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A warrior born but monster made, Changes fates of souls enslaved. Twins of sun and moon will rise, When one has lived a thousand lives. A circle of gold shall join two souls, And a debt paid rights wrongs of old. In a holy mountain the earth will heal, Then the dead shall live, and the curse will keel.
The primal need to survive made even the weakest of mice fight with all the fury of a god. When your back was against the wall, you found out what your soul was made of, and I’d learned long ago that mine had been forged in fire and ferocity.
They’re demons given flesh.
A scream built in my chest as I fell through the air, only remaining trapped there through years of instinct, knowing that screams only ever summoned monsters.
What did matter was them thinking I was up to something out here, something they might just drain me dry for.
Not even ten of us could take on one of them, and in all my years in this Realm, I’d never seen a single human place a mark on a bloodsucker, let alone defeat one in a fight.
“You think we’re bad, little blood bag? You should meet the ones of us who are really hungry – out there beyond that shiny fence which keeps you all so safe and sound, the rotters hunt the shadows, desperate for a taste of a pretty little thing like you. You think feeling the sting of my fangs would be bad? They’d rip the skin from your bones and listen to you scream while they feasted until there was nothing but a husk left in place of all you’d ever been.”
Even the blackest of nights hold a glimmer of starlight.
Why can't you ever keep quiet and accept what you're given? Because if I do that, I'll die inside. I'll become like the others who've lost the light in their eyes.
I walked this path every day, always the same, endlessly eternal, my life one rotating wheel of repetitive, predictable nothing.
Fantasy was my favourite way to escape this world, but life always dragged me back kicking and screaming.
“If this is kismet, then I’ve never known such a clear sign – the stars are practically screaming at us to change our destiny. Short of one of them tearing down to earth and making a deal with us in person, I don’t think they could send us a better signal to do this,” she said, her confidence unwavering, and damn, I loved her for that. “Then you’d better show us the way out, little sun,” Dad said,
More sun equalled less vampires. Probably. Hopefully. At least during the day.
“I love you both,” he breathed. “You are the most beautiful creations of my life, and I would not have chosen to spend my days anywhere but here at your sides.”
Like Asshole or He-who-doesn’t-talk or Arrogant-jerk or Fucking Shawn or Phillip....
His heavenly, haven't-smiled-in-years face lifted into something resembling a grin, but it was a wicked thing indeed.
“Just do as I say, and I might send you back to whatever Realm they scraped you out of. You don’t have to behave for the others, but you will behave for me. And if you do not, you will see the truth of me, the monster you fear so deeply, the one your heart is pounding uncontrollably because of. If you think you can guess the evil my exterior hides, I assure you, you cannot even fathom the depths of villainy that lurks under this guise.”
Magnar was hot. Like, burn myself just looking at him hot, and I had to mentally scream at myself for noticing, because he was so fucking arrogant, and I was still furious at him for keeping me from my family when they’d needed me most. But shit…
“Our kind can sink into the memories of old, learn lessons from the past and become better warriors by embracing all that our ancestors once learned. But the past is endless, its depths unknown and treacherous. If you tread too deep or delve too far you can get lost, your soul wandering so far from your body that it leaves it entirely. Your heart slows the further you wander, the cold creeps in and death peers over your shoulder, wondering why you watch the ghosts of old with such interest, questioning whether you might wish to join them in Valhalla.”
I hunted for the trick in his eyes, expecting him to change tact at any moment, but he just waited for me to climb inside. I did so, my hand parting from the cold grasp of his and leaving an imprint on my fingers that felt terrifyingly permanent.
“The woman, Clarice, was known as the Golden Whore in my time.
“The brothers. Fabian the Snake, Miles the False God, and Erik,” he spat the final name with venom so thick my heart skipped a beat. “Killer of a Thousand Souls.”
“I suppose you could call it that,” Erik mused. “It’s a gift from the gods. Valentina was once a very different kind of being to the vampires. Since I sired her, she has kept many of her ancient powers.” “What was she...before?” I asked, my pulse thrashing in my ears. His answer was another riddle for me to dwell on, and it struck a strange kind of feeling in the pit of my stomach that felt like a warning. “Our enemy. A slayer of the Clan of Storms.”
It was probably pointless considering the vampires were as silent as a deadly fart, but I had to try.
“Don’t let anyone tell you the moon’s out of your reach, baby girl. If you want that big bulbous motherfucker, then you reach up into the sky and you take it.”
“I did, drakaina hjarta. You and I are bound now.”
“The fates guided you to my door, drakaina hjarta. I won’t let them call you from me so easily.”
I knew I could never escape. I knew I'd do anything it took to save my family. And I knew Erik Belvedere was going to destroy me.
