His Mate

Chapter fifty five

Aliyah stared at her as she remembered what Edward said last night. 'Irene would not always be there to help and I will hate to depend on someone to save you,' She sighed and licked her lips, understanding that the woman was not a threat. Her hand returned back to normal as she looked around, walking to stand in front of the woman who has not taken her eyes off of her again. "How long have you known Edward?"

"Wow, that is the first thing you had to ask?" Irene rolled her eyes. "Well, that is a pretty long time," she said and chuckled when she saw the girl's gaze on her. "Don't worry, my days of crushing on him are over," she smiled, "over seven hundred years is enough time to get over a crush."

"Seven hundred what?"

Irene laughed softly and dropped a dead toad inside the big bowl in front of her and Aliyah tried not to look disgusted. "Yes, it's pretty long isn't it? Well, I have known The Prince for nine hundred and two years to be exact. He found me when I was fifteen and sadly, he never stopped seeing me as a child since then even if I am nine hundred and seventeen years now," she shrugged.

"That's impossible, do witches live that long?"

"Only the pure blood but even if they are pure blood, to live as long as I have, they would be quite old and cranky but definitely not like the drawings you see in your school books," she winked. "My youthfulness has something to do with Edward though."

"How so?"

"When he found me, I was running away from my coven. I have the power that every witch would love to have. I can see vision and they are always accurate," she looked at the girl, "they may happen in a few weeks to come, a few days to come or even in the next minute, but it must surely happen. Rumor had it then that if they can cut out my heart and eat, they can have the powers themselves. And so, the leaders of my coven teamed up and sent their best after me. But like I said, I have vision and so I saw it as I slept at night and ran away that night. Unfortunately, I ran into some bandits that night and my powers haven't really grown, even my vision wasn't that clear then and it was a hard time fighting them off. They pursued me and because of them, the witches caught up and just when I thought it was the end for me, a man came flying through the sky," she closed her eyes with a soft smile, "and he fought them mercilessly."

Aliyah smiled at that, she knows that feeling. He always appears like a guardian angel when she needs him the most.

"His eyes were red and his fangs elongated and sharp. His claws were like blades and even though the witches used their best spells, he still killed them and he turned to me. It was vision I never had, someone saving me but he did and he was the very creature my coven has thought me to hate, calling him and his kinds an abomination. Oh but he took me with him. Despite being so tasty, he didn't let his fangs graze my skin and he brought me to his palace."

"You have been to his palace?"

"Oh, I lived there for ninety years," she nodded. "So back to my story, the Prince healed me with the blood he was lacking, he was so thirsty but he cut himself and applied his blood on my wounds, giving me the quickest healing I have ever seen, however, it changed me. I may not be a nightwalker but it transferred its immortality to me," she shrugged. "There are some witches though, way older than I am and still very young. They are the strong ones and they uses their power to keep their body young and with a special ingredient," she smiled and tossed the heart of an animal inside her bowl, "heart of a young human virgin."

"What? Wait, that's not what you just..." Aliyah said, pointing at her bowl.

"Oh no," she chuckled, "it's the heart of a rabbit. I offered Edward the blood the day he came to see me and I told him about your fight which is just two days ago," she laughed and got a big spoon and started stirring her mixture.

"Why...why did you leave his palace?"

"To attain my full potential, I need to go into seclusion. Edward understood and he helped me build this hut. He compelled some human men and provided the materials. If you think of it, he is like a father to me so it was wrong to have a crush on him. But tell that to a fifteen year old," she chuckled. "The day I left his house was among the things I regretted doing because shortly after, he got terribly wounded and went into slumber."

Aliyah nodded, remembering the discussion she had with Edward. "He didn't wake up until after eight hundred years."

"Exactly," she sighed. "I kept on blaming myself, saying that I would have stopped him, I would have told him to feed before going into the fight but I wasn't there and by the time I saw the vision, it was already happening. I calmed though, when I got a vision that he would wake up and so I just waited for him. Imagine my happiness when I felt him that morning and imagine my surprise, when I saw him finding his mate," she chuckled and shook her head. "The goddess of love works in mysterious ways."

"The goddess of love?" Aliyah frowned.

"Oh yes, you call her the moon goddess but she really is the goddess of love and that is why she assign you your mates, an eternal lover who would love and cherish you all the days of your life."

Aliyah nodded, her hand going to touch the mark on her neck and she remembered her own on his neck. A soft smile graced her lips and she sent a silent prayer to the goddess of love, she may have hated her mate before but now she wants no one else but him.

"You really look like her," Irene said, calling her out of her thoughts. "Only that you are stronger now and more strong willed."

"What are you talking about?" Aliyah frowned.

Irene sighed and continued stirring her mixture. "Back in my coven, we used to tell the tale of the Dark Prince and Princess Mariah."

"Dark Prince?" Aliyah asked, Sean's word flashing in her mind, 'The man is the leader of the originals, he was their prince right from when he was still human and he was called the Dark Prince back then.'

"Aye, the Dark Prince. A warrior so feared and respected back in the years. A leader that always led his men to victory and brought fame and fortune to his land," she smiled. "Songs were sung about him and crying children were put to sleep with tales about him. He is feared just as much as he is loved and hated by some. Men tremble at his presence and maidens die to grace his bed and be favored by him."

"Wait, we are talking about Edward right?" Aliyah asked, just to be sure.

Irene laughed, "oh aye, we are talking about your mate but his human life."

Aliyah found her interest piqued immediately. She was already loving the fact that she met the woman, seems like she would be the one to tell her about the mystery of her mate. "Do you know his story?"

"I was telling you and then you caught me off," Irene rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, continue."

"You are eager," the woman said, "I can understand," she smiled. "The Dark Prince had three brothers, they feared him just as they hated him but none of them could challenge him. And their hatred burned deep in their souls especially when they see how their father dotes on him. He was the youngest of all four brothers but the king made him his crown prince, robbing his first son off his title so you can understand why he should hate his younger brother. The Dark Prince in his own, didn't really care about the throne but he was a loyal dog, would do anything to make his father happy. However, King Josiah's greed was bigger than him, always sending him out to conquer more lands and fame for him which he did, obediently. But like I said, King Josiah's greed was bigger than him. Although rumored to be the richest king in the lands and other kings feared him because of his youngest son, he still has not had enough and that was how Princess Mariah came into the picture."