The Dragon King's Heart

The firefighter was about to protest again. All Laina had to do was raise her index finger. 

"I will not repeat myself again," she said sternly. 

At that moment, an explosion occurred. All the glass windows shattered as the fire grew stronger. It was like a beast attempting to claw its way out of the shophouse.

Laina did not flinch. She did not move. She was still looking straight at the firefighter. Realizing she meant what she said, the firefighter raised both hands and retreated back as the others did the same. 

Laina turned her attention back to the raging fire. She now stood just a few meters away from the front door. She was unafraid. In fact, the crackled and splintering she could hear helped her to keep calm. 

Laina held out both hands. Her fingers were fully extended, palm facing the fire. She took in a deep breath, feeling the lick of the heat on her skin as she closed her eyes. 

"Devour," she muttered beneath her breath. 

A small black hole formed before her open palms. The flames that had swallowed the shophouse whole were immediately sucked into the black hole. Within a matter of seconds, the flames disappeared into Laina's palm. 

All that was left was smoke, burnt wood, and ashes. In the blink of an eye, the fire that had lit up the dark night sky vanished instantly. Everyone was too stunned to speak. All of them simply stood there in awe, in shock at what they had just witnessed. 

Neil and the children cheered. The fire had finally been extinguished. Seeing as the fire was no more, the residents who had gathered to watch cleared out. Laina turned back to greet the others. 

"Miss Laina, you're amazing!" Rosie squealed with joy as she ran up and leaped into her arms. 

The other children came running up to her too. They had seen Laina use her magic during the renovation of the shophouse but this was unlike anything they had ever seen her do. 

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At this time the firefighters and police communicated what had happened. Margaret, Marius, Kol, and Florin caught up with Laina and the children. 

"Kol, Florin, you're back," Laina greeted them warmly with a smile. 

"Looks like you've been busy," Kol said as he gave Laina a side hug. 

"That is an understatement," Laina chuckled.

With the way they were exchanging glances at one another, Laina knew Margaret and Marius must have asked Kol and Florin if they knew about the curse that Dante had. She did not know what information they had shared amongst themselves, but she knew what she had to do. 

"It looks like we have a lot to talk about," Laina said cryptically as she glanced at them. 

The shophouse was in ruins, burnt to the ground. Since it was no longer a livable space, Laina insisted that the children came live with her in the forest. Without any other options, they agreed. 

They salvaged what they could and made their way through the forest. The police needed time to investigate what had happened, so they got to do their work. However, Laina was a little skeptical of their capabilities. 

"I'll keep watch, Laina," Florin offered as soon as he heard about his worries. 

As such, the vampire remained in Luzernia to make his own investigations. 

The children were nervous as they made their way through the forest. None of them had been so deep in, having been warned of the dangers of venturing in alone. When they came upon the mansion, all of them were floored. 

"Here we are!" Laina exclaimed with a smile as they entered the front yard through the gate. 

She turned around to see the surprised looks on all of the children's faces. 

"Miss Laina, you own this place?" Rosie asked as she looked beyond her at the building behind her. 

"Yes," Laina replied, "Now, I know it isn't very big but do not worry. We have enough space for everyone."

Neil furrowed his eyebrows, "This is the biggest house I've ever seen."

The other children agreed. When Laina told them she was living in the forest, they expected a quaint little cottage amongst the bushes and trees. None of them were expecting a mansion. 

After giving them a tour of the space, Laina assigned the children rooms and places to sleep and told them to settle down. Then, she left them to do so while gathering the others to have a word with them. 

Marius, Margaret, Kol, and Laina sat down in the dining room. As they took their seat, Laina got straight to the point. She first turned to Kol. 

"Has Margaret asked you about the elixir?" she asked. 

Kol nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?" Margaret asked her.

Laina folded her arms. She leaned back in her seat as she met Margaret in the eyes. 

"Shouldn't I be asking that of you instead?" she snapped back. 

Margaret bit the inside of her cheek. She did not have a good answer for Laina. There was only the truth.

"If did not expect you to have found a solution. Telling you would have only hurt you," Margaret confessed, "Dante also made us swear not to tell you."

Laina slammed her hand down on the table. Everyone jolted in their seats. No one dared to speak. Laina rarely got angry. This was unlike her. 

"That is not an excuse!" Laina exclaimed as she pointed her finger at Margaret, "I trusted you, Margaret. I trusted you and you kept this from me?!" 

Marius defended Margaret, "It's not her fault. She was just trying to protect you-"

"Do you think I don't know that?" Laina snapped back at Marius. 

He held his tongue. 

"If I didn't find out about this, were you going to keep me in the dark forever?"

"Yes."

"Until he dies in my arms?" Laina asked coldly, "Until I put a knife through my own heart to be with him? Perhaps then you might think of telling me?"