Chapter 34

**Randall POV**

I stood there watching after her as she stormed out of the room.
Reynard was still standing, fuming as he tried to call after Nerissa but to no avail and I couldn’t help the little pleasure it gave me that she ignored his attempts.
“That girl is a nuisance!” I heard Hilda voicing out, making me roll my eyes at her while Reynard growled in warning, saying to her, “Be careful how you speak of her witch.”
Hilda looked at him with eyes blazing in warning as she sweetly asked him, “Or what? Be careful of your words, mutt after all you need me for the ritual.”
Silently I watched them bicker with each other, making me shake my head at them as I slowly started to walk towards the door.
Opening the door, Hilda stood up from her seat and called after me, saying, “Where are you going?”
Feeling annoyed by her clinginess, I slowly turned around to look at her, saying, “None of your business.”
As she was about to protest, I turned around and walked outside the room.
I saw Thodrin, one of my warriors, standing close by so I decided to call him over, “Thodrin!”
He turned towards me, walking slowly, bowing down his head the moment he reached closer, “Yes, Your Highness?”
I looked around us, making sure no one was near us before I said, “Call for Thomas and Jeffrey immediately and tell them to meet me in the lobby.”
“As you command, Your Highness,” Thodrin said as he rushed to do what I instructed him to do while I slowly walked towards the lobby.
Reaching the lobby, I stood near the window next to the front door, looking outside the garden and its beauty showing under the beautiful rays of the sun.
“Your Highness.” I heard Thodrin call for me, making me turn my head in his direction, to see he was there with two of my other warriors I have called for.
“I brought to you as you requested, Thomas and Jeffrey.” He said, pointing towards two of the males.
“Thank you, you may leave us now,” I said to him, making him bow to me as he walked away, leaving me alone with the other two.
I took in my two best warriors as they stood there silently waiting for me to speak.
“I called for you both because I have a task for you to follow,” I said, making them stand straight as they nodded their heads, silently waiting for me to continue.
“You two will follow and guard, Nerissa, our outer world guest of honor, and show her around our town. If any danger occurs, I expect of you both to protect her with your lives, but if you fail…” taking a step towards them, seeing them swallow as they saw the seriousness and clear warning in my eyes, I continued, “If you are to fail in this task, be sure I will be your worst nightmare as you will both wish you died.”
They both answered in unison, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Hearing their answer, I smirked as I said, “Take her outside and show her around. If she wishes to go to the carnival, let her, but you are not to leave your sight off of her. If one hair falls off of her head, I’ll have your heads on a stick.”
Nodding their heads, they agreed to my order, so I slowly walked away, entering the living room that was near the front door.
The next thing I heard was a rushing of feet as I turned towards the sound and saw Nerissa running outside the door.
Taking in a deep breath, I walked to the liquor cabinet and grabbed myself some whiskey, pouring it in a glass as I walked up the stairs, entering my room.
Drinking slowly as my mind was a jumbled mess, I found myself walking towards the balcony that was connected to my room, reaching near the railing as I saw them walking towards the main gates.
My eyes lingered over her as I watched her slowly walk away until she stopped by the gates and slowly, as like she could sense I was out here, watching silently over her. She turned around and her eyes connected with mine.
I felt frozen, captivated by the sight of a shining sun falling down upon her astonishing, beautiful features.
My mind went blank as all I could do was silently watch over her, thinking to myself soon the Red Moon will appear and it all will be over.
Feeling a presence behind me, slowly approaching, I felt an arm press down onto my shoulder as Hilda leaned forward and whispered into my ear, saying, “It is here. Come with me.”
I saw Nerissa following every movement Hilda made, showing an emotion I couldn’t clearly see from here as her eyes narrowed down into slits, making me smirk at her.
Gulping down my drink, I pushed away from the railing, turning around as I followed after Hilda inside my room.
She led me outside as I followed after her in a grumpy mood.
Hilda noticed my sorrowful mood, saying, “O cheer up Randall. If someone didn’t know you well, they would think you like the girl, if not even more.”
Stumbling at my feet as I heard her words, my eyes grew for a moment as I heard teasing words, making me frozen for a second like a lightning had stroked me in place making me realize something I was not wishing for.
I walked side by side next to Hilda, turning my head to look at her as I saw her already watching me, smirking. I said, “Are you jealous, Hilda?”
She snorted as she said, “Why would I ever be jealous of a brat like her?”
Internally I rolled my eyes as it was obvious she envied Nerissa, still smirking I said, “Maybe because she is beautiful and also a blessed Phoenix?”
“Nonsense!” Hilda replied as she hurried up her steps, making me chuckle after her.
We walked further ahead in silence, leaving the mansion behind us as we followed the white gravel path, the same one that Nerissa walked not long ago.
‘Fuck…’ I said to myself as I caught myself, starting to think about her even though I didn’t want to.
My eyes involuntarily went to the road that led to the town center as I forced myself to tear my eyes from there, I slowly followed after Hilda as we went the other way, towards the forest.
Entering into the dark woods, we passed through the thick bushes and low branches of the trees; we reached the stream as Hilda moved aside ivy that grew over the rock, keeping the entrance hidden from curious looks that might come this way.
The entrance was dark and moist as the walls were forming a narrow passage that leads us to slowly walk straight ahead.
Reaching the end of the passage, I heard Hilda snap her fingers and in the next second, torches that were hanging on the stone wall lightened up with fire burning on their tips.
My eyes scanned the large room before me as I could see a stone-like table in the center with various items displayed on top of it.
On the other end were bookshelves carved out from the stone itself with books and items placed on the shelves, with chairs facing a large desk filled with papers.
The fire started burning in the pit under the cauldron as some substance inside of it started producing bubbles on the black and green surface of it.
I stood near the cauldron when Hilda happily called my name, gaining my attention as I looked towards her, seeing her smiling face as her eyes gleamed with excitement and joy.
“Here it is!” she said to me, happily walking towards me with an item in her hands.
I looked closer at what she was showing to me, and I saw it was a book.
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards her as she led me to the stone desk, placing the black book down on its surface.
Her hand gently caressed the cover of the book, making me realize that it wasn’t just any book, no, this one looked different. The swirls around its covers were made of gold, decorating the black leather covers that had the same gold letters written on the front making me squint my eyes as I tried to read them, trying to understand what was written but failing miserably in my attempt.
My eyes widened as I realized what this must be. Looking at Hilda I asked, “Is this…”
Before I could fully finish my sentence, she giggled at me, nodding her head in excitement as she said, “Yes!”
A smile formed on my lips as it was finally here and right on time, I reached out my hand and touched the golden letters, following the patterns with my finger as I slowly spelled the letters out until they formed the word, “In Libro Vetiti.”
I looked over at Hilda and asked her, “What does it say?”
She smiled as she took the book and said, “The forbidden book.”
“Are you sure the ritual is written down in this book?” I asked her, making her narrow her eyes at me as she said, “Yes! Don’t doubt me nor the powers of this magic.”
“Fine. As long as it works I don’t care, I just want what the prophecy states, the power and strength.” I said, picking up some herbs that were on the table.
Hilda opened the book and read through a few pages until she happily exclaimed and said, “Here it is. Look.” Pointing at the page she said to me as I looked down to see words I couldn’t translate as she continued, “This is the Red Moon’s ritual spell. Everything is described in it, the process from beginning till the end.”
“We will start the ritual as it is planned only you will be the one to drink up the potion and not Reynard. He will believe the ritual will be for him and her but no…” Hilda said darkly, shaking her head.
“Why can’t I just kill him, would be less annoying than having him around acting like he is all-mighty or something.” Grumbling, I said, making her touch my cheek, caressing it gently as she pressed herself closer to my body, saying, “Because we need him. The ritual needs a sacrifice, two of them, and he will be one of the two.”
Grumbling under my breath, she grabbed my chin and made me look down into her eyes, I heard her say in a seductive voice, “You have two more days of freedom before the Red Moon appears.”