Chapter 222

Chapter 222: Chapter 222

"What is this I hear about you going up against the High Coven?" Lady Mildrede stormed in.

Aylin had been sitting on her bed, lost in thought, now she straightened up, her expression brightened despite Mildrede’s incensed expression.

The Vampire witch was usually cold and strict, this was the first time she was practically brimming with fury.

"They made the first move," Aylin huffed, her eyes softening when she looked at Mildrede. "So did you come to stay? Will you stay?"

Mildrede’s black hair was blown wild, her skin akin to marble. "Why haven’t you grown wiser with age?" She asked icily, not expecting an answer. "If you have grown bored with running a Kingdom then come with me. We could even travel the world a handful of times."

Aylin lowered her red eyes, her thoughts distant. "It is only right that I finish what I began."

Mildrede lingered at the door, so infuriated that her teeth ached. She worried that if she went closer to Aylin, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from shaking some sense into her.

"But it was never yours to start in the first place," Her anger broke, her cold voice taking on a pleading quality. "You’re not indestructible like the Montesserat. Only death awaits you at the end of this path you walk."

Aylin lifted her head and smiled, and in the moment, the candlelight washed over her face, returning some of the vitality from when she was once human. "I’ve died once before, it doesn’t scare me."

Mildrede’s feet took her closer to the obstinate younger Vampire, her heart had gone cold for several centuries but it seemed to revive for a moment just so that she could feel the excruciating pain that lanced through her.

"So will you stay?" Aylin repeated coyly, her smile never fading.

Mildrede watched with distraught red eyes as Aylin took her hand and swung it from side to side slightly, a habit she fell into when she was trying to coerce her.

"And..." Mildrede trailed off to hide the trembling in her voice. "And if you don’t return?"

Aylin rose to her feet then, her smile changing into a grin, never letting go of Mildrede’s hand all the while. "Of course, I’ll return." She reassured her. "And when I do, we can travel the world. I’ve ruled Alderth for well over two hundred years, I’ve grown weary of the crown."

An inferno blazed in Mildrede’s eyes as she stared down at the beautiful face of the Vampire in front of her. Aylin’s short life had been rife with suffering and duty, she hadn’t lost her heart when she was turned, instead, she had dug it out and offered it to a Vampire who looked right through her.

She didn’t have divination magic, but even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to check Aylin’s fate. Her hope would be her final weakness, one she would cling to with desperation.

"Hmph," She scoffed coldly but her heart wasn’t in it. "If you don’t return, I’ll raze Alderth to the ground."

Aylin threw herself at the Vampire witch, hugging her tightly in a rare physical show of emotion. "They aren’t worth the effort." She said lightly as she pulled away, her white blonde hair sweeping underneath Mildrede’s dark red eyes.

"When do you leave?" Mildrede asked, her voice as empty as her eyes.

"Tonight," Aylin walked off to place her veil over her face, affixing it in place with a crown. "I didn’t want to leave without speaking to you."

Mildrede didn’t move even though she wanted to restrain Aylin from leaving in some way, a hand on her wrist, a magic spell... anything.

Aylin didn’t bother with goodbyes, she would return in a few nights or less after all, there was no need.

Mildrede caught one last glimpse of that youthful face and eyes that held defiance right before Aylin left in a flurry of white-gold and red.

The Vampire witch stood stiffly in the empty robe, her black robe swirling around her, covering her equally black dress. She stood for hours, painting a despondent picture, the candles around her burning down as the room grew dimmer and dimmer.

-+-

The journey through Dellmont had been peaceful, winter lending most towns and cities a sleepy air. By the time they arrived at the outskirts of the country, spring had come.

The peaks of the mountains were still snow-capped, but everywhere else was green, colorful flowers and shrubbery giving the mountain pass a fantastical air.

There was a line of carriages traveling through the mountain pass, inns dotted the vast valley, businesses established solely to cater to the travelers passing through the mountains.

It had been a little over two weeks since they departed from Dewmire, and in another two they would have arrived at Eynsworth. The most difficult part of the journey had arrived.

The entrance into the mountain pass was uphill, so it took twice as long to make it to the top, so much so that some were forced to descend from their carriages to lighten the load.

It was a little matter to the occupants of Dulce’s carriage however, in a heartbeat, they were all at the top, and as the horses that drew their carriage were thoroughbreds, they made the journey in less than half the usual time, continuing on.

At the heart of the mountain pass, there was a sudden thunderstorm, one that lasted for a full day and then some, halting every single traveler in their tracks.

But afterwards, the rest of the journey continued with great weather. The warmth of the spring sun suffused everything, chasing away the winter chill.

Eynsworth was a lively city, made even more so by the western magical institution entrance exams. The entirety of the north of the city was home to magic, they were even acknowledged by the humans living in the city with them.

It was evident that they had arrived at their destination because they were shops openly selling charms and magical ingredients. Spellcasting was banned in public spaces but that didn’t limit charms, fireworks going off in one corner, and live vines rapidly covering buildings in another.

There was little to see in the mountain pass, nothing but rocks and plants, but right here in Eynsworth, it was a feast for the eyes.

Caedos placed Dulce on his legs so that the Vampire could get a better look through the window, his hazel eyes alternating between the noisy view outside and the intrigued Vampire in his arms.

With Dulce’s wealth, it was easy to book an inn close to the institution. The sights they had seen couldn’t compare to the magnificent building.

It was a sprawling castle, covered by a translucent shield, so not just anyone could waltz into one of the four institutions of magic in the world.

Because aspiring applicants came from every corner of the west, the entrance exams were a fortnight long. So it had already begun when they rode into the city late in the afternoon.

They would spend the night at an inn and then make their way down to the institution first thing in the morning so that Dulce could take the test.

The inn was surprisingly non-magical, heads turning to them as soon as Dulce stepped through the door.

"Mages can see right through us," Asael reminded even as the barkeep slipped out from behind the counter to personally attend to them.

"Here for the entrance exams?" The barkeep only addressed Dulce, eyeing the four of them warily.

"Yes," Dulce answered nervously, saying nothing more. It was a unique situation, where possibly everyone could right away tell that his companions were all Demons. "Could we be led up to our rooms?"

The barkeep nodded, "Come with me."

The entrance exams had brought strange figures from far and wide, but the sight of a Demon was actually a first. The barkeep couldn’t restrain himself from glancing over a shoulder in an attempt to try to recognize the young wizard.

Demons hadn’t been summoned in centuries, but there was no telling if that applied to mages from the powerful families. Perhaps the delicate-looking wizard was a young master from one such family...

The barkeep glanced over a shoulder again, careful to avoid eye contact with the intimidating Demons. Summoning four at once was of a magnitude he couldn’t comprehend, perhaps the Demons belonged to elders in his family, sent along with him to keep him safe.

"Your rooms, sir." He cleared his throat to say. "If you require anything, simply ring the bell with magic and a server will be right up."

Dulce kept a straight face at the barkeep’s words, he was supposed to try to blend in with mages. "Right," He muttered, stepping into the room deep in thought about how exactly one was to go about ringing a bell with magic.

The barkeep froze in shock when all four Demons trailed after the young master, loyal to a fault. Wishing that he had hastily made himself scarce as their dangerous stares swept over him.