Chapter 33: Hedged In

Avabella

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Elias was gone when the shroud encased me. We were able to communicate for a short bit, but I suddenly couldn’t move, and my powers were suppressed. I recalled Maria Adriana being powerless for a time while being Iago’s prisoner, but her vampire strength and skills were retained. I thought it was the same for me now. And yet, being powerless and unable to move was entirely a different story.

I felt the quicksand was slowly drowning me. No, I would better think of it as a monster that was swallowing me. Even though I didn’t move, it was pulling me down inch by inch like someone was holding my feet beneath me and dragging me in a gradual manner until I couldn’t hear Elias’ thoughts anymore. I was shouting his name in my head via our mind link but there was no way he could hear me if I couldn’t hear him either. For some time, it was fine with me although he was swearing. It was assuring that I could hear his thoughts but not now. I could go deaf in this silence while my immovable body was dragged somewhere down. And I felt so helpless.

I closed my brown eyes, fearing the icy sand would get into them. My breathing was fast and heavy. I was panicking, of course. Who wouldn’t? But with my every breath, I was buried faster and faster until I felt myself being swallowed up by the soft and cold ground. I wanted to shout but I held back as the sand might get into my mouth and will quicken my demise.

Lord God! Was I really going to die this way?

I couldn’t shout for help. Just as I was swallowed by the darkness, I heard someone call my name. A woman’s voice that was neither familiar nor unfamiliar. I don’t know. My brain must be playing me because I was going to die. But I was still struggling, trying to will my body to move and to fight to stay alive. I tried to imagine what my great-great-grandaunt would do if she were trapped like this, without her powers. I saw her blast the two vampire priestesses’ shield that appeared invincible, although the suppressor was around her wrist.

***

“How did you do it?” I asked her, after she gave birth to Alejandro. My cousin was really a cute and pretty boy, lying next to her in her four-poster bed in the Supreme Castle.

“What did I do?”

“I mean that time at the estate when your powers emerged, and you destroyed the priestesses’ shield in spite of the suppressor.” I sat on the edge of the bed while Iago was watching us, leaning against the closed huge doors like a guard as if I would kidnap his wife and son.

“Hmm… I didn’t know it’d work but I was desperate at the time. The emotion was too strong that I really wanted to save and protect our family from them.” She shook her head. “I can’t think of anything else, Avabella.” She smiled with love in her eyes as she gazed at me. She reached out to touch my hand and squeezed it. “When you have someone or something to protect, the will and desire comes naturally. You wouldn’t even have to think, you just act. It’s like instinct. It comes from within, right here,” she said, gently poking my chest with her index finger.

***

I sobbed as I played her words over and over in my head. My chest was feeling tight as I was continuously sucked by some invisible force. I wondered if this would go on forever. I felt it was a long while since I’ve been swallowed by that darn quicksand. How far was the bottom actually?

I dared open my eyes since I could still breathe instead of being stifled without air. Possibly. It was odd, however. But then again, I needn’t air to live. I am a vampire.

I then saw something more confusing. I hit the bottom, but it was not the one I imagined—darkness and death. It was glowing with red lights from above. There was actually a ceiling, but I couldn’t see beyond it. And glass mirrors were all over the place. Even the floor that I was on was a smooth mirror, reflecting myself in it. But the atmosphere was eerie. I could feel the coldness even though it was different from the wintry night outside. Or I must say above.

I looked around, having no idea where to go. I was about to walk away from there, to search for an exit and find Elias and Sangye when I heard that spooky, chilly voice calling my name.

“Ava…”

Jesus-Mary-and-Joseph! Not him again! How’s that he’s back?

My heart was beating fast that my chest went up and down. I was shivering, both from fear and the odd coldness of the surrounding.

“Ava…” he whispered again. I could feel him go around me, circling me like his prey.

‘I’m not afraid of him. I am not. I’m not!’ I said to myself over and over like a mantra. I didn’t want to be afraid of him anymore. I knew how to face him this time, unlike the first time. Somehow, I thought I could be stronger then. But now that he was back and I couldn’t see him, I felt my knees wobble.

‘You can do this, Avabella! Sangye and Elias are waiting for you. Be strong. Be strong like your maker. You can do this!’ I gave myself a pep talk. If I wouldn’t who else was going to? I was all alone. I couldn’t just collapse and let Luis’ ghost terrorize me!

I took a deep breath, with eyes closed. I tried to ignore him as I felt him kiss my face and heard him laugh.

“Ava… we’re all alone here… You’ll be mine this time,” he whispered in my ear. That cold breath gave me goosebumps and a cold thing ran down my spine—like it was his finger that ran there. I shivered at that.

I tried to ignore him, trying so hard to do it. It wasn’t easy as he seemed to be all over me. I had no idea what he was doing but I imagined he wrapped his arms around me, making me even more colder. Darn him! I wanted to cringe or, better yet, bolt out. I curled my hands into fists instead and took another deep breath. The air was odorless except for my own scent, I noticed.

“Ava, open your eyes,” he said in my ear again in a creepy hushed tone.

I didn’t want to listen to him. I must try despite my quivering heart and body.

‘Fire, air, earth, water, and everything in between. With your powers, let me commandeer that may this mist be pristine.’ I quietly chanted in my head three times.

Nothing happened when I opened my eyes. I couldn’t see Luis’ specter, but I could hear his laughter. I couldn’t feel my powers yet. But I refused to go down like this. I was already very worried what happened to Elias as he was also drowning in the quicksand the last time I saw him. I prayed that nothing bad happened to him. I hoped the Holy Trinity kept him safe.

“Ava…” Luis whispered in my ear. I felt him circling around me and kissing my face.

The fear I felt was slowly changing into disgust that I wanted to spit on his face.

I repeated the chant many times, ignoring his taunts. I pictured Elias and Sangye in a dangerous predicament that I wished so hard my powers be back. All the while, I unconsciously fingered the edelweiss necklace I was wearing. I noticed it glint and found myself crying when I felt the warmth slowly creeping throughout my body. There were tiny prickles and jolts in every single cell of my body. I could feel my eyes glow red and my fangs grow longer.

Whoever trapped me with this specter here, I swear I’m so going to blast her into oblivion!

I testily raised my hand and white fire burst just above my palm. I whirled around as I hurled it in my surroundings, and it exploded like invisible fire. Because of it, Luis’ specter was revealed like he was still alive—unlike when I saw him in the dungeon in the Supreme Castle. He was right in front of me, looking at me with burning eyes. I was panting; hate mirrored my red eyes.

“Who made you come back?” I demanded. I realized it was better to see my enemy than to just feel him around me. I wouldn’t know what he’d do to me, even though he couldn’t harm me. The thought of it was just so creepy. Maybe my human side was still weak, which I tried to push aside to become stronger.

He smirked, stepping closer to me. “You cannot get out of here, Ava. As long as you’re alive, you can’t. You’ll be with me here forever. It doesn’t matter who brought me back in the living realm,” he replied. He lifted a hand to caress my face. My eyes widened when I felt it like he was a human again.

I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me! I don’t believe what you’re saying. Now that my powers are back, I can send you to wherever I want!” I rebutted.

He laughed at that before he motioned his hand to the exit. “Go. Let’s see if you can leave here.”

Doubting that he was telling me the truth, I did go toward the narrow passage. It was open but I bumped into an invisible door or shield. I don’t know. I stepped again but I was like pushed back. I gaped, looking over my shoulder. There he was, smiling from ear to ear. He found it amusing indeed.

“What did you do, Luis? I have to get out of here!” I said through clenched teeth.

He shrugged. “I have no powers like you but the one who brought me back… who was that? Umm… you call Sangye? She brought me back right after the Vampire Queen sent me to the spirit realm.”

My brows dueled at that. “What? Don’t lie to me! Sangye didn’t do that! Why would she? She knows what I’ve been through with you!”

He chuckled. “Maybe that’s why she brought me back. She doesn’t want you to be with that beast. She wants him all to herself!”

I slightly swayed when I learned this. But could I trust his words? Maybe he was just saying all of this, to add a rift between Sangye and me. She did appear hostile to me, but I didn’t think she’d do this. Although I already thought of Elias having a relationship with her before I came into his life, I never thought she’d do something outrageous as manipulating this ghost, with whom I had a past. An ugly one at that.

I punched the invisible door or whatever it was, but I ended up being thrown across the room; Luis barked with laughter as my romp connected to the glass floor. It was as hard as concrete. I wondered what was below that mirror-like floor. I hammered it with my fist, but I felt the pain vibrating my hand. I winced and growled before I glanced at Luis, who crouched in front of me.

“Not done yet? But I assure you, you’ll waste too much energy punching the floor for all eternity, but it won’t ever budge. You and I will be here together forever, Ava. You and I.” Then he smiled maliciously.

I gritted my teeth; my fangs punctured my lips, and I tasted my own blood. He reached out to touch it and licked it. I gave him my most shuddering look. However, he was oblivious to it, or he just chose to ignore it.

“Why don’t we have some fun now that we can touch each other, Ava?” the evil jerk suggested.

“¡Vete al infierno, Luis! ¡Yo mataria tu otra vez!” I spat on his face, telling him to go to hell and that I’d kill him again.

He laughed and licked my saliva that slid down the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been to hell, Ava, after you killed me. I want my sweet revenge! And guess what? You can’t kill me again!”

I snorted at that. “Let’s see about that, Luis.” I pushed him with the invisible force that was my power and I set him on fire. Yellow and orange fire licked his body, but he seemed unaffected by it, making my eyes grow wide in astonishment.