Chapter 8 Raven’s threat
Prince Valerio tossed her onto the cold floor, causing her to wince in pain. For what felt like the umpteenth time, she braced herself for death, but the opposite was true.
The monster stared at her with a vacant expression.
"I don't kill my pets. I destroy them," he stated, his voice a mixture of ice and fire.
For the next five hours, he read and experimented on his specimens without saying a word to her. All she could do was stare at him, her heart filled with remorse. He was the crowned prince—her captor and master—and she regretted confronting him.
While the prince crushed rare kernels, Evyths took the opportunity to clean the cobwebs she noticed stringing from shelf to shelf.
Although the webs were far above her, she found a stool and climbed onto it, positioning herself between the bookshelf and the bottle shelves.
In an attempt to finally brush off the webs with a broomstick, Evyths stretched too far and lost her balance.
"Oh no!" she cried out.
Her free arm swiftly caught the edge of the bottle shelf, but the bottles staggered and fell, shattering into pieces on the floor.
Evyths covered her mouth, her green eyes widening as she stepped down.
"Uh?" she let out, fear gripping her.
The vampire did not look at the mess she had created; he already knew but chose to remain silent, crushing the kernels even harder, channeling his fury.
"What have I done?" she scolded herself.
She fell to her knees, gathering the shards of glass and the thick liquids that had spread across the floor with her bare hands.
Although the tiny shards pricked her skin and caused it to bleed, Evyths continued to clean up the mess.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she muttered under her breath, her voice trembling and her eyes filled with tears.
Suddenly, she heard something break in the air and turned to look over her shoulder. His eyes were glowing red, his face twisted in a frown that sent shivers through her once again.
"For ten good years, I've kept those fluids intact. Nothing like this has ever happened," he said, walking toward her.
Evyths recoiled, covering her ears, sobbing and shivering.
"Just this once, I let a filthy dog into my sacred space, and this happens?" he yelled, while she continued to mutter apologies, her voice trailing off. “Huh?” he growled, and the windows shattered at the sound.
A gust of wind pushed him closer to her as he picked her up, gripping her neck with his pale hand. Evyths gasped for air, her face turning red. Her transformation felt like a battle, her strength withering like autumn leaves.
Valerio watched as her life slowly faded. Just then, a distant female scream interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly dropped Evyths.
Remorse replaced his fury.
It was his late sister, Kaya, who had died saving his life in the realm of the undead and forbidden.
As Evyths coughed, struggling to regain her breath, a wave of sadness washed over him.
He recalled her scream from that day—one that haunted him with every deadly action he took.
"Get out," he ordered, his tone calm but strangely intense.
"I'm so—"
"NOW!" he yelled like thunder. Evyths managed to pick herself up and ran until she was completely out of the laboratory.
She moved away from the doors, horror washing over her as her back pressed against the wall.
It wasn't the prince, she thought to herself, panting breathlessly as she slowly slid to the floor, holding her neck.
Meanwhile, Valerio saw Kaya, his beloved sister, in the same battle outfit she had worn when she died—black and purple. Her hair was the same, silky and dark, her smile still angelic, and yet her eyes remained dreamy.
A black vortex formed around her like a barricade.
Like a ripple of time, a veil of despair hung between him and his sister.
“Valerio!” her soft tone echoed in his head while he struggled with reality, suppressing a groan. “Let go of your rage; what you seek lies within you, brother!” she smiled, stretching her hand toward him.
The more he tried to reach her, the more the dark vortex consumed her.
“Kaya!” he screamed, but nothing changed.
“You don't need me, brother…” she said to him, her innocence fading right before his eyes. Again.
“Kaya!!!” he yelled as the vortex vanished, and everything returned to normal. Except that she wasn't there anymore.
His fingers shivered, as if his bones were crushing, and his eyes glimmered gently, fading.
When the prince had calmed, he lay inside his coffin, shutting his eyes for rest. Days of uncontrollable adrenaline had worn him out, so he lay there to recuperate. It could take hours, days, months, or even years, depending on the situation.
…
On the other hand, Evyths gathered herself after the troubling outburst of the prince, which had almost taken her life. She strutted through the hallway, her eyes skimming the highs and lows of the castle's ancient walls, with guards and maids sticking to their tasks.
Her intent was to return to her dungeon to avoid prying eyes, just as the prince had warned, but the opposite was happening.
Raven had been waiting patiently for Evyths to step out of the laboratory. She had noticed that Evyths had been attacked.
As Evyths walked, trying to quicken her steps, raw meat was thrown at her. She sensed the footsteps behind her and the lingering smell of blood in the air.
Evyths stopped, scared to turn around as another chunk of bloody meat was hurled at her.
Given that she hadn't eaten since the time she had been brought here, her stomach growled.
As an Omega, it wasn't in her nature to hunt, and her senses were not sharp enough. But Evyths, being unique, had heightened senses.
She dragged her feet forward, but another piece of meat was thrown at her. When she forcefully halted and reached to pick up the chunk of meat, a breathy, low-pitched voice rang out.
“Fetch!”
Evyths instantly spun to face her questioner, her eyes meeting the one she was beginning to dread: Lady Raven Blackwin.
Evyths swallowed hard, crawling back into her skin and bending respectfully.
“Greetings, my lady!” she said.
“Are you not hungry?” Raven asked, calmer than expected, while Evyths stared at her carefully.
Raven's scent was flowery, her poise impeccable. She wore a flowy blue dress, and her shiny hair complemented her pale skin.
Raven was beautiful, fit for the prince, Evyths thought. A sting flared abruptly in her arm, causing her to flinch.
Raven chuckled dryly. “I talk; you speak!” She snapped her fingers, jolting Evyths out of her thoughts. “And keep your eyes on the ground.”
Evyths immediately looked down, her chest thumping faster than normal.
“Forgive me!” she managed to say.
Raven drew closer and took the raw meat from Evyths’ hand, forcing it into Evyths’ mouth.
When Evyths attempted to struggle, Raven offered a warning: “Don’t you dare.”
Evyths accepted defeat, her eyes teary and her throat refusing to accept the spoiled meat. It was only when it neared her mouth that she realized what was happening.
“Chew it, pup!” Raven smirked as she watched Evyths struggle to swallow the food.
“Isn’t this what dogs eat? Meat? Shit? Or… drink urine?” the woman asked calmly, her face a mix of excitement and thrill as she forced Evyths to consume it.
When Evyths finally managed to swallow, Raven lightly cleared her throat.
“Now that you are well fed, let us talk and properly introduce ourselves, shall we?”
Evyths hesitated for a brief moment but nodded almost imperceptibly. “Yes, my lady,” she said, her fingers fiddling nervously behind her, warm and sweaty.
“Alright,” Raven said, shifting her gaze to her guards and maids. She waved dismissively at them as they walked away, leaving just the two of them. Turning back to Evyths, she continued, “I am Lady Raven Blackwin, soon-to-be bride of the crowned prince and a renowned sorceress of the crown. I command a legion of sorcerers and beasts. And you are?” A prideful grin danced on her lips.
“I- I am Evyths—Evyths Thorne,” Evyths replied simply.
Raven raised an eyebrow sarcastically. “And?” The intention to mock Evyths hung in the air.
Evyths understood the games Raven was playing. She added, “I am the weak link of the Crescent Pack.”
Raven, although somewhat surprised, gave a small half-smile that hinted at something malevolent.
“I see that you know how to talk back. You are very quick to speak. I have heard your story and dined with your pack some time ago, so I know your kind very well…” Raven said proudly.
Evyths had never seen her before, and she was a noble, not a commoner or worker like Evyths.
“Let me tell you a secret,” she continued, gently circling Evyths like prey. “Although the prince and I are getting married, and he has never allowed me into his laboratory. No one has. Suddenly…” Raven halted before Evyths, her fangs showing and her eyes darkening. “You, a hound, enter the laboratory that no one has been near for decades. The question is, what makes you so special that I am not? A sorceress?” she asked, as Evyths lifted her head, parting her lips to meet Raven’s dark gaze.
“I- I have no idea, my lady. The prince took me there…”
“Are you… contending with his bride already?” she pressed.
Evyths felt more confused as a swirl of black haze began to surround her, paralyzing her feet while Raven’s smile hinted at danger.
“N-No, my lady. I would never…” Evyths’ breath hitched as the haze crawled up to her thighs.
“But he chose you over me, hound. And I am… furious…” Raven said, her voice echoing frantically in Evyths’ ears, making her words slur.
“Here is what you will do, hound.” The haze reached Evyths’ face, rendering her unable to speak. She felt something pressing down on her, a pain she could not fight.
“Deny the prince. Do not set foot in there again… Or else, I will make your life a living hell—more than you can imagine. Are we clear?”
Evyths blinked several times as the haze vanished suddenly.
“Good. From now on, you will clean with the maids and serve the crown and not the prince…”
Raven rubbed Evyths’ arms gently as if offering false support, sensing the prince approaching.
Evyths was still recovering from the terror when Prince Valerio arrived, stopping in his tracks, as did his guards.
“Oh,” Raven turned to the prince and bent slightly, plastering a smooth, cunning smile on her face. “You are here.”
“What are you doing to her?” Prince Valerio asked, his voice husky and his gaze shifting suspiciously between the two women.
“Oh, my prince, we were just getting along. I am apologizing, just as you wanted,” Raven said.
Oh, he asked her to apologize to me? Evyths thought, rubbing her arms.
“Well… Evyths, come with me,” Valerio said, dismissing Raven’s statement as a lie. “And you, Raven? Send word to the council members; we must discuss a pressing matter,” the prince added as they both bowed slightly.
As Valerio turned to leave, Raven caught his wrist, her hand barely wrapping around it.
“Um, I think you forgot this…” she said, leaning forward and standing on her toes, also using her hand to caress his chest.
She placed a kiss on his lips.
Evyths watched, a part of her screaming in anger, her chest tight with emotion.
Valerio caught Evyths, his jaw tightening as he pulled Raven back and kissed her deeply this time, with real intention. His strong hand wrapped around Raven’s slender neck.
Evyths didn’t love the prince, nor did he love her, but why did it feel like he was trying to torture her or make her feel jealous?
Why did it feel like a painful grip on her heart?