The Crown's Fire - Chapter 242

Chapter 242: Just Think of Me
Ezekiel had a lead on the rest of Devon’s followers near the kingdom of Zion. He didn’t inform Katelina about this since he didn’t want to add to her worries. She already had enough on her plate after the incident of the stolen dragon eggs and Priest Mauro’s betrayal.

Also, he could deal with this one witch alone. He knew where she was located because he had seen it from Priest Saul’s memories. However, Priest Saul had managed to block him from accessing other crucial memories in his dying moments. As a result, Ezekiel was unable to discover the locations of the rest of Devon’s followers.

Ezekiel soared into the night sky, his dragon eyes sharp and focused. The cold wind rushed past him as he flew toward the southern part of Zion. He knew that the witch he was hunting was one of Devon’s most dangerous followers. Eliminating her would be a significant step in dismantling their plans.

As he neared his destination, Ezekiel descended, his massive wings beating silently. He landed softly in a dense forest clearing, where he quickly shifted back into his human form. He moved stealthily through the trees. The witch’s lair was close, and he could feel the dark magic pulsing in the air.

He approached a small, hidden cottage. With a powerful burst of energy, he broke through the door.

“You…” she gasped, but without wasting time, she chanted something, and ghouls attacked Ezekiel. He easily dispatched them with fireballs, and with lightning speed, he approached the witch, his hand closing around her neck.

She smirked at him. “Do you really think you can stop what’s bound to happen? Aren’t you aware that your Seer already predicted this? She’s practically our guide on how we’ll revive Lord Devon. She and our Lord share a bond that you won’t be able to break. Do you think you’ve already won? Hah! Just wait until he comes back, more powerful than ever!”

Ezekiel growled, “You talk too much.” He buried his claws into her neck, releasing hallucinogenic gas into her nerves. As her face slowly turned black and her body turned to ashes, Ezekiel read all her past memories.

Through her memories, he saw the depth of their plans. The visions were chaotic, but one thing was clear: their threat was far from over. He saw images of secret meetings, rituals, and the stolen dragon eggs being hidden in a dark, remote location.

The witch’s final thoughts were of loyalty and fanatic devotion to Devon. Even as she crumbled to ashes, her last smirk remained as if mocking him from beyond.

Ezekiel cursed under his breath. There was nothing he could do but destroy the dragon eggs before they hatched, as they would only pose a threat. It somehow broke his heart that there was no hope for those eggs anymore but to be destroyed.

Without wasting a moment, he shifted into his dragon form, his powerful wings beating against the night sky as he took off to locate one of the eggs that had been prepared for hatching. He could vividly recall its location from the witch’s memories.

Ezekiel had to act swiftly and decisively, but his body suddenly stiffened when he felt Katelina’s emotions surge through their bond.

“Kate!” he growled. Without wasting another moment, he turned his direction back to Zion’s camp, where Katelina was. His wings beat furiously against the night sky, propelling him faster than ever before.

He could feel her fear, anger, disgust, and pain, a sharp contrast to the calmness she had. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. As he approached the camp, Ezekiel landed with a thunderous roar, shifting back to his human form in an instant.

Ezekiel rushed to Katelina’s side, his heart breaking at the sight of her fear. She was huddled in a corner, her face pale and contorted with terror, while Asura desperately tried to calm her.

“My lady, it’s me, Asura. Please, you’re already safe. Devon is dead. He can no longer hurt you. It’s just a nightmare, a bad dream,” Asura pleaded.

“What happened?” Ezekiel demanded his voice a mixture of panic and fury.

“No!!!! Don’t come near me!” Katelina screamed at him, making Ezekiel freeze in his tracks. “I said leave me alone!!! I will kill you if you touch me!!!! Don’t come near me!!!!” she sobbed, her eyes wild with terror while she looked at him with disgust.

Ezekiel’s tears began to roll down his cheeks. He could feel her overwhelming fear, disgust, hatred, fury, and pain through their bond.

“Milady, please… Calm yourself. He is not Devon but King Ezekiel. He’s the one who killed Devon and saved you and Levi,” Asura sobbed as she pulled Katelina into her arms. “Devon is dead. He won’t be here anymore to hurt you.”

“No! Asura, I saw him… It’s all coming back to me. Everything is coming back, Asura. All the memories are back. He’s back to taunt me!” Katelina continued, her voice filled with anguish.

Ezekiel balled his fists until his knuckles turned white, blood dripping from his hands. If he could, he would kill Devon a million times over and even hunt him in the afterlife just to kill him over and over again.

His body trembled with rage, his veins bulging, but he tried to calm himself. He took a deep breath and reached out to Katelina through their bond.

[Kate… I’m here. I will not let Devon get near you. Please come back to me. Snap out of it. I already killed him and if I must, I will even hunt him in the afterlife. Please, Kate. I can’t bear to see you like this, my love. Please just think of me…It’s me, Ezekiel. I’m here for you.]

Slowly, Katelina’s eyes began to focus on him. She blinked, and the wild look in her eyes started to fade. “Ezekiel?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Yes, Kate, it’s me. I’m here. You’re safe,” he said softly, stepping closer.

She reached out a trembling hand toward him. “Ezekiel…”

He gently took her hand, feeling her grip tighten around his. “I’m here, my love. You’re safe now. Devon is gone. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Katelina collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Ezekiel held her tightly, whispering soothing words, vowing to protect her no matter what.

Asura stepped back, giving them space, her own tears streaming down her face.