Chapter 42 End This Now
His hands shake as they face me, but soon his eyes turn black.
The ice shards that were about to hit us fall again, and I watch Kaizer punch the huge palace pillar over and over.
“Why didn’t you just stay in Wisteria? Why did someone have to mess with us like this, Saera?” he asks repeatedly as he keeps punching the pillar.
“Because I don’t want to anymore, Kaizer. After everything I saw and heard, I don’t have the will to stay in this world. I can’t be an instrument. This is your world’s problem, yours and Cosette’s. Bring her back to life, Kaizer, but please don’t use me. Not me. Please, Kaizer, it hurts. You’re hurting me, Kaizer.”
I’m having trouble breathing properly. I can’t wipe away the tears streaming down my face. How many buckets of tears have I cried since I came to this world?
“But there’s no other way, Saera. I need her alive, she needs you…”
I feel even weaker at his answer. Is he killing me? Is he admitting to my face the real reason he needs me?
“Saera…”
“Don’t come any closer, Kaizer! I’ve had enough! You made me believe you!”
“No, Saera, listen…”
I take a deep breath and shout as loud as I can. I know he’ll hear me.
I know he’ll help me because he promised me.
“Idris! Idris!”
I don’t wait long before a wall breaks open and a huge wolf appears. I run to him quickly, not caring that Kaizer looks stunned by my shout.
“Take me away from here, Idris, please. Get me out of this place…” I say to him, shaking.
I can feel his anger toward Kaizer, he growls at him fiercely a few times.
“Saera…” Kaizer calls my name again.
“Get me away from him, Idris. It hurts so much.”
I climb onto Idris’s back right away as Kaizer just stares at me.
“Saera, Coset–”
I cut him off and speak.
“I curse the day I became a vampire because of your fangs.”
This is the last thing I say before Idris runs off with me, away from the chaotic palace.
As Idris runs fast through the forest, I can’t stop crying.
Kaizer’s words hurt so much, he’s forcing Cosette’s life to come back.
He’s even saying it to my face.
‘I need her alive.’
‘She needs you.’
What other explanations can he give? Didn’t he already admit everything? What more can he say to break my heart?
“Idris, what do I do? Can… can you turn back into a human?”
He stops running right away. I don’t know which part of the forest we’re in now. He gently sets me down before running behind a huge tree. I see him toss a bag he must have left there earlier, then he heads toward the Avirife palace.
He doesn’t make me wait long, he hugs me tightly right away.
I cry even harder at his embrace.
“Why? Why, Idris? I thought I was the one. I thought I was the only one… but it turns out I was just being used to bring back the one he truly loves. It hurts… he made me believe him. I fell in love with him, Idris, I never thought I’d fall for someone like this, especially so fast. He captured me, Idris, the snow prince captured my heart. My prince, who’s a prisoner of another woman…”
My sobs get louder, loud enough to wake the quiet forest. Idris keeps stroking my messy hair.
“She’s better than me. Stronger, I’m sure all vampires admire her abilities too. What about me? My blood has limits for healing, I’m sure Astrid and Enid like her more. I’ll be useless in this world once she’s alive, I’ll be a loser. A woman who was replaced, whose life was ruined in this world, Idris. I want to go home… this world hurts me.”
Idris lets go of the hug and wipes my tears.
“Don’t say that, Saera. You’re the most beautiful vampire I’ve ever known. Since I was a child, I cursed your kind because a vampire killed my mother. But the moment you smiled at my whole pack, the moment you faced all those wolves around you bravely just to show me you could help, all my beliefs about vampires broke down. Because of you, Saera. If the second prince of Wisteria can’t love you, let me love you and I’ll never even look at any other wolf woman who comes near me.”
“Idris…”
I just stare as Idris kisses the back of my hands. When our eyes meet, his eyes turn gold again, just like when his whole pack knelt before me.
“You don’t have to get hurt anymore because of that bold Wisteria prince.”
Idris hugs me again.
“I have a story for you, Saera. In the middle of a forest, a brave and beautiful vampire suddenly appeared. At first, they thought she was a goddess, but she wasn’t. She was an enemy because she had fangs. But you know what happened next? On that very same day, the innocent wolves who lived peacefully in the heart of the forest started to feel their world shift, because of the most beautiful fanged woman they’d ever seen.”
My throat is dry from what I’m hearing. What is he saying to me? I can’t find any words to respond to Idris.
“Your coming to this world isn’t a curse, Saera. It was my blessing, you were meant to be my Luna.”
As I stare at Idris with his golden eyes, Kaizer’s voice forces its way into my mind.
‘You didn’t even listen to me. I waited so long for you, all I asked for was a little time to explain, Saera.’
‘Vampires aren’t cruel, Saera. Humans are the cruel ones. You already judged me without hearing my side. Your painful words…’
‘The first time my fangs sank into your neck meant everything to me. It was the happiest day of my eternal life, but you saw it as a curse.’
‘All I did was love you, Saera. I’ll never have the strength to kill you. But you know what, baby? You’re so talented, you’re killing me from the inside now. Hearing you call someone else’s name is the worst feeling.’
‘I hope you’re happy leaving me again. I’ll send the mirror and I won’t bother you anymore.’