Chapter 65: Chapter 65
Ora's POV
The Lycan King circled around Sandy; his eyes twinkling with amusement, “I must say that this is a very creative plan but what is in it for me?”
“Ora might not be the most powerful witch in the world but she is extremely clever. She managed to bring back Nivaan’s memories and even kill ‘The Grand Magus.’ I am sure she will be of great help if she is on our side.”
The man rubbed his chin as if in deep thought. After what seemed like eternity, he finally spoke up, “Fine. I will grant her sanctuary but on one condition. She has to take a blood oath that she will fight with us against the witches.”
A sudden surge of annoyance coursed through me at his words. No matter what Sandy wanted, I couldn’t let the Lycan King take advantage off me. I wasn’t going to let him turn me into his puppet. I stepped into his line of view and said in a firm voice, “That condition is unacceptable to me. I will not take a blood oath.”
Sandy’s eyes widened and he staggered to his feet, “Ora? What are you doing here?”
I stepped forward and laced my arm through his before looking straight at the Lycan King, “I am here to help with the negotiation.”
He snorted and burst into a bout of loud guffaws, “What makes you think YOU are in a position to negotiate? I could kill you with the snap of my finger.”
“Technically you would need more than a snap of your fingers but let us not dwell on that.”
“Ora, what are you doing? You are going to get yourself killed. Please let me do the talking,” Sandy urged. For a moment, I thought I saw fear in his eyes but I shrugged it off. I wasn’t going to let my wishful thinking blind me this time. Ignoring his words, I continued to talk to the Lycan King.
“I had gone for a walk in the mystical forest and I overheard some witches. They are planning something huge, very huge. If you kill me you will never find out what their plan is. Even if you managen to figure out their plan, you won’t be able to defend youself. If you don’t want the entire werewolf race to get annihilated, you will need my help.”
“Stop bluffing just to get what you want, Spoof girl. I am the king of Lycans. You can’t fool me,” he spat, tossing his head with conceit. “If the witches were powerful enough, they would have attacked and reclaimed everything long back. Why stay hidden in the filth of Halterland?”
My hands were itching to give him a demonstration but that stupid ring. My gaze landed on the two guards who hand entered the hall. My lips curved in a meaningful smile and I stepped closer to him, “Do you really believe we haven’t attacked because we are weak?”
With a wave of my hand I cast a binding spell on both the guards, slamming them against the walls, “We didn’t attack because our Grand Magus, Valence didn’t want to. She wanted to perform a ritual and bring her parents back to life.” I let out a surge of power radiate all over the room causing the glass and porcelain articles to shatter. “Do you still think witches are weak? If Grand Magus Valence hadn’t forbidden us from attacking the werewolves, we could have easily crushed all the all of you under our feet!”
He flashed his black ring at me, his hand trembling slightly, “You can’t kill me.”
“Yes, I can’t kill you but I can keep you trapped here for a very long time,” I let the guards drop to the ground and created a shield blocking entry and exit. As if on cue, some guards came rushing inside but they were deflected back by the veil of energy.
“Now, imagine, if hundreds of witches attack your territory, will you be able to hold out?” I hadn’t recovered fully yet. So, I couldn’t hold up the shield longer than a few minutes. About a dozen guards rushed inside and surrounded us; pointing their varied weapons at us. Blood rushed to my head and I started gasping for air. If Sandy hadn’t supported me, I would have been kissing the floor.
“You have barely recovered from the exhaustion. Why did you try to use magic again?” he chided as he patted my head gently. His eyebrows were set in such a deep frown that one would think he was very concerned about me.
“You all can leave,” The Lycan king said with a wave of his hand. Then pointing towards the couch he added, “Why don’t we sit and talk?”
“I don’t think that is very sensible, My King,” A man dressed in a green shirt stated in an anxious voice. His eyes remained fixed on me as if he would pounce on me at the slightest movement.
“It’s okay, Berlin. You can leave….”
“But, My King. She…”
“I said it is okay, Berlin. I have granted her Sanctuary. She won’t harm me.”
His gaze lingered on me restlessly before darting to the lycan king again. Then, he bowed deeply and left the room along with the other guards.
We settled down on the plush couches laid in an exquisite pattern on the red carpet. The Lycan King sat on the one with the highest seat while I sat on the double couch across him with Sandy.
“Now tell me what you were saying about the secret plan….”
“Wasn’t I just bluffing? Why do you want to hear about it and waste your time?” I couldn’t stop myself from taunting him. I know this was a stupid move but the urge to do it was so great that I couldn’t resist myself.
His eyes narrowed and his expression turned icy. This was when I realized that I had overstepped the line. He leaned forward and spoke in a dangerously low voice, enunciating each word, “Don’t try to act all high and mighty, Spoof girl. You know that you have no other choice but to accept my help. If you return to the Halterland, they will persecute you as a traitor and kill you.”
The color drained from my face and I lowered my gaze. His words were completely true and to the point. Without wasting further time, I told him what I had overheard. “They are planning to use a hallucination spell. Once under its influence, the members of the pack will follow the orders given by the witches rather than their Alpha.”
“What do you suggest we should do, Spoof girl?”
“The best course of action would be to find and capture those witches before they can cast their spell on others.”
“What if we are unable to find them?”
“You are a clever man, I didn’t quite catch your name.”
His eyes twinkled with amusement, “You are the first one to ask me my name in a very long while. They all address me as their king.”
Sandy stiffened at my side and for a moment, I thought I had offended him but he smiled at me, a simple yet beautiful smile devoid of any pride or conceit, “My name is Augustine, Augustine Black.”
“The name really suits you,” I forced out a compliment hoping that it would gain me some brownie points. “I was saying that you are a clever man, Augustine. I am sure you will find a way to trap your enemies.”
His lips pressed in a thin line and he shrugged, “So, this is supposed to be a one way deal? I give you sanctuary and let you stay in my kingdom in return for some vague information?”
A deep sigh escaped my lips, “If you can’t find them, I will help you create a protective barrier around your territory. I will never attack or kill other witches, Augustine. But, I can promise you this. I will do everything possible to keep everyone here safe.”
His lips curved into a wide smile and he cocked his head appreciatively, “Now, that is a deal I like.” He turned to Sandy, “You can take her to the Mystical Packhouse. She can live there with you but she has to come here whenever she is needed, understood.”
Sandy stood up and bowed from his waist, “Understood. Thank you, my liege.” I wondered if I should bow too but it felt pretty awkward so I just stood there, with my gaze lowered.
“You can go now….”
Sandy held my hand and led me out of the Palace. His posture was stiff and expression stoic. He didn’t seem very pleased by everything that happened. He remained silent as we continued to walk down the rubbled path. Unnerved by the tension between us, I teleported us straight outside the packhouse.