Sia chuckled, her expression bold and confident. She knew she was going to get what she wanted, no matter the cost.
"Being married to the Demon King changes nothing," Sia declared with a smirk.
"Lady Lisa," Helen hurried over to Lisa, bowing slightly in respect.
Lisa's gaze lingered on Sia for a moment, her eyes narrowing with disdain before she turned to Helen. "Let's go," she said curtly.
The two women left the building and walked toward the garden, where royals from various packs were gathered. Lisa's eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on an old witch, the one who was in charge of performing the ritual for the shred mark and next to her was a young witch, Lisa knew her so well. It was Ariel, the grand daughter of the witches leader.
Lisa's fists clenched instinctively. Her gaze connected briefly with Ariel's, who raised a brow in silent challenge.
"Do you know them?" Helen asked, noticing Lisa's reaction.
Lisa shook her head. "No."
After a pause, Lisa added, "Do you know how to find a demon?" She wanted to know where Klaus had run off to.
Helen hesitated before answering. "No… but it's easy to tell when one is around."
Lisa's interest was piqued. She motioned toward a bench at the edge of the garden, and the two of them sat down. "Go on," Lisa urged.
"This is a secret known only to demons," Helen explained, lowering her voice.
Lisa nodded. It wasn't as if she planned to tell anyone else. She was determined to figure out how to track Klaus whenever he disappeared on her.
"When a demon is present, you can feel it. Raise your hand and focus on the wind," Helen instructed.
Lisa did as she was told, holding her hand out and letting the wind brush against it. At first, the breeze blew steadily from the east, caressing the back of her hand.
"Focus on the wind movement," Helen whispered.
Lisa closed her eyes, concentrating fully on the sensation. Suddenly, the wind changed direction, blowing from the west and brushing against her palm instead.
"What?" Lisa opened her eyes, startled, and looked at Helen—only to find she had disappeared. Moments later, Helen reappeared beside her.
"When I left, the wind shifted direction. Now, it's blowing from the east again," Helen explained.
Lisa frowned in frustration. This was harder than she thought.
"How am I supposed to sense a demon's presence if I'm distracted by something else?" she muttered irritably.
"The wind direction only changes here, not everywhere in the world," Helen clarified.
Before Lisa could respond, a maid approached them.
"Luna Keren invites you to dinner. Everyone is present," the maid announced.
Lisa sighed heavily. This was the night all the royals gathered at one table, pretending to be united while secretly loathing one another.
"Meanwhile," Lisa scoffed, "everyone keeps staring at the demons with fear, and the vampires are still traumatizing the witches."
It was sad, really. The witches were the lowest on the hierarchy, constantly undermined by the other supernatural groups.
"Let's go," Lisa said, standing up. Helen followed behind her, but Lisa suddenly felt a familiar presence beside her. Klaus had returned.
"Nice of you to show up for dinner," Lisa snorted, but Klaus said nothing. He simply walked beside her until they reached the grand hall, where a long table dominated the center of the room.
No one was allowed to enter this room with guards or weapons—it was meant to be a "peaceful" gathering.
"Where did you go?" Lisa asked Klaus as they took their seats opposite Davin and Sia.
"I had some affairs to take care of," Klaus replied curtly.
Lisa gasped teasingly and leaned closer to him. "What kind of affairs? Don't tell me you're planning to take a fourth wife," she joked, though deep down, the thought terrified her.
"Am I becoming as possessive as Beckam and Maradona?" she wondered. "I don't want him taking another wife."
Her thoughts were interrupted when Klaus suddenly raised his hand to cup her cheek. Lisa froze, her heart pounding as his intense gaze locked on hers.
"If only we were compatible…" Klaus muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. He kissed his teeth, a flicker of desire flashing in his eyes.
Lisa gulped nervously, unsure of what to say.
"Uhm… so, are we eating or not?" Sia snapped angrily, breaking the moment.
Lisa glared at her, irritated. "Trust her to ruin my moments."
Across the table, Keren smiled at Lisa, clearly amused by the interaction. Lisa frowned. "Why isn't she terrified of the demons like everyone else?"
Her gaze shifted to Ariel, who was glaring at her.
"What's your deal, little witch?" Lisa thought because Ariel has been glaring at her ever since she arrived.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Lisa's head. She winced, realizing Ariel was trying to invade her mind.
"Now we can have a private conversation," Ariel's voice echoed in Lisa's head.
Lisa glanced around the table, but no one else seemed to notice what was happening. Her eyes darted to Klaus, who was staring directly at Ariel. Could he hear her, too?
"So," Lisa murmured under her breath, "what's the deal with the witches? Do you really want to go against the demons?"
Ariel's voice responded, calm and deliberate. "We're not going against anyone. All we want is respect. The witches are the strongest creatures alive, but somehow, we can't practice dark magic anymore. And I found out why."
Lisa raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself.
"When the Shred Mark was banned, dark magic was banned along with it. I don't care who gets the Shred Mark or what happens to it—I just want the witches to be able to practice dark magic again."
Lisa snorted silently. "Like I'm going to sacrifice my life for the witches."
"Whatever you want comes at my expense, so no," Lisa scoffed, pulling at Klaus's cloak slightly. She wanted this connection with Ariel severed immediately.
As if understanding her perfectly, Klaus shifted his gaze, and suddenly, Ariel screamed. The hem of her scarf had caught fire.
"Ariel!" one of the witches cried, splashing water on her.
Ariel's glare burned into Lisa, who smiled in amusement.
"He understands me without words," Lisa thought, glancing at Klaus. "I made the right choice striking a deal with him. I know he'll always protect me."
"It's a little suspicious, Demon King," Davin said mockingly, breaking the silence. "We're not used to seeing you at gatherings like this."
"There's always a first time," Lisa replied coolly.
"Or maybe there's a deeper reason—you know, like stealing souls. Like you stole hers," Davin said, smirking at Lisa.
Lisa clenched her fists.
"At least he's not a liar and a coward," she shot back.
"Respect your Alpha, Lisa Moonstar," Davin growled, his eyes flashing white.
Lisa chuckled bitterly. "I was cast out of the pack, remember? I'm no longer Lisa Moonstar. I'm the Demon Queen."
"My Queen," Klaus chimed in, his voice low and commanding.
Lisa's cheeks flushed as Klaus glared at Davin.
"Speaking of respect, don't you know how to speak to a woman?" Klaus questioned, his tone icy.
"I am the Alpha of Alphas. Everyone is obliged to respect me," Davin retorted.
"Do they all know you don't have a mate?" Klaus asked casually, his words cutting deep.
Davin froze, his lips trembling as the room fell silent.
The other Alphas stared at him, confusion and disbelief evident in their eyes.
"What was Klaus talking about?" Keren wondered, her gaze narrowing. "Everyone believes Lisa had commited a crime and was rejected by the moon goddess and the Moon Goddess rewarded him with Sia. Or… is there more to this story than what we know?"