The Devil’s Cursed Witch

At first, Ember was glad that she got to spend the night in Cornelia’s residence. As a human being whose only exercise was strolling within the palace garden, the combination of riding horses and shopping had thoroughly exhausted her body. However, as she lay in bed, she tossed and turned among the soft sheets, finding it difficult to sleep.

‘Why can’t I fall asleep? It’s so annoying.’

She grabbed one of the extra pillows and hugged it, only to fluff it and put it on top of the pillow where her head was resting.

‘It’s a new place for me, that must be the reason.’ After some time, she fixed the pillows back to their original position. ‘But I never had trouble sleeping before. I could sleep anywhere, even on the floor.’

She gazed at the ceiling, and she kind of missed the canopy curtains of her own bed.

‘Did I get too used to sleeping in my chamber in the palace? Is that why?’

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing, lulling herself to sleep.

‘I don’t feel right. I…I just feel like something is missing…’ She pulled the blanket over her head and covered herself entirely under the sheet. ‘It’s not warm at all. With him, it feels better…warm…’

Ember opened her eyes in shock.

‘Did I just think about Draven?  Am I missing him…?’

She felt her heart beating faster at the thought of the handsome black-haired man, the defined jaw, the straight nose and those red eyes of his that she could see up close whenever he would join her in bed. She somewhat missed his strong arms that would wrap around her and also that comforting scent of his.

‘Maybe it’s normal to feel like this once you have a mate.’ She consoled herself and tried her best to not think about him.

But…

‘What could he be doing at this moment? Sleeping? Is he in bed already as it’s late night? Is he asleep? He must be.’ She frowned as she pulled the blanket down from covering her head. ‘Here I am, not able to sleep, and yet he is sleeping already.’

Filled with annoyance, she buried her face in the pillow.

‘Why am I missing him? Ugh!’ Then, she again wondered, ‘Is he missing me as well? No, it can’t be, or else, he would have already used his powers to appear by my side.’ She once again countered her own thoughts. ‘Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to intrude in Lady Cornelia’s home? That’s a possible reason why he can’t be here… but then again, he is the King and he can go anywhere he wants.’

She continued questioning and countering her own ideas, and in the end—

‘Ugh! It’s all his fault that I can’t sleep!

‘Why did he have to make me used to his embrace? Will I have to suffer a sleepless night tonight?

‘It’s all his fault, it’s his fault, it’s his fault!’

—-

After leaving the city of the witches, Morpheus and Aureus headed back to the rocky peak in the southern mountains where Myra’s cave was located. Though strictly-speaking, Aureus was the guest of the King and should return to the palace to rest, Morpheus knew Draven wouldn’t mind this ‘outsider’ with a special identity to act freely within Agartha. It would be fine even if the young eagle stayed out for the night.

With neither of them showing any signs of tiredness, the uncle and nephew sat at the edge of the cliff, silently enjoying the view of the clouds that appeared like the dark waters of a lake from their vantage point.

Above their heads, without clouds obscuring their vision, the number of stars in the sky appeared to be like thousands of diamond dust.

Aureus spoke up after some time. “Your smile shows she has accepted your gift, even liking it.”

“She is a simple girl who becomes happy even with the simplest things. It was not difficult to make her like it.”

“Hmm. Just like Seren.”

Morpheus threw a glance at the side profile of his nephew. “What is the special thing you mentioned happening to the Queen of Megaris? You didn’t explain last time.”

“She will be coming of age.”

It surprised Morpheus. “You mean to say the Queen of Megaris is, by human kingdom’s law, still not yet an adult?”

Aureus nodded.

“I thought human families don’t marry off their daughters before they are of age.”

“There was a situation.”

Morpheus sighed but then heard Aureus continue, “You don’t have to sigh like this. The King of Megaris takes care of her really well. He is a patient person and truly loves her.”

The gray eagle probed about the meaning of Aureus’ words. “They still don’t share a mate bond?”

Aureus nodded as he blankly stared at the starry sky. “Not yet, but soon… once she comes of age…”

Morpheus didn’t have the will to say more. Though he would often make fun of Aureus’ one-sided love, he knew his boundaries; he didn’t want to  hurt his nephew the same way it hurt him when Draven and Ember completed their bond

Morpheus cleared his throat hesitantly and said, “You know… a female can have more than just one mate.”

Aureus turned his head to look at Morpheus. “Then why don’t you try as well?”

Morpheus knew what he meant. As both were in the same situation, whatever he said to Aureus, would be relevant to him as well.

Morpheus put his hand on Aureus’ shoulder as he looked deep into his eyes.

“You and I are different.”

Seeing the silent question in the younger eagle’s eyes, he clarified, “I have been living for a thousand years. Though I can still live for a few centuries more, I have practically lived my life the way a man should. I never lacked anything growing up, I have built relationships and lost them, I have achieved many things in my lifetime… and I do not mind spending the remaining years of my life just like this.

“Even without her affection, I won’t be lonely staying by her side as a friend. I can spend the rest of my life just like this, and I don’t wish to live for a long time as well… but you…you are different.

“You are still young, Aureus, and you have an entire lifetime in front of you. It would be really difficult for you to spend it like this while thinking about her and seeing her from a distance..

“Take a chance with her. You and the woman you love are both young. You know it as well that it’s almost impossible to fall for someone else once a divine beast already has someone in his heart.”

“I don’t think it is possible. Seren only loves Drayce. Moreover, she doesn’t know who I am…what I am…that I am not just a mere pet.” At this, the young eagle rubbed his hands together, as if trying to warm up the coldness encroaching his heart. “I am afraid, afraid that once she learns I have been deceiving her all this time, she might despise me.”

“Are you going to let fear conquer you?”

“Say what you will, but I would rather be a coward than risk both Drayce’s and Seren’s contempt. That would be worse than dying. The day she learns the truth, that day would be the day I return to Agartha.”

“You already have a plan of returning here.”

“I have no other choice. Here or somewhere else, as long as I am not in Megaris.”

Morpheus sighed. “You have it tough, kiddo. But what if she understands your situation? What if she doesn’t despise you? Won’t you regret losing that chance?”

“Still, I know that there is no space for another man in her heart. Drayce is the only one for her. It’s better for me to not be greedy and affect their happy life. She has already gone through a lot, and there are still more troubles waiting for her. Why should I make it more complicated? I only wish for her to be happy, even if it’s not with me.”

“Now, I have no doubt at all that you are Myra’s son. You are just like her. Ready to sacrifice yourself for the one you love, not expecting anything in return from that person,” Morpheus commented.

Aureus decided to probe.

“Who did my mother love so much? Since you don’t know the identity of my father, I gather you are talking about a different man, one who she loved before my father.”

Morpheus gave a wry smile and asked, “Do you really want to know?”

“I do.”

“Draven. Your mother loved him with all her heart.”

For a minute, Aureus was unable to find words. The image of the black-haired man with emotionless eyes and his sweet smiling golden-haired mother…He shook his head. “Then? Did the King of Agartha not like my mother back?”

“Draven was not the kind to fall in love. He only knew how to fight, and fight, and fight some more. There was no place for any woman in his life.”

“But now…”

“Time changes the person.” A sneer formed on Morpheus’ face. “I won’t forgive him for ignoring Myra. He rejected her, claiming he would never get a mate and yet now he has a mate for himself. If he had only accepted her feelings, she would have been with us, and trust me, she would have been the best queen this kingdom could ever have …But…”

“Feelings can’t be forced,” Aureus finished what his uncle wished to say.

Morpheus sighed in agreement. “Just like you can’t take someone out from your heart, we cannot try to fit someone in our hearts.”

“Well, if he had become my mother’s mate, then he would have been my father as well,” Aureus chuckled.

“That’s true.”

“Then it’s good it didn’t happen. Thinking about it now, dragons are no good. I can’t tolerate that both women important to me are taken by dragons, whether it’s my mother or Seren. Besides, if he was my father, with the strength of his bloodline, I would have become a dragon as well and I can’t imagine myself being anything but an eagle.”

Morpheus chuckled as well. “Agree! We need to keep the dignity of our Divine Eagle clan.”

Both brushed aside their pain with small laughter and continued to look at the sky quietly.

“Don’t ever say that you don’t have a wish to live long,” Aureus suddenly spoke and looked at Morpheus. “To have someone I can talk to without fearing for my image, to have a person I can open up and  be honest with…I do not want to lose the family I have just found.”

Morpheus smiled lightly. “Maybe now I have a reason to keep on living.”

“I believe I am one of them.”

“You are.”