The Dark Warlock: The Nox Haven Series

Prologue: The Dark Warlock

"Love gives you pleasure and love gives you pain. And yet, when both are gone, love will still remain."- Love Never Dies

Roberto's POV:

A broken amulet.

That was all I had to remember her by. The paintings had been burnt, her dresses were sold but I couldn't bring myself to throw away a mere necklace. Though it was a feminine piece of jewelry, I always worse it under my clothes- close to my heart. My chest heaved as I drew in ragged breaths. Heart-breaking memories flashed before my eyes. A woman in a scarlet gown- a forbidden kiss- a shattered heart- and a war caused by him. It had been years since I last revisited those memories, the details were fading. I didn't remember how she beautiful she looked when she smiled or how she how lovely her voice sounded when she whispered sweet words to me but I did remember the love I felt from her. It was a shame, I could never return it.

The sweet, savory aroma of blood assaulted my senses when I entered my personal blood bank. Soft golden hues of light filled the room when I lit the candelabra. Wax dropped onto my pale skin, I stared at it for a moment, reminiscing the times when that would have hurt. My eyes cascaded over to the wall of vials, each vial contained a smidgen of blood from the most powerful witches and warlocks in the world- but only one vial truly mattered. The one filled with Caddie Böse's blood.

My fingers grazed over the cool glass of the vials. When warmth exploded through my fingertips, I knew that I had found the right vial. I wasted no time freeing it from it's restraints, and carrying it over to my desk. Tattered scrolls and various leather bound books sat on my desktop. They were covered in a fine layer of dust, it had been years since I had last used them. I wasn't even positive that my plan would work, there was a very good chance I was opening old wounds for no reason.

Turning the vial over in my fingers, I eyed the dark red liquid- it was so strange how just a tiny amount of blood could change my life. In a haste to save her people, Caddie Böse turned over the final piece of my masterplan. Popping the cork, I sucked every last drop of her blood until it was nothing more than a faint taste in my mouth. Unlike other vampires who drank from Dark Ones, I knew I wouldn't face any repercussions. Her blood was my blood, in a way.

Heat rushed through my veins, my breathing grew ragged as I tried to control the explosive power. Sparks flew from fingertips. Gusts of wind carried my decaying scrolls throughout the room. In the distant I could hear thunder crash and a child cry. It was like the universe was welcoming me back. That small dose of blood had awakened my magic from its slumber.

"Lord Acosta?"

The door creaked open revealing, my second in command- Nigel. He had been a terrible man during his mortal years, slaughtering innocent people just for the fun of it. He was absolutely despicable. Perhaps that was I liked him so much. In the past, he had always aided me in combat. Never once did he question my psychotic plans. There was no other man that could match his brutality, apart from me. He was the only person I could truly call a friend which why I had to get rid of him as soon as possible. Making a flippant gesture with my wrist, I watched with a growing fascination as his head popped off his head with a sickening crunch.

"Adios Señor Nigel, may you rot in a special place in hell," I purred.

I summoned my only true friend, the demon hidden in my soul. A black flame erupted from palm as the demon took control. Gripping my late Adeline's amulet in one hand, I placed the flame next to her the ruby in the necklace. Instead of incinerating into oblivion, the amulet fed from my power. It inhaled the flame in its entirety. The pulsing ruby hung from the gold chain, looking seemingly innocent. Nobody would believe that a simple necklace could warp the fabric of time and send someone tumbling into the past. I tucked the amulet into the pocket of my waist coat and moved onto more pressing matters.

There was one last token of the past that I needed to take with me. I searched through each scroll and loose piece of paper until I finally found the one I was looking for. The paper was nearly as old as me, but unlike me, it had been badly affected by time. The edges were brown and good chunks of it had been torn away- but the black ink refused to fade.

Two hundred years of Darkness shall be brung by the one male heir and his army of Dark Ones. In that time the magical world will slowly fall apart. No white witch or warlock will be able to match their powers. Only one girl- a child of the male heir, half-human half-witch will be able to put an end to the madness. She will put an end of all black magic by taking it out at the source.

I dreaded every new year, waiting for my own descendant to come and ruin everything I worked for. There were nights when I would slaughter a thousand innocents because the thought of that repugnant child had entered my mind. But now- I needed her. I was tired of my life as a vampire. Mistakes from past were always coming back to haunt me. I needed a chance to go back and change my fate, to become the fearsome leader I always aspired to be. But in order to go back and do that, I needed her to call forth the power of the amulet.

I wish I had the strength to do it myself but the power from her blood was already slipping away. Caddie would follow her destiny, she had a heart made of gold and a moral compass that never broke. It sickened me knowing somebody as good as she was a blood relative of mine. But her morality would only be temporary. If everything were to go according to plan, she would never even exist.

Black smoke wrapped around my body. I welcomed my old friend, the darkness, as it teleported me far away from my shabby castle in Romania. A smile almost cracked my stony mask, when I saw the charred remains of Nox Haven Academy. So many sordid memories happened there. Those memories had tore me apart, fueling the raging fire within my soul. There were so many times I dreamed of seeing it in ruins, but those were only dreams. Never could I have imagined that it would happen, and by a mutt no less.

The phone in my pocket buzzed in patiently. Pulling if out, I briefly checked the caller ID before allowing the call. There was only one person I allowed myself to confide- it was the only person who knew how I felt.

"Your mutt is dead, mi hija. I can't imagine how happy you to get him off of your back."

A chuckle sounded from the other end, "Yes, I am glad. My only regret was that I didn't kill him myself."

"I wish he would have cleaned up after himself. There are so many untrained Dark Ones running around. They are beside themselves. I trust that you'll train them."

There was a pause. "I thought you were going to take over the armies. They are your armies, you were the only started this."

I smirked. "Child that was two hundred years ago. Times have changed," I dropped my voice into a whisper, "At least they will be soon."

"What do you mean?"

Shaking my head, I cleared my mind of all of those thoughts. "Nothing. I can't train any Dark Ones until my powers are restored. Once I'm free from vampiric state, I will take control."

A loud gasp came from the other caller. "How do you plan on doing that? Cameron Ross had to die to lose his wolf. Vampires don't die!"

I snickered and reached in my coat pocket. Taking the amulet and scroll from jacket, I scowered the ruins for a good hiding place until I found a followed pillar. I stuffed my treasures into the belly of the pillar and returned to the phone call.

"Time will only tell, mi hija." I clicked the end call button before another word could be said. Caddie Böse was the only girl in the world who could bend everything to her will, even time. She was my key to unlocking my dreams.

This time, I told myself, I will do things differently. This time I will be King.

**First Part of Book 3!!! I hope you guys like this, I'm sure it is confusing but I promise all questions will be answered. Also, I am sooo sorry about it being unedited. I've been very excited to get the time to finish this prologue, you wouldn't believe how busy I've been recently. But tell me what you think, I always love reading your comments. I hope you guys are having a good summer, thank you for all your support!!
XOXO,
Ro.**