His decaying body started to have color and flesh. He is: coming to life. When he gasped, his eyes opened wide and scanned in awe. He liked the life that had returned to him, and so, he quickly got up, grinning darkly. There, I felt his hunger for blood. The grim side of the family—their thirst for blood—and he was still out of control, even though he had died before. I sighed, and then he attacked me.
But before he could, his knees buckled, forcing him to kneel in front of me.
His bones cracked, but he will heal. Then glared at me, asking like a madman, "Argh! What happened? What did you do to me?"
His eyes were bloody red, starving, but lost. I sighed before replying, "Nothing."
"Liar," he spat.
My ears twitched, my chest burned, and I leaned closer in warning. Then my voice came out with authority I didn't know I had in me and said, "I returned your life, and now you're threatening me?" With fiery intimidation, I lifted his chin to meet my eyes before my voice went deep. "Do you think I would let you return to your old habits? No. That's where you're wrong."
I felt him tremble, but trying to be strong before asking, "W-what do you mean?"
"You made your vow," I answered, making him look confused and horrified at the same time. Then I continued, letting his chin go. "You swear on atoning for your sin, and I'm giving you that chance."
He swallowed and asked, "As what?"
"Hm, let's see...a butler perhaps," I said as if I had already thought of it when I hadn't. It just came out.
"Me? A butler? I'm a noble. I'm a Knightrose, and..." He scoffed, obviously not liking the idea.
"And you can't control your bloodthirst even after what happened to you." I finished for him as I went to get my things. "So, which do you prefer, to die here again or to take a chance to be a butler to change yourself for a better one? And maybe, just maybe, you'll find your soulmate." My voice was steadier as I made him choose before I glanced over my shoulder, leaving a warning: "Think about it carefully because this one-time chance and the thing that I gave are something I could take away again."
I left him to his thoughts, as I gave another greeting and prayer to the Knightrose family before I headed to the gate. I was nearly out when he appeared beside me. He didn't say anything, but his determined expression was enough of a response for me. I nodded and went back to my other mate's sanctuary to pick her up.
By the time we returned to Elizabeth Fraye's sanctuary, she was already leaning by the dead tree, grinning mischievously. Then she said teasingly to him. "Admit it, you like her better than the others who came down here to get our permission."
He sighed, not looking at us, but he said, "She is. But I don't like to be a butler."
Elizabeth Fraye chuckled and was about to tease when I interrupted her, saying, "You'll be at my side only when needed. The rest, you're free, but be reminded, this is your second chance to change yourself for the better. So do yourself a favor and claim it."
He didn't say anything, but I could feel him. I could feel his desire to change for good. And from there, I knew he wouldn't mess it up.
***
It was easier to come back to the mausoleum than to enter the crypt because by the time we passed my other mate's sanctuary, we were already inside the mausoleum. But before we could go out, I stopped and checked them. I sighed because they were wearing old-fashioned clothes from Victorian times. I'm not going to lie; they both looked simply expensive.
Eliazar Knightrose looked like a cold-blooded lunatic in an expensive suit. As for Elizabeth Fraye, she looked like a fierce and mischievous version of my wife with white ash hair.
"You looked like you were cosplaying a Victorian era," I commented, making them look at their clothes before shrugging their shoulders. Then I teased, "Are you perhaps siblings, twins, maybe? You act the same."
"So I've heard, but no. He's my uncle, though," Fraye answered in a matter-of-fact tone before heading to the gate.
When she placed her hand on the gate, I felt something strange. In a second, I was there beside her, stopping her from opening the gate. Then I said, "Wait, something is wrong." I closed my eyes, sensing my surroundings, and then we jolted from a sudden explosion. "No...what's going on here...?" The three of us rushed outside, and when we stopped by the end of the mausoleum's perimeter, chaos welcomed us. "What the..."
Flame and smoke were everywhere. I could hear screams and roars in between clashing swords, while some knights guided innocent lives to shelter. The sight was grim, and my blood rose. Anger was flaring on my chest when I left my other mate's hand, squeezing my hand tight. It was a simple gesture that snapped me from my rage. I closed my eyes and calmed myself before I turned fully to them.
"Want to make an appearance?" I asked calmly. They studied me for a moment before my mate grinned, starting to crack her stiff body.
"It must be a grand entrance," she replied mischievously.
Then I heard Elizar's cold but angry tone, saying, "Let's make them pay with our arrival."
"Then let's make it count," I said calmly. But when I faced the chaos again, I spread out my Sigbin malice throughout the area. It was thick and terrifying before my voice dropped as I commanded them. "Make your move; I'll be right behind you."
Eliazar was the first one to make an entrance, slaughtering any threatening creatures invading the property. He was indeed a lunatic, smiling like a grim reaper as he killed with no mercy and fed on them. The family became aware of his presence because he was on the rampage, and before fear engulfed the family, the sea of blood arose. Elizabeth Fraye, my other mate, finally decided to make an entrance. She was laughing like a madwoman, and like Eliazar, she slaughtered everyone who didn't belong to the Knightrose. Without mercy, she drained their blood until there was no life left.
"Leave some for me." My other mate whined when Elizar ripped a rogue's head off before she could do it.
He didn't care. Instead, he pointed his back where some groaning rogues were. "Then drain those I didn't. I don't like them here."
She glanced at them, and on cue, her sea of blood just passed their body, and they became like a mummy.
"Sure, but don't lose on it. She's watching you," she reminded him.
He sighed, saying, "I know I feel it."
"And I am here." I rolled my eyes as I appeared from the thick, malicious smoke.
Both gave me a side glance and nodded. Then Fraye's sweet voice shivered my spine as she said, "And you're hot."
"Shut up and focus." I tried to hide my blush with my firm voice, but I failed.
She snickered and kissed my head. "Sweet."
"Save it for later. Let's end this." He sighed, obviously annoyed and jealous of what we had.
"You're just jealous," she teased as I shook my head at their banter.
"I am, so stop it, and let's finish this before I throw up." He admitted that he crushed a nomad's head as he stepped on a twig.
"See you later, darling." She blew a kiss to me before winking, and both of them went into their battlefield.
Their appearance on the battlefield shook everyone, and they loved their reactions. These two were the most terrifying events in the family's history that nobody wants to wake up to anymore. But here they were, on their rampage as they protected their family's property from invaders. Their powers were overwhelmingly great, but also the most grim anyone had ever seen.
I let them enjoy their fun.
As for me, I went to check around for any survivors left stranded in their rundown houses. To my luck, each turn I did, there was none. I sighed in relief, but my ears twitched when I heard a faint crying voice from a kid. Without hesitation, I ran to where it came from and quickly took the child in my arms when my back felt a deep cut. I didn't care how it bled and took the child to the shelter.
"Bernila," Mikyle called as he approached me.
"I found her lost in the street," I said as I carefully put the child down, still crying until her mother came and held her dearly.
"Thank you, my lady," the mother said to me, still crying.
I smiled, nodding. "It's nothing."
I turned my back, heading out of the shelter, when Mikyle stopped me. "Where do you think you're going? You're hit."
"I'll heal," I answered.
"There were silver and..." He tried to reason as he stopped me, but I didn't let him finish.
I showed him how I instantly healed. "See, I'll heal." I patted his back before saying, "I have to find my wife."
"She's always at the center of the fight," he replied as if he knew what I was trying to do without even saying it out loud.
"Thought so." I nodded and vanished from his sight. I quickly searched for my wife as I killed any intruders in the land, and since I couldn't find her, I left a telepathic message for her: "Baby, where are you?"
'Stay where you are.'
I don't like the sound of it, but instead of getting mad, I calmly replied. "Not a chance."
'You're not strong enough.'
Never in my entire life have I wanted to strangle someone as much as I do with my wife. I sighed before my voice went cold and grim. "You'll never know if you haven't seen it."
'That's...fine, have it your way. Feel me.'
And I did.
It didn't take me long to find her, and as her brother told me, she was at the center. She was surrounded by fifty men, and they were trying to subdue her. But Mirxalyn was both a fighter and a conqueror, and their numbers were nothing to her. She fought them with grace and menacing blood. Fifty was not the only number that was trying to kill my wife. I felt it; they were in the shadows waiting for the right moment to strike, and I didn't like it. Without hesitation, I joined the fight.
Filled with darkness, I came out of nowhere and reduced their number by half. My whip sword was moving on its own, killing those who tried to get close to me. But I didn't stop there. I gave fatal combos against three opponents when I saw an opening. I gave another by slicing them in half, not caring if they morphed into their wolf form or a sinister, hideous bat.
I felt Mirxalyn's pride radiating around her chest, but her expression remained stoic. It was still annoying, but it's already rubbed off on me. "I like that." But something clicked in me. I felt ill intention directed at her blind spot, and I was right. In slow motion, there was an arrow filled with poison coming from the shadow and only showing for a split second. "MIRXA!!!"
My body moved on its own. It was faster than I usually am, and I caught the arrow. But before the time moved at normal speed, I released a few drops of blood, directing them to the targets in the shadow, and let my blades deal with it. Then I fell on Mirxalyn's back.
"Babe," Mirxalyn's voice broke.
I hate the sound of it, but I reached for her face, saying, "Don't lose control." I coughed blood, and I could see the beast trying to break free inside her. But I stroked her face before I touched her chest, and then I said softly, "Come home to me."