7 Chapter Seven

As soon as Morgana laid eyes on him, she was struck by his otherworldly beauty. His chiseled features, defined by high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a straight nose, seemed as if they were crafted by a master sculptor. His eyes, a rich mahogany brown, were framed by dark lashes, and they sparkled with a mischievous gleam that made Morgana's heart skip a beat. His hair, a rich chestnut brown, was styled in a way that was both wild and tamed, emphasizing his devil-may-care attitude.

Then he gave a little smile as though he knew the effect he was having on her, revealing straight white teeth.

Morgana almost forgot how to breathe. It was as if the world around her faded away, leaving only him and his preternatural handsomeness, which was so stunning that it made her heart race and her body almost go weak.

Morgana's reverie was broken by the man's next words as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her. She looked at him, her eyes flashing with fury as he calmly recounted out his accusations against her and her sisters.

"I know about your sisters killing my kind, staking and burning them," he said, his voice cold and steady, "and I have killed a few of your sisters who had been on my trail."

Morgana's jaw ticked in anger, and her heart puffed in great rage. How dare this man to sit in front of her and make such accusations? She had devoted her life to the protection of her kind and that of the humans, and to hear that her sisters had fallen to this man's hands was a deep wound.

Morgana was controlling herself from flaring up in anger and lunging at him again, her temper would only give him the upper hand.

Giving him a fierce look, she asked through gritted teeth, "Are you also a vampire?"

The man gave her a sideways grin and then raised the soiled handkerchief smeared with blood. He sniffed it, then threw it away in disdain before cleaning his hands on his cloak, as though he had touched something filthy and abominable. And then he turned to her, his hands now clean. "What do you think?" he asked, guarding his expressions as he watched her eyes grow in anger. His amusement was palpable, and it only fueled Morgana's rage.

Morgana paused as she thought. What did she think? She and her sisters had been trained to hunt and kill creatures like him, dark, manipulating, and scheming.

Her eyes wandered across the man's body, trying to catch a whiff that would sell his identity out but she was perplexed on noticing nothing. Her sisters had different magical amulets worn around their necks for easy identification of the night creatures and the black witches and other creatures who were harmful to humans, but she had been an exception from the beginning. She just had an instinct that grew stronger on going closer to them or sighting them.

But this man and the three other hooded figures were strange and she was perturbed about how she couldn't detect them. Was she losing her only ability?

Not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of seeing her in a dilemma, she glared more furious at the man.

"I think you are a monster," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "A creature of the night who feeds on the blood of the innocent."

The man shrugged. "Perhaps," he said nonchalantly. "But that is not the whole truth. There is so much more to us than just our thirst for blood. And as for your sisters, they are no better. They hunt and kill without mercy, without understanding the complexities of our existence."

Morgana's anger was now at boiling point. She could feel the itch on her hands, yearning to have a stake plunged straight into the man's heart. "I will not stand here and listen to your lies," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "You and your kind are a threat to humanity, and we will stop at nothing to eradicate you."

The man gave her a cold, calculating smile. "We'll see about that. Shall we go back to our business?". He asked, giving a nonchalant stare at Morgana as though he had done nothing wrong.

Morgana scoffed. "You know what?"

"What?". The man asked, his tone carrying a hint of expectancy.

"Go to hell!". Morgana spat and a wide grin spread forth the man's lips.

"What if I tell you, I was just there a few days ago. Would you like to follow me?". He asked, giving her a little smile.

But Morgana didn't entertain him further, she turned her eyes away and began to search around the forest with her gaze. She wondered when she was going to be set free, she could already guess the man in front of her was never letting her go.

"It seems Hilda didn't tell you about me...". The man drawled and then hummed as though he was disappointed and Morgana's eyes quickly zapped to look at him, with a look of confusion.

"She didn't tell you?". The man's brow rose in shock as he asked the confused Morgana, who was just staring at him. "It must be a shame then. I have been meaning to pay her, especially you a little visit but she keeps hiding you from me. Tell me, why would she be so cruel?". The man asked, chuckling to himself and Morgana didn't know what to make out of his words.

He had been searching for her. And the priestess had rejected his visit. Had they perhaps crossed paths or they knew each other? Morgana's head was already spinning with so many questions.

"There's no need to be confused, dear Morgana. I would want you to be sound in mind and health while you be my bride". The man stated and then picked up Morgana's bag, stuffing the flask which he had placed on the ground into it.

Morgana stared at him and wondered if the man was suddenly losing a few screws in his head.

The man chuckled again on seeing her expression and then threw the bag to Morgana who quickly used her tied hands to bring it closer to her. Without muttering a word of appreciation, she lifted the bag and then shook it as though, she was in search of a sound.

"'I was kidding about you being my bride". The man said and then turned serious. "But your priestess owes me and you are the deal. You are now mine to keep, human Morgana. I'm Ryker, Lord Ryker it should be".

Morgana was stunned at the sudden twist in the situation. She was in a form of a debt being owed? Had her priestess pushed away to the captors deliberately or was the man trying to weave a web above her head?

Morgana didn't say a word, she was already exhausted from the emotions swirling in her heart. She kept mute, just fiddling with the bag in her tied hands.

Ryker used this as an opportunity to examine properly, the girl sitting in front of him. He had been keeping tabs on her and had known she was a preternatural beauty but he wasn't prepared for the spell it was almost casting over him.

Morgana was a vision with long dark hair that flowed down her back like a river of ink and a doe brown eye that depicted her innocence and sharp-wittedness that seemed to see right through him. Her skin was as pale as moonlight, and her lips as red as a rose.

Despite himself, Ryker found himself captivated by her beauty. He couldn't help but think that she was using her looks to bewitch him, to gain the upper hand in their dangerous game of power and control.

But he wouldn't let her have the advantage. He steeled himself against her seductive gaze and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

"Morgana". Ryker purred, getting her attention as her beautiful brown eyes landed on him and he paused, admiring how beautiful she was again. Ryker gave a taunting smile. " What do you say_".

Morgana quickly cut him off. "About me being in a form of debt, how serious were you?".

"A hundred and three percent serious, why? Have you made up your mind to pay me?". A wide smile spread through his lips and Morgana finally convinced herself that the vampire in front of her was indeed a deranged one.

"It seems you are deranged". Morgana said, giving a mocking smile as she eyed him pitifully.

"Don't you want to know how I've been tracing you? Don't you want to know about the relationship between your priestess and me? Haven't you thought how easily your walls were penetrated and destroyed at night, despite your sisters' carefulness? Don't you have a series of questions to be asked and answered?". Ryker asked, guarding her expressions and he saw her lips pursed.

"What do you know?". Morgana asked, giving the man a wary look.

"A lot, more than your priestess knows".

"Why do you even think I would trust a lying and manipulative creature like you? Do you think I haven't come across a kind like you?". Morgana scoffed. "Don't you even think you can sway me into doing your bidding? Try harder next time"

Ryker rose from where he stood, making his way to Morgana, and then squatted in front of her, leaning closer to look at her and Morgana leaned backward.

"Do you think I can't manipulate you, dear Morgana? Or do you think you can be an exception to the women I have lured into my bed?". A wide grin, spread through his lips as he saw the shocked expression on her face.

Morgana was firstly frozen in shock, her mind unable to process the words that had just escaped the man's lips. It felt like the entire forest had gone silent, the only sound being the pounding of her own heart in her chest.

Slowly, the anger began to bubble in her heart. It started as a small spark, a flicker of emotion that grew and grew until it consumed her entirely. She could feel her body shaking with rage, her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides.

Before she knew what she was doing, Morgana lunged at the man. He was caught off-guard and stumbled backward, his eyes widening in fear as she closed in on him. He tried to defend himself, but it was too late.

With a fierce scream of anger, Morgana landed on top of him, knocking him to the ground.

The man lay there, dazed and confused, as Morgana straddled him, her eyes blazing with fury. She could feel the anger coursing through her veins, driving her forward.

And then, without warning, she bent down, sinking her teeth into the man's neck with all the force she could muster. She felt the warm blood gush into her mouth as she bit down, tearing a chunk of flesh from his skin. The man didn't scream in pain; instead, he was twitching as though her bite was ticklish. But she wasn't deterred. She continued to bite him, unleashing her entire grievance on him.

But just as she was about to take another bite, she heard a noise that made her pause. She looked up to see three hooded figures, standing in shock with a pile of wood scattered at their feet.

From the corner of where they stood, it looked like the man and woman on the ground were making out. The scene was erotic and the hooded figures stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to make of the strange scene before them. But their hesitation was short-lived, as Morgana looked up and caught their gaze. Her lips were covered in blood, and she looked wild and feral. Ryker, meanwhile, simply stared at Morgana with an expression of disbelief.

Suddenly, the man's arms were around her, lifting her off of him as though she weighed nothing. She found herself cradled against his chest, being carried like a doll as he stood up and then placed her back on the ground.

He continued to stare down at her with disbelief etched on his face, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. He didn't know what had happened but the last thing he could remember was the girl lunging forward at him.

"What do you think you were doing?". Ryker asked, his voice low but menacing.

Morgana who had been sat down on the ground was about to speak when she noticed the bleeding part on his neck was beginning to heal with an inhuman speed, which was even faster for an ordinary vampire and her heart sank in realization.