The Crown's Fire - Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Inviting Waters
As days passed, Tarah found herself just as busy as Ezekiel, assisting the monarch of Valcrez. Utilizing her ability of clairvoyance, she aided a woman named Dahlia upon Queen Mineah’s request, which sometimes resulted in unexpected visions involving Devon’s warlock, Zoran.

Dahlia was the reason Zoran had sold himself to Devon—to save her. Even now, Zoran continued to serve Devon out of fear of losing Dahlia. In many ways, Zoran mirrored Tarah’s own struggles.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tarah stared at the clear night sky from the roof terrace of Jade Palace. It was the perfect location for her to perform the teleportation spell. Though she had perfected it, she wanted to ensure there would be no hiccups when the time came. She needed to create portals at precise locations, so she meticulously tested her abilities.

Tarah rubbed her hands together, feeling the chill of the snowfall around her.

“It would be nice to feel his warmth,” Tarah mused, thoughts of Ezekiel’s comforting presence flooding her mind. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly covered her face with her hands. She was here to practice her magic, not daydream about Ezekiel.

“I should focus,” she reminded herself sternly, shifting her thoughts to her imprisoned brother. Guilt gnawed at her, knowing that she had been enjoying fleeting moments of happiness while her brother remained captive to Devon. She needed to keep her mind firmly fixed on her ultimate goal.

“Just a few more days, Levi,” Tarah reminded herself, the looming day of separation from Ezekiel weighing heavily on her heart. Despite her inner turmoil, she knew that her actions were driven by the need to achieve her goals and, in the process, save Ezekiel’s life.

Tarah closed her eyes and focused on clearing her thoughts as she began to create a portal that would lead her to a place she wanted to go right now.

Unbeknownst to her, Ezekiel was watching from a distance….

“You’re late,” Ezekiel mumbled when he felt the familiar presence of Elijah behind him.

“My apologies, Your Highness. Master Kasper makes it so hard for me, but thankfully I managed to get a hold of him. The rest of the journals were with Her Majesty already, and she told me to hand this particular one to you,” Elijah commented.

Ezekiel turned to him and grabbed the journal without a word.

“Look how skilled she is. She perfected the teleportation spell in such a short time? Wow, she must come from a family with a natural-born talent in magic!” Elijah remarked while he checked the journal.

“You can leave now, Elijah, and return to your post. Ensure everything is secure. There’s no room for us to let our guard down,” Ezekiel reminded him.

“Understood, Your Highness,” Elijah replied before disappearing in a flash.

Ezekiel found a quiet corner and settled down, opening the journal to read. As he delved into its contents, his expression darkened. The journal, obtained from Master Kasper by Elijah, contained writings from his mother—all spells involving demons and how to break them.

“Tarah,” he whispered weakly, his eyes fixed on the portal she had created. Without hesitation, he moved swiftly and entered the same portal just before it disappeared.

After reading enough details in the journal, the thought of losing Tarah hit Ezekiel hard, compelling him to follow her wherever she was.

As soon as he exited the portal, a familiar sight greeted him—it was the area of the encampment, with the safe small forest nestled within the protection barrier Lurio created for them before.

Following Tarah’s faint scent, Ezekiel soon found himself in the hot spring. There she stood, naked before his eyes. “Your Highness,” she breathed.

For a moment, Ezekiel simply stared at her, utterly bewitched by her ethereal beauty from head to toe. He felt utterly pathetic for losing control like this, but it was so hard to resist. He didn’t want to turn his gaze away from her at all.

As he stood there, the flame bond between them seemed to grow stronger, perfectly syncing with his own growing feelings for Tarah.

“Damn,” he inwardly cursed, his face flushing red as he finally regained his composure. Quickly turning around, he said, “I got worried, so I followed you here before the portal disappeared.”

“Please dress up,” he murmured.

“But I’m yet to dip into the hot spring. It’s rejuvenating,” Tarah mumbled. Despite the cold, she recalled the soothing sensation of the hot spring and decided it would be a perfect way to unwind. That’s why she created a portal to this place in the first place.

She was startled to find Ezekiel standing before her just as she removed all her clothes. He nearly gave her a heart attack, appearing so suddenly and catching her in such a vulnerable state. For a moment, she was frozen in place, unable to move, but thankfully he turned around now, giving her a chance to compose herself.

Tarah quickly dipped into the hot spring, feeling the soothing warmth envelop her body. Tarah glanced around, considering the situation. The water had a milky white hue and was deep enough to conceal her body, providing a sense of privacy.

“You can now look, Your Highness. I’m now in the water,” she called out, her voice slightly muffled by the steam rising from the spring.

Ezekiel slowly turned. “Oh, right. It indeed looks rejuvenating,” Ezekiel muttered, his gaze lingering on the inviting waters.

Seeing how interested he appeared, Tarah found herself unconsciously extending an invitation, “Do you want to try it? It’s spacious enough for both of us.”

Realizing her words, her face reddened. ‘What am I thinking?’ she scolded herself.

“Can I join you?” he blurted out, causing her lips to part in surprise. ‘For real?’ Realizing that she had been the one to extend the invitation first, Tarah felt a sense of obligation. It would be awkward to turn him down now, especially after inviting him in the first place.

“It’s fine, Your Highness. You can join me. I’ll turn around now so…” Tarah said, feeling her face still burning with embarrassment. She searched for a more proper word than saying he could now disrobe. “Uhm, so you can prepare,” she finally said.