[Bonus chapter] 45

Dedicated to all my wonderful readers. Thanks for all your love and support.I'm very sorry I haven't been able to write. I lost my father on the day I last updated and I was finding it hard to write because he has been the one encouraging me to write. I'm going to try updating again and I will be locking the book on the twenty-third of this month. I hope you can understand, I need to make money to support my mom. She has to send my sister and I to school. Thanks again for all your support 💜

***

She waited and prayed for her body to get back to itself, to get back her sense of control. She didn't want to die.

Even as she turned her back on the vampire who was slowly moving towards her as if stalking prey, she prayed someone would come soon.

For some reason, she was too scared to shout. Then when she forced herself to open her mouth to do just that, a scream came from behind her.

She fell back to the ground in shock and turned in a hurry to face the vampire.

He was on the ground struggling painfully to move past a point and it seemed he was unable to.

It was then Clarissa noticed the same markings which had been on the door. The markings were on the floor separating the vampire from her and each time the vampire tried to pass through it glowed red as if holding him back.

If the markings were to stop him from moving, how was he able to get through the door? Clarissa asked herself.

Now knowing that the vampire might not be able to pass through, she forced herself to her feet and moved backwards, away from the vampire. Still, that feeling came again. She felt the need to help him but this time she knew better than to move any closer.

She turned and ran away from the East wing, ignoring the painful sounds the vampire made. Soon she made it to the West wing and to her room where she crawled into bed and curled up into herself, afraid to fall asleep.

She willed the fear away but it wouldn't leave so easily.

At long last, when the early hours of the day arrived, her body succumbed to its weakness. She fell into a deep slumber and dreamt of things she wouldn't remember.

***

Kieran stood in front of his room and wondered if he had gone mad but he sniffed the air one more time and the scent was still there.

Clarissa.

It seemed the stubborn princess had ventured to the East wing.

He opened the door to his room and the scent was there. She entered his room as well.

He would have to deal with her later. First, he had something important to check on.

He walked into the room, pulling his coat along the way to reveal inner clothing that hugged his body, defining his muscles and packs.

Clarissa's scent clouded his senses and he found it annoying as he couldn't seem to think of anything else.

He sat on the bed and loosened the slacks on his arms as he looked around the room. He saw the markings from his dreams he had made a part of the decorations.

He still couldn't figure them out completely. All he knew was that he needed the moon kissed witch.

Another whiff of Clarissa's scent had him pulling on the string that rang directly for Dimitri a little harder than he was supposed to.

He took off his top and waited for the flood of servants who would come to attend to him.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded at his door.

" Come in," he replied, already knowing who it would be.

Dimitri stepped into the room without haste and behind him were several servants carrying what would be needed for the king to get ready for the day.

Kieran said nothing to Dimitri who quietly but efficiently supervised the servants.

When his bath was done and he was dressed in clothes he approved of, he stepped in front of the mirror to check for a flaw and found none.

" Come with me," he said, still facing the mirror but Dimitri knew he was the one Kieran addressed. " Place scented candles in the room when you're done," he ordered the servants.

They stepped out of the room and left the servants to clean up the mess they made.

" She was here. " Kieran said the second they were far enough from the servants to be heard.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, confused about what Kieran was talking about. " Who was here? "

" Our lovely guest," he replied as a different scent came to him. He didn't pause for a second but continued to another room hidden in the East wing with faster speed.

" She...you mean the princess. " Dimitri said, shocked, trying to keep pace with him.

" Obviously. " Kieran wondered who else made a visit the night before. This scent was different. It was nothing like he had ever perceived. Powerful yet familiar in a way he couldn't begin to explain.

Dimitri thought about how she could have possibly got past him. " She must have gotten in after I made one of the maids return to her room. "

Kieran stopped in front of the door. " Could this maid have gotten in? "

Dimitri shook his head " No, I made sure she went back to the servants quarters. "

Still, it wouldn't have made any sense for it to be any of the servants. There was no new servant he was aware of.

He ran his hand over the markings at the side of the door to see that it was no longer spelled.

Someone had broken his spells.

He pushed open the door to see the chains on the floor and the scent was stronger here. It reminded him of Clarissa's scent. " We had another visitor apart from the princess but it seems our visitor does not reside here. "

" That's impossible. " Dimitri replied, wide-eyed. " No one can get past the enchanted vines or the shadows guarding the front gates. You would have known that by now. "

" Well, they not only managed to get in but they also broke my spells. "

Dimitri was even more shocked.

The vampire king was the one person, magic didn't work on and no magic of any sort worked on him. So his spells couldn't be broken.

Unless it was the moon kissed witch.

" It can only be the moon kissed witch. " Dimitri said.

Kieran wondered if he would finally find her or perhaps if she had found him.

" We cannot be sure. First, let's make some confirmations. " Kieran said and then snapped his fingers. In a blink of an eye, one of the shadows he placed to guard the front gate appeared in front of him.

It knelt down and Kieran placed his hand on its head.

His eyes gradually turned dark and the red line around his eyes faded away as did the purple colour of his eyes.

A few seconds later, he removed his hand from the shadow and his eyes went back to normal.

Kieran clenched his jaw " No one entered the palace last night. Not even the vines were disturbed. That I would have felt even in my deranged state. This can only mean the moon kissed witch lives right under our noses. How can she live here and I'm yet to notice her. Her scent is unique. "

He tried to force himself to remember the events that happened the previous night but nothing came to him other than finding himself in front of the markings this morning.

Dimitri was confused. If her scent was that clear to the king then he would have been able to find out who he was easily. Unless she was hiding her scent. But no magic could have an effect on the king.

But hers.

Still, it had to be someone who recently came into the palace. Could it be the princess?

Dimitri turned to the king " Don't you find it odd that the princess has no magic? Her mother was the greatest moon blessed witch that ever lived yet she has no powers. "

" It happens sometimes. But it is weird that I couldn't see into her dreams. " Kieran replied.

He placed his hand on the door and chanted some spells to himself causing the markings to glow and hum underneath his fingers.

At the same time, he thought of the possibility of the princess being the moon kissed witch.

Was it because her powers were hidden that her scent seemed different?

It seemed the princess would finally get her wish. She would be meeting with him.

Author's note

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