"-my head." Howin woke up groaning from pain, he used a lot of energy yesterday and his leg started to sting again.
He looked to the clock next to him and found it was almost midday.
He took another pill bitterly and decided to go check on Ellie.
"-where are you going?
-to check on Ellie and Ray." Pryor nodded at Howin and looked at him leaving the castle gates.
He arrived at Andrew's house just before sunset.
He knocked the door and the last person he expected or he wanted to meet. Ray.
He was kind of bad mood but when he saw Howin he smiled and invited him inside, Howin started to stutter and shook his head declining. He told the smiling boy that he came to check on Ellie and leave but Ray pulled him inside.
The injured girl was eating some fruit wearing a sleeveless shirt, once she saw the confused guy she waved at him and told him to come in.
"-thank you but what about Andrew…what if he didn't want me here?
-I don't want anyone of you here…but it's rude to kick guests." The witch turned to look at Ray and Ellie:"-and old friends."
"-I can't thank you enough for saving me. I owe you with my life.
-don't mention it, it's nothing actually." Howin was very uncomfortable with Ray's gaze fixed at him. Hopefully Andrew asked him:
"-how is your leg?
-I have to use it but thanks to your medicine it helped but still hurt, but it will heal. How is Ellie?
-thanks to Andrew, he said I can leave tomorrow but still I should be careful." The poor demon smiled awkwardly but his eyes widened and started to panic when Ray asked him:
"-did anything happened while we were away from the castle?
-no…I mean yes, the wedding is next week." They looked at each other and Ellie said:
"-we should leave then, we have no time left and we didn't have any way or new information about the culprit.
-you should rest and our enemy doesn't seem like an easy person to miss with." Howin said firmly and Andrew stood saying:
"-as what Ray told me yesterday he is a mind manipulator, a professional one. He can mess with your mind and erase your memory even that you found him. Take these everywhere you go…it will protect you." He handle them small red crystals that they put around their neck or inside their pockets.
"-I should go back to the castle, at least one of us should keep an eye there…I will wait for you tomorrow." Ellie felt sad that he is leaving early but she has nothing to do.
He reached back to the castle and was about to drift to his bed but he heard Kieran calling for him, more like a scream.
He had to hurry up but he was deadly tired, he had to stop in his way there to catch his breath and give his broken leg some rest.
He got in the room of the prince wiping sweat away, his eyes widened when he saw Kieran holding his head yelling from pain, his hair half black half white and his eyes glowing red.
"-Take it off!
-What?
-Take the DAMN RING OFF!
-No…you have to bear it, just for a while.
-you'd better take it or I will kill you.
-but…" he was hesitant at first but the look in his friend's eyes and the amount of pain he was going through made him listen to his request. He pulled his hands and pulled the ring out of hid finger.
Kieran closed his eyes and fell on the ground catching his breath, feeling relieved finally after the torture he have been through. Howin limped and sat next to him worried.
"-Kieran…Kieran…are you alright how do you feel?
-I was about to die…nothing much.
-I should have warn you?" the black haired boy said under his breath but the prince heard him and asked with anger:
"-so you knew about this and you didn't tell me?
-I wasn't sure that your father will speed up the transformation.
-he what?
-speed up the trans…
-I didn't say I am deaf." Howin rolled his eyes and glanced at the lying prince on the floor.
"-he called for that witch.
-how did you know? ...
He came back after talking with Mal and Kier, a
Group of guards was clearing the area around the king's aisle.
The limping boy decided to see what's happening, he saw a weird red lightning coming through the king's room and Pryor looking with a horrified face.
A woman was doing some weird sounds and uncomprehensive language, she took a blade out and made a deep cut on the kings finger where he was wearing the ring then wrapped with a cloth bumped in some weird substance then whispered something that the king's body started to tremble and ache.
After a while, everything stopped and the weird bloody rituals by that weird crazy woman ended, she was collecting her things while the commander was checking on the king.
"-will he be fine?
-a deep coma for the king with a peaceful death but the prince will have to handle a small amount of pain since it will be too much power for his body to take in a short period.
-anything else I should know.
-yes, he should never take the ring off or…
-he won't take it off, he promised with his life.
-I won't be sure…young kids can do anything to disappoint their parents." The woman said smirking in a mocking tone.
"-how much?
-double the amount.
-but…
-it takes more energy and effort for the spell." Pryor gave her a big box of gold that she took happily and put under her cloak. She bowed before leaving but the old man stopped her with his question:
"-why did you refuse to come at first then accept it?
-I had something important to do but then I realized that there is nothing important than serving our dear king.
-you'd better not be playing any games Ciara.
-I wouldn't dare commander." She bowed and left the castle, she locked gaze with Howin but he hid quickly feeling goose bumps and decided to leave before Pryor caught him.
"-so let me get this, you heard and saw everything, yet you decided now to shut your big mouth.
-excuse my limping and the short distance I have to cross to come to your highness every moment… I didn't know that it is going to turn out this way. She said a little bit of pain not a physical torture add to that why are you trying to stop it." Kieran didn't answer, he turned his face to the other side and Howin knew it was not a good sign.
"-what happened…wait let me rephrase my sentence…What did you do?
-Mal
-what did you do to the girl man?
-I messed up….