1. Rogan
He was surrounded by the deepest parts of the Geminor forest.
It was aglow with the sunset, golden and silent, just the way he liked it.
Rogan lowered his dark glasses onto the bridge of his nose, staring intently at the plant. He’d finally found it. A rare species. A powerful one.
Possibly his last hope to make a potion powerful enough to break his aunt’s curse and free him from his pointless immortality.
Ursula’s spell was still effective even after years and, because of it, Rogan now found himself experiencing all the frustration of not killing Viktor and all the side effects of having claimed so many lives.
Karma was real and the physical torment he lived with was proof of that. He’d so intelligently planned to avoid this by escaping through death.
His aunt had perfectly squashed that plan.
That was why this plant, the Trojan plant, with its spindly green stem and its large purple flower, was the last thing he could see as powerful enough to make a potion that could break Ursula’s curse.
Once it was broken, Rogan would finally escape the torture of living in a body that was the battleground for the war between his physical and inner being. He’d finally embrace the peace of death.
But, damn it. He scowled.
In a few moments, that crucial plant that stood between him and peace would be churning in the guts of some animal.
Raising the gaze of his swirling black eyes, Rogan looked at the animal in front of him. The Trojan plant was right between the creature’s front hooves, seconds away from becoming its lunch.
They both stood still, gazes fixated on each other.
The animal knew Rogan wanted the plant it was about to eat, Rogan could tell. The cocky creature was deliberately putting him on edge.
Rogan snarled at the creature. “Don’t you dare touch it.”
The buck stilled, its beady eyes locking onto him with an almost smug glint. It knew. Rogan could tell. The cocky thing was deliberately testing him, hovering over the very plant he needed.
He could enchant it. He could kill it. Problem solved.
But, damn.
The Kingdom of Geminor was filled with subjects who had two forms of existence, and for all he knew, this wasn’t just a buck.
It could be someone’s fifteen-year-old son. And if Rogan went around slaughtering random people, Aiden would lose his mind.
He exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching. Being a villain used to be so much easier.
Twitching its nose, the animal sniffed at the plant, the strong fragrance of the purple flower probably drawing it in.
“No!” Rogan hissed urgently.
The animal froze, slowly raising its head to look at him.
“Stop,” Rogan ordered firmly, his hand raised.
Slowly, he took a step toward the animal, hoping it would just run off and leave the plant. Dammit, Rogan had been looking all over the kingdom for a plant like this for the past ten years, he wouldn’t lose it now!
The stubborn creature, however, didn’t run away. It stood firm, tilting its head as it regarded Rogan with curious defiance.
Yeah, definitely a Geminus. No pure animal would stare down a Vampire Sorcerer with that much sass. Ready to strike a deal with the creature, Rogan drew even closer. Slowly, silently.
"Listen, buddy—"
Phewp!
A sharp whistle split the air. A heartbeat later, pain exploded in his arm.
Rogan hissed, his gaze snapping down to the arrow buried deep in his flesh, heat radiating from the wound as blood seeped through his sleeve.
His mouth parted in disbelief.
Who the hell had just shot him?
Narrowed with fury, his eyes scanned the forest around him. Just as he thought he saw something in the distance, the sound of rustling bushes reached his ear and by the time Rogan looked back at the animal, it had torn the Trojan out of the bush and bolted off with it.
“No! Hey!” Rogan clutched his hair. “Fuck!”
Oh, for hell’s sake, he needed that damn plant! Who knew when next he’d come across that species?!
“Goddamn it!”
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the arrow sticking out of his arm and snatched it out, ripping his own flesh in the process.
Annoyed, Rogan hurled it to the forest floor, satisfied when the shaft broke in two.
Suddenly, a sound pricked up his ear. The creak of a stretching bowstring.
On guard, Rogan’s gaze snapped in the direction of the sound just in time to watch the glistening sharp end of another arrow flying towards him, his superior Vampire’s vision seeing it as easily as if it were moving slowly.
Instantly, his arm shot out and caught the arrow around its shaft before it could pierce him.
Another arrow? Someone wanted trouble.
Furious now, he looked back in the direction it had come from and froze.
Another arrow was already flying at him but his attention was stolen by something else.
That was when he saw her.
A… a girl?
Easily snatching the third arrow mid-flight, Rogan frowned deeply, his gaze locking onto the figure charging toward him.
She wore strange forest tribal attire, her long hair billowing wildly in the wind. Who was she? Pocahontas?
She was running frantically towards him, arms flailing with a bow in her hand and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.
Unbelievable. Was she challenging him? She’d dared to shoot arrows at him? Him?!
What an audacious brat. He’d make a fur hat with her wild hair.
Dropping the arrows he’d caught to the ground, Rogan pushed his glasses back up to cover his eyes. She’d made him lose a precious resource! The closest thing he’d found to breaking the curse!
For that alone, he’d make sure she regretted ever setting foot in his path.
As she neared, he glared from behind his shades, bracing himself for whatever nonsense was about to come next. Getting attacked by a bizarre girl? Well, this day was officially gone to the dogs.
He squared his shoulders, ready to deal with her. “Who the hell—”
“Help!” she suddenly shrieked as she ran toward him.
Rogan blinked. What the hell was this?
“Heeeelllpp!!” she shrieked again, running straight for him like a mad woman.
And then, before Rogan could react, she launched herself into his arms, forcing him to catch her!
The impact barely made him budge, but before he could even process the insanity of the situation, another arrow whistled through the air, striking him hard in the thigh.
He groaned, gritting his teeth as pain tore through his leg.
Aching and baffled, he looked down at the strange little female he carried in his arms.
She stared up at him, panting, eyes wide with fear.
“Please… h-help me.”
