Chapter 107 — He needs me

The interior of the castle was just as regal as the exterior, and it was filled with women. Whenever ordinary people toured the inside of Dracula’s castle, the witches had some sort of magic that created an illusion, so that when the ordinary people came in, they only saw what they were supposed to see.

As we sprinted through the halls, I noticed there was not a single man in sight. I wondered if they had no male witches.

There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask, but Devyn was practically dying and we were running out of time.

We arrived at the healing room and Devyn was placed on a bed, while four women surrounded him. They were draped in deep purple dresses and they all wore a unique-looking ring on their fingers.

They all had shocked expressions on their faces as we all watched the poison trailing Devyn’s skin, creeping up on his neck.

“I don't know how he's still alive, but we have to hurry before the poison spreads completely,” one of them said in a panicked voice that made my heart thump wild in my chest.

They all muttered what sounded like incantations, and moved to place their palms on his chest. Just as I watched a white light emitting off Devyn’s chest, he jolted, sitting upright and startling everyone in the room including me. Relief poured into my heart, but when I saw the look on his face, all the blood drained from me.

Before anyone could react or comprehend what was happening, his hand grasped the witch’s neck closest to him, and his veins popped out as started to squeeze the life out of her.

“Devyn, stop!”

I grabbed his arm, trying to free his grasp of the poor woman’s neck, but his grip was too tight and firm. The woman gasped for air, and her face was starting to turn to a deep shade of red. Everyone began to panic and I was afraid he’d kill her soon if something wasn't done quickly.

I used all the strength I could muster to free his grip but it was no use.

“Devyn, please stop. They’re trying to help you. You're going to kill her,” my voice quaked with desperation, “please listen to me, it’s Gina.”

“How can he still move despite the poison killing him?” Flora’s panicked voice echoed behind me. There was only one answer for that; He was Devyn, and he would never go down without a fight.

“Get the sedative quick! I’ll have to inject it into his thigh,” one of them cried out and my gut wretched.

A sedative was a bad idea.

“Don’t. He’ll die. He’s fighting to stay alive,” I clamored, “I’ll calm him down. Please!”

“So we let him kill her?!” she snapped back at me and rushed to the drawers, searching for something hastily.

“Don’t do it!” I yelled at her and she was barely listening.

When she raised her hand and I saw the glint of the needle, rage, and panic coursed through me and I did the only thing my brain willed me to do. I charged towards her, colliding with her with so much force that sent us both to the ground.

“What are you—”

“I won't let you use that thing on him!”

It was a struggle to get the needle out of her hand, but I won. The woman I had just wrestled looked at me with widened frantic eyes and I honestly couldn’t blame her.

I must look so crazy right now, but I didn't care. I was willing to do anything to keep Devyn alive, even if it meant wrestling with every single witch in the castle.

I wasn't going to risk it at all.

I felt a small hand on my shoulder, and Flora’s voice filled the air around us, authoritative and commanding.

“Let her. We’re here to help them, and that is what we must do.”

They were reluctant, but somehow they had to listen to Flora.

Getting up on my feet, I approached Devyn whose grip never left the woman’s neck, and from the looks of it, she was starting to pass out.

I had to hurry.

I decided to do the only thing I could do.

Taking a deep breath, I raised a shaky hand and held his free hand in mine. Focusing on my thoughts and my emotions, I let them flow through me like a current to him.

I shut my eyes, and it was just me and him in the room. When I heard a thud, and someone gasping violently for air, I knew he’d let her go.

I still held him, I didn't want to let go because I was afraid to. Suddenly I felt a familiar touch on my cheek, and when I felt his lip on mine, I melted into him.

It was a gentle faint kiss, like that was what he could manage. When he pulled back, I opened my eyes and I felt my heart sink.

The poison had reached his mouth, and there was little of him left.

I stood frozen in shock.

“Quick! We have to perform the healing now!•

Devyn collapsed back on the bed, grinding his teeth in pain. They placed their hands back on his chest, including the woman who had almost passed out. They muttered their incantations faster and the white light grew.

He bit his lip, drawing blood as his body trembled. He threw his head back as he struggled to bear the pain. Devyn that could take a silver bullet so easily, but I could tell this was worse than anything.

I needed to help him.

I reached out and grabbed his jerking hands in mine. His eyes which had drawn to the back of his head now stared at me intensely. For the first time, behind those cold eyes that always barely held any emotion, the fear in them was as clear as day.

I was trembling too, my throat choked as sobs broke out of me. Even though my heart was aching and I was finding it hard to breathe, I focused on taking his pain.

I was ready to take all of it for him even if it could kill me.

Seeing him like that was the hardest thing to watch, and I felt my heart was slowly dying.

“I’m going to help you,” I whispered and I shut my eyes.

Focusing as tears streamed down my eyes, I envisioned his pain flowing from him to me. When a bit of it grazed my fingertips, I gasped out loud from the pain. It was excruciating and I hadn't even started yet.

I took a deep breath and focused on taking more of his pain.

I could do this, no matter what.

I told myself all I had to do was bear it, for him.

Suddenly, his voice blared through the whole room, sending chills down my spine.

“Take her out, now!”

Before I could open my eyes, I felt hands yank me away from him till I was pulled out of the healing room.

What the hell?

Just as I tried to run back in, the door shut in my face.

Everything went silent, and all I could hear was the beating of my heart thumping in my ears.

What just happened? Why was I thrown out?

I needed to get back in there.

Just when I was about to grab the knob and pull it open, I heard a distinct sound.

Click.

No, no, no.

I gripped the knob and forced it open, but it didn’t budge.

Realization struck me.

They locked me out.

“No,” my voice came out faint, defeated.

I started to pound my fists on the door, till they hurt, but the pain didn’t stop me.

Devyn needed me, and they locked me out of the room.

“Let me in! He needs me! Devyn needs me!” I was hysterical as I pounded relentlessly on the door, but they never gave in.

My throat hurt from yelling, my fists ached from pounding, and my heart bled.

The image of Devyn writhing in pain and fighting for his life was engraved in my mind, and the fact that I couldn't help was hard to bear.

He was fighting for his life, alone.

I don’t know how long I pounded my fists on the door, but I finally gave up, when I realized no one was going to listen.

I sank to the ground, my head slouched as my bleeding hands fell at my side.

“Please,” I whispered to myself, “He needs me.”

But Devyn’s voice blared, echoing through the walls of my mind.

He was the reason I was out here.

He was the one who had ordered me out of the room.

He didn’t need me.