Chapter 27 Twenty Seven
KAZIEL
Danika quickly folds her hands behind her, turning to face the approaching figure. Whoever this person is, they know who I used to be. But they have no scent. Therefore, I can't tell if he's human or not. He smiles at me, his brown eyes twinkling.
"Do you remember me, doctor? You saved my sister a year ago. They said she was brain dead, and you fixed her," he says, and I blink.
I've saved quite a number of lives, it's difficult to keep track of them. Even the ones that came back to bite me in the ass.
"My name's Alvin," he says, handing me a business card. "I'm deeply indebted to you. If you ever need my assistance, please don't hesitate to call."
He hurries away after apologizing to Danika. Then I glance down at the card. Something's off.
Frowning, I toss it on the ground, crouching. Danika joins me, watching me as I release a sliver of demonic energy onto the card. Several glistening ember-colored runes appear on it, and Danika shuffles backwards, alarmed.
"What's that?" She breathes.
"I don't know. But whatever it is...it can't be good," I tell her, pulling her to her feet.
"Kaziel, my hands are glowing," she whispers, and I freeze.
Slowly, I grip her wrists, amazed.
"You're definitely not human," I tell her, and she gulps.
"What am I then? A glowy light bulb?"
Despite myself, I let out a laugh. "Calm down. Close your eyes, try imagining the light retreating into your palms," I say, and she nods.
I watch her close her eyes, a slight crease in between her brows. A lump forms in my throat knowing that she's only manifesting her true destiny.
The Sanctum.
The only entity blessed by the moon goddess to cleanse and purify. But also... the one destined to destroy whatever darkness she touches. Including me
It's why she had burned me earlier without realizing it.
Danika's eyes pop open, a giant smile lighting up her face when she sees that the light is gone.
"Come on, let's get you home. It's getting late," I utter, and her smile falls.
She's so adorable.
“I want to stay with you longer,” she tells me, and I entwine our fingers together, leading us towards my car.
“Can I not go to my apartment tonight?” She asks, and I sigh.
“As much as I would like to have you all to myself, I can’t. You need to study and become a good doctor. You can’t do that if I’m constantly distracting you.”
She pouts. “You’re not distracting me.”
“Really? I guess we will have to test that theory.”
“How?”
“You’ll see,” I tell her, opening the car door for her. She sulks, settling in.
I watch her as she lowers her gaze, fiddling with her fingers. She looks…deeply troubled. Probably because she’s worried about the light bulb thing.
My chest tightens.
I desperately want to protect her, but what if it’s not enough?
...
I've been sitting here for ten minutes now, engine off, her apartment light glowing faintly through the curtains. I told myself I was just making sure she got in safely, but who am I kidding?
I can still feel her warmth on my palms. That glow. That light.
If she ever finds out the truth of what I am and what she is to me, she'll never look at me again.
A muscle jumps in my jaw. I drag a hand down my face, exhaling shakily, and that's when it hits me.
The curse.
It tears through my chest like molten heat, searing through every nerve. My vision blurs, and suddenly I can't breathe.
"Not now," I rasp, gripping the steering wheel so hard that the leather creaks. The hollow curse is always there, waiting to devour what's left of me, but this…this is different.
It feels like something's clawing me apart from the inside.
My throat burns as I gasp, fighting to draw air into my lungs. The pain usually fades when she's near, but she's gone now, and already my body is rebelling.
Is it the poison? Or the curse feeding off it?
My head falls back against the seat. Sweat beads along my temples. Every heartbeat feels like an explosion in my ribs.
My phone suddenly rings out, and I fumble for it, my vision flickering in and out. The name on the screen makes my stomach tighten.
Father.
Of course.
He chooses the worst timing ever.
I let it ring twice...
On the third, I press accept, my voice hoarse. "This isn't a good time, Father."
"It never is, is it, Kaziel? You sound breathless, the rumors must be true."
My knuckles whiten. Damnit, he knows.
"Do I have to remind you what happened the last time and how you went berserk?"
Fuck.
"That's enough, I'm hanging—"
"You can't protect her, Kaziel. She will die if you mate with her and claim her. Just like Vanya—"
"Stop," I hiss, tightening my grip on the phone.
"I tried to save your mother, you know? I was just like you. Stubborn and determined. But I failed. I don't want you to end up like me. I heard that you found the vessel. It's only right for you to settle down with—"
I end the call abruptly, my chest heaving.
Like hell would I let him poison my mind. An angry growl rises in the back of my throat as my gnawing hunger consumes me.
Just then, I hear a knock on the rolled-up window of my car. Tense, I roll it down, only to find Eve standing there wearing a pair of black shorts and an oversized matching hoodie.
The nerve of this little bitch.
Gritting my teeth, I step out of the car. Then I grab her by the throat, pinning her to the wall of an alley a little distance away.
The fast movement has me winded, with black dots swimming across my vision. Still, I don’t let go. The bitch smiles at me.
“I’m guessing you already know what I did,” she croaks, and I squeeze harder. Tears leak from her eyes, but she continues to smile.
“Go ahead, Kaziel. I won’t fight you. So, kill me. That’s what you do best, isn’t it?”
My body protests, and I turn away to cough up blood, my insides on fire.
Damnit, I should have listened to Danika and headed home with her.
“Where is the antidote?” I demand, and she laughs even harder.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Cut it out,” I hiss, and she shrugs.
“If I die, you die too. How does that sound? Brilliant, isn’t it?”
The pain worsens, and I pull away from her, gasping for air. My knees give out, and I crumble to the ground, my heartbeat uneven.
“The antidote is on my body, Kaziel. And you can only achieve relief from my touch,” she drawls, and I look at her, terrified.
What the fuck does she mean?
“What do you want from me?” I demand, coughing up more blood.
“I want you to suffer and beg. I want you to spend the rest of your life isolated, repenting of your sins. I want you to beg for mercy at my feet,” she says, rubbing her throat.
I stare at her, flabbergasted.
This is more than just hatred. This is utter revulsion. The kind that runs bone deep.
Why?
Is it my existence itself that irks her?
Who exactly is she?
“Don’t worry about Danika, I won’t hurt her. All I want is for her to stay far away from you. You will corrupt her. That’s all you do. You’re a sickness that shouldn’t exist. All you do is corrupt and destroy everything!”
It is pathetic how those words practically knock the breath out of my lungs.
But she’s right.
I am a vile thing.
Everyone around me made sure I knew that. Even my own father.
But I can’t be killed by anyone or anything. All I can do is suffer in pain and drown in my own misery.
Do I really not deserve to live?
“Aren’t you curious about who I am?” She asks, moving towards me.
My body slumps to the ground, every muscle in my body spasming painfully.
I want to pass out or fall asleep. Anything to escape this agony, but my body refuses to take the cue.
Eve moves over to kneel beside me, my vision swimming in and out of focus.
I let out a humorless laugh, infuriated by the fact that I’ve been reduced to such a mess by a literal child.
“Who are you?” I spit.
Her lips curl. Then she reaches for my face. I’m too weak to pull away. And when her fingers graze my skin, a shiver runs through me.
“Evelyn Hart,” she drawls, her lips stretching into a wide smirk.
Hart?
My heart starts to beat even faster as disbelief sinks into me.
Vanya’s…younger sister?
“Your ex-girlfriend’s older sister.”
What?