Chapter 16 - Under the Darkness

Chapter 16 - Under the Darkness
And pierce her skin he did.

Cord’s fangs hit the soft flesh of Amanda’s neck. Blood instantly oozed, but he pressed his mouth and sucked the crimson liquid into his system.

Amanda, feeling the piercing pain, woke up gasping and with her eyes almost popping out of its sockets. She felt the heavy weight on top her, she felt the restraining hands on her wrists, and she felt Cord’s warm mouth on her skin. Alarm immediately flooded through her.

“Cord!”

She tried to push him back, but was met with a tighter grip on her wrists.

She had trusted him. Trusted his full capacity to control whatever was changing him. He had returned to his formal dark self -- that much she could deduce. Otherwise, if he was in his right mind, he wouldn’t have placed her in this danger the second time.

“Cord!”

But the current priority now was not about salvaging her crumbling trust on him, but on how to stop him from drying her, dislodging those sharp whites and putting him back to his senses.

Amanda wriggled underneath him again, flailed her legs and even went as far as to kick his balls but those didn’t work.

Masculine strength aside, he was just that strong.

She knew he was a strong man. It was one of the many qualities that attracted her to him. And exactly as the Master of Vampires, he had the power that couldn’t be contested. They were just locked up, stored inside him and waiting to be unleashed. His shadows were just a tasteful addition.

Amanda feared, whatever locked up power he had, was already beginning to surface.

‘If you think I’ll harm you again, you are welcome to use your spells on me.’

She remembered his exact words the other night. He had permitted her to use her own powers to protect herself.

The big question now was, would she?

Amanda didn’t think Cord would harm her again, but by the feel of his tight grip on her wrists and the intense sucking motion of his mouth, it seemed to be a different story.

She gnashed her teeth and frowned. She didn’t want to use her petrifaction spell on him. She didn’t want to hurt him.

“Cord, please!” she cried out. “Please stop! I don’t want to use my power on you! Stop!”

Cord’s bite didn’t loosen and unfortunately, Amanda was beginning to feel a little woozy.

“Cord, stop!” she tried harder this time. “Cord! CORD!”

Tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want for their relationship to come to this. Here now was her karma for loving an enemy. Here now was the warning of her mother biting her back in the ass.

But she loved this vampire...this man, and that love could never be taken away from her.

“COORD!” she shouted on top of her lungs just as tears rolled down her eyes. She had no other choice now but to use her spell.

However, a miracle actually happened.

Cord’s hold on her loosened and the feel of his fangs on her flesh disappeared.

Amanda felt a long exhale fanning her neck. A little displeased groan followed and then...

“I’m sorry, Amanda. I deeply am,” Cord’s tender voice filtered through her ear.

He gathered himself up and looked at her with the most contrite face she had ever seen.

“I’m sorry it has come to this. I had broken your trust. I hadn’t controlled myself enough not to hurt you again.”

“Cord...” Amanda uttered, tears continued spilling down her face, soaking the downy pillow below her. Blood continued to ooze along the plane of her neck. It would have teased Cord with the sight, but this time, it didn’t. It only disgusted him. Made him remember what god-awful thing he had done to her.

“You’re right, you had broken my trust,” Amanda continued. She placed a soft palm on his cheek and wiped the little drop of blood smudging his features. “But I’m still here. Still alive.”

“You don’t know how much I feel ashamed of what I had done to you, Amanda,” Cord stated, looking more than remorseful. He took her free hand and pressed it up against his chest. “See here? Feel this beating heart? This is the proof that I almost killed you. Again.”

Amanda sat up and kissed him, disregarding the metallic taste seasoning their kiss; disregarding the sticky feeling on her neck traveling down her chest.

“I’m here, Cord. I’m alive. You broke yourself from the trance you’re in. You aren’t uncontrollable as you thought you are.”

Cord cupped her face and his thumb gently wiped a rogue tear dry.

“You’re beautiful voice cut through the dark veil I was in. You brought me back, Amanda.”

“Then you need not feel troubled. I’m fine.” She relished the feel of his warm, now-human hands against her cheek. With the amount of blood he had ingested, his transformation to a mortal had been instant. It was something that she would have rejoiced, but she didn’t have a chance.

Her breath tightened around her throat, her lightheadedness tripled and her heart began to beat erratically in her chest. Her lids fell, turning her sense of sight dark.

Cord’s eyes rounded when he saw her lose consciousness. Automatically, he caught her from falling and secured her down the mattress. He wasn’t a doctor, but he knew she was in some kind of danger—blood related most specifically.

“Bloody hell,” he swore, teeth gnashing. Unfortunately now, he couldn’t use any of his powers, especially the teleportation ability. It seemed he had to run out of his chamber and fetch Mera himself.

But he had a better option.

“Calvin! CALVIN!” he bellowed, knowing the wind would carry the sound of his voice to his cousin wherever he was.

Some minutes later, Calvin indeed swooshed inside the room and stood a few feet away from the bed, one brow arched up and his arms crossed to his chest.

“Okay, Cord, that’s definitely the first time I heard you shout,” he remarked, grinning, but his grin fell when he noticed the gloomy face of his Master.

“Get Mera here this instant!” Cord slashed, giving his cousin a death-like glare.

Without another word, Calvin swooshed out of the room and into the doctor’s laboratory.

The instant Mera saw Amanda lying on the Master’s couch with the said Master next to her, holding her right hand, she knew something grave had happened.

She gave Cord the look—a lingering, chastising one—and shook her head. “Didn’t I tell you to distance yourself for the time being? What has happened now?”

Cord didn’t bother to apologize.

“Same thing, only this time, I sucked most of her blood out.”

He watched Amanda with worry. She was so pale, so frail-looking. It clenched his beating heart real good. Yes, his sense of sight had returned in full capacity, but he disliked it as it meant putting her in mortal danger.

Mera huffed in dismay. “Okay, I see the problem.” She neared Amanda whilst giving Cord a hard look again. “We are going to need to transfuse her.”

The latter cringed. What an irony it was. The very same method that had kept him alive for centuries and had a specific involvement on his love story was now going to save his lover’s life.

It would change the taste of her blood for the time being, but that was the least of his concerns.

“Go ahead and make it fast,” Cord approved.

Mera turned to Calvin and asked him, “Do you think you can bring Ms. Amanda to my laboratory with one swoosh?”

Calvin, understanding what she said, shook his head. “No, I don’t have that kind of power. My wind only works on me.”

“Don’t bother, I’ll do it,” stated Cord just as he lifted Amanda up bridal style.

Mera and Calvin both stared at each other, but didn’t comment. They knew their Master had turned human again. If anything, he didn’t have the incomparable strength he had when he was a vampire. Still, the look on his eyes brooked no further argument. He was going to carry Amanda’s weight from his chamber to the North Wing and there was nothing they could do about it.

“As you wish, Cord. Follow me,” Mera stated and then walked hastily out of the master’s chamber.

Mera’s laboratory was large with all the old and modern medical equipments of the field. There were mini rooms that could admit ailing vampires in need of her attention and in one of these was where Amanda was placed.

She was hooked with the blood bag compatible with her own. Though still unconscious, her vitals at least had returned to normal and this eased Cord’s worry.

He sat close to her, in a leather chair that Jerome offered earlier. His head lowered, almost hitting the mattress, while his hands sandwiched her left.

Considering it was a waiting game, Mera advised him to sleep, but he refused. He didn’t want to miss the chance to see her wake up.

Once the transfusions were done, Mera announced that Amanda was no longer in danger, but that she had to stay on bedrest for the whole day.

“And you should stay away from her,” she added, her eyes falling to Cord’s. “Like I said before, we don’t want this to happen again. It was good that you were able to break free from the darkness’ control, but we couldn’t be sure the next time.”

The gravity of her words resounded on Cord’s head.

“Don’t worry, I already made up my mind to avoid her until you find a treatment.”

“But both of you will be traveling to New Zealand soon right?” she reminded.

Cord routed his attention to Amanda and pressed his lips.

“Then I suggest you get to discovering that treatment soon,” he finished.

Mera took a heavy breath. The pressure was on her now. “I’m trying my best, Cord. You know that.”

With a parting bow, she gave him some privacy.

He cupped Amanda’s face and moved closer to plant a kiss on her lips. It almost looked like a scene from a fairytale movie, the Sleeping Beauty, only this time, the prince was giving her a parting kiss.

He stayed for the remainder of the night, but when morning came and so did his curse, he left her with a pained expression on his face.

A picture of sterility, whiteness and glaring light welcomed Amanda when she awoke. Nose cringing, she sat up and massaged her head, feeling a sudden shooting ache on her temple.

“You should slow down. You’re not yet fully recovered,” Mera urged, immediately running to her assistance.

Amanda gave her a confused look, but let herself be guided back to the bed. There was a certain motherly aura about this woman that she had picked up despite sensing her vampire condition too.

“It’s my first time seeing you here,” she stated, unconsciously touching her hand that had a transfusion needle earlier.

“I’m Doctor Meralisa Wallish, the Vitalis Castle’s physician,” Mera answered, giving Amanda a polite smile. “I don’t come out often from my laboratory except for special occasions. You, Ms. Amanda, are inside my lab. Master Cord wanted me to take care of you after last night’s incident.”

“Last night’s incident?” Amanda parroted, knotting her brows. She tried to remember what had happened and when she did, her expression fell. “Oh.”

A part of her screamed to see Cord immediately; check if he was doing fine in the midst of this situation, but another part of her wished to give herself time. Time to heal so to say, both physically, mentally and emotionally.

“You need a whole day’s bedrest if you want to fully recover again, however...” Mera paused and drew her eyes on Amanda from head to toe, “You’re a witch. I reckon, you got super healing powers under your sleeve?”

Amanda shook her head and lightly chuckled. “No, we don’t. Otherwise, my mother would have been healed from a common illness. Some witches use healing spells however, yet my mother hadn’t taught me how to conjure it.”

Mera’s interest piqued. “You’re not the same as those witches I have come across over the centuries of my life.”

“Yes, I’m a unique one,” Amanda agreed, telling nothing more. She wasn’t sure if it was right to spill her whole life to this doctor. She was still a vampire after all.

“No wonder the Master is so besotted with you,” the doctor mused.

Amanda didn’t comment on that anymore. She shifted her attention to the wall clock past the doctor’s head. It read nine in the morning.

‘When would he visit her?’ that was the question that lingered in her head, hoping she’d see him soon, but unfortunately, for the entire day, there was no sign of Cord at all and that continued until the third day.

At first, Amanda thought it wise to give each other some space. Plus, Noman visited the castle and had successfully diverted her attention momentarily.

However, Amanda realized that his behavior was getting ridiculous. She knew he was avoiding her again. It was clear to see and she was fed up with it. In the end, she decided to barge into the throne room with the intent of interrogating him.