The Devil's Cursed Witch

Ember could not help but be stupefied. A third party? Did he mean someone like an enemy? Was there someone out there who she wronged before? And since it was causing her pain, was it some sort of magical attack? Was he implying she's been cursed?

His words only brought more questions to her chaotic mind.

Draven continued despite her shock. "You are the first human with an energy core inside your body, and it is in a sealed state."

"Is that why it feels like something keeps stopping me despite Lady Helia saying that finding an energy core should feel as easy as breathing?"

"Hmm." Draven nodded.

"The seal makes it impossible for you to use your energy core to its fullest. When I marked you, it weakened the power of that seal, which must have alerted the one who had casted that seal."

No wonder she never experienced these before coming to Agartha. "And this person who put the seal on my energy core is causing these chest pains?"

He nodded. "We are not yet aware who put that seal on you, but as that being is aware of the seal weakening, they must be trying to locate you using the magic on the seal. The result of that causes you to feel pain."

That meant every time she suffered, it meant this faceless enemy was trying to find her.

Three times.

She had felt it three times so far.

It was something Ember could not process easily. She had been living in isolation and had nothing to do with anyone other than her nanny. Who was the one that was causing her pain? Was it the people who abandoned her? Or were they related to the humans who hated her as a witch? She had so many things going on in her mind.

Draven let her process his words and walked towards the bird cage placed near  the window where Ray was jumping here and there, as if to get someone's attention. Seeing the empty dish bowl inside the cage, he opened the lid of the food container and picked up a handful of the bird food. He was about to put those grains in the dish bowl, but the little bird jumped on his hand instead, as if she could not wait to eat.

Though startled, Draven didn't stop her and let her eat from his glove-covered hand while she comfortably perched on his wrist.

"... I thought I could live my life well? Don't I deserve to live a peaceful life?"

He could hear Ember's soft mutters under her shaky breath despite the distance.

Draven suddenly spoke, "There is an immediate way to stop the pain."

Ember flinched in bed as she looked at him. "Is there? Are we going to find the one who made the seal and ask them to stop? Do we have clues--"

"No, we don't." Draven continued to look at the bird in his hand. "If we complete our mate bond, the power of the bond will break that seal entirely and you will not feel this pain ever."

To complete the bond... meant they needed to consummate their relationship.

Ember didn't know what to say and lowered her head, feeling embarrassed as she knew what it meant.

"But if that seal breaks, it will expose your power and it will be easier for them to reach you. I do not know if that seal is meant for your well-being or meant to harm you."

At that, a dangerous glint appeared on his red eyes.

"Be assured. If they mean to harm you, I give you my word that I will protect you from them so you don't have to feel afraid of them finding you."

Ember stayed quiet for some time. As she thought about it, she needed Draven's help in both cases, regardless if she decided to break that seal or not. She felt like her life was completely dependent on him.

"Is there no other way?" she asked tentatively.

"As long as that seal is on you, you keep feeling pain. Worse, we cannot guarantee that they won't find you even if you keep this seal. They might have other means of locating you. The only question is 'when'."

Ember closed her eyes with her head lowered. She heard Draven speak again, "You don't have to worry about anything. In any case, I will be by your side. I will take care of you."

But his mate was so engrossed in her own thoughts, lost with this new revelation of her life, that she failed to notice the care behind those words he said.

Not getting any response from her, Draven turned to look at her, who was still in a daze.

"Do you need anything--"

"Jealous master...wants swing....Pet has swing..." Ray answered even before Draven could finish, and the little bird flew back inside the cage, only to perch on her small swing. "Master sad...Master wants swing..."

"Ray!" Ember exclaimed, as if urging her to stop.

The little bird didn't stop, and instead, she said something to embarrass Ember more, "Master wants to mate! Master wants to mate!"

"Ray!!!"

But her brazen pet continued to talk. "Master wants to mate!  Master wants to mate--chirp!"

Draven glanced at his visibly flustered mate who had jumped out of her bed to catch her pet. However, how could a human girl be fast enough? Before she could catch Ray, the little bird swiftly escaped,and Ember missed her step, only to be held by Draven to not let her fall on the floor.

'I did say that before but---'

Back when Ember had expressed her thoughts to her pet, at that time, she didn't know what it meant to mate. That was why she didn't think it was wrong to say that. Who would have thought that the naughty little bird would still remember something so long ago?

"Ray! Come back here, you little--"

But now she was aware of 'mating' and 'consummation', she could not help but feel like hiding herself somewhere. She couldn't even look at Draven.

Draven held his breath as he helped her stand on her own. Only when she was stable on her feet did he step away from her.

"Decide what you want to do with the seal," he said. "I will do as you wish."

Seeing him stepping away from her, she felt a little disappointed. It was for a selfish reason--the scent coming from him was calming her when her mind was chaotic.

'Can't he comfort me by staying close? Does he still think I can't resist his scent? I think I can, though I feel like I would soon lose my mind.'

Before Ember could say anything to him, Draven's sharp senses caught something and he looked at Ember. "I have to go."

Ember looked at his retreating back. 'He didn't even wait for me to answer him.'

Once Draven left her bedchamber, Ember let out a sigh.

After a while, Clio and Reya returned, seemingly having a small argument. They noticed their master standing by the window quietly.

Ember turned around to look at them as she felt like something was going on. "Why is your face crumpled like that, Reya? Is there a problem? Did something happen?"

The calm Clio immediately went towards Ember and answered in Reya's stead, "There are no problems. It is actually pleasant news for the palace since Young Lady Isa has returned."

Seren had no idea who this said person was.

Reya immediately spoke up with her hands on her hips, her long ears twitching. "Clio, why are you so excited about her arrival? Are you that happy? I don't like her at all."

"She is someone cherished by His Majesty. Do not say such a thing or you will be in trouble."

'Someone cherished by His Majesty?' Ember felt like suddenly her senses were active and she focused on what the other two talked about.

"What if she is cherished by His Majesty? I don't like the way she acts. It would be better for everyone if she had not returned."

"She is a person of Agartha."

"Bah. Didn't she leave to travel and see the world? Even if she returned, then why didn't she head straight for Nomi City and partied with her fellow foxes? Why come to the palace? I am sure our peaceful days are over," Reya said angrily. "Not like this is her home but she acts like she is the queen here."

"Reya, calm down," Clio said gently. "Even though she is back, we don't have to serve her as we are now Miss Ember's servant."

Ember finally decided to speak.

"Who is Isa and why are you so worked up?"

She was curious about this person who the King cherished when he acted like a block of ice with others. It was hard to believe that there was such a person.

"Young Lady Isa is a shapeshifter of the Divine Fox Clan, a longtime acquaintance of His Majesty, Miss Ember," Clio replied. "As you are His Majesty's mate, she won't trouble you."

"If I was not His Majesty's mate, would she trouble me?" Ember asked.

Both servants felt speechless as the possibility of it was high.

Now Ember wondered who this person was, totally unaware that someone had come to destroy the peace of her palace life.

Unknown to her, she disliked what she heard and frowned, 'So this is why he left in hurry without waiting for my reply just because his cherished young lady is back in the palace.'