by Meg Xuemei X
Skies, my mate remembered me!
Then, all the more reason she shouldn’t have come here and gotten herself trapped. She had no business coming here!
It took forever to climb the stairs.
I shuffled my wings a few times impatiently, and Desdemona turned to glare at me over his shoulder with death warnings. Fiammetta always dragged his attention back to her, which only made me grit my teeth. I needed to find a way to crack the vampire prince’s skull open.
I was trying to make Fia look at me again, to make sure she recognized me.
On the eleventh floor, Fiammetta halted as she peeked into the ballroom-feeding room.
“Dark Prince,” she said. “We should dine here.”
“But I have the finest delicacies for you in my chamber,” Desdemona said. “It’ll be only one floor up.”
“I’m flattered,” Fiammetta said. “But it doesn’t seem proper for me to go to your private chamber during our first date.”
“Exactly!” I said behind them.
“But you’ll be my queen,” said Desdemona. “You’ll soon join me in our immortal life.”
That fucking leech planned to turn her on her first day here. Over my dead body would I allow his fangs to be near her! I must break the vampiress’ compulsion soon.
Fiammetta withdrew her hand from Desdemona’s arm and stalked into the ballroom. “The Wickedest Witch’s opinion always counts. If I say no, it means no.”
My witch’s wickedness was back. I smirked in approval.
Desdemona followed her, sizzling with black anger. He wasn’t used to anyone going against his iron will in his own tower, but he’d met two of us now.
“I’ll have to remind you, Wickedest Witch, of who is the master of my domain,” the vampire prince said. “I’ve been very accommodating, but as I’ve showed you before, there’s an easy way, and there’s also the hard way.”
It hadn’t taken him long to show his true colors.
I moved closer to Fiammetta. I couldn’t assault him, but I could throw myself in front of my mate if the vampires attacked.
Fiammetta kept striding toward the large window.
From it, she coolly surveyed the surroundings, paying no mind to the bleak sky, her own gray tower, or the fire lighting blocks of the city in the distance.
And I saw it—her army and her wolf allies. They were all out there, besieging the tower.
The witch had brought the war here, and she hadn’t brought subtlety.
My heart pounded in delight until I was struck by dismay.
It didn’t matter how the war went outside the tower; we still couldn’t get out.
Even if our army leveled the tower, it would rise again all by itself.
It would be reborn.
How was I to deliver this devastating news to my brave mate?
There was no doubt in my mind now. She hadn’t come for the leech. She didn’t give a damn about him. She’d come for me.
She and her captain alone had entered the enemies’ lair for me.
I’d never thought my mate would do this for me.
This warmed my heart, yet spiked my anger. It was heroic but more than foolish to doom herself.
Desdemona saw the army and chuckled. “I knew you’d never be easy, Lady Fiammetta. And all the more, I admire you. However, your effort is futile. I hate to break it to you, but you need to know once you’re inside my tower, you can never leave. The Angel was right. He tried to warn you, but he kept failing. The wretched look on his face was priceless. I think he might be in love with you. I stand corrected. He’s in lust with you, since you hexed him, as he’s constantly whined to my sister. She’s been trying really hard to get into his pants, and hasn’t been successful so far. It’s been a frustrating experience for her. No man ever turned her down before. However, it also poses a good challenge for her and keeps her occupied.”
“Prince Desdemona!” Jasmine protested, but her brother raised a finger to shut her up.
“I’m not done talking,” he said, fixing his gaze on Fiammetta. “The Angel can never have you, but he gets to watch me have you, over and over, and not just have you intimately. I’ll drink from you. You’ll enjoy it, or learn to enjoy it. Fiammetta, I’ve been craving your blood—the rainbow and firestorm—like no other.”
“Fucking pervert!” I said, and charged him, ignoring the pain pounding my skull.
Desdemona threw up two fingers, and an unseen force hurled me up into the air before sending me crashing against the wall.
This was the first time Desdemona had displayed his combat power. Normally only a very strong force could throw an Archangel that far, but then, I’d been greatly weakened by the venom.
Chunks of marble fell from the wall at the crash, but in the next second, they returned to the wall and it became whole again.
Fiammetta kept her icy expression, but the witch’s captain’s face turned very pale.
The girl had finally registered what she’d walked her mistress into.
Desdemona took in everyone’s reactions and flashed a satisfied smile.
“Nightshades,” he said, “you also have my permission to break any of my windows, and see how every piece will return to its place. The Angel broke every window and left no stone unturned. It’s quite amusing to watch him try everything in his grasp to get out of my tower. He’s a desperate man.”
Kaara bit her lip, hatred and fear burning in her violet eyes, but she made no move to shatter the window.
“He’s imbued his foul essence into the tower,” I said. “Only his vampire hordes can get out. This is a tomb and a forever prison to those who aren’t his, or his sister’s. The tower is fucking alive, like an invincible immortal that could breathe and hurt you. And you can never destroy it.” I gestured at Desdemona with contempt. “If you cut the leech’s head, he’ll only grow it back. No one can kill him while he’s in his property. That’s why he never leaves here.”
“Why don’t we cut his head now and see if he regenerates?” Kaara said. She was in a battle mood, and her hand moved to the hilt of the angelblade.
I could wield it better than she. During my imprisoned days here, I’d been searching for my blade everywhere and hadn’t had any luck.
“You’re more than welcome to try,” Desdemona said. “But you’ll have to get close to me.” He flung a hand and sent her flying toward the wall into which I’d crashed moments earlier.
I lunged out and caught her, and we both staggered back at the force.
“There’s no need to attack my captain,” Fiammetta hissed, yet no darkness shot out of her to assault him at his offense, and no icy storm shielded her.
We were all defenseless against the vampire prince in his nest.
I moved stealthily toward my mate. I would have to shield her with my body.
Desdemona raised his hand again, and the force pulled me back. But this time, I was prepared. He couldn’t send me into a collision with the marble, but I couldn’t move forward, either. It was as if I was held by the strongest force field. As I fought it, with Kaara pushing behind me, the venom boiled in my veins.
I clenched my teeth.
“I didn’t intend to attack your captain, Lady Fiammetta,” Desdemona said. “It was merely to demonstrate, so you’ll see reason. There’s no point fighting me. As you can see, the moment you came in, your dark magic no longer worked in my tower. However, your blood remains potent and is precious to me.”
“How interesting,” Fiammetta said coldly.
“You still don’t get what kind of serious shit we’re all in, do you?” I asked. “That’s why he never intends to leave Pandemonium and throws out everything he has to stop you. That’s why he invited you to come to his tower and was willing to wait for three years. Why didn’t you listen to me just for once, Fiammetta? Why must you always be so stubborn and foolish?”
She narrowed her gray eyes at me, a storm brewing inside but unable to emerge.
“That’s how you see me
? Stubborn and foolish?” she asked, her voice hard.
“And lovely beyond comparison,” I sighed.
“I vowed to never leave you behind,” she said, her voice softening.
“Forget the vow!” I said. “I asked you to leave me behind, and you should have done just that. And now, look what you’ve done to yourself. What am I supposed to do to protect you? How am I going to spare you the nightmares that are going to unfold, one by one? He wants to violate you and drink you, for heaven’s sake!”
“Take that tone with me again, creature!” she snapped.
“Creature? Now you call me creature again?” I retorted. “We’re back to square one. Is that it? Do you care that the vampire princess’ venom is boiling in my veins, rendering me useless?”
“You’ll just have to put up with it a little longer,” she said.
“Put up with it?” I said. “I’m an Archangel. I don’t put up with anyone or anything, except you!”
She regarded me with the same look she’d put on when she’d pretended to unhex me. I realized that she’d been diagnosing me all this time, and despite the absurdity of the situation, I became hard for her.
“How come you didn’t use the power of your flame?” she asked. “I met it when I sent ice into your veins. Your angelic fire melted my ice. Your flame even broke my darkness’ binding.”
“You remember that?” I asked, with sudden hope.
“Bits and pieces,” she said.
“Better than nothing. We’ll talk more about it later,” I grunted. “The vampire venom has mixed with my blood. The vampire princess pumped more than half of her black blood into my veins, but she still failed to turn me. In time, my flame will eventually wipe out the venom.”
“How much time do you need?” Fiammetta asked.
“Probably a couple of weeks,” I said.
“We don’t have that much time,” Kaara cut in.
I spread my arms. What else could I do?
“Perhaps I can aid you and give your flame some boost, if you try to be nicer,” Fiammetta said.
I stared at her. “I’m not being nice to you? Do you know how hard you are to please? If there’s a contest, you’ll take home the crown of ‘Most Difficult Female in Every Galaxy!’”
“Why do I need that useless crown you tried to offer me?” she said. “I already have the title of ‘Wickedest Witch in the Universe.’”
“Enough!” Jasmine shouted in black jealousy. She’d been sizzling, yet no one had particularly paid her any mind, which angered her even more. “I’ve had enough of this, and I’m so sick and tired of the drama! Unhex him, Wickedest Witch. Release Gabriel from your evil claws, or I’ll make your every minute here worse than hell!”
“Back off, vampir—Princess Jasmine,” I snarled. “You’ll not harm my witch.”
At the same time, Desdemona snapped, “Don’t threaten my future queen. It’s my right to discipline her.”
Desdemona and I glared at each other. Just as he threw more power to assault me, I broke through his force field, grabbed Kaara, and leaped to Fiammetta’s side.
Desdemona narrowed his eyes in rage, about to send another nasty wave toward me.
Fiammetta snapped her fingers. “Stop!” She turned to the vampiress. “You really want me to unhex the Angel, Princess Jasmine?”
“Now!” Jasmine said. “What are you waiting for, Wickedest Witch? I’ve suffered the inconvenience you caused long enough.”
“In fact, Archangel Gabriel grudgingly asked me to unhex him the night before you took him,” Fiammetta said. “I performed the ritual already. I even sang him a lovely song.”
“A half song,” I corrected her.
Kaara nodded. “Marrok and I heard it as well. I think I cried when I was listening to it.”
“How can you remember that, Lady Fiammetta?” Desdemona asked in puzzlement. “Akem said your memory is as blank as a piece of white paper.”
“Akem lies all the time,” Fiammetta said with a cold smile.
Desdemona’s face darkened. No one liked to be fooled, especially not the Dark Prince of the vampires.
“I told Archangel Gabriel after the ritual that Lady Fiammetta didn’t hex anyone,” Kaara said. “That wasn’t her style. If she’d bewitched him, he wouldn’t have been so grouchy. He’d be her happy puppy and would do everything to please her and beg for it.”
“That was when I realized that the Wickedest Witch is my fated mate,” I said. “Just as the First Seer of the Death Valley galaxy predicted that I’d fall onto this planet for my mate. And I fell. The Seer once said the Sky Power would find his mate on Earth and end his father’s reign, and that prophecy also came to pass. The Sky Power turned out to be the High Prince of all Angels, and he married the Empress Rose of Earth. He now dwells in her Twilight Realm, which is a magical realm, opposite to Pandemonium in every aspect.”
Desdemona appeared confused, and very angry, too.
“You’ve holed up on this isolated planet for who knows how long, old vampire,” I said. “You’re obviously out of touch with reality. And you’ve lost the most important yet basic ability— to adapt.”
He now looked as if he wanted to strangle the life out of me in the next instant.
Jasmine also had a sour, searing expression on her pale face.
“The tale of the High Prince Seth and his Earth Fey mate is epic,” I explained further to my audience. “Every Angel in every corner of the universe still talks about it. I’m also featured in the legend as the highly decorated hero who—”
“What’s your point?” Desdemona interrupted me rudely.
Kaara nodded in agreement with the vampire lord.
“My point is,” I said, “you wouldn’t know what fated love is even if it hit you in the face. I, Archangel Gabriel, crossed light years and fell to Pandemonium for the Wickedest Witch—my destined mate. And I’ll allow no one to lay a finger on her.”
“You won’t have my bride!” Desdemona shouted, ready to attack me.
He would be aiming for the kill this time. I arched my wings aggressively. I would fight every thread of the compulsion and strike back. I didn’t mind if I had to keep killing him every time he returned.
“Gabriel, stand down!” Jasmine screamed. “Leave the witch’s side and come to me!”
I gritted my teeth in an effort to resist her coercion and planted my feet firmly where I was.
My place would always be with my mate.
Two currents of flame rose to Fiammetta’s palms. Jasmine whimpered, and the distraction broke her concentration. Her hold on me loosened.
“Impossible,” Desdemona said. “No one can call upon their magic inside my tower. Even the Archangel’s flame failed to fight the venom, because my tower suppresses all other powers but mine.”
“Now the Archangel’s flame will be rekindled by mine,” Fiammetta said. “I’m the Wickedest Witch. Sure, I can’t use my ice, storm, and darkness in your tower. But my TimeFire transcends time and space. No dimension can ever bind its divine fire.”
“How could you conceal your fire magic from the great Akem?” Desdemona demanded. “He scanned your mind!”
“Never take for granted a woman who has layers of dark secrets,” Fiammetta said with a smile. “That should be lesson one for all men.”
I grinned. My fabulous mate was full of surprises.
“But we should not keep dark secrets from each other from now on,” I said.
She studied me. “I can’t promise you that.”
“What do you mean you can’t promise that?” I demanded. “We’re mates.”
She rolled her eyes. “So?”
I grated, “It was a one-in-a-million chance that we’d ever find each other in this broad universe.”
She arched an eyebrow, and my cock jerked in reaction.
“Are you ready to have a fire bath?” she asked coolly.
I frowned. “That doesn’t sound fun.”
“It’ll be fun,” she said. “My
fire will lick your every bit of skin, the way you like.”
My blood seared with desire for my mate. I liked the prospect of her licking me. She’d never done it, yet I’d constantly fantasized about it.
“Will it hurt?” I had to ask.
She eyed me icily, even though fire now swirled around her, lighting her like a goddess.
Both Desdemona and Jasmine stepped back, hissing, putting more distance between them and the witch fire. Their guards at the door also cringed back.
“You constantly say that I’m your mate, which begins to hurt my ears,” she said. “So, I’m offering you a final test. If you’re indeed my fated mate, as you claim, my fire won’t burn you, but instead reignite your Angel flame. After that, it’s up to you if you want to break the vampire princess’ hold or not.”
“You won’t do such a thing, Wickedest Witch,” Jasmine said. “I won’t allow you to burn my man.”
“Vampiress,” Kaara cut in, “I’m going to give you a piece of advice, sister to sister: if you want a man, find your own. It’s low to steal another’s. And if you want to keep a man, doing so by controlling him won’t get you far. Desperation is just sad.”
Jasmine looked daggers at her before turning to Desdemona. “Brother, do something. If the Wickedest Witch can’t be yours, get rid of her.”
But the Dark Prince wouldn’t go near the fire. He also hoped Fiammetta’s fire would burn me.
Fiammetta focused on me. “If you aren’t my true mate, my fire will incinerate you. Archangel or not makes no difference. So, Gabriel, are you up to it?”
I knew it was the only way my flame would relight. It needed my mate’s feminine fire touch, just as my masculine flame had helped her find hers. It was like yin and yang. But I needed to say something, so that later on she wouldn’t declare I owed her a life debt.
“After we went through everything together, you still want to test me?” I asked.
“If you come out of my fire in one piece, Archangel Gabriel,” she said, “you’ll owe me a life debt. I might not claim it today, but I’ll claim it one day.”
