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^ Play the song through the chapter (Walk Through The Fire (feat. Ruelle) – Zayde Wolf)
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'She loved fire so much that she became it.'
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What I never knew about myself until now is my compassion for those who are different from me. I buried myself so deep that even I could not get myself out. I covered my thoughts, my heart and my soul with a cold, dark exterior that ruled my life and destroyed my very being. There are just times when you fall and can't get back up - I had a beautiful life but that life shattered when I lost my purpose. Slowly, but surely, the pieces are being put together by strong hands willing to lift me out.
Sometimes, you can't do it on your own. Most of the time, the answers you seek will come from someone you least expect.
It's in the eye of this storm that I find myself in a place between wakefulness and dreams.
One minute, I see nothing but darkness and the next my vision is assaulted by nothing but pure, white elegance. Its brightness is so blinding that I blink my eyes to make sure I'm not staring straight into the sun.
I'm floating, looking over a valley of purity, observing the beautiful scene, finding not a single blemish on the surface. Trees, shrubs, grass and even flowers are a spotless white that cannot match any other cleanliness in the world. My mind is enveloped by silence – not a peaceful silence but a deafening one that is capable of making you crazy.
A moment later I hear the sound of a deep baritone behind me. I realize that I am not alone floating in mid-air – a body, which is clearly identifiable as Valentine's is pressed against mine. Our spines are lined up against each other's facing the opposite direction. I make an attempt to move or turn my head but I am not able to. All consciousness and mobility are being controlled by my subconscious.
A deep and booming sound drops from above us and travels down like the heavy bass from a large speaker, causing me shiver and look down. My mouth opens slightly at the sight of a blood-red liquid that is seeping from the ground, tainting the valley floor in crimson. My breathing hitches as gravity hits us with a harsh strike and we start falling through the sky, heading toward the contrasting colors of red and white.
I wished to speak, to scream, but no sound is coming out.
In one fluid movement, our bodies are ripped apart and a feeling of separation zaps my body. Valentine frantically glances at me with concern and worry but we continue our plummet to the earth. He tries to reach out to me but our hands don't ever meet as if a strong magnet is pulling us from each other. Valentine's eyes have turned black, like a hollow and starless universe and I close mine, hoping wake from this nightmare.
Tears fall from down face as I feel a piercing sensation go through my heart. My gut wrenches as the feeling blends into every part of my body, giving me the feeling of being split in half.
It's then that I hear my name being called. "Saphira," he said in a voice so calm, you could mistake it for a voice of an angel. I lock my eyes with Valentine's and even though we don't physically touch, I can feel his strong arms wrap around me.
I brace myself for an impact and instead of hitting the ground, we hit a pool of water. The water is ice cold as we are submerged under the surface. I open my eyes under the water and I gasp, causing me to choke on the freezing substance. A pair of lifeless eyes stares straight into mine piercing through each bubble that escaped from my mouth.
I cannot believe what I'm seeing. The pool we've fallen through is filled with bodies and not just any body. I look around in shock as I see multiple clones of myself sinking into the water with no life in them, killed in different ways.
I choke on the vile, bitter water and just as I am about to join the bodies, a strong and firm hand grabs my shoulders and pulls me out. I cough at the burning sensation in my throat and wince as pain envelopes the surface of my skin.
A hot hand rests on my arm, burning my limbs as the invisible flames crawling up my shoulders and neck making sitting unbearable. I turn to look at him and jump back as I meet with the Demon King Rathmoor.
I watch in horror as his hands burst into blue and white flames and cover every inch of his exposed skin. He gives me a cryptic, mysterious smirk as he lifts his hand to my face. My heart beats as is fingers come closer and closer to my cheek. Rath's dark eyes gaze into mine and I feel as if he is reading my soul, looking deep into the recesses of my mind.
I try to push his mind out of mine and just as I feel him in every corner, he presses his index finger between my eyes and I statrt to feel an intense surge of heat go through my entire body. I see my own reflection in his eyes as he stares at me with a cold, emotionless expression.
"Fire is life," he rasps. "Fire is death."
I wake from the nightmare as my body is thrown to the side of the car with a harsh jerk. Along with the sound of screeching tires, my heart pounds intensely against my chest. Valentine shakes my shoulders trying to bring me back to reality. My skin is damp as a thin film of sweat and fear coats my skin.
"Saphira!" With a blurred vision, I cannot see his face but I am able to hear his frantic voice and the angry horns of another car.
"V-Val," I whisper.
My vision starts to clear and I am able to see his majestic blue eyes pooling with concern and frenzy. His pupils are dilated almost to the rim of his irises and his fangs have elongated over his bottom lip.
What did I just see? What does it mean?
The vehicle smooth's in its acceleration as Valentine is able to control the wheel.
"Damn it, Saphira, what happened?" His voice is deep and coarse, causing me to shiver.
"I-I don't know," I croak. "I had a dream."
"A dream?" The question came out of his mouth full of doubt. He gives an exasperated sigh and I gulp hard trying to bring my mind back from the haunting vision. "For five minutes, I couldn't wake you up. You were in so deep I almost thought you were dead."
I glance around me, instantly forgetting Valentine's words. He places a cold hand on my shoulder and I turn my head to him.
"Sweetheart," he says in a low, intimate voice, once again showing more of his emotions and kindness. This is a trait I most like about Valentine – he can monstrous at times but deep down he really has a heart.
I clear my throat. "Yes," I lie and he gives me a stern look. Stern Valentine is the Valentine you don't want to argue with – it's his dominant side that comes out when things do go as planned. "No," I finally admit and I wasn't just admitting to him, I'm admitting this to myself.
"I could feel you, Saphira," he quietly says in a hurt tone. "And I don't know how or why, but I was able to feel your body burning as if it was mine. I felt it."
My eyebrows furrow over my eyes and I bite down on my own teeth, wanting to understand what he is saying. I didn't have to say anything for him to know what I was asking my own mind. Ever since I was stabbed by the shifter I have been wanting nothing more than to just be my his side – it's a feeling that can't be ignored.
"Somehow, we're connected," he concludes. "When a vampire turns another into one of them, they get a natural attraction, almost as if there is an invisible tether between them. I know what that feels like because I've felt it before. But this," he shakes his head. "This is something I've never felt before. Not even with Scarlett."
I bite my tongue upon hearing her name and once again my thoughts turn to Rath and his words about me and Scarlett. MY mind ate away at the feeling of being in Valentine's presence but never actually touching him. It was a very uncomfortable feeling that killed me from the inside out. Our connection has been strong and it's almost at the point that if he dies, I do too.
"Could it be because of our many blood exchanges?" I guess.
"No," he closes his eyes for a brief second. He maneuvers the car into the garage and parks it. "It's a lot stronger than a relationship established between the creator and the created. It's almost as if we're mates."
I gasp – the word and the concept seem so foreign. "Mates, as in soul-mates? But soul mates don't exist."
"You're right," he answers while getting out of the car. In a split second my door opens with Valentine waiting for me to disembark the large vehicle. "In this harsh reality, we have to make our choices, especially in deciding who would want to spend your entire life with. Mates completely destroy free will."
No vampire has ever had a true mate. Soul mates only exist in the Lycan Kingdom and even they then still have the ability to choose who and when.
I get out of the car and our conversation is interrupted by a pair of footsteps rushing toward us. I focus my eyes on the individual heading this way and my gaze falls on Vladimir who looks as if he had been running a marathon.
The news is that Amaryllis is still missing and somehow, the Queen is now awake. We head into the castle and walk toward the center of the large estate.
"Where's Cassandra?" Asks Valentine.
"In the Royal suite with Sebastian."
Of course, I think in my mind. The same minute Vladimir called to inform us, you could hear the skids of Sebastian's car against concrete, which was a loud indication of his rush to head home.
"Is she alright?"
"She's still very ill." Vladimir shakes his head. "James came down from the infirmary to evaluate but Sebastian kicked him out along with everyone else. Her speech is heavily impaired, Valentine, she can't speak."
My eyes narrow down into slits. Although the King is very respected in Numidia, I can't help but be suspicious. I never liked Sebastian and I don't think I ever will.
"That means she can't tell us who did it," I conclude. The two vampire men turn their heads and look at me with confusion.
"I'm positive that it was Datura," Valentine answers
"We don't know that," I argue. "It could have been anyone."
"Actually," Vladimir interrupts. "We do."
"What?" I asked with a loud voice it echoed through the hallway.
The librarian looks back at me with a sympathetic smile and runs his hand through his hair. He looks worn out and I can't imagine the actions he's had to take lately. His occupation and title doesn't actualy cover things like this and I'm surprised he is willing to help this much.
Just as Vladimir is about to speak, we are interrupted by a young man wearing a white doctors coat over a set of business casual attire. His brown hair was styled into a faux hawk giving him a playful appearance. His eyes are a beautiful hazel color that mixed perfectly with his features.
"The tests came back as positive for a poison from a datura flower," he says with precision and confidence. "It was enough to put her into a coma but not enough to kill her. Those damn apothecaries waited until the last minute to come here. If they were here earlier, she wouldn't have to recover so much."
The anger and anxiety in his voice is an indication of his obvious affection and concern for Cassandra. I'm getting the feeling that these two had a romantic past.
"So, it wasn't devils tears?" I ask with disbelief.
The doctor shakes his head and pressed his pale lips into a thin line. "No, there were no traces of the poison on her body."
A grave question pops into my mind and I can't seem to forget it. What is she doing with all the blood she took from those mermaids? Is she planning on killing all royals and blueblood in the vampire kingdom?
"Can we see her?" Valentine speaks up and asks, trying to avoid any more questions that may come out of my mouth.
The unnamed vampire physician inhales deeply. "He won't let anyone see her."
I can hear a groan come from the bottom of Valentine's throat as the doctor explains. Sebastian may be capable of running the Kingdom, but Cassandra is a true heir and she has years of experience and she has the blood of the oldest bluebloods in Numidia. Aside from her being his sister, I understand why he would need to see her.
"It's alright, James, she's going to recover well. Once she's awake he'll have no choice but to let us in," Valentine says with assurance. "We'll have to be patient. Although we are on the verge on an attack, we still need to think of others, however small they are. Oftentimes, we miss the tiniest details that are all part of a bigger operation."
James' left eyebrow rises and he gives Valentine a big smirk. "Spoken like a true King," he compliments. "You know, you could always try to marry your way back onto a throne."
Valentine's face twists into a scowl that was similar to mine. What did he mean by that? Could he really just marry a princess and get his title and honor again? Would Valentine actually want to be a Prince or a King again?
"Not gonna happen anytime soon," Valentine says with disdain.
"Whatever you say, your highness," James taunts. "Anyway, with the upcoming so-called 'war' status won't even matter. You get killed regardless of creed, race or title. On the field, we are one and the same."
"That we are," Valentine responds strategically to swiftly end the conversation which was leading to a deeper and political topic. "I'm going to take Saphira to our room. We can discuss this later, yes?"
James and Vladimir both nod as they start to clear the space and move to their respective duties. Valentine's hand travels from my neck to my lower back making the butterflies in my stomach flutter wildly. That was the first time he ever referred to anything as ours and it surprised me. I didn't peg Valentine as this much of a romantic but then again, there are many things about him that I didn't know and expect. The feeling and the emotions between us are certainly strong enough to make me forget about the events of the day.
"Our room?" I ask to make sure that I heard him correctly.
He looks down at me with desire swelling in his eyes and my legs almost give in from under me. His gaze is enough to break me down and I can't deny that it was always like that, but this time it's more intense. Just the very sight of him makes me want to rush to his side and cling to him like my life depended on it.
"Yes, ours. You're mine forever and I don't want anything separating us. Not even a stupid wall," he answers truthfully.
"Really now? 'Cause I thought the wall and I were pretty close," I joke.
He stops us for a split second in the hallway and he looks deeply into my eyes. My own gaze falls to his lips, which are full and ready for me to devour. He trails his eyes down every inch of me and I suddenly feel very hot.
"You're making jokes now?" His minty breath tickles my face and I shiver at how cool it is. He's hungry and from the feel of it, he's starving for physical activity. This is a rare time since he's always been warm around me. Usually, he would feed on a human or two, but I guess we haven't really had time for that.
"Yes," I managed to breathe out. "Is that so bad?"
"No," he says only a breaths width away. "I actually like it, you should do it more often."
"I would if you w-" My words are interrupted by a shriek and shattering of glass. Our heads jerk in the direction of the commotion and we look at each other in confusion and curiosity. My heart tells me to ignore the noise but my mind opposes and is trying to reason it out with me.
We hear frantic footsteps and a few gasps so we quickly rush to survey the scene. We pass by a girl who looks distraught - she's a human servant with multiple bite marks on her fragile neck. Tears are in her eyes as she stumbles out of a room mumbling things to herself. Her mind has been so corrupted by vampires and their spells that she doesn't know what is or isn't real.
"What the fuck?" Valentine exclaims making me jump.
In all our time together, I have never heard him say something so obscene and worldly as that statement. It makes me think of things that are not appropriate at this time. Valentine disappears into the a room and I follow him closely. I am very curious as to what frightened the human servant and what caused Valentine's language.
I peek over his shoulder and gasp aloud.
I trail my eyes over everything in the room and my mouth gapes open trying to figure out what happened and who did it.
Blood.
Blood, so deep and red is spilled over the floor with splatters on the wall and furniture. I can't take my eyes off, it's as if a child was let loose with red paint.
In the middle of the room there is a body and on that body is a missing heart and head.
'What the fuck' is right.
***
So, a couple of things before you go...THIS IS NOT THE END
Just letting you know of some things
TRAILER: I tried making a trailer for you guys but I don't have the skills or the time. If you want to make me one, please comment or pm me. I will give you all the credit and shoutouts! J
SHIP NAME: Let's think of a ship name for Valentine and Saphira, yeah? Gimme you best!
SEQUEL: Yes, there will be a sequel.
SPIN-OFF: Yes, I will make spin-offs of other Kingdoms. :D
Q&A: I'm also thinking of doing a Q&A with my characters since I love role playing so much.
UPDATES: I'm starting school in about a week so updates will be moved to Sundays. :\