Betrayed

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CHAPTER 2

His eyes widened with shock as he coughed hard again, this time he covered his lips with his hand and pulled back from her.

Feeling a liquid on his palm, Xanth pulled his palm away from his mouth only to come face to face with…

"Black blood!"

0_0

He looked back up at her, hoping for some help, but what a shocker when he saw the sinister smile registered on her face. As quickly as it came, it disappeared and all that remained was a cold exterior of her.

The look she gave him was one void of life, love happiness and passion.

He was flabbergasted. What had happened to the eyes full of life he looked at only a few seconds ago?

"Dione… help." He coughed hard again. Each time he did a seething pain course through him one that felt as though his life force was being eaten at a fast pace.

"What…" He was trying to figure out what was going on. He racked his brain to find an answer but found none. "How did you? We ate the same meal," he voiced out after some time.

"Did we?" she said with utmost boredom. "Look again."

He peeled his gaze from hers and even though they ate from the same plate, he did not detect anything in the food so why and how could she or when?

He was finding it difficult to come to terms with things in his mind. "When?"

Seeing the difficulty, she decided to help him.

"Your cake Xanth. Your cake."

"But you should know ordinary poison does not affect me, so why? Is this a joke?"

"Do I look like I am joking?"

He frowned at her reply then thought of something. "Besides, why didn't I feel anything after eating the cake?"

"You did not feel anything because the wine was poisoned too. Your cake was baked with silver poisonous power but when imbibed in substances like a meal, it can only work when a particular wine is given too. Eating both would create the absolute deadly poison that can take out even the strongest Vampire."

Rather than being angry at her, a pure and genuine smile enveloped his face. "Is that so? Hmm, I wonder why though, I could tell that your love for me was true."

"Because of your blood and what you possess. With you out of the way, the ultimate power would be mind and my kin. Die Xanth and do not hold it in."

She was right, he was holding back his tears. He felt so hurt and betrayed but what more could he do.

At this point he knew his life was hanging by a thread and the more he talked while trying to figure out things, the more he used up so much strength left in him.

He felt bitter, pained and sore but no matter what, he could not bring himself to hate her or say hurtful words to her.

"I loved you, my Dione. How could power rule over our love?"

"Love? Love is overrated and for the weak. In this life, only the strong survive."

"I still love you until the end of time." At that moment he felt the very life force fire within him quench and with it, the last breath of his wonderful life.

Watching as he took his last breath away, she bent down and yanked the golden key chain away from his neck. "Finally, you are mine. No one ever can stop me."

Not too far from where they were, the bush rustled till the hidden being came out.

He had somehow managed to be there when he saw the Vampire King and Moon goddess share a drink and then all that transpired.

'No… It cannot be.' He thought, looking at the scene with shocked filled eyes. 'She killed him and now, she heads for the gem. I must warn the others.'

With his thought set, he took to his heels, running for their city.

Getting up, she cast one last look at Xanth and then at the forest before looking towards the cliffside and disappearing away into the night. 'No one can stop me.'

By the time the young Vampire arrived at the city, he rushed with all he got to inform the council and quickly everyone made their way to the dome where the gem was kept only to find the entrance open, dead soldiers on the ground and the gem was gone.

"Quickly, let us go find his majesty's body in the forest."

With no other thing to do, they rushed back to the forest where it had transpired only to meet someone hovering over the body of the king.

"There he is and…" the young vampire became speechless upon seeing the person there by the King's side.

"What is it, Logan? Speak," one of the council members ordered.

"She… she… is back!" His eyes looked like he had seen a ghost. He shook in his bones as he recalled the cold expression on her face while she did what she did.

At the same time, the person hovering over their king turned around due to the disturbance. With eyes full of tears, she gazed at the confused people but did not say anything.

"You, betrayer! How dare you still show your face here."

"What? What are you talking about? Quickly, come and help me, he is dying," Diana cried.

"Dying? You killed him. He is dead, lost forever, never to be awoken, you made sure of it."

"What are you talking about? I would never do such a thing. I love him. I just arrived here and met him like this."

"Deny it all you want goddess. We know you for who you really are now. It is a shame King Xanth saw the real you after you killed him," a second elder yelled in anger.

"No. I never did. Believe me. I can never kill him. I love him."

All her pleas went to deaf ears but no one believed her. Just to prove her innocence, she left him and went towards them to plead with them but they would not listen still.

"I think we need to kill her to pay her back for what she has done. Death to the murderer!"

"No!"

They fought her on, but she did not attack them as she tried not to hurt them. But they charged on with more force and anger.

"No. I swear I did not do it," she pleaded.

At that same moment, some of the werewolves arrived and saw their goddess being attacked.

Not knowing the full story they joined in and fought on her behalf.

"My Lady, we received word from your maid and rushed here, are you okay? You, you have the nerves attacking her," a werewolf roared.

"You wolves are alike. Do you think we do not know what she did? She killed our king and stole his key chain just so she could gain access to the gem of life to give you all immortality. It is not today we know your race has been jealous of us."

"Absurd. What a useless and baseless accusation. Turn back now and we won't hurt you but take one more step and we would put an end to you."

"Over my dead body, wolves. Today you meet your end."

The clash of swords continued with lives being lost as more cries pierced into the night sky. In all Diana was devastated and sauntered towards Xanth's body on the ground.

"My love, it is my fault. I never should have come to the mortal realm. I would leave and never return."

In pain and anguish, she carried him in her arms, cast one sadder glance at the scene. Without a word to neither of them, she turned around and disappeared with his body forever.

"The moon witch is gone! Kill them all, do not let anyone of them escape. They must pay!"