A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 118: Mysthaven Under Attack!

Gabriel was pacing back and forth in Elena’s room when the door swung open. Darion halted at the door to meet with his expectant expression, but the bleak look in his eyes answered it all.

"We searched everywhere but she was nowhere to be found," he said, closing the door behind him.

Gabriel stood there, stupefied for a fleeting couple of seconds before he walked towards the window and stared at the vast sea in contemplation. She could only be in one place; Kara’s.

"Have you ever been to the underworld?" He asked.

Darion’s brows creased. That would be a death wish, a peril he was not ready to take. It was known no vampire dared to step their feet into the underworld unless invited. Which was on very rare occasions, and happened countless centuries ago.

"Do I need to answer that?" He asked instead, stepping closer into the light.

Gabriel turned to face him, his hand resting on Darion’s shoulders. "Don’t get yourself killed until I’m back."

Darion’s lips twitched in a soft chuckle. "You’re not planning to go to the underworld, are you?" His playful expression turned to a worried one when Gabriel walked past him.

"Jophiel must have missed you. You owe her an explanation at least," he added before walking out of the room.

Allicent was observing the children embroidering in the garden below when Gabriel joined him.

"They teach them how to be a good woman instead of the ways of the cruel world. Nested behind these stone walls, they give them false hope to live for in life."

"Humans are as complicated as your kind," Gabriel said, meeting with her gaze.

"Any news about her whereabouts?" She asked.

"I know where she is," Gabriel replied. "I’ll need your help."

"Anything for my son," she said, pride laced in her voice.

Gabriel studied her face for a moment before he presented his request. "I want you to take me to the underworld." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The light previously in her eyes disappeared, now replaced with a darkness that Gabriel had never seen before. It was as if the utterance of the word brought up buried wounds ripped afresh.

"I’m sorry but I cannot go back to that place," she said, lowering her head.

"Elena’s there. She was taken by some demonness... Kara..."

"Did you say Kara?!" Allicent asked.

"Do you know her?"

"She’s Azazel’s first daughter, ambitious and defiant. She’s obsessed with keeping the bloodline of the Azazel family pure and strong. She killed two of her mates when they didn’t meet her expectations," and in a low but hateful voice, "and she cast me out of the underworld."

"When the demons found out that your father and I were having an affair, they summoned me for a hearing, where my fate was determined. Of course I denied the accusations thrown against me otherwise I’d be dead. As punishment, I was exiled from the underworld, never to return again."

She walked closer to Gabriel, holding his hands in hers. "I’d like to help you, but I can’t."

"You can’t or you won’t?" Gabriel asked, the resentment he had for her slowly boiling to the surface.

"Did you know about the prophecy?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

Allicent’s lips moved to say something but the words refused to leave her mouth. She could see the hurt in his eyes.

"What did I expect?" He asked, biting his lower lip. He tore his hands from hers. "To think I’d learn such a thing from a stranger, while you knew all along."

"I just wanted to protect you," Allicent said, trying to get a hold of his free hands.

"Protect me from what?" He asked, his voice rising that it caught the attention of the little girls embroidering below.

"All you’ve ever done, everything you’ve ever done was to hurt me, mother. And the only chance you had to prove me wrong..." He shook his head.

****

Brandon sipped blood from his goblet as the generals laid the battle plan on the table. A knight walked in at the same time and whispered something into Tieron’s ears.

"You might want to hear these news, My king," he said, his fists resting on the table. "Elena Thornhart is missing and the humans do not wish to support a bastard. The army is disoriented. Mysthaven is ripe for the taking!"

Brandon’s fingers tapped on the table in thought. "I say we march!" He ordered.

"You heard your king. Dismount the camp and ready your troops!" Tieron ordered. The generals bowed and left in haste.

And turning to Brandon, Tieron said, "Victory will be yours..." ’Son’ was the word in his mind. "My king."

"I want Gabriel’s head on my feet before this day is over!" Brandon said, the image of his imagination amusing him. The bastard had always looked down on his battle and fighting skills. He’d prove him wrong.

****

The air water was still around Mysthaven. The gates were open, the knights lively as they shared a cup of rum outside the walls.

One of the knights placed his cup on the ground and tossed a dice. His companion was about to do the same when he saw the rum shake in waves.

From a distance, they heard a sound akin to drum beats, yet far away. The plains were empty but the sound was growing louder with each passing second.

"Do you hear that?" One of the knights asked. The others stood, unsheathing their swords. Archers on top of the wall quickly lined up ready to rain arrows on whatever was coming.

In the distance, a white horse appeared. On top was Brandon, a smirk laced on his lips. The city of Mysthaven lay in front of his periphery waiting for him to claim its glory and the head of the bastard within those walls.

A vampire leapt from his side, charging down the hill at a crazy speed. Another followed, and another, until they were too many to count. The knights outside the walls panicked, rushing inside the city walls in fear.

"Seal the gates!"