Lothaire opened his mouth and uttered his secret, which he never told to a soul.
"I can manipulate darkness. The dark does my bidding. The shadows are my slaves," he said without even showing a hint of hesitation. He trusts her that much.
Willow is blown away imagining the magnitude of his power. No one walking in the dark is safe from him. And now he can walk under the sun too.
Willow realized she is looking at the most powerful vampire in this world. Not just a vampire but one of the powerful beings if any. No wonder he is a king.
"You can turn their own shadow against them"
"I can do pretty much anything I want"
"And no one knows it?"
"I keep it close to the heart but my council senses some of my power. They have to if I need to be a king. Everyone only knows that I kill people with a blink. They don't know how"
"And only I know how it is done?"
"Yes"
"That's heavy Bones. Then how come you got captured in the first place? Wait, your memories!!!! Do you remember everything now?"
"Yes. Everything. What do you want to learn?"
"How old are you?"
Lothaire rolled his eyes. He can't help it. Her question is so ridiculous.
"Really? I just killed an entire army and you ask how old I'm?"
Willow scoffed. "You are not the only one who killed mister. I had my fair share of"
"Shall I remind you how I found you now?" Lothaire asked about a muscle ticking in his jaw. His heart almost came out of his chest. He thought he lost her already. If he is even one second late then...
"Hey... hey... hey," Willow put her hand on his clenched fists squeezing them.
"I'm here. Nothing happened to me. I'm safe"
Lothaire grabbed her and crushed her to his body, hugging her tight. He smelled her hair, his arms moving up and down her back.
"You and I are going to have a long talk about your safety Tinkerbell"
"Sure, sure," Willow patted his back as if she was petting a dog, not meaning a word.
"So how did they catch you before?" Willow is really curious to know. Because the vampires function only in the dark. And he is the king of darkness. Then how?
"The woman I was feeding on, she did something to me, I think. Because the next thing I know I'm in a cage, my skin burning from pain, my mind wiped clean," Lothaire said detachedly. A vampire is most vulnerable when he is feeding. His defenses are on an all-time low. That's why they won't feed on anyone easily. It has to be someone they trust.
A burst of jealousy springs through her. She gritted her teeth to keep the words within her mouth. It is already done with. He is hers now. Willow has accepted it. Though it didn't reduce the envy.
A sudden thought occurred to her.
"Is that the mage?"
"Yes. She is"
Willow grunted. There would be one dead mage now when she lay hands on that bitch.
"What is it, Tinkerbell? Are you jealous?"
"Don't flatter yourself, Bones. I'm not. Speaking of, do you know who the imposter is?"
Lothaire frowned. "No. I don't"
"Really? Even after 10 years of captivity?"
"Yes. He never showed his face. But now I'm going to find out who dared to cross my path," Lothaire looked sharply at one vehicle.
"They are in that one?"
"Yes," Lothaire informed her as they stalked the vehicle, their stagger powerful. He made the door open using his power and dragged the woman out of it.
"The mage," Willow whispered.
"Henrietta, it's nice to see you again. Though you were not a good guest the last time," Lothaire tsked, mocking her.
He held her using his shadows and made her kneel.
The shadows are his silent soldiers.
"Why did you do it?"
"Why do you think so? Power," Henrietta said her
Lips moving with difficulty.
"Why are you building a rogue army?" Willow asked from behind him.
The mage spewed venom with her eyes but kept her mouth shut.
"Answer her," Lothaire snarled, tightening his hold on her.
"To take down other kingdoms"
"You want a war?" Willow asked in disbelief. It took many years and thousands of people dying to achieve this peace and this power-hungry mage is trying to start a new one!
Willow didn't expect an answer from her.
"Why are the werewolves helping you? This is not their kingdom"
"They were sent by someone who owes me a favor"
A chill spread through her body. Someone in the werewolf kingdom owes a mage favor.
"What kind of favor? Who is it?"
Henrietta wet her lips.
"They wanted a spell. She is a small woman, black hair, close to the king. That's all I know"
Willow's heartbeat double time. If what she is saying is true then Azrian is in deep trouble. It made sense now. Someone who is powerful in the werewolf kingdom, a woman, sends more than 200 werewolves in return for a spell. What could the spell be?
Instead, she asked, "what are you doing with those captives in warehouses? What is the blood for?"
If possible, her eyes glared some more, promising retribution.
However, she screamed the next minute.
"You don't reply, you get hurt," Lothaire shot back calmly.
"To hold the king in that cage, we need... we need a lot of blood. The others in the kingdom, they would doubt. To create the illusion that he is the king to everyone we need to perform regular rituals," Henrietta said pointing her eyes to the backseat.
"You are saying, you use the blood of those innocents to fool everyone into believing that imposter is the king?" Willow screamed, imagining the bodies of those captives.
Who the hell is he to dare do so much?
Lothaire opened the back door of the car using his power and grabbed the person by his hair and dragged him out.
However, he was shocked to see the person. His body rooted to the spot. Willow too.
Because he looks like Lothaire almost but with minor differences. His twin?
"Christopher," Lothaire whispered, unable to believe his eyes.
"Hello brother," he spat at his shoes, anger burning inside him.
"But you were dead a century ago," Lothaire said, bewildered.
"Not so big brother"
"I saw your ashes for myself. I mourned you," Lothaire growled, anger rising within him.
"Yes. I saw. I had a nice laugh watching you cry for me"
"But why? How!"
Christopher clenched his teeth. "Why?? You ask me why after 2000 years??! We are supposed to be twins. I must rule beside you. But it was you who got the power. It was always you; the kingdom listens to. What am I, a servant? I wanted it. I wanted it all"
"But you died before my eyes that day"
"News flash big brother, I got a new power," Christopher smirked.
Vampires acquire powers as they age and being 2000 years old, his brother got the power to regenerate from any damage, even from ashes.
"You staged your own death to upthrow me? You could have asked"
"And would you have given me your throne? Why should I beg you? Why? I had the equal right on it"
"Where were you for the past years?" Lothaire asked, his face a blank mask.
"Hiding. Like a refugee in my own kingdom," Christopher spat once again, his tongue tasting the defeat.
"Once I was sure you would not look for me, I made a plan. I gathered wealth, bribing your soldiers one at a time. Not raising your suspicion. I found a mage who is powerful and as greedy as me. You made it easy after that big brother. We need to talk about your eating habits," Christopher tsked, shaking his head.
"It was so easy I wish I had done it sooner. But we needed a regular supply of supernatural blood to rejuvenate the runes, to fool your kingdom. At first, we used to drag the fae near the border. The ones who came are caged, the ones who revisited are dead. It was easy. No mess, no doubts from the council. Nothing. But then the Fae got alerted. We have to be more creative. So, we turned to the members of our kingdom. Little by little. Until you ruined everything"
Willow's breath hitched. The blood in her veins turned to ice.
She wet her dry lips and said slowly, "you mean to say, you killed my parents because they refused to be your blood bank?"
Christopher looked at her as if noticing her for the first time.
He frowned at her, "maybe. There are so many. It must have happened," he shrugged as if it's not a big deal.
All this so that he can sit on a throne. And he got away with it too, almost. If not for her rescuing him in the nick of time, Lothaire thought his brother would have started a war.
"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" Willow tried to grab him, her dagger in his hands but Lothaire stopped her, clutching her wrist.
She whirled to him, her eyes wild and hurt.
"It's no use. He can rejuvenate from anything. He will come back," Lothaire said, his voice laced with frustration.
A deep sound escaped her lips, akin to a mourning howl.
"Then I will kill him again, and again and again"
"It's no way to live a life child," came a voice from behind them.
Willow craned her neck. It's the mage who helped them. She stood not far from them looking at Christopher with interest, her eyes sparkled.
"Then what do you suggest?" Willow threw back not expecting an answer.
"You can give him to me as your payment," the mage addressed Lothaire.
"What will you do with him?"
"I can use his blood. It is powerful. I can sense it"
Lothaire looked uncomfortable. He doesn't want another madwoman in his kingdom. But they have agreed upon a favor.
"If you are worried then don't be, I won't use it for evil," the mage reassured him.
Christopher looked scared. For the first time, fear screamed in his eyes. He can see himself held captive just like his brother.
"No... no... no"
Ignoring his pleas, Lothaire turned to face the mage not losing his power grip on his brother.
"I don't want trouble at my doorstep," he used her previous words.
"Fair reason. As said, it's not for evil"
"But if he lives, he is always a danger to me and my kingdom. I couldn't let that happen"
The mage thought hard, her eyes furrowing, a deep line appearing between her eyebrows.
"There is a way"
"I'm listening"
"I can use a curse on your brother. He will be turned to ice and left under an open sky where no one can touch him or move him except me. Each day, as the sun meets its zenith, the ice starts to melt but before he can escape, he will be burned due to sun rays. And it takes 10 hours for him to regenerate from ashes. I will have a few minutes to take the blood every day before he finishes his transformation and the curse to set in once again," the mage said, looking deeply at Christopher, thinking about the possibilities.
"And he won't escape during that time?"
"Never. The runes won't allow him. Your choice vampire king. Do you want to give your brother a payment?"
Seeing that he would never be sure whether his twin brother is dead or not, Lothaire is stuck in a rock and a hard place.
Willow pitched in beside him, "the terms will still remain the same. No harm to him, the one he cares about nor his kingdom. You won't touch anything about him"
The mage reluctantly nodded. "Very well"
Willow knows they are not doing right. But they have to choose the lesser evil. It is not always black and white.
Lothaire thought with his brother's blood alone, the mage can extend her life until he turns rogue with bloodlust. Though he held on for 10 years in captivity with only a little blood given to him at regular intervals as they don't want to damage him before the winter solstice lunar eclipse, his brother won't get even that. And then he will remain locked in ice forever getting regenerated to die once again. A fitting ending. It's harsh but it's this way in this world.
Lothaire looked at Willow. She is also part of this. It's her mission too.
A burst of love surged through her. Lothaire is asking for her opinion. He knew she wanted to kill the murderer of her parents with her own hands.
Yet, he is hesitating. For her sake. Willow met his eyes and nodded at him, signaling that she understands and is fine with it.
This is far worse than what she planned for him.
Lothaire then looked at the mage and gave a nod.
"What!? No... no... Lothaire... brother... please forgive me. I can't live like that. We are brothers. Twins. We shared a womb. Lothaire... Lothaire," Lothaire knocked him out cold using his power.
"Hey, you are doing the right thing," Willow gently rubbed his back.
They both then turned to their captives only to stop short.
"Where is the mage?"
"Henrietta!!!" Lothaire snarled, extending his power to search for her. But they couldn't find her.
"Oh boy, we are in trouble. Aren't we?"