Call Of The Dark

When Lazarus traced back to the tent, he found Maeve talking to Naomi and Cain over wine and they were all laughing at something.

"Where did you go, Lazarus?" Maeve asked as she got up from the mattress. She had to put up the act of showing that the two of them were a couple. So she walked to stand beside him. Even though she hated it, she curled her arms around his and purred, "Did you go after Olya?"

Lazarus was genuinely surprised that she was standing with him with her arms over his. And somehow, he felt… repulsed. But he shoved the emotion down immediately. "No," he replied dryly.

Cain twisted his lips when he saw Maeve with Lazarus but as long as his ambition of getting Brinefall under his control, fulfilled, who was he? "Well, what do you have to say about Olya? Would you want to marry her? She will be a good wife."

Lazarus looked over his shoulder at Maeve and found her regarding him with suspicion as if he would not accept it. His lips curling up, he said, "If Maeve wants it, then I will accept your offer."

Naomi got up with excitement. "Oh this is wonderful!" she said, clasping her hands. "I can't believe that you have accepted Olya. She is a wonderful girl and trust me she would be a lovely wife." Then she looked at Maeve. "She will never ever come in your way Maeve. Olya is a very shy and meek girl."

Maeve laughed softly. "I know that and I like Olya very much." She hated all of them. She was just waiting for the ritual and then she would show them their power.

"Let me go and tell this to Olya!" Naomi said as she looked at Cain who was grinning. He winked at her and lifted his glass in a silent toast to their plans.

Gladys watched Naomi rushing out of the tent. She got up, gave a knowing look to Maeve. Maeve gave her a tight nod and then Gladys left.

Along with Lazarus, Maeve walked to the couch that was empty. He spread on it and Maeve settled right beside him. "I have a small proposition for you, Lazarus," she said. She had to threaten him again if she had to go ahead with her plans. But she had to threaten him in a subtle way. "It is going to be beneficial for both of us."

He closed his eyes, his thoughts still with Emma. She was intelligent and… interesting. The way her lips had swollen up after she cried like that of a baby—he felt like capturing them.

"I think I should go and be with Emma," Yul's voice snapped him out of his musings.

A low growl rumbled out of his chest. "She is fine," he said in a cold voice.

"I don't think so," Yul replied. "She rushed out crying and I am sure she needs someone to soothe her."

Fury built in his chest. "She doesn't—" But he was cut off by Maeve who placed her hand on his thigh.

"Let him go," she said. She wanted Yul to be out of this tent because she had to sow the seeds of discord between the three friends. By accepting Olya as Lazarus's bride, she had successfully created a rift between the brothers. Now it was Yul's turn. She continued, "Emma is not your business. And Yul can always take care of her in times of need." She looked at Yul and smiled. "You must be with her, Yul. You are a good friend. I am sure she needs a good friend at this time."

Yul's jaw clenched tightly. He didn't acknowledge Maeve and strode out of the tent in anger.

Maeve chuckled. "If Emma wasn't your mate, I am sure that Yul would have married her."

Lazarus wanted to trace to Yul and snap his neck. "That would have been better," he said finally. At least Emma would have not got into this mess.

His answer didn't bore well with Maeve. She narrowed her eyes on him and said, "It seems that you are falling in love with your prey, Lazarus."

He kept quiet, his emotions going all over. "What was your proposition?" He had to contain himself if he wanted the kingdom.

Maeve suggested, "How about we let Emma stay in Upper North Jupan along with Olya for a few days? You can always take a break from her. She is a source of constant tension to you and she is also very unhappy at Wilyra."

"Never!" Lazarus growled.

"But Lazarus, you need to focus on your endgame. And she is distracting you. You must talk to the sorcerer queen, Mabel. You haven't gone to the villages where the blood vassals live. With Emma staying here under the keen watch of Lord Cain, you can do all that. Besides, you have to prepare for the ritual." She gave him a wary look. "Or if you want to waste your time with her, then I think we should call it all off."

His breath became ragged when she said to call off the deal. He stabbed his fingers in his hair and clenched his teeth to stop them from chattering.

---

"Lazarus just… left me," Emma muttered. She was sitting with Olya in the hot spring that was in a cave behind the palace. A few guards were standing at the mouth of the cave to keep an eye on the two young girls.

He had left her three days before as if she was a brat who needed to be tamed and also taught a lesson while he had gone back to Wilyra saying that he had much to do and prepare for the ritual with a firm determination in his eyes that he would soon cast her soul out.

It was almost afternoon. The little rays of sun falling from the roof of the cave fell right over the center of the water and all the way to the opposite side. Emma was sitting with a wide lace tied across her breasts and panties while Olya was at the edge of the pool, her head resting on her hands that were crossed over the ground. She managed to stay in the shade and away from sun rays.

"I am so sorry for you, Emma," Olya said. She handed her the wine she was having. Emma gulped it all down. This was her third glass.

"What do I do?" Emma whined.

The two had become thick friends in the past three days. Olya couldn't run away with Magnus because of Emma. However, their plan was intact. Soon.

"Why are you brooding over him?" Olya said. "While you are here with me, let us enjoy ourselves. I am running away tomorrow!"

She nodded. "Yes, I have about ten days to live. I better enjoy it and get tanned." She drank another glass. She was going to get so tanned that this was the body that she would give to the goddess. Emma knew that the goddess loved to look whiter than usual. Thinking of her small revenge, she took the bottle of oil and rubbed it all over her body. Then she sprawled her body to get maximum sunrays. Moreover, Lazarus had asked her to eat and be curvy for him. She was going to do just the opposite. She was only eating fruits and drinking wine.