Chapter 119: The Ritual

Roderick's POV

“We've spent years hunting for you. We sent one of our best assassins against you, but still she failed. But who knew that you would come here on your own?" One of the three elder women of the witch coven said, gritting her teeth in rage.

I knew coming here wasn't a good idea, but still, I had to make sure that Lif lived. It was worth every penny to save her life.

“I know you people want me dead, but firstly, can we put all that hatred aside? I'm here to save Lif. We can discuss all this later."

“Why are you so desperate to save her? Both of you are supposed to be enemies. You are supposed to aim at each other's lives, not cherish one another." The second elder said, standing from the throne she was sitting on and coming closer to me. “It looks like history is repeating itself," she added, making my brows raise in confusion.

“What do you mean by history repeating itself?" I voiced my curiosity.

“Lif's parents were a vampire and a witch. A three-thousand-year-old vampire, and just a twenty-three-year-old girl. They fell in love, going against the laws of nature. Such a relationship is forbidden, and it could cause a great disaster to the world unless one of the people killed the other." The second woman said, and slowly her words registered in my head.

I remembered what I had heard about Lif's parents—that the witch had killed her vampire lover.

“Is that why you forced her to kill the man she loved?" I demanded, the situation sparking anger within me.

“It was her choice. She realized that what she did was inappropriate, so she ended it herself," the third one answered instead. “And now, such a thing is happening again."

“What are you implying?"

“Your relationship with her is forbidden. You are destined to kill one another, not love."

I shut my eyes, sadness spreading inside me like a dark stain. I opened them again, hardening my gaze. “I don't give a fuck about all what you are saying. Just save her—that's all that matters," I said, my voice rising with a mix of anger and desperation.

“We will do as you say. And also, in return, you must stay away from her."

“Okay," I answered. “Just save her."

Without saying anything else, the second woman moved to where Lif was lying. She laid her hand on Lif’s forehead and shut her eyes. My own eyes widened when I saw Lif’s body tremble slightly; my whole body shuddered with fear, wondering if what had happened to her was even worse than I thought.

The woman's eyes snapped open, turning a vivid purple for a moment before returning to their normal shade. She swallowed hard, a sigh escaping her lips. When she shook her head, it amplified my fear a thousandfold.

“What's wrong with her?" I questioned impatiently, watching as she stood to her feet.

She ignored me, which caused rage to flare within me, but I decided to keep it in check. She turned to her colleagues and nodded at them. “Lif..." she started, a smile crossing her lips. “I've confirmed it. She's the Queen Witch," she announced, and her colleagues smiled in return.

However, I stood still, confused by what was happening.

“I'm curious about her condition, not her fucking status," I said fiercely, their attitude gritting on my nerves.

“Be careful of your words. Unless you don't care about the consequences," the first woman warned, and I nodded.

I knew coming here was like suicide, but still, I had to because of Lif. In order to survive here, I had to do everything they said.

“Okay. But can you tell me what's wrong with her?" I said, gritting my teeth to keep the frustration and irritation in check.

“She's going through spell shock. Since she's not used to using her power, she collapsed from using too much at a time," she explained.

“So what do we do?" I asked instantly. “I mean, is there something you can do to make her wake up?" I rephrased.

“Her condition right now is critical. Using too much of her power has made her be dying. And now..." she paused, staring at me. “She only has a week left to live instead of two years."

Her words were enough to make me freeze like a statue. What did she mean, she only has a week to live? How could that be possible?

“What?" All that managed to leave my mouth was a ragged whisper. “How could she have only a week left?"

“It's the truth. And trust me, if nothing is done to it, she will die."

A wave of fear surged through me. My chest ached; the fear slowly withered my soul away. “Then, how do we save her? She can't die. Please," I pleaded.

“There is a solution, but it's very dangerous and costly. It won't be easy."

“What is it?" I questioned instantly, curiosity flaring within me.

“The ritual requires a life," she announced, and my lips parted in disbelief. “But we won't be making the decision without her. We need her to make the decision. So I need to cure her, to wake her up, but for only two days," she added.

She moved to Lif’s body, put her hands on her forehead, and started casting a spell. It went on for a few moments, her eyes glowing purple again before fading back.

“I've healed her with my ability, but it's only for two days. After that, she will collapse again. We need to tell her about the ritual so that we can know her decision on this."

My gaze fixed intently on Lif, hoping to see her awake, but she didn't move. She stayed like that for several minutes.

“Why isn't she waking up?" I demanded, a combination of frustration and anticipation burning in my chest.

“Relax!" the woman said. “Just watch," she commanded.

Suddenly, Lif sneezed aggressively. I quickly ran to her, lifting her head and placing it on my lap.

“Lif?" I called when I saw her eyelashes move. Slowly, they opened, and a joy-filled smile played on my lips.

“Where am I?" she asked in a raspy voice, breathing heavily.

“You are saved, Lif. Yes, you are," I said, but deep down, I knew she wasn't.

My mind kept playing around the woman's words about the ritual—the one that demanded a life. The mention of it filled me with a great worry. The thought of Lif dying was unsettling and sca

ry. And the question that troubled my mind was...

“Whose life did the ritual demand?"