CHAPTER FIVE
5
Morwenna
Calm. One word. Four letters.
I took a deep breath.
Yeah, deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths, Morwenna. I am calm, I am calm, I am... I trailed off from the mantra in my head.
I was never good at self-talk, but today I guess I had to give it a try.
Today, Theresa wanted me to be calm, which was, in fact, the opposite of how I felt. I was anything but calm, collected, or capable of keeping quiet. Instead, I was the opposite of what Mom and Theresa desperately wanted me to be.
For instance, Theresa was soft-spoken. It didn’t mean she was soft, but according to Mom, she was supposed to be soft-spoken. However, if you ever saw Theresa get angry, you’d better be prepared to run. Then there was me, none of those things. Mom favored Theresa over me, even though she was the oldest. But now that I was in big trouble, I knew I had to try to be two things: calm, calm...
But the moment I stepped foot into the so-called castle of the Vimics, the air that greeted me was dark and cold. Even the clouds seemed to agree, looming dark and chilling me to the core.
You might think it was because it was night, but I doubted it. It might be nighttime, but it should be around 5 or 6 a.m. by now, and the dark clouds should be clearing up. Yet they weren’t. This place, this castle I was in, was the epitome of all things dark and filled with dark magic. It was as if I could smell enchantments lingering in the air.
Not because I’m psychic or anything, but I’ve learned to differentiate between a lighter atmosphere and a darker one. And this one, I could smell the dark magic. Witches were around here, or perhaps there was one nearby.
So I repeated the mantra again in my head: I am calm, I am...
I stopped mid-word when the gates of the castle opened, and I was greeted with darkness. The only light came from fireflies, their bioluminescence imprisoned within a glass box. Once again, I sensed it... magic. Witchcraft was clearly at play here. It felt as though I could even hear the whispers of ghosts. Were the dead present in this place? I clutched my bag, now crossed over my chest, tighter, trying to maintain my composure.
We stopped walking as Theresa, the other vampire guards, and I reached the castle’s door. One of the guards entered the palace, presumably to inform their master of our arrival.
As we waited, the sound of ghostly screams echoed in my mind. Theresa and the other guards seemed unfazed, as if they were accustomed to such darkness. But I wasn’t. I hoped I wasn’t the only one experiencing this unsettling cacophony in my head.
Then, I felt a touch on my shoulder. “You’ll be fine... just leave the talking to me and follow my lead,” Theresa said. There was nothing particularly heartwarming about Theresa’s reassurance. As usual, she had to clean up my messes. Now, facing the lord of the vampires, Theresa would be the one doing all the talking. She knew better than to let me speak, knowing it would only lead to trouble.
So all I have to do is follow Theresa’s lead, and I’ll be out of this daunting castle, the heart of the Vimic estate itself. It’s as if this castle alone is three times the size of my entire neighborhood combined.
I repeated the mantra again in my head: deep breaths, deep breaths...
As the grand doors groaned open, I was met with the darkest sight imaginable: pure blackness.
Not only was the exterior shrouded in darkness and dark magic, but the interior was even worse.
The only source of light came from thousands of candles, giving the impression that the palace was as vast as the sky itself.
The candles floated in the air, another example of dark magic at work.
It seemed someone with a talent for casting spells was behind it all, and I couldn’t help but feel a chill down my spine.
Theresa, on the other hand, appeared unfazed by the darkness. She strode confidently into the castle, and I followed closely behind, with the vampires trailing behind like macabre shadows.
As I walked, my eyes wandered, taking in the sight of the candles suspended in midair.
Surprisingly, there were no echoes of ghostly screams that had haunted me at the entrance.
Yet, the darkness held its own brand of menace.
Lost in my thoughts, I accidentally collided with Theresa’s back, causing me to recoil.
I ran my fingers through my unruly brown hair, which had grown back to shoulder-length despite my recent trim. I preferred short hair, finding it less distracting, but my mom insisted I grow it out, hoping it would help me appear more feminine. In her eyes, my preference for baggy clothes and short hair was a rebellion against womanhood. Yet, no matter how many times I cut it short, it always grew back quickly, much to my frustration. It was a constant reminder of my unconventional appearance, something I had inherited from birth.
As I adjusted my hair, a voice, likely belonging to one of the vampire guards, interrupted my thoughts: “My Lord, the intruder...”
The unexpected introduction caught me off guard, and I knew they were referring to me. It seemed they had been anticipating my arrival. Did this mean they were planning to kill me now that I was here?
Okay, Morwenna. Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths... I repeated the mantra to myself, trying to calm my nerves. Theresa had assured me she had everything under control, so I needed to trust her. But the cold, dark atmosphere did little to soothe my nerves.
Theresa dropped to her knees on the ornate rug covering the floor, lowering her head. “My Lord,” her soft voice addressed someone unseen, “Brothers of Sin, my princes!” I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle at her choice of words. “Brothers of Sin” sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. More like some macabre pantheon of cardinal vices? I quickly composed myself, suppressing any further laughter bubbling up inside me. Ignoring my rebellious throat, I focused on Theresa’s next words.
Theresa continued, “I brought my sister here as you instructed...” Her words made it clear she was referring to me. Then, she whispered for me to kneel. Kneeling was something I struggled with, especially when it felt like surrendering to my enemies.
“You mean the thief...” A voice spoke, sounding different from what I expected, unfamiliar to my senses. For a moment, I hesitated, debating whether to kneel or not. There was no way I would bow to them. Then, the same voice continued, likely one of the Brothers of Sin, “And how dare you, thief, not kneel in front of the king and princes of sin!”
The voice, belonging to one of the princes of sin, tried to instill fear in me, but it had the opposite effect. The mention of the prince of sins only made me feel defiant.
“Oh, my apologies to my sister...” Theresa intervened, coming to my rescue once again. Her whispered plea reached me, her jaw clenched as we stood side by side. She was on her knees, but I remained standing. “Kneel, Morwenna,” she urged.
“Kneel to your masters, thief!” The voice persisted, and I couldn’t help but scoff at the word “masters.” They would never truly be my masters. While Theresa might be working for one of the Brothers of Sin, that didn’t make them my master. This was the stubbornness and pride Theresa warned me about. If I continued to resist, my chances of leaving here alive might diminish.
Reluctantly, I complied with Theresa’s request.
As I began to kneel, a commanding voice echoed from the throne room, sending shivers down my spine. “Up!” The voice boomed, a single, powerful word.
Unsure whether it was directed at me or Theresa, I glanced at her. She remained kneeling, her head bowed. However, the voice was unmistakable—it was him, the man I met before, the one I despised.
His voice, usually charming and seductive, now carried a cold authority that silenced even the Brothers of Sin. Could he be the owner of the Vimic’s estate, the king of the vampires, the lord of the Vimics’? I had never seen his face, despite glimpsing the other Brothers of Sin when they delivered messages to the mayor. I had assumed there were only seven brothers, corresponding to the seven sins, but now it seemed there was an eighth.
I gasped, realizing it was him—the face I had seen before.
Theresa rose from her knees, still bowing her head, and I followed suit. I couldn’t believe I had actually knelt, but I’d do anything to escape this place. The castle fell into silence until Theresa spoke up.
“On behalf of my sister, I’ll return what she stole from you, my Lord...” Theresa began, then turned to me. “Bring it, bring what you stole!”
“I don’t have it!”
“You don’t have it? Are you out of your mind or joking right now...? Bring it, Morwenna!” Theresa whispered through clenched teeth, her frustration evident in her voice.
“I’m not joking... I didn’t steal anything, and I don’t know what you’re talking about...”
“Don’t start with this again!” Theresa whispered, her frustration palpable.
Being accused of something I know nothing about is something I loathe. I thought I was here simply because, you know, the so-called lord of the Vampires wanted to see me or something like that, not to be accused of theft. Screw them.
“It seems like you sisters both have a problem!” remarked the lord of the vampires, overhearing our hushed whispers.
“No-Nothing, my Lord!” Theresa forced a smile, though I could tell it was fake.
“Well...” he continued, his gaze now fixed on me, “Where are the items you stole from me?”
“I didn’t steal from you!” I whispered to myself, refusing to say it aloud to his face. But then I heard him command, “Check her bag!” My breath hitched as one of the guards approached, hand outstretched for my bag. I hesitated, fearing violence, but Theresa’s expression urged compliance. Reluctantly, I handed over my bag, and the guard scattered its contents on the ground.
I knew they wouldn’t find anything incriminating because among the scattered items were my notebook, which I always carried for writing, my trusty camera, my small laptop that I had saved up for, and... a jade pendant with a customized necklace. There were two items—the one I was accused of stealing. My eyes widened in horror, my breath catching in my throat.
“Ohhh, will you look at that...” remarked one of the brothers of sin, “she did steal!”
“No, no, no, no, no!” I exclaimed, my voice trembling. “That’s not me. I didn’t steal anything, honestly,” I insisted.
“Oh, really. That’s not what the contents of your bag say,” remarked the same brother of sins who wouldn’t stop talking. He was one of the seven brothers who always seemed to have too much to say.
“Please understand. I would never steal from you. Never!” I pleaded.
“But you stole from the Vimics, and you must pay the price!” he insisted.
I glanced at Theresa, whose face hung low, unable to meet my gaze. She seemed speechless.
“My Lord, pl—”
“Don’t beg for second chances, your sister, the thief, the trespasser, must pay the pri—”
“Cassian, that’s enough!” The voice I recognized all too well interrupted his brother’s incessant words. I dared to look up and saw him seated on his throne, separated from his brothers. He exuded power and glory from his elevated position. I quickly looked away, not wanting to indulge in fantasies about how magnificently handsome he looked on his throne.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. “Get it together, Morwenna,” I whispered to myself. I shouldn’t be thinking about him, especially when the ultimate price they talked about was death.
“Woman...” his voice cut through the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind, and then he inquired, “What’s your name?”
I fought back a scoff. Surely he knew. This little game of his was wearing thin.
Taking a steadying breath, I offered, “I am Morwenna Petrova, the second daughter of Alina Petrova,” My voice felt stilted, overly formal. Did he think I was playing a name game? Theresa’s stern expression told me this wasn’t the time for amusement, but I wasn’t joking. Still, to avoid further complications, I clarified, “Morwenna. With an ‘M’.”
“Morwenna,” he echoed, the name rolling off his tongue like aged whiskey before he continued, “Have we crossed paths before, Morwenna Petrova?” Gods, of course we’d met! But I swallowed it down.
“I’m uncertain... I haven’t encountered you at any public gatherings, but I doubt we’ve had a face-to-face meeting,” I replied cautiously, my mind racing. Then, a fleeting thought crossed my mind. “Well... I have encountered your brothers in sinful acts, indulging in illicit activities involving humans and their blood.”
The last part was a silent murmur, a secret tucked away in the vault of my mind. There was no way I’d utter those accusations aloud. Trouble enough had found me already.
A low, sinister chuckle escaped his lips, followed by his remark, “You certainly have nerve, Morwenna Petrova.”
He must have intercepted my thoughts. Can all vampires hear my inner monologue? Well, they are supposed to, but it seems he caught it particularly sharp and clear.
Ugh! That’s a blatant invasion of privacy right there.
Feeling compelled, I forced out an apology, uttering the two words I detested, “I’m sorry if my words offended you...” My jaw clenched as I added, “even though they were the truth,” once again murmuring those words under my breath. Goodness, Morwenna, you’re only digging yourself deeper into trouble now. He must have heard it, considering he can hear my thoughts. So, I swiftly shifted the conversation to the matter at hand, “I apologize for taking your valuables,” I said, keeping my gaze fixed on the ground where the stolen jade pendant lay. If I had known about it, I might have sold it on the black market and fled to a vampire-free city. But that’s wishful thinking, as vampires are everywhere in every city, every town. There’s no escape, especially not from the most powerful clan – the Vimics.
My eyes then drifted to a raven-like necklace with a sculpted ‘V’ and a raven motif. It appeared ordinary to me, so I dismissed it. I couldn’t have stolen it, could I? Was I framed by him? Realizing the possibility, I added, “even though you were the one who planted it there.”
To my surprise, those words didn’t just stay whispers in my mind; they came out bluntly from my lips. And that’s when one of the brothers of sin, a different one this time, decided to speak up.
“Did you just attempt to accuse the lord of theft when it was you?!” one of them exclaimed, prompting a flurry of whispers among all seven. If that’s the number.
“The nerve of her!” another directed his words at the eldest brother, the lord of the vampires himself. “This is why you shouldn’t show mercy, brother. Look at how disrespectful she is to you. Just end her life. Give the command, brother. It’s been too long since we had a true blood meal, anyway!” His words sent a chill down my spine as I realized their intentions. Of course, they were going to feed on me.
Then Theresa spoke up, pleading, “Oh, my Lord, please forgive her. I assure you, she didn’t realize what she was saying.” Theresa’s head hung lower, her posture accustomed to such supplication.
Following suit, I lowered my head, though not as deeply as Theresa. “Oh, I apologize as well...” I forced out the words, though one of the brothers of sin still felt the need to interject with a complaint.
“Don’t you have any respect? Address him with the proper respect!” chastised the brother who persistently referred to the supposed king of the vampires as ‘brother.’ Yes, they were related, but why not address him with the respect he deserves? I resisted the urge to scoff and remained silent.
“Um...” I exhaled softly, my head still bowed. “I apologize, um...” I trailed off, struggling to recall his name. What was it again? I had heard it from Theresa’s lips before, but it escaped me now.
As if sensing my lapse in memory, he interjected, “Draven!” His voice sent a shiver down my spine. Yes, that was his name, but hearing it felt like a reprimand. He read my thoughts again!
“Oh...” I muttered softly to myself, though I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t hear it. “I apologize, Draven,” I finally conceded, swallowing my pride to offer the apology. But it seemed my attempt at reconciliation only elicited another rude remark from one of his brothers.
“You’re just going to call him Draven? He’s the king, your lord, your master, and you address him by his first name.” Another wave of frustration washed over me. Here we go again.
I just want to apologize and move on, but each attempt is met with rude remarks from his brothers. He’s certainly not my king, lord, or master. Perhaps to Theresa, his Brothers of Sin, the witches, the mayor of Chimera City, and the fearful citizens, but not to me. One word echoes in my mind for his chatty brother: shut up. But I can’t utter it aloud.
I swallowed another breath. I can’t believe I have to apologize again. How many times must I say the words I don’t want to utter, only to have them find faults in my apologies? Who knows, they might demand I address Draven with yet another grand title I refuse to acknowledge.
“I’m sorry, Lord...” I force out, lips tightening in resistance. Okay, Morwenna, swallow your pride and say the words. “I am sorry, almighty Lord Draven!” I add, injecting my own touch of authority. His brothers seem pleased that I address him with respect. Why not add my own spin to it? Thankfully, my words didn’t carry sarcasm or a hint of scoff, despite how much I enjoy both at times.
My words elicit a small chuckle from him, one that dances between light and dark, though if I had to choose, it leans toward the dark side.
At least none of his brothers of sin complain.
Then Theresa broke the tense silence, saying, “On behalf of my sister, I’d like to return these items.” She knelt down to gather the spilled belongings, including the jade pendant and the raven necklace I’d rather not dwell on, before standing up and approaching Draven. I won’t be addressing him as Lord Draven in my thoughts except for sarcastic purposes.
“No,” Draven interjected, “I want her to give it to me herself. After all, she was the one who stole from me, so it should be her to return it.”
Theresa glanced at me before walking over, and as I lifted my head, she handed me the items— the jade pendant and the raven necklace. In a whisper only we could hear, she cautioned, “Don’t do anything stupid.” I carefully balanced the items in my hand, feeling their unexpected weight, and resolved to heed Theresa’s advice. I couldn’t afford to make any foolish decisions, despite my inclination to do so.
With determination, I made my way towards him, crossing the stairs that separated him from his subjects.
Each step felt like an eternity, my legs growing weak and tired. I couldn’t imagine traversing these stairs repeatedly.
Finally, I reaching the top, I gasped at the sight of him – enthroned, radiating power and an unsettling chill. Was it dark magic? Perhaps my nerves were getting the better of me. Witches sensed dark magic, not a Chimeran like myself. More likely, it was just the vampire’s natural coldness.
Drawing a shaky breath, I stopped a respectful distance from the throne. I can’t believe I was doing this. Lowering my head, I prepared myself for what lay ahead.
“Behold the necklaces worth a billion that I, who cannot afford such extravagance, stole from his almighty highness, Lord Draven!” I said, my voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm that I quickly suppressed. “I present what I stole to you, my Lord,” I added, ensuring my tone was respectful to avoid landing myself in further trouble.
He chuckled as he reached out his hand for me to hand over the items.
Reluctantly, I glanced up, avoiding his charming sun-colored eyes, and handed them to him, maintaining a cautious distance.
Instead of taking the items from my hand, he seized my arm, the one holding the necklaces, and pulled me closer to him as he sat upon his throne.
As he rose from his seat, his towering height loomed over me. Was he really that tall? I’m 5’5”, but standing before him, I felt incredibly short.
“I was waiting for you,” he whispered, and suddenly, the world around us seemed to freeze. Time stopped, the chatter ceased, and everyone around us stood frozen in place. Once again, he had exerted his power to manipulate the environment. Before I could process what was happening, the jade pendant necklace vanished from my hand, disappearing like dust. Wait, it vanished. That was magic— dark magic.
I thought vampires didn’t have magic, but as he swung the raven necklace in front of me like a pendulum, I realized he was doing magic right before my eyes.
Maybe he’s not just a vampire, maybe he’s part wizard too. That would explain the floating candles lighting up his dark palace.
His fingers released my hand, lingering on my face as he tilted my jaw to meet his unreal, sunny-colored eyes.
I tried to resist his charm, repeating “I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.” in my head, but he heard it, reading my mind and making me feel even more vulnerable.
A giggle escaped his lips as he leaned in, my ragged breaths covering his face as he got closer. I hoped he wasn’t going to do what I feared, but he whispered, “Just you breathing is the greatest gift you could give me, Morwenna Petrova,” seductively.