Blood Slave

Chapter Nineteen: Witches are Bitches

ZURIEL 

“Zuriel, I can fix you,” Amaranth tells me with urgency as we stand in her living room of her house free from all listeners. 

My brow arches in confusion. “Fix me? I am not broken,” I say with a forced sneer. 

What the fuck is she talking about? 

Amaranth places her hand on my chest as she shakes her head full of snakes. “I'm sorry that I did that to you. I shouldn't have done it, but I thought I was helping you! I thought I was saving you!” 

I back away from her slowly. “I don't understand... What did you do to me?” I growl as my eyes narrow. I feel something cold bubbling up inside me. 

“I...” she trails off as her shoulder slump in defeat. “I thought taking away your pain and guilt would help you, but it didn't. You're acting different. You've been acting different ever since I relieved you of the pain...and the guilt. I just couldn't stand seeing you like that anymore!” she yells in frustration. Her eyes soften when they meet mine. “You're kind, Zuriel. You're not this cold, calculating man without a conscious. You're a good man who sacrificed life for Clipper. You sacrificed your life. Do you know how much bravery that takes? How much love and dedication?” 

For a moment, I'm stunned and unable to say anything so I just stare at Amaranth blankly. 

She took away my ability to feel pain and guilt. She stripped away those two things that make me very much human. No wonder I can't feel a damn thing. Guilt and pain is the very thing I feel all the time in my mind. It's the only thing that pretty much kept me sane for some damn reason. It's kept me in line. 

Dealing with Jacqueline and being her blood slave made me feel so guilty. When I should have been caring and thinking about my son, I was getting sucked in with being a vamp's stupid slave. It just felt so damn good, and I couldn't help myself. Clipper always sobered me right up and made me realized what was important. He made me feel guilty because of the things I was doing. He made me feel guilty for the things I was allowing to happen to me. 

A chuckle escapes my lips as I glare at Amaranth coldly. “I've noticed something among all you fucking creatures. Lycans, vampires, witches... If it weren't for Clipper's memories, I wouldn't know how a werewolf is, but I know now,” I growl. “You all share similar feelings of a human. You all only have two main emotions, and that's it.” 

Amaranth's brows raise slightly. “What are you talking about, Zuriel?” she asks me as she takes a step towards me. “

“Take a guess, Amaranth. What are the two main emotions that humans have?” I test her with a sneer. 

She looks at me in confusion as she shakes her head. “Uh... Love and hate?” she asks with a frown. 

“Close,” I say with a nod. “But no cigar.” 

She lets out a huff of frustration. “Then what is it?” 

“Love and fear,” I correct her in a stoic tone. When her expression contorts in confusion, I stroll towards her till I'm standing right in front of her; I place my hand over her sof cheek. “You see, hate branches off of fear. People hate what they fear. Jacqueline told me that she hated me, but the reason why she hates me is because she feared what I could do to her,” I explain as I caress Amaranth's cheek. 

“I see.” Amaranth tries to sound brave as she looks me in the eyes, but she doesn't hold the gaze long when I run my thumb over her trembling bottom lip. 

I lean when with intimidation. “Why are you trembling so much, Amaranth? You're a witch. I'm nothing but a plain hybrid. You can easily take me out without a problem.”