A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 104: Things We Do For Love

Author’s POV

Gabriel lay by the fire, his hand spread to suck all the warmth to himself. A part of him, the vampire part, felt the chill of the water in his body, but the demon part of him was what made him survive. No vampire could survive a drown.

Craning his neck to the other side, he spotted his mother drawing a circle around her with precision. A few items he couldn’t point lay by her side, the look on her face a testament of the seriousness of what she was doing. ’The circle of resurrection’ was what she had called it. But magic always came at a price, even for demons!

Rubbing his hands together, Gabriel stood and walked over to where Allicent was. He stood outside the circle watching her actions in complete awe. If this was the only way to bring her back, he was willing to take the chances.

"A life for a life," she said shaking runes in her hand. She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments and cast them on the ground. The circular area lit ablaze, catching Gabriel by surprise. He raised his hands as if that would block the blazing inferno.

Inside the circle, Allicent started mumbling a few words. Beads of sweat quickly collected on her face before she opened her eyes and dropped on the ground in a kneeling position.

Gabriel panicked from his standing position. "What’s happening?" He enquired.

"The spell is too powerful," Allicent replied. "I haven’t performed it for a long time when the body is so far away."

’The body!’ Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise. The body had to be close by for the spell to be effective.

"I will get her here!" He declared. It was the least he could do!

Allicent offed the flames with a snap of her fingers before walking towards the edge of the circle. "It’s dangerous to go out there on your own," she said, taking his hands into hers.

"I’ll get her," she added, caressing his cheeks with that sweet smile Gabriel yearned for in his childhood.

His hand caught hers by the wrist and tore it away from his face. "You’re doing so much for me already. If there’s a risk to be taken, it has to be me," he declared.

"They’ll kill you!" Allicent voiced her fears.

"Killing me is what everyone has been trying to do from the moment I was born," he said, leaving Allicent rooted at the same spot. The words struck her like a thunderbolt out of the midday blue sky.

"He’ll never forgive me," she whispered as she watched him disappear in the edge of the island.

Gabriel pulled the log on the sandy shore and hid it among the rocks. It had helped him swim from the island to the shore after all. From his hiding spot, he spotted a group of knights camped near the gate that led into the palace. It’d be more difficult to infiltrate with such a number guarding the gates.

His eyes traveled the length of the palace walls and settled on the same window he used to flee the palace. It was so high now that he saw it up close. How he survived the fall was still a mystery he was yet to unravel.

The window was his only chance now. He walked around the gate and found his footing at the base of the rocky walls. With a firm grip, he held onto the rough stones and pushed himself up until he was slightly above the gates.

From above he could see the knights chatting lightly and laugh at a casual joke. His eyes traveled up and the window was nowhere to be seen, now covered by the mist. The farthest his eyes could make was where to place his foot next.

One misstep and his life would body would be turned into chunks by the rocks below. He pushed himself up, already gaining some height now. The knights appeared as tiny dots underneath him.

He lifted his hand when he held something slippery and lost his footing. His body swayed to the left crashing hard on the rocky walls but his grip remained firm. The distance between him and the ground below was quite a measure.

"That was close!"

A wild pigeon flew when he noticed it’s shit in his hand.

"Fuck!" He cursed, rubbing the disgusting semi solid waste on the back of the wall. He climbed the remaining distance effortlessly and pushed himself inside Elena’s room.

Leaning on the wall, he panted heavily as he tried to catch his breath. The interior was just as he could remember, apart from the now fixed door and frame. He inserted his hand in his pocket and fished out the white shell.

Why would she keep such an invaluable thing in a drawer? Pushing the thought at the back of his mind, Gabriel stood and headed for the door. He opened it slightly and took a peak in the hallway. Strangely, there was not a single person in it.

But he didn’t have the time to think about it. He took the left hallway and rushed down the pavement that led to the chamber of kings. It was the sacred room where royalty bodies were placed and taken care of before being buried.

Strangely, there were also no knights on this part of the hallway. In fact, the whole castle was enveloped in an eerie silence, one that could only be experienced in silent mourning. Or that was what Gabriel concluded.

He turned the knob to open the door. Taking a quick peak outside, he closed the door behind when he was certain no one was watching.

The room was dimly lit with candles and a raised platform stood in the middle of the room. A woman lay on it while another stood there washing her hands. Only the sound of the water dripping while being squeezed from the clothing she used could be heard.

Gabriel approached cautiously, his steps as silent as the wind. He could tell the body was Elena’s just by the look of her hair that hung close to the floor.

"Things we do for love," he heard the woman say.