Bloodlines Entwined
821 Words
The vision slammed into Lina like a tidal wave.
One heartbeat, she was in the Enochian Library, Kael’s grip searing her wrist.
The next—she was elsewhere.
Smoke. Fire. Screams.
And him.
Kael stood on a battlefield drenched in blood, his eyes colder than steel, his sword dripping shadows instead of blood. But what stole Lina’s breath wasn’t the c*****e, or the impossible magic twisting the air around him—
It was the woman at his side.
Her.
Her face.
But not her clothes, not her life. A different time, a different world. The woman’s eyes burned with the same stubborn fire Lina felt in herself.
And she was reaching for Kael’s hand—just as Lina was now.
---
Lina stumbled back with a strangled gasp, the vision shattering. She clutched her chest, panting, as though she’d run miles.
“What—what was that?” she whispered.
Kael’s grip lingered a heartbeat too long before he yanked his hand away as though burned. His jaw was tight, his eyes storm-dark.
“Nothing you should have seen.”
Lina shook her head fiercely, her breath ragged. “Don’t lie to me! That was real. I saw you—centuries ago, I saw me—”
“You don’t understand.” His voice cracked like thunder, sharp and final. “And you cannot.”
---
The old man at the desk—silent until now—leaned forward, his silver eyes glinting.
“She has awakened it.”
Kael turned on him with a snarl. “Stay out of this, archivist.”
The man didn’t flinch. “You know as well as I do that bonds do not form by accident. She saw because she is bound. Her blood carries the memory.”
Lina froze. “My… blood?”
Her voice sounded small, fragile against the storm brewing between them.
---
Kael’s aura surged, shadows stretching like claws across the shelves. He looked at her then—not with anger, but with something rawer, heavier.
“You were never supposed to know,” he said, voice low, almost pained. “Not in this life.”
Her stomach twisted. “This life…? You’re saying I’ve lived before?”
Silence.
Kael didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The truth bled from his expression, from the way his shoulders stiffened and his jaw clenched.
The old man’s voice broke the silence. “Reincarnations tethered through forbidden bloodlines. A vampire cursed with shadow, a mortal born to see the unseen. Each time they meet, the cycle begins anew.”
Lina’s knees weakened. She gripped the edge of a shelf, forcing herself to breathe.
“I’m… tied to you.” Her whisper was barely audible.
Kael’s eyes flickered. Something in him softened for the briefest instant—before the mask slammed back down.
“No,” he said coldly. “You’re not tied to me. You’re chained to my curse.”
---
The words sliced through her. She wanted to deny them, to shout at him, to demand the truth. But her heart betrayed her, hammering harder every time his gaze lingered on her.
“You saved me,” she said, her voice trembling. “In the alley, in here—you could have let me die, but you didn’t. Why?”
Kael’s jaw clenched. The shadows trembled around him, restless.
“Because I remember,” he murmured finally, almost to himself. “And I swore I wouldn’t let it happen again.”
---
The library fell into silence, the weight of his words sinking deep.
Lina’s mind spun. Again. He said “again.” Which meant the woman she saw—the woman who looked like her—she had died.
And Kael… had failed her.
Her chest ached. She wanted to hate him, wanted to fear him, but instead all she felt was the unbearable pull, the tether drawing them closer despite every warning in his voice.
---
The archivist cleared his throat. “The bond is awakening faster than expected. You will need guidance.”
Kael turned sharply. “No. She needs distance.”
Lina found her voice, shaky but firm. “No. I’m done pretending. I need the truth.” She looked at Kael, eyes burning. “All of it.”
For the first time since she met him, he faltered. His shadows stilled, as though waiting. His gaze locked with hers—storm meeting flame—and in the silence, something passed between them.
Something that felt like recognition.
----
The library door burst inward, splinters flying.
Figures in crimson cloaks stormed in, their eyes glowing faintly red, their weapons pulsing with dark energy.
Kael moved instantly, shadows rising around him like an army. His hand shot out, pulling Lina behind him.
The leader sneered, his voice echoing.
“Finally. The cursed one and his bonded. The Council will be most pleased.”
Lina’s blood ran cold.
Bonded.
They knew.
- Writer
