Chapter 26 CHAPTER 26

Chapter 26 CHAPTER 26
SERA'S POV

I pulled out another book, a snarl ripping out from my lips. The table is covered with open books, some on the floor, all lying to me.

“Okay,” I breathe, holding what seemed to be an Ancient cook book recipe. “Let's do this again.”

I opened the book. A simple recipe. I muttered the words to myself, cramming the recipe down.

Okay, I thought again, closing the book. If this one did the exact same thing…

I opened the book again. “Fuck,” I groaned. Just like the other fifty books, the content inside had changed. The recipe I had just learnt was no where to be found, and instead, this seemed to be a fucking traveling book.

“You bitch,” I threw the book across the room, watching it fly with satisfaction. All the books I had tried the exact same thing.

I collapsed on the chair, blinking. The library towered over me, moving closer. I stood up. It was so quiet, yet there was a nagging feeling that I was being watched, laughed at.

“You think this is a fucking game,” I screamed in the empty room. “Playing with my mind like this.”

Maybe this was useless. I shouldn't be here, and the library seemed to know that. “It's just like I'm losing my mind,” I mutter, heading for the door.

Wait, what was that?

I turned back, walking towards the book. Sure enough, in-between books of no meaning, a small red book with gold trimmings was there.

“The History of Catalyst Lineage,” I read, pulling the book out. Finally, this was it. A chance to understand what was wrong with me. “Please be normal,” I begged, walking back to the table.

I flipped the book open.

“Vampire political alliances,” I read out loud, scanning the page. “Houses aligned to the North.”

The next page.

The next page.

The next page.

“Where do they talk about catalysts?” I cried, swiping through vampire laws and territories. I had no interest in learning about the ‘rules’ vampires had while feeding, I needed to know about myself.

I reached the last page. Nothing again. Just like the rest of the books, this one had deceived me. My hands were shaking, anger and disappointment mixing in my heart and I flung the book away.

A hand caught it mid air. He appeared out of nowhere, a stern look on his face. “You seem to be in great spirits.”

“This library is useless,” I snapped. “Everytime I think I have finally found something I can read or research on, I open it and it's full of jargons. Jargons and lies. Everything in here is pointless and I don't know why I even bothered to come,” I groaned.

“Just a glimpse of my life,” Dante replied, walking next to me and putting the book down, “and you are so troubled.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I do not care to untangle your riddles today,” I replied,sighing and resting my head backwards.

Dante glanced at me with pity.

“Wait,” I sat up straighter, staring at the vampire king. Today, he was dressed more simpler than I had seen him before, a loose shirt and black trousers. His dark eyes were as wild as they turned towards me, but still…

“When I fed Lucian and Caspian,” I said, standing up, “I saw changes. Almost immediately. I did not see any change in you,” I realized.

He said nothing.

“Caspian’s sanity returned,” I ticked off, “I saw Lucian’s frost recede and he became, almost like a normal human being.”

Dante’s eyes widened, a brow raising up on his head. As he opened his mouth, I raised a finger up, silencing him. “I need to think.”

I paced the room. Dante was thankfully quiet, his eyes tracking my steps as a theory formed in my mind. “The first time Caspian fed from me, the madness left his eyes, but he went back to normal after that. The second time, when he drank for much much longer, he remained sane for days.”

I stopped. “The longer you feed, the more the effects last.”

I turned back to Dante. “Lucian fed a little, yet, I saw a change. With you, I saw nothing, not one clue that my blood could affect you,” I hisses, walking up to him. “Tell me the truth, liar king,” I said, standing toe to toe with him.

“Are you faking the curse?”

Dante’s lips lifted into a smirk, his dark pools giving me nothing.

“Sera.”

I spun. “Did you hear that?” I asked, facing the door. “Sera.”

That voice. It was so smooth, so clear…

“Dante,” I gasped, facing him.

His voice came through again, but his lips didn't move. “What do you believe I am hiding?”

“How are you doing that?” I asked. He has done this once before, I heard his voice clear in my head like this. “What are you, some kind of telepath?”

Dante shook his head. “The curse scrambles my words, you know that. It also scrambles my thoughts. They are always fractured, chaotic and it takes serious concentration to arrange them and even at that, when I finally get them right, they come out the opposite of how I feel.”

Oh Goddess. “So you can think clearly now?”

“For the first time in years,” Dante answered honestly. “I would like to think, maybe if I had fed longer too, I would have been blessed like Caspian and my words would finally come out, not as lies but as the truth.”

“So, I had an effect on you,” I whispered, mainly to myself. “Why can I hear you in my head though? How does telepathy work?”

“I will admit, this is the first time this is happening,” Dante sighed. “When I entered your mind as I fed on you, something changed. I hoped you were the one that subconsciously gave me access.”

I bit my lower lip. “Your blood, Sera. Your blood is the only reason I can speak freely, but only in your mind.”

I furrowed my brow. “And can you—”

“No, I can't,” he answered, cutting me off. “I can only speak in your mind, I don't hear any of your thoughts. You have to speak back to me aloud. I don't want to invade your mind again.”

I let out a breath I did not realize I held. The thought of Dante knowing I had plans to end them, while I just ran amok with a silver blade. Maybe he would pretend, like he did not know I had a silver blade in my room.

“Hmm”?

“What?” He asked.

Okay, he actually couldn't hear my thoughts, I said internally. I moved back, sitting at the edge of the table, my head flaming.

“Sera.”

I glanced up at Dante. “I know everyone has expectations of you here,” he said, his voice very calm, “and no one has asked how you feel.”

“Yeah, my blood is very precious.”

He shook his head. “I saw something when I bit you though. Fragments of your mind. You suffered. I saw vampires and I could tell it was not pleasant.”

I knew it. “Is that why you guys became nicer to me?”

“I know being a catalyst is not easy, and you were thrust into it without warning, everyone hoping you can break our curse without asking what you want. I am sorry.”

Did he just apologize to me?

“If you are interested,” Dante continues, “I have a distraction in mind.”

I stared at him. Dante held me back from saving Wren. Maybe if he did not, then Wren would still be alive. Plus he was a liar. What is his distraction? Why was he so soft, his eyes pleasing for me to say yes.

“Okay,” I hesitated. This is a chance to learn more about them, Sera. “What is the distraction?”

Dante stepped closer. “Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a vampire?”

Well—

Dante grabbed my hand suddenly, pulling me to his body. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer as a soft gasp left me, where he touched burning.

“Hold on,” he said.

And then, we began to move.