Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 338: Found her(2)

Together, they headed out—Uva not getting a choice in the matter, even as Henry, Cain’s head of guards, led the way.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, dragging its golden glow behind it, yet the sky remained faintly clear. The evening still held a pale afterlight, enough to outline the cars waiting in disciplined rows. They had been prearranged with precision, each one reinforced with armed guards. The sight alone was enough to unnerve anyone. The number of men was so excessive that an outsider, catching even a glimpse of the convoy, would have instantly assumed Cain was preparing for war against another district.

Uva, unsettled, made a last attempt to avoid him. She tried slipping into another car, clinging to the small hope of even the slightest distance. But her effort was wasted. A guard’s grip closed firmly around her, dragging her back and forcing her into the same car as Cain. Her body stiffened the moment she hit the seat, and she shifted immediately toward the door. She sat pressed against it, shoulders angled awkwardly, clinging closer than was natural—her discomfort plain.

The driver started the engine. The car rolled smoothly into motion, falling into line behind those ahead while others followed behind like shadows sealing the convoy. Barely had the movement settled into rhythm when Cain spoke.

"How much magic can you use?" The question came suddenly, his tone calm but sharp enough to cut through the silence.

Uva’s eyes widened. She shook her head quickly, fear pressing her to answer without hesitation. Every word mattered. Cain would never underestimate Lady June, and she knew he was weighing her worth carefully.

"Even if my magic storage was full..." She knew Cain understood how witchcraft worked, and she spoke with that in mind. "...I still wouldn’t be able to do anything to Lady June. She’s a high coven member—one of the Seven!"

"I’m just an ordinary witch," she continued, letting the admission fall with a sigh. Her lips pulled in displeasure, a flicker of annoyance showing in her expression. It irritated her deeply that she had been dragged along at all.

"I’m useless. Completely useless!" Her voice grew firmer, laced with the faintest edge of desperation as she tried to convince him it would be better to cast her aside. "You’d be better off without me."

Her words, however, vanished into nothing. Cain ignored her utterly, his attention fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. His profile was cold, unreadable, and in its indifference she realized her pleas held less weight than the shifting shadows on the road.

After that, no more words passed between them. Cain remained silent, and Uva resigned herself to the same, shrinking back into stillness. She did not attempt to fill her magic storage. What use would it be? Whatever scraps she might gather could never amount to anything against Cain, and certainly nothing against Lady June.

The convoy sped forward, engines humming in unison, and at such a pace that the drive was short-lived. Soon the Marisol Hotel rose before them, tall against the evening sky. Henry had already dispatched men to surround the building, their presence closing in tightly, preventing anyone inside from leaving.

She’s a witch. She can become invisible and make others the same, Uva thought, relief washing through her. There’s no way Lady June would allow herself to be trapped so easily.

All I need to do is wait until they tire of searching. Then I’ll return to my room in the castle. It’s the coziest place I’ve had in a long while.

Cain wasted no time. He ordered his men to begin searching immediately, providing them with Violet’s scent to track. They scattered in different directions, following their orders without hesitation.

You know this is useless, right? Uva almost asked aloud but restrained herself. She bit her tongue, keeping the words locked in her thoughts. Instead, her mind wandered bitterly. Maybe I should research which hormone is responsible for rotting men’s brains whenever they fall in love.

The search pressed on. Uva remained where she was, silent and watchful. With each passing minute, her shoulders loosened. The longer they searched and found nothing, the more her relief settled into certainty. Soon her face bore no trace of worry at all. Her expression alone said she was convinced Violet and Lady June were already gone.

Cain’s mood, however, darkened with every second. He grew more and more agitated, tension rolling off him. His voice snapped like a whip as he barked at his men, his tone sharp with frustration. He had already pulled Henry close four separate times to shout in his face, and was on the verge of doing so again when he suddenly stopped.

His head tilted upward. His nostrils flared slightly as he sniffed the air, first with a small breath, then a deeper, deliberate pull. Something flickered across his features—an awareness, sharp and sudden.

Then, without warning, he lunged forward.

Cain moved with a burst of speed, faster than thought. His steps were lightning, his body a blur of motion. Uva had no chance of keeping up. She would have been left behind instantly, if not for the way his hand shot out, seizing her like a ragdoll. His fingers clamped around her collar, holding her effortlessly as he dragged her with him.

Her vision swam from the dizzying rush, her head whipped by the air that tore past. But she could do nothing. She was carried, helpless, wherever Cain willed.

In moments, they were gone from the hotel grounds, tearing through alleys and across roads that thinned with every block. The farther they went, the quieter the streets became. Cain noticed, of course, but he paid no mind. His pace did not falter; if anything, he pushed faster, relentless, until he veered sharply into a narrow alley and stopped dead.

By then, the sun had almost disappeared. The sky had darkened, shadows stretching long across the stone, but not so much that Cain could mistake what he saw.

His gaze locked instantly on Violet.

For a moment, nothing else existed. His eyes softened, almost tender, as he stepped forward—until his gaze shifted, landing on the woman beside her.

The change was immediate. The warmth in him vanished, replaced by a cold frost. His aura sharpened, an unmistakable killing intent radiating from every line of his body. His shoulders stiffened, his presence turned lethal. Every fiber of him declared that he wanted nothing more than to end the woman in front of him.

Yet when he spoke, his voice was calm, almost gentle.

"Violet. Come here." His hand stretched outward, palm open, beckoning. But his eyes never left Lady June. He watched her like a predator, unblinking, unwilling to allow her even the smallest chance to move unchecked.

Barely had the words fallen from his lips when laughter rang out.

It echoed through the alley, low and mocking. A foul stench clung to the narrow walls, seeping into the air, but none of them paid it any mind. Their attention was locked entirely on each other.

Then Lady June’s lips curved, and she spoke.

"...And why would she? Here I thought the first thing you’d notice was the resemblance."

The words struck like a blow. Cain’s eyes snapped back to Violet. And then he saw.

She was using her true face.

And that face, unmistakably, bore a resemblance to Lady June.