Free Web NovelThe car was still moving.
Not as fast as before, because the driver had started braking, but fast enough that any normal person would think twice before opening a door.
Matt’s heart began to speed up.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The sound pounded inside his chest, heavy and fast.
Adrenaline began running through his arms, his legs, his back.
His fingers tightened around the arrow.
Crack!
He snapped it in two.
Beside him, the white-haired girl watched him and slowly smiled.
"Matt—"
Before she could say anything else, Matt opened the door.
Clack!
Wind rushed violently into the car.
The driver barely glanced at the mirror.
The girl raised an eyebrow.
Matt didn’t wait for the vehicle to stop completely.
He stuck one leg out.
For an instant, his shoe hung over the asphalt speeding beneath him.
Then something moved in his back.
Pressure.
Heat.
A pull from inside his bones.
Matt clenched his teeth.
'How annoying.'
Rasssh!
The fabric of the uniform tore across his back.
Two black wings burst out, large, tense, and covered by a dark membrane that gleamed under the moonlight.
The apron tore a little more.
Matt felt another part of his uniform finally die.
The wings spread.
The air slammed against them.
And before his foot touched the ground, Matt shot upward.
FWOOSH!
The car fell behind.
The highway became a gray line beneath him.
Matt rose several yards, turned his body in the air, and fixed his gaze on the direction the arrow had come from.
He hadn’t flown in months.
His body knew it.
The muscles in his back protested.
His wings felt stiff, clumsy, and heavy.
But the muscle memory was still there.
FWOOSH!
The wind cut against his face.
'There.'
Far away, in the darkness of the night, he saw a figure moving through the air.
A girl.
Long gray hair, red eyes, and a bow in her hands, with a quiver full of arrows on her back.
Matt recognized her immediately.
Selene.
The same idiot who, back at the castle, showed up every chance she got to challenge him to a duel.
Matt still remembered those nights.
Not because of the pain.
Not because of the fights.
But because Selene was a bastard who always ruined his sleep schedule.
And that was unforgivable.
Matt caught up to her in a matter of seconds.
Selene barely turned her head. When she saw Matt, her red eyes widened a little.
For an instant, she seemed surprised.
Not because she saw him move.
Not because she saw him fly.
But because she saw him like this.
In that body.
With that face.
With that form that wasn’t the princess she remembered.
But the surprise didn’t last long.
Very long.
Then she smiled.
A wide smile.
Satisfied.
Almost happy.
"You’re Matt," she said, with a familiarity that made Matt want to hit her harder. "Looks like you haven’t gotten rusty, despite spending months outside in this human world."
Matt didn’t answer. He only threw the broken arrow at her.
Fiuu!
Half of the arrow spun through the air like an improvised dagger, straight toward her face.
Selene’s eyes widened a little more.
Then she ducked mid-flight.
Whoosh!
The arrow passed over her head and vanished into the darkness.
She looked up again.
Her smile grew bigger.
"So you still remember how to greet me."
"I’m not in the mood, Selene."
"That has never stopped you."
"I was reading."
Selene blinked.
Matt pointed toward the car in irritation.
"Do you know how hard it is to focus on vampiric politics while Iris is trying to contaminate the air with her feet?"
Selene stayed silent for a second.
Then she let out a small laugh.
"I see you still complain about strange things."
"Why are you here?"
"I asked permission to challenge you."
Matt blinked.
"What?"
"The queen accepted."
Matt stared at her for a second. Then he clenched his teeth.
Selene tilted her head a little, watching him with curiosity.
"But I have to admit, this is unexpected."
Matt frowned.
"What is?"
"That form."
Selene’s gaze moved over Matt’s face, his shoulders, and the torn uniform.
"So that was your original body?"
"Don’t look at me like I’m an exhibit."
Selene smiled.
"I didn’t know you were a man."
"Now you know."
"At the castle, everyone called you princess."
"At the castle, everyone was out of their minds."
"And the queen called you daughter."
"The queen is the worst of them all."
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Selene watched him for a few seconds.
Then her gaze dropped slightly.
Toward the uniform.
The black shirt.
The lace.
The torn apron.
The ribbon.
Matt noticed the shift in her eyes and felt something inside him tense.
"No."
Selene looked up.
"No what?"
"Don’t say anything."
Selene smiled faintly.
"That dress looks nice on you."
Matt closed his eyes.
The night wind passed between them.
For a moment, Matt felt like he could endure many things.
Vampires.
Queens.
Traitor clans.
Ancient sorcery.
Threats against his family.
But not that.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"Shut up."
"It wasn’t an insult."
"That makes it worse."
"It looks quite elegant."
"It’s a maid café uniform."
"Does that mean it’s not a dress?"
Matt felt a vein throb in his forehead.
"It means I’m going to hit you."
Selene smiled.
"Then let’s practice."
"I don’t want to practice."
"I do."
"That sums up everything I hate about you people."
Selene rose higher.
Her body lifted with irritating ease, as if the sky belonged to her. As she ascended, she took an arrow from her quiver, placed it on the bow, and drew the string.
All in one motion.
Matt knew that movement.
He had seen it too many times.
And yet…
Fiuu!
The first arrow came down toward him.
Matt twisted his body.
The arrow passed beside his shoulder.
Fiuu!
Another one.
Matt beat one wing and moved to the side.
Fiuu! Fiuu! Fiuu!
Three more arrows pierced through the air.
All precise.
Too precise.
Matt clicked his tongue as he dodged one from below and another by spinning around himself.
Selene always fought like this.
She didn’t attack only to hurt.
She attacked to force him to move the way she wanted.
One arrow to the shoulder to make him turn.
Another to the side to cut off his route.
Another to the chest to make him descend.
It was irritating.
It was precise.
It was very her.
"You move differently," Selene said from above.
Matt frowned.
"How observant."
"Your center of balance was different before."
"Before, I was sharing a body with Iris."
"I know."
"Then stop commenting."
Selene smiled.
"But you’re still you."
Matt barely dodged another arrow.
Fiuu!
"That wasn’t a compliment, was it?"
"It was."
"Then you’re terrible at giving compliments."
Selene drew the bow again.
"You’re also fighting without your weapon."
Matt went still for an instant.
His weapon.
His ego weapon.
One more nuisance from that period.
A living, arrogant, dangerous thing he had abandoned when he separated from Iris and escaped the castle.
He didn’t want to think about that.
Not now.
"I don’t need it."
Selene smiled.
"That’s what I want to see."
Another arrow shot forward.
Matt dipped slightly.
He dodged it.
But the next one came from a different angle.
Too fast.
Pshk!
The arrow pierced through his forearm.
Matt’s eyes widened slightly.
Pain exploded from his arm to his shoulder.
"Ugh…!"
Blood spilled out, dark and thick, staining the sleeve of his uniform red.
Matt looked at the arrow lodged through his flesh.
Then he looked at Selene.
She brought a hand to her lips.
"Oh."
Matt clenched his teeth.
"Don’t make that sound."
"I thought you’d dodge it."
"Then think better."
"Is it difficult to calculate your movement in that body?"
Matt felt a vein throb in his forehead.
Selene had always been like this.
Back at the castle, when he had barely been trying to adapt to his duties as princess, she would appear with her bow like a neighbor inviting him over for tea.
Except the tea was arrows.
And the table was the training field.
And the result, at first, was Matt lying on the ground, bleeding, while she calmly said:
“Good attempt.”
The worst part was that she didn’t do it out of hatred.
No.
That would have been easier to endure.
Selene did it because she liked fighting.
Because to her, every duel was a form of conversation.
A form of respect.
A completely sick way to spend time.
'Vampires are all rotten in the head,' Matt thought.
Matt grabbed the arrow with his free hand.
The pain increased before he even pulled it out, but he yanked.
Schlk!
The arrow came out of his forearm with an unpleasant sound.
The wound began to bleed more, but it also slowly started closing.
Matt breathed heavily.
Another arrow was coming toward him.
Straight at his chest.
Matt didn’t dodge it.
He threw the bloody arrow he had just pulled out of himself.
Fiuu!
Both arrows collided in midair.
Clack!
The pieces fell toward the highway like small dark splinters.
Selene’s eyes widened in surprise.
Then she smiled.
But this time, it wasn’t a calm smile.
It was excitement.
Pure excitement.
"That was good."
Matt did not answer.
His heart beat faster and faster.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The blood in his veins felt hot.
Too hot.
His wings responded better.
The air stopped feeling heavy.
The world became slower.
Clearer.
Matt disappeared from his position.
FWOOSH!
Selene barely had time to open her eyes.
Matt appeared in front of her and drove his fist into her stomach.
BAM!
The blow folded her body.
A mouthful of saliva flew from her mouth.
"Ghk!"
Matt didn’t stop.
He hit her in the side.
Thud!
Then another blow to the shoulder.
Crack!
Selene tried to draw her bow, but Matt grabbed her wrist and shoved it downward.
"You wanted to practice?" Matt asked, breathing heavily.
Selene looked up.
She had blood in her mouth.
A pale face.
A body trembling from the impact.
And yet…
She was smiling.
"Yes."
Matt felt a massive wave of exhaustion.
"You’re sick."
"Thank you."
"That wasn’t praise."
Matt drove his knee into her abdomen.
BAM!
Selene’s wings failed, and she suddenly lost altitude.
Matt followed her.
Selene fell, spinning through the air, trying to regain control, but Matt descended over her like a shadow.
One final blow to the chest sent her straight down.
BOOM!
Selene crashed into the ground beside the highway.
The impact kicked up dust, rocks, and dry leaves.
Matt beat his wings one last time and descended after her.
He landed without trouble, though his legs trembled a little when they touched the ground, but not enough for him to fall.
'I’m rusty,' Matt thought while breathing deeply and clenching his teeth.
In front of him, Selene was lying on the ground, her bow to one side and her gray hair spread across the asphalt.
Her clothes were torn, there was blood in her mouth, and one leg was bent. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Matt looked at her with a frown.
"Are you done?"
Selene did not answer.
For a second, Matt thought maybe he had gone too far.
Then she started laughing.
"Ha… hahaha…"
Selene covered her face with one hand, still laughing.
"That was a good duel."
"That wasn’t a duel. You interrupted my reading, broke a window, and made me tear this uniform even more."
Selene lowered her hand and looked at him.
"So you’re worried about the dress."
Matt closed his eyes.
"I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that."
"It looks nice on you."
"I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that either."
"Your previous form also looked good in princess clothes, but this has a different charm."
Matt pointed at her with his middle finger.
"One more word and I’ll bury you with that bow."
Selene smiled, showing a little blood between her teeth.
"I’m glad to see you’re still the same."
"I’m not the same. I’m more tired." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
"Without your ego weapon… and in a different body…"
Matt frowned.
Selene looked at him as if she had found something fascinating.
"You’re still strong."
Matt felt that sentence annoy him more than it should have.
"I don’t need you to evaluate me."
"But I have to."
"That’s why I hate you."
Selene smiled.
"I know."
Matt opened his mouth to reply, but stopped.
The car had stopped not far away. It had a broken window and marks along one side, but it was still in one piece.
The driver was outside, silently looking at the highway, as if calculating how much all the repairs would cost.
And walking toward them, with her shoes back on and the same irritating calm as always, came the white-haired girl.
She looked first at Matt. Then at Selene lying on the ground.
"What a scene."
Matt pointed at her with his thumb.
"Your squad is full of sickos."
Iris smiled.
"They’re competent."
"One thing does not cancel out the other."
Selene tried to sit up.
Her bones cracked.
Crack!
Matt grimaced.
"That sounded bad."
"It’ll heal," Selene muttered.
The girl knelt with effort and lowered her head toward Iris.
"Princess Iris," she said respectfully, despite still having blood in her mouth.
Iris looked at her with a calm expression.
"Selene."
Selene barely lifted her gaze.
"Thank you for allowing me to challenge him."
Matt slowly turned his head toward Iris.
"You knew?"
Iris smiled.
"Of course."
"And you didn’t say anything?"
"I wanted to see if you would react."
Matt looked at her with an empty expression.
"I was reading."
"And you reacted."
"I’m going to start hating you administratively. With files and folders."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is."
Iris ignored his comment and looked at Selene.
"Satisfied?"
Selene lowered her head.
"More than before, Princess."
Matt crossed his arms.
"How wonderful for you."
Selene looked at him from the corner of her eye.
"Your current form is unexpected."
Matt pressed his lips together.
"I’m not an exhibit."
"I didn’t mean it as an insult."
"Coming from you people, that doesn’t reassure me."
Selene hesitated for a second.
Then she asked:
"So… you really are a man?"
Matt closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
Then opened them.
"Yes."
Selene stayed silent, staring at him.
Not with mockery.
Not with contempt.
More like sincere confusion, as if she were reorganizing every memory she had of their duels at the castle.
"But when we fought before…"
"Before, I was fused with Iris."
Iris raised one finger.
"Technically, we were a much more elegant existence."
Matt looked at her.
"Technically, you were a parasite."
Iris smiled.
"That sounds rather inelegant."
"It was inelegant."
Selene looked at Iris.
Then at Matt.
Then back at Iris.
"I understand."
Matt looked at her.
"No, you don’t understand anything. Nobody here understands anything. That’s the main problem."
Iris let out a soft laugh.
"Ignore him," she said. "Matt is in his rebellious phase."
Matt turned his head toward her.
"Rebellious phase?"
Iris smiled.
"Yes."
"I’m older than you."
"I doubt that."
"You took your shoes off in the car to put your dirty feet near me."
"That was comfort."
"That was terrorism."
Selene watched the argument in silence, still kneeling, but she couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.
Matt dragged a hand over his face.
Then he looked toward the darkness around the highway.
"Don’t tell me there are more like her hiding around here."
Iris tilted her head.
"There are more bodyguards, yes."
Matt looked back at her.
"What do you need bodyguards for?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"A logical one."
"I’m a princess."
"You and I are more than enough to deal with anyone who shows up on the road."
Iris smiled.
"The queen sent them in case you refused to come."
Matt went still.
Then he let out a low laugh.
"Ah."
Iris looked at him.
Matt looked at her too.
"No wonder you were talking with so much confidence at the café. You didn’t come alone to get me."
Iris did not look embarrassed.
Not even a little.
"Obviously."
"How honest."
"Facing you in a one-on-one battle would be annoying."
Matt raised an eyebrow.
"Annoying?"
"Yes. Besides, I’m a princess. Isn’t it logical to use my subordinates?"
Matt stared at her for a few seconds.
"Every time you speak, I understand better why all the clans want to kill you people."
Iris smiled.
"You’re cruel."
"I’m being moderate."
Selene stood up.
Her bones cracked again as they shifted back into place.
Crac!
Crack!
The leg that had been bent slowly returned to its normal position.
The wounds on her face closed.
The cut on her lip disappeared.
In less than a minute, her body looked almost intact.
Her clothes, however, weren’t so lucky.
Her jacket was torn.
One sleeve hung by a thread.
Her skirt was covered in dust, blood, and several cuts.
Matt looked at her.
"At least I’m not the only one with destroyed clothes."
Selene looked down at herself.
Then she looked up at Iris.
"I will rejoin the others, Princess."
Iris nodded.
"Do that."
Selene bowed.
Then she glanced at Matt.
"Don’t even think about asking me for a rematch."
Selene smiled.
"I didn’t say anything."
"You thought it."
"Yes."
Matt clenched his teeth.
"I hate you."
"I know."
Selene spread her wings, thinner and grayer than Matt’s, and rose into the night sky.
Fwoosh!
Within seconds, she disappeared among the shadows.
Matt kept looking upward.
"Since we can all fly… why don’t we just fly to wherever the queen is?"
"Are you insane?"
Matt blinked.
"What?"
"It’s almost more than two days of travel."
"So?"
"What do you mean, ‘so’?"
"Flying for that long is annoying."
Matt stared at her in silence.
Iris continued with complete seriousness:
"Besides, traveling by car is best."
Matt hid his wings.
They slowly contracted and disappeared into his back, leaving the torn fabric of the uniform behind.
"We could get there faster by flying," he said.
Iris began walking toward the car.
"It doesn’t matter."
"It does matter."
"No, it doesn’t."
"Traveling by car makes us go slower."
"But it’s comfortable."
"They just broke one of our windows."
"It was an authorized duel."
Matt stared at her.
"That does not make the sentence better."
Iris opened the car door and turned toward him.
"Besides, in the car I can sit."
Matt felt something inside him give up.
"You’re a hopeless idiot," he muttered.
Iris smiled.
"I know I’m right."
"You’re not."
"The car is comfortable."
"It’s slow."
"Comfortable."
"Slow."
"Comfortable."
Matt clenched his teeth.
The driver, who was still standing beside the damaged vehicle, opened the rear door without saying a word.
Matt looked at the car.
The broken window.
The seats full of glass.
The report lying on the floor.
The dented door.
Then he looked at Iris.
"We’re going to keep using this?"
Iris got into the vehicle like nothing had happened.
"Of course."
Matt closed his eyes.
'I should’ve stayed at the café.'
