The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-457

Back in the Hawthrone's castle, Paschar, who had sniffed the scent of the person in the air had a big frown on his face and his lips set itself in a thin line. It had been ages since he had sensed and smelt this person's scent in the air. He looked around the corridor, taking a short walk and whispered,

"I think I know who took Madeline from here."

Calhoun hearing this, stopped speaking to Raphael and turned his attention to the angel, "Who is it?"

"He is the fallen angel of Heaven," answered Paschar. Was he here to make use of Madeline's dark angel abilities? "It has been a while since I last heard anything about him. Nobody knows where he went or what he's up to because when we sent some people to find him, they didn't find him in Hell. People barely heard about it, and he almost turned out to be a myth. But we angels know that he wasn't a made up person."

Calhoun gritted his teeth, and his eyes narrowed, he demanded, "Do you know where he lives?" It had been quite some time since Madeline had been taken away. At the same time, they didn't know how Elizabeth was doing.

"I don't know where he lives. He's the fallen one, which was why most of us stopped keeping contact with him. He changed his appearance and the the way he is, at least that is what I heard. The angel who once was loved and kept close to God, he fell to the dark side," replied Paschar.

If Paschar had no clue where this fallen angel was or lived, Calhoun would have to find Madeline with his strength and intelliegence. Minutes had passed, and he didn't want to waste more time. The demons and the other fallen one's were waiting for the moon to appear so that they could cut out Madeline's heart from her chest and then use it for sacrifice.

"You said you know where the demon's hideout is?" Calhoun questioned Paschar. "I will go and find Madeline, but in return, I need you to get my men near the hideout and make sure nothing happens to the girl, who has been abducted from here. Can you do that?"

Paschar had an unwilling look on his face, "You need to know that I cannot involve myself in the fight, and the most I can do is, guide you to that place."

"That will be enough," chimed Raphael. "We'll take care from there."

Calhoun didn't know how Madeline had ended to have unreliable family members. "Raphael," Calhoun raised his hand, and Raphael placed his hand on Calhoun's hand. A thin golden thread appeared around their hands to tie around their arms before it disappeared. "Now I will know if you are near."

When Calhoun's wings spread out from his back, and Paschar's eyes widened at the sight of it. Demons didn't have feathered wings, and it was only the angels who possessed them.

Calhoun closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were pitch black as if he was relying on his demon blood. The wings flapped, and Calhoun soared up in the sky while trying to get the scent of the vampire who had appeared in front of him, instead of picking on Madeline's scent where the rose-like smell had disappeared.

The night was cold because of the snow, but it didn't matter to him. Instead of flying up in the sky, Calhoun had chosen to move closer to the land, picking up every single trace of the intruder. His wings moved relentlessly, and he moved in a speed which he had never moved before because of the worry that hung over his mind if Madeline was alright.

It took half the time before he finally reached the forest that he and Theodore had once stepped into when they were young, but had never crossed it. Under the night sky, Calhoun's black wings flapped before he came near the mountains and caught sight of the cave that was built cleverly, but not enough to hide from his eyes. Near the forest ground, he caught sight of the dead bodies. Following the trail, he finally landed in front of the cave.

When he saw the cave's passage it reminded him of one of his mother's drawings.

Calhoun closed his eyes, stopping his footsteps to smell the scent of rose drift in the air and he could sensed she was here.

Back inside the castle cave, Madeline hadn't touched her teacup, and she felt her heart quicken its pace as if letting her know someone dear to her had appeared. Her head snapped to look in the direction where she sensed him.

"He's here, isn't he?" Vladimir asked her who was enjoying his cup of blood. He ran his tongue over the seam of his lips. "Let me see how strong he is. It would be a shame if I found out he isn't my blood." The cup made a small clatter of sound on the saucer, and Madeline could tell that there was still a hint of doubt in Vladimir's mind if Calhoun was truly his grandson.

They were running out of time!

"What do you plan to do?" questioned Madeline, and she saw the vampire stand up from his chair.

"Talk. Why?" Vladimir offered a smile to Madeline, and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared from where he stood, while allowing Odin free from the straps.

When Vladimir appeared at the top of the stairs, he saw the boy had already entered his castle while leaving two bodies behind at the entrance. Dead. His dark red eyes narrowed, and he stared at his kin, who his deceased daughter had left behind. He wondered how he had missed noticing the same characteristics passed down from him to his daughter, and then to this boy.

Calhoun noticed the vampire standing at the top, and he asked, "Where's Madeline?"

Vladimir continued to stare at Calhoun in awe, thinking this one was his own blood. He replied, "She's drinking tea."