"It seemed Alex does not approve of you are leaving the kingdom, Zeke," Kai said upon landing on the ground. But Zeke didn’t even react to Kai’s words. His gaze remained locked on Zeres for a while before he spoke.

  "Did the little birdy asked you to stop me?" he asked.

  "Yes, I guess." Answered Zeres, shrugging.

  "And you think you are capable of stopping me? It seemed the little birdy didn’t mention that his attempt to stop me failed."

  "How about we try?" a smirk curved on Zeres’ face. His silver hair started to glow and float behind him. "I believe the little birdy didn’t deal with you his usual way, and that’s why he failed. That little birdy has become docile and soft now, after all."

  When Zeke just stood there, looking at him with his usual poker face, Zeres raised a brow. "What. Are you scared to go against me?" he tried his best to provoke him. Back then, this very same line was enough to rile up and infuriate Alexander.

  "Go home, Zeres. I don’t have time to play with you." Zeke turned and faced Lucas after saying those words while Zeres pinched the bridge of his nose. He should’ve known that this vampire prince wasn’t like Alexander at all. Was there anything in this world that could provoke this man? And did he just called fighting with me a ’play’?

  "You think I am not going to take the fight seriously? You know I don’t hold back when I fight, Kiel."

  Zeke glanced back over his shoulder. "That’s exactly the reason why Zeres. A serious fight against you is a waste of time and unnecessarily. You know I don’t fight without reason."

  "Sigh, Kiel." Zeres sheathed his sword. He could only sigh in surrender. "Stop being too uptight every single time. Have some fun once in a while, will you?"

  "You think It’ll be fun for me to fight you?" Zeke flashed a quick smirk. "Well, indeed…… I think It would really be fun. But such would only happen once you or I decide to become the evil villain."

  Speechless, Zeres sighed again. "Seriously…… ah, never mind." Zeres finally decided to drop the topic, knowing how useless it was to keep pressing on something that this bloody prince found uninteresting. "By the way, who is he?" he then asked, casually moving to Zeke’s side as he looked at the red-haired man. One look at him was enough for anyone to tell that he was powerful. And Zeres had just confirmed it. His skill was beyond terrific, and he was not even a vampire royalty.

  "He’s Lucas, my personal guard," Zeke answered before introducing Zeres to the man.

  Lucas looked surprised when he heard Zeres was like Alex. He just nodded and didn’t speak, but at least, he wasn’t like his expressionless master.

  "He is powerful." Commented Zeres while silently assessing the man. For some reason, Zeres felt that there was something unknown and mysteriously intriguing about him.

  "He is." Zeke simply agreed as they finally move to head back to the castle when Zeke glanced at Zeres. "So? Are you still not leaving?"

  There was a short silence before Zeres finally burst. "How cold! How could you just kick me away like that?"

  "I told you. I don’t have time to entertain you. And I believe your queen might be looking for you now."

  "My queen is……" Zeres suddenly paused and then cleared his throat. "Actually, Alicia wanted me to misbehave and cause trouble sometimes."

  Zeke: ". . ."

  "What. Don’t you believe me? Alicia is not a heartless puppeteer like you, Zeke."

  "Well, I agree with that. But I think she’s making a bad move if she wants you to cause trouble and letting you off her sight."

  "As I said, she’s not a puppeteer. She knows I have a brain of my own."

  "Still, a bad move."

  "Geez. Alicia knows what she’s doing."

  "She’s too laidback."

  "She’s not. Alicia is……"

  As the two continued talking, Lucas silently moved away from them and waited for Kai to catch up with him. He bowed and greeted Kai before casually leaning on him. "Your highness, can I ask a question?" Lucas whispered.

  "O-of course." Kai didn’t expect this man to speak to him so casually. He had only spoken to this man when he was young.

  "Who is the queen they’re talking about?"……

  Meanwhile, in Kelly’s apartment.

  The sun was streaming through the curtains when Kelly finally opened her eyes. She shut her eyes tight and then blinked multiple times to adjust her eyes with the light. Slowly, her brain began to recall the things that happened the night before, and her nerves immediately got jolted away.

  Kelly rolled to look at the side of her bed, and when she saw it was empty, her heart sunk. She looked around, hoping that Kai had just left the bed. When she couldn’t see him inside the room, she frantically climbed off the bed and headed to the living room. Still no sign of Kai. Her feet moved to the kitchen, hoping, praying that he might be there, making coffee.

  Her heart was thudding hard as she entered the kitchen, and when she saw he wasn’t there, Kelly began to feel her knees weaken. "Kai? Where are you?" she whispered. Did he leave her?

  She was about to sink on the floor when she remembered there was one more room she didn’t check. The bathroom. ’Maybe, he was taking a shower.’ She told herself. She dashed towards the bathroom, and the moment she held the door handle and felt no presence of anyone inside, her grip on the door tightened. She began to feel that painful lump in her throat, but she still pushed the door opened and entered the bathroom. Her eyes scanned every nook as she stood by the door.

  It seemed he had left her. Why? He promised to stay with her for two days. And they did it. She was alive! So why? Why did he leave?

  Kelly sunk on the floor. Her heart hurt. She didn’t understand why he left. He should be here with her, smiling with joy because they can finally be together. They have found the answer, and there was no more reason for them to feel scared and give up their love. So why? Why did he leave?

  Drowning in her own questions and pain, Kelly could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes. And then, doubt came to her mind. She was drunk last night when he arrived. And everything that happened last night seemed too good to be true. Were they even real? Could it be that…… everything was just a dream?

  Her eyes widened, and she struggled to get up. No! It’s not a dream! She screamed to herself. She was about to rush out of the bathroom to find the evidence that everything that happened last night wasn’t a dream when she caught herself in the mirror. She swallowed as she approached the mirror slowly.

  Once she was close enough, she raised her hand and touched the marks on her neck. They were kiss marks – Kai’s kiss marks. A short laugh filled with both relief and gladness echoed inside the bathroom. Knowing that last night was real and not a dream was enough to make Kelly’s heart swell with so many emotions. Even though she was still hurt and confuse that Kai was gone, the fact that last night’s event happened made her feel hopeful once again. Their love isn’t over yet. It’s not over yet.

  With a newly awakened fighting spirit inside her, Kelly rushed out of the bathroom and looked for her phone. She remembered that Abi was calling her before Kai had killed the phone. She must tell Abi about this news, and then she could ask them to help her escape. She might be able to knock the guards outside, but she didn’t want to alarm her parents. It would be better for her to move silently and make them think she was still inside the apartment and behaving herself.

  Once the call was connected, Kelly could not contain her enthusiasm.

  "Kelly?"

  "Abi!"

  "God, Kelly. I was so worried last night. I couldn’t contact you! Where are you? Are you alright?"

  "I am fine, Abi. Kai turned off my phone last night when you were calling me."

  "Oh, so Kai’s with you? Whew! I am glad my husband stopped me. I almost came barging on your door."

  Kelly’s jaw dropped. She lamented a ’thank god she didn’t come’ inside her head before she quickly averted the topic.

  "Abi, I have something important to tell you." Said Kelly after taking one deep breath.

  "Do I need to come over there or you’ll tell me now?"

  "I’ll tell you now, so listen. We –" Kelly suddenly paused, and her head whipped towards the door. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw someone was opening it. Oh god!

  Before she could even react, the door opened, and a man stepped inside.

  "T-Tristan?!"

  ____

  To my patrons: New chaps for spellbound are out. ^^