The Devil's Cursed Witch

Ember was petrified on his lap, her mind blanked out after hearing his sharp demand.

Hearing Draven's dignified voice with their faces mere inches away from each other made her freeze like a little rabbit facing the most terrifying wolf. Feeling his red eyes on her, not only her breath, even her own heart seemed to have stopped for a second.

With her body being so close to him, even sitting on his lap with his hot breath fanning over her head, brushing lightly against the side of her face, Ember should have burst into panicked tears as she called out in her heart for those who she knew.

'Elder Leeora…Morpheus…I-I…'

Perhaps because she was in too much shock, or because she believed in Leeora's and Morpheus' words of assurance, she was able to somehow appear calmer than her real emotions.

Sensing the strange atmosphere within the hall, Ember had a feeling that the shock of those people watching them seemed to be greater than her own. She could see faces wide-eyed, some even had their mouths openly gaping. For some reason, seeing them made her feel less scared, especially after she met Morpheus' gaze.

From the corner of her left eye, Ember could feel Draven's gaze on her but she pretended to not notice it. It was not the first time she was this close to him. Back when he had saved her after she fell from the cliff, she was even in his embrace, but still, being close to him felt so different to her this time.

An awkward voice broke the silence of the stunned crowd.

"Your Majesty, may we know what you are planning to do?" Halifax asked, on behalf of everyone who was unable to understand Draven's actions.

Among them, Morpheus was the only one who had an idea of what Draven was trying to do, but even he wasn't sure his guess was correct.

"Putting her on the brink of life and death," Draven simply answered, not bothering to explain further. His attention moved back to the frail-looking human girl who was sitting like a frozen statue on his lap.

"Sit properly," he said in the same commanding voice.

Ember didn't understand how she should be sitting, but as if knowing she'd react this way, his hand moved towards her back while the other hand towards her legs that were partially hanging down the throne. He pulled them so her feet could rest on the side of that huge throne, with his arm supporting her back in front of his body.

Her body felt so tiny in his arms. She remembered only Gaia had held her like this, and it had been ages ago, back when she was a young girl still small enough to be rocked to sleep.

The thing was, being held by Gaia was the most comfortable thing in the world. On the other hand…

"Look at me," Draven ordered. His words sounded like he was coaxing a lamb before leading her to be sacrificed.

The entire hall was silent to see what their king was up to. How was he going to make the human girl face death in that manner?

She stiffly turned her head to her left, only to have his neck in her line of sight. Because of the great difference in their height, even while sitting she still had to look up to meet his gaze.

"Turn to face me," he instructed again even before she could raise her head to look at him.

His words somehow confused her. She was facing one side like a child on her mother's lap. How was she going to face him? She slowly turned her shoulders and tried to adjust herself awkwardly in his lap.

Being in this position felt worse than death.

Still, she didn't know what to feel about his hand supporting the small of her back to make it easy for her to move.

"Hold onto me," he said next.

'H-Hold?' Despite her obvious confusion, she mechanically followed his words under the watchful gaze of the council.

She moved her left hand and reached out for his right shoulder with her gaze lowered.  Her forehead was almost touching his chin, but she dared not raise her head as she knew he was looking at her from over her head. She didn't know if she should put her other hand on his left shoulder, but as it was, she had turned her body enough to face him.

Ember let out a small gasp when his gloved-covered hand held her free right hand and pressed it over his chest.

She tried not to let out another sound as her confusion grew.

'Why are we like this? What is he going to do?'

Draven tilted his head to his left and looked at the right side of her neck. His gloved fingers traced the crook of her neck, and Ember felt herself shivering despite herself. Even though he didn't put force on his finger, all the hairs on her body stood up in alarm.

'I-Is he going to snap my neck?'

Unaware of her internal panic, the red-eyed man slightly leaned forward and pressed her against his body to hold her steady. She closed her eyes and dared not move even if she was absolutely terrified of what was about to happen to her.

"Breath," she heard him say in a whisper.

She felt his hot breath brushing against her right ear, and it was as if her body heated up in response.

As she gasped for breath, only then did she realize she had been too focused on his words she forgot to breathe. But just as she took a second, deeper breath, she felt his mouth on the skin of her neck and as his lips opened—

"Ahh!"

A startled cry of pain left her lips. Despite herself, she clutched onto his clothes, almost to the point of ripping them, as a sharp pair of canines continued to deeply pierce her skin. It was as if a liquid fire were spreading through her veins, and the pain was too much, she could only let out a silent scream.