Chapter 11

ZAMORA'S POV

This is it. This is the end for me. This is how I lose my life for no reason. There’s no doubt, this is the end.

His eyes narrowed at me, then at the bottle sitting on the floor.

I was terrified, my whole body shaking. What was he thinking? I had no idea.

He bent down slightly, reaching for the clear bottle. I grabbed it just before he could and quickly hid it behind my back.

“What is that?” he asked, his voice sending chills down my spine. I gulped, my eyes running around the room. My heart was racing, and all my fears came rushing out at once.

“It’s mine.”

He scoffed, clearly not believing my word. “Let me see it.”

“There is really no need,” I said with a shaky smile. “It is mine, and I don’t think it is worth your time.”

“I said I want to see it,” he snapped, his face filled with anger and his brows drawn tight.

“Are you sure about that?” I whispered.

“You can either let me see it now, or deal with what comes next.” Knowing Vladimir, I knew those weren’t empty threats.

I stole a quick glance at Larissa. She looked just as terrified as I felt, eyes wide, lips trembling, her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned white. The fear in her face mirrored mine perfectly.

What have I gotten myself into?

There was nothing I could do. No words, no lies, nothing to save me now. Slowly, I stretched out my hand, ready to hand over the bottle. My fingers were shaking as they loosened around the glass.

But then, the door flew open with a bang.

The Queen Mother stepped in, her eyes scanning the room.

“What is going on here?” she asked, frowning slightly. “Why does it feel like the air just dropped ten degrees?”

“Perfect timing,” Vladimir said, his voice cold and clipped. “I found a strange bottle with Zamora, and she’s refusing to show it to me. I am insisting. Maybe you can get through to her before I do things with my own method.” The drop in his voice told me it was a threat and he tends to make things hard for me.

I stood frozen, heart beating so hard I was sure they could hear it. I didn’t understand what could possibly be funny about this situation, but then…

The Queen Mother chuckled.

I blinked. What?

“A small bottle, correct?” she asked, raising a brow.

Vladimir grunted, his jaw clenched. The rage in his body hadn’t cooled one bit.

“I gave that bottle to Zamora myself,” the Queen said calmly. “It’s a fertility potion. Very sensitive. It must not be touched by a male, or the effect will be ruined.”

I exhaled finally. My legs nearly gave out from the relief.

She saved me.

But even then, I could feel Vladimir’s glare burning through me. He didn’t trust me.

“Hmm?” he mumbled, still eyeing me suspiciously .

“Exactly. That’s why she hasn’t told you,” the queen replied.

I looked at him and could tell right away, he didn’t believe it. His face said everything. He didn’t believe me or his mother. 

“I want to see it,” he said again, firmer this time.

“Oh, son, do not bother,” she said, waving her hand like it didn’t matter. “It is not worth stressing over.”

He looked at me one more time as if trying to figure out something and then he turned and walked away without another word.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, the queen mother rushed to me, eyes wide with excitement.

“Did you get the blood?”

I nodded, trying not to let the nervous laugh escape. “Yeah. I did. I was terrified the whole time and nearly got caught.”

I reached into my coat and pulled out the small bottle, handing it to her.

She let out a dramatic breath and pressed her hand to her chest. “Good. That’s perfect. We can do the binding spell tonight. It has to be outside the castle. By midnight.”

She paused for a moment, looking serious now.

“It has to be under the full moon. That’s the only time your body can take the ritual without breaking.”

I nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “I understand. I will be there. I won’t be late.”

She gave my shoulder a firm pat and walked away, leaving just me and Larissa in the quiet room.

I turned to her, a sigh of relief escaped my lips and hers. “We are really doing this.”

At that moment I suddenly felt a series of emotions flooding into me, feeling prosperous at the most difficult phase of the plan the queen and I had cooked up. “I won’t have to die after all,” I said, my voice doing nothing to conceal my happiness.

Tears burned behind my eyes, threatening to fall, but for once, they weren’t just from fear. There was hope too.

Soon, nightfall came, and I had to leave the castle for the ritual. I hadn’t really thought about it all day, until now.

Larissa and I paced back and forth, trying to come up with a plan. I was fully dressed and ready to go, but the castle was heavily guarded.

To leave, I would need the Dragon King’s permission which definitely wasn’t an option.

“I have an idea,” Larissa said suddenly, her eyes lighting up. I stopped and focused on her, eager to hear it.

“I will distract the guards. While they are busy, you can slip out without being seen.”

My face lit up. Her plan was perfect.

Without wasting time, Larissa got to work, carefully distracting the guards one by one until I managed to sneak out of the castle.

A cool breeze hit my face as I stepped out through the back door. Freedom.

I didn’t waste a second, I headed straight to the place where the queen mother said she would be waiting. Was I scared? Definitely yes.

But I kept going. Backing out now wasn’t an option.

“You are finally here,” she muttered when she saw me, baring her teeth in what looked like a grin.

She held a clear crystal bowl in her hands, filled with... something. I stared at it, curious but too nervous to ask.

“This is a powerful magic I made using Vladimir’s blood,” she said. “It will help make the spell work.”

I nodded slowly, feeling a bit more confident.

“Stretch out your left palm,” she said firmly.

As soon as I did, she made a quick cut across it. The pain was mild, but it still stung. I watched silently as blood began to drip from the cut.

Without saying a word, she picked up the magic made from Vladimir’s blood and poured it on my bleeding palm.

“It’s done,” she said, then wrapped my hand in a red cloth.

“How will I know when the binding starts?” I asked, curious but nervous.

“It will begin very soon,” she replied. “But we can’t be sure if your body will be able to handle the magic’s power. Only time will tell.”

I gulped as a chill ran through me.

What if my body can’t handle it? What if something goes wrong?

No. I couldn’t let my mind go there. I had to stay strong.

“I should leave now before someone notices I am gone,” I said, jumping to my feet and hurrying off.

But then, everything changed.

Suddenly, I felt dizzy. My vision blurred, and I could barely stay on my feet.

“What is happening to me?” I said out loud, trying to calm myself. But it was no use.

I stumbled and then everything went black.