Chapter 33 - Undoing the Curse (End)

Chapter 33 - Undoing the Curse (End)
Present



Everything happened in seconds.

First, Eloise felt a strong arm around her torso before she felt a shooting ache and a pulling pressure on her head. Her extended hand ready to supposedly siphon Amanda of her life essence stopped mid air, just inches away from Amanda’s face. She winced at the pain and tossed a quick look at the person behind her. She couldn’t well see his face, but she knew from the aura the person was emitting, it was the Vitalis Master.

Second, Amanda’s diamond-structured hand contacted with Eloise’s chest before she noticed Cord behind the psychotic witch. Taken aback, she gasped, was confused at first, but ultimately, felt lifted of her worry. She could see he was back to his normal self again. And not only that, he was ready to help her fight her aunt.

Crystals immediately attached themselves into Eloise’s chest and while this was happening, a feeling of dread overcame her.

“Yes, that’s right, Eloise, let fear grip you,“Cord whispered on her ear.

“How! How?! You don’t have my shadows anymore!” she cried out, wincing at the same time when she felt the crystals gradually spreading all over her body.

Cord cracked a proud grin. “You forgot, I’m a vampire and vampires have the ability to adapt to the world over time. Your shadows are not the only ability I attained over the course of centuries.”

“Fu...ck,” Eloise bit out. She tried to free herself, but Cord’s grip together with the spreading crystals effectively paralyzed her.

“Cord...” Amanda and Cord’s gaze met.

“Amanda, love, don’t look,” he ordered her with stern eyes, but Amanda shook her head.

“No, I want to see.”

It was enough a declaration for Cord to continue.

“Le...t me go! Let...me...go!” Eloise yelled again, but it was futile.

With that, Cord’s fangs extended. It pierced her neck, directly in the jugular, spurting out blood all over the place. He sucked most of her blood just before Amanda’s crystals fully transformed her into a lifeless, petrified object.

Intense pain, anguish and regret were last registered in Eloise’s mind and it was observable on her petrified face.

Cord withdrew and made a disgusted face. “What unpleasant taste of blood.” He wiped his lips clean of any drop and looked at Amanda.

“She’s evil after all, Cord,” she said, her guarded pose diminishing.

With Eloise’s shadows gone, Amanda was able to fully move. Pity took over her as she watched the petrified state of her aunt, however, there was a looming fear that she couldn’t shake off. “She can still be resurrected over and over again if there’s a mage willing to do it, Cord,” she stated.

“Then, I’ll finish her once and for all,” he said, nearing the Shadow Witch and grabbing her neck. He placed pressure around it and in a second, the petrified neck snapped. Cord dropped the severed head and with his boot, crushed the head into pieces. He continued by kicking the rest of the body into the ground, the fragility of it allowed for the body to crumble on its own.

Amanda watched with a sense of satisfaction. Yes, finally, revenge was served in full.

“Amanda...” Cord lifted his hand towards her, silently asking her to take it.

It didn’t take long for her to answer him, but instead of taking his hand, she leaped onto him, smiling widely.

“Cord! You’re back!” she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him.

Cord reciprocated the gesture through a tighter version. Amanda didn’t mind. She loved it.

“I had always been here, Amanda. I never left,” he said as he pressed his face against her temple. He recalled everything that had happened while in a mind trap and looked for words that could explain it properly to her. “True, I was not in control of myself,” he started again, “but even under the strings of my dark side, you still managed to capture my black heart. You saved me, Amanda, from myself. It was only a matter of controlling my thirst for blood. I was always thirsty for you.”

She withdrew from their embrace and lovingly touched his jaw.

“Well, I’m not going to restrict your thirst. You may drink from me, Cord,” she encouraged.

Cord didn’t need to delay the inevitable any longer. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and bent low to capture her mouth.

Lips on lips, they wasted no time to feel each other, to celebrate each other and celebrate their victory. It had been days since they last kissed and to do it now, it was like they were renewing their love and rediscovering each other all over again.

After a heady exchange, Cord continued to trail kisses on her jawline and then down the plane of her neck. His tongue swirled first on her skin before his fangs elongated.

When his enamels did pierce, Amanda felt euphoric. She gasped at the delicious feeling of being bitten by her lover and the adrenaline rush it had elicited.

Cord on the other hand sucked her lifeline like it was the sweetest, most addictive drink he could get in his lifetime, which technically, for him, it was. But instead of continuing and relishing it, he stopped abruptly and withdrew an inch to whisper on her ear.

“No, Amanda, you misunderstand,” he said and shook his head.

Amanda pulled back and looked at him filled with confusion.

“Yes, I was thirsty for your blood, but nothing beats my thirst for your love.”

Amanda’s heart swelled at his words. Her lips broke into a warm smile as Cord traced her cheekbone.

“I love you,” he declared, not breaking any eye contact.

The latter took a long breath and smiled contentedly at him.

“I love you too, Cord, always and forever, but you still need to drink from me.”

She angled her head back, but Cord cupped her face and held back her gaze.

“No, I don’t need to. Not ever,” were his words.

Amanda knotted her brows. “What do you...mean?” Didn’t he not want to drink from her anymore? Had the taste of her blood changed somehow with her full-body crystallization? She felt worried all of a sudden.

But that soon was lifted when Cord went on.

“I drank Eloise’s blood, remember?”

Amanda’s eyelids fluttered. She dissected his words in her head and recalled to the time back when she journeyed the past, specifically to the moment when Eloise cast the curse on him.

‘By blood it was created, and so by blood it shall be undone,’ her mind stressed.

“Yes,” she nodded, realizing now what he meant, “but...she’s evil, Cord. I thought it wouldn’t work. Evil doesn’t repel an evil doing. Like Arianna remember?”

A serene smile appeared on his lips.

“Amanda, true Eloise’s blood is pure evil,” Cord stated, still cupping her face, “but I got a whole lot of good to counteract it, namely...your love. When I drained Arianna, I hadn’t met you then. I wasn’t protected by your love.”

“Goodness, you’re being cheesy.” Amanda couldn’t help but chuckle at his words.

Cord didn’t take offence with it. He kissed her forehead instead and whispered. “It is the truth.”

“So, you’re a back to being a human now?” she asked, looking up at his perfectly cut jawline.

“Hmmm, not quite,” his Adam’s apple bobbed.

They looked at each other again and Cord then summoned a little swirling shadow on the palm of his hand.

“Well, my subjects are, but not me,” he stated.

“What are you saying?” This was the third time Amanda felt genuinely confused. How much revelation and changes were he going to tell her on this very night under the blood moon—that —she didn’t know, but she cared not at all, especially when these changes meant for their lives turning for the better.

“I’m no longer a vampire, Amanda,” Cord announced, “but I am still a dark one.” The swirling shadow on his palm disappeared. Then, a full wavy shadow enveloped his back looking like it was a living, breathing element waiting for his command. “The shadows of Eloise chose me as their new master. Plus, those other abilities I got from the witches I killed...they’re still inside me, like a box waiting to be opened and used.”

Amanda was unsure what to feel about it, but at least now, she was happy he didn’t need blood for nourishment.

“Does it work with Calvin, Pamela and the other vampires who got witch abilities?” was her next question, genuinely interested with the others’ fate.

“Yes,” Cord answered plainly.

“Hmm, that sounds reasonable,” she stated whilst resting her head against his chest. She heard the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and it made her smile again.

“We can make a whole lot of babies from now on,” he whispered, his voice turning husky and mischievous.

Amanda’s cheeks warmed.

“Oh my...” she pursed her lip.

“Not that I’m saying we create now, but I certainly want to make love to you now.” He cupped her chin again and tipped it up.

Oh yes, he was about to deliver another passionate kiss on his witch, but then Amanda blinked fast and withdrew.

“Cord, please, hold that thought. I need to do something,” she stated with urgency, her face suddenly filled with worry.

In a second, she left Cord’s side and ran towards Mera who was kneeling next to the very frail mage.

“Matteo...” Amanda softly said as she joined them on the ground. “How is he, Doc?”

Mera shook her head immediately. “Not good.”

“Cait...” Matteo managed to croak out.

“Matt.” With threatening tears on the corner of her eyes, Amanda bent her head further to hear his voice. Some distance away she could feel the Vitalis Master’s eyes on them, but she wasn’t worried. She knew he’d understand.

“Seeing you that happy...with him, I can...now rest in peace,” Matteo weakly muttered.

“Don’t say that.” Amanda shook her head. Tears quickly fell down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry...for everything,” Matteo went on.

“Matt...” She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her heavy chest. “You can’t die.”

“Send me...to a...blissful grave with a...kiss, Cait,” he requested.

It was an audacious thing to ask, especially with Cord watching, but Amanda was more than glad to comply. However, instead of kissing him on the lips, she pressed her lips on his forehead.

Matteo’s eyelids closed. His last expression on his face was pure contentment and peace.

Once Amanda pulled back, she broke out into a silent cry.

Mera, being the doctor that she was, took it upon herself to verify Matteo’s death. With a grave look, she nodded at Cord and Calvin.

Pamela was sensitive enough to usher Amanda out of the ground. “I’m sorry that this happened,” she muttered sadly.

Cord stepped forward to receive Amanda to which she was much grateful for. She pressed her head against his chest again and cried silently for the mage.

“He was a good friend,” she stated after a few seconds.

Cord looked at the lifeless body of Matteo who was being arranged by Mera and recalled the many instances when their paths crossed and heated conversations ensued. He didn’t like the mage per se, but he knew Matteo would have been a good man through and through if they weren’t rivals.

“I don’t doubt it,” he stated.

“Shit, Noman is going to ball his eyes out,” Amanda added, remembering her friend.

“Not if Jonathan is with him,” Cord pointed out.

With this, she looked at him with a silent understanding. “That would lessen his pain, Cord. Thank you,” she stated and smiled a little despite her wet eyes.

“Let’s go back to your father’s house,” he suggested. Although Pamela has fed lies on his mind about our whereabouts for these past six days, he still needs to see his daughter alive.”

“I think so too,” Amanda nodded and smiled even bigger this time. At least she didn’t need to explain anything to him. “But I got to heal. I can’t have my father see me with wounds and dried blood.”

“Mera can heal your wounds,” Cord stated. He looked at the doctor who by now was standing next to Charlie, ordering instructions on her ear. She looked back at Cord after and then nodded.

In the kitchen of the house, Amanda sat on a tall stool, waiting for Mera’s healing to end. Once this was done, Cord offered his hand for her to take.

“Let me take care of the dirt and dried blood on you, love.”

Amanda took his hand and stood up, but once her feet touched the floor, she wasn’t in Matteo’s house anymore, but in her bedroom, inside her family’s house. She glanced at Cord, her brow raised.

“I didn’t think you could still teleport, much less do it with me,” she stated.

The corner of Cord’s mouth tipped upward. “I acquired the full shadows remember?”

Amanda grinned. “That’s convenient, but it seems you’re taking advantage of it so soon.”

“And I’m about to take advantage of it again,” he lifted her up from the ground in one swoop and carried her bridal style. “Let’s go to the shower. You wouldn’t want your father to see you this dirty.”

A chuckle escaped past her lips. “You’re so sly, Cord. Just tell me you want to make love to me.”

Cord’s blue-green eyes rested on her with depth, with so much emotion that had her heart pounding erratically inside her rig cage.

“I’d rather show you in full color,” he said and with that, they disappeared.







The End



Author's Note: I might place an 'Epilogue' but the content would be up to you my dear readers. What do you want to see in this book fast forward the future?

Thank you for reading this book. I am truly honored to have journeyed with you.
Is there a possible Book 3? You may never know. ^_^