Chapter 76


    A strange but warm sense ovees me. I look to the darkness ahead, noticing crimson eyes staring


    right at me like a flickering me. My body wants to be closer, and my mind feels like it’s going a


    hundred miles per hour. My wand glows brightly enough to see two hands grasping the bars as I


    approach, his eyes still fixed on me.


    Strangely, I hear numerous whispers in my mind at once. ‘This way,e closer. It’s okay, so


    beautiful,’ the voices say.


    Without realising it, my hand stretches out to touch his. He grips my wrist as our fingers connect, and I


    feel a slight burn on my wrist. Yiselda grabs my arm and pulls me back.


    ‘Be careful, dear, that is the Vampire King, Alec,’ she warns. Then, raising her wand, his cell lights up. I


    glimpse his ck hair and light brown eyes before he flourishes his cloak over his face and retreats.


    Texamine my wrist and notice a peculiar little mark. A strange sensation runs through my body. I shake


    it off and turn to face Alec.


    He lowers his cloak slightly enough to peer at me. He is very handsome. He looks at Yiselda.


    Could you at least dim that darn light, Yiselda?’ he sneers.


    ‘Dimulous,’ she says, and her wand dims low.


    Alec lowers his cloak and floats forward. ‘You’re so beautiful. How I would love to taste your blood,’ he


    says with a smile revealing his fangs.


    ‘Well, lucky for me, King Alec, you’re imprisoned behind these bars. I also don’t n to be on your


    menu. Sorry, you won’t get to take a bite,’ I grin.


    He gives me a curious look for a few moments.


    I don’t intend to stay in here indefinitely, Luna, his demeanour softening.


    ‘How did you figure out my name?’ I ask, stroking the blemish on my wrist. It has a peculiar warmth


    about it.


    I am Alec! Vampire King, I can figure out a lot by being in your presence, and I may have overheard


    one of the other witches call you that,’ he admits.


    I try not tough at his honesty. He smiles sweetly at me and looks over my shoulder.


    “Yiselda, we have a new guest. How about you let me out so I can give Luna here a proper warm


    wee,’ he says sincerely.


    Yiseldaughs, ‘Yeah, right, I’m going to let you out so you can flee and wreak havoc across the world


    until everyone bows to you and deres you ruler of the world,’ she scoffs.


    ‘Why not? It sounds like lots of fun to me,’ he says.


    ‘Except it’s not pleasant for everyone who dies as a result,’ she says.


    ‘Those nasty humans deserve to die for what they did to me all those years ago, King Alec says, his


    face full of rage. ‘My Juniper, my darling, sweet Juniper, he murmurs as he withdraws into the shadows.


    As I hear him sob, I frown and feel sorry for him. I have no idea who Juniper is or what happened to


    her, but I can sense what he’s going through. My heart hurts and feels as if it were a shattered ss


    that can’t be repaired. My inner self seems gloomy and empty all of a sudden. I ce my hand on my


    chest.


    “Luna, are you alright?’ Yiselda asks. I nod my head.


    I’m fine, just a little overwhelmed with Pandora’s Box and its contents,’I joke,


    “Well, now that the formalities are over and done with and the tour isplete, we shall return


    downstairs,’ Yiselda says, turning away. I go to follow her.


    Wait! Reaching out between the bars, King Alec touches my arm with his fingers. He can’t grasp me


    because I’m too far away. From where his fingers brushed against me, I feel a warm sense of sparks. I


    examine my arm, and it feels as if Magnus himself has touched me. When I look up, I notice King


    Alec’s warm smile.


    “Until we meet again, just don’t make me wait too long, my Queen, he whispers, so only I hear.


    I take a few steps backwards with a worried expression on my face. Fern grabs my hand and drags me


    behind her as she skips toward the exit. I keep returning my eyes to King Alec, and his focus does not


    leave me until we reach the opposite end of the dungeon and depart.


    Yiselda closes the door with the ward spell. As we travel down the stairwell of books, we return to the


    kitchen by entering the little corridor and walking through the other door, which happens to be therge


    mirror.


    Yiselda, using her magic, pours us another cup of tea as they converse andugh. But I’m not sure


    what it’s about since I can’t stop thinking about King Alec. I shake my head and think about Magnus


    instead. I want to be in his arms, and I need to get rid of these strange feelings.


    ‘It’s been wonderful seeing you, Yiselda, but it’s time for us to return to Shadow Crest. Will you be


    apanying us when the wolf council returns tomorrow?’ | ask.


    ‘It’s probably better if I’m there, just in case.’ She answers.


    I follow Fern, Ria,  and Lc past the chicken, cats, frogs, floating objects and the broom sweeping


    the entrance again and out the door. There is a permanently drawn circle with a star and stones inside.


    We all step in one by one. I think of home and Magnus as I step in. When I open my eyes, we appear


    near the bonfire. Reaper caws from his moon tree as I run inside the packhouse, up the stairs and into


    the office, where I wrap my arms around Magnus and kiss him.


    ‘Wee back,’ he says, ‘How was it?’


    ‘You should have seen the ce. It was more than I imagined it to be. There were strangely shaped


    hallways, a broom sweeping by itself. They even had a unicorn in the enchanted garden!’


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ‘A unicorn?’


    “Yep, her name is Star,’ I smile.


    ‘So, what about those Grim things and nightmarish creatures Yiselda mentioned?’


    I take my wrist in my hands and begin caressing the mark on it.


    ‘The Grimghouls were terrifying small creatures with razor-sharp teeth. On the other hand, the Shadow


    Reapers were difficult to spot since they resembled shadows, shaped like people. They can fuse with


    your body, causing you to have hallucinations and harm others,


    ‘They sound awful?’ Magnus says.


    ‘They were, then there was Alec, the Vampire King.’I say, pulling my wrist into my chest.


    Magnus takes my hand, extends my arm, and peers at my wrists.


    “How long have you had this tattoo? It looks like an Ankh? ‘A sword with a circle around the grip, like a


    symbol?’ he asks.


    i exarnine my wrist once more, the redness and difort have subsided, and I can now see what


    Magnus sees. It resembles an Ankh in appearance.


    I’m not sure. Alec grabbed me and


    “He did what?’ Magnus growls, abruptly standing up. ‘He did this to you?’


    1-1 don’t know. It happened so quickly. When he grabbed me, I felt a slight burn on my wrist. Then I felt


    strange and left as soon as I could


    “I’ll take you to the pack doctor,’


    ‘Magnus, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore, and I feel fine now that I’m here with you,’I assure him.


    He rxes a little,


    ‘Fine, but if you feel strange again or any pain, you let me know, okay?’ he says,


    Inod, and he ces a kiss on my forehead.


    ‘Good girl,’ he smiles.