IMPRESS.

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Crown, The Darkness.

[A/N: sorry for any mistakes, editing soon]

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Derek's POV~

"Kace Titan," Zac called, circling around the half-witch-vampire we'd tied him down on a chair and propped centre of the room, "you thought you could live the rest of your days without the truth spilling out."

Ralph had succeeded in luring Kace to a non-public place, in a small house we'd managed to borrow- well, steal from a family of four. We were all thirsty, anxious and desperate to find Natalya so our thirst levels were rising, which meant innocent lives would be lost on the way.

Kace stammered, "I- I don't know what truth you are referring to."

Yeah right, I chuckled at how brave he was to lie to a group of vampires who had him in the most vulnerable position of all. What was funnier was that Zac's ability allowed him to read people like flipping the pages of a book, so lying was not on the cards for Kace.

Zac had managed to compel the half-witch not to be able to use his magic for as long as he was in his presence. "I'm started to get really pissed off," Zac spoke through gritted teeth, aggressively squeezing Kace's cheeks in until it looked like he was sucking them in himself.

Zac locked eyes with Kace and brought him under compulsion once again, his eyes dimming as a deadly, Nixon-coloured swirl of purple flooded them, "I'm tired of this shit, which is why I compel you to tell me the truth and just the truth about Natalya's whereabouts."

I looked over to my side at Terrence who was the first I saw holding the same startled expression as mine, "I will tell you nothing but the truth," Kace robotically recalled after Zac had shoved him into the back of the chair.

The fact Prince Zac, his father, Alexander And Cathryn could compel any vampire and almost all witches because of their special royal blood always fascinated me and every other person in Asten. How they came to possess such blood fascinated everyone even more.

"We didn't take Natalya," Kace spat out, trying his best but failing to resist the compulsion.

Kace could only block out some of Zac's ability due to a charm or spell he must've put himself under, but he definitely could not defeat the compulsion.

Zac's eyes were fiery, fierce and full of rage as he connected his eyes with Kaces again, "then where the fuck is she if she isn't with you?"

Kace tried biting his lip to stop from spilling every truth but failed once again, "th- the Shadow King."

"Who?" Zac immediately questioned and halted in his steps.

We were all watching in anticipation, wondering what Kace was going to utter next.

"The Demon King, he is the one who took her. Natalya is in the Shadowlands as we speak and Evelyn has been sent to spy on her," Kace spilt causing Zac to flip and Xander gasp out "Evelyn!? I knew something was up with that two-faced witch bitch."

I kept quiet as well as the other boys, too surprised to speak as well as scared because one of us would piss the prince off more.

"The demon king... As in that psychopathic King of the Shadowlands, Preston?" Zac furrowed his eyebrows, his knuckles busting from how hard he clenched his fists.

In the same moment, Zac's fury-filled eyes switched to sharp and piercing slits.

Kace swallowed nervously and nodded, "yeah he really wants Natalya, loves her harder than he has ever loved anyone they say. Rumour has it, that he has proposed," Zac's head jerked as his eyes darted back to Kace after having wandered off in pitiful thought.

"HE PROPOSED?!?" The prince angrily exclaimed stomping forward at Kace and almost breaking the wooden planks that created the floor of the house. I glanced at Alaric, the one who was the most disheartened and panicked and his eyes were wider than Zac's, "it can't be, Natalya doesn't even know the prick, she can't have said yes. No fucking way."

Kace hysterically laughed despite the strong compulsion he was under and put us all at edge when he rolled his head back to us and revealed, "of course she said yes, Natalya is head over heels for the evil King. I'm surprised you haven't heard, the four letter word was exchanged between the two."

If I could describe the amount of rage and fury that was boiling inside of Zac now, I would explode myself. The tension that attacked the air was unbearable, Alaric's silence was the worst bit. I had seen Alaric angry before but the anger he was showing right now, was scary because it was silent.

Silent anger meant his rage was slowly building up and soon he would erupt.

Zac violently punched the wall, furious as he hissed into the air, "when did this happen!?! Who let this happen?!"

"Have I just heard right? Is my sister engaged to be married to the biggest psychopath across all the Kingdoms!? ZAC, WE NEED TO GO FUCKING STOP THIS, ITS MY BLOODY SISTER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!" Alaric frantically shouted, pacing back and forth unable to comprehend anything as he rammed a fist into the wooden wall.

The explosion that I had predicted from Ric came sooner rather than later.

"Listen to me you little shit, lead us to the den where you freaks practice your magic and let me speak to Oberyn, alone. I want to settle an agreement that'll help us get Natalya back from that sick bastard!" Zac growled and Kace froze at how a strike of cold wind struck from the prince's outburst.

Zac was in an unpredictable state of mind and there was no telling what he would do next. He looked livid but you could tell he was trying to restrain from snapping every single person's neck in the room. It was the same for Alaric who was in the middle of mental conflict with himself.

"She never mentioned Preston to me, I don't get it," Alaric ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, "we need to get a move on guys."

"Okay hurry up and untie him, we will get our hands on Natalya. Don't you worry Ric," Zac had surprisingly managed to calm himself a tiny bit which made me think, Natalya's influence on him must've been strong because Prince Zac was slowly turning into a better man day by day.

"Ralph you are free to go, but if you ever cause trouble for me again, I will slit your throat," Zac warned, threateningly pointing a solid finger at him. "You owe me, still."

"Yes your honour, it won't happen again," Ralph quickly acted, bowing multiple times whilst side-stepping to the exit and leaving with a "thank you."

Next Day...

Natalya's POV~

I woke up feeling very disgusting and cursed when the light that beamed through the window directly hit my eyes.

Throwing my hands in front of my face as protection from the sun, I felt a natural urge to strike ice at the ball of fire in the sky that most referred to as the sun. I despise light, I despise mornings and I hate people.

Why did today feel like a new day? How come I couldn't remember yesterday or who I was for a moment... Uhm, okay so I know I am Natalya Andrea Ascelyn, I know that I hate light and I know that I hate people. Well, that pretty much sums me up I guess.

I may not remember who I was yesterday or the day before, but I know that the darkness is my friend and that my heart rests on solely on burning the idiots that ruined my childhood and the bitch that ruined my life and killed my parents.

"Morning, baby..." I panicked when I heard a masculine voice sound from behind me and from the bed I carelessly dragged myself out from, "how you feeling?"

What the fuck is someone doing in m- "Wait a second, your aura is different..." I heard the same voice mutter again but this time it seemed to be moving closer.

I freaked when I felt a pair of hands rest on my waist, whipped around and blew a powerful gust of wind from my mouth and into the predator.

A painful thud and clutter of draws echoed throughout as the man I blew back, slammed into the floor and straight into a set of draws. I gasped, my heart skipping a beat when I noticed the scary-looking man was actually quite beautiful.

Whilst he groaned, I stole the chance to admire his tan skin, dark sexy eyebrows, ink-black dishevelled hair and piercing, inky silver-streaking eyes of charm. The best bit, however, was the blessed view of his six-pack on his bare naked and toned body.

The darkness he radiated told me one thing, he was a demon. No other creature could carry such a dark vibe like the one he did, one which was slowly rubbing onto me.

I swooned, holding a smirk upon my face as the hot male struggled up from the floor and narrowed his eyes at me in a non-angry but curious way. "You don't usually smirk like that, you're smirking like a demon... The darkness definitely struck you in your most vulnerable state, sleep."

The man approached me and this time I felt no need to protect myself. But, I did raise a brow confused at what he was saying aloud.

I didn't resist when he forcefully grabbed my thighs and drew me closer to him, in fact, I was so captivated by his beauty and his hellish smirk that my thoughts were all over the place. This guy looked like a real snack and I wanted him all to myself. Something was telling me that he was already mine.

"What are you saying? Who are you?" I asked and the man ignored my queries, compelling me again with his glistening eyes and holding my chin in place.

My eyes flickered down from his eyes and to his lips which were heading to mine. I yearned for them the closer they got and grew impatient, but when his soft lips finally touched mine the wait was worth everything.

All the memories I'd spent with him hit me like a brick and my mind re-adjusted until I was fully familiar with my surroundings, and as if someone had flicked a switch... I suddenly remembered everything including the man who stood right in front of me.

"Preston," I giggled, passionately kissing him back like I hadn't seen him in forever. It felt like forever although I had slept in the same bed as him.

"Do you feel different?" Preston squinted his eyes, anticipating my answer, awaiting it like it was the most important thing in the world.

"What do you mean, Pres?" I was confused.

He rose his finger up signalling that I wait whilst he thought for a while. He then cleared his throat and looked back at me, holding my hands firmly in his, "you need to answer a few questions for me okay? I just want to check something for your sake, got it?"

Nodding I cleared my throat and replied, "got it."

Preston slid his hands up my arms and to my cheeks, his eyes curious as he asked, "do you love me?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, tilting my head and wondering what had suddenly possessed him to ask such a question, "do I love you?" I questioned and Preston kept his eyes burning mine until it felt like they were melting. "Of course I love you, I don't care for anyone else."

"And why don't you care for anyone else?" He dug in deeper, cupping my cheeks a little tighter and making me shake my head so he would loosen his grip slightly. "Not even your brother..."

I quickly exclaimed, "yes- no- yes I love my brother but everyone else can-" I paused, uncertain of what to say. However, Preston lifted his finger and offered to fill in the blanks.

"The vampires tried to kill you, Prince Zac wanted you to drown and everyone else just watched. The witches are using you for a prophecy in which they may require a sacrifice that is you. Nobody is your friend Natalya. Among the two groups, somebody conspired to kill your parents, so everyone who isn't me or your brother is an enemy. Okay?"

"Okay," I numbly said, feeling nothing but self-satisfaction for admitting it.

"Once again do you love me?" Preston asked again and I rolled my eyes, leaning up onto my tiptoes and kissing him on the cheek. "You know the answer."

He smirked. "So you trust me?"

"I trust you more than my own brother," I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked up at him like an innocent devil, "why would you even ask me that?"

"Because Natalya, I want to know if you trust me enough to kill for me," Preston whispered, burying the tip of his nose into my neck, "I want to know what you would do if someone hurt me?"

"I've shown you what I'd do," I whispered back with a sadistic smirk, "I would destroy the life out of anyone who dare touch you."

Preston kissed my jaw and spoke in a hushed tone again, "then kill him..."

I rose my eyebrow again, slowly letting go of Preston and processing his words as I turned around to look over to where his eyes had wandered off to. I gulped hard at the sight I saw, but I didn't scream or shudder. Instead, a rush of adrenaline spiralled through my body and I felt an urge to kill the boy who was tied up.

"What did he do to you?" I asked.

"This foolish, little human boy here..." Preston threateningly brushed by me and towards the tied up boy "...didn't address me as his master, and attempted to break the law by looking into the eyes of his King."

I knew the crime the boy had 'committed' was no crime whatsoever and was more of an accident or mistake but Preston genuinely appeared upset and the fact he wasn't happy made me really angry and upset also...

Which led me to believe the boy had really committed a felony.

"I don't know about you Natalya, but he really hurt me," Preston sadly pouted, his hand over his chest as if to say he was having heart failure. I re-approached him, lifted his hand from his chest and placed it on my cheek, "I will fix this," the dark smirk that instantly stretched across his face when I kissed his fingers, gave me the motivation to finish the job I had now promised.

I whipped around to the boy and went down to crouch in front of him, "you've upset my King and you've upset his Queen. Not a good way to go, is it?"

"No- n- my- my- yo- your grace," the boy hesitated, stuttering as he failed to find my eyes out of fear.

"Too late," I said aloud, stretching out my palm wider than the smirk that was still spreading across Preston's face, and placing it over the top of the pale boy's baby face.

I barely put thought into my ability however a burning sensation still manages to take over my body. You could easily tell that my fingers were warming up from the heat because slowly but shortly smoke began to rise from my flaming hot hand. And before the little boy could utter a word to why my hand was rested on his face, my burning hand had already started melting the skin and flesh of his pale face.

In my heart, I felt nothing, like a void of emptiness. Empty. Like I didn't feel any pity and had no remorse, guilt or regret for what I had just done to the innocent boy. The only emotion I felt was a relief, relief that I had killed the source of Preston's unhappiness.

When the boy who once was, was nothing more but a melted human ice cream, I lifted myself up from the squat I had gone into and wrapped my arms around Preston again, noticing the big grin on his face when I threw my arms around him.

He didn't respond to the hug for a long while as he took time to register the fact I had just killed someone for him. When he started to stroke my back, I felt his wet lips rest onto my forehead as he mumbled, "what is your goal besides finding the person who killed your parents Natalya?"

"To be your Queen," I responded easily and I heard him hum happily, "good."

"I think I might know who the person..." I jerked back out of his arms and looked up at him hopeful with my widened, brown eyes, "you think you may know who killed my parents!?" I exclaimed.

Preston cocked his head to the side and frowned, "I am still looking into that," he said to my demise and I slumped my shoulders back down until he said, "but..."

"But?" I urged.

"I think I might know who was sending you all those notes back in Asten, and no, it wasn't the unfound Lord Hilbert or the mysterious Daya El Rigo. In fact, it is not a man whatsoever. It is someone you were very fond of for a time..."

A woman? That I was very fond of?

Ella, Rose, The Black Witch, Dahlia, Ashira, Cassandra, Anastasia Harris, Iris Haven, Princess Cathryn, my servants? Who could it be?

"Think, baby, think."

I glanced down to the floor in thought, biting my lip and scratching my head... only to gasp a dozen minutes later in realisation to who Preston was referring to.

Oh my Go- I can't fucking believe I even shared a smile with that two-faced bitch!

***

(Later...)

I can't believe she would do that. I wonder what her lame excuse will be when I next encounter her, in fact, she may be dead meat before I can even look at her again.

I hate that bitch. I hope she burns and I hope I am the one who is the reason she does.

Just then a knock sounded at my door and I groaned, why can I not be left alone for one second? Preston had purposely left me here to calm down on my own for a while but still someone dared to come frustrate me just a little more.

When I swung open my door like a mad woman, I was met by a big bulky guard and a small, timid and coffee-coloured hair girl.

"This is your handmaiden Alex Silver, Lady Sterling," my skin tingled at the way the guard addressed me as Preston's wife, and a smile crept onto my face at how good it sounded.

Natalya Sterling. Mrs Sterling. Lady Sterling. Queen Natalya Andrea Sterling-Ascelyn.

It fit perfectly, more perfectly than Natalya Beaumont, okay that is debatable...

"Leave her with me," I indicated for my new servant to enter the room and dismissively and fakely smiled at the guard who still remained at the door, waving my hand so he'd get the gist that I want him to leave.

"I can only leave on spoken command, my lady," the guard notified and I sighed, agitatedly that he wouldn't just go.

But a chunk of me loved the feeling of power and authority, claiming superiority over others had recently become my favourite hobby.

"Now listen pet, I'm in a really bad mood but my room is a mess. Fix it," I bluntly said, pushing a vase from the table beside me and onto the floor when Alex wondered what part of my room was a mess.

I shrugged sheepishly, "whoops, if Preston sees this he won't be very happy, especially if I trip and hurt myself on the broken shards of glass. I would clean that up if I was you."

Alex stared at me for a long time as if trying to work something out and sent me a look that screamed 'I know more of you than you think'.

"What are you waiting for," I snapped and Alex quickly lept to the floor and started to pick up the shards of glass with her bare hands.

I felt no pity for her.

I only felt a surge of power creeing around my body. I could do whatever I wanted, I had all the power in the world.

I could eliminate everyone from my list,