[ IN WHICH SHE LEARNS ABOUT JACQUELINE ]I place a gentle knock on the door. Seconds later, it opens. It reveals the battered face of the female warrior. She has cuts and bruises decorating her pale, white skin. From her appearance, I can tell that she wears her bruises both physically and emotionally. She has purple blotches on her cheekbones, and dark circles have covered her once-beautiful under eyes. When I saw her last night, I tried approaching her, but she quickly ran upstairs to her room before I could get close. Even then, her bruises did not look as bad as they do now. It seems that while cleaning the wounds, she had accidentally injured herself for the second time. Or maybe it wasn’t an accident. And she deliberately hurt herself? “Oh, poor you. What did Luca do to you?” I reach my hands to touch her swollen cheek, but she quickly takes a step back. In a harsh tone, she says. “My apologies, your majesty. But I would like to be alone at the moment.” “Oh.” I mouth, retr
[ IN WHICH SHE IS FOOLISH OR MIGHT HAVE COMPLETELY LOST HER MIND ] NOVEMBER'S P.O.V —If my hours spent with Jacqueline has taught me one thing, it is that — 'do not live your life with regrets'.Regrets eat you up, slowly. They devour you. They diminish you and shatter your whole being. So, I promise to live without regrets. Honestly, Jacqueline's situation isn't so different from mine. With each decision I make, I feel like I am self-destructing, leading myself closer and closer to my death. Because why the hell did I give into Rome? Why did I let my emotions control me? Why did I give into lust? Why did I let him touch me? And why did I like it so much? Why do I crave his touch every second of the day? And why do I crave him more than I crave Sin?This secret will be the death of me.But I am glad that I have come to this realization. So, now, I will stay away from Rome — the secret and the mistake. He might as well be a temptation.If I make a mistake that I come to regret in the
[ IN WHICH SHE LIVES WITH NO REGRETS ] NOVEMBER'S P.O.V —The following four minutes are characterized by awkward silence. “Sorry to ask, but are you good, November?” I quickly wave it off with a nervous smile. “I am fine.” He gives me an uncertain look. “Because I was walking by the throne room when I noticed the doors were left open.” Shit, I should have locked the door. He continues to narrate the event that I am fully aware of — an event I am embarrassed about. “And when I peered inside, I saw you. About to say hello, I see that you are speaking to someone. So, I assume it is the King, but then, I step in, and there is no one else in the room.” He points to the furniture that have occupied space in the throne room.The urge to dig a hole and bury myself in it becomes overwhelming. But sadly, I don't have a shovel to dig a hole up. I try to hide my look of detest as I glare up at Atlas. Out of everyone that could have caught me in this moment, it had to be Atlas? The boy whose
[ IN WHICH SHE WILL LIVE WITH REGRETS ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — Maybe I should not have left the Grand Alkhemi. Maybe I should have just stayed home.Maybe I should have listened to the voice in my head. Maybe then, I would not be in this situation. The minute I arrive at Vrys — the vampire kingdom — I am hit with rotten air. The air surrounding the Kingdom has something in it that makes my skin crawl. It makes me feel sick to the core. And no, there isn’t a foul smell in the Kingdom of Vrys; the air smells fine, purified even. That is not what has gotten me sick. It is the general vibe and aura of the Kingdom that makes me feel repulsed. It seems there is something dirty, bloody and sinful hidden in the grounds. I feel this way, because each time I take a step forward, my bones chill instantly and I shiver intensely.It feels like they have people buried beneath the Kingdom. I know this because I am the gate-way to the afterlife. I can feel the dead souls tugging at the sleeves of my
[ IN WHICH SHE WILL LIVE WITH SO MANY REGRETS ]“Start speaking.” My skin easily gets irritated by the feel of his breath on my neck. It is warm and I can feel trickles of his spit falling onto the back of my neck. I shiver intensely in disgust as he continues to hold me down against his front, securing me a little tighter than necessary. “I said, start speaking.” He gives me a little jostle. “I am certain you can understand me, kotik. Staying quiet will not make things easier for you. It will only rile me up. I demand an answer.” Kotik. I know that nickname anywhere. I have mingled with a lot of people as I travelled to different countries. One of the many times I visited Russia, I learned a few words and their meanings, and one of the few words I picked up was Kotik. It means ‘kitten’. Котик (Kotik) So, from this, I can tell that the vampire king had been a Russian in his past life, before joining Alkhemi. And this also means that his formation is similar to Atlas. He was once a
[ IN WHICH SHE HAS REGRETS ]My head buzzes in shock. Blood continuously pours out from the hole in Darius’ chest. My hands grow cold. The temperature in the throne room had dropped the second the King dropped to the ground. It was like he had been the one keeping the Castle alive. The fire torches also died the minute Rome's claws ripped the King's heart out. Now, a scary cloud of darkness has come to surround and taunt us. The only source of light is the familiar soft glow from the evening sky. I hadn’t even realized that night had fallen over the land. Traveling down to Vrys took almost four hours. I wonder how I do not feel drained from riding on a horse for that long. But how could I worry about that now? That is the last thing I care about. The Vampire King and the possible implications that his death could cause are the two things on my mind. My eyes stay glued on the lifeless King at my feet.My jaw starts to ache from hanging them wide open in shock. The muscles in my legs
[ IN WHICH SHE LEARNS REGRET ]NOVEMBER'S P.O.V — I am hurt. But Rome doesn't appear hurt. Rather, he appears angry. “You didn't think that I had been waiting months for you, did you?” I glare back at him. “And I didn't think you were a scum.”“Oh.” He almost laughs. “Now, I am a scum?”“Yes, Rome. You have always been a scum. If you had other sexual relationships, I sure as hell did not need to know about them.” “I thought you knew.” “No, I did not!” I fire right back.He almost laughs. He fails to analyze the dark shadow that falls across my face. “So, what? You thought I had been sitting patiently in a chair, waiting for you?”“Just be quiet, Rome.” I struggle to refocus my attention on the lifeless King. “We need to find a way to sort this out.” “No.” Rome yanks my body towards him. I push him off of me. “This conversation is ended. Now, we talk about how we make sure Darius' death does not cause problems for us.”He pulls me towards him again. “I could care less about the
warning: this chapter is labelled mature for it contents elements of bdsm practice. viewer discretion is advised. [ IN WHICH HE REVEALS A PART OF HIMSELF ]ROME'S P.O.V —“Where are you taking me?” At the sound of her disconcerted voice, I stop pulling her behind me. I pause in my tracks for a moment, and I turn to stare at her. She shifts, foot to foot, rubbing her left wrist; the wrist I had previously been holding. A subtle feeling of shame falls over me. I hadn't known I had been gripping her hard. I didn't mean to cause her discomfort or pain. All I had meant to do was show her a special room inside of my Mansion — a special room that only I had accessed to. But of course, I had been excited and nervous, also a little scared. Maybe that is why I had gripped her that tightly. I was afraid that she might run from me once she saw the room; once she saw the other side of me.I am still afraid, but I manage to say, “I want to show you something.”“Hate to break it you, but I do not
[SIN’S EULOGY] I am cursed. I have been cursed to never find love. It is a curse placed on me by God to forever live my life in bitterness and loneliness. It is the price I have to pay for waging war against Him and leaving the Heavens behind. I am sorry I dragged you into this mess. I am sorry you had to suffer with me, November. And because of this, I will let you rest. I will not reincarnate you this time. I will not put you through this rivalry and madness again. It is hard to let you go, but I know it is what I need to do. I will let you go. I will let you go, Gwyneth. I will let you go, Faye Donovan. I will let you go, November Starkey. It is time for you to rest. You have been an impeccable Queen over the years. The whole Kingdom thanks you. I just wish those years were longer. You always get taken away from me when I need you the most. Or maybe that is how it was always meant to be. I was meant to never have you. You solved the riddle. Rome’s death was the only way
warning: you may cry.[ IN WHICH SHE DIES ]November’s last p.o.v —Rome’s body trembles beneath the sword. Rome has been stabbed in the heart with his own sword. He died by his own sword, both literally and metaphorically. I watch as he immediately drops to the ground. Veins pop out of his neck, head, and hands as he starts to lose oxygen. Rome’s bloodshot eyes glare angrily at me. I can see him fighting his own death, so I push the sword in deeper so that he can't fight it.This time, I have not been possessed by Faye’s vengeful spirit. This time, it is I, November Starkey that has decided to kill. I kill Rome, because it is what that is needed to be done. This is what I should have done a long time ago.“The Kings have to leave for a purer world.” I say as tears well in my eyes. I do not know why I am weeping at this moment. Well, I guess it would make me a total psycho if I don’t feel any type of pain after killing someone. “You are polluting this world, Rome. Your rivalry with th
[ IN WHICH ROME DIES ]NOVEMBER’S P.O.V —I slam the sword onto the metal bar. The action causes a clanging sound to echo through the Castle.The most important thing that the disturbing sound does is that it causes the Lycan to drop to the ground. Since he is at his highest level of power, it means that his senses are at the highest level as well. He gets triggered by his heightened sense of hearing. Rome’s monstrous voice growls in irritation as his hairy hands clutch his ears. I watch him with teary eyes as he drops to the ground.I don’t stop there.I keep on hitting the metal bar with the steel sword.Sin’s eyes search the room for the source of the sound. Confusion swirls in his grey eyes when he sees me with the sword. His size slowly decreases as his anger turns into confusion. I watch with teary eyes as his wings shrink to normal size.I stop when Rome has attained his normal size as well.Now, he is naked, but I don’t pry my eyes away. It is normal for a wereanimal to have n
[ IN WHICH SHE MAKES A DEATHLY DECISION ]… [you have conceived a child. Luca isn’t telling a lie] …Tears form in my eyes. “No.” I stare at Luca’s face which has now assumed the color of his red hair due to the reduction in oxygen. “It can’t be.”“Please, don’t tell me you are in doubt.” He grumbles. “You sleep with a man, without contraceptives and expect to not get pregnant? Come on. It can be. You exhibited all of the signs. The morning sickness. The emotional instability. The nausea and the pain.”Right there on the floor, I start to hyperventilate.My hands start to shake.Am I not too young to carry a child? I would be twenty soon, but right now, I am nineteen years old with a child growing inside of me. What is this? This wasn’t supposed to happen. I did notice that I didn’t get my period while I served as Queen, but I always thought it had something to do with my awakening as Faye Donovan. Faye Donovan is dead. My blood is black which clearly means that I died. Dead people ca
[ IN WHICH SHE LEARNS A SHOCKING TRUTH ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — I rise from the ground. The air is musky. Dust particles has polluted the air. My throat closes up at the reduction in oxygen and I begin coughing hard. Tears well up in my eyes at the painful action, but soon, my lungs grow accustomed to the dirt in the air. I take in deep breaths before I begin walking. Waving my hands in the air, I try to push the smoke and dust out of the air so I can see, but it is of no use. The dust settles in the air, refusing to leave. Realizing that my efforts are useless, I blindly pave my way through the Castle. I blink several times to get a clear vision of my surroundings. That’s when I see the body of the sorcerer laying half-dead in a corner. “Lake!” I yell as I hurry towards him. I drop to my knees instantly. I pick his body into my arms, shaking him awake. It doesn’t work. Lake continues to lay unconsciously in my arms. His arms fall to his side, limply. There is no blood on his cloth
[ IN WHICH SHE HAS TO SAVE BOTH KINGS ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — In no time, we get to the Castle. However we stop in our tracks when we spot something unsusual — the gates. The gates are always shut and heavily guarded. But not this time. This time it has been left wide open and unguarded. “Seems Sin has already made an entrance.” Lake squats, and when he rises back to his feet, he holds a huge black feather in his hands. It is the feather from Sin’s wings. “We have to get inside now.” I nod. We leave the feather laying there on the ground as we run past the gates. Once we get inside, we spot a crowd of guards gathered at the door. Their voices are louder now that we stand close to them. They’re all speaking in a thousand tongues, so I cannot decipher what it is they are arguing about. But from the looks of it, it seems that they are struggling to get the Castle doors open. “Come on.” I tap Lake on the shoulder, and he follows me. We both run towards the guards surrounding the Cas
[ IN WHICH SHE DEBATES ON THE LYCAN KING’S DEATH ] NOVEMBER'S P.O.V —“Hurry up, Lake!” I scream, not bothering to look behind me. “We need to get there on time.”“Queen November, wait up.”“There's no time, Lake. Let's go!” That's when a hand pulls me back, forcefully. I whip my head around, my curls slapping me in the process. Once I have been forced to a stop, my chest begins to rise and fall as I pant, struggling to breathe. “Why don't we think this through for a minute, huh?” Lake asks me, panting hard as well. We are both tired. We would kill for the opportunity to find shelter and catch our breaths. We have been running through Lucian City, trying our best to get to the Castle as fast as we can. The King had let his wings out and flown over to the Kingdom. He is fast. We are slow. If we waste any more time, Rome might have already been killed by Sin. “There's no time for that, Lake.” I glance in the direction of the Castle. “We need to get to the Castle. He could be killin
[ IN WHICH SHE TALKS ABOUT LYCAN BLOOD ]I feel worse than I did earlier this morning.My hands grip the sheets as I try to reposition myself on it.After my interaction with Luca on the roof, I immediately called on Eirene to help me back to my chambers. I couldn’t walk on my own. I felt dizzy, weak, and felt like throwing up for the second time. Eirene had noticed this and quickly informed the maids. When nothing they could do helped with my fever, they called on Lake. He did all he could to help. His sorcery of healing and medicine helped bring my fever down. But I still feel like something is wrong with me. Something or someone is still swirling within me, and it doesn't feel good.… [there is something wrong with you] …Her voice echoes in the empty room.“Yeah, no shit. You don’t think I know?” I groan in pain as I try to sit up on the bed.… [no, i don’t think you know] …“What are you trying to say, Faye?” I complain.My headache gets worse each time I open my mouth to speak.
[ IN WHICH ROME DECIDES TO SETTLE ] ROME'S P.O.V —“You are here.” I say.There's a ruffling sound behind me, and then, his voice sounds. “It seems you have been expecting me.” “Yes, I have been expecting you for a weeks now. We haven't spoken in a while. I figured you were due for another visitation.” I turn around to face him. When I catch the livid expression on his face, I decide to add, “Also, I could hear your heart beating angrily in your chest from many kilometers away.” Lust has a grim expression as he glares at me. “Good,” he says. “Then you know that I am furious. That I am angry with you.”With a sigh leaving my lips, I straighten my clothes. I do not want to have a conversation with Lust this early in the morning, but knowing how he is, he wouldn't let this slide until I give him my ears. “Don't you think it is too early to be angry?” I say as I turn my back to him, facing the full-length mirror. “And don't you think you shouldn't provoke me?” I move my hands to my