Luthien stared at the little hybrid who looked utterly confused. She turned as if searching for him, but she couldn't see him.
"Why don't you want to see her?" Koisar's voice sliced through the silence. Luthien's gaze shifted sideways.
"I wouldn't let her go then." His eyes returned to the hybrid below.
"King, if you don't mind me asking… do you fancy her?" Koisar's tone was careful, though the question wasn't.
"What if I say yes?"
"King, she's the hybrid destined to bring darkness and destruction to humans, not—"
"All the more reason to fancy her, Koisar." Luthien's voice slowed, curling into a small, dangerous smile.
"King…"
"It's time for you to leave, Koisar." Luthien's tone was sharp, final.
Koisar's lips parted but no words followed. The cold aura radiating from Luthien forced his silence. Tightening his jaw, he simply walked away.
Luthien stayed behind, watching the car that carried the hybrid until it vanished from sight. His eyes lingered on the path long after.
"You. Your power. Both are mine."
The words were a murmur, almost a vow, as a grin tugged at his lips.
"Playing an interesting game, aren't you, Luthien?"
The voice came from behind. Zayinaus stepped into view, his long red hair tied back in the same style Luthien often wore. His pale eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Planning to make the hybrid fall for you?"
Leaning against the wall, Luthien replied coolly, "I don't need to."
"Oh?" Zayinaus arched a brow.
"She'll fall for me on her own."
"Just be careful you don't fancy her for real."
"Too late, Zayinaus."
The red-haired vampire only smiled at that.
Luthien's hand moved to the pendant around his neck — a pale purple jewel, the same shade as his eyes. He toyed with it absently.
Zayinaus' gaze sharpened. "This isn't about your mother… is it?"
Luthien didn't answer. His eyes narrowed instead.
~~~~~~~~~~
Nystrix sat frozen, her mind blank but her emotions a storm. Her blood boiled at the humans' treachery, her fingers curling into fists at the thought of their manipulation of the siren queen.
"How did Elspeth get Ethira's tears?" she whispered.
"How else?" Gadmyne leaned back on the sofa, eyes half-closed. "She befriended the naive queen. Ethira's voice was deadly, her tears more so… but her heart was far too soft."
"Naive indeed," Nystrix muttered, imagining the scolding she would have given the queen if they'd ever met. "And the poison? Did Elspeth ever say how she drew it?"
One of Gadmyne's eyes opened, blank and unimpressed.
Nystrix winced. Dumb question.
"The Vampire King…"
"He's alive, Nystrix."
"So he's—"
"Luthien Veyron."
Nystrix had suspected, but the confirmation still struck her.
Her mind reeled, though her lips only pressed into a thin line. How can an antidote for the Veilroot pill even be made?
"Gadmyne, do we have a Veilroot pill anywhere in this realm?"
"No, Nystrix. Who would dare keep something so dangerous?"
Correct, she told herself, before thoughts of her mother crowded in again.
"You said my mother tried to tell you something… but you turned her away. Why? You were her teacher, weren't you?"
At that, Gadmyne froze. Her shoulders stiffened, and without another word, she rose.
"I'll be in my room. Call me if you need anything."
She left before Nystrix could press further.
She's hiding something, Nystrix thought, her mind circling back to the names Luthien had told her to trust.
~~~~~~~~~~
"How are you holding up, Nystrix?" Koisar asked as the car came to a stop.
"I'm fine," she replied, surprised to see him. "Didn't know you were here."
"I followed in the other car."
"I thought those were guards Luthien arranged."
"Well, I am a guard." He offered a small smile.
Nystrix returned it, warmed by his presence.
"Hello, Koisar," Gadmyne greeted as she stepped down.
"Good day, Lady Gadmyne." He bowed slightly, his tone formal.
Nystrix noted it. He addresses her like a noble. Then again, she was.
"Why did we stop here?" Nystrix asked, frowning at the deserted area.
"We need to cross the portal," Gadmyne said.
"Then why not just teleport?"
"It's been too long since I last took a proper ride." Gadmyne smiled lightly before striding into a massive boulder and vanishing.
Nystrix raised a brow. "I still prefer portals to the Vampire Realm to the Witches ones," she muttered, stepping into the stone with Koisar following.
~~~~~~~~~
The Witches' Realm.
"This is it?" Nystrix asked, looking around. It was… ordinary. Too ordinary. "Not what I was expecting."
"Of course not," Gadmyne replied. "We witches are not extravagant like vampires or werewolves."
As they walked, people bowed in respect to the Archwitch.
They hadn't gone far before a man appeared before them, bowing low.
"Welcome, Archwitch Gadmyne, and…" His eyes shifted to Nystrix and Koisar.
"Nystrix."
"Koisar."
"Ah. Welcome, Lady Nystrix, Sir Koisar. I am Knox Stalmar, Grand Advisor of the Witches' Realm. His Majesty sent me to receive you."
"Our belongings are still outside the portal. Fetch them," Gadmyne ordered, her tone dismissive.
"Of course, Archwitch." Knox forced a smile, though his eyes flickered with annoyance. As he turned to leave, she stopped him.
"You don't expect us to walk to the palace, do you?"
"N-no, Archwitch." Sweat beaded on his brow under her aura. With a snap of his fingers, a carriage appeared — crafted from magic, complete with a driver dummy. The effort clearly drained him, but he forced composure.
"Better." Gadmyne stepped inside. Nystrix and Koisar followed.
"You don't seem to like him," Nystrix observed as the carriage jolted forward.
"Of course not. Nor the king. Nor the rest of the royal family." Gadmyne's frown deepened.
Nystrix noticed Koisar's gaze fixed behind them. "What is it?"
"That advisor," Koisar said flatly, "he's suspicious of your identity."
Nystrix glanced back. Knox was still staring after the carriage, eyes narrowed. She turned forward again, forcing calm.
"Let him be."
Knox's gaze lingered, his mind racing. Her hair. Her eyes. Jacqueline's child? Could it be…? He trembled remembering Gadmyne's aura and apparent dislike to him. That damned witch. The king will see her soon enough.
Nystrix lifted her eyes to the palace ahead. Majestic, imposing… yet the sight stirred a strange resonance deep inside her chest.
"Let's go, Nystrix. Time to face your uncle." Gadmyne's voice carried both weight and warning.
A hand pressed to Nystrix's shoulder. Koisar. His look said plainly: Remember you're my student.
She smiled faintly, steadied.
They entered the palace's waiting hall. Moments later, a man emerged in regal attire, his short brown hair gleaming under the light. Their eyes met.
Shock. Fear. And a sharp, resentful déjà vu flared in his gaze.
"Jacqueline…" he whispered, as if speaking to a ghost.