Chapter 30 - The Deal

Chapter 30 - The Deal

Three Months Ago
Matteo’s Beach House
Spa, Belgium



A portal opened out-of-the-blue in the middle of the living room and then Matteo and the witch he resurrected materialized, toppling over the vase filled with tulips when their feet grazed the edge of the coffee table.

The witch, in her weak state, reached for the headboard of a sofa to steady herself. She hadn’t experienced teleportation magic before when she was still alive, so experiencing one now was both exhilarating and nauseating.

She groaned and looked up at Matteo who was already staring down at her.

“This house is just your temporary shelter. Stay here while your senses return,” he said.

“Now I remember you,” the witch stated after hauling a breath. She straightened and battled the beginning aura of headache coming down on her. “You are that mage who my mother worked with in our rituals. The Great Mage of Elements, Lord Nikos.” She inwardly laughed at the surprising revelation. What a small world it was indeed for her resurrector to be the same mage she used to look up to when she was still young.

“Yes, I am,” he answered, a proud grin breaking out from his stern facade. “Good to know that your memory is returning.” He neared the fireplace and with a snap of his fingers, flames lit up to warm the room.

“Is this your lair, Nikos? This sure is comfy.” The witch examined the entire room, turning from corner to corner until her attention was caught on a floor-to-ceiling glass window boasting a view of the sunny sky and blue waters. “And near a beach too.” She cringed. “I hate beaches.”

“I’m just temporarily living here while the NASCAR race is being set up,” Matteo informed, a disinterested look on his face was clear. “This beach house is a prime location. No vampires can find it. If you don’t like it, deal with it.”

“Hmm, vampires. I remember them,” she cringed some more. “Let’s cut to the chase then. Whatever is the reason you resurrected me? I want to know.”

From the palm of his hands, a picture of Amanda in close-up shot materialized. It floated towards the witch and she took it right before it fell to the ground. Furrowing her brows, she examined the woman in the picture and when realization hit her, a wicked grin escaped her lips.

“Your twin sister has a daughter named Amanda Caitlin O’Malley. That is she in the picture, all grown up and beautiful. She is promised to me as my bride, but I’m having complications with that now.”

“Hmm, you’re a lover boy,” the witch chuckled slightly.

“I’ll bring Amanda here to meet with you and when that time comes, you pose as her dead mother. Obviously I can’t control Eloisa, your twin, so I resorted to resurrecting you. You’re a smart woman. I’m sure you know the advantages of cooperating with a mage.”

Their gazes met, each with pride and arrogance. The witch then smiled and nodded. “I do.”

Matteo was pleased.

“When you meet her, you are to persuade her to loving me, and eventually into marrying me.”

“Hmm, that’s quite a handful you are asking of me, but I’ll see what I can do. However, this is a first,” the witch then cocked her head to the side and examined him from head to foot. “Mages like you have underhanded means in dealing with difficulties. Why not use that? Put her in a love spell. Force her to marry you. Or better yet, you lust for her right? Fuck her. Impregnate her. Solves your predicament. End of story.”

Matteo tossed her an unholy smile.

“I don’t need your advice, witch,” he waltzed towards the glass window and stared into the ocean ahead. “You’re just my back-up plan if anything goes awry. I have the Master of Vampires to contend to, just so you know. Amanda loved her mother so much and I bet she’ll listen to whatever she says—or in this case, what you say if you pose as Eloisa. I’m sure that’s just easy for you.”

The witch chuckled loudly.

“It is easy, lover boy,” she replied with full confidence. “However, you very well know I just came from the grave. I have no energy. I need nourishment. I need to regenerate my powers.”

“What do you propose?” Matteo asked.

“I need to siphon whatever life essences you could give me. A human’s would be preferable. I’m sure you have no objections regarding that, right?”

“No. I don’t care about these humans. I just want my witch.”

“Then good,” the witch bobbed her head up and down, delighted with his words. “I want as many nourishment as possible in order for me to return to my prime days as the Shadow Witch.”

Matteo disregarded her words. He knew this woman was full to the brim of evilness. Probably, resurrecting her was a bad idea, but he didn’t care about that anymore. It was done. He had given her a second life and for that, he will make sure to take advantage of it.

“It is a deal then.”



Present
Matteo’s Lair
Wellington, New Zealand



Tears indeed fell from Eloisa’s eyes yet Amanda couldn’t see sadness or pain in them—emotions that could have been easily observable on her mother. But she knew now this woman in front of her wasn’t her mother. It was her aunt.

The many clues guided her to that revelation, but a big chunk of her beating heart gave her the truth. It couldn’t be fooled.

With her secret out, Eloise stopped her acting. With a wave of her hand, her long hair that was tied in a bun fell to her shoulders, changing color from sun-kissed brown hair to a shade of scarlet, her visible wrinkles on her forehead disappeared, and her face bloomed; giving herself the heavy make-up she always loved.

“Ahh, yes, finally,” Eloise muttered. “I’m out of that hideous disguise.”

Amanda knotted her brows, displeased with her aunt’s words. “My mother is beautiful without make-up and she doesn’t need to impress anyone by hiding her wrinkles.”

“Whatever you say, Amanda,” she shrugged her shoulders. “The first time I saw you was on the beach house in Spa. We never got the chance to meet then because you escaped the house, but I guess, it was for the better. I wasn’t fully in my A-game that time.”

“Be that as it may, you’re still not going to fool me,” Amanda clenched her hands. “I already sensed something different in you the moment we first met. I just didn’t realize you to be my long-dead aunt.”

Eloise mock-laughed.

“You truly are your mother’s daughter. You’re just like her, very intuitive and fiery. No wonder the mage and my vampire pet both love you.”

“Vampire pet?” Amanda parroted, confused.

“Rexcord Alexander Vitalis. My creation,” Eloise rounded the corner and sat in a couch with her legs crossed. “That boy really did it, did he? It seems he saw an advantage on my curse and has grown to love it instead of hating it.”

“Cord never wanted to become a dark one. You forced him to accept it,” Amanda lashed.

Eloise was quick to shake her head. “Oh no, deary. The darkness had consumed him and he had embraced it wholeheartedly.”

“He has changed,” Amanda interrupted, her fingers trembling in anger. “He is no longer the vengeful, blood thirsty vampire you cursed him to be.”

“Hmm, true, but that is just a momentary setback,” Eloise cracked up a grin. “He’ll come to and I guess, judging from your recent encounter with him, he has already succumbed to the dark side.”

“Then I’ll turn him back to his normal self,” Amanda cried out. Hissing, she stepped backward ready to leave the house, but Eloise stopped her when she said:

“You can try, but I think not,” she stood up from the couch and summoned a black ball filled with energy on the palm of her hands. “Revelation time. I’m the real master of his shadows, my niece.” She tossed the ball of energy into the garage ceiling and it exploded, covering the ceiling with slithering shadows.

“You see, my daughter Arianna, was born a worthless human. She grew up not showing any witch abilities. I hated it so I left her. But before I did that, I gave half of my shadows so she could have some form of protection from the dark ones. Think of it as my gift of mercy. I didn’t expect Rexcord would eventually meet her and drain her of that power. I tested his shadows back in the NASCAR race. I was the one who gave you all those visions, Amanda. I did it so that Rexcord would use his shadows to save you. As expected, it indeed happened. But now, since I’m alive, the shadows are confused on who to follow. Me or him?”

Amanda’s breath turned cold. “Is that why he is having seizure-like attacks lately? Was it because of you?”

“Yes, it’s a plain way to put it,” Eloise confirmed.

“Then release him of that pain! He has suffered enough!” Amanda bellowed. Her nostrils flared, her eyes a picture of rage as she shot her aunt an angry look.

But the latter only clucked her tongue.

“I think not. The shadows have their own minds, Amanda. Only then he’ll be released of his suffering if the shadows chose him as their one true master. However, that’s impossible you see. My shadows, they obey me alone.”

“You’re supposed to be dead. How did you live again?!” Amanda hissed. She waited for Eloise to answer, but then out from the corner of the room, Matteo stepped in.

“I resurrected her, Cait. It was my doing,” he claimed, not at all concerned of Amanda’s show of alarm.

“Matteo...why?!” she cried out. Now, all the pieces were complete. He once told her he was saved by a family member from her crystal blast in the North Wing of the Vitalis castle. She now realized he was talking about her aunt.

“Easy to answer, my niece,” Eloise answered in behalf of the mage. “Posing as your mother, he needs me to persuade you to marry him.”

Amanda was taken aback, not expecting it. Clearly, the man was out of his mind.

“You know I don’t want to marry you, Matt—”

“You don’t love me. I know,” Matteo interjected, scrunching up his nose. “You said that to me many times already.”

“So why? Why do you still push yourself to me?”

“Because I love you, Cait! I am cursed to love you!” he replied, the tension on his jaw visible. He looked at her with both adoration and hatred. Amanda felt the chill throughout her body as they exchanged looks.

Matteo had been with witches for hundreds of years; served them, lived with them, and fucked more women than he could count. Amanda was the only woman that had really captured his attention. Yet, he hated the feeling. He couldn’t erase it in his mind and heart no matter how he wanted to.

“Your mother placed a spell on me when you and I first met. She just gave birth to you then. I was supposed to kidnap you and bring you to the Order of Enox, but when I laid eyes on you, your mother took advantage of it and bound me as your protector. Since I was unmated, she betrothed you to me so that I couldn’t break her spell. I didn’t mind the betrothal. I wanted it. I saw you as my mate already. She was protecting you from the dark ones, Cait, but I’ll tell you this, she was also protecting you from the Order’s attention.”

“I thought the Order was disbanded when my mother didn’t accept the position as the High Witch?” Amanda asked, remembering her trip to the past when she saw a glimpse of the witches history.

“Oh my darling niece, you have so many things to learn about us witches,” Eloise blurted out. “Clearly, my twin didn’t teach you our full history and its intricacies.”

“I’m inclined to think she thought it was for the better,” Amanda spat.

“You see it now, Cait?” Matteo started again, stepping forward towards her. “I’m bound to you forever. But with curse or not, I’m truly in love with you. I’ve learned to love you and I have already chosen you as my mate.”

Amanda shook her head.

“Matteo, I can’t. You know I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Matteo clenched his fists in response. Her neverending rejection wasn’t new to him, but he actually hoped that by resurrecting Eloise and disguising her as her mother, it would make a difference. It turned out his efforts were useless.

“Now, now. Let’s stop the drama, you two,” Eloise stepped in just as Matteo crossed the threshold. “It’s almost the blood moon. I have a deadline to meet.”

He looked at her with furrowed brows and asked, “What are you saying, Eloise?”

Another proud grin crossed her face as she watched the clueless mage in front of her.

“Nikos, you’re sweet and I could have taken advantage of you more,” she started. “Thank you for giving me those humans for my consumption, but I’m afraid their life essences are not enough for me to fully recuperate.”

Amanda’s blood run cold at the realization. Those deaths in the news...

“You’re the one who killed those people?!” Her nostrils flared even more. She then shot an accusatory look at Matteo and asked, “And you...you helped her?!”

Matteo stayed silent. He didn’t feel guilty at all of those deaths.

“Don’t worry, Sweety,” Eloise stated, waving her hands in the air. “I won’t need those little snacks anymore because I have you.”

This time, Matteo cast a warning glare at her.

“Eloise, chose your next words wisely. I hope you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”

But the Shadow Witch wasn’t concerned of his threat.

“Oh, lover boy, you’re too innocent,” she seductively puckered her lips towards him. At that moment, Matteo felt a sudden lancing pain in his right flank, exactly where the silver bullet Trace had shot back in the Vitalis castle.

“Urghhh...” He quickly doubled over, wincing in pain.

“If you think you’re using me for your gain. No. Oh no, no, no. I’m the one who is using you,” Eloise stated as she watched him writhe on the floor. Amanda covered her mouth, keeping herself silent, trying to process what had just happened.

“I placed a spell on your silver bullet, you see. You think I took it out of your liver? Oh no. I just made it small enough that you wouldn’t notice. Now, I have the freedom to enlarge it so it would do what it was supposed to do a month ago. You’re supposed to be dead, Oh Great Mage.”

“Stop it, Eloise!” Amanda yelled, done with watching Matteo in pain.

Eloise threw an arched brow at her and then smiled.

“Mages may be powerful but they are stupidly weak when it comes to silver bullets or anything silver for that matter. Quite an irony right?” She then glanced at Matteo and then heightened the pain some more. “Some elemental mage you are...”

Matteo groaned in pain even more.

“Matteo!” Amanda shouted, extending her arm and legs, ready to run to his side, but she was stopped when Eloise laughed maniacally.

“This is fun!” she announced, her eyes changing to purple. “Don’t worry, my darling niece. You’ll share the same pain he is feeling now. Just. Stay. Still!”

With those words, Amanda felt her limbs go numb and motionless. It was similar to when Cord used his shadows to immobilize her.

“Command your shadows to release me!” Amanda ordered, gnashing her teeth, but Eloise continued to laugh.

“Oh yes, I’ll do that, but only after I take your life force. It will be quick, darling. Don’t you worry. When I’m done, you’ll be like those corpses, ugly and deformed. Your beloved vampire master will never recognize you.”