"

"Fair point. It's first come, first kill," Hadeon replied nonchalantly. "You both have the whole estate to hide. I have sent Cawlin on an errand, so he won't be here to help me cheat. I shall count to a hundred and will walk slowly so that you have a good chance," he ran his tongue across one of his fangs, his eyes glowing like a predator. 

"One, two, three," Hadeon started to count down, and Mallory's eyes widened. 

"Wait!" Mallory panicked, swiftly ditching her chain on a nearby surface and then running out of the castle. 

As she ran, Mallory cursed her luck, "Never laugh at another's plight," as she mirrored George's comedic escape. She then said to herself, "I should find the idiot first and then run ahead of him." 

Under the moonlight, Mallory made her way past the gardens, quickening her pace as she entered the gloomy forest. The deeper she ventured, the trees grew denser, blocking the moonlight and casting shadows along with the whispers of the night breeze. Feeling a little cold, she tightened the scarf around her neck.

After ten minutes, she stopped running and now walked. She came upon an area that had heaps of mud on the sides, which looked familiar. Someone had dug out the ground. Turning a little curious, she moved closer when her eyes fell on six lined-up closed coffins. Though curious, she didn't dare to open any of them. 

"Don't do it, Mal. Been there, done that, got the trauma," Mallory reminded herself. "Opening one coffin was enough for a lifetime." 

Elsewhere in the forest, George frantically ran in circles. He felt chilly with the air touching his now exposed scalp and wanted to stop for a moment and cry. 

"Where the fuck is the end to this?!!!" George asked in frustration. But the truth was that the estate was vast, making it almost never-ending. "Father!" 

To make sure that Hadeon wasn't pursuing him, George looked behind him. But as if summoning bad luck, he heard a chillingly cheerful voice, 

"Yoo-hoo! Where are you, Georgie?" 

"Bloody hell!" George spat, his heart racing. In a pathetic attempt to hide, he tried to climb up a tree, only to fail miserably. Deciding a bush was his next best option, he crouched and hid behind it.

Hadeon, on the other hand, came into view, the very picture of a predator playing with his food. Twigs delicately broke under his shoes as he walked. Tapping the hammer against a nearby tree, he mused aloud, 

"Ever consider yourself a lucky man, Georgie? Though I have killed a few since I woke up, I will make sure you are treated with a special coffin. Of course, it is another matter that no one you know will ever find you after that," he said in a nonchalant tone.

George's blood ran cold. The once-arrogant nobleman was now nothing more than a cornered animal, eyes wide with terror at the sight of Hadeon's twisted grin and the hammer. The human's face almost morphed into that of a man in distress. When he looked up, he noticed Hadeon was gone. 

And then suddenly, George felt an unexpected tap on his shoulder. Turning around, his heart nearly leaped out. Hadeon had squatted beside him, mirroring his position with a look of fake concern on his face. 

"Lost something down here, have we?" Hadeon asked in a serious tone while craning his neck to look at the bush. Blood drained from George's face, a silent scream in his eyes. "Or were you hunting for something like this?" He lifted the hammer only to bring it down onto George's foot. 

"AHHHHHH!!!!" the scream erupted from George from the excruciating pain.

"AHHHHHH!!!!" Hadeon screamed along with George, his eyes wide with mock horror, and it scared the human next to him. He then exclaimed, "You scared me! Thought there was a monster in the bushes. Don't do that! My heart is too delicate for such shocks," he scolded, placing his hand on his chest. 

George attempted to scramble to his feet and began to limp. 

"I've come across quite a few humans in my time," Hadeon commented as he trailed behind George's clumsy escape. "But none have shrieked quite as... melodiously high-pitched as yours. Shall we perhaps move to the next foot?"

Terror-stricken, George pleaded, "NO! What do you want from me?! Money? I have money—I can give you money!"

Hadeon laughed, which sounded cold yet delightful. He mocked, 

"How benevolent of you to offer your petty wealth. You are bringing tears to my eyes. Oh, wait, it was just the dust. Never mind." A sinister smile played on his lips, and he said, "My interest lies beyond materialistic things. I am more of a body collector, if you know what I mean."

"I'll take down those posters the moment I get back!" George bargained. "Just let me live!"

"And when did I ever express displeasure at being the talk of the town?" Hadeon mused, the hammer spinning effortlessly in his grip. "I enjoy the attention. Recognition, be it good or bad, suits me just the same."

"I will change the pictures! I will make it look handsome," George blurted out, walking backwards as Hadeon's dark laughter filled the air. "Just the way you want it!"

"Look? I am plenty handsome, boy. Far surpassing anything your lineage could ever hope to produce in the future. If you survive, that is. What I want is to hear the symphony of your screams as I pull out your nails from each finger and toe. Let us not forget your kneecaps under my hammer." Hadeon elaborated on his plan and saw fear creep into George's eyes. "The sound of it breaking is absolutely wonderful!"

"NO!" George's scream pierced the air, drawing Mallory's attention, who wasn't far from there. Panic fueling his steps, he started to limp away, desperate to escape Hadeon's gruesome plans.

George, in panic and lack of grace, stumbled into the same site where Mallory had been a while ago. Only this time, the coffins were wide open, as if holding an invitation. The man wobbled before falling with a thud and landing right into the coffin. 

Mallory, who had just arrived there, watched with a mix of horror and bewilderment as George fell. 

"...!"

Walking closer, her eyebrows knitted in confusion, she noticed the open, cushioned coffins. Were there people in there earlier?! Where did they go? Hearing an owl's distant hoot, she momentarily turned away from the coffins. Her sterling blue eyes anxiously looked left and right, feeling the eerie quietness she was wrapped in.

Then suddenly, her eyes fell on a bat hanging on a tree with gold eyes. The very next second, it transformed into Hadeon, who elegantly landed on the ground. 

What did she just see?! As she took a step back, her foot slipped on the edge of the grave, sending her staggering backward into the open arms of the coffin. 

Within a second, Hadeon appeared before her, and his hand caught her scarf that had fluttered and gently pulled her away from the grave. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath heavy as her wide, shocked, sterling blue eyes met Hadeon's golden eyes. 

"This is the second time I pulled you away from going to the grave, monkey. Also," Hadeon remarked with amusement and a sly grin forming on his lips. Letting go of her scarf, he declared, "Caught you."

"What?!" Mallory shot back. 

"The game has come to an end, and it is unfortunate you have lost," Hadeon announced triumphantly. "My sympathies are with you."

"No, I didn't," Mallory said, narrowing her eyes at him. 

"I know you have difficulty accepting the truth, but it is what it is," Hadeon stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I am sure you will do better. If there's a next time."

This manipulative bastard! Mallory then pointedly said, "You found George first."

"Ah, but my dear, I didn't touch him. Besides, he's turned into an invalid pawn for the game considering his fortunate nap. Which leaves you. So," Hadeon drawled before he brought his hand forward and near her face. 

"Don't. Even. Think," Mallory warned, trying to lean backwards. But her words only fed the unruly being before her as he touched her nose and gently pushed it. 

Hadeon playfully remarked, "Boop!" 


Chapter 18: Old and new addition to the castle

As gentle as Hadeon's finger was on Mallory's nose, mixed with her intense defiance of not wanting to be touched, she ended up falling backwards and right into the coffin behind her. She heard him remark, while standing above her, 

"It looks like the third time is the charm." When she glared at him, he clicked his tongue in amusement and said, "Now now. There's no reason to look angry when it is your own fault. It isn't like I pushed you."

"One day, I will make sure you are in the coffin," Mallory retorted, gritting her teeth. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but note that the cushion inside the coffin was quite nice and comfortable. 

"Naughty, monkey," Hadeon responded, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in mirth. "Are you inviting me into your coffin? How sly, not to mention even scandalous!"

Mallory felt fortunate that she hadn't hit her head on the ground, unlike what had happened with George. "It's not my coffin," she muttered under her breath, her frustration rising, "I didn't think I would meet someone who could vex me as you do."

"Aw, don't be like that, monkey. I know deep down you care for me," Hadeon stated in confidence. 

"I don't think so," came the quick reply from Mallory. 

"You aren't looking deep enough. That's alright. You can do that on the way back to the castle," Hadeon waved his hand before sitting on his heels next to the grave she was in. 

As Mallory continued to glare daggers at him, Hadeon calmly extended his hand towards her. She accused him, "You cheated."

"Don't be a sore loser now," Hadeon chided, which only made her clench her fists. "Everything is fair in love, war, and games. Silly monkey. Now take my hand, or you can spend the rest of the night trying to climb out."

Mallory sat up on the coffin bed and grabbed his hand, finally climbing out of the grave. But when she tried to pull her hand back to her side, he didn't let it go and stared at her. Wait, what was going on? 

"Master Hades, wha—Ah!!" She cried in pain when his thumb pressed right on the back of her hand. 

"Just as I thought, you have sprained your hand," Hadeon murmured with a frown. 

"Why did you press it if you knew it was sprained??" Mallory could feel her hand throb in pain. "You could have asked," she said, giving him a bewildered look.

"Would you have been willing to admit the truth?" Hadeon's eyes gleamed. 

"I need to go to church," Mallory whispered to herself. 

"Church? If you want to rinse your sins, I will help you with it. And if it is confessions, I am an excellent listener and secret keeper," Hadeon made a miming action of locking his mouth with his hand. 

"I don't think it would be right to confess about wanting to strangle someone with you," Mallory muttered under her breath and let out a tired sigh. Besides, she had an inkling that this man would only increase her sins. 

Hadeon grinned at her words, "I am an excellent person! Strangling people, ripping their heads or hearts out. Torturing people. You say it." With a change of tone, he then added, "Back in the castle, there should be some medicine for your hand that should still work, unless they have caught fungus."

"I have a headache…" Mallory couldn't keep up with Hadeon and to think that they had only spent a day together. 

"There should be a medicine for that too," Hadeon replied, and he saw her wince. 

Mallory wondered why her elbow was burning, and she raised it to take a look when she saw it bleeding. She murmured with a frown, "It must have happened because of the fall." She joked, "At this rate, my blood is going to drain…" but her voice trailed when she caught Hadeon staring at her elbow. 

Blood… a faint realisation sunk in Mallory's mind. Blood was a meal for him and she gulped. 

"Master Hades?" she called to get his attention. 

Hadeon shifted his gaze to meet hers. "You should be careful. Every single drop of blood is precious and is not to be wasted," he remarked in a low voice, which was as much as a whisper that came from the nearby leaves. 

When he caught her elbow at the bottom, Mallory's already bruised hand turned into a fist, ready to swing her hand if he tried to sink his teeth into her. But something told her that she would miss her aim and he wouldn't miss the bite, which was why her heart shuddered. Yet, that didn't stop her from tightening her fist. 

But then Hadeon surprised her when his free hand pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, and she loosened the tightness in her fist. Straightening her hand, he wrapped it around the wound and said, 

"Let us avoid your scent drifting to the predators. We don't want you in trouble."

Mallory didn't have to know that he was talking about himself, and she pulled her hand back, muttering, "Thank you."

After returning to the castle, Mallory washed the wound and cleaned it with the towel that was placed next to the sink in her room. She then washed her face with cold water. She had questions to ask Hadeon, but the way back had been silent, with him walking a couple of steps ahead of her. 

Mallory couldn't help but feel that Hadeon Van Doren was a man full of secrets, and being dead and alive at the same time was only the surface of it. 

When she walked back towards the hall, she heard voices, and upon arriving there, her eyes fell on seven people before Hadeon. They were kneeling in front of him.  

"Welcome back, Lord Hadeon," one of them greeted. 

Mallory noted that out of the seven people, only six stood up, and that was only because the seventh person was George. They wore clothes similar to Barnby's when she first met him yesterday. They were the people from the coffins in the forest! 

"We found this person sleeping in the coffin. What would you like me to do with him, milord?" asked one of the men, gesturing to the unconscious George beside him. 

Hadeon remarked in a casual tone, "Keep him alive for now. He might prove useful for castle chores and also an addition to your dining option."


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