Chapter 93: Love Would Be Insane

Chapter 93: Love Would Be Insane
Aurelia was walking determinedly across the field that stretched between the royal castles and the Legion camp, her expression set in a cold stare.

Vlad.

That jerk.

He’d tried to take her memories away again.

If she hadn’t managed to break out of his control and distract him with that kiss, who knew what would’ve happened?

Granted, she’d briefly fallen victim to her own weapon when the kiss overwhelmed her ability to form rational thoughts. But she’d gathered her wits fast enough to know she had to pretend he’d succeeded in his attempt to erase her mind, so Aurelia gave herself grace for enjoying that kiss.

Her boots stomped angrily, trampling small tuffs of grass as she marched toward the tall buildings.

Vlad wanted her to forget him? Fine. She would.

Aurelia may be inexperienced in matters of desire, but from what she could see, Vlad seemed to struggle just as much as she did in resisting her. If the way he’d just taken in her kiss like it was oxygen after hours of being submerged in deep waters was anything to go by… Aurelia could be confident that his wish for her to forget him would hurt him, too.

She smirked, eyes crazed with fury. Let's see what he did next time he was restless and aching to touch her.

She wouldn’t make things easier for him by giving in to it then. Oh, no. Even if she had to bite her own lip until it bled to resist, Aurelia would resist this atrocious pull to him.

She’d wait. She’d wait until he was craving her again. They’d made love three times so far. First, after he’d revived her in that strange pool and then took her to his forest cabin. The second time was on the day she’d trespassed into his castle, and he’d practically been shaking with fever.

Lastly was the night he’d come to her room. Probably to verify that she was really alive.

She didn’t think it would be presumptuous of her to conclude that the cold creature wanted her more than he could admit.

He didn’t like her, sure, but he craved her. With that thought, she suddenly understood why he was always so cold to her.

What had started as a transaction between them seemed to have become something he wanted more as time went on. And his pride couldn’t take that.
So, to establish dominance, he was as mean to her as he could be whenever he was in full control of his desires.

She scoffed. He had… some sort of weakness for her, didn’t he?

Aurelia didn’t know what it was, but when she returned from Geminor, she would make sure that he paid for his theft of her memories.

Her memories were hers, and she would keep them. Even if it meant she got hurt by him at times.

Besides, his mind control couldn’t solve that problem for her. Because each time she met his eyes afterward, all her memories came flooding back in.

Except, he still didn’t know that.

Sighing, she made her way past the stables and finally reached the courtyard to walk toward the servants’ entrance.

She would see Fiona, report everything, and prepare to travel and acquire the Blood Crystal of Nox.

Vlad, she would deal with later.



The fireplace hadn’t been lit in a long time. Vlad sat in his armchair, studying the clean, granite slab of the hearth.
Then he studied the gleaming gold frame above the fireplace and the rare ornaments along the top of it.

His eyes would watch melting ice or drying paint right now. Anything to avoid looking at Seth, who sat in the other armchair, studying Vlad like he was the key to unlocking the universe.

With a sigh, Vlad finally looked at him. “I’d like it if you stopped staring at me like that. I’m regretting this already.”

Seth shook his head, brows raised. “I…” He huffed. “I just can’t believe you found your soulmate because I thought the guys were playing around when they said you were in love—”

“Soulmate?!” The disgust was instant. “In love?!”

“Aren’t you—”

“No! God, no! Love would be insane, Seth! It’s…” He stopped and quickly realized that he was reacting a little too fiercely, judging by the shocked look on his brother’s face. This reaction was… very unlike Vlad’s usual silence.

Seth was frozen still, staring at him. “I… haven’t heard your voice get that high since you accidentally dropped Syre as a baby… and practically had a damn heart attack…”

Swallowing hard, Vlad slowly eased back into the chair to try and restore some of his composure. “I… caught him just before he could hit the floor.”

Seth slowly nodded, his eyes still wide. “Vlad, you’re in love?”

He sighed in exasperation. “I’m not in love. Stop saying that.”

“The way you’re reacting… And you’ve never asked me for girl advice before. I’ve emptied my advice book on X and Ethan, but never you.”

Vlad pursed his lips, staring into space.

This was a bad idea. He shouldn’t have kept the secret to the goddamn grave.

“Actually,” he began, thinking of a way to defuse Seth’s blatantly suppressed panic. “There’s no need for you to freak out. There’s nothing going on, there’s no girl. I haven’t fed in about a week. I think I’m just craving.”

“Craving blood doesn’t make one imagine some non-existent girl to ask advice for,” Seth murmured.

“Fine, let’s discuss X first, then.”

“I’d rather hear what you wanted to ask about the girl—”

“Seth!”

“I’m sorry, I’m just so happy! You have no idea how worried I’ve always been about you. Your entire life, if you weren’t isolating in your forest cabin—the location of which you still refuse to tell us, by the way—you’re stalking the lands where your people were killed. You’ve been in darkness for so long, the thought of you finding love in there is…”

Seth’s eyes glimmered with what Vlad was horrified to suspect were tears.

“I’m not in love,” he gritted, even though his gaze softened. “And I’m not in darkness, I’m fine. Stop freaking out.”

“What is she like?”

“Fucking hell.”