"What do you mean by chosen one? And out of all the people in the world—me? I can't do this!" she cried out defiantly.
Amiee sighed, the weight of time pressing down on her chest. "Please, Seraph. You know the pain of losing a mother—I know you do. And I can't lose mine. Help me... help me save her."
Tears brimmed in her eyes.
Seraph didn't want her to cry—nor did she want her to lose her mother. But this… this was too much to take in.
The chosen one? Her? It wasn't possible. She found it hard to breathe.
"I need some fresh air, please," she whispered and walked out of the house.
Amiee reached out, trying to stop her, but caught nothing but air. Sebastian walked to Amiee and threw his arms around her, rubbing her gently by the sides. "It's okay. I'll talk to her," he assured, then followed Seraph outside.
He caught her wrist, stopping her from walking off. "You can't run away, Seraph. This is your responsibility."
Responsibility? Her eyes narrowed.
How was it her responsibility? She didn't ask for this. She didn't want to save anyone. All she'd ever wanted was to live freely—to be normal. Maybe meet someone, settle down, have kids, grow old, and die peacefully. That was it. Simple.
"I can't remember when it became my responsibility to save demons..." she scoffed.
Before she could pull away, he tugged her along. "Come with me," he ordered.
They walked back into the town. He led her to what seemed like the village's health center. He lifted the tent's entrance flap, and they both stepped in.
The place was packed with children of different ages along with their parents—all of them suffering, their demon blood cursing them slowly from within.
Seraph's heart softened when her eyes landed on a little boy clinging to his mother for warmth, tears streaming down his face. Her heart ached.
Sebastian said nothing. He didn't need to. The sight alone was enough to shatter even the coldest of hearts. Some of the children had already lost one or both parents. Others were barely surviving the curse themselves. His throat tightened, and he fought back a sob—but one escaped, quiet and raw.
Seraph exhaled, turning to him. "Is there any other way?"
He shook his head solemnly.
There was no other way. She wanted badly to be selfish, to walk away and live a peaceful life away from demons, witches, and curses. But then… she looked at the boy again. The same way she once clung to her mother—sick, crying, terrified.
She couldn't turn her back.
Determined, she faced him. "I'll do it."
He flashed her a warm, grateful smile and pulled her into a gentle hug. His eyes fluttered shut as silent tears soaked into her shoulder. "Thank you," he rasped.
These people meant everything to him—they were his. He couldn't bear to watch them suffer.
Seraph was taken aback by the sudden embrace. She hesitated, then slowly wrapped her arms around him, patting his back awkwardly.
They stayed that way for a while, until Seraph shifted, breaking the hug. Sebastian rubbed the back of his head, suddenly self-conscious. He was a leader. He shouldn't be this vulnerable. She probably thought he was weak now—and the idea bruised his pride.
"Sorry…" he mumbled. Apologizing? That wasn't like him.
"No worries," she replied curtly.
"And also, I didn't cry, okay? Water just slipped from my eyes…" he added quickly, just in case she had any thoughts.
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
She walked out of the tent before she could start her own sob-fest. She didn't want to cry in front of him. Him acting all soft and nice didn't change the fact that he was still a jerk.
They reached the hut, with Sebastian trailing behind. He had stopped to speak with a few of the healers, which explained the delay.
When they entered the cottage, Amiee looked up—her eyes glimmering when she saw Seraph. She'd feared she had run away.
"I'll do it," Seraph repeated.
Amiee threw herself into Seraph's arms, embracing her tightly.
What was with these siblings and physical contact? Seraph hated it. She wasn't a big fan of hugs, but she stilled herself, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"Thank you so much," Amiee whispered, her relief audible in her voice.
"So what should I do?" Seraph asked, her tone serious.
The atmosphere thickened with tension as Amiee wiped her tears. "The last place a vampire was spotted was the royal palace in Nevaline—and that was over 200 years ago," she explained.
Seraph listened intently. Sebastian's eyes were fixed on her. His lips pressed together, wanting to say thank you, but the words wouldn't come. They had already lost their father. He knew the kind of pain Amiee would feel if they lost their mother too. He was relieved Seraph had agreed—at least now, he didn't have to use force.
"But rumors have it that Alaric has returned in human form—and he lives in the palace as a prince. But… we don't know which one," Amiee said.
"So what do we have to do?" Seraph asked.
"You and Sebastian have to leave for Nevaline tonight. The king is throwing a ball, and you'll have to get one of the princes' attention."
Seraph raised a brow. "So I have to seduce a prince? No way. I'm not doing that."
Amiee facepalmed. "You don't have to seduce him."
"You just need to grab his attention—that's all. So he'll let you stay at the palace long enough to find out who Alaric is," she clarified.
Seraph still looked unconvinced. "Don't you think getting his attention will make him fall in love with me?"
"Is that… a bad thing?"
"Not necessarily," she said, crossing her arms. "But I'm not ready for that kind of commitment."
Amiee's expression softened. "Please. You don't have to love him back. Just use him to get into the palace, that's all. The lives of so many depend on this."
Seraph sighed.
Technically, she wanted a better life. And being a princess didn't sound terrible. Maybe this was the price she had to pay.
"Fine. I'll do it. But can I get some food?" she grumbled, rubbing her stomach.
Amiee snapped her gaze to Sebastian. "Get her some food."
Sebastian scoffed loudly. "Don't you know where the kitchen is? Why don't you serve her some food?"
Amiee opened her mouth to scold him but stopped herself. With an exhausted sigh, she turned and walked toward the kitchen.