Veil of Blood and Silver

5 - Like waking from a dream

Prince AJ

Ever been in that place between sleep and awake?

Where you don’t know if what you’re seeing is a dream or reality?

That’s where I am right now. I’m dazed and confused, and I don’t know whether this is real or I’m asleep.

I look down at myself and furrow my brow. I’m barefoot, and my feet are black with filth. My trousers are rags, and I’m not wearing a shirt. My hair is matted, I can feel it, and it’s sitting below my shoulders. My hair has never been so long!

I bring my hands up to my eyeline and sigh. Damn, I’m filthy! I’m a mess, and I stink. I can smell sweat on my skin, and I’m beginning to itch with it.

What the fuc.k happened to me?

Why am I so dirty?

Why am I locked in a cage like a dog?

I lift my eyes and squint at the people in front of me a little. My mother, father, and grandfather are all staring at me with wide eyes and slack jaws.

“AJ?” My mother whispers.

I pinch myself and let the sting set in. Huh, so this is not a dream. I really am a mess in a cage.

“How is this possible?” Mom asks Vadar, who shrugs. “How can you not know? You’re the First Vampire! You must know how a feral can return!”

Feral?

Is she talking about me?

I don’t remember becoming feral! But I guess it would make sense as to why I’m in the shape I am and why I’m locked in this cage.

“We’ve been through this, Esme!” Vadar snaps. “This isn’t supposed to be possible. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Maybe you and Aidan did it when you were trying to take his pain away?”

“No,” Dad mumbles in answer to Mom’s question. My eyes lock with his as he regards me. “Something happened with that girl.”

“What do you mean?” Mom clutches his arm.

“Whatever Harlow did to AJ reversed his feral state. How? I have no clue.”

“But she poisoned him!” Mom yells.

Harlow.

Why is that name so familiar?

A vision fills my head. A beautiful silver-haired girl sings to me, and I feel calm. Her smile warms my heart as the feeling of her skin against my palm warms my soul. Her stories and her kindness… Harlow. My beautiful savior.

“Harlow,” I mumble. My eyes lock with my mother’s. “Where is she?”

That was more than a question; it was a demand. It’s all coming back to me now. Every little thing is beginning to flood my mind like a leak in a cracked bucket of water. Although, how I became feral is a mystery to me right now. My mind feels like it’s being crushed with memories. I pull them back because I don’t need them right now; all I need is to know where Harlow is. I want to thank her for what she’s done for me.

“She…” My mother begins. “She poisoned you, AJ.”

I laugh sardonically. “Oh, Mother. She didn’t poison me; she saved me! Where would you get such a ludicrous idea?”

My mother says something, but I don’t hear her words because a voice fills my head.

‘I will always love you, my sweet prince.’

The voice that filled my head is the only voice I have heard in longer than I can remember. My sweet girl.

‘Harlow?’ I call telepathically. If I heard her, she’ll be able to hear me. But all I get back are screams of terror.

My heart thuds because I know, without a doubt, that something terrible is happening.

“Where is she?!” I yell while clutching the cage bars.

“Harlow was arrested, AJ.” My father tells me.

I glare at him. “You had her arrested?”

“I did.” My mother sighs. “I thought she’d poisoned you, AJ. I thought you were dying!”

I growl loudly. “Let me out!”

My grandfather nods. A guard unlocks the door, and I’m gone before anyone can say anything. I don’t know how long I’ve been down there, days, weeks, or months, but I do know Harlow was the only person I could tolerate. She showed me kindness when no one else did. She’s important to me, and I won’t stand for anyone harming her. Because if they have, I’ll kill them in the worst way!

I should find my mate. I have waited too long to feel the mate bond, and she must have suffered all this time I’ve been gone. Haven should be the first person I see after all this time. But I can’t until I know Harlow is safe. Haven will understand when I explain things to her.

I run from the castle faster than I ever thought imaginable. I ignore the gasps and screams of the household staff upon seeing me. I must have done something terrible when I was feral for everyone to be so afraid of me. I don’t have time to think about it now. I don’t give a damn about them, but they aren’t to know I’m no longer feral.

I follow the scent of fire and smoke, my heart pounding with dread. The smell leads me to the Field of Fire. There’s a massive crowd of people surrounding something burning. Then I hear a scream that is so piercing that it fills the air long after the scream ends.

Fear is rife in the air. People scream and begin running for their lives. I pay them no mind because my eyes lock on the body tied to the stake.

Harlow!

She’s passed out from breathing in the thick smoke, and the fire is less than a centimeter from touching her skin. I have less than a second before the fire takes Harlow from me.

Who the fuc.k did this?!

I don’t have time to think. I leap into the flames, not caring if I get burned. All I give a damn about is saving my friend.

As quickly as I can, I untie Harlow’s hands. She falls into my arms, and I jump out of the fire, landing on my feet on the other side. My parents and grandfather stand inches away with their mouths agape.

“AJ,”

I ignore my mother’s calls and keep walking. I’m not interested in anything anyone has to say right now. I need to get Harlow to the hospital wing. But I guarantee I’ll take the head of the person responsible for this!

Entering the hospital wing is a barrel of laughs. All eyes are on me, wide and scared. I get that they’re startled to see me, and I look a state, but surely, they can see I’m no longer feral?

Fuc.k them, I don’t care what they think.

Max, our head doctor, swallows hard as I approach him. His scent is rife with fear. “P-Prince AJ,”

I snarl while tipping my head at Harlow. “Fix her,” I mumble.

Max swallows hard again before looking at Harlow, passed out in my arms. “What the hell happened to her?”

“Some bastard tied her to a stake and set fire to it! Look, we don’t have time for this Max. I got to her before the fire did, but she ingested a lot of smoke.” He stares at me while blinking rapidly. I roll my eyes. “I’m not feral, Max. Do you really think I’d be standing here if I was?”

He shakes his head. “No, but I’m wondering how you no longer are.”

“There’s no time to explain! This girl means everything to me. So I need you to snap out of it and help her!”

“Y-Yes,” He nods. “Bring her through.”

I rush into the room Max pointed to and lay Harlow on the bed. I step back and allow Max to place an oxygen mask over Harlow’s face. He then sets about checking her over, and I’m a nervous wreck! The fire may not have killed Harlow, but the smoke could.

A handful of nurses rush into the room to help Max, and I watch with bated breath as they work on Harlow. I can’t lose this woman; she’s important to me. I owe her so much. Harlow has been the light in my darkness. I don’t remember much, but I remember her kind words, how she would hum or sing to me, and how it would penetrate the fog in my mind. Right now, Harlow is the only thing that makes sense to me.

‘AJ, where the hell are you?’

I ignore my father’s call. I have better things to do than bother with my family. However harsh that may sound.

After what feels like forever, Max approaches me. “My prince, Harlow, indeed has smoke inhalation.”

“And?” I ask while unfolding my arms and dropping them by my sides.

“I inserted an IV to help with fluids, and the oxygen will also help. It doesn’t seem that Harlow was exposed to the smoke and fire for more than a few minutes before you got to her.”

I close my eyes momentarily and breathe deeply. I open my eyes and ask. “Will she be okay?”

Max smiles. “Yes, Harlow will be okay. She just needs a couple of days to rest.”

I blow out a long breath, and my stomach finally unclenches. Fuc.k, I was terrified I would lose her.

“Harlow will sleep for a while,” Max continues. “She needs rest to help her recover. I know you’re worried, but may I suggest you return to your chambers and get cleaned up?”

I look down at myself and chuckle. “You might be right. I’m a mess and a half. But I guess months of being feral and not being able to wash will do that to a man.”

“Months?” Max narrows his eyes. “I suppose it was months, seventy-six of them.”

My eyes widen in shock. “Seventy-six months? Over six years?!” Max nods, and my stomach drops.

What in the world?

How could it have been so long?

Was I really so out of it that I would lose so much time?

Why did I even turn feral in the first place?

What could have made me so angry that I wouldn’t be able to fight the change?

How did I come back from something I was taught was impossible?

I look at Harlow asleep in that bed, an oxygen mask covering her face, and I know I came back from the darkness thanks to her. Whatever she did to me brought me back to the land of the living. There is something special about this girl, and I plan to find out what.

I look at Max, still feeling like I’m in shock. “Take care of her, Max. She’s important to me.”

“I will.” He smiles.

“I’ll be as quick as I can. No one is permitted to come near Harlow. That’s an order, Max.”

He tips his head, and with one last look at Harlow, I leave.

As soon as I get to my chambers, I slam the door, lock it, and drop my head back against it. I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

What the hell happened to me?

Why can’t I remember?

How the fuc.k did this happen to me?

Why did it happen?

So many questions swim through my head. There is so much for me to figure out, along with who the hell did this to Harlow. I understand my parents believe Harlow poisoned me. That’s what they were told, and Vogue will not get away with telling such an awful lie. I know it was her, I remember what Harlow told me. Then, my parents found me screaming in my cell in pain.

Why wouldn’t they believe what Vogue told them?

Mom had guards arrest Harlow, but did she order them to burn her at the stake?

That doesn’t sound like Mom, but anything is possible.

But why would she do that without a trial?

Was it my father’s doing?

My grandfathers?

I don’t know, but I will find out. I want to know everything, and I want answers as soon as I’m done sorting myself out. I will not be fobbed off. I will find out the truth, or the whole city will burn!

But before all of that, I need to find Haven. She’s my mate, and the Gods only know what she’s been going through all these years I’ve been feral. I only hope she can forgive me.