That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King’s Slave Mate Novel

Chapter 324: "I'm so sorry," Vladya croaked. "Those are the only words I have. I am so, so sorry."

"You stupid, selfish piece of shit." Daemonikai struggled to break free, but Vladya's grip only tightened. "Let go of me, now. I'll knock some sense into you if I have to."

"I'm just so exhausted," Vladya whispered, his voice quivering as he laid his dead heart bare. "Look at me, Daemon. I've walked this earth for four millennia, yet I've never truly known what a bond feels like. The joy of having my own mate, of watching her swell with our child, of sharing the agony and ecstasy of childbirth. I am ancient, yet without lineage. I've never heard the innocent cry of my own blood, never been called 'papa,' never watched my offspring grow. That joy… I can never have that."

Daemonikai's body remained stiff as a board. "Some nights, I lay awake, and I can barely breathe from the pain," Vladya's voice broke. "I envy Zaiper at times. He never craved any of this, and thus, he lives his best life. He's older, yet his mind is as clear as day, his life fulfilling."

"Zaiper is a vile, twisted little asshat-"

"The longing within me… it has existed for over three thousand years," Vladya said, tears cascading down his cheeks and dampening Daemonikai's shoulder. "I live an empty life, Daemon. My beast and I are separated. It's like losing a limb. It's gone."

"Rogue, filling my mind with darkness, lashing out when ignored. I've lost myself, Daemonikai. I lost who I was long ago. Now, I just want to rest."

"What about me?" Daemonikai's voice was ragged. "You have me. I'm here. Broken and all, I'm still here. Why would you rest when I'm still fighting? And who told you mating is impossible? So what if millennia have passed? It can still happen."

"It cannot."

"What the hell does that even mean?" Daemonikai demanded, frustrated.

"My soul… it's gone."

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The silence that followed was a living entity, thick and oppressive. Daemonikai went so rigid that Vladya feared he might snap. "If this is a joke, it's not a very funny one." Vladya took a deep, steadying breath.

When Daemonikai made another move to pull away, Vladya finally released him. His friend stepped back, green eyes ablaze with the fires of dread, and a flicker of panic.

"Attempt another joke, V.D.," Daemonikai said, in a desperate plea. "This one really lost its humor."

"When Tiara was dying, I tried to make an exchange." He paused. "Hav'zie de Baah."

A series of emotions flickered across Daemonikai's face-shock, pity, disbelief. He struggled for words, his mouth agape, then snapped shut without a sound.

"But you know how unreliable, dangerous, and dark those spells are!" his friend exploded. "We outlawed them for a reason, you and I. We made that decision, remember? What the hell were you thinking, Vladya Theriozydovkar Skyvakto?"

"Not the full name," Vladya grumbled, almost amused. He might have smiled if he wasn't certain Daemonikai would throttle him for it. His friend was beyond furious.

"How could you!?" Daemonikai roared, the veins in his neck pulsing. "How could you do something like that, dammit! You should have turned a blind eye! You should have resisted! No matter how tempting it was, you should have held it in!"

"I wanted to save her!" A primal roar of his own filled the room. "I was prepared to save her by any means necessary, soul be damned! I never even gave it a second thought. So what if I lost the most important part of my being? So what if I am severed from my beast? So what if I start to lose my sanity? Tiara would be here, my bondmate would be with me, and I would still be bonded. The loneliness, the darkness, would disappear. So what if I lost my soul if I could get my greatest desire!?"

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