Chapter 56: Shadows Of Desire

❤️ Shadows Of Desire ❤️

They left Mary's room together, but as they walked, Dika suddenly stopped, making Nyxoria pause beside her. The sun was slowly setting, casting an orange glow over the castle walls. By now, the Arcane must have closed for the day.

"I have to go home," Dika said, her tone firm but reassuring. "But don’t worry, I’ll be at the High King’s palace tomorrow to support you." She added.

Nyxoria's face lit up with a grateful smile. "Thank you for coming, Dika. It means a lot to me."

"See you tomorrow then, Nyxoria." Dika replied with a smile, then bowed slightly to Tharros out of respect. Without sparing a glance at Vyrelen, she turned and left the castle.

"I will be back, my Emperor," Vyrelen said.

Tharros barely acknowledged him, waving a dismissive hand. In the next instant, Vyrelen vanished into the shadows, leaving Nyxoria alone with Tharros once more.

"How are you feeling, Ria?" Tharros asked, but before she could respond, he lifted her into his arms. Immediately, her arms wrapped around his neck. His shadows coiled around them, and within seconds, the hallway was empty.

They reappeared in his chamber. Tharros gently placed Nyxoria on his bed, brushing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Are you hungry? I can get you some fruits myself," he offered.

Nyxoria shook her head. He sat beside her, taking her hand in his.

"Thank you for your care, Tharros. I'm just... sad," she admitted, her voice breaking. "I trusted my uncle, and he stabbed me in the back. I wonder if he knows what happened to my parents and made me forget on purpose. What did I ever do to him to deserve this?" She told him.

She couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

"I understand what you're feeling," Tharros said gently, pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder as he stroked her back. "Let it out. Don't hold it in."

"I didn’t know he hated me this much," she whispered. "I didn't see this coming."

"You’ll have your answers tomorrow. But for now, cry if you need to. Don’t let this weigh you down when you face him," Tharros advised.

Nyxoria let out a shaky breath, raising her head to meet his gaze. "Do you want to know the worst part?" She asked, raising her head to meet Tharros' gaze. "I was told to avoid Mary's food but I didn't know that it was my Uncle that instructed her to do this to me."

"We can punish Mary to death if that will make you feel better," Tharros said, his fingers lightly caressing her chin. His eyes followed a stray tear as it trailed down her cheek and onto his hand.

Nyxoria shook her head. "I don’t want to kill her. But she will be punished."

"You still care for her?" Tharros raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. She’s been with me all my life. She watched me grow up. I just don’t understand why she didn’t tell me. That betrayal hurts the most."

Tharros sighed. "I'm sorry, my beautiful Ria," he murmured.

Then, without thinking, he leaned in and licked the tear off her cheek.

Nyxoria froze, eyes widening in surprise. Tharros closed his eyes for a brief moment, savoring the taste, sweet and salty, intoxicating in a way he couldn’t explain. He had resisted long enough, but her tears...they made her even more beautiful.

And in the darkest corner of his mind, he thought of all the ways he could make her cry, scream, shudder, tears spilling not from pain, but pleasure.

Yes, he knew he was sick in the head. And he didn’t care.

††††

Vyrelen appeared in front of Dika, forcing her to stop abruptly. She glared at him but kept walking, trying to pass by. He stretched out his arm, blocking her path.

"You didn’t say goodbye. Or are you in such a hurry to leave me?" he teased.

"You already knew I was leaving, so save us the argument and move out of my way before I beat you." Dika threatened, her tone sharp.

Vyrelen chuckled, clearly amused. "I love that. I guess I’ll have to submit to you then. You can beat me all you want, my angry goddess."

Dika groaned in irritation. "Ugh."

She tried to push past him again, but this time, he caught her wrist.

"I like you, Dika, and you’re not getting rid of me anytime soon," Vyrelen said, his voice smooth. "You should be glad I am not forcing you to stay with me in the castle."

Dika rolled her eyes. "I don’t like you, Vyrelen, and let me say it again, your stupid tradition won’t tie me to you."

"So you're saying your body doesn’t want me?" He smirked. "You’re lying, Dika."

She stepped closer, her face inches from his. "Look into my eyes, Vyrelen. I mean every word. You can’t force me to like what you’re doing. I will fight you until you—" She didn't get to finish her sentence which was 'get tired' before his lips crashed onto hers, hard and possessive. One of his hands gripped the back of her head while the other pulled her waist flush against him. The kiss was rough, claiming, and utterly shameless despite the guards stationed at the gate.

Dika bit down on his lower lip, hard enough to draw blood. She expected him to pull away, but instead, he moaned, deep and satisfied. The sound sent an unexpected shiver through her, igniting something she wasn’t prepared for. His moan was like a beautiful music to her ears and before she could think twice, she found herself kissing him back.

The world around them faded. The guards, the castle gates, everything disappeared as the kiss deepened. It wasn’t until the distant sound of horses approaching reached Vyrelen’s ears that he reluctantly broke the kiss. He turned his head toward the road, sensing the riders before they even appeared.

Dika stood frozen, her breathing uneven. It wasn’t until she licked her lips that she realized she had swallowed some of Vyrelen’s blood. The taste was oddly sweet, intoxicating even. Her eyes widened in horror as she recognized the craving creeping up inside her. She wanted more. She wanted another taste and wanted to clean the one smeared on his lips and that freaked her out. She stumbled back, shaking her head which caught Vyrelen's attention.

"What is wrong?" Vyrelen asked in concern, the place Dika had bitten had healed and he licked off the blood still on his lips.

"Nothing. I have to go." Her voice came out rushed, almost panicked, and before he could say another word, she turned and ran, not waiting for a reply.

On her way, she passed two horsemen riding toward the castle. Even in her flustered state, she noticed the royal design on their uniforms. Messengers from the Fae Kingdom. Her mind briefly wondered what message King Oberon had for Tharros. Then, another thought struck her, how had Vyrelen sensed their arrival before she even heard the sound of hooves? He had tilted his head as if he knew they were coming, yet she hadn’t heard a single thing.

Vyrelen let out a deep sigh as he watched her go. He could have used his shadows to teleport her straight to her mother’s palace, but she hadn’t given him the chance. He could have followed, but the incoming visitors had caught his attention.

As expected, the two horsemen soon appeared at the gates and he knew from their dressing that they were from the Fae Kingdom and the king messengers.

He stepped into their path, standing tall, hands clasped behind his back.

The riders pulled their horses to a stop and bowed slightly.

"King Oberon sent us this letter for the Emperor," one of them said.

Vyrelen nodded. "I am the Emperor’s right-hand man. You can give it to me, and I will ensure he receives it."

The messengers hesitated for a moment but ultimately trusted his words. One of them dismounted and handed him a sealed parchment.

"Thank you," Vyrelen said, inspecting the royal seal.

The riders turned their horses and galloped away.

Vyrelen smirked slightly, glancing down at the letter in his hand. "Let’s see what game you’re playing, Oberon."

With that, his shadows coiled around him, and in the next second, he vanished.