Chapter 90

JESSIE was looking at the approaching traveling carriage that will be carrying her to the coastal city of Royal Lothso that was reigned by the Earl of Raine. She heard the rumors that the earl was a very handsome man.
Jessie scoffed. Of course, he is, he’s from the Higher Court, after all, she mused as the carriage was stopping in front of her. She smiled as she was traveling light and did not look like a Lady at all.
“Royal Molftus, Royal Molftus!” The coachman announced before some of the passengers were getting off for their final destination and some were still inside. Jessie was the only one that will be getting into the carriage from Royal Molftus to Royal Lothso.
The coachman was nodding at her as she was paying him a Tita, which was equivalent to a Crown, for her passage to the coastal city. She got in before she was settling at the window seat before someone else was taking the seat beside her.
Jessie turned to look at the person next to her and all she can see was the dark cape and black hat that was covering his face. She assumed that it was a man as his stature was much bigger and higher than Jessie.
She shrugged before the coachman was whipping the horses as they neighed. Then, the carriage was moving as Jessie was looking outside the window, excited for her next adventure. She has the perfect cover for her travel.
She has the peasant’s outfit, courtesy of A, and everything else was in the suitcase that her ladies’ maid was packing up for her. Jessie was smiling as the person next to her was quiet and there were a few people that were with them.
The coach was traveling from Royal Molftus as they would be traveling to pass the swamp area that was near the lake that was known as Lake Towngasp. There was a nearby village as they would stop for their one-night stop.
Jessie sighed as she was looking at the edge of Mt. Thounau as she was smiling to herself, thinking that her boring life would be filled with wonder again. The dismissal from A has been helping her a lot to put the roof over her head and food on the table as well as paying her household.
Of course, there was an inheritance from her parents but Jessie has always been a Lady that wanted to make some extra money on the side. That’s why she became the mysterious historian that would write about the legends and the folklore of Niapachad Island.
Her identity was unknown, only to her publisher, A, and she also used a pseudonym to cover her tracks. She was known as Anonymous to most of the readers as she was a historian and also academics but for the folklore and legends, she was known as Miss J.
Jessie was happy to know that A has approved of her request to go to the coastal city to get some hands-on information from the locals, especially from the Earl of Raine, if she could get in touch with him.
Of course, Jessie did not know who was the Earl but she knows enough that he would be handsome and charming to most ladies. The mamas will try to make their daughter be the next countess of Raine.
Jessie sighed before the coachman was crossing the bridge that she can hear the water from the nearby river was flowing. She looked out the window before Jessie smiled as the moonlight was reflecting in the river.
“So beautiful,” she whispered before the carriage stopped abruptly. Jessie moved forward before she was looking at the sight of the silhouettes that were surrounding the carriage. What in the world? She mused before the coachman was being dropped to the ground.
Jessie wanted to scream before the person next to her, the one that was in the black cape was gripping her shoulder. She turned to look at the uncanny violet eyes that were shining under the dim light.
“Shh, they did not know that we’re here,” he said as his sultry voice was filling her eardrums. Jessie nodded at the stranger before the door was opening so suddenly.
“Evening, milord, milady. But perhaps you would like to step outside of the carriage now or I will shoot in yer heads,” the leader of the bandit was showing the gun that Jessie gulped at the sight. The man in black was moving to cover her body as she felt the body heat radiated from him.
So masculine, so tough, she mused as she was sniffing his intoxicating scent of sandalwood and sea salt.
“Leave the lady be and I will come with you,” the man said as Jessie was looking at the bandit. The leader was looking at her before he was showing her his rotten teeth.
“Why keep the lady when she was nice and we have been alone for a very long time. We might have some fun tonight,” the leader said before Jessie was gripping her hands into fists. She wanted to say back to the leader before the man was growling at the leader.
“You touch her, you have a death penalty on your head,” the man said as Jessie was looking at him. She smiled inwardly before the leader of the bandit was laughing.
“Well, we’ll see if you deliver it,” the leader said as he was coming forward to get to Jessie. She shrieked away before the man was moving at lightning speed. She was gasping as she was looking at the leader who was being gripped by the man in the black cap. She was looking at a tall man with black silken hair and the pale complexion that most gentry would adorn.
“I said, get your hands off her,” the man said before he was throwing the leader away from the carriage. The other bandits were looking at the man in question before they were drawing their weapons. The man just smirks as Jessie was looking at him.
“That’s all you got? Now I know why you don’t succeed in your thieving,” he said before the bandits were coming at him. Jessie was about to shout before the man moved around, knocking the bandits to the ground.
Jessie was looking at him as if he was a panther that was pouncing on their rivals with ease. She was amazed before she was smiling and gasping. She never felt anything like this before as she never been impressed by someone.
Someone like him.
A stranger, who she met on the carriage to the Lake Towngasp as she was about to be attacked by bandits. He saved her and right now, he was the last man standing as the bandits were groaning on the ground.
Jessie was getting out of the carriage as she felt that the man has knocked everyone out before she felt something on her throat as she was being dragged from behind. A scream was coming out of her throat before the stranger was looking at her.
“Now, who has the last laugh now?” The leader with a stinky breath was breathing down her neck as he was gripping her waist and a knife to her throat. Yup, her night could not get any better.

TOM was looking at the lady that was traveling with him in the traveling carriage to the Royal Lothso. He did not take his private carriage as he was trying to find the reason behind the shipment and trades from Royal Molftus to his region were never received.
It was bandits that have been benefitting from the thieving.
Right now, Tom felt something inside him stirring as he was looking at the black-haired woman in the hands of the leader. He never felt like protecting someone from danger but tonight; her allures, her scent has been driving him crazy with needs.
Tom has to make his choice; protect the lady or take down the bandits.
But of course, he chose the former, which was the noble cause of the gentry; to protect a lady without thinking of their social status. The lady in question was a peasant, considering her clothes but so was Tom.
He was adorning the simple black tunic and breeches with the black cape to match with his hat to cover his identity. The bandits did not know who he was as well as the lady in question, which was good.
“Let her go,” Tom said with his authoritative voice but the leader just laughed.
“And why should I? There is nothing for you to trade for her life,” the leader said as Tom was clicking his tongue quietly. Tom tried to find something that can be traded for her life before the lady was whimpering.
“Shut up, whore,” the leader said before Tom’s demon was getting the best of him. He felt his iris was turning black, which means that his vision was black, grey, and white as he went to move toward the leader. Everything was muted as the lady was screaming when Tom landed on the leader, his hand was into his chest as he gasped before Tom realized his mistake.
He let the secret of the gentry out to a peasant.
Damnation!

JESSIE was looking at the man that just attacked the leader. She gasped as she saw that his hand was inside the chest of the leader and when the stranger turned to look at her, Jessie was blinking her eyes, seeing the truth for the first time.
Of all my life, I never saw anything that was as magnificent as him, she mused before the man was looking at her with his black eyes before it slowly changed into the rarest color of them all.
Violet.
Jessie was staring at the man before the stranger got his hand out and the blood was dripping from it. He grunted before he was about to run away from the scene. But Jessie did something that made him stopped all his actions.
She was gripping his hand and their hands intertwined. It sparked something inside her as she was looking at the violet orbs that were holding her stare. He grimaced before he was trying to get away from her.
“No, please. I must thank you for saving me,” she said before the man was looking at her. She can see the violet orbs were calculating her intentions.
Maybe it was not the purest intention but it will shed some light on the locals about the gentry, once and for all, Jessie mused before the man growled.
“Let me go,” he said before Jessie was shaking her head.
“No, not until I pay your debt, or would you rather have your secret on the next page of The Island tomorrow, my lord?” Jessie blackmailed him before his jaws clenched. She smiled inwardly knowing that she had won the game.
But was she really? Lady Jessica Cole was about to find out not to mess with a devil if you can. Especially a devil that was as handsome as this stranger right here.