Chapter 205: On Full Moon
"Thank you for that, I feel slightly better now. Hope you feel better too?" Lilith asked, looking up at Viktor.
"Yes, I am," he replied with a smile. "We should begin now," he added, gesturing to the pot in his hands.
Lilith nodded in agreement as they made their way out of the castle. A few feet from the building wall, Viktor tilted the pot, allowing the liquid to slip onto the ground. As it touched the earth, a loud hissing sound rose from the spot, lasting only a couple of seconds before the liquid transformed into a white, salt like substance.
"That was unsettling," Viktor said with a light chuckle, continuing to pour the liquid as they moved around the castle, circling it completely until they returned to the spot where they started.
"I think that should be all. We should return to the library to meet the others," Lilith suggested.
"You’re right," Viktor replied.
They returned to the crypt to find Lucian slouched over a desk, flipping through a book, while Salistra stood by the window, staring out with a blank expression.
"We’re back," Viktor announced.
Lucian closed the book and looked up at them. Salistra’s gaze shifted in their direction.
"Are you done?" she asked.
"Yes, we are."
"Are you sure it was done properly? No space left untouched?" she questioned further.
Viktor narrowed his eyes slightly at her. "Yes. We made sure of it."
"Good." She walked up to where they stood. "You must place guards to watch over the circle. Make sure the guards are men you trust, men of strong heart. The demon in the prince is a very powerful one. Deception and manipulation are part of its nature. We must ensure the guards are not men who are easily swayed or influenced."
Lilith frowned. "I don’t understand. What exactly do you mean by that?"
"I just explained. What do you mean you don’t understand?" Salistra replied, staring at her with flat eyes.
"I don’t understand either," Viktor added. "We’re not experts on demons, so you need to explain it in simpler terms so we can fully grasp it."
Salistra sighed audibly. "I meant you should choose strong hearted guards to watch over the circle because the demon in Hades is highly deceptive and manipulative. If it manages to break into the mind of anyone within the castle especially the guards then it will be over for us."
"The demon can’t cross the circle, but if anyone disrupts even a part of it, the spell will break, giving it access into the castle. Since we’re not yet prepared to face it, everyone here is doomed if that happens."
The trio exchanged uneasy glances in silence.
"Do you understand what I just said?" Salistra asked, looking between Lilith and Viktor.
"Yes," they replied in unison.
"Lucian and I will start working on selecting the guards to watch over the circle. What’s the next step now?" Viktor added.
"Only Lilith will be needed from this point forward," Salistra said. "We need to perfect a spell that can fracture the connection between the prince and the demon. Once that’s done, she’ll have to reach the part of the prince that remains and convince him to take control of his body."
"If it’s that easy, why hasn’t Hades done it himself?" Lucian asked cautiously.
"It’s far from easy. The demon has suppressed the prince’s will taunting him with images and words of his failures and weaknesses. This keeps Hades sinking deeper into the darkness surrounding him. The demon is destroying his mind and soul bit by bit. If it succeeds, there’ll be nothing left of the prince, he will lose himself and by then, there will be no saving him."
"The spell Lilith will cast is meant to sever the demon’s hold, giving Hades a chance to fight back. If she can pull him out of the darkness, he might be able to overpower the demon’s control. But even then, it’s only temporary."
"But, we just need him to regain control, long enough for Lilith to break the curse. Once the curse is broken, the demon will be locked out forever, and the prince will finally be free."
"How long do we have?" Lilith asked.
"A few more days. We must carry this out on the full moon," the witch replied.
Lilith swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart raced with fear, nervousness, and determination. She had given her word to do whatever it took to save Hades and the people of Valyron and she intended to keep it. "Then we must begin as soon as possible."
"Yes, we shall. I need an hour to make the important preparations. You should rest until then, you will be needing your strength for the spell." Salistra advised.
"Very well. Thank you," Lilith smiled, and the witch returned it with a nod.
"I’ll walk you to your chambers," Viktor offered.
They excused themselves from the crypt and made their way back through the quiet hallway. When they reached her door, they stopped.
"You should rest. I’ll have the maids bring lunch to you," Viktor said.
She smiled softly. "Thank you. You should eat and rest too."
"I will," he replied, watching her step into the room and close the door behind her.
He let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair as his gaze shifted to the door across the hall, to Charlotte’s room.
Viktor drew in another deep breath before knocking gently. At first, there was no answer. Just as he prepared to knock again, the door creaked open. Charlotte stood before him with a small, tired smile. Beads of sweat covering her forehead and neck, with strands of her hair sticking to her face.
"Viktor," she whispered.
He clenched his jaw slightly. "Good afternoon, Lucy."
The rapid rise and fall of her chest caught his attention, and he had to force himself not to let his eyes drop. "Are you alright?" he asked instead, focusing on her disrupt look.
"Come in," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
He entered, closing the door behind him. "Are you sure you’re alright, Lucy?" he asked, brow furrowed in concern.
She hesitated, then turned to face him. "Yes... no, actually. I had a horrible dream. It was terrifying," she said, her voice cracking as her eyes filled with tears. "I’m scared, Viktor. I... I think I might die soon."
Viktor stepped toward her without hesitation. "Don’t say that, Lucy. You’re not going to die. None of us are. We’re going to make it through all of this, alive and well. Everything will be alright, I promise."
Charlotte let out a shaky breath. "Are you certain?"
He gently placed his fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. "I promise, Lucy. Everything will be alright. You will be alright. I won’t let anything happen to you."
His breath was warm against her face, and for a moment her heart fluttered. Her eyes flickered between his lips and his eyes, and an overwhelming urge to close the space between them stirred inside her. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly blinked the thoughts away.
Not knowing what else to do, Charlotte stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. Her sudden action caught him off guard. He stiffened momentarily, then melted into her warmth, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.