The Crown's Fire - Chapter 221

Chapter 221: A Snake in their Midst
At the secluded hideout where Devon’s followers were gathered, preparations for the ambush led by Bulun were in full swing. The plan was to capture Queen Mother Mona of Helion and use her to lure Amon. The Global Summit at Haven Forest was heavily fortified, and attempting to breach its defenses was tantamount to suicide.

For now, they were still waiting for the right moment to strike and it was when Helion’s convoy left the protective reach of the Sorel Guild and Ezekiel.

Bulun was preoccupied with the logistics of the ambush, but unbeknownst to him, Marla was busy formulating her own plan. She didn’t trust Bulun, knowing his volatile temper. She suspected his plan might fail and needed a backup.

Her smile widened as her awaited visitor finally arrived.

“I brought the divine blood you need to unlock this journal,” said the man in the black hooded cloak. As usual, he wore a black mask covering the upper half of his face.

“At this point, shouldn’t you at least reveal yourself?” Marla asked, raising an eyebrow. The man’s identity was still a mystery. She knew he was collaborating with Devon and held a high position in Ebodia, allowing him easy access to the king’s palace. To Marla, he was a former spy for Devon, but his manipulative and calculative nature had become evident through their interactions.

“You shouldn’t know my identity, or else your life will be in danger,” the man replied ominously, handing her the vial of blood.

‘This arrogant man! Let’s see if you can keep up your arrogant act once Lord Devon is revived!’ she inwardly refuted. For now, they had to cater to whatever this man wanted since he was essentially their benefactor, providing them with everything they needed.

“Whose blood is this?” she questioned, raising a brow.

“There’s no need for you to know, Marla. It contains Queen Dana’s bloodline. Use it and see if it works to open the journal,” he instructed.

Marla took the vial, her eyes glinting with anticipation. She carefully examined the contents, noting the rich, dark hue of the divine blood.

“Very well,” she said, her voice tinged with excitement and caution. “I’ll trust that this will work. I’ll send word as soon as I manage to unlock this journal.”

The man nodded. “My servant is assisting Soka. By now, the information you shared about the Queen Regent is surely spreading like wildfire in Ebodia.”

Marla smirked and hissed, “How dare she get her happy ending so easily? Queen of Ebodia? Hah, I’ll have her wiped from this world before King Devon fully revives.”

The man didn’t comment and simply said, “I’ll return if the journal proves useful. I’ll wait for your word.”

Marla offered him a curt nod. “See you soon, then, Lord Merlot.”

And just like that, the man disappeared. Marla frowned. That man had no trace of dark energy in him, but he was quite a skilled magic user. “I’m sure he’s just a human,” she muttered. Being an Ebodian, it shouldn’t surprise her. For all she knew, he could be a high-ranking mage in Ebodia, perhaps even under Lurio. Could it be?

Clearing her thoughts, she focused on Katelina’s journal. She gathered everything she needed to unlock the spell. She wanted to read what was inside and see if it was something useful. Wasting no more time, she began chanting the spell.

Katelina’s journal trembled slightly, then unlocked with a soft click. Marla’s eyes widened in triumph as she instantly flipped through the pages. Her forehead creased as she began reading Katelina’s confessions to Ezekiel, filled with emotions.

“Tsk, what nonsense…” she grunted. But as she flipped further, her eyes widened in shock as she began reading random visions and dreams that Katelina had seen about the future.

Her excitement grew with each entry.

“This bitch! She knew Devon would die and be revived! Hah! How stupid can she be not to secure this journal and directly hand it to Ezekiel?” Marla chuckled maniacally. She could understand why Katelina had probably lowered her guard, believing the Jade Palace to be a safe haven. But she was wrong. Lord Merlot was a calculative man, planting spies among the ordinary servants with unsuspecting backgrounds.

Marla clicked her tongue and scoffed, “This royal family of Ebodia has no idea they’ve been harboring a snake in their midst.”

Her lips stretched into a wide smile as she hummed, “So there’s a great chance that the barrier of the Forbidden Forest will crack? Ah, Lord Devon will be very delighted to hear this news!” She never doubted Katelina’s visions and dreams because she had witnessed firsthand how accurate Katelina had been during the three years she was held in captivity.

But a particular entry caught her eye: a ritual for transferring power and essence from one being to another, dangerous and complex but immensely rewarding. It was how Katelina managed to bind the dragon’s spirit to Ezekiel’s own spirit. Her mind immediately went to Devon and the potential this ritual held for his resurrection.

******

Back in the kingdom of Ebodia, at Rose Palace, Stephan wasted no time in sending a messenger to Ezekiel to inform him about the current situation at Ebodia. Negative information about the Queen Regent of Zion was spreading like wildfire.

“This is not good,” Dana said worriedly, pacing inside their bedchamber. They were unable to control the situation since they were unaware of the full details.

All they knew was that Ezekiel had fallen in love with the new fated Seer. Other details were still unclear to them since Ezekiel hadn’t shared the full story. They knew that Tarah had been under Devon’s spell, involving her little brother, but her being Devon’s head mistress and spy was something they had never imagined.

“I can’t believe how this information leaked out,” Stephan groaned, standing up and walking toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Dana asked.

“I need to speak to Greta. I tasked her with investigating this discreetly, but it looks like things got out of hand!” Stephan sighed, his frustration evident as he left the room.