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VAMPIRE KING APOLLYON

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"My sentinels had caught someone, King Apollyon." After glancing from left to right, Prince Aspen leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

Apollyon's hackles also rose as he peered around their surroundings in secret.

They shouldn't rule out the chance about the criminal spies in that celebration.

Lips pressed together, Apollyon paused before he whispered back. "We should head out of the Spring Hall."

Fortunately, the faerie guests during the celebration were indulging in too much food and wine at that point.

The King and the Queen of the Spring Courts had also loosened up so Prince Aspen, the High Priest, and Apollyon, who had carried Luna in his arms, had sneaked out of the celebration successfully, meeting with Cederic and his soldiers on the other side of the portcullis so that all of them could head to Prince Aspen's Manor.

On their way to Prince Aspen's residence, Apollyon had let his cousin ride with him on his air coach with the High Priest Fei and his sleeping Empress.

Prince Aspen's guards had guided Cederic and his Envoy towards the Lilac Manor on horseback.

As he felt heat creeping into his skull, he tapped his fingers on the side of his carriage to release his pent-up aggression.

Nostrils flaring, Apollyon wondered why his cousin didn't allow him to meet their captive right away, insisting that they settle at the Lilac Manor first before they tortured the captive for his knowledge of the killings.

Apollyon didn't even know the full story on why the captive had been caught.

He just wanted to spill some blood on the ground, finding someone to blame for Luna's disappearance, and take responsibility for his grief if someone would mention summoning an Archdemon.

When he finally had a few minutes of silence to cool his head, his tensed muscles relaxed, not realizing that he had been stiff the whole time since the Spring Celebration.

At that moment, even if he didn't care about whether the captive lived or die in his hands, Apollyon had also discerned that it was bad to kill just about anyone just because he couldn't handle his anger and misery clawing at his heart.

When his thoughts stray to these negative emotions, Apollyon found it hard to breathe.

He just desired to escape from himself because he had constantly blamed himself.

Apollyon couldn't handle the pain and the shame that he could do nothing to save his wife.

He had never felt so powerless in his life especially if Luna was concerned.

Even if he killed the captive with his excruciating torture, his death would do nothing.

It didn't make his grief disappear nor would it return Luna to him in the vampire Realm.

He exhaled heavily, a little bit glad that Prince Aspen had sensed he was in the mood of an executioner.

It would be a waste if he would go with Prince Aspen to interrogate the captive, asking him three questions about Luna and he 'accidentally' killed the prisoner.

This must be the reason why he had insisted that Apollyon and his Envoy should settle in each of their rooms comfortably before they go to the prison cell.

Prince Aspen had also told him of his plan to meet Lady Clarence first, saying Apollyon had no choice but to comply since he was a mere guest of his.

"Whatever, you say, cousin." Apollyon shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Luna's shoulders, resting her head at the crook of her neck.

Sniffing the crown of her hair, he landed a loving kiss on her forehead as he murmured, "Just admit that you miss your fiancé."

"Shut up." Prince Aspen muttered as he flipped his long auburn hair, "I just want to inform the lady that I wouldn't be staying at the Lilac Manor tonight and that you and me, the High Priest, and your military general have something important to do."

"Hmm. That's pretty specific." Apollyon stroke his chin in contemplation. "You don't want her to get the wrong idea."

"I need to be both specific and vague as much as possible." Prince Aspen reasoned out. "I haven't told her about the killings of the unicorns because if she found out, Lady Clarence will insist to come with us. She's a human who need not know of Fae-related matters."

"Do you sleep together with Lady Clarence?"

"No!"

Apollyon smirked at his outburst.

Clearing his throat, Prince Aspen continued, "I wouldn't sleep with the human, King Apollyon. Over my dead body. She was just here at the Faerie Realm to fulfill a role.

"My parents considered Humankind as the weakest race so I would not mate with the human lady and risk having a child who is Half-Fae." Grimacing, Prince Aspen shook his head, "I don't want my child to not carry superior genes. I would be more than a disgrace to the family."

"I thought that was your goal—to be a family disgrace." Raising an eyebrow, he said sarcastically. "You should have stepped it up a notch and you will be victorious."

"No. I had no intention to reach that point and I don't want to find out." Prince Aspen regarded him with a cold gaze. "I don't want to be the second prince banished from the Spring Courts."

Apollyon chuckled. "Coward."

"Call me whatever you like." His cousin shrugged. 'I'm planning to keep Lady Clarence around as my fiancé to scare my parents from any lady they might throw in my path for an arranged marriage."

"I would like to be live as a handsome rake, for now, thank you very much." Straightening his shoulders, Prince Aspen brushed his fingertips on the fox fur blankets he had for Luna. "I don't want more responsibility in my hands and I would like to sample more beautiful women in the next century."

"Ah yes." Apollyon nodded in agreement.

"It would be a bad idea to mate with a human especially if you are blood bonded with her." Lifting a hand, Apollyon showed off his claws in his cousin's face. "One scratch of my claws and they dropped dead."