Chapter 81

Umallen.....

The kingdom with the freshest air, the most viable produce and the best climate. There had never been an instance when the weather in that place was too hot, or too cold. It was always mysteriously perfect. 

The other two kingdoms could have been undergoing a drought yet Umallen would be thriving with nonstop rainfall, the flowers always bloomed and the rivers never stopped flowing. 

Inhabited by beings who lived for the magic that dwelled in their cells. It wasn't something they were taught, but rather something each one of them was born with. The gift manifested itself over the course of their lives. And the more powerful you were the greater the amount of respect you got there.

Phoenix opened her eyes and looked around, she was seated beside what appeared to be an old building among plenty others, the construct seeming better with the age. Firmer and less likely to be affected by anything. She took in deep breaths and then listened in. There were loud noises in the distance which meant that despite the many centuries that had passed, the witches and wizards were yet to stop their ancestral habits.

All they did was thrive on the pleasures of the flesh. They threw feasts almost every night and they indulged themselves in whatever they felt like. There were rules of course, but none as strict as those of the other two kingdoms. She struggled to stand and winced when a sharp pain flashed through her. She tried to take a step forward but was unable to. 

It hurt too much.

She desperately needed to feed, otherwise she was going to fall unconscious right where she was and risk being discovered by a member of that loose kingdom. And they would surely not take well to a foreigner. And they'd wonder how she had gotten there in the first place. Looking around desperately she wondered what to do. She attempted to summon her darkness so that it could take her some other place but she was unable to. That required strength, energy which she currently lacked. 

Her vision was beginning to turn blurry and there was a constant ringing in her ears. She felt dizzy as well. And she leaned against the wall of the building and went completely limp, sinking back down to the floor. 

Then they appeared, two beings in a passionate entanglement of hands and limbs. A male and a female, at first they were too busy sucking at each other's tongues to notice her, but then Phoenix intentionally coughed weakly. The two stopped and turned towards the source of the sound. The girl gasped as she saw the weak form in the floor a few feet away.

" Help, " Phoenix pleaded...then she watched as the male slowly began to approach her. 

They were witches and wizards, they had magical abilities, but they were not immortal. One of the reasons why Zalian had for a long time remained the strongest kingdom was because it had always been led by immortal beings, for there was nothing worse than an enemy you could not kill. 

" Lucas? What are you doing?" The girl asked. Fearful that her lover hadn't even taken time to think before he began approaching the stranger. Once he was close enough he stopped. 

" Hello there love, Drunk too much?" he asked but Phoenix kept her head bowed. If she looked up then the make would undoubtedly see her eyes and know that something was off. He cautiously took a step towards her and then he cursed.

" You're injured!" He said and Phoenix stretched out her hand towards him weakly, hearing the concern in the wizards voice. 

" Nishka, get over here, " he called out to the girl who seemed hesitant at first, but then she approached as well. The boy held Phoenix's chin and angled her head up, but she kept her eyes closed.

" Who is she?" The girl asked but got no response.

" She needs to be healed soon, otherwise she'll bleed to death, " the male said and the girl said something about them not being able to perform a healing spell unless they had two more. 

Phoenix understood what they meant, four of their kind had to be present inorder to heal. 

" Help me, we'll take her to--" His words were cut short by a hand wrapped tightly around his throat. His eyes widened and the girl stumbled back. Phoenix slowly looked up and both their eyes widened in shock. 

" What.." the girl began but was unable to go on. 

Phoenix was weak but she still managed to gather enough strength to feed. She slowly inclined her head to the side and began draining the male. He never made a sound. 

The girl screamed, a shrill sound so loud it echoed in the distance, then she tried to pry Phoenix's hand away from her lovers neck to no avail. Phoenix ignored her and carried on. 

And on realizing that her lover was on the verge on dying, she began to recite a spell aimed at destroying the goddess of destruction itself. But she seemed young,and she was terribly shaken, plus she was alone. And the spells worked better when they were performed by at least two beings. Before she could finish, Phoenix had completed her feeding. The male was nothing but a husk of skin and bones. She let go and he fell to the hard ground. The girl stood in shock, unable to move, her entire form trembling and fear a living mask on her features. Phoenix slowly stood on her feet. Her eyes on the girl,then she began to approach her. 

" S...stay back!" The girl stuttered. Tears falling freely down her caramel skin. She looked down at the dead form of her lover and then she burst out crying once more. 

" Shhhh..." Phoenix cooed with feigned affection. Her hand rising with the aim of wiping the girl's tears. But she stepped back immediately. Her pain so thick it coated the air. She kept her eyes glued to her lover, her lower lip trembling and a hand going up to cover her mouth. And once she looked back at Phoenix it was with a look of both rage and weakness....and fear. 

But Phoenix had already fed, she had gotten what she needed. There was no need to kill the poor girl. She smiled a sick smile, thinking of how fortunate the young witch was to have crossed paths with her while she was on her good graces. 

" Run little witch....run!" Phoenix whispered. Then she watched as the girl took a few steps back before she quickly turned on her heels and did just that. She ran until her footsteps disappeared completely.

Sighing, Phoenix looked around, then she twirled playfully around the spot with her eyes on the dark sky, laughing.

It was an evil and deafening laugh. One that would have left chills on whoever heard it. Looking back at the dead male, with his lovely dark and initially soft skin, she muttered a sinical apology before summoning her darkness to carry her away and back to HER kingdom. There was no reason for her to stay there, and the fact that she had met the girl go meant that they would have a description of her. And she was certain there were other beings rushing over to where she was with the intent of killing her. She could hear those footsteps from a far.

The swirls of her darkness wrapped themselves around her and took her back to the cave where her mate still slept. It was better hidden compared to the last one she had been in, built literally beneath the ground, there was no way anyone could find her there.

With her strength completely restored, she could now clearly think, and she immediately began to come up with a ploy that would get the fairy to giver her blood. She needed that blood, the second her mate woke she would finally get all her abilities back. 

She would be unbeatable.

She would be impossible to stop. 

She needed a good plan, because there was no way the fairy was going to agree to freely giving her blood unless something compelled her to do so. And she had to act fast, before the angel marked her. Because that would force her to have to wait again for yet another fairy with pure blood. And no one knew how long that was going to take. Time was something she didn't have.

She was in need of the blood, of her mate....of the power only he was capable of giving her. An idea slowly began to brew in her mind, she slowly paced the dark cave, the darkness a place where she could calmly think. The idea came in small bits, and she had to reevaluate and reexamine it over and over. But she was certain that if she thought it over carefully then it would definitely turn out a success. Smiling, she sighed. Everything was finally beginning to go how it was supposed to. 

Her throne awaited her. It was crying out her name so loud she heard it from where she was.