Exorcize the Evil

Her body moved swiftly at her disposal despite the form fitting leather Jumpsuit…a familiar scent instantly hit me at her sight… nor could I take a good look at her face because the moment she saw me coming, she took to her heels and dashed into the woods.

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                        WAYNE’S POV

     I immediately handed the tray back to Anastasia with a divided attention. “Take this to my room! I will be back.” I told Anastasia, the look on her face depicted that she was worried for me, but I gave her an assuring nod, and she took the tray. I then hastened out of the kitchen and headed to the back of the castle.

      I walked along the Castle flank to the backyard, just before the woods, as the sounds of a combat slowly filled my ears. I confirmed that indeed Damien manipulated the weather, but then there was something more in the sight before me.

     He fought with someone― a female clad in all-black attire. I did not see her face, but fuck, her form enticed me.

     Her body moved swiftly at her disposal despite the form fitting leather Jumpsuit that matched the leather pair of gloves and knee-length boots she wore. Her black cloak swayed at ease behind her as she moved about, and the only thing looking off the black was her fine honey hair dressed in a knot bun. A familiar scent instantly hit me at her sight.

                                                           

     For the short moment, I saw she had a huge flair for martial art, yet I could not tell her art, nor did I get to take a good look at her face because the moment she saw me coming, she took to her heels and dashed into the woods. Damien and I instantly pursued after her, but she was too fast, as she retrieved a potion from her belt and disappeared in a blink.

     Damien stopped the chase while I stooped and held my knees, trying to catch my breath. I craned my neck to look up at him despite my gasps and I saw his orbs stare blankly at nothing.

     “She is the one,” He muttered, but I had figured it all out already― the familiar scent as well as the black cloak was enough to tell me that she was the one who had been haunting my dreams. Moreover, her use of potion only meant that she was a witch, proving her the one who poisoned Father.

     “She is a witch,” I mumbled between my gasps for breath. An attractive witch, I thought. Anyhow, why did she reappear, was she here to spy on Coral shore after she murdered Father, or did she have another target to eliminate?

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                        Lucerne’s POV

    Just three powerful knocks coming from the other side of my door was enough to tell me that it was a messenger getting in the way of my bathing. I tied a towel around my bare lower limbs as Sage showed up from the bathroom. She curtsied beside me. “Your Bath is ready, my Lord.”

     I nodded. “Noted, you can take your leave.”

     Sage turned away to the door. I followed her behind as the messenger resumed another triple series of hard knocks. Sage opened the door, nodded at the man before the door and left, while I grabbed the door edge to keep it from closing.

           

     I found the rigid faces of two messengers. They clasped their hands before their faces and bowed to me. I looked away, rather leaning lazily on the open door and letting myself sway along with it.

     “It will not be my fault if you bruise your knuckles from such vigorous knocks,” I growled and looked at them; my squinted eyes regarded the two timid standing creatures with a scrutiny. “What is it?”

     “Your Highness,” the guards bowed again, how I hated these formalities!

     “We bring the Princes a message from the Chiefs. Because the Princes still mourned, The Chiefs have decided to let you be for today. The people however would want to know their new leader now that the death of our deceased Lord had spread across the land like wildfire. So they decided to announce the new Lord to the people by tomorrow,” He dropped the bombshell, which pricked my ears. Could they have just waited for a few more days?

     Fuck! I was not ready for this. I was never ready! “Okay?” I sighed.

     “That is all, your Highness.”

     “Then you can leave,” I snapped, closing the door and leaning against it. My eyes wandered to the bottom part of the wooden token that peeked out from under a pillow. It was already in my custody; I was technically the Lord already, but in a few hours, I will be the new Lord of the Shore, even if there will not be a crowning.

     I really did not prepare myself for it at all. I always had the thought that my Father was a strong man and could at least live for as long as I could get ready. Nevertheless, everything happened so suddenly and now I was alone, with Damien not helping issues, and Wayne… oh well. 

     I leaned out of the door and approached my bed and, just then, my window burst open all of a sudden with two bodies swiftly rushing in like wind. Damien had the almost slumping Wayne supported by his hands crossed around the latter's shoulders.

     He let go of Wayne and the latter fell to the floor, groaning and rolling to his back. My eyes looked between the two before I hurried to Wayne, lifting his head onto my laps.

     “When I tell you this creature is weak, you shush me. Now look, Just a little run and he already lost it,” Damien mocked, obviously not any less concerned about his immediate elder brother's gasp for breath.

     My left hand flew to Wayne’s chest and I regulated his breathing by roughly rubbing on it. “Why did you make him run, Damien?” I chided, glancing up at Damien who now leaned on the window that I suspect must have had a crack from the sudden burst.

     “Are you blaming me?” His eyes widened as he pointed a finger to himself. “He joined in the fun of chasing the pathetic witch who just returned. What was I supposed to do, stop him?”

     My brows furrowed at the mention of a witch. The bastard still had the guts to return even after what she did here. I stood on my feet and watched as Damien went to sit on the bed. I had my eyes on him, and so did Wayne. He now knew of our curiosity and began an explanation himself. 

     “I looked out my window to find her sneaking around. I am sure she did not notice me sneaking up on her, and then in a bid to defend herself, she attacked me first. However, she ran away on seeing Wayne.” Damien looked at Wayne and his eyes remained on the latter.

                                                                                                                                   

     I did not care much about the witch’s return, but I did care for my brothers' safety. Maybe I should warn them to stay as far as possible from that witch until we can really decipher her tricks.

     “What if either of you were poisoned?” I questioned, moving to my drawer to retrieve a spill lighter. I used it to transfer light from a lighted candle to the others since the room temperature was getting low; moreover, the dark weather caused it to be extremely dark. I hopped on the bed after that and fixed my crossed legs under a cushion pillow.

     Damien tore his gaze away from Wayne and stood up, stretching himself. “Whatever, I think I should go to bed,” He simply said and Wayne, who just sat up, gestured to him.

     “Make sure you get rid of this damned weather before you sleep,” He instructed, still Damien exited my chamber.

     My hand reached under the laid pillow and fished out the Shore’s token. I brought it to my face and squinted my eyes as I studied the carved writing on it which read, ‘Exorcize the evil, free the world from darkness, and aid the weak’, it had been the watchword of the Shore for a long time. However, that was not even my problem now, I thought―

     “What are you thinking?” Wayne suddenly butted into my thoughts, only then did I realize he has had his eyes on me since. I simply smiled wryly as I stared at the token, wondering if I should really become the next Lord of the Shore or just hand it to one of my brothers.

     Unfortunately, each of them had a negative side— Damien was hot tempered and is likely to act rashly, then Wayne would have been a good leader if not for his weakness; there was no way the Chiefs would accept either of them.

     Nevertheless, was I ready to do this? I could not bring myself to take over my Father, especially since he just died a few hours ago.

     “What are you thinking, Lucerne?” Wayne queried again and I sighed, flicking aside strands of silver hair that had found my face a solace. “A message came in earlier before you barged in; the Chiefs want to announce the new leadership to the people tomorrow.”

     “Okay, then why are you so worried?”

     “I guess I am just sad and nervous at the same time.” Speaking of which, I did not even realize I had dropped the token and now had my hands wriggling before me.

     Wayne sighed as he got on his feet and walked to the fireplace; he brought the woods together to spark the fire in them, then came beside me and sat on the bed.

     “Since Father's death,” he began. “I have been thinking about what he said― about not leaving the Shore. I cannot just help but think Damien is right after all, we could be here trying to protect ourselves while the enemy is out there planning an invasion.” My eyes darted to Wayne, no, not him. I needed my brothers beside me.

     “Like, Father did not know how the future would turn out. Do you say we stay here and let our rivals become more powerful, and then come after us; what would be the purpose of hiding then? Just imagine a witch already breaking into the Shore how she wants, what happens if it is more than that? No one would be able to stop the evil then.”