Chapter 6: The Price of Arrogance

Bowen's POV continues...

The women trembled in my grasp, their bravado crumbling into pitiful pleas. "Don't, please don't," they begged, their voices shaking.

I tightened my grip slightly, ensuring they felt the power I held over them. "You speak of the princess as if she is beneath you, yet you cower and beg when faced with true strength. How pathetic."

Cassie whimpered, her eyes brimming with tears. "We didn't mean it," she stammered. "It was just talk."

"Just talk?" I echoed, my voice a low growl. "Your words have consequences. You seek to humiliate and destroy those who do not fit your narrow ideals. That ends now."

"We will not do it again," Marin pleaded, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and desperation.

I smiled a cold, sadistic smile that barely touched my eyes. "No need to promise. I'll make sure you never do it again."

Before they could react, I tore off their wings with such speed and precision that the pain didn't register immediately. Their bodies convulsed in shock, and as they reached back to touch their mutilated wings, they found their fingers smeared with purple blood. The magical nature of their beings caused the wounds to heal rapidly, but the wings themselves would never grow back.

Cassie's eyes filled with tears, her voice a choked whisper. "We're going to tell the authorities. They will hunt you down and kill you."

I laughed, a deep, menacing sound that filled the room. "Of course, we wouldn't want that to happen, would we?"

I reached out and grabbed Cassie by the neck, pulling her closer until our faces were mere inches apart. Her eyes widened in terror as she struggled against my grip. Marin made a desperate attempt to flee, but I caught her effortlessly, trapping her under my arm.

I stared into Cassie's eyes, my gaze boring into her very soul. "You will forget everything that has happened today. You will forget about the princess, and you will forget you ever met a vampire."

Cassie's resistance crumbled under the weight of my command. Her eyes glazed over, and she nodded numbly. "Yes," she whispered.

I released her, and she collapsed to the floor, her body limp and lifeless. Within moments, she began to snore softly, her mind wiped clean.

Marin, still trapped under my arm, watched in horror as her sister fell into a deep, enchanted sleep. Her eyes darted frantically to where Cassie lay unconscious, her body crumpled on the floor. "What have you done to my sister?" she demanded, her voice a mixture of fear and fury.

I smiled a predatory grin that promised nothing but pain. "Asking questions, are we? Now it's your turn."

Marin's eyes narrowed, her resolve hardening. "I will never let you do that to me," she said defiantly, closing her eyes as if to block out the inevitable.

"Either that or death," I replied coldly. "I hold no grudge to anyone." I leaned in, pressing my mouth to her neck, preparing to suck her blood.

She stiffened, then sniffed, a tear slipping down her cheek. "One day, you will pay for this."

I paused, meeting her gaze. "I was not the one who humiliated the princess."

Marin's eyes flashed with disdain. "The princess is a half-blood. She deserves every humiliation."

I felt a surge of anger but kept my voice steady. "She didn't choose her birth. If there's anyone to blame, it's the king, not his daughter."

Marin rolled her eyes, her contempt clear. "Why am I even talking to you? You're a monster, and one that doesn't understand the workings of the kingdom."

I tilted my head, considering her words. "Exactly. I don't understand the workings of the kingdom."

In a swift motion, I transformed into a large bird, my talons wrapping around Marin's slender form. Her scream of surprise was cut short as I burst through the window, shattering the glass and sending shards flying into the night. I soared high into the sky.

When I reached a certain altitude, I stopped, holding Marin suspended in the air. She squirmed in my grasp, her eyes wide with terror.

"What do you think you are doing?" she cried, her voice barely audible over the rush of wind.

I stared at her blankly. Couldn't she see what was about to happen?

"Please, don't do it," Marin begged, her voice breaking. "Let us make a bargain. I will allow you to do to me what you did to Cassie. Just take me back to my house and we can start over."

I crowed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Too late."

With that, I released her. Her scream echoed through the night as she plummeted towards the ground. Other fairies flying nearby tried to catch her, but she fell too quickly. She hit the ground with a sickening thud, her body exploding on impact.

I looked down at the mangled remains, a mix of purple blood and shattered bones. I had warned her, but the foolish fairy couldn't hold her tongue. Satisfied, I flew away, leaving the chaos and panic below me.