Chapter seven

Rasmus was getting ready to leave after waiting in the treasure room for night to fall when he heard a whisper. He leaned closer to the door and placed his hear on it and the whisper came again but he was able to hear what the person was saying. “The dead rogues suggest that he is here.”

“Shush,” another voice shunned. “He is a nightwalker, he can hear you, you know.”

“But I’m whispering,” the first voice said.

“Like whispers are too low for a nightwalker to hear,” the second voice mocked. “Come on, we have to check all the rooms and signaled Melissa about the update while at it. If we are lucky, he can lead us to the princess.” Their footsteps started fading and Rasmus sighed. He had been taken Irene’s potion every hour like she had ordered and he was out now. He had just taken the last drop before he heard the witches and that means that he has an hour to get back to the human realm. The potion hides his scent not make him invisible so that means he has to avoid being spotted by the witches.

He grabbed the bag he had packed five gold bars in, he had refrained from taking any jewelry for fear they would jingle around and he had torn out pieces from his coat to wrap the gold bars separately and prevent them from clashing and providing a sound. Ready, he slowly opened the door and shut it gently after him. He just needs to get out of the palace, with his scent coated, he can easily outrun the witches in the woods.

He walked down the hallway, —being a nightwalker, he was already light on his feet— but he had to walk as quietly as he could to not make even the littlest of sound. Getting to the staircase, he held his breath —he doesn’t need it anyway— to avoid the witches sensing the fresh breath and climbed down the stairs.

“Did you see that?” he heard and he knew chances are that he had been spotted and so he beelined to the front door. “Over here,” the witch yelled and just then, the front door burst open and rogues jumped in, blocking Rasmus’s part. He could take them but he can’t fight now, not with two strong witches behind him and he has to avoid being hit by their spell. “Oh, Melissa would be so proud,” the first voice said and he turned to see an old hag. He frowned, her voice sounded so young.

“Hush and spell him, let him lead us to the princess,” the other one said, walking out into the light now and surprisingly was a young redhaired woman. “Like what you see boy?” she smirked before her green eyes turned blue and she started muttering a spell. Rasmus knew he needs to go now and fast so flinging the bag of golds on the first rogue in front of him, he knocked him aside and his claws elongated and he impaled it on the next one. “Quickly, he is getting away,” the witch said and they increased their chant.

Rasmus felt dizzy but he shook his head and opened his eyes more, refusing to fall into the spell. Glancing around, he spotted a stacked chair and without thinking, he leaped on it, flew over the rogues and through the opened doors, landing outside on the ground. He heard growling of the beasts and he forced himself on his feet. Shaking his head once more, he grunted and sprinted to the human realm, however, he refrained from going home, just in case the spell had taken over him and he would be leading the witches’ home.

***

            “My Lord, the prince’s servant has been spotted,” Melissa said, barging into the throne room.

            The man standing in the center of the room turned to her, his eyes yellow with black lines. “And what are you doing here?”

            “I am just reporting to you. Don’t worry, Merinda and Mary are on onto him, he won’t escape them.”

            “Let me make this straight Melissa, I expect you to find me the princess and if your dumb sisters let the servant escape them, I wouldn’t think twice about killing them,” the man warned but he ended up grunting, grabbing onto a chair to hold his weight.

            Melissa frowned on seeing that and reached to touch him but he shunned her away by flashing his fangs. “What are you doing to yourself?” she asked.

“That is none of your business. Your business is finding me the princess so if I am you, I would be hurrying over to you dumb sisters and make sure that they don’t lose the only lead you have at finding her!” the man yelled but he grunted in pain again and fell on the ground.

“Kaiden,” Melissa screamed and rushed to him, cradling his head on her laps and removing his hood to reveal his long golden hair. “You are burning,” she noticed and quickly hovered her hand in front of him and started muttering a spell. Her eyes turning blue.

“Stop,” Kaiden held onto her hand, his eyes shining brighter yellow and the black lines tinner. “I have to go through this pain, do you understand? I want have you ruining two days’ worth of pain.”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“I did not ask for you help!” he yelled and then moaned soon after. “Why don’t you go do the one you are asked to do and stop poking your nose. Now, get out!”

Melissa’s face saddened but she let go of him and stood up. She watched him wriggling on the floor in pain and sighed. “You may have stolen his powers but you can’t steal his fire, stop this.”

“I am his successor, the power was going to be mine someday so what does it matter if I had taken it a little earlier? The fire is mine, I should master it.”

“You are going to burn your soul Kaiden, stop this now.”

“Get out of here!” he growled in a distorted voice and Melissa scurried to the door. When at the door, Kaiden called, “and Melissa, do not forget, it’s My Lord to you.”

“Yes, My Lord,” she bowed and closed the door after her.

Kaiden laid on the floor, his fingers clenched in tight fists and his eyelids shut tightly as he tried to overcome the pain. He knew that with each passing day the pain would get more worse and so he shouldn’t be fazed by this now as he is to endure the pain for a good ten days and this was just the third. Right on the verge of losing consciousness, a woman’s face appeared in his mind. She seemed to be in disapproval of what was going on by the frown on her brows. Kaiden sighed and whispered, “don’t frown my love, it doesn’t suit your beautiful face and do not worry, this would be over soon, very soon.” However, he fell unconscious.

***

“You lost him?” Melissa yelled at the two women in front of her. “I cannot believe this. One thousand years old witch and one eight hundred years old witch cannot subdue and spell a seven hundred years old nightwalker?”

“You don’t understand sister, he was strong,” the old hag with a young voice said.

“He wasn’t strong, you were just weak,” the redhaired mocked.

“I wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t taken my youth from me,” the old hag yelled.

“Oh come on, we will find another human virgin to regain your youth,” the redhaired replied with a roll of her eyes.

“If it was that easy, why didn’t you find one and not take my youth?”

“I am your elder sister.”

“That doesn’t mean you should take away my youth, leaving me like this.”

“Oh shut up!” Melissa yelled, putting an end to their bickering. “Kaiden is going to kill you upon hearing that you lost him and you are more worried about your youth? How about your life instead?”

“We are sorry sister,” they both said.

Melissa sighed and glanced around. “It’s strange that he was here and you didn’t perceive his nightwalker’s stench,” she shuddered in stock. “I can barely breath whenever Cedric is in the room and you missed out on one that had stayed here all afternoon.”

“This fell out of him when he flew over the rogues,” the old hag brought a small bottle.

Melissa took it and sniffed it. “Of course,” she said, “that damned Irene had thought about it all along,” she yelled, smashing the bottle on the ground. Panting, she glanced at her sisters, “stay away from the demon castle for now until I find a way to calm Kaiden down. I will call you when I need you and Mary, please fix your face before meeting me again,” she said in disgust.

“Yes sister,” the old hag replied and Melissa sighed and waved her hand while muttering a spell, creating a portal and stepping into it, disappearing from the room.

“Now I will have to hunt for another virgin girl and it’s all your fault,” Mary accused.

“Oh please, just act like a beggar and offer her something and she would be following you anywhere,” Merinda said, walking to the front door.

“It doesn’t work like that anymore and you know it. We are not in the nineteenth century anymore,” Mary said, following her.