Dark Hunger

When Laurel reached the lobby of the motel, she found that Caleb, Elize and Auril were already waiting for her. Elize was wearing a black leather pants and a black leather jacket. So plain. Absolutely no comparison to her. Laurel smirked on the inside. Ixoviya deserved a queen like her—sophisticated and beautiful and a nobility. Well, it was the last day that she was seeing the vampire. After tonight, she would rot in hell, or better she could die, who was bothered. Excitement heated her up. 

Laurel looked at Caleb and gave him a nod. She led them to where the demon had fixed the meeting. Through the corridors she led them outside towards the hiding place of the demon, which was in deep woods. 

As soon as they reached out, soft snowflakes fell on her face and she loved the icy feel against her heated skin. The path that led into the woods was too dark. She followed the narrow strip of the naked earth, their boots crunching the thin layer of snow. Giant gnarled roots and leaves and damp trunks scraped their skin and clothes as they passed. Thick fog swirled around them. Laurel walked ahead of them, but her speed was slow. She berated herself for not wearing boots in this weather but then all good things needed some kind of sacrifice. Her leather worn boots would have looked disgusting with her dress. And she needed to look best to distract the king from Elize's disappearance later on. She trudged forward.

"Where is he?" Caleb growled from behind. 

"Just a few more minutes, Your Highness," she said and wondered if he noticed all the sway in her hips. The path became narrower. She ducked under thick branches and crossed the fallen logs carefully so as not to harm her dress. Once they reached a clearing, she said, "Please wait here. He said he would come the moment he sensed us."

Caleb nodded at her. He looked at Auril and Elize who became alert. Caleb spotted a fallen log over which some snow had clumped. He brushed the snow off and made Elize sit on it. As Elize sat, she held Caleb and her Amber Moonstone glowed in the darkness of the night. Laurel shifted in her place seeing the red ruby that looked like it swirled on the inside. Her breath lodged in her throat. Just a few more minutes and that would be hers.

After seeing that she was sitting comfortably, Caleb walked to where Auril was. He started murmuring something in a low voice. Anxiety and tension was palpable in the air.

Laurel went to where Elize was and sat next to her. She tipped her head up and smelled the fresh scent of mist. "It's a lovely evening," she murmured. When Elize didn't answer her, she turned to look at her and her eyes went to the ruby bracelet that slipped out of her black leather jacket. "That is a beautiful bracelet, Your Highness," she said gazing at it intensely. 

"Thanks," Elize replied, turning her wrist and the lights inside the ruby danced. 

"Did the king gift it to you?"

Elize gazed into her eyes and said softly, "Yes. Do you like it?"

She couldn't believe that Elize would ask her. Laurel nodded. "It is a very beautiful gift. I love the way it shines whenever you flick your wrist," she said with a sigh. "Can I touch it?"

Elize raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Sure," she replied a moment later and extended her wrist to her.

With shaky hands Laurel touched it and caressed it with her fingers, her heart thrumming at the feel of the Amber Moonstone. "Do you know its significance?" 

"Anything from Caleb is important to me," Elize said softly.

Laurel couldn't help but simper. She stayed quiet.

When Sedora was defeated by Caleb and Daryn, the brothers had stolen the magic of Ixoviyans in order to defeat her army of dead. At the end of the war, Caleb had so much magic left inside him that upon Daryn's suggestion, he had stored it all in the biggest ruby, the Amber Moonstone of the crown. It was the most ancient stone of the kingdom, passed on from generations and adorned the crown. Some said that it was magically created by the deities.

After Caleb had stowed the Ixoviyan magic inside it, the ruby became the most powerful stone in Ixoviya. Before coming to Yorkshire, Caleb had kept the crown in deep lockers and taken out the ruby to carry with him. He couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands. He didn't have enough time to release the magic on people as the process needed everyone's presence. It had to be done in a way that no one came to know about it. It was a complicated process. Every Ixoviyan was a sorcerer and would come to know any trace of magic used on them, and they had to hide its release from the moonstone very shrewdly. Only Caleb could carry out the process with his inherent talent in sorcery. 

Laurel's eyes shone when the magic in the Amber Moonstone responded to her touch and a light streaked to touch her finger. She gasped. She could never imagine what it would be to own so much magic. She had known about it from some time now. And she would fantasize every day to be the owner of the bracelet and be Caleb's queen. The power—it was maddening. 

"Do you like it so much?" Elize's voice pulled her out of her reverie.

Laurel jerked her head up and retracted her fingers. Her cheeks flushed. "It is wonderful, and very important for Ixoviya," she breathed out. 

Elize unclasped the bracelet and handed it to her. "Here, wear it for a while." She said with a smile. 

Laurel's mouth fell to the floor. Did Elize mean it? Shouldn't she be possessive about it? Gods! But then she didn't have the time to think about these formalities. Opportunity knocked once and she had to grab it fast, because the demon was about to come and then she would throw this vampire in front of him. With hands shaking, she took the bracelet from Elize and clasped it over her wrist. The magic inside Amber Moonstone swirled. "Th- thank you, Your Highness." 

Before Laurel could ask another question, the trees around them rustled. Both Caleb and Auril immediately turned to the side from where the noise came and they found a demon stepping out of the woods, his horns pointing straight up. Standing at seven feet tall, Vaden's eyes were filled with black as if ink had spilled in the irises. He walked and every step created a shudder in the ground.

Caleb's blue magic dropped from his fingers. A rumble vibrated in his chest.

Auril took a stance right behind him, his green magic sizzling in his fingers and coiling around the arms. The trees swayed and the branches moved as if being attracted by him or waiting for his command.

Seeing them, Elize jumped to her feet and without warning rushed. She came to stand between them. Laurel continued to sit on the fallen log, flabbergasted as hell. She rushed after her.. Elize came to a halt right in the center.