220 - Dangerous Decisions
Valerick’s voice stayed constantly in her mind. He was getting closer, he assured her. He would be there soon, he guaranteed.
She held on to it, she had hope.
A sharp pain coursed through her body, sending her quivering. She gritted her teeth, trying to stay focused and begging her bat to wait just a moment longer.
This was unsafe, for them and for her. But what choice did she have?
“What do you want from me?”
“Your body.”
“Why? I make labour pains look so tempting?
“You are the only one he will not kill.”
“Scared of your weak son?” She laughed. “I wonder, what does that make you?”
A sick smile crossed his lips, and it was terrifying to see Gwen in that light. “I am scared of no one!”
The thunder rumbled again, the sky darkening even more.
Zezi kept her eyes trained on Gwen. Only a fool would look away from the enemy.
‘He wants my body, so that you will not kill him. Exchanging hosts must weaken him, he is finding a safe net for his weak phase.’ She told Valerick in her mind.
‘I am almost there. Just keep him talking, distracting him, and reporting back. I am almost there.’ Valerick responded, assuring her again.
She wondered what he was doing right now. Arriving at different places that looked like this, not finding her, suppressing his disappointment, and forging ahead in his search? How many of them were searching for her right now? Would they make it on time?
Pain seized her once again. She balled her fists, her nails digging into her hands. The pain too much for her that her legs buckled, and she fell to a knee.
“What will happen to me. I will be like Gwen?”
“I will save you the stress of that. You will be in the back, relaxing.”
“You mean trapped! Trapped in my own mind. See everything and not be able to do anything.”
“It is more painful for me to be in the body of a fur creature, the filth of the body around me. This is all his fault; he should have picked someone better, but I guess we will both have to adapt.”
She buckled down to both knees, pain coursing through her body as she groaned, her body shaking.
“Why are you telling me this?” She gritted. “Wouldn’t it be better for you if I didn’t know?”
He stepped closer to her and bent, moving a strand of hair that stuck to her forehead with sweat away. “I am not as wicked as you think. You see, in this, you have a choice.”
“Tell me,” She smiled through the pain, her teeth bloodied by how she had to bite down on her tongue to stop her cry of agony.
“Once you birth your half-blood filth, I can forcefully take over your body and consume them to rid Lavida of them for good.”
“No, it is because a forceful take will weaken you, and you need all the blood you can get.”
His expression darkarken. “I shall consume the maid too.”
“You weak parasite!” She snapped, reporting as fast as she could to Valerick.
He grabbed her chin painfully. In fact, every touch to Zezi at this moment felt like complete agony. “Or you can willingly surrender yourself to me, and I will spare your half-bloods and this servant. I will return Lavida to its glory, and everything will be just as it ought to be!”
“And I am a fool to rely on your words?”
“No, you will be relying on my blood.”
“Gwen’s blood, you mean.”
“Fine, my soul!”
Zezi’s eyes widened.
A soul oath.
It was the highest form of an oath vampires could give. She had read about it during her early days in the Castle while she explored different books on the Dark Times.
It was rare because many still had their blood to bind them to their words, and because a souloath was in a form that even if a person were to be reborn for many and many generations, the oath would be binding.
But Zezi didn’t know how a souloath could be performed, and everything she knew about it was from books. Valerick’s father was certainly old enough to know about the souloath, his relation with his wife would have exposed him to so much magic too, to have full knowledge of the nitty gritty of it. If he were to take a wrong step in performing the oath, and she didn’t call it out, he would know that she didn’t know it, and her sacrifice would be a waste.
“Don’t do it!” Valerick yelled in her mind, his voice breaking with desperation. “I am almost there, my Heartbeat. By the Blood, please wait for me.”
But Zezi couldn’t wait anymore, her bats wouldn’t give her a chance to; she could feel every inch of her expending, the pain of broken bones seizing her torturously slowly.
The thought of killing Gwen crossed her mind. It was practical if she could do it quickly and not give Valerick’s father a chance to switch hosts. In what manner would he even be able to do that? By contact only? Or were there more ways?
On the other hand, she simply couldn’t kill Gwen.
This was Gwen! Her Gwen!
“I am almost there,” Valerick’s voice boomed in her mind again, begging. “Wait for me.”
He was lying.
He was still far away, exploring different possibilities and not knowing exactly where she was.
By the Moon, he probably didn’t even know where she was.
Valerick’s father was right. They were really far away from the castle.
And she….
She was alone, in labour, scared for her bats, and scared for her life.
Tears ran down her cheeks, her breathing coming out in pants
“With or without your consent, I will have your body.”
Then she made the decision, one that she knew she would regret a little less than the next option, but regret nonetheless.
‘When you see Gwen, do not hurt her.’ She said.
‘Zezi, please don’t do this to me. Wait for me, I am almost there.’
‘When you see me, kill me.’
‘NO! Ze—-’
She slammed the connection between them shut completely as her heart broke into a million pieces. She didn’t even know it was possible to that extent, the labour must have heightened her powers. ‘I’m sorry, Valerick.’
Then she turned to his father and said those words.
“Make the oath.”
“And I shall have your body in exchange.”
With bloodied mouth, sweaty brows, face twisted in pain, and tears streaming down her face, she said, “You.. shall..”
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