The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Music Reccomendation: Beth's Story by Carlos Rafael Rivera

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Madeline felt Calhoun holding her close to him in his arms, "Are you alright?" he asked, pulling away to take a better look at her and she nodded. Calhoun's hand went to wipe the blood drops that had sprinkled on her face and dress, which had turned slightly turned dry on her skin.

"How did you know?" she asked Calhoun, surprised and happy at his presence.

"I sensed something going on with you," answered, Calhoun, "I think it's because of the invisible bond that we share now."

"Invisible bond?" she furrowed her brows, not knowing what it was.

"Yes," he replied, his eyes looking into the depth of her eyes to check that she was fine. He had felt her fear even though they weren't near each other, "An invisible bond is formed usually by the vampire-demons because the demons have some sort of magic running in them that allows them to create and share a bond with their partners. The bond is often created without knowledge. I don't know exactly when it happened, but for a while I have been able to know what you feel, and the emotion that runs in you."

Madeline wondered when it happened, and as she wasn't a demon nor a vampire, the invisible bond didn't work the other way around. In the beginning, she had always been in the notion that Calhoun was able to read her mind. But she had come to learn it was something to do with his quick wit and now the possible bond, that had formed unconsciously the very first time they had met.

As Calhoun looked at Madeline with worried eyes, she placed her hand on his that had come to settle on the side of her face, "I am doing fine."

He then looked around to see two people who were lying on the ground, "I sense something else in here."

"Paschar," whispered Madeline, turning her gaze in the direction he had left. The angel hadn't stayed longer to chat and had disappeared before she could have uttered another word, "It was Reginald. He's Paschar."

"What?" he asked, a frown appearing on his face, "He has been in the High House working under demons."

"He said he joined the High House so that he could get information about me, when I would come to exist and would be about to be hunted because I am a ticket to heaven," sighed Madeline. She wondered if it made a difference if she was or if she wasn't one because it looked like she would be hunted anyways because of the word spread about how she could be used as a sacrifice. "Heaven must be angry that Paschar broke the rules, which is why the fallen angels offered a-"

"A bounty on your head," Calhoun completed her words. She pursed her lips because that is precisely what it was. "And people said angels were kind. No wonder they end up falling down to mortals. I don't think they met up with the actual version of who these angels are or the word 'kind' has a different meaning in their books. Why did he leave?"

Madeline shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I am not sure," she whispered in thought. All this time, she believed that when she would meet Paschar, she would find answers and solutions to the problems that existed before she even took birth in this world. But it didn't. "He said he would try to remove the rumour as well as me being a sacrificial person for the fallen angels and the demons so that I won't be a target."

"That won't drop the idea of you still being the potential sacrifice right now ,that would lead up to people having immense power," Calhoun clicked his tongue. He wondered who else was hiding behind their outer appearance, which he was yet to discover. Until now, no one had a single hint on Reginald that he was Paschar.

They heard a light sound of laughter in the room, and Madeline and Calhoun looked around to see where it was coming from. Madeline looked startled when Lilith started to move from where she had been lying on the ground until now.

Calhoun's eyes narrowed as he had seen Lilith lying flat unmoving and a man who looked like he had blown up his face. He didn't have to ask, to know that it was Madeline who was responsible for it. With more power came more responsibility and threat, and right now, Madeline was in a place where people would start swarming around her only to slice her neck.

"I thought you died by the hands of my wife," commented Calhoun, noticing Lilith trying to sit up before standing on her feet with great difficulty as if she was exhausted.

Lilith turned to meet Calhoun's eyes, "You wish. It was the bloody angel. I was worried I died, but it seems like people in the heaven don't trust him. Therefore, he has less than half the energy in him to take me down," she spat the blood on the dusty ground. "I heard what you both were talking about, and you are damn right. What I didn't know was that you were a different kind too."

Internally, she was appalled at the sight of the black wings before it disappeared from his back. She had never seen anything like this before. She had seen bat-like wings but she had never seen feathered wings that were black. W-who was Calhoun Hawthrone?

"What can I say, it's rare to find a person like me," Calhoun remarked while his eyes calmly took in her features again, "Why are you dirtying you hand in a work like this, Lilith dear?"

"Why not?" questioned Lilith, taking two steps away from the couple so that she kept a safe distance between each other. "Look at that," she nudged her head towards Declan, a fellow demon who had his head blown up. "Don't tell me you don't crave for it too. I know you, Calhoun, that the bloodthirsty vampire in you enjoys the power, isn't that why you turned to King?"

"Priorities change in time," stated Calhoun continuing to hold a cool expression on his face.

Lilith glared at Calhoun, "It always has, hasn't it? Just like you discarded me," came the bitterness from her voice. "I would have never pegged you to be someone to go and like this girl. But who knows, one day you might find her useful enough to make use of her, more than in the bed."

When Lilith had first met Calhoun, he was a man who had a look of hollowness in his eyes, empty eyes that barely contained any emotions apart from blood-lust. He had always outshined people by his words and presence. Lilith had looked forward to build a relationship with him, even though he was only a vampire. But the King had done nothing but humiliate her over and over again.

"You are right. There's more than sex which is called emotional support which you clearly lack," said Calhoun, and Madeline noticed how Lilith's face slightly fell before she covered it up in a glare.