The Crown's Seduction
Chapter 153: Golden Dragon

Chapter 153: Golden Dragon

According to Mineah’s mother, one major sign of someone being cursed by the heavens was the insatiable urge to draw more energy from a powerful entity. It was this uncontrollable need for power that led the cursed ones to bring abomination and chaos upon not just themselves but everyone around them.

Out of the offspring of a fallen angel, only one would be cursed and she was that unfortunate one, not her brother Ezekiel nor her sister Xenia. However, her brother was not considered cursed despite having a dragon soul inside him.

Her mother and Wizard Lurio assumed that what happened to Ezekiel was nothing but an error that occurred when her mother cast a spell to seal all the dragon souls in the Forbidden Forest. Unfortunately, one dragon called Vulcan escaped and its soul was sealed inside Ezekiel’s body.

"Are you sure about this? Taking more of his energy like this is..." her mother’s voice trailed off as Mineah settled into a meditative position.

Her unique ability to cultivate inner energy by absorbing it from others and drawing energy from elements and environments allowed her to keenly sense and recognize the inner energy of those around her. So she was confident in her ability to feel and sense her brother’s inner energy.

The saddened and welled-up eyes of her mother didn’t escape her. It was evident that her mother was torn between the decision. She didn’t want Mineah to draw more energy from Nikolai, but they couldn’t abandon her brother, as she was his only chance of surviving the trial he faced.

"Mother, don’t worry. I can control myself, and besides, I will not do this again after today. It will be the last time I draw inner energy from Nikolai, as I need it to facilitate a powerful spell and connect with Big Brother Ezekiel. Once I find him, I will refrain from taking Nikolai’s energy and go back to borrowing energies from my Shadow Maidens," Mineah reassured her mother with a smile.

Tracking down Ezekiel’s energy wouldn’t be an easy task, especially for someone like her with a weak constitution. To find him, she needed to be inside the forest and cast a barrier surrounding it to properly search for Ezekiel’s location. However, it would be a different story, if she drew on Nikolai’s infinite energy.

"Please get ready. We have limited time left before the spell on Nikolai loses its effect," Mineah continued and her mother nodded. Mineah released a quiet sigh as she watched her mother and Wizard Lurio take their positions, forming a triangle.

With closed eyes, Mineah began chanting and performing the spell. Her words created a glowing thread that connected her to her mother and Wizard Lurio. As she continued chanting, she clenched her jaw feeling Nikolai’s immense power surging inside her body.

’This is harder than I thought,’ she thought while chanting. It was her first time attempting a spell that required such immense power.

Sweat beads started forming on her forehead as she continued to chant creating an invisible barrier that surrounded the massive forest. This barrier was crucial for more precise tracking of inner energy.

She gasped for air as soon as she succeeded in creating the barrier and immediately shifted into another spell to search for Ezekiel’s inner energy. She felt her chest tightening as she delved deeper, seeking the familiar energy of her brother.

’Where are you, brother?’ Mineah wondered as her search continued. Her facial muscles flinched as she felt her body freeze as if she became ice-cold.

Silence reigned over the area once more. Mineah felt the energies of all living things within the massive forest barrier blending with Ezekiel’s, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact location.

"Mineah, are you alright?" asked her mother, worriedly. Mineah kept her eyes closed and answered, "I’m fine, Mother. Please get ready to teleport to Ezekiel’s location as soon as I spot his energy. Connect us to the location. I’m starting to sense him. I’m sure it’s his inner energy."

After a few moments, Mineah balled her fist.

"There..." she gasped for breath. "Now!" she shouted to her mother, and in an instant, an invisible blast with a powerful impact burst inside the forest with a blinding flash of white light. The barrier covered its impact, preventing any disturbance outside.

Mineah panted as she felt her body touch the hard ground. They had now teleported to the exact place where Ezekiel was. Relief spread across her face as she uttered, "I knew I’d find you, brother. Just hang in there while we find you."

"Mineah are you alright?"

She quickly opened her eyes upon hearing her mother’s worried voice. She squinted because of the thick fog, making it difficult to see anything.

"Mother, I’m here. I’m fine," Mineah answered as she gathered enough strength to stand. She saw light and recognized the wizard Lurion that provided it with his magic.

"Mother," she smiled as her mother hurried to her side.

"Your temperature is too low. You’ve used up a lot of energy. You shouldn’t absorb more from Nikolai this time. You need to meditate and replenish your energy now, but my....." her mother trailed off. Although her mother was a fallen angel, her powers were no longer as strong as she used too much of it to seal all the dragon souls in the Forbidden Forest, ultimately sacrificing her divine powers. Borrowing energy from her mother was no longer an option since it was blocked.

"Borrow energy from me, Your Majesty," Wizard Lurio offered his hand, which she quickly accepted. She held Wizard Lurio’s hands firmly and closed her eyes. She meditated and borrowed just enough energy from him for her to have the strength to absorb energies from the surrounding elements. After gathering enough, Mineah returned the borrowed inner energy to Wizard Lurio.

It was strange that she didn’t experience the same feeling when she absorbed energy from Nikolai. There was something more in his energy that her inner self craved. His energy was more robust and her body preferred it.

Mineah shrugged off this observation but made a mental note to discuss the matter with her mother and their royal white wizard later. For now, they had one goal and one focus: finding her brother. She couldn’t get distracted by her own plight.

"Let’s go, Ezekiel is inside the cave. I can clearly feel his weak energy," Mineah murmured. That cave was where she sensed his familiar energy, and at the moment, his energy was becoming weaker, overpowered by a foreign and strong energy. It was a powerful force that could have easily overwhelmed her brother if not for his divine bloodline.

’Damn that Vulcan!’ Mineah inwardly cursed. She had no doubt it was his energy trying to consume her brother’s.

"We have to hurry!" Mineah urged, taking the lead as they entered the small entrance of a cave situated atop a mountain. She practically rushed inside, afraid that they might be too late to save him.

’Hang in there, brother.’

"Ezekiel?!" Mineah called out, her voice echoing in the cave. She was sure Ezekiel was inside, but they hadn’t caught even a glimpse of him.

"Ezekiel!" her mother shouted as well.

Suddenly, a roar shook the cave, and a hot, abrupt breeze brushed against Mineah’s skin, causing her hairs to stand on end. The sound was the terrifying and bone-chilling grumble of a dragon.

"Mineah," her mother said with concern.

"It’s alright. I can feel him here," Mineah replied as she continued following the path of Ezekiel’s energy. "We’re almost there..." she whispered, blinking back the tears caused by the smoke inside the cave. It was a good thing the cave had a large hole above that allowed hot, humid air to escape, otherwise, anyone staying inside would be roasted to death by the intense heat.

She assumed that the large opening above also served as the entrance for the dragon since it was so huge.

A few more steps... Mineah’s eyes widened.

*Roar!!!*

There, in front of her, stood an enormous golden dragon with burning eyes, staring at them. It was the first time she had ever seen a dragon in real life, and she couldn’t help but unknowingly part her lips in awe.

The creature looked so majestic, powerful, and fearsome, but she realized that this dragon was also her brother...

"Ezekiel," she weakly murmured, and the dragon moved and hissed.

"Shhhh, it’s alright, Your Highness... They are your family. They are here to help you," a sweet voice spoke.

Mineah watched as a beautiful and alluring woman with long wavy white hair slowly emerged from the smoky atmosphere before them. The woman had a smile on her face as she caressed and patted the dragon’s body as if she was taming it.

The woman then turned to face them and offered a curt bow, politely introducing herself, "Greetings Your Majesties, Queen Mineah and Queen Dana. I am Tarah, the new Seer of Ebodia."

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A/N: You will find out more about Ezekiel next year in a separate book, and the working title so far is The Crown’s Fire.