Claimed by the Dark

CHAPTER 17

Dear Kira,

I wanted to leave you these final words, knowing I will not see you again.

Take them from an old witch who has seen more darkness than she cares to remember. Your struggle, your inner conflict, the two Kiras fighting for dominion—I saw it all in the cards. Your path is heavy and destructive. The bond with the moroi is not built only on possession, but on love. And love, child… love is the strongest force in this world. Not even death ends it.

But this love will consume you. It will devour your soul whether you turn or not. If you choose to follow your moroi, you will be hunted, for the turning brings hunger—deep, blinding hunger that clouds judgment and shapes monsters out of good hearts.

If you choose not to turn, the moroi will drain your life force, whether he wishes to or not. He is tied to you. You keep him human. Only you. Without you, he fades. With you, he grows stronger. If you turn, you become his eternal source—his mate for life, for the afterlife, for all cycles.

But unlike him, you would become a living moroi—far more powerful than he ever was.

He was born a moroi in death, when shadow swallowed his soul and dragged him back halfway into the world of the living, feeding on the innocent while waiting for you to be reborn so he could anchor himself to your humanity again.

You, child, stand on the brink of becoming something darker than Dragomar himself.

So here is my advice, the one I know cuts the deepest, the one you are already whispering to yourself: stay human. Let him consume you slowly, as you consume your love for him. He cannot force the turning. You can choose to remain as you are. And as your life wanes, he will return to shadow, where he belongs. After you die, he will wander the dark until you are born again.

I know you love him, whether you admit it or not. This is not mere passion or obsession. It is ancestral. It burns through lifetimes. No one can tear it from you. But you can choose to let that love end you—and spare the world from bearing two monsters instead of one.

Reflect on this, my dear.

To die for love… is it truly such a terrible fate?

I closed the letter and threw it on the coffee table in my apartment. I rubbed my face in despair. I don’t want to process all this right now. It wasn’t fair! All this happening at once. It was like life didn’t want to give me a single break.

Elena's question breathed down my neck. Of course I wouldn’t sacrifice someone’s life! This is what got me into this s**t in the first place! Had I been selfish, I could’ve shifted the contract and Dragomar had to respect it.

But I cared, I had a conscience. I couldn’t bear the idea of hurting someone for my own sake.

I did need more time. I needed to process. I needed to get away.

I packed a bag and left without a word. If I stayed one more second in that apartment, I would’ve drowned in my own thoughts.

Went to the train station. Grabbed the first train that was going to the mountains. I looked for a cabin I could rent for a couple of nights and I was going to isolate myself to think.

The town was covered in snow and there was a peaceful feeling in the air. The people here were working at such a slower pace. I felt calmer just walking on the streets towards my cabin.

I opened the door and went inside. It was small and cozy. The fireplace was all set, just waiting for me to turn it on. On the table a welcome note from the owners and a small welcome basket next to it. I grabbed one of the homemade cookies inside as I turned on the fireplace and made myself comfortable.

I wondered if Dragomar could sense where I was. Was he here, lurking in the shadows or was he giving me space, as promised? Curiosity was eating me. But if I summoned him would I have the heart to make him leave? Or would I just jump him at first glance…

I opened the bottle of wine from the basket and poured myself a glass. I drank it quietly while staring at the fire.

And after I silenced all my thoughts, I just whispered into nothing.

“Dragomar…”

I didn’t want him. I wanted him. And that contradiction was killing me.

“My beautiful Kira," said Dragomar, appearing irresistibly handsome and breathtaking just two steps from me.

“Did you know where I was? Were you lurking, waiting for me to call you?” I asked, locking his eyes.

“I always know where you are. I can sense how you feel. At first, I was in every shadow, yes. Except the witch’s house. I cannot enter spell protected houses. But later, I gave you your space, and only came upon being called.”

“I want to be alone for a couple of days. Can I trust you to give me that?”

“Yes, my beautiful Kira. Can I say something before leaving you?” he asked, stepping back, as to not make me feel pressured.

“Go ahead”, I nodded.

“I know you feel conflicted and I know how difficult of a decision I’m asking you to make. But please, consider all else in this world and see how small we really are. Sometimes, being a monster is better than being a human.”

He looked up at me, with those beautiful dark eyes and I unconsciously bit my lip.

He was my monster, and whenever I was with him, I didn’t care if I was a monster myself.

I crossed the room in two breathless steps and drowned myself in his lips, hungrily eating his tongue.

This is what he did to me. No self control. No thought of consequence. Just pure desire, burning hard.

He grabbed my hair and kissed me back, just as hungry as I did.

My loins were on fire screaming his name. He sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with me in his lap grinding on him as he grabbed my ass.

Neither of us wanted to stop. He had centuries of lust building inside of him and I had this eagerness to be his that I couldn’t tame.

But somehow we both pulled back at the same time with a deep breath.

He brushed my lips and swallowed.

“Mmmm, my Kira, what are you doing to me? How do you expect me to leave you alone for two days when you do this to me?” he growled in my ear.

“I can’t control myself around you, I can’t get enough of you,” I breathed hard as I leaned my forehead against his.

Maybe Granny Bia was right — maybe love really could kill me.