Chapter 45 Forty Five
KAZIEL
Eve narrows her eyes when she sees Danika by my side. Her fists curl into balls, her body tense. Danika doesn't flinch. She holds her eye contact as if daring Eve to do her worst. That’s my girl.
"What is it? Did you ask me to come here so you can mock me?" she spits, her voice shaky.
"Come on now. I am not that petty," I reply. Her gaze darts over to meet mine, her eyes darkening.
"Then why the hell did you bring her with you?" She snarls.
I gesture at Aaron to grab the red candle the witch had given to him. The only candle that won't light up unless the vessel is right in front of it.
Aaron hands the candle over to Eve, and she scowls.
"What is this?" she demands.
"A test," I say, and her frown slowly slips away until her expression turns neutral.
I reach for a lighter from my pocket, taking it out.
"Let me do it," Danika breathes, holding a hand out. I don't argue. I simply place the lighter in her palm. She gives me a smile. Then she moves over to Eve, who stares at her with a blank look on her face. Danika barely pays attention to her. She flips the lighter on and brings it to the wick. The tiny flame flickers weakly, then it dies out.
"Looks like your little test failed." Eve folds her arms, lifting her chin in defiance.
Danika frowns, trying again. The lighter sparks, but the candle still refuses to ignite. She glances at me, her brow furrowed. "It's not working."
"It only lights up when the vessel is present," I murmur, studying Eve's reaction closely. "So maybe—"
"I am the vessel," Eve snaps, cutting me off. "That witch said it herself. You think I'd lie about something like that?"
Her voice shakes, just a little, and that tells me more than her words do.
"Then prove it," I drone. "If you're the vessel, it will respond to you."
Eve snatches the lighter from Danika's hand, glaring at her as if the flame itself had offended her. She flicks it on and presses the fire to the wick.
The flame sputters, then it dies completely. A low murmur of disappointment ripples through the air.
Eve tries again, her movements desperate. Still, nothing happens. Her jaw tightens. "Maybe it's just a trick," she spits. "Maybe the witch gave you a useless candle."
I take a slow step forward. "Or maybe," I say softly, "you're not who you think you are."
Eve opens her mouth to argue, but I lift a hand and turn to Danika.
"Try it again," I say.
She hesitates, uncertain. "Kaziel—"
"Humor me, dove."
Danika takes the candle and lighter back, her fingers brushing mine briefly, and for a moment, the air hums. She doesn't seem to notice, but I do.
Crouching in front of Eve, she uses one hand to bring the flame close once more. The instant the fire touches the wick, the candle ignites with a brilliant, vivid blue flame.
Eve's eyes go wide. "What—how—"
Danika stares at the flame, bewildered. "I didn't...I wasn't even trying this time."
The candle burns brighter, casting long shadows across the room. I watch her, my heart thudding hard.
Aaron shifts uneasily behind me. "Alpha..."
"I see it," I respond in a low voice.
The candle burns brighter, the flame turning white. It shouldn't. Fuck.
Danika stares at it, her eyes wide. "Kaziel... what's happening?"
My throat tightens. The energy rolling off that flame is unmistakable. It's reacting to her. To my mate.
But that's impossible. The vessel and the mate can never be one. It defies the law of nature.
"What's that supposed to mean? Why is it doing that?" Eve asks.
I force my gaze away from Danika, pinning it on Eve instead. "It's reacting to you," I respond, my throat tightening. "You're the vessel. The flame confirms it."
Eve blinks, disbelief flashing across her features before satisfaction slowly settles in. "I told you," she hisses, lifting her chin. "I told you I was the vessel."
Danika's brows knit together, confusion swirling in her eyes. "But... I was the one holding it," she murmurs, glancing down at the candle. The flame dances, almost playfully, in her direction as if it's teasing the truth.
I step forward, taking the candle gently from her hands. The moment my fingers brush hers, the flame flickers higher, pulsing once as if it were protesting the separation. I mask the reaction with a quick motion, turning it off using demon energy.
"The magic is sensitive," I explain evenly. "It reacts to proximity, to shared energy. You were just... close enough to trigger it."
It's a neat excuse. But it is also completely false.
Eve nods, looking smug now. "So you finally believe me?"
I nod slowly. "I believe the flame doesn't lie."
Her tension instantly melts into triumph. Danika, however, still looks unconvinced. Her gaze lingers on the candle as if she feels it tugging at something deep inside her. Unease grips me as I monitor her.
"Take her out," I tell Aaron. "She's served her purpose for now."
Eve smirks, brushing past Danika on her way out. Aaron follows her, closing the door behind them.
Danika looks up at me, uncertainty clouding her voice. "It didn't feel like it was reacting to her, Kaziel. It felt like..." She trails off.
"Like what?" I ask, keeping my tone careful.
She shakes her head. "Nothing. Maybe I'm overthinking it."
I lower the candle on the coffee table and move over to wrap my arms around her waist. She melts against me, exhaling slowly.
"Still, this is great. I was worried you would have to begin searching for the vessel all over again," she utters, and I hum in response. But deep down, the fear has taken root in my heart.
....
I made an appointment with the elderly witch the next day after the candle confirmation. Sitting here again makes me feel sick to my stomach. I’ve always disliked the aura of witches. Maybe it’s because my existence itself goes against their beliefs. But I need answers. Therefore, I must push past my discomfort.
"You said the vessel and my mate can never coexist in one body," I begin, keeping my voice low. "But what if... what if they did?"
Her pale blue eyes shift from the crystal bowl she's stirring. "That's impossible," she says flatly. "The power of the vessel cannot dwell in the alpha’s mate. You mentioned that your mate has the power of the sanctum. One cannot host both without tearing the fabric that binds their essence together."
I exhale sharply, my fingers tapping the arm of my chair. "And yet, the candle reacted. It shouldn't have, but it did."
Her brows knit into a frown. "You're certain it was her?"
I hesitate. "The flame turned white."
The witch goes still, then leans back. "White?" she repeats, her voice hushed. "That is Sanctum energy."
I lift my gaze. "She has the power of the Sanctum within her. I've sensed it for a while. She doesn't even know how deep it runs."
The witch's lips stretch into a smile. "Then perhaps what you saw was not just the vessel's response but the Sanctum's energy colliding with the vessel’s. Such power mimics the vessel's resonance perfectly."
"So it wasn't reacting to her?"
"Not in that way." She smiles faintly, almost impressed. "You're fortunate, Alpha. If she truly carried both bonds, her body would have already begun to waste away. The flame's reaction was likely the clash between your mate's Sanctum energy and the vessel’s. Nothing more."
The relief that hits me is overwhelming. My chest loosens, my pulse slowing. For the first time since last night, I can finally breathe.
"Good," I mutter, rising to my feet. "That's good."
The witch's gaze lingers on me. "Still," she warns, "the Sanctum's mark is unpredictable. You'd be wise to watch her closely. Power like that doesn't remain dormant for long."
I nod absently, already halfway out the door.
Outside, I stride towards my car, my keys in hand. But halfway there, my chest tightens. The hollow curse hits me hard, the air rushing out of my lungs.
No. Not now.
The maddening craving to find my mate envelops me in an instant.
Panting, I grab my phone and dial her number. It rings twice. But she doesn’t answer.
“Damnit!” I growl.
But then I freeze when I recall her conversation with Cora. Fuck.
My patience frays as I dial her number again. "Dove, don't test me right now,” I mutter.
Still she doesn’t pick up my call. My pulse spikes, rage burning in my gut.
I stare at the screen, fury building in my veins. My thumb hovers over the call button again, but then a notification slides across the top of the screen.
I tap the message open, my blood running cold in my veins at the sight of the photo that had been sent by me. Danika and Tyler
Her arms are around him, with his hand on her waist.
For a moment, I stop breathing.
Then my vision goes red.
The phone creaks in my palm from how hard I'm gripping it. My fangs ache and a growl builds low in my chest.
The witch's warning echoes faintly in my mind: ‘Power like that doesn't remain dormant for long.’
She was right. But it isn't Danika’s power I'm worried about anymore. It's mine.
Because the hollow curse has started to evolve, and now, I’m thirsty for blood.