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THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 66
Ivan was yelling directions to the gathering of vampires we would leave with on our most recent mission when I tracked down him. They numbered somewhat north of 100. He had made them wear and initiate their following groups so we could constantly tell where they were. He was causing them to remember the names of each other when I strolled into the field. "He's most likely going to deliver that discourse about battling for the endurance of the individual standing right close to you rather than battling for the whole local area you left back home," I thought. That discourse generally supported the spirits of our fighters as a matter of course. I began lifting my hands to shout to him when I abruptly felt unmistakable fear and fear smash into me and go through my body. It seemed like my body was engrossing floods of dread, and as I multiplied over rapidly, I got Ivan grimacing and hurrying towards me. "What is befalling me?" I thought, I'd never felt this apprehensive. Then my eyes broad
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 67
He went on to tell his story:When we were young, we lived in the same village together.Another child played with us in the forest, and our families lived next to each other.Maura Miroslav, a young girl.She was a very pretty child who became an absolutely stunning adult.Naturally, she was seduced by Valerian, and shortly after they turned sixteen, they got married.They were the adored couple in the town.They were viewed as models for their unions by everyone.They were, in fact, the best of friends.Because of her birthmark on her wrist, fortune tellers and spirit guides would advise them that the universe bound them together.As I gulped and inquired, "What was the birthmark?" I felt a chill slide down my spine.As he pointed at my wrist, his mouth corner curled into a crooked smile.Like the one that is engraved on your skin, the letters M and V are intertwined.My heart sank as I gently massaged the wound.I knew this story wasn't going to be very good for me.He continued, folding his h
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 68
I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly through my mouth. “Moment of truth”, I thought as I placed my hands on the doorknob and turned it slowly. The door creaked open to show a very dark room. I walked in, shut the door behind me, found the light switch and flicked it on.I gasped aloud in shock.The room was a shrine to a woman that could have been my identical twin. Everything was in pristine condition, and I concluded that even though it had no living occupant, the room was cleaned several days in a week. The bed was made and a woman’s day dress had been laid out on the bed. There were dozens of photos on the walls, and on her dressing table, memories of a life brutally taken. There was a photo of Maura astride a horse, and in it the wind was blowing her wild red hair into her face. There was a photo of her laughingly kissing Valerian as her green eyes reflected her love for him, and in yet another photo her face was turned towards the sun.As soon as I entered Valerian's vaul
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 69
"Catelyn, watch out!"A rogue vampire tackled me to the ground before I could prepare for the attack.As I tried to kick him off of me, I wiggled underneath him while holding him back with my forearms.My thoughts became clouded with fear as his large, white fangs snatched at me like a ferocious dog.I had no idea how to get out of this.I could no longer stop the rogue from biting me.He was much more aggressive and powerful than I was.Already, I could feel my body becoming less strong.It was entirely my fault that I was going to die here.As instructed, I should have rushed to the safe room immediately."Shut her up!"Rafael barked.Rafael then ascended to his full height, closed his eyes, and began chanting words that sounded like spells as I struggled to keep the rogue's fangs from piercing my skin.Although I was unable to understand what he was saying, I could feel its force breaking apart around me like ocean waves.When Rafael first started the incantations, he was weak, but within min
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 70
"Where is Catelyn!" you ask.Through my extended fangs, I growled."I told her to hurry over to the safe!"As his fear caused him to collide with the ground, he raised his hands in surrender.My sword's tip was aimed at his throat.You ought to ask God to keep her safe!As I sniffed the air for Catelyn's scent, he shook beneath the blade.She had a faint scent, as though she were deeper inside the property or even underground.Underground.While I was in a state of panic, the memory of the recognition snapped.She is in the dungeon with one of the most perilous rogue vampires I have ever encountered.Why didn't she just do what was told to her?Her stubborn mind just couldn't seem to understand that everything that was ever asked of her was for her safety.Ivan sped ahead of me as I rushed through the castle grounds.My army protected us as we made our way to the dungeon by destroying any rogues that got in our way.I prayed that the monster wouldn't harm my lovely bride and that Catelyn would
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 71
I shook my head and tried hard to focus. As far as I was concerned, in these past few minutes Rafael had accomplished a lot more than Valerian had in all the months I’d spent with him. He had saved my life, but it seems that his efforts had only earned him heavier chains and subduing spells. I sighed. Too much had happened in just the span of a few hours and I didn’t know if I could bear it all.When Dragos summoned Valerian to his chambers, I had been so saddened at the thought of him leaving me. I remembered how his summons had made me feel, but I looked at him now and I couldn’t hide my disgust. He had just hurt me badly, physically and emotionally. What had he gained by lying to me about his past? This was not just about some girl he spent a few nights with. Valerian had deliberately withheld information from me about his wife. The claw marks on my arm were healed but the muscles underneath my arm still throbbed in pain. I didn’t care whether Ivan or any of the guards were within
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 72
I debated if I should just run away and take my chances out in the human world. The only thing that was holding me back from leaving was the fact that rogue vampires were hunting me, and I didn’t know how to defend myself. Maybe I could find a witch coven who could teach me how to use my powers and then send me on my way. Who was I kidding? I probably wouldn’t get far without Valerian tracking me down. He would kill every creature who stood in his path until he found me. I guess I should have been impressed and appreciated his perseverance.Valerian held my gaze for a moment before his supernatural speed banished him from my sight. I exhaled a deep breath as I felt my eyes swell with tears. They were hot as they slid down my cheeks. I felt so alone and lost, and I missed how perfectly everything was going before his secret divided us. I felt empty and despondent as if I were trapped in a tragic nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from. I needed someone to talk to about my feelings, but
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 73
I sighed, left the window, and began to prepare to visit Rafael down in the dungeons. My visits to his cell had helped me remain sane because he freely shared his thoughts and we talked about practically everything. I kept those visits hidden from Valerian and Ivan, but I wasn’t stupid. I had stolen enough blood bags from the kitchen downstairs to warrant a report to Valerian. I didn’t really care. I’d already decided to fess up whenever he confronted me about it, but not a moment before. I dressed quickly, went down to the refrigerator downstairs, and fetched some more blood for Rafael.Then I marched off in the direction of the dungeons. On getting there, I found Rafael to be good company as always. Talks of the day we had met and Valerian’s inadequacies both as a husband-to-be and as a host were no longer routinely discussed in these visits. I had made it clear that I was fed up with that line of questioning, and those days Rafael found new mind power challenges for me instead.I s