The Kingdom of Owusu looks like a stunningly beautiful opera, draped in rivers, forests, and nature. As I get closer to the main castle, I can smell the sweet aroma of orange groves and crisp, fresh air. Everywhere I gazed, I saw an expansive sea of green trees that seemed to stretch for miles and miles.
Inanna and the other vampires join us as we move along. The dense woodlands provide a sense of security. The trees reach high in the sky and cast shade and shadows over the land. It might have been the reason Bryer chose this Kingdom to hide in–the cover it provides allows him to slip away without being noticed by unwelcome onlookers or listeners.
"Well, this is massive," Harbin whispers beside me. He insisted on coming, knowing the underground trove of books in Owusu.
"You are still only seeing stones, Harbin," I remark. He grins at me. I know he is excited about books alone.
As the portcullis lifts, granting us entrance into the fortress, my thoughts turn to Theo. It had been a week since I'd seen him. Since we have cleansed the mark, it did not cause me physical pain. Still, I miss him dearly.
We walk across the wide, circular courtyard. The black road leads to the tall, arched entrance of the castle. Two massive doors are set as the entrance, and a long staircase leads up to them. The new doorway has been carved into the wall of the old keep, which is overgrown with vines and brambles.
"Welcome to my home," Klevon whispers to me.
As we make our way up the staircase, Inanna stands by Ninus' side, and her eyes scan the hallways ahead of us as she whispers something in his ear. I look at Harbin beside me as he examines the walls ahead of us.
The staircase opens into a vast room with many windows at the far end, where the sunlight streams brightly. There are also wooden seats that can be seen at the end of the hall. I hear someone call out, "Prince Klevon!"
We see a group of people standing at the end of the hall, waving their hands at us as they call out again.
Klevon turns to me and whispers, "The King's subjects are here to greet me. They are all vassals."
"Vassals?" I frown as I ask him, "They are all soldiers here?"
"They are, but they are not all military officers," he says as he waves at them.
"Where is the King then?"
"Probably where the food is. My brother is a huge glutton."
When we enter the dining hall, I expect a fat King, but I see a huge, muscular man sitting at the end of the table. He looks a lot like Klevon. He is sitting with a young boy beside him who seems about five years old. The man has a broad face with a scruffy beard and mustache. His eyes are sparkling as he gazes at Inanna and me in awe.
Before we reach him, I whisper to Klevon, "I thought he was a huge glutton?"
"Ah! I also just remembered that besides the dining room, he spends most of his time outside. He likes to fight in the castle's arena."
When we finally reach their table, the king of Owusu stands up. His hair is messy, and he wears a white tunic over his black pants. He walks towards us and hugs Klevon. "My brother! It has been a long time."
"Indeed." Klevon chuckles. "I've brought with me Kaiya and the three vampires."
"Ah!" The King bows his head to me, and I curtsey before I greet him, "Nice to meet you, King Demarco."
"It's an honor to meet you, too." He looks at Inanna and says, "And a beautiful lady. I guess you are Lady Inanna, the Vampire Priestess?"
Inanna curtsies and bows her head to him before she replies, "Indeed. I am pleased to meet you too, King Demarco."
"Welcome to the Owusu Kingdom." He gestures for us to join him. And once seated, he turns to me and asks, "I hope my older brother is behaving?"
"Ahm, older brother?" I ask.
Harbin nudges my side and whispers, "Klevon is the eldest Owusu. King Demarco is the second child. I've told you before."
"Ah! Sorry," I bow my head to the king. "Of course, Klevon is behaving." I am just not sure what kind of behavior he is expecting.
"Good." King Demarco chuckles. "Because, tomorrow, the hunt for this Bryer-vampire will commence."
"Already?" I whisper to Harbin, to which he answers with a nod. "What are you going to do during that time?"
"King Demarco had given me access to their library here."
"But only the third level," the king interjects.
"How many levels are there?" I ask and try not to sound curious.
King Demarco grins at me as he points at the walls. "There are seven levels here in the main castle."
"That's a lot," Harbin murmurs beside me.
The king clears his throat before he continues. "The other seven levels are at our base in the city of Bae."
"There's more than that," Klevon interjects. "There are a couple more libraries spread across the Kingdom."
"Oh, okay." Harbin's eyes widen with glee while I feel a little overwhelmed. "I hope those are easy to get to?" he asks.
"Of course not." Klevon guffaws. "One thing Owusu is famous for is its inaccessibility. The amount of books here is massive. However, they are all around the Kingdom. Not a lot of readers would appreciate and take the effort of traveling back and forth to different locations."
"But I would like to read most of them," Harbin says. "So, take your time searching for this vampire. "
"Yes," Klevon agrees. "We will take all the time you want."
"Not too much time," Gezer says. "Else Bryer will slip us."
King Demarco claps his hands together once he has finished chewing his food. "Well, I hope you find the answers you are looking for."
"I'm sure we will," Harbin responds as he takes another bite of his food.
"We should retire early for today. Tomorrow will be a long day," the king remarks. "All the guest rooms have been prepared for the four of you. Brother Klevon, you can use your previous room."