The Crown's Obsession

Mary had a look of shock on her face. Her lips moved, but not a word came out of it, and she quickly looked at the vampire who she had been hurting with her spells, spells that she could use even though she was not a fallen angel like her parents. She whispered words again, trying to hurt him, but the King had a smug look on his face, and he leaned his head back, staring at her with his blood-red eyes.

"Like I said," Calhoun pushed himself to stand up on his feet, "I am so glad that your family's ignorance doesn't run in Madeline. She must have acquired her senses from her parents."

"What did you do?!" demanded Mary, "You were spouting blood just now!"

Calhoun couldn't help but smile, and his fangs appeared to Mary's sight, "I knew you would pull some shitty trick that you have been hiding below your sleeve, so I did the same. I played along by biting my tongue and drew out enough blood to make you believe that you were in the lead when in truth, you were only dancing to my words."

Mary refused to believe that this mere vampire was able to stand in front of her unscathed and had only bluffed about being hurt by her. The vile King had been faking his pain and agony, making her believe that he was going to die.

"It isn't possible," her eyes continued to stare at the vampire because her spells could harm both vampires as well as demons! She was able to hurt Samuel. Therefore, she wasn't able to see what was different when it came to Calhoun, "W-what are you?" she asked, taking a step backwards and her back hit the rusted iron rods.

"Me?" Calhoun smiled, and when he blinked, his eyes turned pitch black, and after another blink, it turned to red again, "What do you think?"

"You are a vampire and a demon," Mary was slightly shocked because she had never heard Samuel ever mention about anyone in the castle being a demon. But her spells should still be able to work on him, thought Mary to herself. "I curse you to go back to the underworld. To the home that you belong to," said Mary raising her hand. Calhoun took a step closer to her, "You are the child of a sinner and-AHHHH!"

Calhoun had caught hold of Mary's wrist, twisting it upwards before turning it to hear the sound of her bone crack, "What a silly human you are. It seems like when death and greed approaches together, one starts losing his mind. I wasn't born as a demon, Mary."

"You will be cursed for your sins!" shouted Mary in agony because of her broken wrist, "You are a devil!" There was no other explanation to why her spells were not working on him.

"Oh, hush now, dear. You cannot give me all the credits now, can you? I wouldn't mind sharing a lot with you for what you tried," Calhoun tutted the woman, "If I am gone, what will happen to you? I mean, you will need someone to send you off to hell. For people like you who have the intention to kill your very own niece, I don't know how you can miss the point that a heaven is a place for pure beings. And you," he said, looking at her, "Are nowhere close to it. I am sure I can arrange some prioritized rooms in hell."

"You will burn in hell before I do!" When Mary tried to escape through the open door of the cell room, Calhoun got it closed right away.

"Don't be rude now, we aren't done talking to each other yet," said Calhoun with a charming smile on his face.

Mary gritted her teeth. She thought she had an ace card under her sleeve which she could use it on this vampire because she had done it in the past. Who would have thought that he would be unaffected by it.

"How is it possible? Who are you?" demanded the woman for an answer as she moved away from Calhoun to end up in the corner.

"I am the King of Devon, the murderer of the previous King," replied Calhoun in a calm tone. "I thought you already knew about it. What a forgetful memory you must have."

This vampire was playing with her with his words! Mary didn't know what to do because she was trapped. She had never thought that she wouldn't be able to harm this vampire, "Let's try to form a peaceful truce between each other," she proposed so that she could get out of the sticky situation she had put herself in. "I am Madeline's beloved aunt, someone who has taught her everything that you might be in love with."

Calhoun chuckled, "Why do you think you are still alive for this long? Take your extended time until now to be a appreciating gift," and hearing this, Mary's eyes turned wide. She shook her head.

"You cannot do that. If I am gone, you will only have more troubles coming to knock on your door. I can stand by your side and Madeline's, and help," she persuaded and saw Calhoun give it some thought.

"I think I will pass your offer for now," said Calhoun as if he wasn't interested in the offer, "But thank you for thinking about it so soon. What trouble will I fall into? Once you are dead, there's one less person to be worried about it. Isn't it?"

Mary shook her head again, "The demons in the High House along with the fallen angels will come for you. The last I heard some of them have been trying to throw you out."

"Interesting, but do you think I care what the members of the High House think?" the smile on Calhoun's lips fell, and his eyes looked hollow, "Now tell me. How would you like to die? By my hands, or being burnt like a witch in the middle of the village, or would you instead want to be beheaded like a chicken?"

The woman said, "Keep me, and you will be able to save more lives. Do you think people will not come for Madeline? Oh, they will, and they will kill her-"

Calhoun had moved so quick that Mary hadn't seen it coming so soon.

He stood right in front of her, his hand pierced through her chest to hold her heart and he slowly moved his fingers so that the woman could feel him squeeze her heart, while also knowing that she was going to die.

"You have an ugly heart, Mary. Let's hope that you can find a better one, until then."

Calhoun pulled out the heart from her chest and the light in Mary's eyes turned dull and vacant as she was no more alive. He dropped the heart from his bloody hand, and pulled out his kerchief to clean every part of his finger before throwing it on the ground.

When he made his way out of the dungeon, he saw Madeline, who was sitting outside, waiting for him. Seeing the seriousness on his face and the screams that she heard coming from the dungeon a moment ago, she didn't have to ask if her aunt was still alive.