The girls watched, occasionally catching flickers of the battle between Elijah and Dorian. Layla couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked, "Grandmother, what did grandfather do to Elijah to make him close his eyes in the middle of a fight?"
Amara smiled faintly, her gaze never leaving the sparring. "We have an ability, though most of us don't use it often. All the heirs and previous heirs employ it, as it can save time or assert dominance in a fight. It's a form of compulsion, but instead of forcing someone to speak, you force them to see things."
Selena, who had been watching closely, was in awe. "So, that's why Elijah closed his eyes? But how could he still know where the attack was coming from?"
Amara nodded, her tone simple. "He used his other senses." The girls understood, nodding in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, Elijah, still facing his grandfather, asked, "Grandfather, why did you hold back when you used your Crimson Reverie on me?"
Dorian chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I've seen things that could break your mind, but would it have mattered? You closed your eyes anyway."
Elijah nodded, accepting the truth. It didn't matter; he had closed his eyes to block the vision, so it wouldn't affect him.
As the fight drew to an end, Elijah glanced at Layla and Selena, who were practicing magic with their grandmother. A small, sad smile crossed his face. "Well, I guess I should leave now. It was a fun fight."
In the blink of an eye, Elijah superspeeded out, his mind already drifting elsewhere. Bored, he made his way to his room to take a shower. However, the moment he opened the door, Selene's sleepy voice stopped him. "What are you doing?"
He grinned. "Going to take a shower. Care to join me?"
Selene nodded begrudgingly, getting up to follow him.
After the shower, Selene collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. Elijah watched her, amused. She sleeps all day… Well, I guess it's better for her to sleep than worry about me.
Downstairs, dinner would be starting soon. Elijah, still restless, decided to help in the kitchen and set the table. When he finished, he sat down next to Cassandra, but noticed that Selene was missing. Cassandra, sensing it, asked, "Where's Selene?"
Elijah chuckled softly. "She's resting."
Cassandra pouted, her jealousy apparent as she ate her meal sourly. Elijah couldn't help but laugh at her exaggerated expression.
After dinner, Amara instructed Elijah to go upstairs and fetch Selene, then meet her, Cassandra, and Selena in the basement. Elijah obeyed without question, heading upstairs to find Selene. She groggily got up from her bed, following him to the basement in her pajamas, without socks.
As they entered the basement, Selene lifted her feet just an inch above the dusty floor, walking on air to avoid getting dirt on her feet. Amara watched them arrive, nodding in approval before beginning her instructions.
"First, I need you four to place your blood in four separate bowls," she said, pulling out four bowls and setting one in front of each of them.
The three more experienced vampires—Selene, Cassandra, and Elijah—cut their wrists, allowing their blood to pool into the bowls. Selena, still inexperienced, hesitated at first. The pain hit her, but the wound healed instantly. Amara noticed and explained, "Just will the wound not to heal. Picture it in your mind or instruct it in your thoughts."
Selena nodded and bit into her wrist again. This time, it worked, and her blood began pooling into the bowl. Once they all finished, Amara used magic to float the blood, mixing it together. She then separated it evenly into the four bowls.
"Drink only a little," Amara instructed. "Do not drink the entire thing."
The four of them followed her directions. Elijah and Selena found the blood sweet, but slightly disgusting. For Selene and Cassandra, however, it was utterly revolting. The aftertaste lingered in their mouths, a bitter reminder of the task.
Amara began chanting, her voice steady and purposeful. The discomfort began creeping up on them as their bodies heated slightly, but the blood started to float from their bowls. "Open your mouths," she ordered.
They complied, and some of the blood flowed into their mouths. It was a mere trickle, but the taste… it was now purely sweet, so smooth and pleasurable. A small amount even traveled into the rings they wore, enhancing the sensation. The sweetness filled their senses, satisfying and delicious.
Amara finished her chant with a deep breath, wiping sweat from her forehead. "It's complete now. I'll need to attend to your grandfather; he can't do anything without me."
The four of them chuckled at the remark, a brief moment of lightness in the otherwise heavy atmosphere.
Looking at each other, Cassandra and Selene exchanged glances. There was something intoxicating about Selena's scent. They both noticed it at the same time, and their hunger became palpable.
Cassandra opened her mouth first, speaking softly, almost hungrily. "Elijah, is this what you've been smelling this entire time? She smells wonderful."
Elijah smirked, clearly amused. "Isn't her scent intoxicating? Imagine the taste."
Selena instinctively stepped back, a shiver running down her spine as she felt their hungry stares. "What is it? Why do you—" she began to ask, but Cassandra interrupted, her voice low and sultry.
"I won't take it by force," Cassandra said, her eyes glittering with an almost predatory gleam, "but just a little… Can I taste it? Your blood smells so good."
Selena hesitated, her body fighting instinct. But, after a moment of internal struggle, she slowly extended her arm, offering it. Cassandra wasted no time, leaning in and sinking her fangs into Selena's skin. The moment she did, it was pure bliss—like when Elijah had bitten her before. The taste was intoxicating, but Cassandra stayed true to her word, stopping herself before taking too much.
Selene, who had been watching in silence, stepped forward. "Can I taste it, too?" she asked, her voice quieter but just as intense.
Selena felt conflicted, but again, her body instinctively offered her arm. This time, Selene bit into her skin gently, savoring the taste. Unlike the pain she had felt when Selena bit her own arm , Selene's bite was purely pleasurable, almost euphoric. She, too, stopped before she drained her.
Selena felt weak, her body trembling slightly from the overwhelming sensation. Elijah steadied her, his hand on her back. He sighed, realizing with a pang that he no longer had her all to himself. It kind of sucks, he thought bitterly, watching them.
He helped Selena to her room, but not before biting his wrist. She was getting much better, as she only needed to lick her lips to clean the blood off her face—it wasn't dribbling down her chin anymore. He said goodnight to her and then went to his room to see Selene and Cassandra preparing for bed. Selene was holding him tightly while Cassandra laid on top of him. Elijah sighed as he drifted to sleep.
He had a nightmare. This had never happened before. He watched as Layla was tied to a chair, getting tortured. He couldn't do anything; he couldn't move. The actions weren't his own, but he struggled to get free. He felt helpless. Then, the scene shifted. He was in a body no older than two. He saw his mother and a newborn Layla. Then, he saw something that looked like a griffin. It tried to attack Layla, but a two-year-old Elijah killed the griffin with unnatural strength for his age. The scene shifted again, back to the torture. Layla was being tortured and killed, over and over again. Elijah struggled to break free as he watched her die repeatedly, until he heard something:
"Elijah?"
"Elijah?"
His eyes snapped open, and he grabbed the hand that was nearing him with intense force, causing Cassandra to wince. He immediately let go, but Cassandra let the matter go.
"You're crying," she pointed out.
Elijah touched his face, but said nothing. Cassandra asked, "Are you okay? What happened?"
Elijah simply wiped the tears and replied, "It's nothing, I'm fine. Is it time to get ready?"
She nodded, but wanted to say more. However, Elijah seemed lost in his thoughts. She reached out to him but didn't know what to say and could only sigh as he walked to the bathroom to shower. She thought about what his dream could have been about, deciding to shower with him to see if she could understand what was troubling him. But when he only helped her wash up and nothing else, she knew something was really wrong with him.
When they finished, she asked again, "Did you have a nightmare or something?"
Elijah froze. She was right. "Yeah, but it was weird. I don't want to talk about it." He walked out of the room, got dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. Cassandra immediately followed him. Elijah only greeted everyone at the table—his parents, Bella, and Elara. He ate robotically, still lost in thought. What was that nightmare? He opened his mouth to finally say something, but stopped himself, continuing to eat.
Cassandra didn't have to force him to do anything. She watched him, worried. He walked to the car in silence, which was odd. No remarks, nothing. She sighed as the car ride remained quiet. Her grip on the wheel tightened as she wondered what had happened in his nightmare but didn't ask.
Elijah finally spoke up. "Cassandra, have you ever seen a griffin before?"
Cassandra thought about it. What a strange question. "Not that I can remember. Did you see one in the nightmare you had?"
Elijah nodded, then sighed. "I've never had a nightmare before, but it wasn't that it was scary… It was the fact that I was powerless."
Cassandra listened, shocked. What could make him feel powerless? She decided to comfort him as best as she could. "Elijah, it was only a nightmare. It's meant to make you see your worst fears, but that doesn't mean they'll come true."
Elijah sighed. He knew that, but still, it was a strange feeling. They arrived at the school and made their way to the teacher's lounge. Elijah didn't say anything, only staring off into space before asking Cassandra, "Can I be exempt from timeout today? I have something I want to do after lunch."
Cassandra was confused. What did he want to do? Before she could ask, Elijah continued, "I need to have a talk with Layla."
Cassandra sighed. "As long as you're with her. You better not do anything reckless."
Elijah chuckled. "I won't. Besides, I'm sure she'd be more upset at me than she already is."
Cassandra was relieved that he wasn't the gloomy Elijah anymore. That was the worst of him—she was used to his mischievous remarks and laughter.
After finishing their morning tasks, Elijah, Selena, and Cassandra made their way to the classroom. Elijah greeted Selena, and their morning class began with Cassandra teaching a more advanced version of Magical Control. Most of the students struggled to follow, but Selena eagerly took notes, clearly enjoying the challenge.
When lunch arrived, the three stayed in the classroom. Selena had just finished feeding from Elijah when Cassandra chimed in, "My turn." Elijah sighed but reluctantly extended his arm. Cassandra ignored it, leaning in to bite his neck instead. The sensation left Elijah stunned—he had never experienced such a pleasurable vampire bite before. Cassandra drank greedily, savoring his blood, which tasted far superior to what she'd consumed her entire life—though still not as exquisite as Selena's.
When Cassandra finished, she returned to her desk with a satisfied smile. Selena, watching the interaction, blushed. Though jealousy flickered in her eyes, she kept it under control. Cassandra gestured to Elijah. "Now you can leave."
Elijah sighed, said goodbye to Selena, and headed out. Selena was shocked at his abrupt departure, but Cassandra reassured her, explaining that Elijah had something else to take care of.
Elijah made his way to Bella's office, listening carefully before entering. Once he confirmed everything sounded normal, he stepped inside and found Bella immersed in her work.
"Elijah? Shouldn't you be serving your time-out?" Bella asked, amused.
"I'm here to ask permission to pick up Layla early," he replied with a grin.
Bella sighed, waving dismissively. "Fine, just don't cause trouble."
Elijah smiled, thanked her, and left to find Layla.
Lunch had just ended, and students were returning to their classrooms when Elijah barged into Layla's. He paused upon seeing a familiar face.
"Oh, you're the teacher," he said, addressing Elisabeth.
Elisabeth frowned. "You—why are you just barging in?"
Ignoring her, Elijah turned to Layla, who stared at him, bewildered. "I have permission to pick up my little sister," he announced.
The class erupted in whispers, with some girls fawning over how handsome Elijah was. Layla, mortified, tried to shrink out of sight.
"Come on," Elijah sighed.
Layla reluctantly stood and walked past him, her face red with embarrassment. As they left, the class buzzed with gossip.
They walked in silence for a while before Layla broke the ice. "What did you want to talk about?"
Elijah sighed, glancing at her. "Hmm, I don't know. I just wanted to see you. Let's do something—anything you want."
"Anything?" Layla asked, her tone cautious.
Elijah nodded. "Anything."
Her face lit up. "Well, I've always wanted to go to the zoo."
"The zoo?" Elijah blinked in surprise. "I thought you'd say something more… I don't know…"
Layla frowned. "Why can't we go to the zoo?"
"No, we can go," he said quickly. "I just didn't expect it."
Her face brightened again as they continued walking. After a moment, she asked, "But why are you doing this? Is it because of what I said?"
Elijah's expression darkened. "Your words hurt, actually—a lot. I even shed a few tears." His tone was grave.
Layla looked at him, shocked. She had never seen her older brother cry. "I didn't mean for it to sound so harsh. I was just venting. I'm sorry."
Elijah stopped walking and faced her. "You were absolutely right. I've never spent time with you. I don't know what you like, your favorite color, or your hobbies. I don't know anything about you. And then…" He hesitated, his voice lowering. "This morning, I had a nightmare about you."
Layla's eyes widened. Elijah continued, his voice soft but firm. "That's why I'm spending the rest of today getting to know you—whether you like it or not."
Layla stared at him in disbelief before teasing, "What if a cute boy at the zoo flirts with me, and I just so happen to like him?"
Elijah frowned. "I'll toss him to the lions."
Layla laughed. "Like I'd let you."
They shared a laugh before she grew more serious. "What was the nightmare about?"
Elijah's face turned cold, and he stopped walking. "…I watched you die—countless times. You begged me to help, but I couldn't. I was powerless. I never want to relive that again."
Layla stopped too, looking into his eyes. "That won't ever happen. Do you know why?"
Elijah shook his head, confused by her sudden smile.
"Because my older brother is an overprotective psychopath," she said with a smirk.
Elijah stared at her, stunned for a moment, before bursting into laughter. Layla joined in.
"I'm not as bad as Selene, though," he said as they continued walking.
"Not yet," Layla teased, grinning.
Elijah sighed, brushing dust from his uniform as he glanced at Layla. "Alright, now that we've made up—"
Layla cut him off sharply, hands on her hips. "Who said we made up? Hmph, you still have a lot to make up for!"
He groaned, raising his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine. Let's just get to the zoo already."
When they arrived, still in their school uniforms, Elijah immediately wrinkled his nose. "The smell here is absolutely disgusting," he complained, pinching his nose dramatically.
Layla rolled her eyes, dragging him by the wrist. "Stop being such a baby. It's not that bad—now come on! I want to see the leopards."
She pulled him to the exhibit with surprising strength, her excitement radiating off her. As they arrived, Layla's eyes lit up like stars, and she began rattling off facts about leopards like a seasoned expert.
"They're incredibly versatile hunters and can climb trees with ease. Did you know that their spots are called rosettes? And there are different types of leopards—like the Persian leopard, which is my favorite!" She clutched the railing, practically bouncing as she watched the baby leopards play.
Elijah crossed his arms, leaning against the enclosure with an amused smile. "So… you like animals, huh?"
Layla froze, her cheeks turning a faint pink. "I—uh—maybe."
Her sudden shyness only made Elijah chuckle. "Come on, you were just giving a lecture on leopards. Don't get all embarrassed now. Tell me more—I never thought you'd be so into animals."
Layla's blush deepened, but she couldn't hide the growing smile on her face. "I guess I do like them a lot. They're so cool! I mean, they can be dangerous and adorable at the same time."
Elijah reached out to ruffle her hair. "Alright, animal nerd, what's next on the list?"
"Hmph!" Layla huffed, smoothing her hair. "Stop treating me like a kid. And fine—let's go see the tigers!"
As they wandered to the tiger exhibit, Layla continued her impromptu lecture, listing interesting facts about the big cats. Elijah made sure to pay attention, watching the way her face lit up as she talked. He realized with a pang of guilt just how little he knew about her. Who would've guessed his little sister was such a walking encyclopedia on animals?
After a while, he asked, "So when did this whole animal obsession start?"
Layla paused, tilting her head in thought. "Hmm… I think it started when I was younger. A nature channel was on one day, showing a documentary about leopards. I was hooked after that."
Elijah laughed softly. "At least you've got a cool hobby. You must've driven Father crazy with all your animal facts."
Layla's smile faltered for a moment. "I never really told him. I was too scared to ask for a pet or even talk about it."
Elijah frowned but didn't say anything. He was already making a mental note of what to get her as a gift—something to make up for lost time.
He changed the subject, asking, "So leopards are your favorite animal. What's your second favorite?"
Layla's face brightened again as she thought about it. "Wolves. Definitely wolves."
Elijah smirked. "Interesting choice. No reason, just curious. Let's go look at the birds next—I want to see what a raven actually looks like."
Layla blinked in surprise but smiled, following him. "Ravens? You're actually interested in something I like?"
"Don't get used to it," he teased, though the softness in his tone betrayed his words.
At the raven exhibit, Layla explained everything she knew about the birds, from their intelligence to their ability to mimic sounds and recognize faces.
Elijah raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, basically, they're little geniuses with a petty streak?"
Layla giggled. "Pretty much. They're known to hold grudges, you know."
He leaned closer to the enclosure, watching one raven hop closer to them. "Huh. Sounds like they'd fit right into our family. Clever, dramatic, and a little vengeful."
Layla laughed, nudging him. "Maybe we're part raven. It would explain a lot."
Elijah chuckled, but his focus remained on her. He hadn't expected to enjoy the zoo, but seeing Layla so happy made the trip worthwhile.