"Stop!" Diana cried out, but the beast only snickered and kept coming, not breaking stride and moving like a predator corralling his prey. The darkness of the concluding shadows and the giant, misshapen trees crowding nearby loudly overwhelmed the gloaming air. Could anyone even hear her? Diana paused, not wanting to go to extremes unless she had to. But what else could she do without her weapon? Not that she was hopeless; of course, she could fight with a sword, a knife, or maybe anything that resembled a weapon. She was, after all, a master swordsman, or whatever those Japanese manga were called. Her grandfather made sure she knew how to use one. But could she fight a gigantic beast? Maybe, but for how long?
Maybe a minute or two.
With no choice, she had to fight it alone and die trying. Does she even have an advantage?
But with this massive beast? She didn't think so.
Her strength was being sucked out. She felt like a loser. A prey.
Two blazing eyes stare at her with an immobilising force, and another crash resonates from its fanged mouth in pure agony. A lush head of hair adorns its bony head, which itself is covered in horrifying piercings.
The beast spoke as he approached, repeatedly stretching and balling up his fingers as if he were preparing for some fishing. "You will be my food, little girl," he sneered. The creature advanced towards her, its two legs gracelessly carrying its draconian body with a terrorising energy. A vine-like tail swirled behind it, and each movement scraped the dirt beneath it.
"Shit!" She murmured and surveyed any possible way out. None! What the fuck is wrong with you, Diana—aren't you supposed to scream for help?
"It looks like you need some company, little one. You're all alone here. There is no time to back away; I'm going to enjoy tasting your blood!" the beast sneered before adding, "Can’t run? Oh! Yeah, I forgot to tell you, this is demon territory. And may I remind you that the treaty existed between you mortals and demons for a reason?" A whistling snort escaped the creature's broad nostrils set within a curved nose. Its bony head sits atop a hard, powerful body. Bizarre tools or weapons dangle at its side, and the creature takes joy in Diana’s questioning eyes.
What the hell was he talking about? What treaty? What demon?
It could be her grandfather, right?
Could his many tales be true?
Damn it! Of course, she didn't know that. But according to her grandfather, this region wasn't a supernatural territory. This was a forbidden mountain. The mountain of her ancestors. And she thought at that time that her grandfather was just delusional or making some story up, but with this beast? Could it be all real?
Were his stories all real?
But in this mountain, shifters couldn't shift and demons couldn't turn into their true selves, which doesn't mean they weren't deadly.
She could fight this beast for a while, but for how long? Without any weapon, she knew it was just suicide.
The beast scoffed; his shadow was a murky silhouette of branches spread out to his sides, clearly intending harm. The man was very tall and dark, with jet black hair and a matching lengthy moustache, yet it was just a honed appearance to convey his true nature. Similarly, he was heavier, with noisy, laboured breathing, the embodiment of a beast rogue, while his eyes were as red as the fire itself and ugly as fuck.
Diana cringed, backing away. "No! Please! I'm not a food, you know! I'm um—human?"
The beast growled again, reaching out a hairy arm towards her. Diana's heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. Blood was pounding in her ears. She was horrified. She froze in fear, trying to choose an action while staring wide-eyed at the dark stranger in front of her.
Her strength and senses seem to be fading away. She wanted to run as fast as possible, but her feet wouldn't let her. Now she knew her mind was telling her that these woods were indeed hers.
Then a sudden crash echoed in the darkness, a whisper of wind, and suddenly that was when the ugly man’s face exploded.
Wait what? What the hell happened?
Maybe I’m hallucinating, or did I see it right? She asked herself.
Later, Diana wouldn't be able to narrate precisely what happened. Everything was such a blur, happening so fast that in the blink of an eye, she was in no sort of collected state. It seemed over before it began.
But the handsome, hot, shirtless man suddenly materialised out of nowhere, surging forward past her and driving the heel of his right palm up into the nose of another dark beast.
Andrew!
Her neighbour? What the hell was he doing here anyway?
Diana grumbled under her breath. "Why—"
Then another beast’s face exploded in a red mist of blood, his head snapping back, staggering rearwards. Andrew wasted no time, twisting his torso and hips to deliver a left punch to the solar plexus of the beast.
The beast coughed up blood in a spurt and went toppling over backward, showing his fangs, before landing in a heap on the rooted soil.
Andrew then swung around to his right, closing the distance in an instant to another beast who seemed rather unnoticed by Diana before.
Oh my god, he has a companion? And I didn’t notice? She chastised herself.
Andrew rolled his eyes as if reading her mind. His eyes were still affixed to hers, and Diana could feel their intensity grow with every passing minute.
Then he balled his fist and punched the beast straight in the throat. The creature’s eyes flew open wide, emitting a loud wet gurgling sound, stumbling backward and clutching his throat, staring at the shirtless man, stunned, unable to talk or acknowledge its predicament.
“Demon!” he growled.
Another beast stumbled, just as Andrew hit another beast in the jaw with a bare right hook, using no spent energy or excessive motions. The "thwack" reverberated in the woods and spun the beast around in a whirling flash, plunging to his knees and then crumpling to the side. Andrew drove his fangs into the beast's chest and threw the beast's body to the side as he looked at the frozen woman.
Diana was shocked. She looked at them wide-eyed, as if she couldn't speculate on what had transpired in front of her. Why was he here? Was he following her the whole time?
And did he just suck his neck? Like Edward Collen kind of shit?
Impossible!
"Very careless of you, Diana," Andrew blurted as he looked at her. "Why are you here in the woods anyway? Did you know how scary it is to be here without any weapon?" He sighed and looked at her again, asking, "Are you this stupid?"
"I—"
At that moment, Diana was beyond appalled. How did he know that she was here? She couldn't even fathom what had happened, and then, just like that, she succumbed to oblivion and fainted like a sack of potatoes.
"Unbelievable!" Andrew mumbled. "And she calls herself a strong human?" He came down from the small mounds and went to her side. Looking at the unconscious woman, he began to wrinkle his nose in the air and went further to her side.
He sniffed at her. What the hell was she doing here in human territory? Fool!
"Strange, she smells funny," Andrew said, sniffing her again, this time near her collar bone. "Very odd indeed; I didn't know she had this kind of scent so close," Andrew said, raising his brows.
So what happened now? He couldn't bring her to the nearest village just yet, but human border patrol would be scanning the forest.
The roaring wind was raw and unpleasant, in an uproar against the sudden winter blasts; the clear skies were silent; and a quantity of snow that had been blown in his direction was piled up. Andrew carried the woman on his shoulder, not tending an inch of her well-being nonetheless; there were some primitive sentiments and foreign emotions that came out from the deepest part of his mind, somehow making their way out. He runs in a blur towards his old cabin on the far end of the forest. And far from there, he spotted his humble abode.
The small cabin was hunched on the flats near the waterfalls, so musty and poor that it was astonishing how it was still standing. And yet it seemed alive and hearty, a cosy ribbon of smoke soaring from the old chimney. The cabin sat low into the grassy embankment, as though it were trying to hide, but the shapeless slate roof was too huge to go unnoticed. Through the mist of the woods, he could see the coarse, unevenly sized, murky boulders that made up the walls. As he got closer, the slight glow of colour—some yellow and orange—became more noticeable. The walls were the same grey slabs as the low walls in the dales, and the roof was a darker slate.
The cabin was the only thing there; there were no other houses around it, and it would have looked abandoned if not for the smoke. Without a thought, he continued to stroll in, tucking his chins to his chests, and strode right to it against the wind and driving snow. He must hurry; the woman was shivering from the cold, and her dainty hiking clothing wasn't helping her either.
"Winter is coming, and yet she walked with this warm clothing. Such a brain. Does she even realise it's almost winter now?" Andrew murmured to himself as the pouring rain abruptly graced his presence.
He unlocked the fence, went to the entrance door, and laid the woman on the single ancient wooden sofa bed left by the previous owner. In the barely lit, tiny room, a sooty carry-on and his sword hang against the pale yellow wall. He slid down and offered more wood into the chimney to offer more warmth. Now, would he just take off her clothes and offer her a fresh shirt? or leave her shuddering from the chill? With that thought, Andrew began to shed her clothing.
Dian wasn't elegant in a polished way; she had no flowing curls or ivory skin and no piercing green eyes. But with her modest looks and high cheekbones, it was all too natural. She was shorter than average and certainly larger than a catwalk model, but in her ordinariness, she was striking and beautiful. Her hair was straight and long blond; her eyes were so brown that they reminded him of autumn; they were almost as golden as the little summer lights; figure a perfect hourglass. Out of habit, his eyes fell to her finger to look for rings, but he saw none. Good. Of course, he knew this, but it was just his instinct to see if she was dating... or taken.
But he noticed how creamy and glossy her skin was. Even in the twilight of the cabin, he could see her like a shining beacon. The white, pale complexion of her skin reminded him of whisked milk as the late afternoon light shone through the window and on to her. He couldn't help but wonder: if he reached out, would she notice? He must be crazy, yet he had it bad for this young mortal. Everything about her got to him. When he caught himself following a girl's jawline with interest, that was a sign. He will admit to being momentarily thrown when he noticed the enticing vein under the layer again. He hadn't realised that there was some pink in it. Of course, that only lasted until he noticed her neck again. He wanted to drive his fangs into her, drain her life, and taste her blood.
Can a neck be sexy? Well, hers was.
Andrew closed his eyes as he watched her.Diana was lightly tan the way light-skinned girls get tan when they've been in the sun a long time and were passed the whole burning thing. That was odd for this time of the year, especially considering she didn't have the look of someone who recently returned from vacation. He was sure there was a story there. The question was, would he be able to get her to share it?Finally, he couldn't help himself; this woman was like a fire; even with its warmth, a moth-like him couldn't just stay away, awfully, like he longed for her.Though she seemed to awaken slowly, he heard her moan his name.Fuck! She moans like a goddess. He thought.He couldn't help himself; he tried his best not to touch her skin. Yet his hands burned a trail down to her shoulder. He murmured no sense of vulgarity against her flesh. Dammit, Andrew. This is stupid. He thought, but without warning, he lifted her legs and took the remaining little underwear she was wearing. All co
"Are you done checking me out?” Andrew raised his brow at her. “And to answer your question, I bought this cabin from Robert. So, he was your grandfather?" he added, giving her a glass of water. "Here, drink this. I know you’re thirty.""Well, uh-huh, thanks?” she bit her lips. “I'm not checking you out.”What the fuck?She breathed in and tried to forget her embarrassing words: "I—I'm, uh, Diana Moore. We are, um, neighbours? I mean, I'm not sure if you can remember me." She cleared her throat. “Yes, he was my grandfather." She added quickly, took the glass and pressed the rim against her parched, cracked lips, and savoured it with all her might. Her throat charred when a burning sensation in her throat grew even after emptying it.She was embarrassed, but she was so thirsty as hell, and he was kind enough to offer her, not to mention saving her life from the bad guys. Yeah, she owes him."Thank you for saving me from those, um, those guys. Are they all dead? What are they? Are they
"Why are you here in the woods, Andrew?" Diana asked, just to take out the elephant in the cave. She focused on the scent in the air, like the loamy smell of calm rain or the salty tang of the old, usual ocean air. How was that even possible when the ocean was a thousand miles away from here? Weird? What the fuck! I'm getting crazy. She thought as she crept her nose a little closer to Andrew's neck. They sat together, almost touching each other. Yet the man was ignoring her, lost in his own thoughts.This guy smells like a flower vase. Lilac? Roses? Or Heaven? Weird.She breathed in his scent, which was nothing but like her grandpappy, who always had a hint of the spicy cigar, but this man has a lingering scent of fresh earthly and ocean aromas. What a weird combination! His scent was so much more amazing nearby, though. Like a tang of sea air that has a way of making her satisfied and in harmony, like it was anchoring her other emotions to the briny whiff that has all the callings of
A week later, at the Bean Coffee shop where Diana and her best friend Tommy Reynolds work, she looked around; the shop was once cloistered and closed with so many tables and so little room. Now the shop was open-air, a sort of covered patio with tables a respectful distance apart. Wrapped up in the wintertime, dressed for the occasion, the patron's hands warmed and their breath rose in serendipitous puffs as they enjoyed their warm coffee, the sweetness of chocolate cups, freshly baked goods, and soothing music. The coffee shop patio was Diana's happy place. Here she noticed everyone, the corner shops, and the university a few yards away.There were so many memories—her happy times here with her best friend, their never-ending arguments about his many theories about everything on the planet.With a cup of coffee in her hand, Diana noticed how busy the food vendors were, giving the middle of the community a sort of market atmosphere and the university student area zone.Tommy, her best
She knew it was the end. The end of her short life. Diana knew she had died. Or maybe she didn't. But the shadow of the gloaming forest and the howls of the wild, unknown beasts screeched from the distance were enough for the fragile-hearted to turn back to its trails and never come back. But she let her hands caress the forest bushes as she passed, feeling their gracious spirits calm her own. What the hell was she doing in here? Was this hell? Heaven? She frowned even though the darkness was everywhere, but she knew not to be intimidated by the darkness and its powerful forces. However, some primitive tensions lurked in her psyche, and finally, she opened up her other senses to the noise, to the scent, and headed to her every intuition, to her instinct, and to her fate. Nothing, she saw nothing but darkness. Oh, my bloody fuck! Why the hell am I here anyway? I'm dead, right? Jezz, is this hell? Why is it so cold in here? Hell was supposed to be very hot, right? She thought to he
“I was dead for one week?” She blurted with enough shock that it made Andrew roll his eyes. But he stopped when he noticed her emotions were not easily suppressed on her innocent face. “Oh my God! I died,” she began again. And he saw her shock, pain, and fear; it was apparent in the crease of her lovely brow and the down-curve of her full lips. But her eyes—her eyes showed her soul. They were a deep brown of restless autumn, an amber of unfortunate plight. A window! Andrew realised that as he stared into her eyes, he knew all the beauty of the universe could not even hope to compete with this unpretentious little mortal: Passion. Raw. Pure. Innocent. It was all there to see; it turned her eyes into orbs of luminous fire. And in them, he examined her completely, knowing that she would battle to the very last tear for her life. And yet she did. She was back from the dead. He made her! She followed her command not to succumb to the darkness. He made her come back. FOr him? For the world?
Diana smirked, went to the mirror, and opened her mouth to check for fangs, yet she saw none. Disappointed, she sighed. "Dickhead, vampire, my ass," how could she even believe that it was all real?Of course, vampires don't exist. She turned around towards the man, who looked bored watching her check herself, like she was someone who came from another planet. "For a moment there, I thought you were telling the truth, vampire, my ass. No such thing!"He raised a brow and stepped a little forward. He took the wine glass from the bedside table and offered it to Diana."Here, take this. That might help your little trust issues."“I don't have trust issues. I am merely trying to convince myself that you didn't give me drugs.”She grumbled with a very disappointed look, but then she took a deep breath.On cue, she halted. She looked at Andrew back to the wineglass, smelt the liquid inside with a furrowed brow, and then, with a quick painful ache in her gums, her pointy, sharp fangs appeared
Meanwhile, unknown to Raymond during their conversation, the creature stopped by the door, its dark body shifting back to solidity in a dizzying surge of unexpectedly fleshed-out bones and skin. The creature pressed its back against the library door, deeper in the darkness, listening and hearing its enchanting phrases against the power of the proud library, where it would have been absolutely defended for the amber colour tinge by the exit light. It growled; it knew there was something in that mansion that could not be crossed. Like a wall of old magical veils. Then it hissed with pain again. It closed its misted, dark eyes, focusing on where the pulsing was coming from. It was like ripples through the marble floor, vibrating under its feet, up through its bones, and placing a dull rumbling in its chest. When Raymond activated the ancient guard of the mansion, the misted creature vanished and never returned. Using the safety protocol, Raymond burned an incense that had the blood of
" I… I've come to realize that things aren't quite as black and white as I've been portraying them to be. I don't need to give up something to become someone else. I'm hoping to gain something more. But as long as you were with me. I don't care anymore, Andrew. My grandpappy can wait. In fact, the tenth century can wait. Right?” She looked at him with a sheepish expression.It took him no time to respond affirmatively. His hands glided down her back to her shoulders as they reached his chamber, then he went down her neck back again. "Yes, my love." The corners of his mouth split into a sensuous smile. "Your grandfather can wait." His words kissed the side of her face. “However, I believe you could push yourself even further. You are powerful Diana. Never hold back yourself. Do whatever is necessary to survive.”“Why? Do you want me to be like you?” She exhaled as his hand became entangled in the buttons on the front of her gown. Slowly giving her goosebumps.“You are really similar to
Diana's heart began to beat again, her lungs began to fill with air, and she took a deep, gasping breath. Slowly, the chill began to melt away from her body, dissipating in the face of the raging river coursing through her, ratcheting up her seer magic a notch. The amazing bliss she felt from his single drop of blood fueled her mind and made her want for more, and she felt like she was drunk on lust. Diana could see everything so clearly now, and at that moment, she wished she could have Andrew with her. Now! Right here, right now!And so she stepped closer, coming to a complete stop in front of Andrew. Then she pushed herself to her toes and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him against her for a long, passionate kiss. In that kiss was the sweetness of passion, a million loving thoughts condensed into a moment. In that kiss were the promise of years and the sweetness of waiting for real love.She then drew back just as fast as she had come. Diana was aware that people were starin
Blanca's cheeks were flushed. "I'll be delighted to comply with my lord's wishes." She kissed his cheek once more as she grinned. It had been a long journey, a long adventure, and she had given up hope that she would ever see Dimitri's smile once more...The ladies with the wine approached them, and Blanca whispered to Dimitri, "This area looks like a battle zone, and I can't wait to taste you again." He halted when Elfar groggily waved the ladies over to them. "How is he going to get it ready for a celebration by tonight?" "He was drunk as hell." Blanca wondered as she waved her hand to Elfar, who reciprocated by waving his hands in their direction."The stubbornness of Elfar should never be underestimated. He was more than just a mere wolf. He is my sire demon for a reason.""I get what you're saying. He's just as stubborn as you are!" Blanca spoke with a little smile on her lips as she gave him a sly look. "Don't be concerned. There's no danger of that, my love. My stubbornness wil
Nirvana, on the other hand, smirked and murmured, "I happen to know that you are killing all of the offspring you have spawned through your wicked younger years," Nirvana said with a smirk and a "tsked."Camellana looked at Danny with a guilty expression on her face.Nirvana went on to say, "After all, you are not the only one that has spies." It turned out to be true. Nirvana had covertly dispatched spies across the hamlets in order to gather information about Camellana's plan.Continuing to dig, Nirvana said, "You are gathering military resources for yourselves to take with you, leaving Redberg Village as a shell of its former self, with its great walls as its sole defense. And I'm not sure what the assembly of the knights had expected you to perform, but I'm sure it's something big, something monumentally important. Despite Sulu's self-assurance and bluster, your very situation was dire. Andrew Norton was led here by my spy, and you are well aware that I am probably the only person i
Diana made a shaky motion with her head. Several strands of filth dropped from her hair and landed on the dirt floor. Diana then continued to recount all that had occurred earlier, while the others sat there and sobbed as she spoke. The others were so enraged at the traitors that it was understandable that they were infuriated. Even Anna had been questioned about what had transpired, and she proceeded to tell them about her confrontation with Sulu as well, which elicited a gasp from the audience.The elderly lady was deafeningly silent. Diana recognized that she was just as excellent at concealing her feelings as Lucinda was. In addition to being a charismatic leader, she would also be an excellent commander of their troops, as Anna would be.The following morning, Diana, Danny Nirvana, and Elfar, who had recovered from his wounds, arrived in the Redberg Village, which was close to Camellana's villa. As a result, Knight Leo chose to stay for another day at the witches' new cavern, firs
Elfar had the distinct impression that the ground itself was enraged at them. Massive mountains of loosened rock were falling into the cavern, and the rapid shift of such a large amount of mass was causing the entire area to become unstable. A louder, sharper disturbance could be heard just above their heads, and when Elfar peered up, he noticed fissures appearing in the concrete and stone roof of the tunnel. It was a terrifying sight. Within seconds, the fissures had grown in length and width. Clods of earth spilled out of them, strewing the train rails with their ashes."Run!" Elfar let out a yell. He snatched Anna and Leo's arms once more. "The tunnel is about to collapse! Is it possible for Nirvana to create some gateways, perhaps portals, to allow us all out?" Elfar was the one who inquired."I'm not sure if it's even possible to do so. Lucinda had made certain that her spell was strong enough to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the cavern without her permission. It's not t
Leo and Anna seemed to smile at their successful accomplishment.When they returned to Diana, they saw that she was barely holding her own against Sulu, but Nirvana was on her side as well.But Anna rushes to the other witches who were still battling with the two elders, and the three of them are found dead in the ravine, practically sizzling with the lava, as the enormous beast slowly drops its black tail into the ravine and falls. Along with the witches, of course. Then Anna threw herself at the elders and engaged in combat with the four friends. While Tommy engaged in combat with the four huge goblins that had fallen from the above-ground pit. And Leo rushed to Diana's side to assist her.Although she was backed up against the ravine that encircled Sulu's dais, Diana came close to falling, until the snake plunged into the lava under her feet. Nirvana was well aware that Diana was on the verge of being pushed over the ledge and into the abyss of molten lava below her feet. She didn'
Tommy added, "Oh well, D. I had planned on eating snake BBQ for dinner this evening, but it's not even feasible with that shadow hanging over me. Doesn't it look like a green screen that was used in future movies, D?""Yes, it's some kind of animated fuck of crap! In addition to a pot of giant worm soup. So put an end to your stomach aches and put your wolf fangs on, Tom."Then both of them halted their mind foolish conversation then Sulu's boomed around the niche of the chamber."Your commander Cornelius is a weakling," Sulu howled. "...Cornelius was a softie, but Nirvana here, on the other hand, was astute in assisting me, as were the two other chiefs." The two elders of the Dark Native's coven appeared out of nowhere, causing the witches to gasp in surprise. It took them completely by shock. It's no surprise why Sulu was successful in apprehending Lucinda. "Traitor!" Anna muttered under their collective breath while the rest of the witches stared at the two older leaders with contem
But Sulu is a master at exploiting the relatively weak aspects and outsmarting his stronger opponents. Yet he was livid, and his hands trembled. His fury had such a potent effect on him that if he had stayed that way in front of a human, it would have blinded them. Nevertheless, Diana was not a human. Vampire Seer, the Fated One. She wouldn't be phased with this jerk. She thought to herself.Sulu, on the other hand, flashed a menacing smile and lifted his hands in the air as if invoking his magical abilities. "Arise, my brethren!" he said emphatically.Then unexpectedly, the huge shadow and black barrier started to wiggle and move. To slither towards them. It was not a column that had fallen. It had come to life. And it was now poised to swoop down on Diana's entourage.Meanwhile, Knight Leo vampire knights and Aya's witches were frantically fighting with the Goblin who was waiting at the entrance to the Gathering Hall. It was a bloody battle. With its hammering power, the battering r