The Devil's Cursed Witch

This Bonus chapter is dedicated to the reader "BlackYuki_Cross" Thank you so much for the supergift. <3 <3

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Draven stepped out of the council hall while carrying Ember in his arms, his long, steady strides causing his servant to jog behind him to keep up with his speed.

After barely catching up to his master, Erlos realized that the King had missed the turn in the hallway that led towards the guest rooms. He thought Draven must be busy thinking about what he had done and didn't realize it.

"Sire? The guest rooms are that way," Erlos said immediately. "I should bring her to her room myself. There is no need for you to—"

The human was unconscious and she needed to be kept somewhere, but it seemed improper for the King himself to keep carrying her in his arms.

As if Draven didn't hear him, he continued to walk ahead without pause. It did not take long for Erlos to realize they were headed to the King's chamber.

'Sire is taking that human to his chamber?!'

Erlos nearly missed a step, but luckily he didn't fall flat on his face.

'Is he in his right state of mind? Last time, didn't he ask me to throw her out of his bed…hmm? But…why is he—wait, is it because he marked her? Does that mean he is acknowledging her as his mate already?'

The realization shocked him and he raised his head to look up.

'All my ancestors, if you hear me, tell me I am not losing my mind. Did I not fall asleep and have the most nonsensical dream?'

The door to the King's chamber opened on its own and Draven walked inside with sure steps. As if it was his plan from the very start, he put Ember on his bed and covered her with the blanket. His action was surprisingly tender, but there was no one else in the room to witness it.

Draven sat at the edge of the bed and observed that unconscious human's face.

With his glove-covered fingers, he moved her face to one side. He observed the mark he had left on the right side of her neck. Two red puncture wounds could be seen on her skin. He removed his glove from his right hand and caressed that mark gently.

Seconds later, Erlos entered the chamber, expecting to hear an order or snide remarks from the King, but what he saw shocked him.

'He's touching her?!'

His master wore black leather gloves not as a matter of style, but due to his aversion to direct touch. The King was not just a loner, he also never liked to come into contact with anyone and always wore gloves as a habit. His pet owl, Midnight, was the only fortunate being that Draven patted with his bare hand… and now, this human too.

'If this is a dream, I need to wake up soon,' the young elf could not help but gape. 'Things are getting way too absurd for my poor eyes.'

Every act of his master today stupefied Erlos, from marking the human in front of the council, to personally bringing her to his bed, and now, touching her with his bare hand.

'What am I thinking? He already went as far as to bite her to mark her, so touching is within the bounds of reason.' Erlos frowned at his own useless thoughts.

Draven silently observed Ember and remembered something. In the council hall, when he had asked her to come to him and offered her his hand, he was reminded of back when she had just arrived, of her crying voice which he overheard when he was in his study and she was outside begging Leeora to not send her away.

"I…I want to stay with you, Elder. I promise to be good and obedient. I-I don't want to leave you. I don't have anyone else."

Her desperate begging was still ringing in his ears when she was summoned into the hall. Seeing her standing in the center of the hall, looking all helpless under the prying eyes of others, an irresistible urge bloomed within him. He didn't understand the reason for his action when decided to mark her, but he just went ahead with what he felt. He just knew he couldn't let her go.

As Draven gazed at Ember's sleeping face, his sensitive ears caught something that made him frown. The next moment, all the windows of his chamber slammed close and the curtains were drawn, causing the entire bedchamber to be dark.

It surprised Erlos, and even before he could say a word, Draven instructed him, "These windows and the curtains should remain like this until I say otherwise."

"You mean to keep sunlight out of your room?" Though Erlos was puzzled by this order, he could only agree to it, "Yes, Sire. I shall obey your order."

"Guard the door. Don't let anyone enter the chamber," came another instruction from the King.

Even before Erlos could reply, Draven disappeared from the chamber as the door of the chamber shut itself.

"Where did he go?" Erlos mumbled. "Last time he disappeared like this, he brought this human female with him. I hope this time he will return alone." Erlos glanced at Ember once and then left the chamber to guard the door as instructed by the King.

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Outside of the palace, there were sparks in the sky above the roof, followed by muffled vibrations like claps of thunder. There were collisions of two powers once again, and soon enough, two bodies seemingly fell to the ground covered with tall trees.

Crash!

Dust clouds rose into the air as two bodies collided on the ground, causing the forest floor to have a small pit the shape of a person.

A warrior from the Divine Eagle Family was pinned to the ground. The grip of a single gloved hand strangled his neck with a force so strong, it left him unable to move.

Morpheus didn't look surprised as he stared up at the pair of red eyes whose owner was kneeling on one leg. The force of his hand was ready to kill someone by strangling.