"Look!"Her eyes snapped open and fixated itself on the grave."It's moving! It's moving!"Sure enough, the earth covering the grave was trembling; rising and falling."Oh merciful Zeus," she murmured, scared for her fate and that of her husband at the hands of their people."Watch out!"The grave burst open and a clawed hand flashed out."Blood suckers! The emperor is a blood sucker!"Another clawed hand, then a leg and in a flash, Sebastian leaped out the grave, his skin pale as a corpse, his eyes bloodshot and dangerous.The crowd screamed, horrified."He is a bloodsucker, kill him! Put him to death!"She looked to Lucius in time ti catch him signal to his soldiers."Lucius, no!" She screamed, pulling at her chains, "don't touch him!"Her voice was barely heard above the crowd's loud noise but Sebastian snapped his head in her direction and just like that day, over a week ago, their gazes met and clashed."Sebastian," she whispered in a hopeless attempt to get him to remember. He t
The wind rushed past her with full force and when she thought she could no longer hold on, it stopped. She felt herself being lowered to the ground. She was in pain. Her arm felt too heavy to carry and she felt like ripping it off.Her eyes fluttered open when her back hit a tree."Aurora," his coarse hands caressed her face gently. His face loomed down on her, no longer foreign and pale like a corpse but even better, more beautiful."You're safe," she smiled weakly, reaching up for his face. Her fingers traced his features, his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, "you're safe.""I am," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers, "did you feel my absence?""Very much, very much," she whispered, pressing her lips to his.When their lips parted, she realized that she felt no pain whatsoever. She looked quickly at her arm and slowly back at him, her eyes wide.He picked her up in his arms and began walking."Lucius would have the soldiers out to look for us.""And he'll begin with my father," she f
They walked in silence; Sebastian, Aurora and her mother. The night was far spent and their only companions were the night birds and the distant groans of the wild animals who dwelt in the dead woods."I know you have many questions, dearest Aurora…""Only I shall call her by that name," he pronounced firmly. Lydia eyes turned in his direction but she merely smiled."I guess she is no longer my little girl.""The little girl you tried to kill," Aurora blurted out with suppressed anger, "where were you all this time, mother? Why appear now?""Your father banished me if my old head remembers correctly.""Because you tried to kill me." She accused."I didn't… it was never my intention, dear… my child. I was a budding vampire, hungry for food and I didn't have the sense to fight it.""And where have you been all this time?""Hiding, of course," Lydia shot her an exasperated look, "with the entire Jaresh empire soldiers after us, blood suckers," she snorted, "I had to hide to save my own
"No, that's absurd," Aurora laughed, "so absurd. I never did those.""Yes, you did. You danced around the palace with your father's crown on your head and told everyone you were the new king. You told everyone you would be a king when you grew up."They all laughed, Aurora the loudest, Sebastian the least. Aurora watched him through the corner of her eye. He was strangely quiet and he seemed to be uneasy.She latched her hand with his under the table and he looked at her. She shot him an encouraging smile and he smiled wryly."So what plans do you have, Sebastian?"Aurora glared at her mother, "emperor Sebastian, your honor to you."Lydia rolled her eyes, stuffing her mouth with eggs."Ok," she gave in after chewing, "your honor, what plans do you have?""Getting myself rid of this sickness."Lydia raised a brow, "I'm afraid there's no way out.""That isn't possible," Aurora countered."Maybe there is," Lydia gulped down a cup of wine, "death."Sebastian fixed her with a straight look
"So where are the others hiding?" Aurora asked as they travelled the caves on the second day. The caves was the easiest route for them to travel without being seen. "Far North. Sebastian's grandfather murdered a vast number of us so we fled, far away and settled in the hills bordering Jaresh. Only the rogue vampires come in here to attack.""Vampire lord. A man, he called himself the vampire lord. He sent his followers after me and made then turn me. Who is he?""Why do you bother? You killed him.""There may be more of his followers, and they may come after me… and my wife.""His name is Rufus. He was the leader of the rogue vampires. He has an obsessive hatred for humans. He was left half dead by his half brother just before his engagement then rescued by a blood sucker who turned him.""He said he wanted to use me to conquer my empire.""Sounds like him."Sebastian was lost in thought. His father, how was he faring? He hadn't thought of him all these while. Who was managing the em
"How's this possible?" Sebastian asked Lydia, his gaze fixed on the vampire lord."He's not him, this is his twin, Linus."The big vampire's brows furrowed, "you've met my twin?""In a not so pleasant way. We're not here to cause you any harm, we simply need a place to hide."Linus let out a sarcastic laugh, "and why would the great emperor of Jerash need lowly me to offer me a place to hide?"Sebastian gazed at him until Linus' eyes expressed his shocked realization."My brother turned you?" He scoffed, "impossible. How did he get to lay his hands on you? Emperor Sebastian with a vast number of soldiers at his fingertips.""I only just got crowned, you can spare me the sarcasm."Linus' nostrils flared."Very well, you can all return to your duties," he said to his followers and they went away, one after the other, after sparing long looks at them."Follow me," he said to Sebastian."Respect," Aurora cut in, taking Sebastian's hand, "emperor Sebastian, your honor."Linus shot her an i
Aurora slowly folded the clothes in the satchel and placed them in the open wooden box. Sebastian watched her from the doorway. She backed him. Her hair was loose and her posture betrayed her sadness.She was avoiding him since dinner."What I said? Does it bother you?" He spoke up.She ignored him, picking up another tunic."I apologize."She still said nothing and he blew out a breath."I asked for you to end my life, Aurora because I detested myself, I detested what I had become and I didn't want to live a life deemed as a nuisance."She said nothing and he grew desperate."I do wish to end my life but not do badly. I am still trying to come to terms with what I've become. It's all still new to me, Aurora and I wish for you to see me in a good light."Her hands stilled and she slowly turned her head to face him. There were tears in her eyes."I understand, Sebastian but I can't help but feel bad. You don't need to worry."He took quick strides to her and sat beside her."I worry, A
Aurora suddenly stumbled and slipped from her high position up the tunnels. Sebastian was quick to catch her."Merciful Zeus, Aurora, you almost caused me an early death," he sighed, setting her on her feet."Apologies," she muttered, holding unto him. She looked up at the height she was and the long distance to the ground."You don't seem fine," he kissed her hair."I fear something bad has happened to Linus and Maximus," she muttered."How do you know that?""I do not, I… I just feel it. My heart isn't at ease."Sebastian pushed up her face and inspected it. Beads of sweat ran down her chin and her eyes were unsteady. He still didn't understand how she got her new powers of mind control. She could control anything and everything, living and non living, even causing her body to levitate."Then we must go out to look for them," he pronounced, tsking her hand and leading her back into the tunnels."But," she hesitated, "what if it is your brother?"He looked at her, "perhaps it's time