Chapter 8

A bright light emanated from the corridor, coupled with speckles of golden dust and smoke. After a while, it subsided and a man with a black hat and grey coat emerged. He removed his hat and entered the guest room where Zeidan kept his belongings.

He moved to where he kept his boxes of clothes and started searching through them. After a long moment of cursing and moving about, hands on his waist, he sighed in despair.

"Where the hell did I keep this thing?" His frustrated voice held in hushed tones like a confused woman who doesn't know where she kept her baby.

Lyne walked in carrying a basket full of trash. She was cleaning everywhere. He was startled.

"Mr. Wikh?" She called at the man who looked at her mischievously as if he had done something bad.

"Are you ok?"

Dropping the basket, she searched around for the trash bin while Wikh stuttered looking for the right word to explain why he was searching for his master's bag.

"I was looking for my medicine," he managed to say.

"You're on medication? What happened to you?" Lyne had paused what she was doing and faced the older man.

"Nothing. I just use it for this little pain I have on my shoulders. It's been like that for some years now."

"How about we take you to the best hospital on the outskirt of this jungle? I'm sure you'll be fine." She resumed her work and turned.

"Thanks, but you need not worry about me." She heard him say behind her.

Walking down the corridor, she saw Zeidan staring at a picture on the wall, arms akimbo. She got to his side and looked at the picture he was staring at.

Embedded in the squared frame is the mixture of oil paints splattered across the surface, creating shapes and colors that later display on it the face of a beautiful young girl in a blue dress.

"This you?" She heard him ask and she glanced at him, brows furrowed.

"Of course, it's me. More reasons why you should get medicated glasses. Your eyes are failing you."

She scoffed before leaving, while Zeidan laughed.

She knows there was no use fighting it. She would get married to this tall handsome-like-the-devil vampire and live her life with him. He is nice, she could give him that. But what if he is only putting up a show since he's still in their territory and hasn't gotten what he wants?

Getting down the stairs and off to the lawn to throw all the trash into a big can, she made up her mind to face whatever life throws in her face.

This week, she'd be leaving her family to live with a man she barely knows in a world she barely knows. All because she is the black sheep of the family.

Once she's gone, she'd make sure Zeidan never gets to bully her the way she's always been bullied by her siblings. It's time to stand up for herself and stop whining as her father would say.

She opened the big can and dropped the whole white sheets and other trash into it. But her eyes caught something. A white paper with a stamp that showed the letter had come from royalty. She picked it up out of curiosity, the wind blowing hair into her face.

She opened it after reading where the letter came from. It indicated it had come from Vampire City. From the palace itself.

"Come home, quickly. I found something important. I also missed you, sweetheart. Love, Luana." The content read.

Her heart burned like fire. Her head pounding like there was a war going on in there and she could feel her blood boiling immediately. Why is she feeling this way? It's just a letter. It couldn't be from his sister because from what she's heard, he is the only child of his parents.

And the name, Luana. Didn't she hear him say that name in his room? So, they were already living together as couples. Tears rolled down her cheeks and it looked like her hate for Zeidan had grown more. She turned towards the staircase and ran to her room.

Zeidan strode into his room and saw Wikh sitting on the chair in front of the dressing mirror, head bent. The room was exceptionally clean and he wondered if this was Wikh's job. But that will be strange considering how arrogant his aide is when it comes to doing the maid's job.

"You okay?" He sat on the edge of the bed, back turned towards Wikh.

"Yeah, I'm just tryna rest my head. In a few days, the wedding will commence and we'll be on our way back to Vampire City." He ran his hand over his almost bald head. "Why is she the one taking out the trash anyway?"

"Poor girl!" He muttered as he remembered looking down at her beautiful face while she was on his bed.

"Being different from your whole family can be a whole lot of work. It's hell on earth."

"I'm inclined to agree." Wikh sighed.

"I just hope she will be able to adjust to our system."

"Our people are less discriminating. They don't consider themselves above others, unlike the Werewolves. We believe in equality irrespective of what kind of magic you have or the power you possess. But whatever it is, I will make sure I treat Lyne right." His face looked determined especially as he remembered the note he got from Luana. He had trashed it without reading it.

He already knew who he want. It's time he tried his best to make Lyne want him in return, and this time he doesn't want any interruption.

"Do you think we should give Styx the Onyx?" Wikh asked, eyes following Zeidan as he moved about the room.

"That's what I'm contemplating on?"

He saw the man's face change and wondered what it is he was thinking. He decided to get into his head.

'Oh my world!' he heard him say in his mind. 'if this onyx is given to someone else, I'll be done for.'

Zeidan frowned and his guts told him to suspect Wikh. However, he kept his mouth shut and went to lie on the bed again.