Irresistible CEO

watch and, if possible, lead. Videric knew he couldn't count on his brother's cooperation. - I'll talk to her, Videric. Arsene's tone of voice made his brother look at him. Videric had known him for centuries, he could.

smell the redhead's lie, but all he found on his face was sincerity. However, he was afraid of how Arsene

would conduct the conversation, as his brother had a sharp tongue, but he also knew that he would never.

bother a daughter of Atman. Arsene had embraced wizarding blood when he accepted to be the sat of the

Red Crown, and took upon himself responsibility for the lives of the witches who lived within the White

Forests. It did not fall on his shoulders as a weight, but as a blessing from Atman. Videric would never ask for more than Arsene could do. But he knew his brother. - I don't want to bother Nyana. Arsene's smile made

Videric squint his eyes and almost ask him to give up on that madness, but the redhead didn't give him time to regret it. With a wink, he turned and slipped into the trees. The White Forests embraced Arsene, but rejected..

any other vampire who wanted to go beyond, and Videric was no fool to strain the energy that protected them.

The forests could see that as a threat or even an offense. When Gwendolyn was the Red Crown, the barrier was strong. Now, with Lymena in that position, that barrier was insurmountable. Videric knew he had no right.

to look for Nyana. After the small exchange of words before the battle of the South, the witch had given no indication that she wished to have contact with him. After the war, the witches of the White Forests had

become reclusive, little seen in the common villages of Fhár and even on the borders. Domenico and Arsene

had explained that daughters of Atman needed to rebalance their energy when they had direct contact with

creatures from the underworld, and the invasion of demons caused the sacred energy they carried to become

chaos. Few were used to this exposure and, even marching with the Red Crown, they would need time to

recover. Videric only saw Lymena and Krida at the rare and scattered meetings of the Nobilitatis, which always

took place in the Vampire Fortress. Not even Srala was often seen. Videric's instinct told him that something

was happening and the way Lymena looked at him in meetings only made him sure that he was right. She seemed to want to say something, but was always prevented by greater forces: Domenico approaching, Gavin

asking a question or even her being taken by a strange fear, as if she was thinking twice about whether it was

wise to share the information she had. The vampire looked at the forest one last time. The thick trunks of the

trees made space for the peas who remained in place as eternal guardians, protectors of the borders and the

daughters of Atman who lived within. The bright red branches and white fowers told Videric that he was

trying to cross a dangerous limit, and that perhaps the world of souls would not have much mercy if he forced

something. But hadn't Videric already crossed an even sacred limit? Unable to answer the question, he fnally

turned his back and walked away. The sound of the trees of the White Forests was like music to her ears, the

wind caressed her pale skin and subtly lifted the thin cotton of the dress she wore. Nyana was aware of the

small insects around her, the birds that picked at the seeds that had fallen from the trees, and the small

rodents that approached carefully, only to later realize that there was no threat and take some of the seeds for

themselves. She was aware of everything, even the sound of the stream near the village, where she liked to

spend the hours in contact with Atman. But Atman did not come. She opened her eyes and felt... naked. She let out her breath, an unusual and unsettling frustration resting in her chest and constricting it. She touched

her lap and ran her hand there, as if the caress would ease that pain that wasn't physical. Her powers had long.

since abandoned her. Since she had been attacked by the demons who stained those lands with the blood of

her sisters, desecrated the trees with bestial claws and left a stench of death in the air, she no longer felt her

gifts. Months had passed, but Nyana's nightmares were still as clear as a full moon. Screams, blood... despair.

It was common to wake up shaking and feel sweat running down your spine. She got used to spending the

rest of the night at the lake near the village, one she had discovered further south, away from the oracle

village. After the battle, few of them remained, and even those who remained still had sacred contact with the

world of souls. Why hadn't Nyana received the blessing? Or rather, why had he lost what had been given to her

since she was born for the purpose of divination? She tried not to think about it too much. She knew that each

witch had her own time, perhaps Atman thought that the other oracles were stronger and had recovered

better from the red stain that had spread in the White Forests. Nyana, on the other hand, was still trying to wash that stain. The nightmares were not only fooded with images of demons, she was also tormented by

the memory of how she almost lost her life in that attack, and how she was saved by the vampire she hadn't

seen in months. Sometimes he appeared in her nightmares like a balm in the midst of so much suffering and reached out to her in the same way he had done that time. My name is Videric. I am the brother of Arsene, the

vampire who is with Lymena. That touch... Nyana had never felt so scared in her life, but at the same time, a security flled her entire body as he lifted her close to him, his eye dark as night and his milky eye scanning the

forest for more threats. . Nyana didn't know if that

respond immediately or move, even though she knew Srala was waiting for her, patient and silent, behind her.

The old woman had taken care of Nyana since the young oracle's mother had crossed over to Atman. Srala

was always worried about the girl calming down and feeling the cold wind that came from the South on her skin. But the concern was different now, and Nyana saw it written on the old woman's face when she stood

up. - Don't worry, child. - Srala seemed to read the witch's thoughts. - Give your mind time to recover from

what happened. - She lightly touched Nyana's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. - Atman will look for you

when you are ready. Srala saw the silent question on her pupil's lips by the way she continued to stare at her.

When? Srala had no answer to that, but she knew that soon Atman would call the girl. She could feel it. The

old woman had not lost her oracle powers after the demons' attack, but she also could not serve as a

comparison to the other witches: she held powers that none of them had the authorization to carry. As elder

and oracle, she wielded two distinct gifts, and with them came even more serious responsibilities. One of

them was the girl who was right in front of her. Some oracles in the village had told Srala about the difculty

of talking to the ancestors right after the attack from the underworld, however, with meditation and refection,

the power had gradually returned, the energies were balanced and Atman called them. With Nyana, this had

not happened. Srala watched the girl walk away and walk towards the village. The elder didn't like seeing the sadness that marked Nyana's expression whenever she retired, but she knew that letting the girl stay there.

trying to pull a thread that wasn't available until the ancestors decided otherwise, was wasting energy on

something. that only time would remedy. She let it go and, instead of retreating, her feet carried her to the

familiar paths between the red trunks. The small nocturnal animals were already starting to appear, the owls

with their sharp eyes were looking for food and the crickets were making their usual noise. Srala walked to the

main village and knocked on the door of a rustic wooden cabin. She waited for a while until she saw Krida's

kind face. - Srala... what happened? - She knew it was unusual for the old woman to visit her at that time. - In

between. Srala entered and was greeted by warm air and the aroma of toasted bread. The freplace was lit

and the sweet smell of the hanging herbs calmed her, they were probably cured for use in some infusion.

Krida greeted her with a simple china cup of tea and the two sat on rustic wooden chairs. Srala's eyes stared

into the fames of the freplace and she knew Krida could see the tension on her face. - I'm worried about

Nyana, Krida - Srala confessed out loud what she wasn't allowed to say in the oracle village. She didn't need to explain much for Krida to understand the reason for her concern. - Is Atman still silent? Srala just nodded.

and a silence passed through the cabin. Often, when the two of them sat like that to talk, words weren't very

necessary. They were immersed in their own thoughts, respecting each other's space. Krida then asked a

question out loud. -Do you think Nyana was tainted after the attack on the White Forests? Srala tried to rule

out this possibility. She sipped her tea and waved her hand as if dispelling the theory. - Some witches lost

their powers after the attack... But they managed to pull the wire and the energy stabilized. I fear that the

silence that circulates in Nyana's aura is a blockage that she herself placed... - What would that be like? Kridawas an elder like her, but she was no oracle. Srala was the only witch who held these two levels of knowledge:

in addition to having all the wisdom that only an elderly woman carried, she could talk directly to the

ancestors. The power an oracle had and how it worked was unknown even to the witches of the White

Forests. Srala took a deep breath. - Krida, you know that oracles are unique witches... - Seeing Krida nod,

she added. - We are pure in the most diverse ways. We have no contact with humans, nor with other

species... we do not explore the pleasure of the fesh, our purpose is to serve witches, both those in Atman

and those in the corporeal world. I'm the only one who leaves the domain of the White Forests because I'm

part of the Nobilitatis, but it costs me energy and I need to remain silent for a while to rebalance myself. -

When the attack occurred, Nyana experienced a lot of the outside world... - Krida completed Srala's thought.

- Do you think she might be lacking the necessary balance to pull the thread of Atman? - I think Nyana

thinks she is no longer worthy of this thread. - Why wouldn't Nyana be worthy of Atman? - Krida's voice was

laced with surprise, even though she knew the thought wasn't necessarily Srala's. - Months ago, demons

attacked our witches... - And Nyana wasn't to blame for that. Srala took a deep breath and silence returned to

the cabin. The crackling of the freplace continued and the two drank some more tea. It was a waning moon

and the witches' powers were more restrained during this lunar phase. Even if Nyana spent the entire night

meditating, Atman might not respond. - Nyana spent a lot of time with Arsene's brother... The vampire named

Videric. - Krida fnally uttered the thought that fooded her mind. Srala grimaced at that statement, but then

she was overcome with genuine concern. It took some time for her to assimilate all these emotions, and she

could see from Krida's expression that she realized she had hit the right spot. - Do you think Nyana could be

linked to him? - Srala asked without knowing if she really wanted to hear Krida's opinion. - He is a vampire.

has a connection with the underworld. Perhaps the ancestors no longer fnd her worthy. - Arsene is also a

vampire. - Arsene has wizarding blood and is the son of Saerya... In addition to sat from the Red Crown -

Krida said the obvious. Srala exhaled through her mouth, her sagging cheeks swelled and, when she looked

up, she saw her sister smiling as if it were comical. She set the china down on the nearby table, the tea long

gone. She stood up slowly, tiredness fnally catching up with her. Looking at Krida, Srala hardened her face

and surrendered to something she had been avoiding. - I'll talk to Lymena - she declared. Chapter 2 The

meeting had already lasted almost an hour and little had been said between the Nobilitatis. There were two absentees: Srala, who had avoided leaving the White Forests at all costs since the attack and thought that

those meetings would lead to nothing for now, and Merik, who was absent from the last two and was completing the third without showing up. - The Black Prince has been mysteriously reclusive since Igrik's

attack on the White Forests. - Domenico expressed his concern. It was unusual for Merik not to attend the

meeting. It had always been in the Black Prince's interest to know what was going on in the corporeal world,

even if he didn't do much to interfere. This was remembered by Lymena as soon as Domenico closed his mouth: in addition to not having taken sides in the war against the Upper Underworld, Merik had not closed

the rift that Igrik opened further south, ignoring the advice of the Nobilitatis and everyone's interest. - You know that Merik can be selfsh when it comes to personal interests. - Domenico's voice was cautious when

dealing with Lymena, as he knew she didn't like the Black Prince and had long wanted a chance to confront.

him. - Being selfsh is something very different from ignoring orders. The rift can only be closed by a creature

from the underworld and Merik fts into that category.

forest was charged with his magic, and it could drain any Atman energy from her companion. A little away.

Videric observed that meeting cautiously, always silent, but the words even seemed buried that night. There

was a strange tension between vampires and witches because of Merik's position, or lack thereof, and this

tension grew as time passed and they were unable to come to an agreement. Lymena, the witch who held the

Red Crown, wanted the Southern Rift closed and sought to discover Igrik's next move. Domenico, the vampire master, preferred to be more diplomatic and understand the Black Prince, but he was also concerned about.

the direction of his own race: vampires felt the energy of the underworld in the corporeal world. They ended

the meeting after a while without being able to reach a consensus, Videric watched Lymena's expression clear

up as the witch got up from the sofa, and noticed Krida walking away to get the horses. Gavin went with the

old woman, Domenico's right-hand man had taken over as her assistant, even though Videric knew it was just

to stop the old woman from running out of the Fortress. Videric stayed where he was, surprised to see the

queen walk towards her with the calmest expression. Apparently, Domenico had already gone away to write

letters and send them that night. When Lymena stopped, Videric had to take a deep breath. The power

emanating from that witch was unique. Although Gwendolyn had it too, Lymena seemed to have inherited and

polished it. She smiled at the vampire as a way to calm him down. -Videric. - Her voice was light. - Arsene told me you prowl the White Forests. Videric did not deny it, but he also did not respond to the Red Crown. He

contented himself with looking at his brother angrily, as if Arsene were a ten-year-old boy who had exposed.

some trick of his. Lymena's smile grew wider. - It's her, isn't it? - He questioned. Videric swallowed in

embarrassment, Lymena softened her voice even more as if she was trying to calm him down. - Do you think

I think he's prowling our borders to harm us? - Well, to see Arsene isn't it - he fnally replied and got a

grimace from the redhead. - She won't leave, Videric... Nyana is an oracle and she usually isolates herself in

their village. He spends hours meditating and talking to Atman... - Lymena observed Videric's reaction when

she said that. The vampire just shrugged and noticed the queen's eyes follow his hand as he placed it on the red handle of the dagger instinctively and unconsciously. - I will always be close to the borders. After all, the

rift is still open, right? Lymena's face became serious. That wasn't an insult. Videric knew that the queen was

capable of guarding her own borders and defeating any demon that decided to enter the White Forests again.

No, this was care, a duty Videric had felt towards Nyana since he had rescued her from the attack months

ago. However, he knew that Lymena would need time to understand that care. - I need to go back to the

White Forests, Krida must be waiting for me impatiently and putting the blame on the horses... - she said with

a smile and Videric nodded. He bowed in respect to the Red Crown. - We'll talk soon. Videric knew that he

wouldn't be able to hide from Lymena, nor even escape that conversation, the smile on Arsene's face only

made him sure of that. He wanted to take Domenico's candlestick and hit the redhead on the head, but that

was his childish side speaking. The adult side wanted to stick the dagger in his brother's eye. Arsene blinked

at Videric as if he could read his thoughts. - See you later. Chapter 3 His feet didn't make any noise, even

though his boots sank deeper and deeper into the mud. It had been raining all night and the entire forest feld had turned into a quagmire, a mixture of wet earth, leaves, mushrooms and crushed twigs. Videric sniffed the

air and his instinct told him something was wrong. Normally, after the rain, the forest seemed like a combination of olfactory and sensory experiences that could make any supernatural being dizzy with so

much information, but Videric was an excellent tracker and could separate every peculiarity around him. The

place had a faint scent of death. He just needed to fnd out if it was because an animal had been killed by a

predator, or because it was too close to the crack opened by Igrik. His boots now made noise as his footsteps

became more objective, his eyes roamed the paths left by the dense trees. The whispering started soon after.

Videric closed his eyes and, contrary to his instincts, moved away from any desire to follow him. The sound

was very reminiscent of what he had heard alongside Arsene, when they were moving away from the villages

and looking for the gray dust that the vampires' bodies left across the kingdom of Fhár. After a while, silence.

Videric looked for a rock to sit on and did so. His breathing was difcult, he didn't know if it was due to the

effort of ignoring the primitive call of the place his species should be, the underworld, or if it was due to the

anxiety of hearing that whisper after so long. Igrik was in the South, but demons still spread throughout the

corporeal world, even if in smaller numbers. Lymena's bruciare had driven most of them away, but they were

hungry creatures and the promise of fresh fesh and blood made them slip out of the crevasse and risk

wandering through the forests. In his mind came memories of the battle against the creatures, of how Lymena

lost consciousness and how the witches returned to the White Forests with great casualties and broken souls. Videric remembered the brothers who fell to the demons' prey and how the mixture Nyana had given.

him had saved the lives of some just as it had done for him. Nyana... It wasn't fair to meddle in the witch's life

after long months, not when she was fnally safe within the borders of the White Forests with the power of the

Red Crown protecting her from any threat. Videric was a spawn of the underworld, he belonged to the world of monsters that were on the other side of the rift more than to the world of Nyana, who didn't even know the

bad side of a human being, let alone the dark side of a vampire. He got up and started walking, his thoughts

still confused. The fear of the course of their species, the uncertainty of Igrik's next steps and even Merik's

silence. All the brushstrokes formed a picture that he didn't like to see and, as he was Domenico's frst commander, he needed to keep the master alert for every abnormality he observed. And everything was.

strange. Videric stopped, his breath came out of his thick lips in small clouds due to the cold weather and the rain that would soon begin to fall again. He broadened his instincts, a little more assured of being back in the

North and close to the border of the White Forests. And he listened. Whispers. But not the kind that made him cringe or clamor for him as a deadly bargain. They felt lighter, like a timid touch on her spine. Videric didn't

know those whispers, which called him gently, without him feeling threatened by looking for them. A sweet

scent reached his nose and Videric sniffed the air instinctively, like an animal searching for a good smell. He

frowned as he smelled the unfamiliar aroma. He didn't think twice before following him. She had been trying

to sleep for many hours, but not even the sound of the rain, which had already stopped, made her tired body relax in the time that had passed. Anyway, he gave up and kicked the wool blanket off the bed. He walked

around the hut and didn't bother trying to revive the fre in the freplace. Nyana opened the door and breathed in the cold air of the village, the smell of wet earth and green leaves touched every sense of her and made her

shiver. Without thinking much about what she was doing, she walked calmly through the village with the intention of going to the nearby lake and meditating, but her bare feet took her deeper into the forest to the east. She felt the wet earth beneath her feet, the gras