The hair on my neck bristled as something brushed past me. I looked back to find myself surrounded by trees on all sides. I had come too far to return now.
“What a brave little thing?” The familiar voice sounded behind me, making me jump. “She knows that someone is stalking her yet…” With a swoosh, Andres appeared right in front of me. “Yet she dares to venture out alone.”
My heart stopped beating and my jaws hung open. He pinched my chin and drew me closer, his lips lifting in a smirk. “Miraya. Miraya. Miraya… what are we going to do with you?”
His smirk widened as his gaze dropped to my neck. F***! Don’t tell me he was going to bite me. No! I couldn’t let him do that; not again. Gathering every ounce of strength I had, I kicked him in the groin.
His eyes widened in shock as a gasp escaped his lips. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I scurried away from him. Once I had put enough distance, I started running. I had barely run a few meters when he appeared in front of me again; his movements were so fast that it was practically a blur.
I spun around and ran in the opposite direction, but was obstructed by him again. He looked at me with a confused expression and scowled. “Are you really trying to outrun me with that kind of speed?”
I scrambled and started moving backward, but was hindered by a tree. He grabbed both my wrists and held them over my head; drawing closer. At this point, I was so terrified that I couldn’t even breathe.
Just when I thought my heart would stop beating, an orb of blue light appeared out of nowhere and hit him. He gasped and his face contorted with pain. Releasing me abruptly, he spun around with a hiss; crouching in a defensive stance.
Stella sauntered into view; her arms crossed over her chest. She walked straight up to Andres and grabbed him by his collar; her face glowering with a fiery expression. “Lord Andres! I will tell you this only once. Miraya is my friend. If you try to harm her, the Gentak Coven won’t spare you.”
“Since when did the witches of the Gentak Coven become so cocky?” Andres taunted as he flashed a few meters away from her.
“Since vampires started breaching our perimeters.” Her voice was confident and her expression stoic. She took a step towards him and raised her hand. An orb of blue light formed over her palm, which she sent towards Andres. “I am just like my mother, Lord Andres. I don’t like to repeat things.”
The orb of light hit Andres, sending him crashing against a tree. There was a loud crunch, and the tree fell to the ground with a thud. I had expected Andres to fall with the tree, but he bounced back and landed on the fallen trunk.
Andres’s furious glare drifted from Stella to mine before he just vanished. I mean, he moved away so quickly that I couldn’t even figure out his direction.
Stella rushed over to me and held my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head, too petrified to speak. I had just seen the impossible unfold right before my eyes.
“Did he hurt you?” Her scrutinizing gaze scanned over my body. “Did he bite you again?” She pulled the collar of my sweater, checking for marks. “It doesn’t look like you have been bitten.” She pressed her fingers against my neck. “Your pulse seems erratic….”
“Vampires? Witches? What exactly was he saying, Stella?” I stuttered, backing away from her.
My eyes widened further as the realization dawned on me, “Those chants, that cave… those weren’t hallucinations, were they?”
She was about to reach out for me, but her hands froze hearing me. She raised her hands defensively. “I didn’t mean to hide this from you…” She took a step towards me again. “You were completely shaken up by what Andres did. I didn’t want to add to your trauma by telling you that the vampire venom had infected you.”
“What exactly happens when a vampire bites you? I mean, apart from that tormenting agony?”
“Usually a bite from a vampire starts the initiation, but for some reason, your body reacted differently. If I hadn’t absorbed the venom using magic, you would have died.”
This time, when she made a move to hold my hand, I didn’t pull away. A small twine of blue light emerged from her fingertips and seeped into my skin. My skin warmed up and slowly it spread all over my body.
It was like being injected with a healthy dose of sunshine. It wiped away all my fear and uneasiness. My lips pressed into a thin line as I muttered, “Thank you. I am feeling much better now.”
She pouted as she drew me closer. “There is no need to be so formal. I am still the same crazy Stella, you know.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at her animated expression and just like that, all the awkwardness melted away. “You said something about the initiation. What does that mean?”
“It forms a bond between the human and the vampire. The bond is weak at first, but it strengthens with time. If the vampire bites the person on three consecutive new moons, he or she will turn into a vampire as well.”
“Let us just say that Andres bites me thrice; will I also become as fast and powerful as him?”
“What in the world are you thinking, Miraya?” Stella smacked my arm, hard. “If he succeeds, you will also have to suffer from the terrible blood lust, not to mention that you will be sired to him.”
“Sired?”
“Umm… let us just say you will become his puppet for all purposes. He will be able to control you.”
My steps faltered, and my heart skipped a beat. “You absorbed the venom. That means his bite became ineffective, right?”
Stella’s face turned pale and she let out a deep sigh, “I wish that were true, Miraya. Absorbing the venom doesn’t make the bite ineffective. It just counters the symptoms.”
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck me. My blood ran cold and my legs started shaking. If Stella hadn’t supported me, I would have fallen to the ground.
“Hey, Miraya. Look at me,” she said, forcing me to look at her. “It is not as bad as you think. You need to be bitten thrice to turn into a vampire. All we need to do is stay away from him on the next new moon day.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “How in the world are we going to do that? He is so fast and powerful….”
“So am I. I am a witch, remember?” She squeezed my shoulders. “I promise to keep you safe.”
“Miraya?”
“Hmm…”
“How much do you love Cassius?”
“Huh?” I raised my head to look at her, startled at her sudden question. “Why are you asking this suddenly?”
“Just answer my question, Miraya.”
My throat choked up with emotions. “I don’t know when this happened, but I think I love him deeply. I can do anything, be anything for Cassius. I can even give my life for him.”
Her expression turned even more serious. “Let us say that Andres threatens you with Cassius. Will you let him bite you?”
My heart sank, and the color drained from my face. Stella was right. If Andres figured out how important Cassius was to me, he would try to use him.
I grabbed Stella’s hand and begged, “You have to find a way to keep him safe, Stella; for my sake; for the sake of the friendship you have with him.”
“I don’t think I can protect two people at the same time. If my attention is diverted, Lord Andres will take advantage of the situation.” She shrugged with a helpless expression. “Don’t take me wrong, Miraya. I am just being practical here.” Her eyes lit up suddenly. “There is one way. But….”
“There is no place for ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, Stella. I will do anything to keep him safe.”
“If Lord Andres never finds out about your relationship with Cassius, he won’t target him.” Her piercing gaze bore into mine and her next words shattered my core. “You have to break up with Cassius.”
***
My gaze wandered around the students gathered in the playground. Where was Cassius? I hadn’t seen him even once since morning. Had he not come to college today?
My heart swelled with conflicting emotions. I felt miserable that I couldn’t see him, but there was a part of me that was relieved. If he didn’t turn up, I wouldn’t have to break up with him.
With slow, absent-minded steps, I made my way to the canteen. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice anything different.
It was only when Cassius called out to me that I raised my head. My breath caught in my throat the moment my gaze landed on him. Dressed in a blue coat and a bow tie, he looked drop-dead gorgeous. I mean, he always looked handsome, but today’s look added a different kind of charm to his personality.
My heart fluttered as he picked up a bouquet of roses from the counter and walked over. His lips curved in a slightly nervous smile, “I… umm, realized that I never proposed to you properly. So….” He handed the bouquet of fresh roses to me. “I thought I would surprise you.”
My gaze roamed around the canteen. It was decorated with roses of different colors. Streamers hung from the ceiling and the words ‘I Love You, Miraya’ were painted on the wall in golden letters.
I gasped as a sharp pang sliced through my heart like a knife. My fingers clenched into tight fists and I gulped. Why did he have to do this today of all days? Why did he have to make everything harder for me?
Drawing in a deep breath, I threw the bouquet on the ground and crushed the petals under my foot.
Blinking away my tears, I forced myself to look at him with a bitter expression, “Why did you have to do something as stupid as this?”
The color drained from his face and he staggered a step back. His eyes flashed with hurt as he stuttered, “Miraya… I just wanted to….”
“You just wanted to what, Cassius?” My gaze drifted over the canteen. “You wanted to make a fool out of me in front of the entire college?”
“Miraya, please don’t be like this,” he said in a choked voice; making a move to hold me. I slapped away his hand and gritted out, “Don’t try to touch me. You should have at least talked to me before doing something so drastic.”
My nails dug into my skin and bit the inside of my cheek. “You knew I was planning to break up with you, right?” I narrowed my eyes. “That is why you did all of this. You wanted to prove to everyone that I am a bitch for leaving you.”
“Miraya!” His breath hitched and tears sparkled in his eyes. He grasped me by my shoulders and spoke in a desperate voice, “I would never….”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Cassius wasn’t going to give up so easily. I clenched my teeth and pushed him away with as much force as I could muster.
“Don’t you dare touch me again!” I yelled as I slapped him.
His eyes widened in shock and his hand flew to his cheeks. My gaze flickered to his lips. There was light bruise and a few drops of blood had oozed out of the split skin.
The air left my lungs as a pang of regret gripped me. I hadn’t wanted to hit him so hard. I didn’t even know that the impact would be so harsh.
It was becoming impossible to hold back my tears any longer. So, I spun around with a muffled whimper and ran as fast as my legs could carry.
My steps slowed into a trot as I entered the backyard of the campus. Stella was waiting for me there. The moment I saw her, I couldn’t restrain myself anymore.
“I hurt him, Stella. I… I hurt him deeply. I could see it in his eyes… He…” the rest of the words got choked by the sob that left my lips.
She pulled me into a tight hug and held me as I cried my heart out. Patting my back, she spoke in a soothing tone, “I know this is difficult for you, but you have to stay strong. This is the only way we can keep Cassius safe.”
I knew I was doing this to keep him safe, but it didn’t stop my heart from hurting. It was as if a blade had lodged in the deepest part of my soul.