The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-459

Vladimir offered Calhoun a smile, "You said you knew me. You should know why I have her here. I wouldn't keep her here for some shitty reason like the dark angel's abilities."

"Paschar said otherwise," Calhoun responded, and the name of the angel was enough to have Vladimir roll his eyes, and he used his gifted abilities to test his grandson. The knives that were in the showcase that were hung on the wall, the outer glass broke into pieces, and they came flying at Calhoun to attack him.

Calhoun deflected them one after another, not knowing that the knives would rise from the ground and continue to attack him from all the sides. One knife went to pierce through his arm, and Vladimir looked pleased.

"I am Vladimir Lazarus, Calhoun," Vladimir introduced himself. When he pulled out the knife, blood dripped down from Calhoun's arm and he used the same thing to attack Vladimir. "The same tricks doesn't work on me. I heard you killed your mother."

Though Madeline had told Calhoun didn't have any other option but to kill Constance, Vladimir still wanted to find the truth through this boy's words. If this boy killed his daughter, Vladimir would not let it pass this easily, even if it meant Calhoun was his grandson. He would torture and kill Calhoun himself, thought Vladimir in his mind.

With both the men who were related to each other and the apple that fell right next to the tree, Calhoun said, "Yes, I killed her." All these years since the time of his mother's death, people had done nothing but blame him, telling how he was the one who had killed her while the people said how his father had committed a lesser sin by only throwing her out of the castle. "I twisted the muscles of her heart, and squashed it in my hands to see the life leave from her body."

Vladimir, who had been calm until now, his eyes flared suddenly, and the emotion of rage took over his face. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you," he snarled, and the air that was in the castle started to turn heavy before it turned as a fast-moving wind to shake the things around them. "Why did you kill her?"

Calhoun didn't know why this angel was interested in his mother's death. "Haven't you heard about keeping your nose out of matters that don't concern you?"

"It is why I have such a long nose. I am a curious being," Vladimir offered him a smile.

Back in the room where Madeline was with Odin, trying to open the lock, she went back to the table where the devices were present to pull out a wire and bringing it to the lock. But that didn't help either.

"Is there no way to get the door opened?"

"We can break it," Odin offered his suggestion, but he doubted his Master would be happy to have a broken door.

"Break it then," Madeline decided to take the route of damaging the wooden door, and Odin's eyes turned wide. "Right now!" she said with a frown.

Odin quickly went to pick up one of the larger devices and started to hit the doorknob for it to fall on the ground. Madeline opened the door to finally step out and she tried to search where Calhoun and Vladimir were right now.

The cave-like castle was something she had never seen before, as the walls were rocky and jagged, almost grey. Torches were placed on the walls, burning brightly that showed her the way through the empty corridors. When she turned around to see if Odin was with her, she realized he had disappeared. She didn't go back to find him but continued to walk down the long spiral stairs while searching where Calhoun was.

Time was scarce, but Vladimir wanted to get acquainted with his grandson, while Beth's life hung on a fragile thread.

Remembering something, her footsteps stopped. She wondered if this was the cave where the antidote existed. Did Vladimir know about it? Or did he possess it?

When Madeline did end up at the top of the other stairs to the hall, she caught sight of Calhoun and Vladimir, who were creating a mess below. Both of them continued fighting with each, trying to hit the other, and she wondered if the older vampire was only playing or if he was out to get Calhoun's blood on his hands.

She heard Vladimir question Calhoun, "You know I put your beloved's finger in the device to cut, and the finger fell."

This increased Calhoun's anger, and he picked up the knives that had earlier fallen on the ground. The metal started to heat up in his hand until it started to burn orange in colour. Not wasting a second, Calhoun's hands started to swipe the hot knives at Vladimir, and the older vampire finally received the cuts on his face and chest. But instead of this action demotivating Vladimir, feeling the cuts only increased his excitement.

Before Calhoun could sink the knife into Vladimir's eyes, Madeline shouted, "Wait!"

"Never lose attention," remarked Vladimir and he caught hold of the knife that was in Calhoun's hand. Twisting his grandson's hand, he pushed the knife straight into Calhoun's shoulder to hear Calhoun hiss in pain.

But Calhoun was not done. He picked up another knife, heating it up in his hand. Just when Vladimir turned to meet Madeline's eyes, Calhoun pushed the knife right into the devil's face, leaving a knife sticking out.

Madeline's eyes widened, and she quickly ran down the stairs, but the men were not done with each other. Calhoun's face was marred in anger while Vladimir looked as if he was enjoying his time.

Madeline looked around the room and caught sight of the glass pieces on the ground, the one thing she had been practicing. Before either of them could try to harm each other, she built the glass wall between them to have it broken again that left an impact, having both the men thrown back from their places.