62__To possess a human soul

The Kingdom of Cassius was as jolly as ever. Despite the reputation of being a half-breed kingdom that it had carried for centuries, it remained a kingdom known for its ambience and unmatchable party life.

It was a day like any other, the pubs and bars running at maximum capacity with music and the scent of magically brewed wine in the air.

Despite it being day time, the streets were full. The usual people gallivanting about the place, preparing for their night of fun later.

“How about this?” Andrea asked Blake, holding a silk scarf to her neck in front of the open store.

Blake nodded. “Sure, my little love, looks enchanting on ye.”

Dre winked. “If I open it up, it’s big enough to wear as a tiny blouse.”

Blake’s brows rose. “Oooh… I like that.”

They were about to smooch when a rolled up cloth smacked Blake in the face.

“Get a room!” snapped Jaime as he approached his friends.

“Don’t be jealous,” said Maya from besides him.

Sighing, Dre threw her arms around her best friend. “May, finally! Let’s shop till we drop!”

May smiled. “And then tonight, we drink till we drop!”

The group cheered loudly, excited to get up to their usual shenanigans.

One person in the group, however, wasn’t cheering or even smiling.

Blake, being the tallest, was staring straight through the crowd as it parted, shock making his jaw hang open. “Oh. My. God. It’s… it’s *Rogan*…”

Jaime scoffed as he touched a few pieces of sapphire jewellery for sale. “What? Rogan? Yeah, right! Like Donna’s son would just rock up here after 15 years.”

Andrea nodded. “Right. Not unless he’s returning to burn this place to the ground.”

Blake shook his head. “No, guys, really—

“What luck!” interrupted Jaime with a shake of his head. “He was the rightful King of Onyx and, since his mother was to be Queen after her father, he was the rightful King of Cassius too! But both Kingdoms really cheated him of his birth right.”

May nodded, roped into the gossip they never got tired of. “Right! But still, he has the power of both his bloodlines. He should burn both the Kingdoms to the ground as revenge.”

The stall besides them burst into flames.

Dre screamed, falling into Blake’s arms.

Alarmed, they turned around and that was when they saw him.

He walked easily through the parting crowds, his face dark with rage and the magic in his eyes swirling powerfully. Rogan. The most powerful of all their princes. The black-sheep of the royal family of Cassius.

Screaming broke out from among the people, fear erupting in their hearts when they realized Rogan wasn’t here on a peace trip.

Random stalls along the street exploded into balls of flames as Rogan walked and the screaming got louder, panic taking over the people.

The air had darkened, the sky turning grey as he walked into the kingdom. They had watched him enter in awe, the son of their beloved Princess Donna, back after fifteen years estranged from his people.

He wore black from head to toe, his Sorcerer’s cloak dragging on the ground behind him. The air of powerful Sorcerer was unmistakable. They had never seen him walk through the kingdom in broad daylight like this before. It was a sight to behold.

Rogan heard praise from the people as their crowds parted for him. He heard praise, but he heard insults, curses and ill wishing too. They loved him, but oh, how terrified they were of him.

After all, he was the son of the late king of their enemy kingdom. He wasn’t one of them.

And what a good thing too. Rogan flared power out of his hands, delighting in the screams of fear he heard through the crowds. He’d have no problem destroying their kingdom since he wasn’t one of them.

**************

Maia wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, burrowing in the corner of the cold, dark room.

The shadow in the open doorway was large and menacing, the aura of evil emanating from it pouring fear deep into her heart.

She stared at it, unable to look away even as tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face.

“Finally…” was the cold whisper. “I have you in my hands.”

A light snapped on.

Maia’s eyes closed at the bright light before she opened them again to look at the face of her captor.

“Human child.”

Maia stared, shocked. Never before had she read of a villain with a face so… beautiful and kind and feminine.

The woman approached, looming over Maia like an evil fairy godmother. Maia didn’t even know who she was.

“W-who… who are you?”

The woman gave a smile as regal as it was cold. “Me? Why, dear… I’m the owner of your soul.”

Maia shivered. “My soul…?” she asked in a whisper.

“That’s right,” said the woman, smoothing her fingers down the lapel of her black suit jacket. She looked at Maia with an arrogantly raised brow. “I… am Diana, *Queen* of Cassius. Now bow before me, peasant!”

Startled, Maia fell onto her face, a strange weakness shaking her body from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. A queen? What could Maia possibly have done wrong to piss of a Queen?!

“Q-Queen of… Cassius…”

Diana smiled evilly, her eyes glowing a green of delight. Things like this made her feel more powerful than all those damned Kings out there. So what if she was only half-Vampire? Her enchanting powers were stronger than any of them could ever have. She looked at Maia.

And now she would get even stronger.

“You’re quite something, aren’t you?” said Diana. She shook her head. “Rogan… of all people. How on earth did you get that monster wrapped around your little finger?”

Maia slowly raised her head and looked up at the woman. “Y-you… you know Rogan?”

Diana tilted her head pensively. “Did he not tell you? Surely, he knew it was me all along.”

Maia grew tense. “T-tell me what?”

The thought of causing Rogan some damage made Diana smile and she stepped forward, looking down at Maia. She was obviously a very naïve girl, Diana would use it to her advantage. “Darling… Rogan and I, we’re cousins. He never told you? Surely, he knew. Who else could possibly use magic as powerful as mine?”

Shocked, Maia stared at her, her elbows shaking as she tried to support herself on weak arms.

Cousins? She lowered her gaze with a frown, thinking it over. The person who’d hunted Maia from the shadows for all her life was *cousins* with Rogan? The person who’d killed Nana and caused Maia so much grief… was cousins with Rogan?

And that wasn’t all. Rogan… *knew*?

“Our entire family had dedicated itself to finding you,” Diana informed her. “Finally, we have! With your soul, we will become powerful enough to face the other Kingdoms!” She scowled. “Especially *Onyx*.”

Maia slowly looked up at her, eyes glimmering with tears and with disbelief. “My… my soul? Are you going to… *kill* me?”

Diana blinked. “How else would I get your soul, girl?”

The cold grip of fear clenched Maia’s heart and she found herself unable to move. “Please…” She slowly shook her head as tears streamed down her face. “Please, don’t. Please, don’t kill me, I’m *so* sorry… for whatever I did to you. Please, let me go… I’ll live quietly in the forest, you’ll never see me again. Please… *please*!”

The Queen crossed her arms, looking down at the crying girl with unhidden ridicule. “Pity, isn’t it? When you’re so pretty, too. Pretty enough to marry one of my sons if you’d been an Enchantress.” With a shake of her head, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Maia’s eyes went wide when, from the dark corners of the dungeon-like room, there emerged ghosts. “Too bad,” said Diana. “I’m afraid we need you for other reasons.”

The ghosts began to approach and Maia retreated, scrambling back into her corner and looking around at them with wide eyes.

Diana walked away to the door, pausing to glance back. “Make sure you drain every last bit of her soul and aura. Or you can kiss your Phantom Kingdom goodbye.”

At those words, the ghosts looked at Maia with double the menace. “Yes, Queen Diana.”

The door slammed shut with a loud bang and Maia was left alone in the room aglow with the ghostly beings around her.

She looked weakly at them, cursing her fate. How unjust was it that she didn’t even know why she was dying? Why did they need her soul? She hadn’t a clue.

What could they possibly do with her soul when it was the soul of a weak human? Fat teardrops rolled down her cheeks and Maia wiped at them, sniffling as her chin trembled.

“We will begin,” said one of the ghosts. “Close your eyes and you will feel no pain, human.”

With tears trickling faster down her face, Maia slowly lay on her side and closed her eyes.

What could she do? She had no weapons, no powers, nothing. She hadn’t even tried to get powers or carry any weapons at all times because she’d depended so much on Rogan.

*Rogan*.

Maia bit harshly onto her bottom lip when her heart threatened to initiate a moment of heavy weeping. Still, streams of tears made it past her shut lids, even as she muffled the sound of her sobs. Her heart was breaking in her chest, the pain of betrayal one she had never known before. It hurt like hell.

Rogan had known. Maia’s chest shook with the effort of crying silently. He’d known his family was after her and he’d *betrayed* her. She would have been safe in the portal Nana had made her, if only she’d stayed there! Curse the day she’d met Rogan, curse the moment she’d began to trust him and double curse the moment she’d fallen in love with him!

What had she expected? She was an orphaned human. He was a royal Vampire Sorcerer. And one who prided himself on all his evil-doings. She hadn’t stood a chance.

Neither had her love for him.

A sob broke out of her and Maia pressed her mouth tightly together. Slowly, she became aware of a light-headedness. A numbness started spreading through her body, from the middle of her chest and to the rest of her.

She felt dead where she felt numb, like she was ceasing to exist.

She was dying. They were killing her.

*Rogan.*

Days ago, the ghost girl on the window sill had warned Maia. She’d told her to stay away from the Sorcerer because he and the ones after her were the same.

One final tear slipped past Maia’s closed lids.

If only she’d listened.