BONDED

Jordan’s hand was completely coated in the dark green, viscous blood of the witch sprawled before him. The substance clung to his fingers, dripping slowly onto the damp stone floor. The dim prison was filled with the stench of blood and decay, a fitting backdrop to the interrogation.

The witch lay on the ground, her breathing weak, her pale face twisted in pain. A gaping hole in her stomach pulsed faintly, and every laboured breath was a battle she was losing.

“I’ll give you one more chance,” Jordan said, his voice calm but laced with icy menace. “Tell me why your sisters sent you here.”

The witch let out a low, strained laugh that turned into a hiss of pain. “It’s too late,” she whispered, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “You… and your entire family… are going to die.”

Jordan tilted his head, his golden amber eyes narrowing. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as if amused by her defiance.

“Die?” he echoed mockingly, shaking his head. He crouched beside her, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. “You were sent here as a spy,” he continued, his voice dripping with derision.

Her eyes widened slightly, the faintest flicker of fear breaking through her bravado.

Jordan chuckled darkly. “Let me tell you the full story,” he said. “Think of it as a bedtime tale. I’ll even play the villain.”

The witch’s pallor deepened as he began.

“One day,” Jordan began, “a witch came to work in the palace. She was careful, clever, and desperate to blend in. She looked and smelled human, so I hired her to tutor my mentally unstable sister.

“At first, she was cautious, playing her role perfectly. But as time went on, she became careless. She thought we trusted her. That was her mistake.

“She led me straight to her sister’s hideout.”

The witch’s breathing grew more erratic, her pale skin taking on a sickly, ashen hue.

“In their so-called secret hideout, your sisters were scrambling to defend themselves,” Jordan continued, his voice cold and steady. “Fools. They thought they could stand against us.”

THE WITCHES HIDEOUT ONE HOUR EARLIER.

The cavern was alive with chaos. The witches’ hideout, once hidden deep beneath the earth, now echoed with the sounds of battle. Screams mixed with the metallic clash of weapons and the guttural growls of vampires.

“Why are the vampires here?” a young witch cried, her voice trembling as she dodged a blow. “Aren’t they supposed to be chasing the princess?”

“Shut up and fight!” an older witch snarled, her fury etched into every line of her face.

She lunged at an unsuspecting vampire, her long, razor-sharp nails plunging into his back. He roared in pain, staggering forward.

“Die, vampire! Die!” she screamed, twisting her nails deeper.

“Sister!” the younger witch called out. “They’re retreating!”

The witches paused, their breath hitching as confusion rippled through their ranks.

“Why are they retreating?” a red-haired witch asked, her voice shaking.

The witches turned to their leader, whose face blanched as realization struck.

“Run!” she shouted. “It’s a trap!”

But it was already too late.

At the cavern’s entrance, a vampire soldier pressed the detonator. The explosion ripped through the hideout, shaking the earth with its force. The walls collapsed, crushing anyone caught beneath the rubble. Flames roared, consuming everything in their path.

“The witches barely survived,” Jordan said, his tone mocking. “Desperate, they turned to you—the pawn. They sent you here, hoping you could release my sister. Let her go on a rampage. They thought I’d send all my guards to capture her, leaving the palace vulnerable.

“A perfect opening to assassinate my family.”

Jordan sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed. “Am I right?”

Tears welled in the witch’s eyes, spilling down her pale cheeks. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision, her body trembling from blood loss and despair.

Jordan leaned closer, his voice soft but lethal. “The problem with pawns is that they’re disposable. And you? You’ve failed.”

A soldier stepped into the room, the harsh light catching on his polished boots. The prison’s shadows danced around him, amplifying the grim atmosphere.

“It’s done, Your Highness,” the man said, bowing his head respectfully.

Jordan didn’t look at him immediately. Instead, he stared at his bloodied hand, as if lost in thought. Then, slowly, he turned to face the soldier.

“Gabriel,” he said, his voice steady but low.

“Yes, Your Highness?” Gabriel straightened, his posture stiff.

“Do I look weak to you?”

The question caught Gabriel off guard. “What?” he stammered, blinking in confusion.

“Answer me,” Jordan demanded, his amber eyes sharp and unyielding.

Gabriel swallowed hard. “No, Your Highness,” he said quickly. “You are the strongest man I know.”

Jordan’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Then why,” he began, his tone growing darker, “do these weak, useless witches keep trying to kill me? They don’t even stand a chance.”

Gabriel tensed, his jaw tightening as he struggled to find the right words. “Perhaps…” he started but quickly fell silent under Jordan’s piercing gaze.

Before the tension could thicken further, another man entered. He was impeccably dressed, his tailored tailsuit pristine despite the grim surroundings. He bowed deeply, one hand over his chest.

“Your Highness,” the man said, his voice calm and composed. “The king has requested your presence.”

Jordan nodded curtly, his expression unreadable. He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, the air around him charged with authority. Gabriel exhaled softly, relieved to be dismissed.

The soldier cast one last glance at the lifeless witch on the ground before following his prince.

Meanwhile, in a small cemetery, Nora stood still, her hazel eyes fixed on her parents’ coffins as they were lowered into the earth. Around her, mourners whispered.

“I heard her parents were killed by the same man who escaped from prison,” one woman said.

“Poor girl,” another murmured.

But Nora remained silent. She didn’t cry when she found their bodies. She didn’t cry during the funeral. She didn’t even cry as the coffins were lowered.

“Nora,” a voice called softly.

A hand rested gently on her shoulder. She turned to see her uncle, Ben, his face a mask of quiet grief.

“It’s me,” he said softly. “I’m here to take you home.”

That was when Nora broke. Her tears came in a torrent, her body shaking with sobs as she clung to her uncle.

She cried because she would no longer see her parents, no kisses, no karaoke nights, no picnics, no arguments. None of that existed anymore.

Ben held her close, whispering soothing words, but she continued crying until she fainted. Her uncle had to carry her in his arms and gently laid her down in his car. “Mr. McAlister!” one of her father’s colleagues called Ben. He closed the car and for the man who was jogging over.

“Hello, Mr. McAlister. My name is Denver; I was Ryan’s colleague.” They both shook each other’s hands. “I just wanted to say bye to Nora before she leaves, but she has finally fallen asleep; I am glad.” Tears gathered in his eyes. Benjamin’s vibrant blue eyes were now dull with sadness. “They both wouldn’t want us to be sad, we have to be strong for Nora.” The man nodded his head, “You’re right.” “I have to go, or we would both be late for our flight.’’ The man said his goodbyes and Ben entered his car and drove away.

“Nora, Nora.” A feminine voice called out to her, ‘That’s my mother’s voice.’ “Nora Nora.” The voice changed to a male voice, her uncle gently shook her on the shoulder. Nora abruptly sat up, looked out the window, and realized that they were outside the airport. “Why are we leaving so soon, what?” She kept quiet. The rim of her eyes had turned red; she looked pale and weak. Ben’s heart ached for his niece.

Let’s go.” He patted her head, and Nora obediently stepped out of the car. She waited for her uncle to complete all the processes before, they went ahead to enter the plane. Her uncle left her seat by the window, and she started to miss her hometown; she was going to a different country, and she was never going back to Vince City.

“You are going to love this country, it is safe and peaceful. And you will get to meet your cousins Sasha and Billy.” Her uncle smiled at her and she smiled back at him.

“We are going to arrive in Ten minutes.” The pilot informed the passengers. Ten minutes later, her uncle started convulsing, not only him but the entire passengers and flight attendants. “Uncle Ben!” Nora held his arm, and the man convulsed until he passed out; it was the same for the other passengers; Nora shook her uncle in fear and kept calling his name. After ten seconds everybody in the plane woke up and continued chatting like nothing happened.

The plane landed in Dream City, a place that felt both foreign and strange. Nora’s uncle tried to comfort her, but her thoughts lingered on the eerie convulsions she had witnessed on the plane.

“Dream City has everything you’ll ever need,” Ben said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. “You’ll love it here.”

But Nora barely listened. Her heart ached for home.

The journey to Uncle Ben’s house was a quiet one. Once they reached his house, his children were the first ones to run out. The young boy jumped on his dad, and the teenage girl gave her a tight hug. “I am so sorry about your parents.” The girl’s tiny voice kind of made her calm. They broke out of the hug. The lady has long blonde hair that was curled at the tip, she had the same blue eyes as her father but larger. Her big pink lips pulled into a beautiful smile. Another beautiful lady came and hugged her, her greyish-blue eyes crinkled as she smiled at Nora.

“Come in my dear.” The Aunt held her hand and they both walked into the house. The family was nice to her, Sasha was a very talkative person, and her mother was the one to drag her out of the room and tell Nora to rest but Nora couldn’t sleep, she opened the window and stared at the full moon, she missed her family so much, her eyes became teary but she refused to cry, she searched through the room and found a novel to read. She began to read the novel and eventually fell asleep.

Nora felt someone’s presence in the room. Her eyes snapped open, locking onto the figure standing near her window. Her breath caught in her throat as the intruder stepped into the moonlight—a tall, well-built man with piercing red eyes that glowed faintly in the dark.

“Who are you?” Nora stammered due to fear. Her golden brown eyes shook with fear. The intruder said nothing. He slowly walked over. She opened her mouth to scream, but he covered her mouth with his large eyes. Her eyes constricted. “How did he get here so fast?” She thought to herself. “I am sure you’re smart, so better not scream.” His voice was hoarse. She heard him growling like he was an animal, and Nora wanted to question him. But he abruptly pulled her, and she crashed on his hard chest, and he sank his fangs into her neck. Her eyes widened and her heart was beating so fast that she felt like it would burst. He kept drinking from her and she couldn’t get out of his grasp. She felt something cold on her hand when she grabbed it. It was smooth to the hands; she held onto it, and she stopped struggling as it was futile. Soon, her eyelid turned heavy, and she was slowly surrounded by darkness.

Nora’s eyes snapped open, locking onto the figure standing near her window. Her breath caught in her throat as the intruder stepped into the moonlight—a tall, well-built man with piercing red eyes that glowed faintly in the dark.