When I returned home, Cassius was pacing up and down the porch. His eyes lit up on seeing me and he ran to catch up with me. “Where did you go suddenly?” His concerned gaze raked all over me. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
I laced my arms around his arms, and a ghost of a smile played on my lips. He was safe, and I hadn’t killed anyone; at least not today. I blinked my eyes to restrain those stupid tear drops, but they spilled over my cheeks, anyway.
“Miraya? Why are you crying?” His breath hitched and his face grew a shade paler. “Please don’t hide anything from me, okay….”
I nodded. “I am just glad to see that you are fine.”
His expression darkened, and he pulled away, smacking his fist against his palm. “It is him, isn’t it? He threatened you again.” His jaws clenched and his eyes narrowed. “I am going to kill that fucking bastard!”
“I don’t think Cassius has that kind of ability, do you, Miraya?” Andres’s voice sounded, making me jump. “Don’t tell me you are depending on a weakling like him to save you.”
I pulled Cassius behind me in a protective gesture. “What is wrong with you, Andres? Didn’t the vampire king ask you to fucking leave me alone!!” My voice took on a hysterical edge as I reached the end of my statement. “Why are you still bothering me?”
He snorted and shrugged in a nonchalant gesture. “I will leave you alone, Miraya. I will definitely leave you alone, but not before punishing you for ruining my plans.” He pulled out a wooden stake from under his jacket and waved it in front of me. “Do you know what it is laced with? Wolfsbane.”
His eyes twinkled as his fingers brushed along the wooden surface. “It can kill even the most powerful vampire in the world.”
“You want to kill me, right?” I said, spreading out my arms in an open invitation. “Stab me then; make sure it goes straight through my heart. I just can’t put up with your games anymore.”
Andres flashed behind me and grabbed Cassius. By the time I could react, he was standing a good seven feet away from me with his arm around Cassius’s neck in a death grip.
I tore my hair in frustration. I was a fool to think that I could just walk away from that castle; that the vampire king could keep a nut job like him under control.
With a sigh of resignation, I dropped to my knees. Tears of desperation welled in my eyes and I begged, “Just let him go, Andres. I will talk to the council, drink blood, and do whatever you tell me, okay?”
He held Cassius by the back of his neck and his stony gaze bore into mine. “It’s too late to make amends, Miraya. Your boyfriend will have to pay the price of your defiance.”
Andres spun Cassius around and looked into his eyes. “Take this stake from me and stab it straight through Miraya’s heart.”
“No! Please, Andres! Stop him!” I entreated as my fingers dug into my robes. “If you want to kill me, please do it yourself. Don’t involve Cassius in this. I am begging you.”
A victorious sneered bloomed on his face, making him look like an incarnation of the devil. He shoved Cassius forward. “Follow my instruction this moment.”
I buried my face in my palms, waiting for the cruel fate to strike its final blow. The sound of my racing heart and labored breath blended with the noise of rustling leaves to create an ominous tune; the tune of despair.
Five seconds passed, then ten. A piercing scream shook the ground, but I wasn’t the one screaming.
My eyes snapped open to find the wooden stake sticking out of Andres’s chest. Cassius stood frozen a few meters away from him.
Andres’s eyes were wide in shock, but the next moment they flashed red with pure rage. With an animalistic growl, He grabbed Cassius by his throat and lifted him straight off the ground.
Cassius Kicked and struggled to get out of his grip but he held him in that position, dangling mercilessly. A sense of panic gripped me, seeing his face flush due to the lack of blood circulation.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I begged, “Please let him go, Andres. If you choke him any further, he will die.”
“Nah! I don’t plan to let him die so easily.” Andres’s scorching gaze drifted towards me, “I will torture him slowly until his life ebbs out.”
“Don’t you think you are crossing the line, Lord Andres?” A deep voice with a shrill timber sounded from behind the bushes. There was a shuffling of footsteps and a man with deep grey eyes emerged into view.
Andres’s grip on Cassius loosened. Taking advantage of this distraction, I managed to free him.
“The Vampire King has given Miraya a safe pass; why are you still bothering her?”
“What I do is none of your business, Alpha Azarel,” Andres hissed, taking a menacing step toward the man. “If you still refuse to leave me alone, I will end you before killing that human boy.”
Azarel placed his index finger on his lips. “Shh…” Pointing towards the grove of trees, he added. “Listen.”
My ears perked up, and I tried to focus on the sounds around me; swooshing of the wind, rustling of the leaves, cooing of the mynas, crashing of the branches. He couldn’t possibly be referring to all of this; there had to be something more.
As I continued to focus, even the smallest sounds became perceivable. I heard the labored breaths of some beast; probably a wolf. There seemed to be dozens of them.
Andres must have realised the same. His face blanched but his eyes lit up with fiery passion. “This is not over, Alpha Azarel. I will make you pay for this.” His gaze drifted to me and back to Alpha Azarel. With a frustrated hiss, he walked away.
“Is he okay?” Azarel said, sauntering over. He examined Cassius’s neck; pressing his forefingers softly. “Don’t worry, Miraya. It is just a bruise.”
“You know me?”
His lips curved into a wide smile. “Who doesn’t?” He took out a small box and handed it over to me. “Apply the ointment. He will heal quicker.”
“Until next time, Miraya. Stay safe.” Then, he gave me a curt bow and walked away without any further explanation.
What was going on? Who was this man, and why did he say that he knew me? There were a million questions, but no answers.
Cassius groaned, drawing my attention to him. His face had turned extremely pale and a large blue bruise had started showing around his neck. Supporting his weight against my shoulders, I led him inside, “Lord Andres had asked you to stab ME right? Why did you attack him? Do you think you are a superhero or something?”
He shook his head and his lips parted as if were about to say something. But all that left his lips was a croaky gust of air. I made him sit on the couch and handed him a glass of water. “Please don’t try to say anything. We will talk later.”
My gaze landed on the box given by Alpha Azarel. He seemed like a good person and had saved our lives, but… what if he was just pretending?
I opened the box and sniffed its content. It was fragrant and didn’t seem like it would be harmful. I dipped my fingers into the cool solution and applied it to the back of my hand. It didn’t cause any adverse reactions. The ointment seemed pretty safe.
My fingers shook slightly as I applied the lotion around Cassius’s neck. If something happened to him, I would never be able to forgive myself.
Cassius groaned and closed his eyes as I continued to massage his neck with gentle movements. Maybe I was seeing things, but the bruise seemed to have faded already.
Cassius held my hand and smiled at me. “I am feeling much better now.’
“You can talk. That is good, really good,” I gushed as I placed the box on the cabinet.
With a tug, Cassius pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me from behind.
“Cassius, you need to rest.” I tried to get up, but his grip increased. “Stay….” His voice held a deep sense of desperation. “Please let me hold you like this. Let me make sure that you are still with me.”
His breath hitched and his heartbeat accelerated, “I was so terrified when Andres asked me to stab you. I was afraid that I would really follow his command. The way he spoke… It was like I would just do what he wanted.”
I shifted so that I was facing Cassius. Placing my palm against his cheeks, I asked, “Andres was using his power of compulsion on you… I wonder why…” I trailed off as my gaze landed on the bracelet around his wrist. “It is the bracelet.” I ran my finger over the intricate piece of jewelry. “Cassius couldn’t do anything because of the charm given by Stella.”
“This was supposed to protect you, right?” Cassius said in a raspy voice as he looked into my eyes. “Why did you give it to me, Miraya?”
I smiled and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I gave it to you because you are the most important person in my life, Cassius. Without you, my life is meaningless.”
“Oh Miraya, “he groaned as his expression turned pained. “You shouldn’t have given this to me.” He started taking off the bracelet, but I stopped him. “This bracelet represents my undying love for you, Cassius. Promise me that you will never take this off…”
His lips pressed into a thin line, and a lone tear streaked down his cheek. He kept looking at me for a very long time before finally nodding. “You have to promise me something, too.” His voice got choked with emotions and he took my hand in his. “You will never try to push me away again. We will walk through the fires of heaven and hell together.”
I buried my head in his embrace and nodded. “I promise.” The vampire King, David, Andres, and everyone knew that Cassius was my weak point. They would try to use him even if I was not with him. The only sensible course of action was to stay with him and protect him with everything I had.