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THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 92
I believed Rafael to be correct.I felt uneasy and restless as a result of my nightmares.I had become increasingly unable to control my emotions and focus due to the almost daily summonses from Dragos that Valerian received.I cracked my knuckles and shook my head.Thinking about the chaos that the witches who had raised Rafael had predicted was pointless.What can I do right now to make a difference?If I wasn't even in tune with my mind and body enough to let my fears fade into the background, how else could I prevent my father from seizing control and disrupting the equilibrium of the universe?Rafael's face lit up in a big smile as I started to circle him.Worrying about the present or the future is pointless.Although my connection to the Emerald Tablet may have an impact on the universe's fate, neither I nor anyone else can alter the past.Because it had not yet occurred, worrying would also have no effect on the future.All I could really do was control my present by ensuring my feeling
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 93
I arrived on top of him.Despite my efforts to knock him down, my breasts heaved because my legs were still encircling him.Rafael's eyes became hazy, and when a drop of sweat fell onto his lips from the tip of my nose, his tongue flicked out and slowly licked it."Do you yield?"My words sounded a lot like a moan, and I said them.Ivan ran in when the training door opened before anything else did.Given our compromising position, his face frozen and his jaw dropped.When Ivan saw Rafael and me in our current position, his eyes pierced into me.Because I was straddling him and we were only wearing our clothes, it must have looked like we were about to have an affair.As my eyes raced between Rafael and Ivan, I stuttered.I rapidly jumped off Rafael as I surged towards Ivan.As my heart began to race with fear, I quickly stated, "It's not what it looks like."Ivan scoffed and folded his arms across his chest.Are you certain of that?”He asked sarcastically as he nodded in Rafael's direction.R
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 94
Not at all.I can feel them.I simply need to locate a trail.We are going to your childhood home for this reason.I was able to identify the person responsible for their kidnapping from smells.It will speed up my tracking.Before giving me a kiss, he leaned in and rubbed his thumb across my lips.“What if I—?” He interrupted me.Never say it at all.You are aware that I will not permit you to offer yourself in return for Balrus.To show his disapproval, he shook his head.Without Dragos discovering your powers, we will get him back.“Okay.”“Stop it.Let's get started.We can't sit around."As he led me to his car, I gave him my nod.I was agitated on our journey back to my human home, despite Valerian's best efforts to reassure me that Balrus was safe.With Ivan, Rafael, Natalie, Hunter, and the three brothers, we left the mansion.In the event that the King sent for him while we were away, which is highly likely, Valerian also gave his other guards strict instructions.Under no circumstances wer
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 95
Valerian’s handprints were engraved in the steering wheel as his knuckles turned white from his grip. He exhaled with frustration as I recoiled against the passenger door with bulging eyes. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he pursed his lips. The black veins in his neck throbbed as he became consumed in jealousy, or so I assumed.“Mire, I know nothing happened. I trust you.” He stayed facing forward, unable to look at me or release his grasp. “It’s just hard given my past with Rafael. Even though I know you didn’t do anything wrong, seeing you like that with him still hurts. He manipulated you into developing feelings for him once before. I couldn’t handle it if it were to happen again.”I felt my heart shatter from his statement. I had put him through so much pain, intentionally and unintentionally, and yet he still trusted me. He was just afraid to lose me.I gently reached for him and slowly pried his hands from the steering wheel. I interlocked his fingers with mine and brought
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 96
“No! I will spend time with Mirela as much as I like, and you won’t stop me! I don’t know why you are so hateful to her, but I will not be like you! If anyone in this house is evil, it is the both of you!” Our parents recoiled in their seats as our mother gasped with offense. I couldn’t help but to feel victorious in that moment. Their plan was to turn Aleksei against me, but it had backfired. My brother had a pure heart filled with kindness. He never judged anyone for the way they looked, and he never listened to gossip that his classmates spread about the weird kids in his class. He always befriended them. I couldn’t allow someone as precious as Aleksei be tortured at the hands of Dragos. He didn’t deserve that kind of ending to his life, and I prayed that the spirits were watching over him.I spoke to the universe as I glared out the passenger window. Please don’t let anything bad happen to Aleksei. Please. This is all my fault, so take me instead. Take my life instead of his.The
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 97
Valerian read my mind. “There is no sign of either of them. It seems they were taken for questioning, and the only good news is that we can assume that they are still alive.”I nodded and felt a lump in my throat. “Probably not for long. Their fates will be sealed once Dragos discovers that they really have no magic.”“They will be tortured, Mire,” Valerian said, “and we can also assume, that at some point, they will break and give up your name. We need to get out of here quickly.”I nodded my understanding, but I needed a minute. I walked past Dennis’s corpse and towards the staircase. I ran my hand along the walls, trying to visualize the beauty of that old place and marvelling at how it had died so much in such a short time.I didn’t stop at my old room, I walked right past to Aleksei’s door. His room was in the same shape as the rest of the house, and he obviously had been taken. “My frail Aleksei,” I thought, “this cannot be the end.” I sat down on his bed and tried hard to focus
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 98
“Were you able to find any traces of Aleksei?” I questioned, trying to forget about my unbalanced emotions and focus on the mission.“Yes. We can get on the road whenever you are ready,” Valerian explained as he intertwined his fingers with mine.“I’m ready. We need to rescue Aleksei and my mother if they are alive,” I declared.Valerian smiled lightly as he wiped the wetness from my cheeks with his thumbs.“We will find them,” he said before he kissed the top of my nose.He escorted me into the group huddle with Ivan and Rafael. I glared at the house that was crumbling before me. It would be the last time I would ever see that place. It was a strange feeling. A part of me felt relieved that I would never have to step foot in that house again, but another part of me felt a sense of loss. I grew up in that home. I had many memories playing with Aleksei and running through the garden. I had memories with Valerian, and the beginning of our relationship started within that home, but then
THE NIGHTMARE Chapter 99
Valerian nodded at everyone. “Any more questions?”“Just one,” said one of the brothers. “What happens if either team one or two gets caught?”“If either team one or two fail to turn up at the mansion by sunset tomorrow, team three will have to launch a mission to find and rescue everyone else.” Valerian paused and watched everyone’s faces, lingering for a moment on mine. “For this reason, team three will be tasked with the toughest task here, and they will also have the most numbers.”I got increasingly terrified as this plan unfolded, but the rest of the team members seemed completely at ease. “They’ve probably fought a lot of dangerous battles together,” I thought as I struggled to reign in my fears. Who knows, maybe a few years from then, I too would be unfazed as we geared up for some new mission.“So who goes where?” I asked.“Ivan,” Valerian began, “you are Team A. You will follow the first track to return to the castle. While there, confirm whether Ysanne is being held there a