THE CURSED BOND

Chapter Seven (The Journey)

Lyra stood beside her father one last time beneath the ancient tree wrapped in faded prayer ribbons. The silver necklace bearing the Triple Moon symbols rested against her chest, catching the last rays of the setting sun.

The old chief held both her hands tightly. His lips parted several times, yet no words came.

There were simply too many things a father wanted to say before sending his only daughter away with a troupe of monsters. But he knew his daughter’s fate was now entwined with these monsters. Whether she returned home or never returned at all now rested in their hands.

Finally, he cupped her face with weathered hands.

“You have always carried the great burden of seeing what others cannot,” he said quietly. “You do not have to carry this burden alone.”

Lyra smiled despite the tightness in her throat. “Don’t worry, Father, I’ll come home.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” he whispered sadly.

“I do.”

Her confidence sounded convincing but it wasn’t. The old man knew it. She knew it too. Still, she refused to let him watch her leave in fear.

He slowly nodded before stepping back.

“May the goddess guide your path and bring you back safely to us.”

With one last embrace, Lyra turned away before she could lose her courage. She walked toward the waiting horse. Every step felt heavier than the last.

The vampire soldiers watched without expression as she mounted the animal by herself. No one offered assistance. No one had to. The young woman carried herself with the grace and refinement of a capable woman.

She hid her fear solidly behind a carefully constructed wall of bravery. Only the slight tightening of her fingers around the reins betrayed the fear she refused to show.

Prince Xavian remained at the front of the formation, seated upon his massive black horse. In front of him, Soma remained seated, her back straight as a pin. Avoiding any close contact with him as much as possible.

She had just watched the Vampires nearly slaughter an entire village without even blinking an eye. If the seer hadn't agreed to come with them, anyone could have easily predicted the fate of the small village.

An involuntary shiver rushed down her spine.

Her eyes slowly turned to look at Lyra sitting on a young white horse. The young seer sat with her back perfectly straight looking forward as they rode out of the village. As if the path ahead of her held all the answers despite the uncertainty in her eyes.

The strange symbols winding around her forehead disappeared beneath her hair, but the intricate markings covering her right arm remained visible.

Soma found herself staring. The symbols looked almost alive. Like silver vines growing beneath her skin. Beautiful, yet very unsettling.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Lyra instinctively turned. Their eyes met for a moment. Unlike the vampires surrounding them, Soma’s eyes held something painfully human. A look of pity. Not for herself, but for Lyra.

They were both captives of the same man. Whether they liked it or not, their paths had now intertwined. This wasn't the time to pity each other.

Without saying a word, Lyra turned her gaze back on the road. The rhythmic sound of hoofbeats echoed through the forest as they rode.

No one spoke. Soma had never imagined silence could be so frightening.

Dozens of mounted vampires surrounded them on every side, yet the only sounds were the horses’ breathing, the occasional rustle of leaves overhead, and the dull clink of armor.

No conversations. No laughter. No complaints about the endless journey. It was as though none of them possessed the desire to speak. Or perhaps, they simply didn’t need to.

Even the horses seemed to understand the silence, as though they too had learned never to disturb their riders.

She swallowed nervously. Traveling with them felt less like riding beside soldiers…and more like being escorted by death itself.

But she knew this was still her best chance if she wanted to get to Ryan on time. She had to endure the suffering and the hardship in order to save her brother.

Behind her, she felt Xavian’s arms tighten slightly around her as the horse descended a steep slope. The movement was brief. Practical. Nothing more. Yet she suddenly became painfully aware of how close he was.

His arm rested securely around her waist, just beneath her chest. His hard chest remained pressed lightly against her back.

Heat slowly crept into her cheeks before she could stop it. She straightened her back even more and tried to sit further away from him but his arm kept her securely in place.

She frowned and swallowed the humiliation, not daring to say anything. She had seen how ruthless they could be. At this moment propriety was not as important as survival.

The arm below her chest was unnaturally warm. Every story she had ever heard described vampires as creatures whose bodies were as cold as death itself. Yet she could clearly feel his warmth around her.

Maybe… maybe all these were as a result of the blood sacrifice. She thought to herself and felt a chill run down her back.

If the legend Marie had told her about the vampires sacrificing the moon goddess Selene for invincibility was true, then she was riding in the arms of one of the most terrifying creatures to walk the earth.

By now she knew just how terrifying they could be. They had nearly wiped out an entire community all for a silver-haired woman. Just how important could one woman be to shed blood just to find her? Who was she?

A treacherous lover, an old friend, or an enemy?

Whoever she was, the Vampire royal had made it clear that he would stop at nothing to find her.

Hours slipped by. The sun slowly surrendered to dusk.

Orange skies faded into violet before darkness quietly spread across the heavens. Stars began to appear one by one in the sky. The moon slowly rose high above the forest.

Soma had spent sleepless nights over the past few days, and exhaustion finally began claiming what fear no longer could.

The steady rhythm of the horse beneath her, the cool night breeze, the strange warmth of her captor surrounding her, all slowly began to catch up with her.

Her eyelids grew heavier by the minute but she fought it. She truly did not want to close her eyes in her current state. But her body had already reached its limit.

Her head dipped once. She forced herself awake and tried to straighten her back. Moments later, it dipped again.

Without realizing it, her body began to relax completely. Her head slowly fell backward until it rested lightly against Xavian’s chest.

She felt a pair of strong arms adjusting her into a more comfortable position, and firmly holding her against a warm hard body before she was completely pulled into the depths of sleep.