A Reincarnated Curse: The Beginning

Chapter 5

Looking back, I saw him walking up to me. I could feel we had a connection still. After all these years, even after death, my dream self and Alessandro still had something. That must have been some kind of powerful love.

Everything in me wanted to lunge towards him and yet, I knew that I could not allow myself to do that. In all honesty I had a problem with authority and was not too keen on the idea of these emotions that I could not control. It made me want to fight them off.

“Let me see that.” He said as he reached for my schedule. “That is Ms. Varlie, she teaches moon mystics. Follow me, that’s my first class as well.” I was so mesmerized by him, those beautiful honey puddles for eyes, that hair, solid black and shoulder length. The color of his tanned skin and that accent was so breath taking.

“Are you coming?” He asked as I realized I was still standing in a daze. I could feel my face grow hot from embarrassment.

“Yeah sorry, are you sure Ms. Daggers for eyes won’t be upset with you for walking with me?” I asked as I lightly jogged to catch up with him.

“She might be, but what is the harm in being helpful to the new girl?” He asked with a mischievous smile on his face.

“Well considering we are the ancient reincarnations of our previous selves, that just so happen to be planning an elopement, I would say she would find the harm in it.” I said.

Laughing he placed his hand on my lower back and made me jump. “This way Princess.” His touch instantly made my blood boil and my heart started to race. He was a vampire, could he hear me heart beating? He laughed as it started to beat faster. It was official, he heard it, great.

As we reached the classroom, I had realized that I had not even paid any attention to how we got here. I was lost in thought and my occasional glances over to Alessandro. I just knew we walked down a long hallway and took a left at some point.

“Welcome to class Prince Alex. Princess Katerina, thank you for allowing us the privilege to be in your presence.” Everyone laughed as someone yelled out ‘Evil Queen!’. “Tardiness is unacceptable in this classroom. Take your seats, today since you are both late, all partners have been chosen so you will have to pair up with each other. Lorraine Forbin, keep your comments to yourself, green is not your color.” Looking up it was Ms. Popular herself. The entire classroom burst into laughter.

I could feel Lorraine stabbing me with her eyes. “Don’t worry about her, she is upset with me, don’t let it get to you.” Alessandro’s voice was so comforting. “Thank you, Alessandro.”

“Call me Alex if you don’t mind. Alessandro just sounds so ancient. I have until my ascension night to have to go by that name.” He said as he laughed.

“Okay, Alex, sorry.” I said as I could feel the blood rush to my head. I realized I did not even know how old he was. He could not have been much older than me, maybe a year or so older.

“Don’t apologize, you are far too pretty to be sorry for anything. Besides, you are Royalty. Royals apologize to no one.” I could feel my blood boiling, and if it were possible, my heart would beat right out of my chest. How could someone have so much influence on my emotions? This was definitely going to be harder than I originally thought it was going to be.

He laughed again, quietly, to himself. It was then that I realized he could hear my heart, I really needed to calm down. I could feel everyone staring at me. Did they all hate me? Looking ahead as the teacher spoke, I saw a piece of chalk floating.

It started writing by itself, ‘Go home Evil Queen’. Everyone laughed. Before I realized it I stood up and all at once with all these emotions swirling, a wind came from nowhere and all the windows broke. I ran out of the classroom and decided I was going home. There was only so much that I was willing to take. No one wants me here, and to be honest, I would much rather be home.

I heard Alex defending me as I rushed out of the classroom. “That’s real attractive Lorraine.” He said sarcastically. Suddenly he was in front of me and I ran right into him.

“Hey, it’s okay, don’t do that.” He said as he grabbed my face to wipe my tears. “Look at me, you are the princess of your coven, you are said to be the most powerful of your kind. Do not let anyone make you feel inferior. You are far too pretty to be this upset.” He just lovingly looked into my eyes. Even through my sadness I saw a comfort in his eyes.

A look of confusion swept across his face. It was then that I noticed it was not confusion it was yearning.

“Shouldn’t you be in there laughing with her? What are you doing out here anyways?” I asked as I stepped away from him, wiping my eyes.

“I don’t know, I feel a connection to you.” He said as he placed a hand in his pocket and turned to look away from me. “I know why, but I feel like I can’t let anyone hurt you, and I wouldn’t dare laugh at you.”

“I only came here to do the right thing. Vee told me I had to right the wrong that I had done. By that, I know she meant loving you in our first life, but I have met my so called ‘intended’ and he is a big jerk.” I said as I wiped my eyes once more.

“Raphael, Mr. High and mighty himself. I don’t like him; he really is a jerk.” He said as he gritted his teeth. It seemed as though Raphael struck a nerve with him. The look in Alex’s eyes said he knew something that I did not.

“Actually, he envied you because of me in our first life. I have this dream every year on my-”

“Your birthday?” He asked, interrupting my sentence, as he took a step closer to me.

“You have had it as well then?” I asked intrigued that I was not the only one. “So, you have seen the memory as I have, just from your perspective?”

“Every year, like clockwork, on your birthday.” He stated in a matter-of-fact tone. He placed his hand on my face, grabbing my chin to pull my gaze back to his.

He had seen me and felt what I felt over the years. Had he looked forward to meeting me as I had been to meet him? So, the voice…every year, was it him in real time? I thought to myself. I had not realized that he was still holding my face in his hand. He seemed to be moving closer to me. He reached up with his other hand and moved a piece of hair out of my face and ran his hand down resting it on my neck.

He was about to kiss me. I did not come here for this, and I have never even had my first kiss yet. Even still, I could not stop myself. I moved in closer to him as he was to me. This was it, just one kiss could not hurt. I wonder what his lips must feel like pressed against mine. I wondered as I glanced at his lips.

“There you are!” We jumped back from one another, as someone interrupted our movements. “If you are upset with me then fine, but you don’t have to hang out with the Evil Queen to get back at me.” Lorraine was walking up to us, and as beautiful as she was, her personality was just as ugly as they came.

“If I were him, I would want to hang out with someone who had a brain too.” I responded mockingly as I walked away. I understand Lorraine’s problem, even if she was evil incarnate. Her boyfriend was canoodling with his past lives love. That, and the fact that he was a prince. Who would buy her new shoes and get her nails done if she allowed the Evil Queen to steal him away? I thought to myself as I laughed.

Alex

Waking up to a knock at my bedroom door I knew it was Lorraine from the sound of her heart. Today it seemed different, anxious. I walked to the door to open it thinking I was going to apologize, and she would forgive me for last night. Wrong.

“She is here! Everyone is talking about it!” Lorraine said as she pushed passed me into my room. She started pacing back and forth acting like her normal frantic self.

“Well good evening to you too…wait, what?” I asked. I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest. What was I going to do? I thought to myself as I realized this was a perfect opportunity to prove to her that this would change nothing. Curse or no curse, reincarnated life or not. Why was I so nervous?

“Yeah! So, you can ride off into the sunset with your soul mate!” She said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was not just upset or worried, she was jealous. It was kind of cute the way she was pouting.

Walking over to her I wrapped my arms around her to reassure her. “Good, this will show you that nothing will change. Her arrival just means the end of this curse and nothing more.” I said, but I think I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince her.

She did not seem to be upset with me anymore, so I did not want to continue talking about it. She might remember she is upset with me and scorn me. “Let me get ready and we will leave.” I said as I bent down to kiss her forehead. The truth was I was nervous. I wanted to believe that meeting her would show everyone including myself that our past did not matter. That this would change nothing. In actuality I was not too sure that was the truth.

As we got to the school everyone was whispering and peeking at me. They did not want me to know they were talking about me. Come on, I am a vampire, I can hear everything. I thought to myself. Thankfully, even though Lorraine knew what they were whispering she could not hear them. Katerina would be here today, or maybe she already was, and I was anxious. Anxious to prove to everyone including myself that her arrival meant nothing.

We walked to the top of the stairs and I grabbed Lorraine’s hand. I looked around and did not see her. I was thankful and relaxed a little. That was, until I heard my name. “Alessandro.” As I heard it I knew it was her. Not only the sound of her voice, but her scent also engulfed me and not to mention that no one calls me Alessandro, except my parents and the vampire council.

As soon as I heard it I looked at her. When her eyes met mine, I felt something I had never felt before. As vampires we have a biological condition beyond our control. We are all mated to one person in our entire existence. Before I looked into those emerald eyes of hers I always just assumed it was mere love that I felt for her. She was my mate. It is probably why I have never felt love for any other girl. I never felt connected to anyone no matter how hard I tried…until now. This is not possible. I thought to myself. I am just overwhelmed with confusion from my dream. That has to be it.

I could not look away from her. She looked slightly different than in my dreams and I did not think she could be more beautiful. I was wrong. It was like time stopped and that is how I knew she was my mate. As soon as I thought it I shook it from my mind. No. It cannot be. As a prince, my sole duty is to marry and have vampire children to continue the Royal line. We are taught early in life about our duty to our species.

We Vortigens are the first of our kind and as such are the only vampires that can, both, have children naturally and turn humans. How could my mate be a witch though? I can see why my past self was attached to her as he was. I wanted to run to her, but I was brought back to my senses as Lorraine squeezed my hand. I wanted to look away and comfort Lorraine, but I could not.

Katerina veered her eyes down as her face turned a light shade of red. She was embarrassed. I chuckled to myself at the thought. I could hear her heart, as if it were my own. She was as nervous as I was. She continued walking towards us, as we were right beside the entrance. I noticed her eyes look toward Lorraine. She looked at our hands and then to face Lorraine. It was as if she were admiring her or acknowledging what she was looking at. I was with Lorraine.

I could not say her name aloud so, instead, I said it in my head. Katerina. As soon as I thought it, she looked at me confused. Did I say that out loud? No, I am more than positive I thought it. Lorraine noticed I was basically eye-f*****g Katerina and hit my chest.

“Don’t be like that!” I told her as I wrapped my arms around her, but I could not blame her. How was I going to explain this to her? Maybe she was not my mate, maybe it was just a side effect of the curse. That had to be it. I will just have to prove it to Lorraine.

“At least they have automatic doors.” Katerina said aloud as she admired the castle. It was her family home after all. I wondered what was going through her mind. All of this must be a lot for her to comprehend or grasp. I had heard that she lived in the mortal present day and time. She hadn’t had the opportunities to be around people like us.

“It’s called magic, Evil queen.” Raphael said in a voice that seemed full of animosity. Snake, I thought to myself. As soon as he spoke, every hair on my body stood up. I didn’t want him to even speak to her.

“Evil Queen? Is that the best you can do?” Katerina asked in an amused tone of voice. At least she is not easily shaken. She will need that Moxy if she is going to be here.

“No, I have better, that is just what we all call you, courtesy of Lorraine.” He stated with a smirk on his face. My Blood was boiling at this point. I did not want him speaking to her. He killed her. I re-live that death every single year. It is no secret that I hate him.

“Great. Look I am not here to cause trouble, I am here to make right what I apparently had made wrong years ago. Then I can go back to my normal life so don’t be a jerk.” She responded and as she said that she had no intentions of staying, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. She can’t leave. I won’t let her. I thought to myself and instantly shook my head. What am I thinking?

“Whatever!” He said as he pushed passed her bumping into her. I wanted to rip his head off. He was a snake and I think I am the only one who knows what his intentions with Katerina were back then. That was thanks to his dumb confession.

I needed to prove that this was just a side effect of her little curse. In order to do that, I needed to get to know her. She must feel alone. I pulled away from Lorraine and walked inside. I saw her conversing with my grandfather, and she spoke.

“What a great welcome wagon.” She said aloud. She did not know I was standing here. She seemed lost in thought for a moment and said, “Vortigen? Then he must be-”

“My grandfather.” I heard myself say as I started walking to her without realizing it. The closer I got to her the more nervous I felt. I had to get passed this. It was just the curse. Calm down! I said to myself. No woman has ever made me feel like this.