Chapter 30
Change of Plans
Significant amounts of time passed between her last vivid dream and this one. All it lacked was the pleasantries.
There was slight chill in the air, a howling breeze raising goosebumps on her arms and neck. Eyelids heavy, she struggled to regain sight as her face remained smothered against the muggy soil. Leaves carried themselves with the winds, over her motionless frame. It felt off. Something wasn’t right. The left side of her forehead stung with a peculiar dampness. Reaching up and gently pressing her palm against it, her skin became slick with blood.
What happened?
Sound and sight returned to her moments later, accompanied with a sharp throb in her skull. Standing before her, she found Jeh, thus invalidating her perception that this dream was like the others. Beads of sweat mixed in with the blood, as she struggled to back away without making noise.
She stopped when she laid her wavering gaze at the full scene.
Jeh wasn’t alone. Abhay was in front of him. They were fighting, and Abhay appeared to be losing.
No!
Jeh cornered him against a tree, throwing incessant punches into his stomach and jaw. The crackling of bone rang in Piya’s ears. Blood dribbled down Abhay’s chin, eyes showing signs of weakness.
She couldn’t let them close.
“Don’t hurt him, please!”, she screamed, holding her outstretched palm towards him.
He looked towards her in worry, and shook his head once before collapsing to the ground.
“Abhay!”
She screamed his name, struggling to move from her place. Her body was vehemently against it. The wound on her forehead hurt too much. The weight on her skull was overbearing. She felt lightheaded and concussed. Any reminding fight in her, it somehow brought her to Abhay’s side.
Stay with me, Abhay. Please.
He was out cold, cradled snug in her lap. He bled down his face and onto Piya’s hands and skirt. She stared at them. It didn’t look right to her. The color was off. Black instead of red.
What?
Deductive thoughts only brought more weight to her skull, where she was bleeding herself. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, protectively cradling Abhay’s head in her arms while succumbing to her own wounds.
No, I have to stay awake. I won’t let Jeh hurt him.
Jeh circled the two, just like a wolf would when cornering its prey, and burst into maniacal laughter.
“Even after all this, you still run to him, sweetheart? Big mistake.”
He pulled out a sharp blade from his back pocket, swinging it inches from her face.
“Back off.” She hissed, grabbing hold of the blade firmly in her palm. Its razor-thin edge sliced through her skin, but she stared back, unwavering. The fire in her eyes blazed as his impenetrable shield. She was tired of being afraid. “Don’t you dare touch him.”
Jeh snickered, grabbed her wrist, and jerked her forward with dislocating force, instilling the fear she just cast aside with the most chilling and purest evil embedded in his irises. His wry smile irked her beyond belief.
Monster.
“Too late.”
——————————————————————
Abhay fought hard to regain consciousness, desperate to break the shared dream. The noise and chaos of that realm contrasted with the pin drop silence of his room. His ceiling only had a simple chandelier to stare at, otherwise empty with a plain maroon wallpaper as a background. All he could do was stare up at it and worry, immobilized by pain.
She must be awake.
He found and reached for his phone on the nightstand, and checked for any messages. There was nothing, for now.
Siddharth was also in the room, waiting for Abhay to wake up. Relief washed over him when he heard his movements, but he didn’t say much.
“What happened?” He asked, solemnly.
“Nothing.”
He pursed his lips and turned away. He remained mildly upset with Abhay, but that didn’t stop him from staying by his side for the entire night. It was a habit from their childhood, sticking around for the other if either one of them got sick or injured.
Abhay tried to examine himself, only able to prop his body up by an elbow. He touched the skin near his heart. The hole was gone, leaving behind a pinkish scar that would soon disappear like the rest of it. The gashes from Jeh’s claws stopped bleeding, but were still deep and raw. Wounds inflicted by a werewolf affected all vampires the same. Unfortunately, it would take another day or so to completely heal.
I need to hide this.
Siddharth stood before him as he tried to stand up, stopping him in his tracks.
“Why are you moving?” He scolded, arms crossed.
“I—“
“Stay put. We can worry about hiding that later.”
Siddharth had been reading Abhay’s thoughts intermittently from the time he was awake. Abhay stared at him as he helped situate him on the bed.
“I thought you were mad at me.”
“I am. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care for you.” He pat Abhay’s shoulder with a reassuring smile. He hated being mad at his little brother, but at times, it was necessary. He promised their parents to look after him in their absence, and give him an earful if need be.
“I’m sorry.” Abhay mumbled.
“You’re forgiven. It’s really hard to stay mad at you.” Siddharth sat by his side and leaned back on his palms.
Abhay chuckled to himself and laid back against the headboard He was never worried for himself. Not then, and not now. He always worried for them. Piya was going to be the toughest one to handle.
Mandu heard their voices and went to Abhay’s room to check on him, previously busying herself by rummaging through her personal closet.
“Thank goodness you’re awake. I was beginning to worry.”
“There’s no need. I’m okay.” He said.
Siddharth stood up and brushed her hair to the side, noticing something different. He smiled in familiarity.
“It’s been a while since you’ve worn these earrings.” He said. She touched the dangling jewelry, made of the purest gold found in Pandher. They sat in a box, untouched for several years.
“I’ve been missing home lately. It feels nice to wear them.”
Now that she gave Siddharth some space and found Abhay alright as well, she shared her own news.
”I received a call too. The main council wants to meet in a few days.”
——————————————————————
Abhay didn’t come to get her.
Is he okay? Did he forget?
She paced back and forth in her room with heavy steps. He wasn’t answering her calls. With each passing minute, she feared the nightmare she saw was true.
If he weren’t so punctual, she wouldn’t be as worried. It came like a premonition, like a similar sixth sense that always brought him to her whenever she was in trouble.
She scrolled down the list of contacts, stopping just shy of the call button. Neither Siddharth nor Mandu would tell her the truth. They liked to hide things as much as she did. She had to go herself, without prior notice.
I hope they don’t mind.
She suffered from fitful sleep after the dream, rather nightmare, woke her up. Dark circles under her eyes were testament to that. She contemplated calling Abhay then and there, but lest doing more harm than good, didn’t want to disturb him if he was asleep.
But Jeh was still walking free, god knows where. The situation was similar; police investigations bore no fruit until it was too late, and that only added to her paranoia. History was unfolding in a repetitive fashion. Grabbing her bag, she rushed out of the house and ran straight through the forest. She didn’t mind walking to campus for one day, but she wanted to check on him first.
The winter winds carried her forward.
By now, her feet memorized the path to the mansion. She could cross it, eyes closed. It didn’t take too long for her to reach the front gates, where the guard recognized her and let her in, confused with her panicked expression.
She thanked him in a nod and hastened to the front door. The doorbell rung in rapid succession. Abhay sat up straight, his senses telling him it was her. He could feel her panic.
The dream brought her here.
“I’ll go and see.” Mandu said. Siddharth and Abhay looked at each other. They got to work quickly, wrapping some gauze around the open wound.
Mandu opened the door as Siddharth peeked from upstairs, finding Piya standing in front of her. The amount of stress was clear in her demeanor.
“Piya? What happened?” She held her shoulders. She was shaking, on the verge of tears, skin as pale as a ghost.
“Where is Abhay? Is he okay?”
How did she-?
There was no phone call, no conversation with Piya to indicate that something happened to Abhay.
“He’s fine, but—“
“But? Did Jeh do something? He didn’t hurt him, right?”
Piya knew she sounded rude for a guest, launching a tirade of questions without even saying hello. It was a terrible habit. She also knew she sounded very strange without an explanation to her fears.
Thankfully, Mandu understood her worry and reassured her with a small smile, taking her hand.
“Come inside.” Piya hesitated and swallowed. “It’s alright.”
Siddharth walked back to Abhay’s side, quickly slitting his palm with his nail and pressed it over the gauze, concealing the black that began to seep through underneath.
“What are you doing?”
“Keeping out secret.”
“This isn’t necessary. Just don’t let Piya come up here.”
“I can’t be that cruel.”
Mandu tried to console Piya herself downstairs, and breathed a sigh of relief when Siddharth stepped out of Abhay’s room.
“He’s upstairs, if you want to see him.”
Abhay heard the point blank declaration and began berating Siddharth in his thoughts. The last thing he wanted was for Piya to worry about him too.
Too late, little brother. She looks stressed already.
Piya nodded quickly, wiping a tear. Mandu encouraged her forward. Siddharth showed her upstairs, pointed to the open doors of his room, and left the two alone. She found Abhay awake and sitting in bed, staring out the window. She dropped her bag onto the floor as their eyes met.
There were bandages wrapped tight around his torso, bled through enough to worsen her dread. Ironically, he was injured on the same side and place that she had been. Her own scars throbbed again in agreement.
Monster. You’re a monster, Jeh.
She didn’t think twice, and threw her arms around him, avoiding the wound. He was colder than she thought. His entire body felt like ice. Why did she find it comforting? Abhay remained silent in shock, but closed his eyes. It felt nice.
“I knew he’d do something. This is my fault.”
He gently pressed his palms to her back. Her being there made him feel better. Even the largest of pains disappeared while she held him. The warmth of her light was like a gift.
“It’s not you fault. I’m okay, see?”
She looked down at the wound, and frowned.
“You’re bleeding through the bandages.”
She stared at the bloody patch, noticing the smallest speckles of black along edges of the sea of red. The color she saw in the dream was off, perhaps she was mixing the two, like how she mixed the color of their irises. She rubbed her eyes.
You’re tired. You’re just seeing things.
“I’m sorry....” She whispered, fists pressed into her lap. “I dragged you into this mess.”
“No, you didn’t.” He brushed his fingers past her moist cheeks. “I’m not a fan of you blaming yourself when you’ve done absolutely nothing to earn it.”
No matter how much he consoled her, the tight knot didn’t go away. She didn’t know why her heart hurt so much seeing him like this.
Isn’t it obvious? It’s guilt, right? No matter what he tells you.
He took his handkerchief out of the nightstand drawer and presented it to her. She obliged, and turned away as she freshened up. Abhay reached to caress her hair, but his fingers curled back just within reach. Too much affection could be detrimental to her.
Piya sniffled and snuck one more glance at him. She felt a sudden warmth rise in her cheeks, shamelessly staring at what she realized was his bare chest.
He has another tattoo.
This one was of an upside down crescent moon on his chest. She liked it over the bat, taking a preference to the more patterned and intricate detail within its borders. Close by it, a pinkish scar. She furrowed her brows in concern.
“Did he....cause that too?” She pointed. Abhay followed her finger to the stake wound, shaking his head. She relaxed and sat quietly by his side.
“Sorry, I didn’t come to get you this morning.”
She forgot her embarrassment and stared at him incredulously.
“Are you an idiot? Stay put until you get better. Otherwise—“ She pointed a finger at him.
“Otherwise?”
“I don’t know. But don’t you dare move.”
Just downstairs, Mandu was snooping in on their conversation, standing behind the stairs.
“It’s awfully rude to spy on them, no?” Siddharth noted, leaning his chin on her shoulder. Mandu chided him with a nudge of the elbow and continued to listen.
“Piya cares for him so much, she ran all the way here just to see him. I don’t even know how she found out.”
“I’m not sure either, but Abhay seems to know how. She’s smart too. We could’ve easily lied on the phone if she called instead.”
Her smile dropped. A pressing question loomed in her thoughts, but never saw the light of day. The two frequently, and blissfully, ignored the fact that Abhay and Piya’s bond was not normal.
Piya would have to know eventually.
“Siddharth...why are we hiding the truth from her?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“I mean, won’t she have to know eventually? What we are?”
“Only time will tell. I don’t want to force Abhay, but if he rejects her, it’s imperative that she doesn’t know, like all other humans. Wiping memories can get messy.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then I hope she had the strength to face it.” Mandu nodded. “I personally believe she does.”
Piya slowly descended the steps, composing herself for an apology. She barged in early in the morning and possibly stressed them out too. She opened her mouth, but Mandu stopped her.
“I know what you’re going to say. I don’t accept apologies for something you’re not at fault for.”
They all say the same things, she thought. She refrained from speaking further on the matter and hung her head low in embarrassment.
“When did this happen?”
“Last night.”
It correlated perfectly with the dream’s timing. Piya let out a heavy sigh and fidgeted with the straps of her bag.
“Abhay is reckless at times. Wanders around late at night when he shouldn’t be.” Siddharth said, trying to lighten her mood. “Don’t worry, I already scolded him. And if you don’t want to, I’ll scold him on your behalf.”
Piya managed to laugh just a little. Mandu lifted her chin.
“You’re getting late for college, na? Come, I’ll drop you.”
Piya shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I can walk. Abhay will be alone.”
“Siddharth is here. Right?” He nodded. “That settles it. Let’s go. A student like you should never be late.” She grabbed her car keys and took Piya with her, leaving her no opportunity to protest.
Before she knew it, the car was moving.
“Looks like you didn’t get much sleep last night. Is everything else okay?” Piya leaned her elbow against the door, watching the trees fly by.
“Yeah.” She folded her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs. Abhay never left her thoughts. She grew restless as the distance between them grew larger.
“Abhay will be okay. Don’t fret. He’s reckless, but very resilient.”
Piya nodded, envious of the assurance that Mandu possessed. But she could trust it; she knew Abhay far longer than she did.
Piya took notice of the earrings Mandu was wearing. Thinking back, she never saw her ever wear much jewelry, even at the party. The sunlight bounced off the precious metal and hit corners of Piya’s eyes, thus capturing her full attention. The style screamed ancestral jewels, matching photos she saw in the book. She found a topic to distract her.
“Your earrings are really pretty. I haven’t seen such a style these days.”
“Oh, thank you. They were my mother’s.”
“Really?” Her face lit up, clutching her own pendant.
“Mhmm.....she gave them to me when I got married. They’re a bit old-fashioned, but that makes them special.”
“I’ve never seen you wear them before. Even at your anniversary party.”
“I usually don’t wear much jewelry to begin with, but I was missing her, so I decided to wear them.”
“They suit you. Reminds me of something a queen would wear.”
Mandu lowered her smile, pulling into the parking lot of the campus.
“Yeah....”
——————————————————————
“Those damned leeches!”
Dipanita stared with anger and helplessness as her son writhed in agony for several hours. He lay atop a slab of stone cold marble, shifting in and out of consciousness. The glow of the stone, bound to a vitality spell, was keeping him alive.
She was brought to Jeh, to their lair. In an attack gone horribly wrong, her son was suffering.
Jeh is stronger than this. I made him stronger than this. How could this happen?
The fingers of his left hand remained disfigured and eaten through, exposing bone and blood. Despite Abhay’s blood being cleaned off his hands, the damage was already done. Some of it seeped into his bloodstream and wreaked havoc there, searing his veins and rotting his heart as a lethal poison.
He struggled to breath, and cowered before anyone who went near him. Trust didn’t exist anymore. Any one of them could be that vampire in disguise. Immobilized against a cold slab was the last thing he wanted. It burned in its own way.
“Who did this, Jeh?”
He gripped his head and gritted his teeth. Attempts to remember only sought to hurt him. He wasn’t allowed to. The compulsion that afflicted him was far too strong.
“I don’t remember! I can’t.....” He turned over and coughed up blood. Dipanita helped him stay on the stone, staring angrily at the cloaked circle around them. They were moving at a snail’s pace, drawing her ire.
“What is taking so long?”
“Patience, Alpha. This potion takes long to concoct.”
“My patience wears thin.” She growled. The other wolves began barking.
“Silence!” The voice boomed. “We’re wasting our power on your pathetic son! You should be grateful.”
“Mom....” He moaned, clutching his side.
“Jeh, stay still. You will be healed soon.”
Dead plants, animals, and cracked glass jars were scattered around a small cauldron. All sources of energy, the precious souls and life force of the once living, that should’ve been given to their queen, were to be involuntarily used for this indisposed cur. They weren’t happy, but a deal’s a deal. The ball of light fused with the concoction of special herbs, creating a potion that would rid the poisonous blood from his body.
“Drink.” He commanded. When Jeh refused, the others forced it down.
His veins glowed the same color as the potion, a bright green, and seized his body to prevent movement. They surrounded him and raised their arms, chanting a spell. A dark haze enveloped his body and began to heal it. He convulsed.
“What are you doing?!” Dipanita shrieked.
“Quiet, Alpha.”
The haze disappeared, and a small pooled sphere of black blood was drawn out of the open wounds, collecting above his body. It was discarded along with the corpses of the animals and dried remains of plants.
“The poison of the Duralis vampire is removed. His body will be able to heal on its own now.”
Jeh passed out immediately from exhaustion and relief. Dipanita ordered her pack to take him home, while she took care of the mess here. She was beginning to think this deal wasn’t worth it. Her progress on her desired revenge was halted in favor of their ridiculous plans.
The leader, or Master, as his coven called him, sat down on his throne and cackled into the open air. If his queen were here, she wouldn’t hesitate to prey off Dipanita’s negative energy.
Oh, my dearest Maithili. How I wish you would join us soon. This woman bores me.
He circled Dipanita to coax her out of silence. Behind the hood lay a pair of contriving eyes, one colored bright green and the other hazel, along with a hideous smile.
“I was hoping you’d be thankful, Alpha.” She turned her head his way, gasping at his true face. A large scar marred his features, trailing from the forehead down over the nose and ending at the edge of his cheek. “What’s the matter? Did I frighten you? Thinking of backing out of our arrangement?”
Dipanita looked into the center flame and clenched her fists.
“Who was he?”
“Who?”
“Don’t play games with me.”
“Forgive me, I just love asking questions. Simple answer, we don’t know. That vampire fogged up his memory. Only he can undo it.”
Jeh was the only one to escape alive. Whoever this vampire was, he was beyond dangerous.
“I’ve lost enough of my pack to your silly conquest. I’m not interested in continuing our deal.”
“Oh? That was rather fast.” He tapped his bony fingers against the glass credenzas that lined the walls. The crystal bottles and orbs inside shook with each tap. “If we find the one who wronged you, can I expect your loyalty?”
“You promised me that in exchange before, and nothing had happened. How can I trust you?”
“Trust is a very fragile thing. It seems we have broken it.” He said, as the prick of his nail shattered a glass pane. “I understand. But give us a chance. Why don’t we start now?”
“Keep your word. You don’t want to make an enemy of us.”
He bowed and pressed his palm over his heart.
“Certainly. I would never.”
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