Shadow bound

LUANA’S POV

"Let me go!"

I struggled hard to free myself from the chains that now bound my hands. Great. Just great.

I was so close to completing my mission and becoming a Senior Witch among the "Sisters"—the highest rank a witch can get. It came with immense power and social status.

My job was to stealthily invade the Vacuità Kingdom, cause as much damage as I could, and burn the Imperial Demon Castle where the King lived. Piece of cake.

I had already gotten away with the damage‑causing part. The villages and towns were already blazing. Fire spreads fast and is time‑conserving. I only had fifteen minutes, after all. After that, the test was over.

I had already set the castle on fire, making sure that every inch was covered, and was about to make my escape when, in a fraction of a second, I tripped.

Like… I tripped. Seriously?!

I was so pissed that tripping would slow me down. Ugh! Demons had the advantage of speed, so before I could even teleport, I was already pinned to the ground and bound with chains. They must have been chains meant to hold witches, because my powers weren't working.

I tried everything—freezing, burning, twisting, invisible cutting. Nothing.

Just then, the door opened, and a tall figure entered. He had deep sky‑blue eyes and long, beautiful lashes. His hair was a combination of silver and black—silver on his left, black on the right. The length of his hair would make any woman jealous, for it was waist‑length. Red, crimson lips that stood firm and a sharp jawline were the finishing touches to his beauty.

He was beautiful. Majestic…

"She almost burned my castle?"

I immediately snapped out of my reverie. It was almost like his aura had cast some kind of spell on me.

"Yes, sire. We caught her just in time and were also able to quench the fire," one of the guards answered.

So this was King Riccardo—the heartless Demon King.

He walked toward me, taking gentle strides. Each step carried authority and radiated kingliness. He stopped in front of me and gave me a very displeasing look, like I'd just vomited on his shoes.

"How do you want to die?"

"What?" I was taken aback. He didn't repeat himself.

"Since you're female, the King asks how you want to die out of generosity," the guard who had answered earlier spoke.

I scoffed. I knew that since I was caught and couldn't use my magic, it would mean death. But I wouldn't succumb to these evil demons. Generosity? They should kill me however they wanted. I didn't need their pity.

"You won't speak?"

I raised my head and looked the King straight in the eye. The message was clear.

No.

"Very well. Feed her to the wolves."

"Yes, sire!"

Madam Margaret, please forgive me for letting you down. Master Isaac, I'm sorry for not finishing my assignment… I continued whispering apologies and confessions in my mind as I was dragged out of the room.

I was already outside the castle when a horse came running toward us at full speed.

"Wait! Hold on!!" the man on the horse shouted.

He stopped in front of us and got down from his horse. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. Probably six feet tall. He was tall—but the King was taller.

"What is it, Harry?" the King asked. I didn't even know he had followed us outside. He probably wanted to watch me get torn apart—ruthless, as they say.

"She's a Golden Witch. They only appear once every hundred years. She's able to wake your mother."