CHAPTER 228: CHAPTER 228 THE WITCHES’ REALM (4)

His voice was quiet, almost lost in the wind. "Sometimes I wonder if the past is still choking me. If it’ll always be too late, no matter what I do."

I looked at him, and for a second, he didn’t look like the cold, unreadable man who’d saved me in battle. He just looked... tired.

"If you keep trying," I said softly, "maybe it won’t be too late."

His gaze met mine. There was something sharp in his expression, something vulnerable that he was trying so hard to hide... but I saw it anyway.

Before either of us could say another word, faint music drifted in from the distance. Soft drums, and laughter followed the gentle hum of voices rising in celebration.

"We should go," I said. "Let’s go have fun... and forget about our worries."

He nodded and stood to his feet, walking in the direction of the celebration. I followed, brushing my hands against my skirt.

As we walked back toward the festival street, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he looked at me. Like he knew something I didn’t. Like he was asking for forgiveness without saying the words.

’Maybe it is because I look like Ember.’ I made a mental note not to get too attached to him.

We walked out of the alley, blending into the crowd. "What do you want to see?" I raise my voice because of the noise.

"Anything that is fun." He strode beside me, yet his eyes were scanning the crowd for any threat.

"I wonder where the others went." I looked around the crowd, but there was no sign of Alaric, Mr. Four Eyes, or even Rhydian.

"I’m sure they are fine." He said casually, placing his hands behind his back.

"Check your destiny over here. Find out the mystery of your life..." A voice came from our left.

I turned to look for the owner of the voice, I grabbed Damon’s hand and pulled him along before he could protest.

"Where are we going?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Since I was little, I always wanted to check my destiny. Come let’s check ours..."

Damon stopped abruptly, pulling me back. My back collided against his chest, and a gasp escaped my lips.

My eyes widened in shock, and I pulled myself away as if his body was a scorching fire. I didn’t miss the glint that flickered through his eyes.

"W... What happened?" My heart hammered in my chest.

"Why do we have to let a witch read our fate... what if they found out about our identities?" His voice lowered into a whisper.

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "Are you sure they can find out our identities just by reading our fate?"

"Of course. Come, you don’t need to do that, let’s try something else." He pulled me away.

We blended into the crowd, and we stopped behind a huge crowd, who were watching a group of witches dancing.

"Do you want to watch?" Damon lowered his head asking.

I nodded mindlessly, watching how they moved their body in a fluid movement.

Their skin was half exposed, and their red and black dress was a sharp contrast to their skin. The skirt was slitted at both sides, up to their thighs, revealing their milky skin.

Their faces were half-covered by red veils. Their eyes were confident and seductive.

My eyes met the leader’s, her green eyes were mesmerizing, almost like I was being pulled into a trance.

I broke contact with her when I felt a hand around my waist. I looked down, only to find that the hand belonged to Damon.

I turned to him, my body tensed up. "Why are you holding my waist?"

"So, I don’t lose you." He muttered nonchalantly.

I wanted to argue but decided not to. While I watched the dance, I felt his burning gaze on me. He didn’t look away from me, even for a second.

....

(Third POV)

Alaric and Theo strolled through the festival, checking out the stores.

Alaric sighed, staring at the crowd.

"What are you sighing?" Theo asked, arching a brow. He wondered if it was the playful Alaric talking or the serious one.

"I just realized it has been a long time since I had fun..." He wriggled his brows at Theo.

"What?" Theo pushed back his glasses, mentally preparing himself for whatever trouble he was cooking.

"Do you want to get laid with a witch... I heard they are good in bed." A playful smirk tugged his lips.

Theo glared at him so hard that his eyes were hurting. "Witches of all races? Did you forget what they did to our kind? Because we are here doesn’t erase that fact." He pushed his glasses aggressively. "If I were you I would kill that thought."

Alaric rolled his eyes, "Couldn’t you tell I was joking?"

Theo folded his hand across his chest. "Knowing how notorious you are when it comes to women, I doubt you would care about the race." He sneered.

"Come on, you know I have principles. I don’t just shove my golden gun anywhere. Remember it’s golden." Alaric winked at him.

Theo cleared his throat. "Once we get back home, we will see whose gun works the best."

"Is that a challenge?" Alaric arched his brows at him.

"All night long," Theo added with a smug smile.

Alaric returned the smile. "Fuck. I can even imagine it right now." He muttered in a hoarse voice. "Do you think you can win against me, I’m older than you."

"Exactly, you are already rusty."

Alaric opened his mouth in shock. "Haven’t you heard that old wine tastes better?"

"The future will tell," Theo replied nonchalantly.

As they continued bantering, Alaric suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His heart skipped as the scent of chocolate and mints invaded his nostrils. It was so familiar and addictive. ’Impossible.’

He turned around, following the scent, his eyes flickered to gold before returning to their normal shade of green.