Chapter 91: Chapter 91

DAHLIA:

‘Calm your heart down, and breathe in smoothly… Don’t show your excitement. Don’t give in to your feelings,’ Eva reminded me inside our shared consciousness.

I was deathly nervous from the very start. Can I really do this? Can I pretend to be intimate with Tristan and not get caught up with my own act?

‘Of course you can,’ Eva said confidently. ‘I’ll help you out. Don’t worry about a thing!’

Indeed, I’m glad. Eva and I are polar opposites when it comes to seduction. I don’t think I can ever keep everything away from the surface while she always can… I hope we really do succeed.

As Tristan informed me of the plan further, I learned that the illegal auction will last the whole night, and the final item to be showcased would most likely be the spirit stone.

“I don’t have any information on how many spirit stones they are going to show in that auction, but if there’s more than one, I plan to buy them all out,” he said.

“What are you going to do with them?”

“Their final resting place must be in our village… I can’t bear seeing their spirit stones being used while the flesh that held them rotted beneath the earth…”

Tristan did not speak further after that. I understood his sentiments. He did not need to say anything at all.

“We must wear some masks during the event. Because everyone’s identity is concealed, we must also be on full alert. Anything could go wrong at any minute.”

I nodded. I at least thought of that much…

My eyes fell on the vial that Tristan was carrying. He was fingering it absentmindedly as if thinking of something too deep.

“What does that potion do,” I asked out of curiosity.

“This will help mask my scent for a while, but I’m not sure just how effective it’ll be. We’ll know once the auction starts.”

I have heard from Livia how a long time friend of Tristan’s had been helping them in carrying out their plans this whole time in secrecy. I have a hunch that this particular person was a female based on how Tristan had reacted earlier…

Not that it had to affect me… Tristan was no one to me now. He wasn’t my mate to begin with…

Having nothing else to do in the bedroom, I went in the shower and took my time ruminating through the things that Livia had so far told me about this mission.

“The highlight of the auction was said to be a ruby red spirit stone. They mentioned that it was the stone of the missing luna, so we have to get it at all cost.”

I know how important finding her mother’s spirit stone was for Livia. She didn’t have a mother, and except for Maredem, her carer, she didn’t have anyone else who was akin to a family when she was growing up.

“When I met my brother, his plan to get closer to you was already set… I was against it because I hated you and your father. Now I realized you had nothing to do with what happened to us back then… I’m really sorry…”

If all the sorry utterances I had heard could only erase the pain and hurt in my heart, it could have been easy taking Tristan back…

That isn’t the case, however. No matter what I do, I am still my father’s daughter, and the animosity between Tristan and I would be inevitable. So, for the sake of my father’s sins, I must be willing to do this much to help Tristan and Livia… for my father and for the sake of my own, guilty conscience…

‘Let’s do our best then,’ Eva said, our determination burning deeply in our heart. ‘Let’s get that soul stone, no matter what…’

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TRISTAN:

An hour before our set departure, I donned formal clothes for the auction while Dahlia took a bath. Once I had finished, I went downstairs and met with Gideon.

“Did you check it,” I asked just loud enough for him to hear since a lot of people were in the hallway.

“As you have ordered, my lord. The place looked secured. The guard concentration around the place looked heavier for some reason though, so an escape route would be a little hard to find should anything happen,” Gideon reported back.

As expected, I have thought the same.

“Listen,” I began, “If anything unexpected should happen, your first priority is to escort your madam outside of the premise. Make sure she goes out unharmed.”

That’s right. If something goes wrong, Dahlia must get out first while I try to extract the spirit stones and find a way to escape…

“How about you, sir?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure Dahlia gets out of there first. Go straight back home. Don’t stop along the way for anything. I will definitely get out there by my-”

Before I could even finish what I was saying, my eyes fell into the most beautiful creature descending from the top of the stairs!

In a red and black off-shoulder satin and lace dress, Dahlia went slowly down from the stairs, and all eyes were instantly fixated on her.

Her perfect curves came into view, coming straight to where Gideon and I were standing. I got to peek at her immaculate white legs from the slit of her gown every time she took a step forward.

Today, her dazzling smell of cherry, honey and milk were stronger than usual that even the vampires in this place were piqued by her.

How can I be at peace if I take her with me to the auction tonight looking like this?!

“Dahlia, that dress…” I mumbled as she came towards me.

“What? Are you going to make me wear something else?”

A necklace with a dark violet amethyst stone rested on top of her lovely bosom. I recognized it as the necklace I attempted to give her on the day of her engagement party with Prince Kaist.

“I spent an hour putting this on. If you want me to change, forget it,” Dahlia continued.

I shook my head despite myself. I looked at my mate’s lovely face. Her eyes were full of unspoken determination…

When did my Dahlia started becoming more resolute and stubborn and also this highly seductive?...

Her face broke into a triumphant smile. “Alright. Let’s go then. We don’t want to be late.”

She linked her arm around mine. My mind was going absolutely blank just by being close to her like this.

“Tristan,” she whispered. “Don’t be distracted. We have a mission to fulfill, remember?”

How can I not be? Her presence alone was not only a distraction for me but for the other men who would be present at that blasted auction!

I surely have to be extra vigilant tonight…