Chapter sixty

“What now?” Irene asked the man sneaking out of the room.

Edward sighed and closed the door gently before walking to sit on the couch. Irene followed him, sitting opposite him with her arms crossed on her chest. “Thank you for looking after her.”

“It’s nothing. Watching over her for a few hours cannot compare to the ninety years you watched over me,” she shrugged. “But I’m serious, Edward, what now?”

“I will protect her if it’s the last thing I do,” he answered.

Irene noticed the difference in the man and she asked, “What is it?”

“I can’t help but feel like I failed her once. Like a long time ago, but that can’t be true, I have only known her for a month and yet, it feels like years.”

Irene smiled at that. “You hate her, how can you have failed her before?”

“I don’t hate her Irene,” he frowned.

“Oh, then you love her?” she raised an eyebrow, “isn’t a month too small to fall in love?”

“I want to go to the rogues field,” he avoided her question. “I want to know if I will see him. The only way I can ensure her safety is by taking him down. The only problem is, I don’t who he is and why the witches are helping him.”

Irene nodded, “I will try to see more visions, hopefully they will tell me something useful other than swirling him in darkness. What do you think his aim is anywhere? Why does he want her?”

“I don’t want to know his aim or why he wants her, all I know is that he is never getting her, not while I breathe.”

Irene smiled, “I have always known you are quite possessive and protective, it’s nice to finally see it happening and also…” her words seized and her eyes turned ashen. Edward was by her side in the next second but she got herself soon after, her eyes turning back to gray.

“It’s everything okay?” he asked.

“I guess?” She sighed, “It left as quickly as it came, I didn’t even grab anything.”

“Does it happen like that sometimes?”

Irene nodded, “sometimes.”

Edward nodded, “well, I have to get going. I will try to be back on time.”

Irene nodded and when he stood up, she sighed, “Edward…” she called and he glanced at her. “It’s not going to be an easy fight.”

“I know, but I have never been afraid of a fight.”

Irene smiled softly, “what do you remember of your human life?”

“Nothing these days,” he replied. “Sometimes I forget that I was once a human.”

“What about as a nightwalker?”

“Everything,” he frowned, “right from the moment I woke up lying beside the tree of death.”

“I saw a vision of it last night,” Irene nodded. “I think it would be growing again soon. The last time it grew was the day you lost your men.”

“More than a thousand years ago,” Edward concurred.

“Exactly,” Irene licked her lips, “I don’t know why I have to see it but I know that I woke up with a terrible pain in my chest. I think it will have to do with you and the pain in my chest means you will be stabbed with it on the chest.”

Edward frowned, “no one can say for sure when the Tree of death always grow so I don’t think anyone would notice it. Besides, it stays only for seven days and withers away.”

“That’s true, but I saw it and my guts is telling me it has to do with you. All I’m saying is…” she stood up, “just be careful. We don’t know the deal with the man in black and yesterday we confirmed that he is working with witches, so…” she shrugged and glanced at the door that leads to where Aliyah is sleeping. “She is still young and…” she exhaled, “you know what I am trying to say.”

Edward smiled and tucked a tendril of her black hair behind her ear. “No one has been successful in killing me. They have tried for years and the most they could do was put me to sleep, they can’t do more than that.”

Irene nodded with a sad smile, “of course.”

“Look after her for me, okay?” he nodded at the door and Irene nodded once. He smiled and kissed her forehead and he was out the door the next second. Irene closed her eyes, although he assured her all is well but her vision a while ago, although short, said a lot. It was the first time she lied to him but she needs to get the hanks of her vision before disposing it to anyone. She just hopes that it was the right thing to do and it won’t come back and bite her.

***

“Has they been a message from Rasmus about the prince?” A tall man with long black hair asked the short black-haired man following him as they walked down the long hallway.

“No, my Lord, I have been waiting but he has not contacted us,” the man answered.

The tall man sighed, “it’s not often we want to see the prince but we really need his help handling this thing. As the oldest one of our kind, we are hoping he would know the reason to what is happening to the rogues. The attack last night proved something is up and we must handle it before it gets out of hand. We understand that the rogues are the outcasts of the Night Howlers but we have to know if this is a way of them asking for war and be prepared for it.”

“I do not think so my lordship. The rogues last night, they looked…mentally disabled. I have fought the rogues before for fun but never have they ever looked like they did last night,” the man answered.

“Gregory, I understand you but that is why we need the Prince, if anyone can tell what is happening, it’s him.” The tall man said.

“My Lordship,” a voice shouted across the hall, bringing the two men’s attention to it. “You are summoned in the court; the prince is here.”

The men’s eyes widened and in the blink of an eye, they were in front of tall double doors that creaked on opening. The castle was built with the architect of 1800s and everywhere looked like one has traveled back in time. They entered into a really massive room and at the end of it were ten chairs but they all were empty except one.

Edward sat on one of the chairs majestically like the king he is. In front of him were eight people and at the corners were an additional eight people. The new men walked into the room and the tall man joined the eight people standing in front of Edward while the other one joined the other people. “My Prince,” the tall man greeted with a bow, “it is good to see you again.”

Edward’s eyes scanned the nine High council chiefs and his gaze landed on the one that just greeted him, “where is Genevieve?”

The men and women looked at each other before the tall man answered, “my Prince, Lady Genevieve has been scarce since the blood moon night, however, I will send someone to go fetch her if the Prince wants to see her.”

“There is no need,” Edward replied and he took the goblet he was handed to by a bowing servant and brought it to his lips. The scent of a human wafted into his nostrils and he sighed and sipped the blood. “I understand you wanted to see me. I would have come earlier but I had somewhere to be and on my way home, I recalled my servant’s message about you lot paying me a visit.”

“Aye, my Prince,” the tall man said, “we did come to your palace because we witnessed a strange event last eve and wanted your wise opinion on it.”

“And what might that be, Malachi?” Edward asked.

Malachi sighed, “last eve, we were attacked by a group of rogues. They were about fifty in number. Although only our servants fought them and the fight lasted only but two minutes, we were worried. Ever since the treaty, the Nightwalkers and Night howlers has been at peace. Although they were personal fights here and there but night howlers have never showed up in front of our gates for a fight. The strangest of it all is the fact that they didn’t go to weaker councils but to ours, the High Council, it’s almost felt like they wanted to tell us something because I cannot understand. Even the High Howlers would think twice before showing up in front of our gates let to talk of the measly rogues.”

Edward’s midnight blue eyes flashed with interest as he sat up on the chair, “describe the rogues.”

“They were big and their eyes were white like they were lifeless and their mouths drooled. I have seen many rogues before but never like the ones of last eve and to top it all up, they bodies disappeared by morning.”