Chapter 33 - A Promise of Forever

Chapter 33 - A Promise of Forever
Somewhere in a Moroccan Region

Amanda, at age 10



“Mum,” Amanda softly called, tugging at her mother’s coat to catch her attention. Her mother looked down at her and smiled, the coldness of the air around them was visible through their breaths. “You let me come with you in this old cemetery to visit a tomb, yet it has been so many years now and you still haven’t told me who is lying in it.”

A lush forest of green surrounded them, but they weren’t lost. On their way was a stone path going to an abandoned cemetery styled in the Victorian Age. Statues of angels and cherubs stood sentry on each tombstone, but there was one that didn’t have any. The one that both of them were going.

Her mother, Eloisa, pursed her lip and sighed. “Hmm, such a curious daughter you are.” Her eyes glinted with mirth under the ray of the sun but a little share of sadness could be seen too and Amanda, even with her young eyes, didn’t miss it.

“Is it a he or a she?” she questioned as they entered the rusted cemetery gate. Truly, this dead person must have been very important since they came all the way from New Zealand just to pay their visits.

It couldn’t be Amanda’s father for being the Marquess of Loulé, he was buried in his homeland, Portugal. So, who might this dead be? Amanda always wondered about it since she first visited the tomb back when she was six.

“She’s your aunt,” her mother replied finally, and this made Amanda arch her brows.

“My aunt?” she echoed. “You mean to say we have an extended family outside us three? You, me, and father?”

Her mother chuckled in response.

“Of course we have, silly.” She patted the head of her daughter, paused from walking and stooped low to kiss her forehead. “It is just that, I chose not to mingle with her anymore. Eloise is my twin sister.” She straightened and then fixed her eyes on a lone tombstone a yard away from them. “She...she is bad company. And she...died long before you were born.”

There was a break in her voice that Amanda deemed out a usual occurrence. Sadness was a probable cause for it. She had seen her mother at her weakest times, especially during the death of her father and she knew her mother was trying to be strong, trying to gather herself up for her.

But it was also in these times that Amanda always remembered the one source of her mother’s problems: vampires. Them.

“Was it because of the dark ones?” she voiced out loud. Unconsciously, her grip on the bouquet of roses tightened. She may not be too knowledgeable about these creatures, but she was sure as hell knew they were long-time enemies of her mother, and in effect her too.

Her mother sighed again, one that was long, deep and filled with unexpressed emotions.

“Yes, it was because of the dark ones,” she affirmed. “I guess...the curse she placed on that family became her downfall.”

“Curse? What do mean Mum?” Amanda was all ears then, but her mother hid her worry with a fake smile.

“Oh, Amanda dearest,” she bent to meet her daughter at eye level and continued, “You are so eager to know, but I’m afraid you are too young to process all the truth. Let’s take it one step at a time shall we?”

Amanda twisted her lip and crossed her arms to her chest.

“You always say that, Mum. How am I supposed to defend myself from the dark ones if you just keep on giving me crumbs of truth?”

Those words left her mother taken aback. For a girl who hasn’t even reached puberty, she was wise and very perceptive.

Eloisa ruffled her daughter’s bangs and this time smiled a genuine smile.

“In due time, Amanda. In due time, you will know. Just, for now, enjoy your life being normal. It is the only treasure I could give you.”

She kissed her forehead again and then proceeded to the tombstone with her hand guiding Amanda’s back.

Amanda, in the other hand, kicked a medium rock out of her way. She believed her mother and trusted her fully considering she had lived for over centuries. She had a good amount of experience and knowledge to decide what was right. Anyway, so far, no one knew they were of witch blood. No one knew they were in hiding. Even her new step-father. So far, this kind of method worked well for them. Worked well with preserving their life against the dark ones that hunted them.

“Here, flowers for my aunt,” Amanda spoke the second they reached the front of the tombstone.

Her mother nodded at her. “Thank you Sweety,” she said and then took the bouquet from her hand. “Let’s pray shall we?”



Present



Being taken hostage wasn’t what Amanda expected after Matteo’s failed attempt of defiling her. At most, she was relieved someone stopped him. Hell, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself if Matteo successfully claimed her.

But.

She never thought that the vampire would end up bringing her into the north wing of the Vitalis Castle, become a damsel-in-distress, and become one of the audiences as her beloved vampire Master gets interrogated by his own subjects.

And.

She never expected she’d hear of her family’s truth from a vampire’s mouth.

Arriana?

Of course, she had heard of that name before. Her mother used to tell her that she had a twin sister who bore a child. A daughter. And that child was Arriana.

An unwanted daughter of a noble family.

And true to what the vampire traitor said, it was her cousin.

The twin sister was an ancient witch and a powerful one at that. However, she used black magic in order to get what she wanted. It was totally the opposite of Amanda’s mother who was a moon witch. A good witch.

Maybe that was the reason why her mother never really talked about her twin sister. Maybe that’s the reason why she had cut all ties with her. They were opposites and clearly, never in harmony.

Yet, under a vampire’s thirst, that didn’t matter. Whether good or bad witches, to them, they were all the same: food and a source for their superhuman powers.

Now, after learning about the curse and how to undo it, Amanda’s heart broke. As cliché as it sounded, but it did break into a thousand pieces. She wanted to help Cord lift the curse but how would she be able to do that if her life was at stake?

Moreover, what would Cord actually do? She knew he was done with being a vampire. She knew he’d want to undo his blindness. He had a duty to his subjects too, especially to those souls who were just tied up unwillingly with the curse.

What would he actually do after knowing the truth?

However, the answer to her questions came unexpectedly.

He...he doesn’t love her? She was just his plaything?! Those words rang in her mind over and over again.

Surely, her ears must have mistaken, but she heard it straight from his mouth. Seen the lack of emotions in his eyes. Felt the coldness of his actions as he turned towards the door.

It broke her heart real good, but those were enough for Amanda to face the facts head on. They were enemies and enemies, no matter how good they were in bed, are meant to tear each other apart.

So, an emotion seeped out. Anger. Real anger. And hatred that was purely coming from her alone. Not amplified by the amulet and not supported by the past hatreds of the dead witches. It bathed her eyes in glowing purple. It magnified her witch power times ten.

She was going to kill the Vitalis Master this time and she was going to do that before he could even drain her blood to lift the curse. To hell with her feelings for him.

Now, she doesn’t even know how, but when she felt the invisible chains in her wrists released, the first victim of her wrath was Trace. He was the one nearest to touch, so with that, she grabbed his elbow from the front and injected the petrifying spell on him.

It took only two seconds before he turned to stone.

Then, in the middle of clearing his throat, Garrett was next. In panic, he tried to sprint away from her but Amanda caught the end of his coat. She used this to pull him back and slam him to the ground, creating large cracks on the floor.

There, she grabbed his ankles. Garrett didn’t even have the chance to plead when the crystallization of his skin took place.

“You bitc-” he yelled, but wasn’t able to finish.

“Vampires... hell,” Amanda’s lulling voice emerged. With gritted teeth, she snapped her sights at Cord, eyes filled with rage and then bellowed, “You all deserve to die!!!”

She pressed her hands together onto the carpeted floor and then, upon contact, a white purplish light appeared and coated the whole room in a heartbeat.

Those vampires present whose reflexes were slow met the same end as Trace and Garrett. Cord, although still a human, escaped the stony judgment with the help of Calvin.

Just in the nick of time, he appeared and raced to pull his Master out of harm’s way using his ability of wind manipulation and flight.

“Fuck, you’re late,” Cord stated as he eyed the whole room below him turn to calcified stone.

“Sorry. I hadn’t really realized the drama would be here until Matteo appeared in the balcony,” Calvin spoke mid jump from the rooftop. “Did you kill the mage? I can’t hear his heartbeat anymore.”

In response, Cord shook his head. He had seen him drop to the floor in time with the release of Amanda’s restraints and he never really bothered worrying if he was alive or not after that.

Calvin scoffed at the scant reply and decided to change the subject, eyeing his Master once again while making a disgusted face, “You look like human shit Cord. It doesn’t suit you at all.”

With his hair flapping to and from his face, Cord groaned and gave him a bored look. “Turning human for the time being has its perks.”

Calvin quickly shook his head. “Well, you better return to your vampire self before it’s too late. As you can see, Amanda is on a rampage. Only you can restrain her with that shadow of yours.”

“I know,” was Cord’s only reply. He would have wanted to, but since her blood was still in effect, he couldn’t turn into his dark self. Well, at least not for the next thirty minutes.

When they both landed on the south wing balcony, Calvin released a relieved sigh. He truly thought they’d be safe, but only then did he realize they were not when Amanda stepped out of the balcony door as if she was just waiting for them there.

“Shit!” Calvin exclaimed. Even though he didn’t mean to, fear shot through him like a lance.

“Go,” was Cord’s immediate command. He stepped forward, blocking his vampire cousin out of Amanda’s sight. “I’ll take care of her.”

“You aren’t invincible in your current form, you know that right?” Calvin pointed out through trembling breaths.

The latter sighed and bobbed his head a little. “Yes, I know.”

“Largely suicidal, but thanks. I hope to see you again in flesh, not fossilized,” was the last words of Calvin before he leaped out of the balcony, out of Amanda’s vengeful attention.

Cord tsked.



When both were left alone, Amanda was the first to move. Every step she took, even though she floated above an inch in the air, made the floor crack and turn to crystal.

This was an enough sign for Cord to flee but he didn’t. He was the cause for her rampaging state and he knew he needed to address it head on.

Her hair floated in gentle waves and the same went with her bathrobe, showing off her slender legs and black lacey underwear. Cord relished at the sight, but it was only for a moment for when he met her eyes, his heart broke.

“Amanda...” Cord gently called out.

She was ultimately lost. Wherever she was. There was no soul seen in her eyes except for the purplish shade and the emotion of hatred.

Hatred because of him.

He did say those damnable words to her and he reckoned, he’d never be able to amend that mistake. Ever. But he just have to try.

“What a sick twist of fate,” Amanda started with little echoes on her voice, “Me? My blood? Your salvation? Your curse’s cure?” She ended it with a little chuckle from deep within her throat.

Cord’s brows tensed.

“Know that I am genuinely lost with it Amanda. I never knew,” he uttered.

“Ohhh, but now we do. So now, tell me? Will you use me? You did say you were bored with your immortal life. You did say I’m your plaything.” Her teeth showed but it wasn’t because she was smiling lovingly at him. She was sneering.

Cord’s knuckles whitened. A slow, heavy exhale passed through his nostrils, something that he could appreciate for the first time along with his pants and grunts earlier this morning during their trysts. Being a vampire, it never occurred to him that he needed air in his lungs, but right now, it was a useful element to calm the disorder of his emotions.

“You know very well that that’s not what I meant, Amanda,” he answered while giving her a hard nailed look.

Amanda only scoffed at him.

“Then what is, Cord?” She stepped forward, closer enough that their breaths mixed, and then her finger lightly, very lightly, grazed along his tense jaw. “Answer me properly else you’ll suffer the same as those wretched vampires wanting me dead. Make your words count.”

“I can’t show my biters any emotions that they can use against me and against you,” Cord replied, looking straight and unflinching to her. “Most especially you. I don’t want them to hurt you. I don’t care what happens to me, Amanda. I only care about you.”

“Care...” Amanda echoed, bitterness riding together with it. She stepped backward once, feeling scorched by his gaze. Feeling rather conscious for someone who was done with her feelings. “That’s a fucked up word for a vampire to use. Especially one that is my enemy.”

“I will not drain your blood. I already told you that right after we met. Before I even knew you are my curse’s answer.”

He has a point. You know he has a point. There was a small voice that told her. It at least snuffed out a little of her anger.

“And what about those sub...jects you have?” Amanda’s voice broke a syllable. She didn’t like it so she took a deep breath and started again. “Those who were innocent. They have a life too. They deserve to live a normal life free of darkness and suffering. You owe them. You have the responsibility to give them peace.”

Cord slowly closed his eyes. Her statement brought facts that needed careful thought but he didn’t really need to do that when he already knew the answer.

“I can’t use you. I can’t...lose you,” he said after looking straight at her again. “I love you, Amanda.”

Those three deadly words were finally said.

Amanda would have rejoiced upon hearing it; dammit, she had longed to hear that from him; but she didn’t. Instead, her anger grew more.

“You lie...” she said, quiet rage and a mixture of confusion roped her voice. Then, the vengeful energy that surrounded her further increased. It tossed her hair wildly from side to side. It even moved her bathrobe up and down. If it weren’t for the tie on her waist, she would have given him a hell of a view.

Cord didn’t like the unintended exposure of her legs and cleavage though but what else was he to do? He wanted to touch her, embrace her, but she was unstable. She could turn him to a statue with just a touch of her finger.

“You don’t know how to love remember?” Amanda continued, her voice hitting an octave higher. “Those exactly were your words!!!”

Then, her glowing purple eyes leaked tears. Fresh tears. Tears that showed the chaos in her heart.

And Cord saw it and he grieved it.

“Amanda...” he said. It sounded so low, like a whisper, but the genuineness of it echoed through her heart. “I hoped you’d see past those words. I hoped you’d see the pain I felt as I said that.”

“Shut up.” Amanda clenched her jaw. Her breathing increased in front of him, hyperventilating almost.

“I love you.” Those fucking words again.

“Shut up!”

“I love you, Amanda.” This time, Cord stepped forward. He wanted to close the gap but in haste, Amanda stepped backward, vehemently shaking her head. The energy that surrounded her weakened. Her floating hair eased and her bathrobe righted itself into position.

Tears still tickled down her eyes. Cord hated seeing it, but he just had to make his point known.

“I lov-”

“Shut up, please...” Amanda finally pleaded, breaking into sobs as she dropped onto the wet ground, her knees hitting the concrete. “Lie to me please. Lie to me! That would be easier than to face this truth we have!”

Truth? Ah, yes, the fact that he had to kill her in order to lift his curse.

But Cord erased that dilemma in his head.

“Cord!” Amanda gasped in time with his next action.

Swiftly, he joined her on the ground, took both of her palms and placed them cleanly against his chest. Then, he embraced her. Tightly. Very tightly so as she wouldn’t be able to escape.

“No, stop! Let me go!” Amanda frantically cried out.

Cord in response pressed his face closer, his mouth hitting the crook of her neck.

“If this eases your agony then I’m willing to sacrifice myself,” he whispered. A biting cold immediately shot through him, starting from his chest and spreading to his shoulders and back. “Turn me to stone. Erase my curse, Amanda.”

“No...” Amanda breathed out. “No!” Looking at the gloomy sky, she shook her head and cried out all her affliction through her tears.

She squirmed under him, but Cord didn’t want to release her.

“Let me go!”

“No,” he answered. “Petrify me Amanda. This is the only way you’ll be safe from me.”

“No...Cord, please. Please...” she finally broke. Their precious moments together flashed in her mind. His gentleness, his protectiveness of her, and how he made her feel treasured in bed and out. Those superseded the hatred in her heart. She could never hate him. Never. She could never forsake her feelings for him.

“I can’t...Cord, please. I can’t kill you. I don’t want...I don’t want to lose you too,” were her words when she closed her eyes and buried her face against his shoulder, sobbing weak.

“Amanda...”

That instant, the calcification of his flesh stopped. The biting cold he felt earlier ended. It was replaced with warmth coming from Amanda’s palms. He could breathe properly this time and even move, but he didn’t withdraw even an inch.

Instead, he stayed as is, embracing the life of her.

“I’ll find a way. I swear. You won’t die and I won’t let you die. But I’m not going to release you, Amanda. I am selfish and greedy. You already know that. Put it in your head that you are mine.”

Amanda cleared her throat. With her blurry eyes, she raised her head to look at his handsome profile, her heart mending gradually.

“You...are going to chain your enemy forever?”

A quirk in Cord’s lips appeared. He looked at her stern and serious, and said, “Yes, I will, and you can’t object that.”

Amanda pulled a small smile. “I...I wouldn’t even think of doing it.”