Chapter 35

Alina

Gasping in deep breaths, I woke up with a start. I felt like my lungs were on fire, and my body felt even worse. It felt like I have been running for hours. Now, everything hurt to the point that I saw black spots cloud my vision. No! Closing my eyes, I let the pain wash over with teeth gritting strength. It took a long time to subside, but I didn’t give in to unconsciousness.
I moaned in pain as my body cramped, and my hands flew to my chest to makes sure my rib cage was whole. It still was. I was having a nightmare. It had to be. There was no way Erick would try to hurt me. It had to be a nightmare.
I felt the pulse of the mating bond in my head and felt relief flood me from the inside. Erick was near me. He had to be.
I opened my eyes again, blinking rapidly, only to find everything extremely hazy. I panicked. Flailing my hands around, I tried to get a grasp of where I was. They said that when one sense fails you, the others get stronger, but it wasn’t so in my case. All of my senses seemed to have been dulled. My hands hit something hard. Was that wood? That something was knocked down from a higher place, a table perhaps, and hit the marble floor to burst into a thousand pieces. The sound shattered the stillness and seemed to echo all around me. It was too loud to comprehend.
I pressed my hands to my ear and screamed.
The door swung open as I was still panicking, and someone strode in, rushing to my bedside.
“Who is it? Who’s there?” My voice came out raspy and incomprehensible.
“Alina, it’s me, Erick.” He lowered his volume when I hissed, covering my ears with my hands again. “Is your vision black or hazy?”
“Hazy.” I gasped. “Let me touch your face.”
I reached up with one hand and found Erick’s. He guided me to his face, and all I felt was warm skin with slight stubble, not flesh and blood. Relieved but uncertain with my vision still cloudy, I drew my hand back and touched my chest again.
Reassured, I reached out with my arms again, and he engulfed me in a hug, holding me close to his chest as the dark chocolate of his scent washed over me in a calming wave.
“Are you alright? Athena just told me that your heartbeat went off the charts. Were you having a nightmare? Are you in pain?” he asked as he held my face in his hands.
“Yes.” I cupped his cheeks. “I was having a nightmare, and my body feels like it’s about to explode.”
Erick shifted his hands to run them up and down my arm comfortingly. “I’m sorry, Alina. I wasn’t here with you. Was it bad?”
I nodded. “I saw you. I was having a panic attack, and you were trying to comfort me... but then it wasn’t you anymore, and you were trying to kill me.”
Erick’s eyes hardened, and his skin went taut over his cheekbones. “I’ll never hurt you,Alina. You know that, right?”
“I know.” I closed my eyes, laying my head down on his chest and wrapping my arms around him. “Did you interrogate Emiel?”
“Yes,” he replied, his hands tightening around me in a fraction of a second.
“Did you hurt him?” I raised my head even though my vision was still impaired.
“No, but he seemed worried about you. He even asked me if you are okay.” He snorted. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was genuine. But I do know better, and I know that he’s got some ulterior motive behind everything he does.”
“But what if he really was genuine?” I asked. “I’ve told you this before, the person who tried to hurt me that night... it wasn’t Emiel. It was someone else. Even you couldn’t stop yourself when Emiel used his compulsion on you. You can only imagine how hard it must be for him.” I knew I struck a chord, but I had to make him understand that Emiel wasn’t the enemy. He was just another victim.
“I know what you’re trying to do, Alina, and it isn’t working. Emiel and I have never been brothers, and we have never seen eye to eye. The connection we should’ve had as twins was severed as soon as he was taken in by Marcellus’s descendants.”
“You’ve never been allowed to be brothers, Erick, and only you can change that!” I continued even as Erick shook his head in denial, “Can you imagine the amount of pain those women had gone through when they had to hand over their own children to someone else without even seeing their face and then being subjected to their hatred for the rest of their lives! Your own mother has to deal with that wretched misery, and for what, a stupid prophecy? What if it’s our child next, Erick? Will you give up one so that a bloody stupid prophecy can be fulfilled? Will it not hurt at all to give up a part of you to the enemy and have them sow the seeds of resentment on its little mind for the sake of a prophecy? I know I won’t be able to stand that!”
I looked into his eyes, my vision returning bit by bit with sudden clarity, but I couldn’t see understanding or compassion. I knew that my words didn’t get through to him.
Was it really impossible to make him see Emiel as his brother?
“What you’re saying is true, but I’ll never forget how he made me hurt you, and I’ll never forgive him for that. How can you forget all the times he’s tried to kill you? The cliff? Your apartment? Do you not remember any of that?” His voice was no longer calm but fuelled by withheld anger.
“I do Erick, but he was—”
“Possessed?” He laughed humourlessly. “Guess what, Alina. Even when I was compelled, I fought through it. If I hadn’t, you might very well have been dead.”
The silence that followed his words was deadly, and I didn’t have anything to retaliate back with. But I knew we were missing large chunks of reality from the whole narrative... and I intended to find out. I had to make Erick see the truth.
“Prince Erick.” A knock sounded from the door at that instant.
“Yes,” he answered and turned to face the door.
“Master Aaron is here to see the princess,” the voice, probably a guard, replied to Erick.
“I’ll be right there,” he said and turned to face me. “This discussion is over, Alina. Get some rest. I’ll go speak to Aaron.”
“But Erick—” He didn’t listen. He just got off the bed and headed out the door, leaving me speechless.
“I thought you promised never to hurt me...” I whispered to the empty room. Yeah, this hurt. Having him just walk away from me hurt a bloody lot, especially when he was hell bent on ignoring his bond to Emiel and in continuing their rivalry. I needed to do something. If Erick wouldn’t listen to reason... then it would have to be Emiel.
“Ken!” I yelled, praying that he wasn’t with Erick at this point and that Erick might have left him behind to watch over me.
Thankfully, he poked his head into the room a second later. “You called, Alina?”

****

Erick
“Aaron, what brings you here?” I asked upon reaching the living area of the castle.
Several ornate chairs were placed in a semi-circle around the fireplace, all made of mahogany. Like all the other rooms of the palace, this room too had several paintings hanging from the walls as well as beautifully crafted tapestries. Several vases were scattered at different corners of the room, holding flowers freshly cut from the palace gardens.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness!” Aaron stood from a chair and bowed his head before standing straight up and looking me in the eye. “I’m here to visit my great granddaughter. Is she well?”
“Yes,” I told him, making a conscious decision of telling Aaron the truth. He was her family, after all. He deserved to know the truth.
So I told him about everything; about the possessions, about the bite marks on Alina’s neck, about her transition, and about the part where she wanted me to see the good in Emiel when I knew there wasn’t any.
Aaron didn’t say anything for the longest time. He just sat there unblinking, looking at the table in front of us. Finally, he sighed and ran his hands down his face. “I want to take her with me.”
“What?” The thought of being apart from Alina instantly made my blood boil. No one can take her away from me!
“Think about it, Erick.” Aaron reasoned with a calm voice. “This argument you had over Emiel is the last thing she needs at the heels of her transition. In fact, she should be resting till it’s all over. She’s very weak right now, and as long as she’s near you, she’ll try to convince you of Emiel’s innocence and risk her health even further. Let her come with me for a few days, so you can both think things over.”
I listened to what he was trying to tell me, and I had to agree, he was right in so many ways. Being apart might benefit us both. It would give us time to think and help me strategize the downfall of an Ancient. On top of that, Aaron was not only the head of the Cain clan but also Alina’s great grandfather. He would make sure she’s safe. He would protect her from any danger whatsoever. I could trust him with her life. I could trust him with my heart.
But at the same time, I couldn’t overlook the fact that I couldn’t let her go. Argument or not, she was mine to protect. After all, she was my wife, my better half. Would it be alright to let her go? Especially since we had that unresolved fight just now?
“What have you decided, Erick?” Aaron’s voice cut through the silence brought on by my thoughts, and I knew I had to make a decision right now.
“Keep her safe for me.” It was an order, and any roguery will be grievously punished. Family be damned.
“Of course.” Aaron nodded. “You have my word.”
I stood from my seat and made my way to our room. It was a hard choice, but maybe the distance would help us. The attack on the castle meant that the Ancient already had its location in mind while the Cain household might not even be known to the enemy. It would help me keep her safe while we find a solution on how to kill an Ancient. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was about to do something wrong.
I shook my head as I stood in front of our bedroom door. I couldn’t let my love for her guide my actions. I needed to think of the situation as a king would if I was to be the king someday.
“Alina?” I pushed open the doors and found the room completely empty.
“Alina?” I asked again. Had she gone to the bathroom?
However, the door was wide open, so if she was inside, she would have answered me by now. That was when I saw the bump on the bed. She must have gone to sleep.
I sighed, not wanting to wake her up, but Aaron couldn’t wait forever. It was better to send her off right now than later for every second she spent in the castle, the closer to danger she got.
Then a sudden thought occurred to me. Why couldn’t I hear any breathing?
Rushing over at vampire speed, I tore the covers off the bed to find an array of pillows arranged in the shape of a person.
“Alina!” For an instant, fear gripped my heart in its icy fingers before realisation hit me like a punch to the gut.
Slamming the doors shut behind me, I teleported directly to the dungeons.

****

Alina

“That was a very stupid idea,” Ken said as he led me through the dungeons, his arms wrapped around my shoulders to keep me steady.
“I know, but it was the only thing I could think of.” I defended. “Besides, it just might help us buy some time.”
“Let’s just hope it works,” Ken answered in a wishful tone as he led me to a cell right at the end of the hallway.
“Emiel?” I called out, hoping that at least he might listen to me for once.
“Alina?” came a strained voice from inside the cell. A torch lit up inside the confinement, revealing Emiel’s form that was chained to the wall. “How did Erick let you get here?”
“He didn’t. I’m here of my own accord.” I went to place my hands on the bars, but Ken stopped me. Knowing this is as much as I could get, I stayed at a safe distance away from the bars but close enough that my voice could reach him in my weakened state.
“You’re in transition!” Emiel’s eyes widened at the sight of me. “You shouldn’t have come here,Alina! What if I get possessed again and try to harm you?”
“You won’t be able to, Emiel. The bars are held by magic.” That much, Kendrick had confirmed. There wouldn’t be any threats to the people standing outside the cell. “Listen, Emiel, I need to speak to you.”
“Are you sure? Why did you come here,Alina? You should know how dangerous this is,” he said in a small voice, like a child knowing that he’s done something wrong and apologetic about it.
His behaviour and expressions were childlike in so many ways, it was impossible to believe that he could be the mastermind behind anything.
“I know you won’t hurt me,” I told him, placing a hand to my chest. “I know it in my heart, but you have to help me here. Can you tell me why you hate Erick so much? Why did you make him do such terrible things to me?”
“I wish I could tell you. I really do, but I don’t remember anything!” He sounded confused and frustrated with himself. “It’s like... my mind goes to sleep when I’m possessed while someone else sees through my eyes… and speaks through my mouth.”
What he was describing was indeed truly horrible. It should be truly agonising to be unable to control your own thoughts and actions while someone makes you do things you’d never imagine... and the world won’t see anyone else but you. I didn’t know how Emiel could stand that. How was he even sane?
“But you have to remember something. You don’t have any recollections? No flashes of memories?” I asked carefully. “Anything, Emiel! Anything that’ll let us help you.”
“You, you want to help me?” His different coloured eyes stared at me through a bewildered face. They held fear and hope.
“Yes.” I would help him even if it meant going against Erick because he didn’t understand the amount of pain Emiel had to suffer. Someday when he would, it just might be too late.
I knelt before the prison cell when my body couldn’t take standing up anymore. My energy was getting drained slowly while my body transformed into that of a vampire. Kendrick stayed beside me, but I refused to let him help me. I needed to do this on my own.
“Tell me, Emiel,” I asked as a thought occurred to me, “If you don’t have any recollection of the time when you’re possessed, then why did you ask Erick of I was okay? How did you know if I was hurt or in transition?”
Emiel didn’t speak for a long time, looking more frightened than I’d ever seen him. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “It’s because he tells me... when I’m not possessed anymore. He tells me all the things I did, all the things they made me do.” Whoever this person was must’ve used extreme violence to make him this scared.
I looked at Kendrick and found him looking at me with wide eyes. This must have been more information than Erick could’ve ever gotten out of Emiel. This person had to be the one who was helping Emiel by providing him vampire backup, and he must be the one helping the Ancient.
I turned back to Emiel. “Who, Emiel? You have to give us a name.”
Emiel looked unsure, and who wouldn’t be? This person was starting to scare even me. First, possessing him and then rubbing it in that the world knew it was Emiel who did it? I couldn’t imagine that amount of helplessness. So I coaxed him until the fear in his eyes died down.
“His na—”
“Alina!”
I jerked back from my position as Erick appeared in front of me. I had never seen him teleport before, and the sight was truly magnificent. The surrounding air solidified until it took Erick’s shape, but the anger in his eyes made me lower my gaze immediately. I couldn’t stand to see the betrayal he felt. Still, I was ready to defend myself and Emiel if need be. But what he told me next crushed any hope I had of trying to make him understand the situation.
“Your grandfather is here to take you to the Cain household for a few days. You are to leave immediately.” It was an order. I heard it loud and clear.
“But Erick—”
“Do not sympathise with her, Kendrick. She had brought this upon herself.” He leaned down to pull me up from the ground with gentle hands. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of my great grandfather, and Erick was handing me to him.
“Take good care of her,” Erick said in warning. “I’ll send her belongings to your household later tonight.”
“Yes, of course. Come on, Alina.” Aaron led me towards the front entry of the castle while I looked helplessly behind me at Erick.
Why was he doing this? Just because I spoke to Emiel? Why wouldn’t he give up his hatred towards him? But I was too tired and helpless to fight back. The transition was taking a toll on me.
I was escorted to Aaron’s car and placed in the passenger’s seat of a black sedan. Aaron got into the driver’s seat and started the ignition. I looked behind at Erick through the rear window, but his face held no emotions. He just stood there like a statue, watching me drive away. Even the mating bond that now tied me to Erick was silent.
It was as we were driving away that I saw Kendrick run out of the door and head towards Erick. He ran ahead and towards the car as Aaron increased his speed.
“It’s him! Alina, it’s him!”
My eyes widened as I heard Ken shout out the words. Realisation hit me like a bullet, and I turned towardsAaron, who smiled politely at me. The next instant, a pressure injection hit my arm, causing me to gasp at the sharp pain. Then I dozed off into oblivion to Erick’s voice in my mind.
ALINA!