“Oh, it was successful.”
“What!?” Genuine joy, a flicker of warmth, filled Aekeira. “But that’s wonderful news!” Despite the tragedy of this story, Aekeira found unexpected happiness in this good news.
“For the first time in his life, the bonding ritual succeeded. Their souls intertwined, becoming one. I remember that day like it was yesterday. The joy on Vladya’s face when he announced that he could feel the bond. The sheer happiness in King Daemonikai’s face. It was one of the happiest moments of our lives. The entire Urai rejoiced for the grand lord. Everyone.” Merilyn’s voice broke completely, a faraway look coming into her eyes. “That was a week before the Eclipse Moon night.”
“Oh no…” Aekeira’s heart sank. Tears burned her own eyes.
Merilyn’s tears flowed freely. “Their bonding ceremony was to take place after the Eclipse Moon. But that night… he watched her die. Murdered by the human King Memphis.” The words were choked out, almost inaudible. “Right in front of Vladya.”
Aekeira couldn’t hold back the sob that tore from her throat. Grief for Vladya twisted within her. For what was given and ruthlessly stolen from him. Her heart broke, a brutal force tearing it apart from the inside. By the gods, no wonder… it all made sense now.
Merilyn wiped her own tears, but her voice was thick with distress. “The screams he unleashed that night… His cries of anguish… It was a sound that pierced the hearts of all who heard it. But even that… was not the end of it.”
“There’s more…!?” Aekeira didn’t know if she could take more. She felt overwhelmed. It was simply too much for her to bear. All she wanted was to curl into a ball and weep until she fell asleep. A strong urge to find Grand Lord Vladya and give him a tight hug overwhelmed her, even if he might behead her for it. In that moment, Aekeira was willing to risk everything.
“As Vladya watched the life drain out of her, he grew desperate to save her. So, he chanted the Hav’zie de Baah,” Merilyn whispered, the words like a curse in the air. Aekeira struggled to even pronounce the words. “W-what does that mean?”
“The words translate to ‘The giver and the taker,’” Merilyn’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Hav’zie de Baah is a potent and dark spell. Its incantations are known only to a few. It is one of the forbidden magics of our people, deemed too dangerous to be practiced. Some have dedicated centuries to studying the book of spells, yet cannot master a single spell. But on that dreadful night, Vladya, consumed by desperation, uttered the incantations.”
Aekeira attempted to comprehend the magnitude of it all. “So, this magic grants wishes, but something is taken in return?”
“Yes, in a way, it’s a bargain. If you are desperate enough, you must offer something truly valuable. However, the drawback of this spell is that it can take without giving what one wishes for. Which is one of the reasons it was forbidden. Vladya knew the risks, but…” Merilyn’s fist clenched, knuckles whitening with the echo of old grief. Dread washed over Aekeira like icy water. “What did it take from him?” Her voice quivered.
Silence answered her. The river babbled on, oblivious. A breeze rippled the water, and Aekeira shivered despite the warmth of the day.
“His soul.” The words fell like stones into the silence. “During the chanting of Hav’zie de Baah, Vladya offered his soul as a sacrifice. The spell claimed his soul, but Tiara did not return.”
“Gods!” Aekeira gasped in disbelief, stumbling back. She had heard Grand Lord Vladya mention that he had no soul before, but she had assumed it was metaphorical, not literal. “He has no soul…!?”
Merilyn nodded, eyes filled with a haunted sadness. “And do you know the most tragic part?” Her voice was raw now. “Our souls are… everything. The very essence of our being. They ground us, keep our beasts in check, maintain our sanity, and so much more. A bond is an intertwining of souls. Without a soul, one has no hope of ever finding a bondmate. No hope of ever knowing that connection. One would never recognize their Soulbond even if she miraculously appeared, and worst of all…” Merilyn stopped, fresh tears trailing down her chin. “Without a soul, one will go feral eventually. There is no stopping it. It is only a matter of time.”
AEKEIRA
“Grand Lord Vladya is going f-feral?” Aekeira was at a loss for words. Tears threatened to spill over. “Like… like Grand King Daemonikai?”
Merilyn nodded, the motion small and tight. “You’ve noticed… haven’t you? Sometimes his behavior seems off. Wicked. Crazy.”
Instantly, Aekeira’s mind flashed to the first time he mounted her. Those absurd accusations. His bloodhost eyes and the snarl on his lips. The twisted pleasure on his face as he inflicted pain upon her.
“So you see, Aekeira, that is the tale of Lord Vladya,” Merilyn’s voice was thick. “He lost everything on that horrible night. The only female who had ever connected with him as a bondmate, his soul. There will be no future bonding rituals for him. He is disconnected from his beast, among other things. In his long, long life, he will be alone forever. That is the root of his hatred.”
Aekeira wept soundlessly, tears winning the battle, spilling down her cheeks. Her heart was in so much pain, Aekeira could barely breathe. The sheer enormity of what he’d lost was crushing.
Now it made sense. A terrible, heartbreaking kind of sense. Of course, hatred would consume him, burn hot like the sun itself.
She couldn’t imagine enduring such devastation. She would have felt the same way he did. Hatred towards that species deeply rooted in her very being. She never imagined someone as fierce, as mean as him, would have gone through something so heart-wrenching.
But then, she wondered why it never occurred to her. Suffering and painful experiences were what hardened people, were they not? And Grand Lord Vladya is harder than the toughest granite.
“Why did I share all this with you? He would sooner slit his own throat-or yours-than admit to anything he might feel towards you other than hatred,” Merilyn warned. “Whether it’s sexual attraction or any form of fondness. And because he feels them, he would hurt you in every way imaginable. It’s his way of coping, his protection. And I want you to endure it, if you can.”
Aekeira stared down at her hands, unable to meet the Mistress’s gaze.
“Even if he inflicts unspeakable torture upon you, I want you to endure it anyway. It’s unfair, cruel, and selfish of me, but your kind owes him, don’t you think?” Merilyn’s voice grew more intense. “If there’s even the slightest chance there’s something for him here, no matter how little, I will tear down the heavens to make sure he gets it.”
“Why?” Aekeira finally whispered. “Why go to these lengths?”
“Because I don’t want him to go mad. I refuse to lose him to insanity. His mind is deteriorating rapidly, and any glimmer of motivation that helps him hold onto his sanity is worth it to me,” Merilyn stated passionately. “Why do you think I support his care for the grand king? King Daemonikai may be gone, but my dear Vlad still clings to his beast. And if taking care of the mindless creature gives him purpose… a reason to keep going, then I pray nothing ever happens to that beast.”
In a way, Aekeira understood Merilyn on a deeply personal level. She understood the fierce determination to protect and preserve. She, too, would go to any lengths to protect Emeriel, no matter the cost.
“Now, he’s fixating on you, even if he’s not consciously aware of it. And though you have no other choice but to endure it, you must be careful not to provoke or exacerbate him. That could lead him to kill you,” Merilyn cautioned. “Given the depth of his hatred and his current state of mind, he would truly end your life if he set his mind to it. It may be for selfish reasons, but I wish for you to survive, Aekeira. I wish for you to endure and hold on, no matter how hard it becomes.”
Aekeira had no intentions of succumbing to death either. She had fought for survival for as long as she could remember, and she would continue fighting until there was no strength left within her. She gazed into the distance, her heart heavy with emotion. “So, you mean his… attraction for me works like an anchor, even one he hates, but it gives him something to hold on to?”
“Yes,” Merilyn confirmed. “‘I do not care’ has become his mantra for centuries. Yet for the first time in a long while, he wants something-even if he despises the wanting.”
“Will it… will he go feral, like the grand king?”
Merilyn turned towards the river, her back a wall Aekeira could not see past. “It’s likely. All signs and symptoms point in that direction. And unlike our people who panic and resist when they sense feral tendencies, he doesn’t fight the change. He welcomes it.” Her voice broke slightly on that last word.
Aekeira’s heart broke for this male. She couldn’t believe it. Yes, the male was always cruel and hurtful towards her, but she wouldn’t wish such a condition upon anyone. Not only had he lost the only female who had connected with his soul, but also his entire soul itself? It was a devastating fate.
“You’re shedding tears.” Merilyn frowned, perplexed. Aekeira startled. “No, I’m not.” She quickly brushed away the tear that had escaped onto her cheek.
“You’re a strange human female. Why would you hurt for him?”
“Is there no other solution for him?” Aekeira asked, unsure how to answer that question. “Can’t the spell be broken, the magic reversed?”
Merilyn shook her head sadly. “It cannot. Once the deed is done, it cannot be undone. That’s the nature of most dark magics. He can never bond with another person ever again, and since finding one’s Soulbond is not a miracle we can rely on, my dear Vlad will remain alone for the rest of his days.” She paused, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. “And those days do not appear to be very long anymore.”
Aekeira felt a profound weight settle upon her chest.
And it lingered long after Merilyn had departed.
Aekeira lay on her bed and cried herself to sleep.
EMERIEL
That night, after a grueling shift, Emeriel was trudging back to his chambers when a breathless slave intercepted him. “Emeriel, have you heard?”
“Heard what?” Emeriel asked.
“Your sister – they took her to Greyrock. Guards drove her away!”
The words hit Emeriel like a physical blow. “What!?” Blood roared in his ears, drowning out everything else.
In a hurry, he sprinted towards the southern wings, directly towards Aekeira’s room. But she was nowhere to be found.
“Aekeira?” His voice echoed in the hollow space, each unanswered call tightening the knot of fear in his gut. Panic welled up inside him as he rushed out, determined to find his sister.
Perhaps the slave was mistaken? Aekeira couldn’t have been taken to the northern wings so abruptly, could she? Yet, despite his attempts to convince himself otherwise, a knot of dread coiled in his stomach. Lord Zaiper desired Aekeira, and this was the perfect opportunity to get to her, especially with Lord Vladya away until tomorrow.
“Gods, what do I do?” Emeriel choked out the words, trying desperately to quell his rising panic. What would be the rational course of action? He shouldn’t just rush into Greyrock domain, right? Reason screamed at him to stay put. Lord Vladya had been clear that he shouldn’t leave Blackstone.
But this was Aekeira they were talking about. Zaiper wasn’t just cruel, he was a monster. He would subject his sister to untold suffering. A grand lord who was notorious for not only hurting slaves but also killing them. Every instinct to protect his sister urged him forward, and despite the terror clawing at him, his feet obeyed. Emeriel sprinted towards the northern wings, knowing he was running towards the heart of danger.
GRAND LORD ZAIPER
Grand Lord Zaiper stood near the dungeon entrance, his gaze locked on the girl huddled within. Even in her fear, she radiated a fragile beauty.
The prettiest little thing he had ever laid his eyes on – a ripe fruit ready for his taking. It was no wonder Vladya was smitten with her. Zaiper could clearly see her appeal. He had deliberately goaded Vladya, plucked at his strings, just to see that
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