Chapter 70: Chapter 70

Hazel,

"Oh my! My! I can't believe my eyes. Is a family reunion going on here?" Luxian asked mockingly looking at the small group.

Luxian was standing next to the wide-opened door of the Dungeon with two other guards. Ben immediately replied in a surprised tone, "Luxian, why are you here? Don't tell me that you have joined with our enemy."

In reply, Luxian only chuckled. Then looking directly in Xander's direction, he spoke in his heavy tone, "Your Highness, no wait Xander, now it's time to leave the underworld forever and join with my Rachel. She is waiting for you."

Lucian's smile looked so creepy at that moment that even I knew there was no use talking with him at the end. Yet I decided to try for once at least.

Clearing my throat, I asked, looking at Luxian, "Luxian, weren't you a loyal pack member of our pack? Don't forget you are the omega of the pack. How can you join our enemy? For more than 100 years you have been serving Xander and this pack and-" Before I could finish, Luxian interrupted me in an annoyed tone, " Exactly, I was. I am not anymore in your pack. And the reason is only you. If you didn't appear then my daughter would be alive. You stole her place and now the whole pack has to pay for this. Especially Xander and you. Cyrus will kill every single pack member in front of your eyes, Hazel."

Luxian burst into laughter.

"Don't waste your time talking with him. He is not going to listen anymore. He is the one who betrayed us and even killed granny," Xander mumbled from behind, placing his hand on my shoulder.

Sighing I mumbled disappointedly, "I see. A serpent was hiding in our pack." Then after a little pause, I ordered others, " Let's go then. When he wants to stay here. Let him."

Luxian interrupted again, "As if I will let you all go." Then looking at the guards, he ordered, " Go capture them all."

He had only 4 guards with them. Hearing his orders, they ran in our direction.

But before they could do anything, all our pack members placed their hands on mine, and closing my eyes I started concentrating. It took only a few seconds and our hands started to glow with a bright yellowish light and a warm feeling engulfed our body. When the light and the warm feeling disappeared, I opened my eyes with a small smirk. Except for us, everyone paused in the position they were in.

Yes, exactly that was my escape plan. I thought of pausing the time and ran away using the nearby exit of the dungeon, Gate 3. Except for Xander, all other pack members who were with Xander in the dungeon room were still too weak to fight.

Using a little energy and with the help of a few moves of my hand, I stopped the time. Along with the time Luxian and two of his guards paused too. Opening my eyes I looked in Xander's direction and without wasting any time I asked him to move towards the exit as I didn't have that much power to control the time for longer than one hour or something like that. He immediately ordered others to move towards the direction of the 3rd exit. Before the time would start again, we must leave the palace.

Along with Galaxy, Ben was also leading the way. Leaving the Dungeon area behind we started walking towards the courtroom. The court was quite crowded. It was maybe because of the blood moon festival. Numerous Kings, Alphas, Vampires, goblins, and witch clan leaders came to attend the festival. Their different types of dresses of bright colors were looking stunning and reflected their royalties. From their statues it felt like most of them were talking or greeting each other, standing in a circle. Some were holding glasses of beverage, alcohol, or blood. Some were holding dishes, filled with delicious snacks. It was clear from their expressions that they were enjoying the feast.

This palace was different from the castle of Xander. Rather I should say that the Palace of the silver city was looking way richer than Xander's. Aristocracy and wealthiness were glowing from every inch of the palace. While passing the main area of the palace I was scrutinizing every single corner of the palace that was so finely decorated with costly statues, architectures, and paintings of the Victorian age and Medieval age.

On the wall of the courtroom, numerous armor made out of gold, silver, copper, and various types of costly metals were hanging along with swords, daggers, bows, and lots of other weapons. The walls were painted with bright colors along with the matching colored furniture of the corridor. Ben and Galaxy were walking very fast. When I was lost in enjoying the beauty of the palace, actually the most ancient and richest palace of Silver City, Ben along with our soldiers almost reached near the gate. I was near the throne room at that time. The huge door of the throne room was closed and next to the door, two guards were standing with their swords on their belts and spears on their hands.

Sparing a glance towards the backs of other pack members, I paused for a moment in front of the huge wooden door. Even Xander was a little far away from me. So it was not a very wise decision to waste time like that. Yet I couldn't suppress the desire of stealing a quick look of the main throne room of the palace, so I pushed the door of the throne room slightly, and immediately it opened with a slight crack sound. The door was so huge that six people could easily enter at the same time.

The Throne Room was empty. But my eyes were fixed on the huge throne in the middle of the room. At the top of the throne, there was a bright red stone shining extremely brightly reflecting a reddish and extremely powerful aura. The red gem was so alluring and glorious that its aura dimmed all other expensive decorations of the room. There were two more doors of the courtroom except for the one I used to peek inside the room. Fancy curtains of blue velvet were hanging from the door frames, the huge courtroom was filled with luxurious chairs for ministers, speaker persons, and other important members of the kingdom. Beside the king's throne, there was another throne for the queen which was slightly smaller than the king's one but didn't have any difference in its look except that red gem.

I instinctively mumbled, looking at the red gem, "Woah! Beautiful, such a powerful aura."

"Exactly, this gem is the gift from the Moon Goddess which helped our ancestor to be the king of the whole underworld. From then on it is shining on the throne as a symbol of power," Xander spoke from behind, startling me.

Turning my head, I replied in a startled voice, "Geez! Xander. What are you doing here?"

"Umm, I guess I am also peeking like you?" Xander replied nonchalantly. His eyes were fixed on the throne room. After a little pause, he spoke again, pointing his finger on a particular wall of the throne room, "Look at there. The last portrait from the left is of my parents."

"Xander's parents!"

I instinctively looked in that direction. The wall next to the throne was filled with huge portraits of the couples. As Xander instructed I looked at the last portrait. The man and woman in the portrait were in royal dresses with bright smiles on their lips. But what surprised me the most was the similarity between Xander and his father. Xander exactly looks like his father with the sapphire eyes of his mother. His mother was looking no less than an angel. Her glowing pale skin and mysterious sapphire eyes were too beautiful to look away from her. Her crimson red hair was like blood as if her hair was soaked in blood. Xander's dad was handsome and charming too with amber eyes and blonde hair. He had the same mysterious smirk as Xander. They both were looking too young around mid-twenty. I could feel their powerful aura even just by looking at them.

"Perfect couple, made for each other," I mumbled in a low voice, looking at the portrait.

I felt a strong hand on my waist and immediately Xander's scent hit my nostrils. Placing a small and quick kiss on my earlobe and neck Xander whispered from behind, "Just like us. Now can we go, my princess? We have already wasted some time here and behind others already."

"Geez! I am so sorry. Let's go," I immediately snapped back to the present situation and replied to Xander in a regretful tone. Grabbing Xander's hand I started walking hastily towards the exit. I knew it was not a very wise move to waste time like that but I couldn't control myself.

Sighing, I spoke again while walking holding Xander's hand, " It is such a beautiful palace that I couldn't suppress my curiosity. Everything here is so enchanting."

I heard a soft chuckle above my head. Looking down at me, Xander whispered in his magnetic voice, "This palace will be soon all yours. Once I will get my revenge and prove to all the dwellers of the silver city that Cyrus is the assassin of my parents, I will be in your service for 24hours as your private tour guide."

"Only Tour guide!"

My lips curled up in a teasing smile.

While walking Xander pulled me closer to his body grabbing my waist, then whispered near my ear, "Umm... What about a bondman who can serve you as a chef, storyteller, and last but not the least bed-comforter."

His warm breath brushed against the bare skin of my naked and immediately a tingling sensation gave me goosebumps. His last word was enough to turn my face into a red tomato. I instinctively looked down from Xander's eyes and my eyes focused on the red lips of Xander. I clearly understood that day that my heart has no brain. Even in such a tense situation, it started to beat rapidly in excitement while demanding to have a taste of his lips.

Clearing my throats, I only gulped my desire to kiss Xander's thin lips. I started walking faster. I mumbled in a shaky voice while dragging Xander with me, "Walk faster. We have to hurry. Remember?"

Xander didn't reply anything but I heard his soft chuckling exactly at the next moment. No doubt he noticed my abnormal attitude.

The distance between the dungeon room and the 3rd exit door was more than half an hour. The palace was located, engulfing a large area in the middle of the Silver City. So the area inside the palace was e was almost near the third exit. Ben and Galaxy were waiting for us exactly in front of the exit but our soldiers were too tired and were sitting on the ground next to the exit door leaning against the wall. The garden area near the exit was the most crowded area at the moment. All guards, guests, and other members of the palace were in the garden area, some arranging for the blood moon festival while others lazily walking or lurking around enjoying the beauty of the palace, though most of the guests were greeting each other. In the middle of the garden, there was a huge arrangement of bonfires and other arrangements for the rituals of the Blood moon festival, and exactly beside that, they arranged a stage, surrounded by lots of empty chairs. Maybe it was the sitting arrangements for King Cyrus and other important guests. Among that crowd of guests, I even noticed King Ralph and his daughter Roxana.

Looking in the direction of Ben, Xander signed them to start walking again. They all immediately stood up and respectfully bowed to them, and started walking again. I sighed in relief realizing that I successfully managed to bring all of them back. Little more and then we all were going to be out of danger.

With an excited smile, Ben took a few steps towards our direction and he was about to speak when all of a sudden I heard a husky and charming male voice exactly behind us.

"Oh my my! What a lucky day for me! At last, I got a chance to meet with the daughter of the great Amenadiel," An unfamiliar voice spoke exactly from behind. Startled both Xander and I looked back in the direction of the voice.

No, there was no mistake in a single glance. I recognized the person who was talking exactly behind us while walking in our direction.

I froze instantly in fear while sweat started to form on my forehead. I felt like my body became numb in fear.

Clenching Xander's hand firmly, I started stepping back in fear.