Chapter 70: Prince Florian
All of a sudden, the air seemed colder. But it was not because of the man’s ice magic, but rather, from the intense bloodlust that came from behind him. Even Soleia’s hair seemed to stand on the back of her neck, her body warning her of the oncoming danger.
The man ducked right at the last minute, quickly letting go of Soleia just to swerve out of the way. However, his duck and roll was foiled by the quickly melting ice beneath his feet, causing him to slip and crash his back against the wall. The painting that hung on the wall rocked back and forth before falling over, crashing against his head as he yelped in pain.
Two flashes of red shone next to Soleia, followed by the sharp sound of the ice snapping into two before falling to the ground, shattering into many different pieces.
Without the ice structures supporting her so suddenly, Soleia’s legs weren’t able to hold herself up in time. She staggered forward, but a strong pair of arms quickly came around to hold her, ensuring she wouldn’t crash to the ground like the unnamed man did.
"Are you alright?"
When Soleia raised her gaze, she was met with Ralph’s look of concern. He tenderly held onto her, his eyes searching for wounds on her body, only to land on her reddened wrists. Then, his expression instantly darkened.
"I... I’m fine. My skin just gets red really easily," Soleia tried to say, but it was no use. Ralph’s eyes had already narrowed dangerously in the man’s direction.
He turned, and without saying another word, he sharply shot his hand out in the direction of the man. With this one gesture, he created a thin rope made of blood that wrapped around the man’s neck. A strangled gurgle left the man’s lips, and just like that, he was hauled over to kneel in front of Soleia, his hands desperately trying to claw through the blood but to no avail.
"Ralph!" Soleia gasped, placing her hand on his, her eyes wide with alarm. "There’s no need for this. Let him go."