Chapter 9 9-Kael
RANDOM FACT: Kael does not eat human food. His preference is negative emotions. Fear. Anxiety. Sadness. Depression. Terror. He tolerates Riven because he knows his hunger lessens around him.
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“S-Sir? Master?—”
I turn my head to the voice, watching as the male in front of me blubbers.
His pheromones leak of fear and terror.
The Hunger in my head tells me to feed on it.
It won’t take too long. And no one will remember who he is anymore.
One feeding, he will be erased and the pain I feel will stop.
One second, that is all it will take.
My eyes move to his shadow before I watch as he notices. I look back at him, wondering what he might do now, but he falls to the floor, prostrating fully as he begins to mumble incomprehensible words that I do not understand, his pheromones overwhelming me instantly.
In a second, I take myself to the one place I know.
Rowan is the face I find, and he is dressed rather homely. I stare at him, watching as he hums while stirring whatever is in front of me but eventually, he turns and finds me right behind me.
He does not panic.
Rowan Draken never panics.
He stares at me, his eyes widening only slightly as he comes to the realization of what my presence here means. He turns away. “Are you hungry, Sir Veyne?”
“No,” I say, resting on the sink. “The world has changed significantly since the last time I was awake. They are… spineless. Not like you,”
He only smiles slightly. “You are a very powerful being. It is only natural that they are wary of you.”
“Riven also does not fear me.” I say. The Hunger in me rumbles in agreement. He does not fear us. It likes that. It also likes how he tasted today.
It had only been for a second as It latched onto Riven’s scent, swallowing every sound he made into Its bottomless void like It believed taking every hint of him would somehow stop us from being hollow and devoid of feeling.
And I had almost let it happen.
“How does that make you feel, Sir?”
“It makes me… want him. For mating reasons.”
Rowan does not show any sign of discomfort there. Instead, he turns off whatever he is doing and turns around, still smiling softly, “I am surprised that it has not already happened yet,”
So am I.
His blood had woken me first from my slumber, instantly taking me to the prettiest soul I’d ever seen.
My mate.
The one that belongs to me forever.
He was so little, and soft. There was also that innocence which I understood only meant that the world was unsafe for him. I knew it as well from the way the Hunger told me to take him with me. Back to my world.
But the Hunger never did things for good reasons.
So I ignored It.
Which was, I realized soon, a mistake.
Rowan, who had stayed by my side after the previous Keeper and kept me in my slumber, pleaded that I let his grandson be till he was of age, but until then, he would not try forcing me back to sleep.
Instead, he would teach me about the new world. The new language.
No Keeper had attempted bargains before, all far too terrified to speak their minds.
I agreed.
His second calling, I knew he needed me then.
The Hunger knew it before I smelled him. His uneasiness. His pain. It was like a fruit that craved being taken, and when I found him and saw how… needy he was, I knew that I must have him.
But he is… difficult.
“Perhaps I am stuck in old ways,” I start, moving closer. “What have you found out about him? What is it that he likes? What does he want? What does one do for a… mate?”
Rowan sighs. “I can assure you that his distrust in you is far less severe than his for me. He yelled and ignored me. He treats me like a thing he cannot stand seeing,”
“Why?”
Rowan’s eyes soften again. “He feels betrayed that I left him behind. Of course, Riven doesn’t know my reasons for leaving but he’s hurt. All I can do is hope that he forgives me,”
“Tell him your reason,”
“That will sound like an excuse. There is no apology I can give for abandoning a child on their own,” Then his smile grows even brighter. “But enough of my troubles. How did everything go with the school? Hopefully, it went well?”
“No. They were all too… terrified.”
“That’s understandable. Your pheromones are choking even I, a Beta, and I’m usually never affected by it,” Rowan lets out a small laugh. “Still, I do not think anyone… died, yes?”
Rowan, as many Keepers usually were, is aware of my… proclivity.
“No,”
Not when The Hunger’s attention was on Riven. It seemed almost as if… tasting it, would solve every problem I have had. It takes all off me not to dig my teeth into his skin, to taste his blood. To turn him every which way that I can.
What are his limits as my Mate?
Will eating him… truly satiate me as the prophecy says?
“As his teacher, you get to watch him for as long as you wish. I don’t think he has many friends that would take away his attention. Perhaps, familiarizing yourself with him would make him more… compliant to you?”
I tilt my head. “He knows very little of what he is,”
Rowan laughs there. “Then he isn’t paying attention in class.”
Hmm.
I turn around, my eyes falling on the raven bird at the window. My eyes focus on it for only a few more seconds before I stretch my hand out for it.
The raven moves into my hand.
I stare at it for a while and ever so gently, blow air over it.
Instantly, my shadows cover every inch of it and when it clears up, there’s a familiar face staring back at me as the person kneels to the floor, their eyes fixed on me. “Master. I had thought you were awake but… but I did not know since you did not call for me—”
“Astoria,” The name falls off my lips with an ease I did not know I still had. “It is nice to see that you are well,”
Astoria. My Familiar who I have not seen in more than 100 years.
“You may rise to your feet,”
He does as he’s told.
Astoria in his human form has a blend of male and female features, pale ash like skin and green eyes similar to mine.
He is obedient. And loyal.
Unlike a certain someone.
“There is someone I would like you to keep your eyes on,” I say, “You will go to his school and watch him as my shadows do because they are places even they cannot enter. Study him closely if you must, yes?”
Astoria’s eyes bear a glimmer in them at the statement.
He bears no pheromones but I can always tell how he feels.
He’s disappointed by the task.
But he does not try to ask why.
Instead, he bows his head and says, “As you wish,”
And just like that, he vanishes into thin air.
“So,” Rowan’s voice calls out. “You will not be taking a scone?”