The Cursed One ✔ - Book One of the Phoenix Trilogy

Chapter 26 The New Subordinate

Phoenician Academy

After Daphne's recovery, they were asked to let her rest for the day. Master Ronheild had to attend an emergency meeting. They all had their energy drained from the previous encounter so they complied without another word, all wrapped up with their own chain of thoughts as they trotted back to their sleeping chambers.

Sleep graciously engulfed Rufus, the moment he laid himself down on his bed. He was awakened the next day by the slamming of the door.

"Rufus! Wake up! There's a commotion at the assessment chamber, a new subordinate came!" He spotted Marcus beside the door waiting with bored expression while Agnus kept on pulling his arm to stand up as soon as he woke up.

"Alright! Hold your horses down. Just give me a minute," Rufus said chuckling making his way towards the bathroom.

Half an hour later, they were all standing outside assessment chamber when Lord Ronheild arrived with Venus trailing behind him.

"Master Ronheild fetched her from healing chamber to witness this." Agnus whispered to Rufus mouthing to Venus' direction who was pouting, obviously being dragged here unwillingly.

"Good, you're all here. Let's go inside." Master Ronheild called to them.

"Let us commence the assessment!" He roared when they came inside, startling a few masters while signalling to Rufus, Agnus, Marcus and Venus, to stay beside the door as he moved towards the middle of the chamber beside a woman with shoulder lenght golden straight hair.

"I believe master Balto already recited to you the rules and level of ranking so let us proceed. Please stand here, my dear." He right away addressed the said woman asking her to stand facing him, towards the door's direction.

Rufus breath hitched, the moment he set his eyes on her. She had similar face to Venus aside from her straight golden hair with light blue eyes. While Vee had white hair now, which ends at the back of her knees due to recent changes and eyes as blue as the deepest seas. What was bothering him though that nobody was noticing it.

The procedure barely registered on his mind as he was scrutinizingly staring her down.

She knew! Rufus was surprised when the woman locked her eyes with him and smirked. A pair of eyes that made him feel like he was staring at the cloudless blue skies.

A loud yelp of surprise came from Venus beside him as a blue fire emerged from her palm, the woman was wearing a triumphant smile as she stared directly towards them.

"She's the next head mistress!" One master in a yellow combat get-up exclaimed.

Surprisingly, most masters were very young looking when Rufus checked on their features one by one. So what he heard about the cloaks were all in drastic revisions was true!

"Or the vessel. . . She will be given an equal chance as Venus. It's either one of them is the vessel and the other one is the head mistress." Master Xerxis said solemnly looking rather older than his age with his disheveled shoulder lenght wavy black hair and light stubbles visible on his face and jaw. Recent events took a toll on everyone.

Rufus turned to look at Venus, worried about what she might feel about having a competition. The brat! Venus was smiling from ear to ear and suddenly bursted out laughing.

"Yipeee! I told you I'm not the vessel! Let her take the honor!" She jumped on her place then launched herself to Marcus and kissed his cheek! All giddy, she then ran to the new woman leaving a stunned, red eyed vampire following and staring at her every move. She relentlessly hugged and congratulated the woman like she won a big palace full of diamonds oblivious to her gawking audience.

Oh Vee! You never fail in attracting trouble. . . You just made a new vampire admirer and mind you, they are the kind that once decided, you can never change it otherwise. . . Rufus thought.

"Aherm! Venus dear pull yourself together. Go back to your group." Master Ronheild said to her through clenched teeth obviously finding hard to contain his mirth about Vee's comical reaction. The famous Vee reactions!

"Um, oh! Right, right! Sorry. Nice to meet you beautiful vessel. Um, bye!" Vee's mumbling made Rufus smile as she walked back to them and held Marcus hand as she reached him and put her head on his shoulder like it was the most natural thing to do.

The new subordinate gave her a meaningful smile and winked at Rufus before returning her attention back to Lord Ronheild.

After the ceremony, they were all told to go and meet up lunch time at dining chamber to formally introduce the newest addition. Their group decided to stay in Daphne's station while waiting for lunch time.

"Mistress, Veeeee! I missed you!" Daphne's ear-splitting squeal greeted them upon entering her station.

"Oh, pleeezzze! Stop calling me mistress. I missed you too." Vee chuckling tried to pull her hand from Marcus grip but he didn't let go.

"Let it be. It's more comfortable." Marcus firmly ordered her looking at her hungrily with his red eyes.

"Oh, here we go," Rufus muttered which earned him a scowl from Marcus.

"What is exactly going on here, vampire?" Angus voiced out for the first time since the assessment chamber. "I have been observing you since we left the assessment chamber. Vee is our friend, you should not give any malice to her actions, she does it innocently," he ranted at him.

Marcus raised his brow at him, then retorted in sarcastic tone, "Like the way you should treat Daphne, right?"

Alright, I'm like the third wheel or in our case the fifth wheel here so I should act the meditator, am I correct? Nah! This is too exciting to watch. Rufus' mind gave a demonic laugh when these amused thoughts flowed in his head.

It was entertaining him to watch how Vee was staring open mouthed to Marcus while blushing, Agnus giving side glances to D, and of course D, smirking like she won a lottery.

"Y-you're kidding, right? F-freako?" Vee looked scared as she hesitatingly asked Marcus giving him a pout.

Marcus without warning kissed her! Full on her pouting mouth!

Rufus, Agnus and D jaws dropped. Holding their breath as they anticipated Vee's reaction when Marcus let her go slowly.

She opened and closed her mouth without any voice coming out then her tears dropped. "You stole my first kiss," she said sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist it, looking at your pouting lips. Please don't cry. Please give me a chance to win your heart, my inamorata." Marcus said to her full of passion, eyes returning to its normal cerulean blue color wiping her tears with his thumbs.

"What's inamorata?" She asked sniffing.

"An endearment we use for our other half or wife for human realm." Rufus explained to her.

"Like mates?" She inquired innocently.

"Humans made mates all up. We are not enforced to any bond. No, far from it. Like humans we are free to fall in love and choose our own other halves, only there is no divorce here. Once you bond yourself it is a pull bond. You will be bonded forever more like laced together. That is why if your other half dies or chose to die. You will never fall in love again. But be warned, the pull interferes and gives you a perfect match which will be really up to you if you will follow it or not. Most phoenicians follow the pull though, since finding true love is as scarce as a sighting of an angelicum upclose." Daphne explained with stars in her eyes as she and Agnus stared at each other longingly.

By gods and goddesses. How I end up in the middle of this lovestruck teenagers! Rufus rolled his eyes inwardly.

Or so he thought. . .

"I'm inlove with someone else," Vee said almost a whisper after a few silent moments, looking down on her shaking hands.

Marcus was taken aback by her revelation. He was silent for few minutes then asked softly, "Is he from your realm? Whoever he is, I don't care. I will not stop loving you, Vee. Just think about it. All I ask is a chance. I will give you time to think," he said to her. Calling her Vee for the first time. He caressed her face lovingly then left in a flash slamming the door behind him.