After returning to the palace from our journey to the other dimension, Damon disappeared, leaving me to wonder about his whereabouts. I decided to pass the time by reading, but to my dismay, I couldn't find any books. Frowning, Sebastian chuckled as he ate an apple and remarked, "Wait! Why can a ghost hold an apple?"
"You should have asked why ghosts eat food, silly," I replied.
"That's right. Isn't it supposed to pass through you? And by the way, don't call me silly; only Damon can call me that," I said, folding my arms.
"I have no idea, milady, and I apologize for that. I had no idea," Sebastian replied. He jumped from the shelf and approached me, holding a black book. "Here you go. I found this in the forest. Curious about what it does, I picked it." He placed the book in my hands, and I examined it closely. The only thing written on it was "Book of Names." "What kind of book is this?"
"I don't know. I tried opening it, but it didn't budge," Sebastian encouraged me, saying, "Try to open it, milady. Maybe it will open."
"Okay," I said, attempting to open the book, but it remained closed. Using my force, I scowled and said, "Why won't it open? I guess I should show it to Damon first. He might have an idea on how to open it."
Sebastian changed the subject and asked, "That lover of yours still freaks me out. I mean, who exactly is he?"
I looked at him, noticing his confusion and folded hands, and replied, "He's a demon." Moving to the only chair in the library, I sat down and continued, "I still don't know what powers demons possess. That's why I'm looking for a demon book."
Sebastian couldn't help but tease, "I guess he was right in calling you silly because you are indeed silly and kind of nosy if you ask me."
Raising my eyebrow, I retorted, "Excuse me? Not only did you call me silly, but you also said I'm being nosy. I'm only curious, that's it."
Sebastian changed the topic to demons and wizards and asked, "If these two creatures were to fight, who do you think would win?"
"Demons?" I replied hesitantly.
"Why is that, milady?" he inquired.
"I don't know, it just sounds stronger... I guess," I admitted, though the answer sounded absurd to me.
Sebastian chuckled and explained, "Milady, demons are from Lucifer himself; he made them stronger. Demons have all the powers a wizard thinks he has. Demons just need to think about it, and it happens, whereas wizards have to recite all those ancient spells, keeping them in scrolls and other things. That means Damon is strong, stronger than those vampires combined."
"Really?" I questioned his happiness, to which he replied, "Of course." He added with a grin, "Milady has such a strong lover; it's something to rejoice over."
I protested, "Shut up!" feeling embarrassed. "I don't need someone strong to take care of me. I can do that myself."
Sebastian pointed out, "You do, milady, but if you haven't noticed, you are weak."
Sarcastically, I responded, "Oh my, I never noticed. What should I do? Clap for you?"
"Very funny, milady," he said with a smile. "What you should do is think of a way to open that book. I think it will be of great importance to you. You never can tell what the future holds."
I asked, "Really?" and Sebastian nodded, explaining, "Don't take this the wrong way, but Damon might not always be able to save you. You need something to protect yourself from danger. If this war escalates and Damon isn't made king before then, things might not be favorable, and Alex might get you."
I inquired, "Why won't they make Damon king? No one is as strong as him."
Sebastian shared, "Rumor has it that Lord Norman of the sea can defeat him, but I kind of doubt that."
"Who is he?" I asked.
Sebastian described Lord Norman's impressive feats, saying, "He has conquered six countries on his own, not as a king but as a warrior, with his five loyal men against ten thousand other tribes."
I conceded, "Well, I guess he might be strong."
Sebastian clarified, "Not just strong, milady. He is powerful. I have seen him fight, and he fights like the devil. In a minute, a hundred men are down, dead."
I asked, "Who do you think would win if both of them were to fight?"
Sebastian admitted, "I haven't seen Damon fight yet, so I have no idea who would win. But I just have this feeling that Damon would win. Lord Norman is on his way here for the duel."
"Duel?" I questioned, surprised.
Sebastian explained, "A duel has been set between Damon and Norman. Whoever wins will become king."
I was curious about how Sebastian knew all of this, and he replied, "Well, people can't see me, so I might as well try to gather some information for you."
I thanked him and jokingly called him my "loyal ghost friend." He responded with sarcasm, and I chuckled. As he left, I sat in silence, pondering the upcoming duel and Damon's strength.
Suddenly, I realized it was already sunset, and I had dinner plans with Damon on his balcony. Cursing the time wasted with Sebastian, I hurried out of the library but accidentally collided with a man with long red hair, Lord Norman.
Apologizing, I said, "Oh my god, I'm sorry." However, he was unimpressed and warned me about watching where I was going. An argument ensued, but I stood my ground. Lord Norman's grip on my arm prevented me from leaving, and I found myself in a difficult situation.
"You have to watch where you're going, young lady," he growled, exuding an aura of danger, the frown still etched on his face.
"I already said I was sorry. Why make a big deal out of it?" I growled back, watching him move closer. I didn't flinch or step back; he couldn't go around acting bossy and powerful here.
"So, you dare to talk back to me?"
"I do," I shot back. "What are you going to do about it, big guy?" Sebastian's words echoed in my mind, "You're weak." I hoped my defiance wouldn't provoke this formidable man.
"A human talking back to me?"
"Lord Norman, calm down," one of his men murmured from behind. "She must be one of the silly ones."
"I am not silly," I defended, fully aware that I was confronting Lord Norman, the immensely strong warrior. "Now, if you'll excuse me," I attempted to walk past him, but his grip on my arm stopped me.
"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet."
Oh no, this could turn out very badly.