Cassie searched for any trace of the king, even in the place Kael had warned her not to go, but she couldn't find him. Then, once again, that eerie voice called out to her.
"Cassie... Come..."
She froze, instantly alert. Kael had warned her not to touch anything, but the voice was laced with enchantment, pulling her back toward the bag.
"Stop it!" she shouted, trying to rebuke the voice, but it called out again.
"Cassie... Aren't you looking for answers..?"
Curiosity dawned on Cassie, making her move closer to the bag.
"Answers..? But... I'm not looking for one," she replied.
The voice let out a low chuckle. "I know you are... Don't you want to know why the king married you?"
"The king...? I—I know... My father sold me, and I guess he thought it was a waste, so he just married me."
The voice let out another low laugh and commanded, "Come...."
Cassie instinctively stepped toward the bag. The box inside began to glow. Curious, she opened it.
Immediately, a sharp needle shot out from the box and pierced Cassie's hand, making her scream in pain. As the needle began to draw out her blood, the pain intensified, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.
The door swung open with a loud bang, and Kael stepped in, moving with supernatural speed to Cassie's side. He grabbed her hand and yanked the needle out, causing blood to drip from her wound.
His back stiffened at the sight of her blood, but he fought to ignore his thirst. Just as the needle, now filled with Cassie's blood, tried to fly out of the open window with a loud laugh, Kaiden arrived in time, trapping it inside a shielded orb. The needle struggled, attempting to pierce the barrier and break free, but it couldn't.
"Leave!" Kaiden shouted.
Kael scooped Cassie into his arms, pressing his hand over her wound to stop the bleeding. Holding her tightly, he moved with the speed of light, carrying her out of the room.
Inside the room, Kaiden uttered an incantation with his hands outstretched. The orb burst, destroying the needle and splattering Cassie's blood onto the floor and nearby objects. Kaiden raised two fingers and swung them in the air, instantly cleaning the spilled blood. A smirk formed on his lips.
Meanwhile, Kael took Cassie to the royal clinic, where her wound was treated and bandaged. After ensuring she was safe, he excused himself from her presence. Her blood still stained his hands.
Finding a secluded corner where no one could see him, he licked the blood off his hands, his eyes glowing a deep crimson. He savored the taste it gave him a sense of satisfaction and relief from his tense mind.
After regaining control, he returned to the clinic. Cassie lay there, fragile, like glass about to shatter. The emotional trauma from the attack weighed heavily on her.
She stared blankly into space.
"How are you feeling?" Kael asked.
Cassie looked at him, her eyes welling with unshed tears. She couldn't bring herself to respond, but Kael understood she was afraid. Instead of scolding her for disobeying him, he took her hand, offering silent comfort.
"Don't worry. You'll be alright," he assured her.
She nodded. A lone tear slid down her cheek. Kael gently wiped it away, making her lips tremble.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
More tears spilled, falling onto Kael's hand, which froze on her face. He wiped away the remaining tears and withdrew his hand, staring at her for what felt like an eternity. An unsettling emotion stirred within him.
*****
Not long after, Kaidon arrived at the royal clinic to check on Cassie.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded in reply.
"You have to be more careful. They're after you... the—"
"Enough of it," Kael cut him off, shooting him a sharp side glance, warning him not to say another word.
Kaidon swallowed hard and quickly excused himself from the ward.
Kael let out a deep sigh. "When I say don't touch anything, I have my reasons... Tha—" He paused, contemplating whether to explain further but decided against it.
"I'll be right back," he said before leaving.
Kael walked directly to Kaidon's room and knocked. "Are you in?" he asked, his voice deep and firm.
"Yes, come in," Kaidon replied from inside.
Kael pushed the door open to find Kaidon hunched over a pile of books, searching for something , something only he understood the significance of.
Kael silently watched, arms crossed over his chest, his patience wearing thin as he tapped his foot.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," Kaidon said apologetically. He pulled out two chairs, offering one to Kael, but Kael was in no mood to sit.
Kaidon walked up to him, standing directly in front of him. "I'm looking for answers too," he admitted.
Kael exhaled sharply. "There seems to be an intruder… Someone is after Cassie, but the reason is unknown," he said, his voice laced with frustration.
"Yes, and I've yet to determine which clan uses that method. But it must be ancient I couldn't find any records of it in my witches' clan book or the magical tools archive," Kaidon replied.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "An ancient witch clan…" he repeated slowly. "What does that have to do with Cassie?"
"I don't know," Kaidon admitted. "But what I can tell is that we need to be more careful. Their messenger is within these walls, waiting for the right moment to strike. Cassie needs your protection."
Kael's gaze darkened, an unreadable emotion flickering within his eyes. "My protection?" he murmured before letting out a low, dangerous chuckle.
"Cassie…" he whispered, her name rolling off his lips like a sweet wine. "She's human, weak and frail. Why would she need protection from me, of all people?"
Kaidon remained silent.
Kael smirked. "Her father sold her off to pay for his sins, yet… I find her quite interesting." A sly smile played on his lips.
"Don't act like you don't have a soft spot for her," Kaidon muttered, avoiding Kael's gaze.
Kael's smirk deepened as he reached out and lifted Kaidon's chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Little wizard, are you studying me?"
Kaidon pursed his lips. "Snap out of this and stop pretending," he snapped. "This isn't a game. Every action has a purpose, and the reason they're after Cassie must be significant. If we don't act in time, they'll outsmart us."
Kael chuckled again, but this time, his eyes held a more serious emotion. "Fine. Let's be on guard," he said before turning and walking out of Kaidon's room.
*****
Elsewhere…
In a pitch-black room, a hooded figure stood before an orb that emitted a faint glow.
"Master… our plan failed. The wizard intervened and obstructed the tool's movement," the figure reported, the voice neither fully male nor female.
"Nonsense! What a waste!" an angry male voice roared from the orb, causing the figure to flinch in fear.
"I'm sorry, Master," the figure pleaded.
"I don't need your apology… Do what's necessary and eliminate the wizard," the authoritative voice commanded.
"Okay, Master," the figure replied.
The orb suddenly fell to the ground, its glow vanishing, and the room was once again swallowed by darkness.