Chapter 56: Chapter Fifty-six: Always a damned bastard.
Lucian woke up surrounded by trees and insects. He sprang to his feet, darting his eyes around him. What happened? Was I attacked?
A blinding headache shot through his head and he gripped it hard. Just what the hell had happened to me?! He sat down on a small stone, still gripping his head as he tried to remember what had happened. He remembered Lio, falling down into an abyss and...Damien!
"Damien!" he yelled out unconsciously but he wasn’t there. Not a single soul was with him in that thick forest. He got up and decided to walk with the hope of getting somewhere or someone who could help him. He weaved through the thick vines and trees, snapping them with his twin daggers in his hands. A thought slithered into his mind as he walked: what if I am in another universe? Or timeline? Lucian shook his head, silently hoping it weren’t true. What would he do next then? One thing was for sure, though — he’d snap the head of that loser who had thrown him into that damned pit if he ever saw him again.
As he walked on, the sun rose higher and higher in the sky. It was almost mid-day. Blinded by the light, he stumbled on something and came crashing down on a tree. He hadn’t used his vampire abilities to leap because that would have taken up more energy and now this?! Just where the hell was he?!
"Damned hell!" he cursed harshly under his breath. "I swear if I find that bastard, I’ll—" Lucian stopped talking when his eyes caught what was on the ground. It was a small wood covered in dust and sand. He picked it up and ran his fingers over it.
A gasp escaped from his lips as soon as the wordings came into view.
’ ROYAL PROPERTY. KEEP OUT."
"I’m in Zerathane?!! What the hell?!"
......
It had been a month since Cassian usurped the throne and during that period, Xavriel had not come to visit him once. He had only sent a few rogues to go with him when he had launched an attack on the palace. Xavriel had said he was going to be there but till now, hasn’t even shown his face. Didn’t he want his end of the deal? He better...not?
Everything in the palace had changed from then on. The palace that was once draped in cold was replaced by shining onyx and the confusing part was that it wasn’t manually changed. The corrupt energy from the new ruler had corrupted the pure energy that once made the palace shine. But Cassian didn’t care, he had all the power he had always wanted, he controlled everything and everyone in the kingdom. Young girls and boys were ripped from their parents’ homes to come and work for the king and every one had to pay obeisance to the great statue that stood in front of the palace gates.
It was worse than slavery. Gold, diamonds and precious jewel were all taken to the palace where they were exported to neighboring countries. And the proceedings? They went into the army to fortify and strengthen them, leaving the people to suffer and scrap for food. No one could voice out, no one could say anything about the ruler or they would be mutilated.
Lucian, who had returned back to the palace stuck closer to Cassian than ever. The palace workers of people no more than thirty years would, under very secretive environment, gossip about him being that way because of fear for his life.
Once the announcement had been made of the king’s passing, Severin had ran to the palace to quickly get Elena before Cassian would get to her first. Cassian had sent heavily armed guards together with mutilated, controlled rogues to go after them. Instead of returning with her, they came back empty-handed on each go. He had taken her far away from the palace to the outskirts of the kingdom where nothing but endless stretches of trees were. And for a month, they had stayed there. Hidden in his personal accommodation concealed in the depths of the forest. Morrigan had used her powers to camouflage the house so no one could see or touch it except by her strong magic.
Severin knew the amount of hatred Cassian had for Damien and how he wouldn’t refrain from causing him an intense amount of pain if he could. He knew he had to act fast if he wanted to save her.
"What do you mean you couldn’t find them again?!" Cassian bellowed at the servants who trembled before him.
"We have searched beyond the forest and even put up a ’wanted’ notice in the neighbouring countries but we still haven’t found a clue on their whereabouts."
"I don’t care if you put your heads on guillotines! Find me the girl and that damned Severin!"
"Yes, your majesty!" they echoed before scrambling out of his presence.
Cassian collapsed onto the couch in his chambers, fuming with anger. Although Xavriel hadn’t come to claim her, he still felt the need to not step on his toes. The man was crazy and had helped him get what he wanted. He knew he would come sooner or later... when he least expect it.
"You there!" he said to no one in particular but a man rushed in.
"Call me prince Lucian."
"Yes, your majesty!" The man said, dashing out of the room. In a few minutes, Lucian appeared in front of him.
"What is it?" he asked, looking annoyed.
Cassian glared at him but Lucian didn’t budge. He eyed him for a bit before them away from his person. "Go with the other guards in search of the princess."
Lucian looked at Cassian like he had just insulted him. "What?" he said in angry disbelief.
"You heard me." Cassian said again without sparing him a glance.
"Cassi—"
"That’ll be ’your majesty’ to you. Have you forgotten already?" he said standing up abrubtly. "You will go with the other guards because I ordered you to, understand?" Cassian stressed, poking a finger at his chest.
Lucian hissed loudly before vanishing from his sight.
"Damned bastard." he cursed out when he was gone.
"Princess, come outside for a minute." Severin called out from the veranda. Elena hurried outside in a pale cream shirt that looked obviously over-washed.
"Yes your highness." she replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she straightened the rumpled edges of her dress.
"Sit down with me for a minute." he said, looking unusually more serious than he used to. This man normally had a blank look on his face but today, it was like it had increased by an inch more.
Silence reigned over them for a while before Severin spoke up. "As you know, Damien has been gone for over a month now." he started, the lines on his head growing deeper and deeper.
"Well...yes...?"
"Morrigan and I had tried to locate where he might have gone to by sniffing out his scent where he disappeared but it was a dead end. And—"
Elena suddenly felt agitated. "Wh-what about Prince Lucian? He was with him right? He should know-"
Severin’s blank gaze seemed to harden as he looked at her. "...and Lucian." he continued "... still haven’t said anything to anyone since he returned. Not even to Cassian, I’m sure. All he had said was that they had been walking together when he was suddenly dragged away from him. He could be—"
"Your highness." Elena spoke up again after listening to him for a while. It was the first time she had ever cut into anyone’s speech before. She had somehow expected him to react but strangely, he stopped talking and turned to her.
"Yes princess?" he answered her calmly.
Elena picked at the skin on her nails. Lately, that had been her coping mechanism. Even if the entire house was camouflaged, they could still hear the threatening sounds of the horses and rogues snarling whenever they went by looking for them. And it had always terrified her everytime it happened. Severin had always been there to calm her and she had tried to but it just wasn’t working.
Elena had always feared that one day, they just might find them even with their hideout. Severin was frequently out, probably looking for ways to get Damien back but he never told her whenever he leaves. He could be gone for a day or two. Sometimes even three. With no one to talk to, that had been her new friend.
"I...I want to help in looking for Damien." she said shyly, averting her eyes from his lifeless ones.
Severin looked at her like she was a fool. "No." came his one word reply.
Her head shot up at his reply. He had barely thought it through for a second!
"Your highness, I can—"
"I said no." he said again as the lines on his forehead deepened.
Elena pressed her lips in a thin line. He was the youngest prince but was also the most feared in the palace after Damien. That was because he was never wrong. Always calculating, unfailingly correct as she had heard. He never spoke much but when he did, everyone fell quiet to listen to him. Even the late king and the court.
She got up, displeased at his answer but more displeased with herself for being able to do nothing about it. It was no use arguing with him. He never went back on his decision.
Elena had only just taken two steps forward when Severin moved with lightening speed. He got up quickly, wrapped his arms around her waist and vanished inside the house.
Elena’s eyes stood open in horror as she looked at him so close to her face.
"Why—" Severin clasped a hand over her mouth before she could utter another word.
Outside, the shuffling of feet stepping on branches echoed just behind the invisible house.
"Round up the entire place!" a voice commanded.
"Yes your highness!" a group of people replied before rushing around.
"We have already searched this place countless times already. Why are we still here?" One of the men grumbled as they ran towards the opposite direction.
"Do we have a choice? It’s either this or have our heads chopped off." The two men laughed at the dark joke and continued their search although none of them laughed for too long. They could still have their heads chopped off if found slacking off.
Elena quickly got the message after hearing their voices. They were here again.
She looked up to find Severin still maintaining his blank look with one hand on her waist and the other on her mouth. Her face flushed red at their position. Wait! What the heck am I thinking?!! Slowly, she tugged at his sleeve. Severin turned to her and dropped his hand from her mouth.
The house was invisible but if they make even the faintest noise, especially with a true royal blood around, they could easily be sniffed out. Normal vampires didn’t have heightened senses so they were safe from them.
After an hour of searching, the captain approched the man who sat regally on a horse. "Your majesty. We have searched the entire perimeter and still have found nothing." the captain reported, bowing his head.
The man looked out before him before sighing deeply. He jumped down from his horse and sauntered forward with his hands behind his back. The captain followed three steps behind him when all of a sudden, the man abruptly stopped.
He lifted one hand in the air and all the guards immediately stopped moving. The forest hung in graveyard silence as the man walked carefully in front of him. He reached out, as if wanting to grab something in front of him but there was nothing there. Everyone looked at him curiously, wondering what the prince could be after.
The man turned towards the captain and gestured to him. The man nodded, instantly understanding his assignment. He handed over to him a small cushion with a small shiny object on it: the dragon scale.
In that moment, he threw the scale in front of himself forcefully and a green, dull flash shone from the impact.
"There you are..." Lucian drawled, licking his lips leisurely.