The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 74: Vines and Thorns

Chapter 74: Vines and Thorns

Ren knew something was terribly off the moment she saw her subordinates armed to the teeth. Yet even in her darkest nightmares, she hadn’t imagined that Soul Suckers, the monstrous spirits mothers invoked to frighten unruly children, could be terrifyingly real.

Once her racing heart settled enough to allow color back into her pale face, Ren took in their grim surroundings. They stood at the outskirts of the Cave Temple, precisely where she’d described to Agara.

Her breath caught in her throat at the ominous scene unfolding before her eyes. Time was slipping away, faster than the trickling life of the girl they sought to save with the Devil’s Heart flower. Her magic still refused to flow, leaving her vulnerable; a tempting vessel for any wicked being craving passage to channel darkness into their world. Prudence was essential now. Death held no terror for Ren, but the thought of being overtaken and possessed by a vile Soul Sucker chilled her soul more profoundly than any hellish nightmare, this one gave her goosebumps.

"Can you walk?" Arkilla’s voice broke through her grim thoughts.

"Yes, I’m fine. Rail?"

Arkilla glanced over her shoulder. "He’s shaken mentally. Shadow portals always drive him sick."

Agara steadied Ren, his voice gruff with concern. "Your husband will have our heads if he finds out we used that portal to get you here."

"I’ll convince him it was my choice to come and save the girl," Ren replied resolutely. "I refuse to lose anyone else, not even to a scratch. I can’t just stand by and watch death claim another soul."

Despite dizziness threatening her balance, Ren moved forward, her footsteps crunching through the bitter snow. The frigid wind tore at her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth they’d just left behind.

"That’s where I saw the flower. Pray it still blooms." Ren pointed toward the startling depths of the Cursed Garden at the base of the mountain, earning wary frowns from her companions. There was no way to reach there but to cross the edge of the garden.

"You never mentioned the garden!" Arkilla protested sharply.

Ren shrugged, her eyes determined. "I told you it was at the mountain’s base—and it is. If I’d revealed the whole truth, you’d never have followed."

Arkilla sighed deeply, remembering her lady’s cunning charm. A reluctant smile flickered briefly. "Always full of surprises..."

"I’ll go," Rail offered, his voice suddenly hardened with resolve.

Ren shook her head fiercely. "I know you’re ready to sacrifice yourself, but this is my burden. Just watch my back."

"No," Agara growled, his eyes narrowing. "That place corrupts anyone who enters. You might return, but you won’t be the same."

His grave tone gave Ren pause. If Agara spoke so solemnly, the threats lurking inside must eclipse mere rumor.

"I’m going in," she declared stubbornly, prepared to summon her magic by force if necessary. However, she didn’t know how! Perhaps fear could give her a hand as it often did.

Approaching the garden’s twisted edge, Rail swallowed hard against the dread rising within him. Thorny rose branches coiled protectively around thick vines, their jagged spines gleaming menacingly.

"It’s as if the thorns guard the vine," Ren whispered uneasily, peering into the shadow-cloaked path ahead.

A cold breeze whispered suddenly through the trees. ’Come to us, Princess... come...’

Ren’s eyes flew wide. The voice was real, riding the wind like a phantom breath.

"Did anyone else—?" Ren stopped mid-question as their blank stares gave her a chilling answer. The whisper was hers alone. Could someone be trapped there, calling only to her?

"Stay close. These branches have a will of their own," Agara warned, leading the way. Darkness swallowed them, branches slithering overhead like serpentine beasts, blocking all light. Not a single ray penetrated the oppressive gloom.

’Yes, Princess... come closer.’

Agara summoned a hovering orb of light to illuminate their path, yet he frowned deeply. "Even my magic feels weak in this demonic place."

A branch lashed violently, nearly skewering him. He narrowly avoided its venomous thorns.

Rail grimaced, eyes wary. "I wouldn’t insult the vines. They came from the seventh realm of heaven, tainted yet still sacred."

Fear suffused the air, but Ren felt another, deeper emotion woven into it, an unfathomable sorrow built over decades, thickening until the very air felt suffocating.

Ren moved silently, inexplicably untouched by the garden’s malic when a sudden snag pulled at her dress, halting her mid-step.

Arkilla swiftly tore the fabric free. "Careful, you might hurt yourself."

The instant she spoke, a grotesque wooden face erupted from the vine, screaming in agony. Startled, Ren stumbled backward, colliding with another thorny branch. A searing pain sliced her neck, a thin streak of blood dripping slowly from the graze on her neck. The deafening screams intensified, shrill and piercing, driving everyone to their knees in agony.

"Ren!" Arkilla shouted, reaching desperately toward her.

Without warning, a vine whipped out, coiling rapidly around Ren’s body. Arkilla lunged, trying to catch Ren’s outstretched arm.

"Hold on!" Arkilla screamed desperately, but another branch struck her hard, sending her sprawling unconscious.

Chaos erupted instantly. The vines thrashed violently, determined to expel the intruders or keep them away from her!? Ren struggled fiercely, but the branches bound her wrists and legs mercilessly.

"Release her!" Rail shouted, panic clear in his eyes as he sliced the ever-growing thorns.

Agara attempted to soothe the vine’s wrath, but confusion flickered across his face. "It’s not angry... it’s joyful...."

Why was this cursed place celebrating Ren’s capture?

Before anyone could react, Ren was dragged into a yawning, shadowy hole. Rail and Agara fought viciously against the vines, swords slashing desperately, but it was futile. They grew again, thicker, wilder. The garden protected her with immense jealousy, sealing the hole as swiftly as it had opened.

The thorns and vines retreated instantly and silence resided like a vicious tyrant.

Arkilla stirred, dazed and frantic, gasping for breath. "Ren...?" she choked out weakly.

Rail lifted her urgently, eyes wide with dread. "Can you sense her?"

Arkilla reached out mentally, feeling nothing, just emptiness, and a terrifying silence blurred her mind. Panic overtook her. It was raw and relentless to cause a sizzling cold in her bones.

"Reneira!" Arkilla’s desperate scream echoed endlessly, tears flowing from her eyes, unchecked, for the first time she let herself cry as dread consumed her heart. The blood bond was strong and hurt her heart but it wasn’t the bond that exposed her desperation but her feelings for this princess. Ren was truly like a sister to her, not just a duty.

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