[Amor’s POV] The city welcomed us with the scent of freshly baked bread suffusing in the air as the kids ran across the narrow streets, chasing after one another. The street began with houses made of stones, clay bricks, and rocks with thatched roofs. Strong aroma of tea leaves and coffee wafted around us. They were vintage tea shops and cafes. Women were wrapped in long clothes known as sarees that had intricate thread work of gold. Men wore dhotis with jackets in vibrant, gleeful colours. Kids wore the same. People chattered in a language I didn’t understand. The streets were filled with ringing of bells as the doors of the cafes opened and closed, laughter of ladies standing near the clothes and jewellery stores, sound of parrots, cats and other animals in a pet store and many more sounds filled the place with a comfort I had never felt before. Vampires and werewolves intermingled with one another to the extent that it made me think if those species were ever enemies? The na
[Amor’s POV] Food was served and thank god she ate decently, like a lady. But even during eating, she used to lift her head, holding a spoon in her mouth, and look around. There were all kinds of people. Some were using a spoon, fork, and knife to eat their food, and some used their hands. That was their culture. Zeve put the spoon aside and started eating with her hands, too. That was a completely different side of hers I was witnessing. She was observing, learning, and accepting their culture as her own quickly. More like embracing a whole new culture in her warm and gentle embrace, like a bird hugging her babies in her wings. It was a quality of an excellent luna. If she accepted Arginieth with such love, undoubtedly, she could turn out to be a nurturer. If Arginieth could get her warmth as a luna… I held my chest because something inside was making my heart flutter. As if my kid, my public, my people who became orphans after my father’s death would finally find the love and w
[Zeve’s POV] I didn’t know if Chaz was provided with a proper burial ceremony after Amor killed him or not. I would never ask the killer of my mate about his burial. Amor might lie to me to hurt me more or tell the truth and hurt me even more. I couldn’t pray for his safety in the afterlife because of the chaos my life was put into because of Amor. Using this auspicious festival, I wanted to wish for Chaz’s soul to rest in peace. Amor was constantly looking at the map of the kingdom he had got when we entered the borders. The roses were unique. Half black and half red. Was that naturally possible? I didn’t know, but their fragrance was sweetly rosy, like the flowers had bloomed on an eclipse. “Zeve, wait!” He stopped near a stable. “I will sell this horse.” “Why?” I asked, confused. “You will not ride it, and I am not riding it with you under any circumstances. So it will only be a burden.” I looked at our horse. “But how can you abandon him after he helped us come here?” Th
[Zeve’s POV] I took in a deep breath, shutting my eyes, and fell to the ground. Memories from my past came crashing on me. All overwhelming me at the same time. I cupped my palms around my mouth, but breaths wouldn’t go in. Blood rushed through my veins as if they would rush out, tearing them apart. I clenched my chest. It’s suffocating… “Zeve!” Amor rushed to me. He knelt in front of me as he held my shoulders. “Zeve! What’s wrong?” “I can’t…” I gasped, tears slithering away from my eyes without control. “... breathe.” “What?” He looked around frantically. “I am hugging you, ok?” I nodded once. He hugged me. “Calm down… it’s ok. I am here.” He caressed my hair, stroking my back. “You are breathing completely fine. It’s just a panic attack. Take a deep breath, hmm? Come on, do it with me.” We parted and looking into my eyes; he took a deep breath and so did I with him. “Keep it in. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Now release your breath through your mouth…” he said, and I exhal
[Amor’s POV] “Let me see,” she almost yelled at me. I took my hand back. “What do you want?” I asked her vexingly. “To apply this medicine on your wound,” she said. Giving her a look, I got up from the rock and headed near the river. She followed me. “Amor, I don’t care about you.” I shut my eyes, then skimmed it from the river to her. “Then show me you don’t care about me. You can’t come with medicine in your hand for a wound in my hand and tell me you don’t care.” She gaped at me with blank eyes. Her eyelids soon became heavy with tears that she dried off, blinking. She dropped her gaze and was about to turn to leave. “Why the hell are ‘you’ crying now?” I sighed, annoyingly. “I am hurt. I should be crying. What is wrong with you? What in the world do you want? Why is it so freaking difficult to understand you? I told you I don’t need your medicine. My wound will heal on its own. I don’t like anyone touching my wounds. Do you get it?” Her lips trembled as she spoke. “I am s
[Amor’s POV] I hid behind a tree and observed her for some time. I would catch her right when she would try to escape. Maybe all that wishing on the flower was a facade to hide her true intentions from me. “It must hurt, right?” I heard her talk to Vaayu. “I shouldn’t have wasted time on him. He says he can’t understand me, huh? I can’t understand him. Who enjoys pain? No one in their sane mind will.” She was cleaning Vaayu’s wounds on his back, neck, legs, and knees. Vaayu neighed, moving his tail as if he was agreeing to everything she said. She squatted near the river and cleaned the cloth she used to clear Vaayu’s wounds in the running water. “I will apply the medicine to your wounds. It might burn a little, but this medicine is magical. May is a really amazing doctor. You should meet her. She speaks less, but speaks wisdom. Like Lucella, she is the ideal lady, fearless, intelligent, caring, cold, but warm at the same time. When I speak of caring and affectionate, lady Ella c
[Amor’s POV] Venus breathed in through her clenched teeth when her rose collided with someone else’s and veered from the path. Only Zeve’s rose was travelling in a straight line to the centre, isolated from all kinds of interruptions happening around it. Venus squatted near Zeve, following and cheering for her rose. “Your rose is so aloof from the others, as if it has its own intelligence and knows where it should go.” She said with amazement. There was a lotus floating in the middle of the pond. That was the destination for all the roses. I stood behind Zeve, stoically peering at the rose. I crossed my hands across my chest. My wrist was bleeding less, so I tightened my grip around it, reopening the wound. God knows why I wanted that wound to not heal. It was as if I was waiting for something to happen, but didn’t know what. The blood stained my shirt, too, but who cared? The rose race was more intriguing to watch. Several other roses headed to the lotus too, along with Zeve
[Amor’s POV] She forced a smile on her face. “I will never love again. Love can only get a true meaning from one’s mate. My mate is gone and on that rose I wished for his peaceful end and afterlife. I won’t love again. And… you think a girl’s only goal is to sleep with a man? That is the value and meaning of a woman in your eyes. But don’t you think we can have goals, too?” “Goals? What other goals can you have other than having kids, raising them, cooking for your family, keeping your husband and family happy? That is what women have been doing, and that is what they will do. What other goal can you possibly have?” I completely disagree with every statement I made, but I knew it would enrage her and that was exactly why I said those words. My plans for women and my definition of women were unfathomable, but I wanted to know what women meant in her eyes. The disgust in her eyes was clear, yet she couldn’t speak a word. “Come on, tell me what your goal is, except the ones I said.
(This is a free chapter. You won’t need to pay for it. So, please do it read it until the end.) Dear readers, So this journey had finally come to an end! First of all, THANK YOU so much for reading this book, investing your time, and giving it so much love and appreciation. Your every gem, your every comment, your every review has brightened my day and uplifted my spirit in my hard times. This is my first book on this platform and I couldn’t have ever imagined of getting so far. But you made this possible and I am super grateful for all your supports, lovelies. I know this book isn’t perfect and nor am I, but I always try my best to better my craft and create a world where all of us could unite. So, don’t forget to tell me who your favourite character/s was/were in this story? If you enjoyed the book, a review on the main page of the book is much appreciated. It really helps with the growth of the book. And so do your gems and comments. Thank you for coming on this adventure w
[Zeve’s POV] As I plunged into the magma, I had no thoughts in my head. My body was being consumed by the flames, while my heart almost stopped. It was cold inside the volcano. My clothes and armour melted away, but neither the flames nor the magma touched my skin. They flowed inches away from my skin. I held my breath. The bright red glowing magma flowed magnificently inside the volcano. It was scary how I could feel its heat yet not get burned. It was like one of those dreams came to reality, except this time the one to be burnt in flames was me and not Amor. The magma behind me started taking some kind of form. I felt Amor’s presence and my heart skipped a beat. I felt hands warped under my waist and knees. I shut my eyes with a shudder. The next thing I remember was I was sitting far away on the ground and watching the magma, ashes and rocks explode out of the volcano like fireworks. There was a dazzling figure hovering above the volcano, suppressing it back into the ground
[Zahir’s POV]Why don’t you smile?Why don’t you cry?Why don’t you fight?Why don’t you get angry?Why don’t you get scared?What the hell is wrong with you?You are my son, and you cannot be the monster they say you are.Feel!Feel something!Feel anything!Feel everything!‘If nothing, then feel the pain!’That face of a person I was supposed to call my mother.Those glowing eyes floating in sheer darkness.Those words were like pure acid, pouring in my ears.Those snarls of pure hatred and screams and cries, those slaps and whips.The dark bathroom flooded with water everywhere and blood dissolved in it through my veins.I remember.Maybe I felt nothing but cold. It was unbearably cold.That time, that’s all I felt. A cold that made my spine shiver.I wanted to feel, but how?Everything I locked up within me and in the magic and key core came back.It all came back, but I think it never left in the first place.Even after hundreds of years, I could still feel her presence by the s
[Zeve’s POV]“Mother, stop!” Killian yelled.“Venus, calm down… we can make things right, ok? Trust me. Put down the blade…” Zahir coaxed Venus into his manipulative tone.Venus distanced the blade from her throat as if Zahir’s words were controlling her on a mental level. Her hands were shaking as she held the blade to her throat.Her eyes were frozen, as if she was in Zahir’s control. She shook her head with a gasp, “no, not anymore. You can’t control me anymore…” her voice came out hoarse and shaky.And she put the blade against her neck again, this time cutting her skin and bleeding.“NO! NO! Stop!” Zahir panicked and stepped back from Venus, raising his hands.“What the hell is going on here? Venus!” I called out and was about to go to her when Hikari held my hand.I looked at him and frowned. Hikari shook his head.I looked at Venus again and the blade was Hikari’s katana.“Your katana?” I felt a strange fear take over me as I stared at Hikari for an answer.“I must have dropped
[Zeve’s POV]‘I see him burning and these nightmares just don’t stop. Day after day, it’s always the same thing. I try to save him, but the flames always find their way to him. His body… it’s like it’s melting. I couldn’t get these nightmares out of my head and it’s disturbing. A lot. So, I came to you for guidance. Do these nightmares mean something?’‘Dreams are often a window for the future. We just need to interpret them rightly,’ priestess Melantha said when I met her in my third year in Phantoria. ‘For a seed to turn into a sapling and then into a huge tree, the seed coat needs to break. He’ll burn for you and this world.’‘No, he won’t. I won’t let death touch him, not because of me — especially not because of this world.’ This was what I told her, and then she replied with a subtle smile.‘What is the definition of death for you, luna?’ She asked.‘I don’t know. Death for me is what it’s for everyone else. Bad, painful and gloomy and… end.’‘When the right time comes, you will
[Zeve’s POV]There were two souls active inside Killian. One was of Derek and another of Polaris. Killian decided based on the soul that dominated him at a time.That was the only sane explanation I could give to why he was using Celeste as a hostage when Killian saved her, risking his own life.“Fine,” I said, calmly. “Let them go. But I don’t know how to get the core out of my body. Extract it yourself.”Killian frowned. “No hidden tricks, Zeve. I don’t have time for that.”I raised my hand to my shoulders as if I was surrendering myself. “I am telling you the truth. I was born with this core and never took it out. I am not playing any tricks.”Killian thought for some time and then stretched his palm towards me. Four black magic circles appeared around me. One above my head, one below my feet, one in front of my chest, and one behind it.“I am already stuck here. I can’t escape. Please let them go now,” I said. The hellhounds backed off from Lucella and Celeste.The suction from
[Zeve’s POV]The sound of gunshots, along with screams of the knights getting attacked, mashed up with the howls of the hellhounds dominating the road. Killian coughed vigorously and threw out the broken pieces of rock with his teeth and blood from his mouth. “Oh, I know what devilishness it takes to create a utopia. But you really piss me off whenever I see you…” Killian snarled at Amor.Killian created a dark energy ball between himself and Amor, who was pressing him against the ground. The energy ball exploded, flinging Amor far away from Killian.Amor jumped back to his feet and drew out his sword. The armour worked. Amor wasn’t hurt badly. But I could just stand and wait for him to be hurt.I looked at the sky with my apprehension increasing with every second.On the training grounds, the screeches of shadow eaters were tackling the fire wall, keeping them locked within the magic circle. It was as if their screams were summoning the rain because heavy clouds had started looming
[Killian’s POV]Dark clouds stirred over the ruins of the Aura palace and its training grounds. The land had prepared to devour the souls and vomit a curse in the darkest shade of black to open the portal to the dark world from where the creatures of hell would flood the land, turning it into their grazing field. They would feed on souls and lock them in timeless gloom — in a world of nothingness and doom. Their minds were under my control and their souls on my command would set themselves ablaze on the magical ground.I was prepared and so was the enemy.Heavy military and army of hundreds guarded the boundaries around the precinct of the Aura palace and its land. The knights were armoured and ready with their swords, defending the boundaries of the palace from outside.Warriors were ironclad in their wolf forms. The wolves of darker colours were standing on the front lines and surrounded the training grounds.The soldiers created a wall of shields on either side of the criminals’ p
[Zeve’s POV]“Should I take off this gown now?” Celeste asked, walking to me and then standing beside me as we peered at the air where Killian stood seconds ago.I looked at Celeste and caressed her cheek. “I know it’s uncomfortable, sweetie, but wait a little, hmm?”Celeste looked into my eyes and nodded once.“You did a good job. I am proud of you,” I said.A week without the key core and Celeste already looked so fragile. I had to get back the key core from Killian after the plan played out the way I wanted it to.I looked at the sky. The chess board was laid out, the only thing left was the game to begin.“Zeve, I don’t like this at all. You are pregnant and even if everything goes according to your plan, it’s still dangerous because we don’t know what might happen when things actually start happening,” Amor said.I looked at Amor and smiled.“I have heard kids take after their parents. I want my child to be brave, and for that, I have to be braver today. I am going to be a mother