Cursed Vampire's Kiss

2. Torin Cullen

Torin Cullen

I stared off into the distance, looking out the window. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I was banished to the Realm of Vatakula, but it wasn’t this. This place was an island surrounded by white sand and clear blue waters. It was peaceful here. The beauty that surrounded me was like a cleaver to my medulla.

Why send such unworthy, horrible beings to paradise? It’s almost worse than death.

I don’t like the fact that this place is so quiet and all you have here is time. I’ve been stuck in my own head, my thoughts swirling around my brain. My connection with my brother was there but faint. For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone. It helped that Tobias and my coven was safe; at least that was what I kept telling myself. I doubted that anyone missed me, except Tobias, and he had his hands full.

Moving away from the window, I sat on the bed. My mind kept going back to Mariya. I couldn’t get her off my mind, and I couldn’t fathom why. She was beautiful. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her skin was creamy and smooth. It looked like porcelain. Those striking green eyes framed with her dark raven hair was breathtaking.

Shaking my head, I tried to focus.

There was no reason I should remember every detail from such a brief encounter. I felt my shaft harden. Closing my eyes, I forced my thoughts to Micheline. I love her, so why haven’t I ever lost control over her?

What is this madness?

It was insane that she witnessed the shadow spirits inside of me and what I’m capable of and hadn’t judged me. She wasn’t afraid or manipulative towards me. Her only thought was to help me when I needed it. It was refreshing to have someone show me kindness without any ulterior motive or hostile plans for my untimely demise.

It was time for me to take another swim in the ocean. This was becoming a habit. My body seemed to have a mind of its own. Valen and I were the only beings in this realm and that was torturous enough. I want to save Earth and all those I love but dealing with him wasn’t worth living.

Damn you Tobias. If you had let me kill Valen, he and I would be resting in peace right now.

Stretching, I walked to the door and halted when Valen strolled in.

Closing the door behind him, he looked at me. “Are you going to pine over Micheline for eternity?”

He glanced down at my erection straining against my pants. “I see why you were so obsessed with Micheline. I thought she was a one-man kind of girl but maybe she likes variety.”

Cringing, I rolled my eyes. “Shut up Valen. What would you know about women, love, passion, and respect? You only hunger for power.”

Stalking to the door, I noticed his back muscles stiffened but I didn’t care. This was all his fault. Why he was hell-bent on destroying the world I’ll never understand. He had intentionally bonded with the symbiote and given his soul to the dark realm. It didn’t make sense.

Flinging the door open, I traversed through the woods until I felt the hot white sand underneath my feet. The thought of me killing us was getting more enticing by the moment. Stripping off my clothes, I waded into the water until my head was the only thing above the cool surface.

Valen glared. “You think you know me. I loved her. You think you know what love feels like, but you don’t. I died to save her. She loved me too.”

I rolled my eyes. “Who is this mysterious woman that you claim loved you? The only person capable of that kind of emotion is your mother, and having been trapped down here with you, I doubt she would’ve cared much for you.”

“My situation wasn’t like yours, where I pined for a woman who didn’t know what the hell she wanted.”

My nostrils flared and I took several steps toward the shore. This was ending here and now. I refused to deal with him for all eternity. What do I really have to live for? Tobias will take care of our clan and I will take care of this Shadow Spirit, once and for all.

Valen lifted his hand and dark green snake-like tentacles flowed out of his body and wrapped around my neck. He narrowed his gaze at me as the color drained from my face as he cut off my air.

I didn’t fight. Closing my eyes, I tried to picture Micheline, but it was Mariya’s image that floated into my mind. My flaccid erection immediately came to life.

“You are pathetic. If you really loved her, you wouldn’t be satisfied with memories, thoughts, and brief moments in times that the two of you shared. You’re a kid and you’ve never loved a woman. Not like I have.”

Dropping his hand, he drew the shadow spirits back inside his black heart. Collapsing, I went under the water, then sprang to the surface. In a blink of an eye, I teleported to the shore.

I grabbed him by the throat. “You are incapable of love. If you loved a woman, you probably chose ambition over her.”

His eyes glowed. He trembled as he pried my fingers from his throat. “Kaio Kobayashi owned me down to my spirit. She was taken from me. Death stole my wife and child. What would you do?”

Pushing me away from him, he stormed off.

A part of me could understand resenting death and how it comes like a thief in the night stealing your loved ones. That was how I felt about Micheline.

Touching the base of my neck, I shook my head. If I loved Micheline, how come I’ve gotten over her death so easy? Is my love so fleeting that once I see another beautiful woman I forget the woman who holds a place in my heart?

Trekking down the path, I stalked after Valen. Frowning, I stopped when I saw he wasn’t in his usual place. The mountain overlooking the waterfall was where he went to sulk. Closing my eyes, I honed in on the darkness inside me. Valen’s image formed in my mind and I teleported to him. Peeking out from behind the tree, I watched him.

He closed his eyes. After a few minutes he disappeared. A crack of lightning lit the sky.

No. No. This can’t be happening. How did he get the power to leave this realm?

Focusing I tried to reach Valen with my mind. I couldn’t feel him anymore. For what felt like an eternity, I was truly alone. The Shadow King had found a way to escape this realm.

I focused on Tobias. Wrapping my spirit around his life force, I disappeared from the realm and I was standing in my office at the Cullen Coven. Tobias walked into the office. He didn’t look like his normal vibrant self. His blonde hair was ruffled, his clothing was wrinkled and the dark shadows under his eyes looked horrible. He locked the door behind him and sank down in his chair. Placing his head in his hand, he sighed.

Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes at him. “If this is how you watch your back, you’ll be dead before this year is up.”

Strolling into the light, I walked over to him.

A ghost of a smile lit his face. “You know you can’t leave the realm or you jeopardize losing our connection forever.”

“As much as I miss you pestering me, this isn’t a social call. Valen has found a way to leave the realm. It’s how I am here.”

Tobias tilted his head. “That’s impossible. How the hell is he doing that? Is this his first time?”

I looked away from him. “I don’t know. He takes long walks, and I don’t join him for every one of those. I suspect he’s been sneaking out from under my nose.”

Tobias ran his hand through his hair. “What were you doing down there, that you didn’t know he had been sneaking off?”

He stood up and walked around the desk.

Thinking about Mariya and wondering why she’s underneath my skin.

Tapping my chin, I paced. “I think I know how he’s doing it. He placed the dark spirits in you and Domenico. If he were to somehow control both of those spirits, it might give him enough power to temporarily escape.”

Tobias had gone still. “I haven’t been the same since that night. There are times I feel unseen forces trying to control me. The call of the dark side beckons me near it every day.”

“He knows neither of you will help him so he must be controlling you while you sleep. Get Madeleine and take her somewhere safe, another realm. Wherever Nolani is, take her with you if you two are to survive him.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to endanger her now.”

I sighed. “The Shadow King is taking over your body. If you didn’t have her blood in your system, you’d already be fully under his control.”