Bride To His Darkness-Chapter 306: Darkness No One Knows

"W- what?" Lucy’s eyes momentarily widened in shock, her heart pounding in her chest as she understood, to a meaningful level what that word meant in terms of vampires. A mixture of fear and an unexpected flutter of emotion churned within her, and she was looking at the dazed vampire, unblinking in the eyes.

"What did you say?" She stammered, needing confirmation of the words that now hung in the tense air. She knew she heard him mention mate, or was it just a figment of her dream playing tricks on her again? She won’t really know unless she hears him say it again.

"Your Majesty?"

Duncan suddenly hesitated at the call of his name, as if realizing the weight of his revelation. His crimson dark eyes met her caramel-brown ones, and for a moment, the intensity between them softened, whilst his thin lips parted.

"Forget it." He muttered, his tone inexplicably distant. It was as if he had been momentarily entranced and snapped back to reality. Even for him, he was finding it difficult to believe that such a word could leave his mouth, and he had said it to no one but her.

Confusion and longing battled in Lucy’s gaze, and when he tried to walk away, she demanded with a wavering voice, "I heard you say mate, what.. what do you mean by that?"

"It’s nothing," Duncan’s expression tightened, a hint of regret flickering across his features, "just a slip of words, I clearly didn’t mean it." He deflected, but the charged air between them spoke of an unspoken truth. His eyes seemed to look everywhere else as he avoided Lucy’s stare, and he could perceive a subtle scent in the air– it was as alluring as the bed of Jasmine on a summer night, and that scent came from her.

"Watch your step on your way out." He said and returned to the table where he worked. Lucy’s gaze followed him as he reached for his table, whilst he picked up the spike-filled chains. He was back to concentration mode, a sign that the matter would no longer be discussed between them.

Ever.

Lucy quietly exited his tent, and only after she left did he drop the chains back on the table. His gaze trailed to the tent flap, her scent fading along with her distance, and he could feel his weak heart tighten, and that caused him pain.

"It... can’t be." He shook his head, refusing to accept it.

—-

At the Elven community, Samantha sat on the forest floor, whilst she was surrounded by the kaleidoscope of autumn leaves that crunched softly beneath her. In her hands were a stack of books, each one promising a journey to another realm. The gentle murmur of the waterfall provided a soothing backdrop, its crystal-clear water cascading down moss-covered rocks.

The air was crisp with the scent of fallen leaves, and a gentle breeze played with her hair. The ethereal beauty of the forest painted a scene of unparalleled peace, and Samantha couldn’t help but smile, feeling grateful for the positive energy that enveloped her in this place, and not to mention but she could feel the leaves and trees whisper words she couldn’t fathom, but they brought solace to her heart.

"I wonder when Brian is going to get here, he said he was going to be on duty and would meet me here at noon." Samantha’s gaze moved to her pet plant who was perched on one of the books, and it murmured with a sigh.

’Master, I’m a plant, not a seer." It said, making her feel dumb again. "Viney can’t predict when he’ll get here, but Viney feels it’s right to advise Master to stay mindful and cautious. They are kind, but we shouldn’t remain oblivious to the risk we can encounter by being here."

"Risk we can encounter?" Samantha’s eyebrows pulled into a curious frown, "what type of risk?"

"Did I keep you waiting?" Came the voice of Brian as he hurried towards where Samantha was patiently sitting. Due to his presence, Samantha had to keep aside her conversation with Viney for another day, as this was also another important matter she had to deal with.

Brian took his seat beside her, "I had to stay on duty longer than usual, the chief of my clan suspected another series of spies from the Queen, and a thorough scout had to be made." He dropped, explaining the reason for his delay.

"Did you come across any?"

"No," he shook his head, clearly disappointed by his luck, "but I promised to help you learn more about your clan. It is not in the nature of an elf to break promises, that’s why I’m here." He explained, and Samantha quietly nodded, feeling grateful that he didn’t forget about their meeting.

Before they could commence with the reason behind the meetup, Brian’s gaze inadvertently landed on the pitcher plant that was perched on one of the books. His eyes narrowed at the animated creature, and when it moved, his eyes shook at the realization that it was real.

"You have a beast plant?" He looked at Samantha in awe, and she had forgotten that the elven clan had no idea about her pet plant.

"This is Viney, my pet plant." She introduced her plant to Brian, whilst he gazed at it, slightly dazed. He was one of those who had heard about beast plants, but had also never come across them– that was his story until now.

"Can I touch it?"

’If he comes closer, I’ll eat him.’

"I’m afraid not." Samantha quickly stopped Brian after listening to Viney’s threat, "it hates physical contact and can be... deadly." She explained, and her pet Viney took coverage beneath her sleeve.

Brian, although slightly confused, nodded regardless.

"These are the books I received," Samantha changed the subject, showing the books to Brian, "I used my free time to brush through the pages, and there are many records of it that dictate Forest Fae."

"That is correct," Brian nodded, "Forest Fae’s were considered important, as they connected to nature in ways many could dream of. They possessed the ability to commune with plants, but among them, they were the rare few– the unique ones– who held powers beyond imagination. They could cultivate and control beast plants."

As he spoke, his expression darkened slightly, "however, the land of forest Fae’s were invaded by a darkness no one knows till today, but from the records, the Demon who invaded the land wiped them out, leaving none alive."

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