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Chapter 30: Niniane
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2023-08-18 14:06:10Related chapters
The Blood Curse Chapter 31: The First Chosen
"The one whose name you refuse to speak," Niniane said coyly as she took a sip of her coffee. Layla was stunned into silence as she stared at Niniane with wide eyes. "So, how is Atreus doing after his long nap?" the vampiress asked, leaning in with her elbows on the table and her chin cradled in her palm. "How do you know about him?" Layla asked softly. Niniane giggled. "Every decent shadow stalker knows about Atreus, love. I'm sad to hear that he managed to f*ck up another relationship," Niniane said with a sigh. "He has never been very good with words. But I've heard he's good at other things…" Layla glared at Niniane. "He's good at lying, keeping secrets, and using people." "I can imagine," Niniane said with a chuckle. "Well, don't you worry, Layla. I'm on your side."Layla couldn't help but give her a look of incredulity. "I'm starting to doubt that." "Now, now, there's no need to get touchy," Niniane teased. "Woman to woman, you've come to the right place for protec
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 32: The Blood Curse
"That soul is you, Layla," Niniane said softly. "You are the reincarnation of Alita Vonpor. The woman that Atreus fell in love with centuries ago."Layla's head was spinning at Niniane's words and she felt like she was falling. If Niniane was right, it was why Ravana kept calling her Alita. "No," Layla said with a shake of her head. "That can't be right." "I wouldn't lie about something like this, Layla," Niniane said softly. "It was only a matter of time before your two souls found one another again. I'm just surprised it took as long as it did." "You're wrong," Layla said desperately. "Atreus doesn't love me. I'm nothing but a meal to him. He's proven that much.""I'm afraid it's even more complicated than that," Niniane muttered, refilling their glasses. Layla picked it up and took a long drink, not ready to hear anymore. "As I said, Ravana is a ruthless b*stard. There's no way he would let Atreus wake from his sleep and live happily ever after." Niniane took a deep brea
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 33: The Monster Revealed
"Or am I just the lucky reincarnation?" Layla said bitterly. Atreus' jaw flexed and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you talking about?" "I'm not a fool either, Atreus," she sneered. "Did you really think I would just continue living in the dark? That I would just be some complacent tool for you and Ravana to fight over?" They stared at one another in the moonlit night surrounded by the crypts as the wind kissed their skin. The soft whispers of the wind were like the dead muttering amongst themselves about the two lovers quarreling in their midst. "When I found out that I could be this Alita's reincarnation," Layla continued even when Areus flinched at her words, "my heart broke all over again. Because even though we carry the same soul, you still used me. Is this body and mind, is it not worth the same love you gave Alita?" Atreus stood then and stepped away from her. He ran his hands through his hair and watched the horizon for a moment. When he turned back to face
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 34: Prisoner
It was then with utter dread she realized that it wasn't the darkness that was caressing her skin, it was the cool fingertips of someone running their hands up her arms.A scream bubbled up in Layla's throat, but no sound escaped. "Oh, Alita," Ravana's voice cooed softly in her ear, sending shivers of fear down her spine. "You poor lost soul." "Let me go!" Layla cried."My dear, I'm only trying to keep you safe from that retched Atreus," he said in a mocking gentle voice. "I can take care of you, better than he ever could." Ravana slid his hand from her arm and down the front of her waist, wrapping her in an embrace. "Stop it," she gasped desperately, trying with all her might to escape his grasp. "Don't you see, Alita? I can take away all of your pain. All of the pain that you've been harboring for centuries over and over again. And for what? For that selfish child?" Ravana tsked in her ear before spinning her around suddenly. Gripping her chin, he forced her gaze upward.
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 35: Alita's Voice
Ravana watched her quietly for a moment. "You've always been much more than that, Layla." Layla stared at him, thrown off by the whisper of affection in his voice. "Come," he said, wrapping her arm in his once more. "You must be famished." Obligingly, she allowed him to lead her down the corridor and to a set of double doors. He opened it and gestured for her to step inside. Layla walked through the threshold to find a grand dining hall. It had a long table that could seat at least twenty people with three large candelabras filled with red tapered candles, and fresh flowers filled various vases atop small tables that lined the room. At the head of the table were two seats already set with platters of food. Ravana walked past Layla, pulled out a seat, and looked at her expectantly. Trying to remain stoic, Layla brushed past Ravana and sat in the chair. He then sat down in the chair next to hers at the head of the table. Without saying anything Ravana went about pouring them
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 36: Vessel
Ravana pulled Layla who struggled against him with all her strength through the chamber and toward the door she'd tried to escape through earlier. He kicked it open with ease and tugged her inside. It was like walking into a cave of stone and death. Past the expanse of rock on the other side of the chilly, dank room was a stone slab large enough for a human to lay across. Layla's heart dropped in her chest when she realized that she recognized the room.It was the same stone chamber from her vision, where Ravana was going to stab her with the dagger. "No!" Layla screamed, pulling desperately at her wrist that was trapped in Ravana's brutal grip. "Please, don't do this!" Terror ripped through Layla as Ravana ignored her pleas and continued to pull her toward the stone dais. "It is your destiny, Layla," he said in an emotionless voice. "It always has been your destiny." "Let me go!" she cried. But instead, he swept her into his arms with ease and walked up the stone steps tow
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 37: Atreus' Home
"It's ok, Layla," he said in a soft whisper. "You're safe now." In the next breath, Atreus transported them away from the cold desolate rocky plains. Layla looked around wearily, she didn't recognize where he had taken them. First, she noticed that this place was warm and smelled of fire, smoke, and pine. The second thing was the large hand-carved wooden bed frame with a plush mattress that sat against a stained wood wall. Atreus walked her to the bed and laid her down gently. Layla scooted away until her back hit the large cushioned headboard. She looked around the room looking for an escape route. The room was furnished with shelves of books and a variety of knickknacks. There was a sand timer on the fireplace mantle and a small globe next to that. Straight across from the fireplace was a large wooden door that was shut. Layla looked back at Atreus wearily. He was watching her quietly with an unreadable expression on his face. Without saying a word, he left the room. Layla wa
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 38: Atreus' Hunger and Layla's Heart
Atreus carried her from the bedroom and into a larger living space with a kitchen area on one side and a bathing area on the other. The home was a warm and comforting space; it looked like some sort of cabin with its wood walls and floors as well as soft glowing kerosene lanterns that lit up the room.As Layla glanced around, Atreus walked to the bathing area which consisted of a large copper tub with embers glowing softly underneath it and a matching copper sink. It didn't look like there was any water plumbing of any kind. That must have meant that he hauled water from somewhere outside. Slowly, he set Layla on her feet in front of the tub. "Will you be all right?" he asked in a low voice. "I'm fine, really," Layla said assuringly, waiting for him to leave so she could undress. "Ok," he said gruffly, before turning and walking back into the bedroom to give her privacy. When he was out of sight, Layla unbuttoned the silk shirt and stepped into the steaming water. With a sig
Last Updated : 2023-08-18
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The Blood Curse Chapter 50: A New Day
A couple of weeks later.Layla sat quietly on her towel, letting the sun kiss her skin. People chatted as they walked past and kids laughed and played, splashing one another with water. She sipped from the cold tropical drink in her hand and watched the waves clash with the shore in soothing rhythmic motions. That and the feeling of her toes in the sand made this moment completely perfect. With a sigh, she shook her hair from her shoulders and closed her eyes against the warm rays of the sun, basking in the peaceful energy of it all. "Girl, you're still nursing that drink?" Mia asked as she plopped down beside Layla with a huff. "Here I am with two drinks in my hand, thinking you might need a refill." "I will happily take that burden off your hands," Layla said with a grin, looking at Mia with a renewed appreciation for her friend. "Gimme." Mia laughed as Layla took the second drink and set it down beside her. "What's got you in such a good mood lately?" Mia asked suspicious
The Blood Curse Chapter 49: Broken
Layla gritted her teeth, as resolve steeled her gut. She wasn't going to run. She was going to fight until the bitter end. Glancing around, Layla looked for the First Chosen's wooden stake. She spotted it not far from the skirmish between the three vampires who battled against one another viciously. She bolted toward it, keeping her eye on Ravana, hoping that he wouldn't spot her. She swept it off the ground and turned toward the conflict and watched, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Cairo and Ravana were exchanging blows and Niniane was standing on her feet with shaking legs. She bolted back into the fray without hesitation, trying to catch Ravana off guard. Ravana roared with rage when Niniane managed to strike him in the arm with the stake. He grabbed Niniane by her throat and with brutal strength, he threw her hard against the stone wall. Niniane slid down the wall unconscious. "Niniane!" Layal cried, clutching the stake to her chest. Just then, Ravana struck out
The Blood Curse Chapter 48: The Final Battle
"Atreus!" Layla screamed. The ruby-inlaid dagger Layla had gotten from Niniane dropped from Atreus' hand before he crumpled to the ground. "Oh, God!"Layla ran to him desperately, a fleeting thought of how he'd managed to get the dagger running through her mind. Had he returned to the cemetery the night she was kidnapped to retrieve it? When Layla reached Atreus, his skin was still burning under the sun's unrelenting power. Ravana watched with a cold expression as Layla used all her strength to pull Atreus from the circle of light. Slowly, one tug at a time, Layla tugged Atreus' slack body until he was safe in the shadows. Turning him on his back, she dropped to her knees beside him and put her hands on his cheeks, trying to ignore the brutal cauterized wound on his throat caused by the dagger. "Atreus?" she sobbed. "Please, please don't go." Yet, the more that she tried to wake him, the more apparent it was that he was gone. His beautiful face, although covered with red blist
The Blood Curse Chapter 47: The Sacrifice
When Layla could see again, she first saw Ravana's dark smile and when she looked down, she saw her hand clasped tightly in his. They were still in Atreus' cabin at the moment just before Nolwenn had pulled her into the celestial garden. "Good choice, my dear," he said with a sneer as he transported them from the cabin. In the next moment, Layla found herself back in the audience chamber of Ravana's castle. Layla looked up at the stained glass mosaic of the sun on the ceiling then dropped her gaze and gasped. Right below it was a kneeling Atreus. He was chained down by what looked like iron chains with silver glints throughout. Layla could see how the chains burned at his flesh because his wrists were raw and pink with blisters all around his skin. "Atreus!" Layla called to him, going to move toward him when Ravana gripped her hand tighter, holding her back. Atreus looked up at her and the anguish that appeared in his eyes when he saw her, pierced Layla's heart with devastat
The Blood Curse Chapter 46: The First Chosen's Sacrifice
Layla was alone once again, sitting on the bed inside the cabin as she waited for Ravana's return. Her nerves were shot and she was still unsure of the plan that Niniane had helped her devise. All she wanted to do was run away from it all, but she couldn't leave Atreus to face such a horrible fate. So she sat and waited with the stake tucked into her jeans, praying that their plan would work. Just as Layla wondered once again when Ravana was going to make an appearance the all-familiar sensation of her surroundings warped around her with inky black smoke. Standing, Layla looked around for Ravana's cruel face. He stood mere feet from her and watched her with his fierce amber eyes. Slowly, a smile lifted his lips, revealing his pearly white canines. He watched her silently, his eyes sidling up her figure with a slow purposeful gaze. "Your beauty… it never fails to enthrall me," Ravana said, his voice dripping with honey. Layla glared at him. "Save your bullsh*t." "Such a foul
The Blood Curse Chapter 45: Until Dawn
"If you want to see your precious Atreus alive again, you had better tell me where you are." Layla's heart stopped for a moment as fear overtook her. No. It couldn't be true, Ravana had to be deceiving her. There is no way he could have overpowered Atreus. Or… was there? Layla swallowed as her throat went dry and her heart began to thud against her chest. "You're lying," Layla managed to croak out. "How do I know you're not bluffing?" Ravana sneered cruelly at her. "I have no reason to lie. How else do you think I could have managed to weaken the shield he had placed on your mind? But, if you truly don't believe me, have a look for yourself." The visions that swirled around Layla projected an image of Atreus chained up. He was shirtless and his face was covered in sweat and grime. He looked to be in pain as he gritted his teeth, pulling at his shackles. "Atreus!" Layla called out, but he didn't look up at her. A second later, the image was gone and it was only her an
The Blood Curse Chapter 44: Ravana's Threat
Layla shot out of bed with a cry. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she tried to regain her bearings. To her relief, she had woken from the horrible nightmares that had tortured her through the night. No light shone through the window, so she hadn't been asleep all that long. With a loud sigh, Layla scrubbed her face with her hands. The images of her dreams were still raw and fresh in her mind. She pictured poor Alita's prone body in Atreus' arms as he raged over her death and the sounds of Atreus fighting for breath under Ravana's cruel grip. "F*ck," Layla whispered with a shudder. What was all that anyway? Layla wondered. Was it a vision from Alita? Layla didn't think she had the capacity to come up with those images on her own. It had to be Alita's influence. Layla's throat was dry and her heart was still pounding, so she slipped out of bed and walked out of the bedroom and into the main cabin area. She half expected to see Atreus brooding somewhere inside, but as
The Blood Curse Chapter 43: Before
"Layla," a melodic voice whispered. "Wake up." Slowly, Layla opened her eyes, blinking a few times. She sat up, looked around, and was shocked at what she saw. Layla was sitting in a beautiful bedroom. A bright, yellow, heavenly light glowed through large ornate windows that prevented her from seeing anything outside. There, in front of the elegant four-poster bed Layla sat upon, was a luxurious vanity with vintage combs and turquoise hair barrettes scattered across the top. A giant antique mirror on top of the vanity showed Layla's reflection. But as Layla looked closer, she realized that it was not her she saw in the mirror. It was a beautiful woman with long silky black hair and deep blue eyes. The dress the woman wore was gorgeous. Midnight blue satin with silver embellishments across the bosom and long flowing sleeves. She watched Layla with a small smile on her face. "You're awake," she said, her face pleased. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this." Layla stoo
The Blood Curse Chapter 42: Dead Stars
The next hour was spent locked in the bedroom of Atreus' cabin talking to both Mia and Layla's parents. Through painful apologies, Layla did her best to assure them of her safety. It took even more explaining to Mia; she had to lie to her friend once again about her situation. The only believable lie she could come up with is that she lost her phone and spent a few days without any service or means to contact people because she took a last-minute trip with Atreus to a remote vacation destination. Mia grilled her endlessly about how worried she'd been and terrified something horrible had happened to her. After another half hour of apologies and assurances, Mia finally let Layla off the line. Layla dropped the phone onto the bed and flopped back onto the blankets. Rubbing her eyes with her hands, she let out a loud sigh. At least that was done, but now she needed to have a conversation with a certain blonde-haired dream boat. Hauling herself off the bed, Layla walked into the ma
