Grace made her way through the halls to the tower, reserved for a select few, clutching the heavy spellbook. The guards yielded as she climbed the stairs toward the tower. Upon entering, she spotted Dorian and Aaron conversing in hushed voices, but it quickly stopped as her presence was sensed.
Dorian's gaze met hers. "Did you find what you needed?" he asked.
"Yes, are you ready?" she asked, flipping open the spell book at the spell of memory, lighting a match, and moving toward the bowl filled with the ingredients needed.
"Yes," answered Dorian.
"Once you inhale, you'll encounter resistance against the mental barrier, but then you'll see what it is that the witches took from you," Grace explained as she dropped the lit match into the bowl, igniting its contents. She placed the used match next to the bowl, picked it up, and approached Dorian, who was seated in the middle of the large room.
Grace moved until she was standing in front of him, the smoke swirling within the bowl. "Inhale," she directed, holding the bowl to his face. As he breathed in the smoke, his body tensed.
"Grace," said a voice from behind. She turned to see who it was.
Aaron stepped out of the shadows of the room. By the look he gave her, she knew what he had meant for her to do. Grace took a few steps away from Dorian, keeping her distance for her safety. Her attention was fixed on Dorian, whose eyes were now shut, lost in the vision. His body relaxed.
***Dorian's Vision***
Hidden among the trees, Dorian watched the witch leave the girl alone. She looked at the wilted flowers, occasionally casting glances back as if waiting for someone, probably the man who had departed earlier. Then she focused again on the dead plants. Approaching the flowerpot, she reached out, tenderly touching the dried blooms.
"They didn't water you; I'm sorry," she whispered. She hovered her hands over the flowers, envisioning them as lush and vibrant. Sneaking a peek, she saw the once-withered flowers bursting into bloom, growing more by the second.
The girl smiled down at her work. From the side, Dorian could see her face, her raven-black hair braided loosely, strands spilling from the ties, her small button nose, and her red lips curving in a smile. He stood watching her for a few moments before leaving the spot among the trees and heading straight for her, stopping a few feet behind her. Unaware of his presence, the girl continued with her task.
"And who might you be?" he asked, loud enough for her to hear. Startled, she spun around, her blue eyes meeting his. Her face registered shock at the sight of his eye color. He surveyed her, noting the bruise on her head and the slight redness in one eye.
"I'm acquainted with every witch here, but I have not met you," he stated. She nervously adjusted the rings on her fingers.
"I've recently moved here, and the witches here have been kind in assisting me with my magic," she explained.
"Your parents did not assist you with your magic? It's unusual to begin learning at such a later age," he remarked, stepping closer. He was captivated by her eyes, which held a light he had never seen before.
Her expression faltered as if he had misspoken.
"My parents are no longer alive," she revealed.
"I extend my condolences," he replied sincerely.
Her lips twitched into a weak smile. "It's all right."
"Have you sustained an injury?" he inquired, gesturing to the mark on her forehead.
"Yes, but I'm recovering. You should see the other person," Raven retorted with a hint of humor.
A slight smile graced his face. Sensing the strength of her aura, he recognized her power. "I presume the other person is already regretting their actions," he remarked.
"Perhaps, but I'm not one to hold grudges," she replied.
"I'm Dorian," he introduced himself, extending his hand from behind his back and offering it to her. She inspected his hand before cautiously placing her delicate hand in his. "Raven," she disclosed, a name befitting her. He directed his energy into their joined hands, feeling a surge pass between them, his gaze fixed on hers until she withdrew her hand.
"Ouch," she whispered. His suspicion was confirmed.
"You have remarkable strength for a witch," he acknowledged as she looked at him, surprised. "I meant no harm; I needed to confirm it for myself," he assured her.
"Vampires can discern the strength of a witch? I wasn't aware of that," she inquired, her curiosity spiked.
"The extent of what you can learn about vampires and even about yourself might surprise you," he hinted. Suddenly, she closed the gap between them, retrieving something from his jacket. As he inhaled, her scent surrounded him, leading him to close his eyes and relish the aroma. "Sorry, there was something on your jacket," she explained.
"You are radiant," he said, looking at her in amazement. She looked up at him with a smile.
"RAVEN!" Maura's voice called from inside, signaling her arrival. Raven turned to face her.
"Joel is waiting for you; oh, and I've prepared some tea for you," Maura informed, gesturing with her hands to the shop.
"Thank you," Raven responded to Maura before turning back to Dorian.
"It was nice to meet you, Dorian."
"The pleasure was mine, Raven," he replied, watching her head inside.
The vision ended.
Grace's eyes shone as she gazed at him in wonder. The moment he saw her, he felt a bond.
"I have been protecting her since the first time I saw her," he confessed.
Pulled into another flash.
The scent haunted him as he ran through the woods; his paws thudded against the forest floor, and the smell of death was near, "a scent he had known for centuries.
Growling, he tracked the audible scent but could not discern the vampire's words. With his eyes locked on the figure before him, Dorian leaped, his canines sinking into the vampire, tearing through as if it were stone.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP
The rapid heartbeat captured his attention. Vanishing in the woods, concealed from all, he observed her, fear etched into her features, scanning her surroundings for the creature she had glimpsed, oblivious to its gaze upon her.
The second encounter:
Racing through the woods, the figures moved with purpose in one direction, yearning for something beyond their reach; their skin was deathly pale.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP
"Raven," her aunt's voice echoed in the distance. Seizing the figure before him, Dorian dragged it behind a tree, out of her sight. He watched her on the front porch, peering into the woods as if sensing the presence lurking there. The vampire struggled as he tried to keep it at bay. "Hey, what are you doing?" Wren questioned Raven, who stood on the porch, staring off into the woods. Scanning its line of trees again, she could have sworn she saw something about a vampire, perhaps.
"I thought I saw something, but I guess I was wrong." Facing her friend, Dorian watched Wren grab something from the bowl in her hands and put it into her mouth as the two of them turned around and headed back inside. "Have you decided what you want to watch yet?" Raven questioned them, closing the door behind them. Dorian gripped the vampire, trying to bite his arms with a forceful twist. A crack echoed. From his hidden vantage point, he could feel her raven relax and her heartbeat slow. From inside the house.
The third encounter:
Entering her room, he detected two heartbeats within the house. He gazed at her form, slumped in the armchair, a blanket draped over her, her hands clutching the fabric, her body quivering with cold, the fire long extinguished.
"Cum de mă încânți așa, iubire," he murmured to her sleeping form, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. Lifting her gently from the chair, her head rested on his shoulder.
Blinking, he stared down at her sleeping face. Descending the two steps, he approached her bed, where books and plants lay scattered. Bending slightly, he drew back the sheets with one hand and gently laid her down.
"Your mind is tormented by memories no one should bear. Forgive me," he whispered, taking her hand and closing his eyes, bracing for the onslaught of her thoughts.
Her dream
SIRENS.
CRIES.
Sounds of water.
Waves crashed against the shore.
"Mom!" she called out, searching for her mother, oblivious to the blood that covered her.
"Stop her!" an officer commanded. Amidst the crowd, Dorian watched her struggle to focus.
"Please step aside; we need to assist her," the officer instructed. Dorian stepped back, feeling a headache surge as the crowd made way for paramedics and officers. His gaze returned to Raven, who was frozen, fixated on something horrific. Dorian's eyes found her mother's mutilated body strewn about.
Raven sobbed. Her horrifying cries filled the air. An officer came from behind, pulling her away from the scene before her.
Standing beside her hospital bed, he watched her sleep peacefully, their hands intertwined. He began to withdraw his hand, but she stopped him.
"Please don't," she whimpered in her sleep, then her eyes flew open, locking with his crimson gaze.
"Shh," he soothed.
"These memories will haunt you no more," he whispered. She blinked, her grip loosening, and her eyes closing once more.
He opened his eyes, gazing at her peaceful form, now nestled in her blankets.
The fourth time.
Melissant arrived at the house, unaware of the figures lurking nearby, while Raven was engrossed in a book somewhere inside. The men observed from a distance, poised to strike. "She's right there; we should take her now," one whispered.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," one taunted.
"We promise we won't hurt you," another chimed in.
Creeping up behind them, Dorian murmured, "But I will." With a swift motion, he snapped their necks, and their bodies crumpled to the ground. He lifted his gaze to her room. Raven stood on the balcony, looking down at him, her eyes reflecting the vastness of the ocean, its wildness, serenity, and unfathomable depths.
"You never told her you could enter her house and that it was a myth about vampires?" she inquired, her voice laced with curiosity.
"I did not want her to be frightened by the thought that I could enter her house," he confided to her.
"You didn't want her to be afraid of you." It was more of a statement than a question.
"No," he replied.
"Your secret is safe with me, Dorian," Grace reassured him. Dorian was pulled back into reality, overcome by all that was revealed to him, especially the memories that were taken from him. He took his rapid departure and leaving Grace and Aaron alone.
Aaron's voice broke the silence as Grace tidied the room. "You ventured off the grounds again." Without turning, she responded, "I was asked for help; I do not need your permission to leave the grounds." Silence filled the air as Aaron exchanged a knowing look with a guard who, after a nod, exited, followed by the other vampires, leaving the pair alone.
"He's in love with her," she observed, looking at Aaron from across the room.
"The law remains the law; that you understand," Aaron declared, his gaze averted.
With a sigh, she returned a book to its place, then faced him and walked toward him with deliberate steps.
"I am aware of the law, Aaron," she said in a soft voice, shedding her jacket before she too left the room.
"And never forget who made it," she called out to him.
***
Dorian stood on the balcony, staring at the trees surrounding him; the sun was starting to go down, and he was holding the chain in his hand. His eyes drifted to the paper and pen at the desk. Striding to the table, he sat down, grabbing the pen in his hand before scribbling across the pages.
My love,
Words have always been my forte, but in your presence, they escape me. I struggle to find the right ones to express my feelings for you.
I would willingly face damnation for you, and during our separation, I await our reunion with restless anticipation. There are secrets I've kept, knowing they would devastate you if discovered. I never imagined I'd be the one to reveal them, but I am prepared to do so. You once inquired about my belief in redemption. At the time, I was a skeptic, yet I maintained what I professed: sometimes, those deemed bad are simply that. However, I have also witnessed redemption. As I've wandered the earth, observing and sometimes instigating events, the suffering I've endured felt like I was entrapped in hell. This led me to ponder the existence of heaven. For ages, I sought God's light in this world, to no avail. But upon first laying eyes on you, I found my answer. He must exist, for only God could craft a soul as pure as yours. My love, in a world engulfed in shadow, you have brought forth light. You do not need to fret about anything, for I am here for you, always and forever.
Until we reunite, my love,
From your beloved
Dorian