The double doors of Maxon's grand mansion opened, and a man in his mid-fifties walked in. He was pudgy, short, and had a bald spot on his head, dressed in a black suit with glasses in front of his eyes, a cane in his hand, and a cigar in his mouth."Father," Maxon said as he rose from the sofa.Wes remained seated in the massive and luxurious living room, which was decorated in black, white, and gold. The mansion was immaculate from the inside and out, although Wes wasn't fazed by it at all. He was accustomed to such opulence and expected nothing less."This is Wes," Maxon said. "He's new to town and needs a place to stay for the night."Wes had also risen to his feet. The man came to a halt in front of the prince and extended his hand."Cayman Hill," he said, still holding the cigar in his mouth. "So, I take it you saved my son from those thugs?""Yes," Wes replied, shaking his seemingly welcoming hand."Hold up," Maxon said, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I need to take this."
Willow entered the club meeting room, which was large and visually appealing, with pastel color décor and a lot of bean bag chairs. There were partially empty shelves on one wall, a long white wooden desk with matching chairs at the far end of the room, and a massive house plant in the corner. The glass doors on the side of the desk replaced the wall, allowing plenty of sunlight to warm up the room.Felicity, the club's president, sat at the head of the table, several notes spread out in front of her."Hi!" Willow hollered as she entered the room to get her attention.Felicity raised her head from the papers. She scrunched up her nose and removed her reading glasses."This room is exclusive for members only.""That's exactly what I'm here to discuss... Kairav informed me of an opening, and I'd like to join the club's committee.""If I'm not mistaken, you rejected the offer yesterday," Felicity stated sternly. "Am I overlooking something here?""I didn't accept yesterday because of my
Wes standing so close to her gave her flashbacks of when they were in his room in the palace. She could smell his musky perfume and felt the air around her shift. He had this effect on her that she couldn’t explain, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to understand. He was basically a stranger. And not to mention, a vampire. He was dangerous. She should run but she wouldn’t get far before he catches up to her. Maybe she can outwit him and play the game."Do I look like I have a 'for sale' sign on my forehead?" Willow asked rhetorically."No.""Then I am not something you can have."Wes briefly closed his eyes before stepping out of her personal space."I merely want to talk," he said, resuming his position on the couch.Talking seemed harmless. She had an inkling that he wanted something from her. And if she played her cards right, this might be beneficial for her too. Willow took up her seat too. The background music became less audible.She took a sip of Zack's unfinished drink and said,
He walked beside her with his hands in his pockets and she didn't seem to be as bothered by it as she had anticipated. They walked under the dark, starless night sky."You seem a lot different too," he said, observing her."Well, if you must know, I quit my job.""Why?” He seemed surprised. “I thought it was okay as long as you were on that road," he said, quoting her from one of their previous conversations.She may have thought that pushing herself to the limit might make her better at dealing with difficult situations, but in the end, compromising her peace didn’t make it seem worth it."I was at a dead end. You made me realize it, actually, even though I had known it for a long time.""That must mean you owe me."She laughed mockingly."What do you want? A pinch of my blood? Would that be your dinner? Is that what you want from me? Because you can't get any other human to donate to your cause?"Wes snickered."Funny. But no."Willow suddenly felt an ache in her right foot. She gas
The train's horn blared as it zipped through the tunnel, disappearing into the pitch-blackness for a brief moment before emerging into the blinding light.Willow peered out the window and observed the passing view, the dust that briefly flowed and then settled, the trees and their leaves that appeared to be waving goodbye, the farmer's fields, and one or two stray children who appeared small in her view. She observed a man standing in a field, watching the passing train. She would only ever see his silhouette, and never his face.Willow observed the inside of the train. Both her booth and the majority of the train were empty. There weren't many people on board. Once more, she peered out the window to discover a light drizzle. She recalled the discussion she had with Felicity before going out to eat.In the busy café, she and Felicity sat at a corner table for lunch."It's funny," Willow said. "When I see action movies where everyone is fighting, I wonder how they're able to pull it of
"I want you to come with me," Wes said. "We need to go somewhere."While still seated on the bed next to him, Willow gazed at nothing in particular. Can he be trusted? He seemed harmless right now but he was still a vampire and could easily be his prey. She abruptly stood up and turned to face him."What if you drink my blood and murder me? Or worse, what if you sell me to someone?" She shook her head and covered her mouth as her eyes grew wider. "I'm not going anywhere with you, sir!"Wes stared at her blankly for a second."Your severe lack of trust is frightening.""These are legitimate concerns. You'd know if you watched the news. This is how the world is, especially when you're a girl. You can’t blame me for being cautious.""And while I commend your efforts, I am not going to—" He was interrupted by a voice."Willow!" Her father called from downstairs.Willow’s eyes widened even more."Get up!" She yanked him off the bed. "Hide somewhere!""Where?" He whisper-yelled.Willow shov
"You just had to lie, didn't you?" Willow yelled as she walked on dried leaves and twigs beside Wes in the woods.They had walked from her father's house to a nearby hill and were now ascending a faintly marked path that led to the top."It's better than the truth.""Nope. Absolutely not."He stopped to look at her."What would you rather have me say? Hello, sir. I am a vampire from a hidden kingdom seeking your daughter's aid in killing my father in retaliation for killing my mother."She blinked at him twice."When you put it that way..." She spoke. "Where are we headed? What's the strategy? And you have to tell me or I'm turning around to go back home."Wes relented."If I were to put it in simple words, we have to find a magical herb that grants a wish to whoever consumes it."It seemed something straight out of a fairytale. Willow highly questioned the legitimacy of this."Something like that exists?" she skeptically asked."It has majorly been a myth."That sounds right, she tho
The witch sat in front of Wes, holding a burning incense and waving it to spread the smoke."You are to be the king someday and I owed it to Aurum."Wes shifted his weight from one side to another, disliking the politics that seemed to follow him everywhere."I will be sure to remember this."The old witch looked at Willow, soundly sleeping."Tell me something, why does it have to be this girl?"Wes looked at her peaceful sleeping face too, and before he could form an answer, she woke up with a start, feeling like she was falling down a flight of stairs. Her heart was racing and her breathing was frantic. She let out a gasp and looked at Wes and the witch."What is it?" he asked.She shook her head and sat upright."Just a weird dream." A weird ominous dream. Maybe it was a warning."I will get everything ready," the witch said before leaving the room."What is she getting ready?" Willow asked as she straightened her back.Wes got off the floor and she followed soon."What was your dr