The Crown's Fire - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Kill The Rumors
Ezekiel furrowed his brow upon seeing the serious look on his mother’s face, but then he quickly followed his mother and father on their way inside their private study. He was eager to find out what it was that his mother wanted to talk to him about.

“The mark. I now remembered it,” his mother immediately said as soon as they were inside. At that instant, he already understood what his mother meant. It was about the mark on Tarah’s back that he had sent to her in their missives.

“It’s a mark that will appear on persons under the Tophet Bloodchain spell,” Queen Dana informed, followed by a sigh.

Tilting his head slightly to the side, Ezekiel asked, “What is that spell, Mother?”

So that meant Tarah was under a spell, and it was something she couldn’t disclose to him. He still remembered how she firmly told him that she couldn’t tell him and would not disclose anything about that mark they found on her back.

“Damn that bastard,” his mother suddenly hissed as she weakly sat on a chair. She closed her eyes while her face contorted in annoyance. Ezekiel and his father exchanged meaningful glances because his mother would usually curse only one person like that, and it would be none other than Master Kasper.

“What is it this time?” his father queried.

Taking a deep breath and then exhaling first, Queen Dana began to explain, “Well, I have been keeping journals since the moment I found out that I’m losing all my memories about my previous life as an angel, so I made sure I wrote all important spells and details in them. I plan to hand them all over to Wizard Lurio so he can use them in his teachings to our future mages, but…”

“But?” his father pondered, while Ezekiel simply listened intently.

“Some of the journals are not with me right now. That Tophet Bloodchain Spell is written in spells that involve demons, and that journal is with Kasper. I remembered him borrowing it from me, but until now, he hasn’t returned it,” Dana annoyingly puffed.

“Kasper is hard to locate… It will take time,” King Stephan murmured.

“It’s fine, Elijah knows his whereabouts, and I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon,” Ezekiel informed.

He then turned and looked closely at his mother and asked, “Mother, are you sure that it’s a spell that involves a demon?”

“Yes, only a powerful demon can cast a perfect spell like that. Tarah had that mark on her, Son, so that means she’s under that spell. Have I mentioned to you that she once asked me and Lurio about how to break that spell? It was when you were still in your dragon form. Only a fallen angel can break that spell or the demon who cast it, but if it’s broken, it will only save one person under that spell. The others—”

She suddenly whimpered and held her head. “Dana,” his father called. He and Ezekiel were quick to reach her side and check on her.

“I’m fine, just that this… Since I’m losing my divine powers, it’s taking a toll on my memories, so it’s really hard for me now to grasp the details of certain things. I think I mentioned more details about it to Tarah before. But now… the details that I even mentioned to you a while ago are becoming blurry to me,” Dana murmured with gritted teeth.

“I’m now unsure of things,” his mother added with a crumpled face.

“It’s fine, Mother. Don’t push yourself regarding this matter. Like I said, Elijah is on it so I’m sure Master Kasper will hand him back the journals he borrowed. I’ll be sending follow-up instructions to Elijah and see if it will be possible to call for Master Kasper’s presence here,” Ezekiel informed, and his mother simply nodded in understanding.

“Father, you and Mother should head out and rest some more,” he said, and right then his father and mother left. He stayed for some time inside the private study.

“So that scent I smelled from her comes from a devil,” Ezekiel whispered with a dark face. He balled his fist at the high possibility that it came from Devon alone. The last time they heard was that Devon wiped out all other powerful demons on Earth to make sure none would challenge his authority over Helion.

With a bitter mood, Ezekiel left and headed to the Jade Palace. It was where he was residing. The said estate had the same area as the Rose Palace, and there were ongoing renovations that had just stopped because of the war. Ezekiel was planning to take his official office there once he succeeded to the throne.

He was on his way to the Jade Palace when he bumped into Apollo.

“Cousin, it has been a while. How about an invitation to your residence so I can personally meet our new fated Seer? I heard that she has this blinding beauty that a man couldn’t resist!” Apollo remarked with a wide smile.

Ezekiel’s face darkened. Apollo was harmless, but he disliked how he often spoke. He talked too much for someone of his status as a Duke.

“Tarah is tired, so don’t you dare disturb her. Since when did you involve yourself in matters of battle?” he scorned.

“Well, I’m the Duke of the South, so I should make myself knowledgeable about what’s going on in our kingdom. You know Mother will not stop nagging me to get involved in such important affairs. Damn, I sent my men there to update me, but I found more interesting news than the battle between our men and Helion or the appearance of the dragon. What the hell are you thinking sharing the same tent with a maiden?” Apollo babbled with a grin.

Ezekiel could see his cousin’s excitement over this matter. “Everyone thinks I’m a crazy duke… well, I can’t deny that, but I’m the only sane person who sees through your motives. Everyone might believe what Cora is trying to circulate to kill the rumors, but not me!”

“Do you want me to clap and praise you? For being crazy? Or for being sane?” Ezekiel said with a straight face.

“Ah… you’re really annoying!” Apollo mumbled with a pout. Ezekiel let his cousin tag along with him and blabbered about everything while he busied his thoughts on Tarah. He trusted that Tarah had been settled in the bedchamber extended to him by now.

He was contemplating whether he should confront Tarah about the mark and the spell, or simply wait for Elijah’s return to learn more about it instead.