Chapter 150: A wooden spiky stick made of Life Tree.
Daniella bowed her head, her pleading gaze sliding toward Ren. This Queen had already done more than she deserved, it was her turn to bear the cost of her past.
Ren wrestled with herself, torn between instinct and reason. She wanted to say no. But in the end, she gave in.
Yet the thought of leaving Daniella alone with Victor? That, she couldn’t allow it.
"Go ahead. I’ll let you try it," Ren permitted, though she never said she’d let the girl face him alone.
"Thank you, My Queen."
Daniella pointed to the mahogany table. "A spiked stick made of wood... made from the Tree of Life, they say."
They were still in their places.
"The stick was in Deagara’s Throne hall, hovering in the air. It’s heavily guarded, and vampires swarm around it. Victor called it a holy relic. They revered it. But on our way out of that frozen castle, I saw something, a carving etched into a stone slate fallen in the messy courtyard. A note was beneath it. The snow had just been brushed away by the wind, so Victor didn’t realize I saw it. Maybe he didn’t know it was there."
She paused, noticing how intently they were listening now.
"I always wondered why they kept that sacred stick near the throne instead of hiding it. Then I got my answer. One of the human kings used it to stab a Vampire Lord through the heart. The note said, ’May the Tree of Life wipe the filth from our soil.’ That’s when I realized Victor had lied to me. But I... I was foolish enough to ignore it."
She finished with her head bowed, still kneeling.