Part 24

John's P.O.VHe feels his trip to London has been a complete waste, frustrated that his father kept him in the dark about seeking Linda's help. Doubts swirl in his mind—was it all just a coincidence?The guards outside the dining hall bow their heads as a furious William storms past them, and I follow closely behind. I glance at the King, casually seated with his council, but their conversation halts when they see us. William's expression becomes blank as the King gestures for us to sit.Resentment boils in me towards the council members, who blindly obey the King. William takes his place beside the King, with me at his side. The tension is thick, and I wonder what will happen next."How was your trip?" the King asks casually."Everything is taken care of," William replies irritably. The King simply nods, sipping blood from his chalice.William toys with his food, not daring to voice his thoughts. Despite being Prince, he feels powerless."I believe Ms. Linda is here?" William finally asks."Yes. I summoned her to help Kristen. Within a week, she should be ready to display her powers," the King replies, irritation seeping through."A week?" William's tone sharpens."Yes. We don't have much time; the girl must serve her purpose or lose her life," he says pointedly at William. Confusion spreads among the council members; they seem unaware of the King's plans."She needs more time. I don't think she's ready yet, Father," William raises his voice.The King glares at him."I see you've taken a liking to her. Remember, she is not your mate; she is merely a weapon. Your job was to deliver her to me unharmed, and that's it. Keep your distance. I'll handle the rest," he says coldly."Father, she is my friend. She trusts no one but me, and it's my job to keep her safe," William grits his teeth, anguish lacing his words. "She's scared but will help us. She's not just a weapon we can discard. We should treat her with respect."I squeeze his hand under the table, my knuckles turning white, signaling him to calm down. "Calm down," I finally say, my voice steady. "Don't let him see how much you care. The more you try to protect her, the more he'll want to harm her." William furrows his brow at my words.The King growls, "I know her value. Do not interfere in my plans. You will keep your distance from her and let us handle this our way. Is that understood?" His roar makes everyone flinch, and the spoon clatters onto his plate."Yes, Father," William replies, defeated."Leave now." We exit the room without hesitation."What is going on here?" William asks as we step into his dimly lit room, moonlight casting shadows. His eyes burn with fiery red anger, and I'm momentarily taken aback by the rage in them.I explain the situation, and he listens calmly, tension simmering in the air."I must meet Linda. Bring her to the meeting room," he says, striding past me with determination.As Linda stepped into the meeting room, I saw William looking annoyed and restless. "Hello, William," She greet him, trying to mask her own tension."Why are you here?" he snaps, his tone sickeningly cold, echoing ominously around us."To help Kristen," She replied, keeping her expression neutral. His brows furrow, and his eyes shift to a calculating glare."Are you helping my father turn her into a weapon?" he hisses, his fangs flashing and eyes flaring red as he advances toward her, an intimidating presence.She looked taken aback. "Weapon?" "What are you both planning to do with Kristen?" He asked her glaring."I don't know the King's plan," She replied firmly, earning a fierce glare from him."You are not what I thought," he says, disappointment heavy in his voice."I know," She replied."Look, I know you're here to help my father, but something big is going to happen, and I want Kristen to be safe. I can't lose her." His grip on her shoulder tightens, desperation leaking into his voice. When his hand made contact with her, She looked like she saw a vision. He was like an open book to Linda, revealing everything about his feelings for Kristen. It was clear to her that William liked her and believed he loved her, yet he was far from the truth. He knew she wasn't his mate, yet he still wanted her by his side. The reality was that he lacked the power to protect her, rendered helpless against his father's authority. Linda glimpsed a troubling future for him and felt a pang of sympathy, but she knew she couldn't intervene. He was on the wrong side, and he would remain loyal to it until the end.Her thoughts snapped back to the present when he finally released her. Gasping, she met his questioning gaze. "Did you see something?" he asked, concern etched on his face. She quickly regained her composure."Yes," she replied. "Kristen's powers are awakening. I've helped her uncover her past—her parents, and how they sealed her powers to protect her. They wanted her to live a normal life, but fate has other plans. I will do my best to protect her, but I advise you to keep your distance. She's going through a lot right now, and her powers are unstable. She doesn't know how to channel or control them yet. You must give her time to understand and learn. The King has given her seven days to awaken her powers."William's brow furrowed in curiosity. "So, you're saying she found out that she's a witch?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. Linda rolled her eyes, knowing how much was at stake for both of them."I believe that is what I have said so far," She replied."Please keep her safe.""I will." That was the last thing she could promise him.Kristen P.O.VSeeing William again warmed my heart; I could tell he missed me from the way his eyes lit up when he walked in. I hugged him tightly, feeling comfort in his presence. As he entered my room, his gaze wandered around, and I followed it, curious."Is anything wrong?" I asked."No, I just missed you a lot," he replied, sitting on the bed.I shook my head, moving to sit beside him. "How was your trip?" I smiled, trying to lighten the mood."It was fine," he said, his eyes focused on his hands, revealing something was bothering him. I hummed in response, sensing his unease."So, tell me what's up with you?" he asked, curiosity piqued."Ms. Linda helped me find out about my powers. She taught me a spell, and it worked—I got my memories back," I said, keeping it brief. His eyebrows shot up, disappointment evident at my vagueness."Who are your parents?" he asked directly."I don't know much. They're witches. They sent me to the human world to protect me. I only remember their faces and how they tried to shield me." I looked at him, feeling the weight of my words."Do... do you know who they were protecting you from?" His voice was thick with hesitation, and I felt my heart race as I considered the truth. I hesitated, then lied."I don't know," I replied, closing my eyes briefly, memories of their fear flashing through my mind.William's eyes searched mine, wanting more, but he kept his questions minimal."Now that you know you're a witch, can you do magic?" he asked, brows furrowed."Linda taught me a few spells, but I need to practice to see if I have any real powers," I sighed, feeling overwhelmed."I'm tired, William. I wish I had more answers. When I do, I promise I'll tell you," I said, trying to reassure both him and myself."I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to pry. Thank you for being honest, Kristen. I'll do my best to protect you and find out more about your parents," William said, cupping my cheeks and kissing my forehead."Get some rest." He squeezed my hands gently before leaving, and a tense silence filled the room. A sudden thud from the balcony made my heart stop. I turned and sighed in relief as John stepped in with a smile."You know you can come through the main door and avoid giving me a heart attack," I teased.He laughed and sat beside me on the edge of the bed. "If you think you can hide the truth from William, you're wrong," he said, worry etching his face."I know, but I can't trust anyone right now," I replied, feeling the weight of my words. He looked at me blankly."You're right. You must trust no one but yourself." His tone was soft, but it carried a hint of hurt. He ran a hand through his neatly combed hair before meeting my gaze again. "Remember, whatever you do, I'll always be with you.""Why? Why would you put yourself in danger because of me?" I asked, confusion swirling in my chest. He looked away, biting his lower lip."I never wanted to hurt you, but I knew my actions would. Every moment you were near, it was hard for me to keep my distance. When you captured me in the forest, deep down, I knew you wouldn't hurt me. I'm not scared of you anymore," I admitted softly. His vulnerability made my heart race.I never imagined I would befriend a vampire, let alone John. He sat there, his head in his hands, and I laid my hand on his shoulder. He grew still, turning to meet my gaze."I trust you," I whispered, taking his hand in mine. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears as he looked deeply into my eyes, then playfully ruffled my hair, making me laugh and push him away lightly."You know, when I look at you up close, you do look cute, like a tiny bunny," John said, chuckling."What? Did you just call me a bunny? You vamp!" I teased, laughing along with him. He stood up from my bed, ready to leave."Take care, Kristen. I'll always be around. Don't worry about anything—just get some rest." I nodded, smiling, before he jumped off the balcony like last time.But I couldn't trust William, no matter how nice he was. The risk was too great. I knew who I was and where I belonged. I needed to find a way back to Fork's Land—that was my home. As I sat on the chilly balcony, my mind was clouded with thoughts. I hadn't heard from Stanley; it felt like he had vanished from my memory. I wasn't sure if he was real, but I trusted him more than anyone. Even among vampires, some people cared for me, and I needed to protect them.Night enveloped the world, the moon shining above while stars twinkled like they were smiling at me. I brought the magical book outside, feeling an invisible bond with it. As I opened it, the pages began flipping on their own, stopping at "Objects Moving Spells." It seemed simple, but it was a start.Focusing on the night lamp beside me, an adrenaline rush surged through me. I spoke the spell clearly: "Phasmatos incendia." The lamp sprang to life with a bright yellow glow. My heart raced with delight. The book flipped to the next page, and I eagerly absorbed spells like mind blocking, invisible barriers, and protection spells, memorizing them as if I had an encyclopedia's memory.Past midnight, I tackled harder spells—projection and element control—but I couldn't practice them in the dark. Suddenly, I felt my senses heighten; I could hear everything within a mile. Every conversation and noise echoed in my head, threatening to overwhelm me. I took deep breaths, tuning it out, reminding myself I could use this ability only when necessary.I had only a week's time to show my powers to the king. I had to learn things faster, and even though Linda asked me to take it slow, I couldn't bring myself to be calm. I almost finished the entire book when the clock struck 7.00 AM and the sun slowly started to come out from its hiding. I realized that I was awake all night and decided to take a nap. I felt powerful for some reason but what happened next made me think twice.