I kept looking down at my hands while sitting in the garden with Lothaire. Irene had left saying she would bring us some tea that would help us sleep. I just hoped she would come back soon because I had never been so nervous in my life before. But since she just left I knew it would take some time before she came back and I couldn't just let this awkward silence continue. Besides I was the one who told her I wanted to meet him so I should say something.
"Irene has told me a lot about you," I said finally looking up.
"I hope it's good things." He said his voice as cool as the air around him.
"Yes, she lights up when she talks about you."
"She is very fond of you as well."
I just smiled not knowing what to say anymore. Irene please come back fast.
"Here I am." Irene came back with a tray of teacups and put it on the table. Then she went and sat next to Lothaire and he immediately put his arm around her shoulders.
For some odd reason, I suddenly missed Lucian. Irene and Lothaire looked at each other as if they heard my thoughts... or maybe they did?
Irene nodded and smiled and I looked down embarrassed.
"I made your favorite tea, it's Lothaires favorite too." She smiled. "Drink."
I took the teacup from the tray and sipped the tea. No tea tasted better than Irenes. She smiled, probably heard my thoughts again.
"I should go to sleep." I said putting the teacup back. It was late and maybe they wanted to be alone.
"Sure," Irene said getting up. "I'll follow you."
"You don't have to." I said, but she just ignored me and led the way.
"Is your...um...is Lothaire also a witch." I asked as we headed back.
"I hoped you would ask." She said.
"Why?"
"Because the answer might help you and me." She explained. "But I need you to be calm and not get scared."
"You are a witch, and my husband is a...I don't know, anyways what could scare me more?" I said. At this point, nothing could scare me, even if Lothaire was a ghost.
We stopped right in front of my room.
"Lothaire is the Devil."
My brain stopped thinking for a moment then got flooded with thoughts. Devil like in Satan? Like the Devil in the Bible? What did she mean?
"Yes, Devil like in Satan."
Huh, right. I just sat and drank some tea with the Devil himself. I began to laugh. Maybe I had already gone to bed and was having a funny dream.
Irene put her hand on my shoulder. "Get some rest, we will talk tomorrow." She said and left me alone.
A witch, a Devil, and maybe Enoch was an angel and Roshan a demon and what could Lucian be? A vampire? This was crazy, has to be a bad dream.
Lucian watched the castle, where he used to live, where he had grown up, from a mountain far away. The castle where heavily guarded. Every gate, every corner, every door were guarded by soldiers with weapons. It would be impossible to enter and kill his brother unless his brother decided to come out.
Lucian sighed. He had spent too many days here waiting for some kind of opportunity for a way in to kill his brother but such opportunity never came.
"We can't stay here forever."
"Then what do you plan to do Your Highness?" Lincoln asked.
"We need to think of another way. A way to lure Pierre out of the castle."
"Well, Pierre wants Her Highness."
Lucians clenched his fists. He wouldn't use Hazel as bait, never.
"What are you really suggesting?" Lucian asked.
Oliver came rushing. "Your Highness. Rasmus has sent soldiers to look for you. They are nearby but... they are dead."
Lincoln and Lucian exchanged looks. "Who killed them?" Lucian asked.
"I Believe Klara did."
"Klara?"
"I found her there and brought her here. She said she knew where Her Highness is and that she has a letter from Her."
"Where is she?" Lucian asked.
"This way Your Highness."
Lucian followed Oliver to where Klara was. She was next to a tree, wearing her armor.
"Klara."
She looked up. "Lucian." She breathed as if some tension got off her shoulders. "Thank god you are alright." She said standing up.
"Where is Hazel?"
"Hazel is fine. She had to leave Lincoln's home because they got attacked, but she is safe now."
Lincoln's home got attacked?
"Where is she?" Lucian asked his heart beating faster inside his chest.
"She is with her friend Irene."
Irene? He had heard the name before.
"Hazel seems to trust her a lot, besides she saved us." Klara explained.
"Where is this Irene?"
Klaras eyes darted.
"Um...I really don't know. She took us through a magic gate."
Magicgate? So this Irene was the maid Hazel believed to be a witch.
Lucian grabbed Klaras arms harshly. "How can you not know?! You left her with a witch, unsafe in some unknown place." He yelled while shaking her wildly.
Klara yelped in pain, both shocked and scared. She had never seen him this angry before and his grip on her arms were hurting. She was sure that either her bones would break or if fortunate she would be badly bruised.
"You tell me where she is right now!"
"Lucian you are hurting me." She said as she couldn't take the pain anymore.
He brought his face closer to hers. "If anything happens to her..." He began his grip tightening even more. The pain stabbed her like knives and she kicked him out of sheer reflex.
He let go of her looking shocked. Blood was on his hands and she realized it was her own blood. She has indeed stabbed my something as she looked at her bloody arms.
"I...I am sorry." He said approaching her slowly. "I don't know..." He began looking as confused as she was. Why was she bleeding?
"I didn't mean to hurt you." He ripped a piece of clothes from his shirt and wrapped it around the wounds on her arms.
"What happened?" She asked still confused.
"I am sorry." He just said.
Klara looked at his hands. She was sure that he hadn't been holding any weapons then what made her bleed?
"What are you doing here? Your brother must be worried." He asked.
"I...I thought I could help."
"I don't want you to get involved in this."
"I am already involved. I can't just get back home without doing nothing."
"There is nothing you can do anyways." He said.
If he only knew that she had saved his wife. Klara took out Hazel's letter and gave it to him.
"Hazel wanted me to give this to you." She said.
Lucian took the letter and opened it immediately. Klara knew what Hazel had written, because she had read it on her way.
Dear Husband
I cannot describe how much I have missed you. I worry every heartbeat and hope that you are doing well. You don't have to worry about me, I am fine and I am staying with my friend Irene. I know I can trust her, she has promised to make us meet and hopefully, I will meet you soon. Until then take good care of yourself and be careful.
I love you.
Your wife.
Lucian wrapped the letter and put it in his pocket. Clearly Hazel trusted her friend but Lucian didn't trust easily. She could be in danger so he decided to do what he had been avoiding all this time. Use his powers. He knew there was a risk in using his powers. He didn't know to which extent he could use them since he didn't use them much. He just hoped he wouldn't hurt innocent people this time.
"You stay here!" He told Klara. She wanted to protest but kept quiet instead.
"Oliver!"
Oliver came running. "Yes, Your Highness."
"I want you to go and find Malia and make sure she is alright. Let's keep this between us."
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Bring me Lincoln!"
Lincoln came shortly after. "Your Highness. There is a problem. Mason has taken away Levi. Pierre ha just left the castle to save his son."
Levi? Levi was in danger. Lucian clenched his fists. He had held Levi in his arms when he was a little and watched him grow up. He shook his head, Hazel was his priority now. He would leave Levi to Pierre.
"Should we attack Pierre now?"
Lucian got suddenly an Idea.
"No! Let Pierre save his son. We will attack the castle and take over while he is gone."
If Lucian took over the castle, half of his problems would be solved. First he and his men would have protection and nothing could protect them more than the castle's walls. Secondly, his brothers would have nowhere to hide once he takes over the castle and therefore it would be easier to kill them.
"But Your Highness, Pierre still has soldiers guarding everyone in the palace."
Lucian smirked. "Don't worry I will take care of them."
Lucian could fully use his powers now because he had no one to worry about. Levi was already outside of the castle and Pierre had no other children.
"Lincoln, I need you to stay by my side no matter what, because you are going to see a side of me you have never seen before."
It was time to let the beast out.
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