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THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 104
I shook my head and tried to convince myself that he had to be wrong.“This is bigger than you and I, now,” Valerian said in resignation. “The truth is that you are our last chance of defeating Dragos and putting an end to all this. And if I have to give myself up to see that done, so be it.”Alma had been holding onto Aleksei all this while and she had been watching our reactions closely. She looked equal parts amused and bored at our exchange. Just before I launched another plea at Valerian, she interjected with a low hum.The song she hummed to sounded dark and as she steadily increased her tempo, the air seemed to come alive. I heard the fluttering of wings somewhere to the right and to the left, echoes of her hum reverberated intensely. Rafael and Valerian looked at each other and tried to communicate without speaking. My eyes were locked onto Alma’s who began to cackle at our obvious discomfort.“I’m glad that now I finally have your attention.” She smirked. “As entertaining as
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 105
“I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to be trapped for the sake of me,” I whispered before I kissed the back of his arm.He exhaled through his nose as he glanced over his shoulder at me. “Don’t you get it by now? I will do anything for you. I would give up my life if it ensured you would live forever.” He turned around and embraced me in his arms. “I can handle whatever Alma throws at me.”I deeply sighed as I buried my face into his chest. “I will stand by you through it all,” I promised.He pinched my chin and lifted my lips to his. He gently kissed me, and I melted from his taste. Our souls collided together as my heart filled with the warmth of his love. I wished that we could just go back home and live our lives quietly together, but there were still more issues for us to face in the near future. Those problems that we faced concerning the King were not over yet. We still had a major battle before us and, if we lost, the world would end.Suddenly, Valerian quickly relea
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 106
I pulled her to me and I kissed her on the lips. Slowly at first, and then more intensely as I deepened the kiss. I felt her initial surprise fall away as she opened her mouth and let me in. I kissed her with all the fears and worries I felt, hoping that underneath all that, she would feel the steady flow of my love and eternal devotion to her. I kissed her breathless. Like I would never kiss her again.When our lips finally drew apart, I held her face in my palms. “Mire, please remember this. You have nothing to worry about. If Dragos ever took hold of my mind, you would always have my heart. I swear this on my love for you.”Despite Vale’s words, I still walked towards Dragos’ lair with a heavy heart. I knew that whatever we would face, we would do it together, but his words weren’t as comforting as he thought they should be. I tightened my grip on his arm.“What should I expect of the lair?” I asked. Vale’s hand tightened on mine. He took a moment to answer, and I watched the pensi
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 107
Dragos sat leisurely, one leg crossed over the other, swirling a goblet of blood like it was a fine wine.Valerian knelt before Dragos’s throne and bowed so low that his forehead touched the floor. He had gone completely silent once we passed the army of vampires outside. And now Valerian was so still that he could have been a kneeling statue. “Is this a sire-bond thing?” I thought. Well if it was, I wanted no part in it. I decided right then that I would not be bowing down before the tyrant whose blood flowed through my veins. I folded my hands across my chest, raised my chin high, and stood facing the man who had raped my mother. Once I made my decision, I sensed Valerian reaching out to my mind through our bond. He prodded and nudged the thoughts in my head apart gently until he secured the space he needed to plant his.“Mire,” he said inside my head, “please don’t do this. Kneel down and bow to Dragos. It’s only a bow my love, think of it as respect for his position. It doesn’t ha
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 108
The world went dark, whether for moments or eons, I did not know. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t as a sharp pain stabbed through my head. I lay there for a few seconds more before trying to open my eyes again. I assessed what had happened.I had crashed into a fluted marble pillar, and it felt as if my ribs were cracked. Breathing caused pain throughout my torso. I was still seeing spots and had the wind knocked out of me. I lay on the floor for a little while, still in a daze. I could hear a chorus of laughter from the King’s audience. I looked up from where I lay and found Valerian. His eyes were riveted to me, and his face was a rictus of anger.“Valerian,” I gasped, wiping blood from my mouth, “please help me.” I could feel his angst and his despair as he struggled against his sire bond with the king. The effort he was putting in was easily felt through my bond to him. He was doing everything in his power to reach me, but he couldn’t. I felt guilt and remorse as he apolog
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 109
Dragos fell to his knees cradling his head in both palms. He turned a little red in the face and groaned in pain. But I wasn’t done. I needed him to feel a great deal of the pain he has caused me these past few years, even if it was only a fraction. “What a cruel hand fate has dealt me,” I thought, “that I was conceived as a consequence of Dragos’ rape.”Dragos had gleefully taken my mother from me and had shamelessly taunted me all evening. Even when she was still alive, he had denied me of her love and warmth, because by being born I was a walking reminder of the rape and abuse that she had gone through under Dragos. I might have just met him for the first time in my life, but I’d been tormented by his shadow since the beginning. And now, he had hurt Valerian. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Valerian straining to reach the sword behind his back. His eyes were closed, his face was contorted in pain, and he was biting down hard on his lips. His hands were very close to the hil
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 110
Suddenly, a woman appeared in front of me. She wore a long white gown and a ray of sunlight beamed behind her. I tried to shake the image. I assumed she was a figment of my imagination. I must have had a concussion from my head colliding with the concrete floor.“Get up,” she leaned forward and demanded.“Who are you?” I snapped as I felt an intense pain sting my ribs.“I’m the spirit of Annora. Now enough questions! You need to get out of here now!” she shouted as her eyes flashed a glowing emerald green.“I can’t leave Valerian.”“He would want you safe! Dragos cannot get our magic! Do not risk your life for a meaningless vampire!” she scolded as the light around her transitioned into a blazing fire.“He is not meaningless!” I snapped, quickly gaining strength. “He is my soulmate, and I will die without him!” I leaped to my feet.She shook her head as she pursed her lips. “Then, we are doomed.” She vanished into thin air and a rogue appeared in her place.The vampire lunged at me an
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 111
Valerian probably heard my thoughts, because screams echoed through the walls one more time. I felt it wash over me again, and it returned some part of the courage I had lost. I kicked my legs again, harder this time. I fought back as much as I could, but the four guards eventually made the turn Dragos had made. From the upside-down position of my head, I saw the door to the room open as we approached. I reached out to Valerian through our bond, showing him a clear image of where I was.“This is it, Vale,” I thought. “You were the greatest love of my life, and I cannot tell you what that has meant to me.”Valerian screamed again.I closed my eyes as they carried me into the room. The lights were out and the room was illuminated only by the glow of a glass goblet, magically suspended mid-air. There was a raised marble platform directly beneath the goblet, and the guards pulled me on top of it. They nailed down my hands and legs to secure me firmly, and Dragos walked over to forcefully