Chapter 33
Rewind
Tick, tock.
“She loves me, she loves me not.....”
A bouquet of once beautiful roses was reduced to just their thorny stems, the numerous petals strewn on the floor of his room.
Tick, tock.
He reached the last petal.
“She loves me...not.”
A menacing snarl escaped his lips, the naked stems crushed in his palm. Thorns dug into the skin with sharp stings, but it didn’t bother him. He could shed all his blood for her.
“You are mine, Piya darling. Only mine.”
Time marched forward as the hands of the clock ticked endlessly, leaving Jeh in his own insecurities and psychotic thoughts.
What if she has fallen for the vampire?
“Impossible!” He shouted, running his bloodied fingers across one of her photos. “She can’t do that to me. I won’t let her.” A growl escaped his lips.
No one in the room batted an eye to his outburst. He argued with himself, speaking without rebuttal into the darkness of the room.
You used to be so kind to me when we first met. Why hate me? I only love you.
He stared at her photos as sudden black flashes obscured his vision. His chest seized up by an unexplained pressure, like something was trying to grasp his heart and crush it. His vision grew hazy and blood seared the insides of his body.
He shrieked, writhing atop the bed. The internal healing was not yet complete. Slower than expected. Dipanita sat by his side, ordering him to rest. Excess hyperactivity caused stress to his ailing organs.
“Jeh, stop moving.....,” she pleaded.
He groaned and shirked her hands away. Ayushmaan watched from a dark corner, basking in the negative vitality that was Jeh’s obsession. He partook into draining it freely, even if it made the fool weaker. And perhaps crazier.
You’re all just expendable pawns for us. If only you weren’t so weak, I would have enjoyed this pretentious alliance more.
He grew vexed with Jeh’s constant demanding and threatening, as even the energy drain wasn’t enough to silence him.
“Who is this girl he rambles of?” He huffed, dusting off the sleeves of his cloak. Asking the question wasn’t needful; the entire room was filled with her.
Dipanita leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Even that piece of wall wasn’t spared of her likeness.
“Why ask? You can probably see it yourself.”
He breathed out a low laugh and cracked his knuckles. That was true. She was everywhere. The hazel in his right eye glinted upon inspecting Abhay’s ring, twirling it in front of his face. Just as he first saw him as the owner of the ring, he could see this girl if he wanted to. There were far too many photos to choose from.
“Certainly. But I’d only be a fool to waste my energy on such a mundane question.”
Dipanita looked in his direction, wincing at the sight of the deep red scar. Along with the runes, it turned him into a horrendous monster. A disfiguring mark to an otherwise decent looking face.
She found it unsettling from day one.
“What is it? Admiring my ugliness?” He calmly asked, touching his face with a finger. “It looks frightening, doesn’t it? Enough to scare little children.”
“It’s hideous.” He flashed a wry smile, acting as if it was a compliment. “Where did you get it from?”
“A long time ago, I was woefully obsessed with a lovely princess, just like your son here. I couldn’t hold back, and forced my hand upon her one night. Her lover gave me this in exchange for her honor.”
He darted his eyes over his fingers, the ones that almost took her for himself. Siddharth had to just ruin it all.
I suppose your sister is a good enough consolation price, Mandakini.
“I should have expected something vile.” She turned away in disgust, leaning over Jeh. His eyes bulged out, veins on his neck visible from straining. Wanting to get up, but finding no energy to do so.
“I want....I want her!”
She brushed his hair, thinking of her husband and eldest son. They could have consoled Jeh. He wouldn’t be like this today. What their family could have been in this time, together, was torn apart by that vampire. That Raichand. Their vengeance neared completion. She had a plan, but it was risky.
“And you will get her.”
Piya being alive would suit her interests, in a strange twist of fate.
Jeh’s eyes widened. Was this his mother speaking? She hated Piya. She would never give into his demands. It was likely a trap, but even then, he wouldn’t mind.
Anything to get her.
“You will get your love and we will get our revenge.”
His pain began to lessen by each word. They were an antidote for the wounds.
“How?”
“The vampire we are looking for, is Abhay Raichand.”
Obsession replaced itself with anger.
“He killed them?”
She nodded. Ayushmaan stepped forward, holding the ring in suspension over his palm. A beam of red light engulfed the piece of metal, showing a reel of what occurred that night.
Jeh was furious, but upon seeing Abhay’s face, covered in the blood of his father and brother, he began to feel raw terror.
He couldn’t understand why.
“Once you are healed, bring Piya here. Keep her close to you. He will surely come for her. That is when we strike.”
Ayushmaan laughed, crossing his arms. He had his own optimism to meet this girl. Personally, of course.
You’ve fallen for someone else, I see? Maithili will not be happy to hear so.
“I want to kill him. I want to kill him now!” His voice shook, but he was dead set on this goal.
“Patience. First, Piya. Alright?”
He nodded, pressing her photo to his lips.
——————————————————————
“How’s this?”
Raunak held up a colored square poster with a ‘sharp’ symbol on it. Piya gave it a thumbs up while arranging the lesson sheets. Divya was out sick today.
“I think I can get the posters for ‘flat’ and ‘natural’ done before class. Can you grab me the black paint?”
“Sure.”
The older posters were curling at the corners and fading. They planned to simply print new ones to hang up, but the machine was out of order. Piya suggested doing them by hand. It felt more inviting that way.
She handed him the bottle. A few sheets slipped from her pile, floating like feathers to the floor. She bent down to pick them up, placing a palm flat on the table to hold her balance. Falling from the fort heights made her more careful about such things. There was no Mr. Cobalt Eyes to catch her here.
Well, if he’s a ghost, he surely can be here.
The uncapped bottle tipped over by Raunak’s elbow, drenching the side of Piya’s hand in viscous liquid. She stood up and stared at it.
“I’m so sorry, Piya.” Raunak said, handing her a tissue. She cleaned as much as she could, but it smeared down her palm. The flood just barely missed her clothes. But the carpet wasn’t so lucky.
“It’s okay. I’ll just go wash my hand before the paint dries.”
He nodded and began to dab the mess out of the carpet and table. Piya hurried to the bathroom, stuffing paper towels under her arm to help later. She doused her hand under the sink, and rubbed the paint vigorously with the other. It took a good few minutes to get it completely clean.
She passed Raunak the extra paper towels, and began to help him clean up. The door clicked open, revealing the first arrival of students. It was Horatia.
“She’s always early.” Piya mentioned, waving to her. She smiled with her eyes.
When will she speak? It’s been a while now.
“I think it’s good for now. We can worry about it after.”
“Agreed.”
Piya let out a long breath and held her hips. Horatia was already seated. She was tuning her violin on her own, but clearly struggled.
“Need some help?” Piya asked, kneeling before her.
She nodded slowly, handing her the small violin. All these fangled mortal objects made no sense to her. The violin was pesky, but rewarded its player with a lovely melody. She could at least respect that. Piya went to work immediately, teaching her at the same time. The last string snapped, striking her arm. But she didn’t let go of the instrument.
“Ahhh!”
Horatia touched her palm to Piya’s leg, while Raunak dropped everything to check on her.
“Piya, move you hand.” He urged, taking the violin out of her hands, and placing it carefully on the table. It was possible she’d need stitches.
Her body felt warped on the inside. A strange buzz that made her nauseous. She removed her hand, revealing her arm with no injury or scaring. The pain vanished like it was never there.
I swear it hit me. Why do I feel so off?
She heard stories of people getting hurt from strings snapping. Mostly on the face. Some got off with scars, others had to go to the hospital.
Even Raunak was surprised.
“Whoa, that didn’t injure you?”
“I’m....surprised too.” She wasn’t getting injured from anything serious lately. The fall, now this.
Horatia pulled back her palm, looking panicked herself. Her gaze lowered, hands bunched up in her lap. She believed she had just broken a rule. Piya caressed her hair, thinking she was upset about the damaged violin.
“Don’t worry. It happens.”
“We can get this fixed, just need to get the string replaced. Let’s give her a loaner one for today.”
Piya was glad Horatia wouldn’t have to miss out on class because of this. The school she was taught at didn’t have the luxury of extra instruments. She checked her arm one last time, tracing her finger across the skin where a long scar should have been.
“I can get one for her. Where are they?”
“In the storage room down the hall.”
“Okay. I’ll be back.”
Piya hurried to the storage room, finding the shelf of violins, along with other instruments, snug in their cases. She picked one up, and checked its contents. They were all beautiful pieces.
“Perfect.”
She carried it one hand, reaching for the light switch with the other. Her eyes swept over her skin, finding it covered in something dark. She touched it. It was damp, and smelled of fresh paint.
Same place as last time.
Didn’t I wash this off? How did it reappear?
——————————————————————
“Care to explain your behavior?”
After his sudden departure from the council meeting, Dragomir angrily dismissed all those present. But instead of letting them go home, he was petty and decided to keep them trapped in the castle for a couple hours.
“If I have to hear Estelle talk about another one of her husbands with his head in a basket, I’m going to drive a stake through her.”
Abhay was minding his own business, waiting outside the music school for Piya, before Seraphina decided to show up and get in his hair. He rolled his eyes and played around with his phone. She wouldn’t disappear, no matter how much he ignored her.
“There was an urgent matter I had to take care of. End of story.” He leaned back against the car. “Now I would like to be left alone, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m not leaving until you explain properly. What matter was so urgent that you ditched a council meeting?”
“I don’t think I have to tell you.”
He spoke to council member like she wasn’t a council member. It was her fault to let him get away with it. She should have been more assertive.
“You’re so....arrogant.”
“Thanks.” He laughed to himself. That was all she could come up with?
Abhay wasn’t afraid of what punishments he could receive for such perjury. The blood oath already did its number the entire night. He reeled in its aftereffects, weakness and yet again, thirst. It helped convince Piya that he only just recovered, which saved him from more questions.
“If you tell me, I can calmly explain it to him and get you out of any more punishment.”
If it meant getting her to leave, he would say something. More punishment or not, he didn’t care.
“Fine. I was saving a life. Enough?” His icy grey eyes cut through her like sharp daggers. Exactly like ice.
Defensive much? Playing superhero, is it?
This was a new Abhay.
“A life? Who?”
Piya exited the building and found Abhay speaking to a girl with shiny silver hair. She never saw the color before. It shimmered under the sun and bounced back light in tiny spheres. She wasn’t from around here.
He’s even popular amongst foreigners.
Abhay looked at her, as did Seraphina.
“My own.” He replied, staring calmly at Piya. She narrowed her eyes.
His own? But he’s fine-.
“Now if you excuse me, I have to go.” Piya cautiously joined his side. She hid her eyes from Seraphina, feeling shy. A little jealous as well. It didn’t matter that Abhay paid her no attention. “Shall we, Piya?”
Seraphina looked her up and down. Simple. Doesn’t stand out. Quiet and reposed. She jogged her memory of the name.
Piya. Isn’t she that human girl he was talking of?
She nodded and entered his car. She found Seraphina odd. The two shared the look and posture of those that knew each other for long.
How is Abhay related to her?
She swallowed her jealousy and stared out the windshield. If only she knew she was overthinking, and that they shared nothing more than a week of carnal relations, she wouldn’t have this unexplained stress. Her mind lingered on who his ex was.
This is unlike you, Seraphina thought, marveled at the human sitting in his car.
He did ask her about human soulmates that night. Perhaps, this Piya was his. She put together the small riddle in his words, reaching an epiphany.
His own life. Were you saving her?
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