Chapter Three (The Prophecy)
1704 Words
Silence filled the room.
Xavian looked at the physician, stunned for a moment. Then he laughed. A cold, humorless sound.
“That’s ridiculous Uriel.”
Mate bonds among vampires were rare—but when they occurred, they always connected two beings of powerful bloodlines.
Xavian was not merely noble. He was royal. The purest vampire blood alive. His mate would be someone from a powerful lineage. Someone worthy of the Kaine royal name. Not some phantom girl appearing in his dreams.
“The girl doesn’t even feel like a vampire,” He scoffed. “Not even a halfblood.”
The halfbloods were the lowest class of vampires. They were once humans who were turned. They only carry little of vampire's traits. A hundred halfbloods cannot stand against one trueborn vampire.
They were weak. Replaceable. Certainly not royal mate worthy.
Uriel remained silent for a moment. The old physician had served the Kaine royal family for centuries. He knew better than most not to argue with a royal heir. Their tempers were highly unpredictable.
He cleared his throat and spoke carefully. “If you wish for more answers my lord, there is someone else you could consult.”
Xavian narrowed his eyes slightly. “Who?”
The physician hesitated briefly. “She is called Hazel. A witch with the ancient knowledge of rare magical bonds. She can help you—”
Xavian stood up instantly. “Absolutely not. I will not crawl to a witch for answers.”
Uriel sighed quietly. “My lord—“
“Not another word about this again.”
The physician nodded his head in agreement. “As you wish my lord.”
Without another word, Xavian turned and left. He threw himself into work the entire day trying to escape the turmoil in his mind. His brain felt like it was about to explode. Uriel’s words kept echoing in his mind over and over again.
A mate bond? Impossible.
If he were to have a mate it would be someone of a very prominent, royal vampire lineage. Someone with an original vampire bloodline.
He found himself getting easily distracted when discussing official matters with his generals. During sparring sessions with his men, he found himself aggressively trying to relieve the tension in his mind. He almost beheaded one of his men.
Appalled, he abruptly ended the session and mounted his nightmare steed- Feyre. The great beast seemed to sense its master’s internal rage. With a shrill cry, it reared onto its hind legs before launching forward. In the blink of an eye, horse and rider vanished into the distance, leaving only a cloud of dust drifting across the road.
By the time Xavian returned to his chambers later, the sun had already gone down. He removed his coat and tossed it aside. Thoughts of the pale silver-eyed girl remained fixed on his mind.
A part of him hoped to see her in his dreams again. The other part of him dreaded the thought.
He loosened the laces of his shirt, pulling it over his head. Just as the fabric fell to the floor, a figure emerged from behind the thick curtains in his bedchambers. A pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind.
He stiffened instantly.
Ivy Blackwood, his betrothed, pressed her cheek against his back. Her voice was soft.
“I missed you, Xav. You never come to see me anymore.”
Xavian immediately pried her hands off him and turned slowly. His expression was calm but his eyes hardened at the sight of her.
The only reason he had tolerated Ivy up till now was that their betrothal was arranged by the king himself- Vampire lord Zaza Kaine. His father.
“What are you doing in my chambers?” He asked coldly. “Do you lack a sense of propriety?”
Pain flickered across Ivy’s face only for a second, then it vanished. “You always speak to me like I’m a stranger.”
“You entered my private chambers uninvited.”
“I am your future wife.” She shot back. “Your future queen.”
“My father chose you.” He said coldly. “… not me.”
The distinction was clear. Her expression tightened. “Why do you keep avoiding me? Why do you keep fighting this?”
Xavian said nothing. He simply walked to the window, staring across the great walls of the kingdom. Somewhere out there lives a woman who might be his true mate.
He caught himself immediately. He was actually starting to believe that nonsense. His hands resting against the windowsill clenched into fists.
Ivy walked over to stand next to him and grabbed his arm. Her eyes slightly narrowed.
“Is there someone else?”
The question caught him off guard. For the briefest moment, a pair of pale silver eyes flashed through his mind before he shut it out.
“No,” he replied. But the word felt like a denial he was desperate to believe.
Ivy took a step closer. “Then why don’t you want me?”
Xavian looked away. He didn’t love her. He never had. And despite years of betrothal, that fact had never changed.
Ivy reached for his cheek. “I can make you happy.”
His gaze dropped to her fingers. He felt nothing. No pull, no warmth, nothing.
Yet somehow a girl who existed only in dreams could make his heart race with a single glance. The realization both surprised and irritated him.
“Leave,” he said calmly.
Ivy ignored him. She stepped closer. Her eyes shimmered with desire. “I… I want you.”
Before he could respond, she suddenly pulled him into a kiss. Xavian grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back immediately.
“Stop it.”
The rejection hit her like a slap. For several seconds she simply stared at him. Then hurt turned into anger.
“Why?” Her voice trembled. “We are going to be married soon.”
“Get out.” His tone became colder, carrying a strong hint of warning.
“No.” Ivy insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. Defiance burned in her eyes.
“Don’t make me ask the guards to throw you out,” Xavian warned. “If I do, you will never step foot in my palace again.”
The threat finally broke her resolve. Tears gathered in her eyes. “I.. I just want to be with you, Xav.”
“I said, get out!” he yelled.
Afraid, Ivy quickly turned and ran out of Xavian’s bed chamber. The heavy doors slammed shut behind her.
Xavian exhaled slowly as silence returned to the room. He rubbed his fingers against his temples. The encounter had only worsened his mood. He really couldn’t stand that woman.
A sharp knock at the door alerted him again. A palace guard walked in and bowed in greeting.
“Your highness, His Majesty requests your presence in the throne hall immediately.”
Xavian nodded his head. “I’ll be there shortly.”
The guard bowed again before leaving. Moments later, Xavian slipped on his shirt and left his chamber.
The throne hall was cold. With a dark and oppressive aura. Black pillars stretched toward the ceiling like giant stone spears. Rows of crimson banners hung from the walls.
At the center of it all sat Vampire Lord Zaza Kaine. The ruler of the vampire kingdom. His crimson eyes glowed from the shadows like burning embers. Power radiated from him- Ancient and terrifying.
“My son,” Zaza said the moment Xavian entered the hall. “I have a very important task for you.” His voice carried the weight of the immense power he possessed.
Xavian bowed slightly. “I’m listening, father.”
Zaza leaned forward. His expression was very serious. “An ancient prophecy has resurfaced.”
Xavian frowned. “Prophesies are for the weak.” He remarked calmly.
Ordinary men feared fate, powerful men created it. At least that was what the vampires believed. Normally Zaza would have agreed, but this time he was wary.
“This one concerns my death, and the end of the immortality of the entire vampire race. It cannot be ignored.”
That got Xavian’s attention. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened.
Zaza rose slowly from his throne. “A thousand years ago, there was an old prophecy that the offspring of the moon goddess Selene would rise.”
Xavian has heard the ancient tale of the moon goddess and the old Vampire Lord Azu- who was cursed with madness after he is said to have sacrificed his goddess bride for immortality.
“It is said that she will bring destruction to my reign, and put an end to Vampire sovereignty.” Zaza continued. “Many had searched for years but there was no one who bore the mark of the goddess. And soon, everyone believed she never existed. That put an end to the search years ago.”
Xavian fell silent for a moment. He was five hundred years old, but the old search had already ended before he was even born. He had heard of the stories. Vampire lord Zaza Kaine had declared war on all the other kingdoms in his efforts to find the offspring but to no avail.
“You believe she exists?” Xavian asked. His expression remained calm despite the barrage of questions going through his mind.
“Yes. And you must find her.” The order left no room for refusal.
Xavian calmly nodded his head. “How do I exactly identify this threat, Father?”
Zaza's gaze sharpened. “Search for a maiden with hair of platinum silver, and eyes of pale silver. That is the ancient mark of the goddess.”
Eyes of pale silver.
Xavian froze. He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. For the briefest moment, the image of a girl standing beneath moonlight flashed through his mind.
Could it be? No! Surely just a coincidence. He told himself over and over again. Yet something deep inside him stirred. Something made him uneasy.
He bowed his head as he retreated.
“I will find her.”
- Writer
