Chapter 4: Trouble

Kael's POV:

"I'll go as long as I can have women to myself," Thane said, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts.

Hailey's smile returned, but it was tinged with a hint of warning. "Of course, Thane, I will. We're on good terms with the vampire kingdom. I won't be giving you any of my family, though." Her aura turned chilly with the last sentence, a subtle reminder of the boundaries she had set.

Thane just chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I don't care, not like witches can last well in bed with me either." He licked his lips, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. If I weren't a male, I would have definitely fallen for Thane's charms.

But then, something clicked in my mind. "Wait, did you get laid with a witch?" I asked, my voice laced with surprise.

Thane's grin grew wider. "Well, almost. She disguised herself as a vampire." He shot a sly glance at Hailey. "You better warn your sisters not to try that, or they might just find themselves in a world of trouble."

Hailey's expression turned stern, her voice firm. "I will, Thane. They are rebellious, knowing my time will soon be up. I'll make sure to correct that behavior."

I wondered how a witch had managed to deceive Thane, a vampire with sensitive hearing that could detect the heartbeat of his own kind. Vampires didn't have a heartbeat, their hearts were practically dead, making it easier to identify one another. How had this witch managed to silence her heartbeat and fool Thane? The question lingered in my mind, a puzzle waiting to be solved.

"We'll help you, then," I said with a smile, and Hailey's face lit up with a warm smile in return.

Suddenly, a golden substance hurtled towards me. As it reached me, it stopped glowing, and I took it. To my surprise, it was a golden dove in the form of a whistle.

"Once you blow that whistle, I'll quickly transport you to the witches' realm, and they won't be able to find you," Hailey assured me.

I stared deeply into her brown eyes, searching for any hint of uncertainty. "Are you sure it will work?"

"Of course, Kael," she replied, her voice filled with conviction. "It only works once, though. I just hope I have enough strength to do so before my time runs out. I'll also go in search of the new witch queen so I can lecture her before I leave."

Thane bowed respectfully. "We won't let you down, Your Highness."

Hailey's expression turned into pleading. "Please don't. I want the book in my possession before I die, so please bring it back safely."

I knew then that the task we had just received would require our utmost effort and dedication.

After hours of planning and equipping ourselves, we managed to grab the book unnoticed. I didn't mention that I can camouflage myself, making myself invisible - a useful benefit of being a water demon. However, on my way out, I was spotted, and that's how the chase began.

We found ourselves in the midst of a mountain in North Xeridia, where I had collapsed after an unknown duration of sleep. I had passed out to purge the poison from my body, a necessary step to regain my strength. Our capture was a result of my inability to wield my water powers and the fact that our pursuers were armed with black magic.

Rumors had circulated months prior about a human in Xeridia who possessed knowledge of dark magic, causing an imbalance in the land and prompting many demons to flee or seek employment with Lucifer. It was clear that this human was not in their right mind to be performing such sinister acts.

Thane's voice broke through my thoughts, urging me to move. "We're just a few miles from the gate, buddy." Though he may have seemed encouraging, I knew I was ten times stronger than him, and he was well aware of this fact. My only concern was finding a way to quickly eliminate the poison coursing through my veins. I was fortunate to have avoided being shot in my back or legs; if that had been the case, our situation would be hopeless.

"I know, but can't we just blow the damn whistle?" I groaned, frustration evident in my voice.

Thane reminded me, "You know we can't, Kael. We have to get to the gate to use it, or we might end up killing Hailey." I realized then that we couldn't use the whistle until we reached the gate.

Thane tried to encourage me, "So cheer up, buddy. We're not alone, just a little bit farther." But I stumbled and fell, the poison coursing through my veins once more. "It's back... I couldn't remove it completely due to the spot. It's making me drowsy... How about I sleep for a few minutes?" I suggested, my vision blurring.

Thane's expression turned stern. "Are you crazy? We'll be caught, and that human might have mastered the Gael spell by now. They'll use it against us! Cheer up and let's keep running!" He scolded, pulling me up by the waist to keep me steady as we continued our escape.

Just as we neared the gate, another group of soldiers appeared, surrounding us. Thane muttered, "How did they get here so fast?" The general and the human emerged from the soldiers, standing a few feet away from us.

"What a pathetic half-ling you two are," the general sneered, his gaze fixed on the spell book in my possession. "Just hand over the book, Kael, and we'll leave you be." He attempted to persuade me, but I knew better. I was certain he would drag us back to the castle's dungeon and subject us to a lifetime of torture, culminating in a miserable death by Gael magic. I refused to accept such a fate.

Thane cursed under his breath, and I chuckled, knowing he detested the general even more than I did. Who wouldn't? The general was a ruthless man, responsible for nearly tearing Xeridia apart a few centuries ago. His actions were etched in the annals of history, a stark reminder of his merciless nature.

"You've chosen to side with those weaklings," the general continued, his voice dripping with disdain. "I'm sure they'll finish you off before you even realize what's happening." He took a step closer, his eyes fixed on the spell book. "Don't come any closer, or I'll tear out the pages," I threatened, noticing the flicker of fear in the black magician's eyes. When she removed her head covering, I saw that it was a woman. Thane whispered in my ear, "I would have...her if she wasn't after our heads." I shook my head, amazed that even in this precarious situation, Thane could still find room for his frivolous thoughts.

The general remained calm, "Well, don't tear the pages, then." My eyes scanned our surroundings, searching for any signs of a sneak attack. My vision was blurry, but I knew the general was plotting something. I just couldn't quite see it yet.

"I'll say 'now,' and you blow the whistle, got it? I'm sure Hailey has found the new queen by now," I muttered to Thane, and he nodded in understanding.

Just then, I sensed the ominous aura of a sneak attack. The general's eyes flickered, and I knew he had given someone a signal. "Come on, if you return the book, we'll make you the guardians of the book. Please, let go," he pleaded, his voice laced with deceit.

Almost immediately, I felt an arrow hurtling towards us. "Now!" I yelled, and Thane blew the whistle without hesitation. A sudden force pulled us into a hole, and everything went black as I lost consciousness.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar place. To my relief, I could feel my body at its full power once again. I searched for Thane and found him closer to the shore. "Is this the witches' kingdom?" I asked, approaching him.

"No, it's the humans' realm," he replied with a shrug.

I gazed at the book with animosity and anger, wondering what our next move should be. "So what now?" I asked Thane.

He ruffled my hair, trying to cheer me up, I suppose. I moved back a little, then glared at him. "You sense that, don't you?" I asked, noticing the almost imperceptible movement. He smirked, acknowledging that he too felt the presence.

"You can come out now; I know you're there," I said, looking backward. A figure finally emerged from the shadows, and I recognized one of the witches who had accompanied Hailey.

"What do you want?" Thane asked gruffly. We may have liked the witches' queen, but that didn't mean we had a fondness for the witches themselves.

The witch remained silent, her eyes fixed on the book. "What do you want?" I repeated, my hand instinctively reaching for the book before hesitating. "Well, Queen Hailey asked me to retrieve the book," she replied, her gaze still fixed on the tome.

I nodded, about to hand it over, but something made me retract my offer.