Chapter 3

“Bear with it a little more. Half a day and all will fine,” Gwi consoled the trembling in his embrace Hye Ryeong in a low voice. He calculated that in a half a day it would be daylight, and before the day changes, he must bring back two royal servants.

Suddenly Gwi knitted his eyebrows, as he raised his eyes to face the entrance to the underground palace. As expected, Kim Sung Yeol and Lee Yoon came.

“Release the Queen!” Lee Yoon commanded Gwi.

“Today you die!” Kim Sung Yeol pulled out the Hawthorn Blade, and headed for Gwi.

Gwi pushed Hye Ryeong aside, and started to fight with Kim Sung Yeol.

“My Queen,” Lee Yoon called out as he went to support Hye Ryeong to her feet.

It’s …blood…Hye Ryeong’s eyes though tired and weak but became red, as she waited for Lee Yoon to gradually come closer to her. Suddenly she stood up and pushed herself to him.

“No!” Just when she was about to bite Lee Yoon, Gwi pulled Hye Ryeong away. Half a day has yet to pass; he couldn’t allow Hye Ryeong to drink blood, otherwise she would lose her consciousness.

“My…My Queen?” Looking at the already turned into a vampire Hye Ryeong, Lee Yoon was very shaken.

“Your Highness, she’s no longer your queen. She’s been bitten!” Kim Sung Yeol told Lee Yoon calmly. “Killing her would be saving her!”

Lee Yoon decided, and with tears in his eyes, he raised his rifle and aimed at Hye Ryeong. In an instant, Gwi placed Hye Ryeong behind him, protecting her, making the silver bullet hit his left chest. At the same time, Kim Sung Yeol came attacking him with the Hawthorn blade.  In the midst of fighting, Gwi had to protect the recently turned and still weak vampire Hye Ryeong, so distraction was inevitable. Watching the blade strike towards the confused Hye Ryeong, Gwi grabbed onto the knife’s edge, causing fresh blood to flow down his arm. Using his other arm, Gwi held onto Hye Ryeong and fled from the underground palace.

***

He had to flee faster; the day was breaking soon. Before it does, he had to find a place to hide. He had no care for the immense pain in his palm and chest, as he held Hye Ryeong and ran for their lives in the forest.

They finally reached an abandoned stone house before dawn. The house was not too big. It was great that it was empty, besides a few hay, there was nothing else. The cave was fairly spacious, where one of the walls’ cracks revealed a faint ray of light, making the house that got no direct sunlight, still not too dark.

Gwi sank to ground as he still emb