𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 (𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚!𝙑𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙓 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

Chapter 28

"Claudia?" I pushed her away as she exposed her fangs, she gripped on my shoulders tightly and looked through my eyes. "Wh...what was that about?" I backed away a few inches from her face. "Blood. I want your blood." she pushed me forward, her eyes gleaming red.

"Then...what the hell was that uncalled kiss for?" I asked, "Your lips. They're bleeding, it had blood on it." she answered as I touched my lips with my fingertip, a blood stained my finger as I wiped my lips with my shirt.

"I..." before I could continue with my words, she pulled out something from her pocket. "Chapstick. take it, (y/n). You wouldn't want random vampires kissing your lips like that." Claudia laughed, I glared at her and took the chapstick from her hands.

"Where's my family, Claudia?" I asked, she twirled her hair with her fingers and looked up at the sun and immediately retrained her eyes away.

She tilt her head with a sigh, "As I said, (y/n). There's a price to pay. Nothings free these days, even my nails! Look at them! so sharp. I really need a trim." she showed her sharp nails with a plastered frown, mumbling words to herself.

"Then what do you want?"
"Your blood, dummy."

"But what if I don't wanna give it to you?" I gave a menacing look, pulling the collar of my shirt closer to my exposed neck. She looked up at me from her nails, standing up and looking down on me with almost a glare. "Then I'm not giving your family back anytime soon, (y/n)."

I furrowed my brows and stood up, "Oh, so now you're taking my family hostage?!" I fumed, feeling stressed out with my current situation. I balled my hands to a fist, wishing to do something but was nothing but a mere human standing in front of a monster.

I felt so little, so frail.

"Hm, if you put it that way then yes!" Claudia cackled out a laugh. "Who are you!" yelled a voice, we both looked at the direction of the sound to see Castriel with a stake in hand, ready to lunge forward.

"Castriel! Don't!" I stepped forward but he only ignored my plea, he lunged towards Claudia with the stake.

Claudia emitted from the sight, she chuckled in interest as she circled around Castriel, swiftly moving every second. I went towards Castriel, I placed an arm down and gripped on his shoulder tight. "Stop it!" I yelled, he looked at me and back to Claudia who leaned at the tree trunk behind me.

"She! She's a vampire, (y/n)!" he pointed, I sigh and nod my head. "Just leave her alone, Castriel." I replied back, pushing him back from Claudia.

"Think about our deal, (y/n). You might regret it." Claudia announced but I didn't bother looking back.

"What deal? (Y/n)? did you make a deal with that monster?" he shook my shoulders, trying to get a reply out of me but my mind was far from my body. Panic aroused my whole physique, and the feeling of pessimism felt like it was eating me whole.

"Castriel, can we go to my house more early?" I looked at him with hopeful eyes, he scratched the back of his head and looked away from me. "About that..." he trailed off and looked at the sky then darted back to my face, "I won't be able to come with you. Miranda wanted me to stay with Caleb to tend, and well..I accidentally blurted out our plans, and she said she will come with you instead."

Castriel explained briefly, biting down on his lip. He had the feeling of contrite engraved on his face. I smiled and fist bumped his shoulder, Castriel looked up at me and was met with my warm smile.

"Don't beat yourself to it, its fine." I chuckled, a smile appeared on Castriel's face with eyes lit up. We walked back to the camp as the sun began to sink down, it was dawn.

Once we arrived, Miranda was already walking towards us. She cast a smile to castriel as he looked at me, "Gotta go, (y/n)!" he waved a hand and I nod in reply, waving back.

"Are you ready to go, (y/n)?" she asked, I glanced at Castriel's tent and back to Miranda with a nod.

Miranda and I walked down the paved road in the woods. The only sound could be heard was Miranda's quiet hum and our feet against the dirt. "Remember, my love." she sang to herself, "Did you join a choir? Your voice is immaculate." I smiled. A song Miranda sang to herself seems aubade in the atmosphere.

She looked at me at the corner of her eye with a wide eye, "No, I was once an opera singer." her demeanor changed with her eyes looking up at the sky with a sigh. "Then what happened?" I nudged forward, she looked at me with her piercing eyes as I withdrew back with the thought that I might've crossed the line.

"My husband and daughter was killed by the beasts, I felt like my world had come to an end. I quit pursuing my dreams and devoted myself in making those wretched people disappear, no matter what cost." she pressed firmly on her last words with furrowed brows, looking back at me.

"You're a good person, Miranda," I replied softly, looking as the exit of the forest was seen. For a moment, there was no reply. I heard Miranda take a deep breath and crossing her arms close to her chest as a chilly breeze passed by us.

"You remind me of my daughter, (y/n)," she turned her head a bit, "And I hate that." she mumbled with a frown displayed on her face, turning her head away.

In a few more twist and turns, the house could finally be seen.

I ran towards it, leaving Miranda behind me. "My house is here, Miranda! I'll check it out. Are you coming?" I asked but there was no response behind me.

I looked back and saw her backing away, staring. Looking at her eyes, my mouth went agape as if I had seen a ghost. She wasn't looking at me, no. She was looking far beyond me. "Miranda?" I called her name with a puzzled look, "Are you okay?" I asked with a step towards her.

"Remember my love." she hummed, ignoring my cries. I yelled her name once more but before I could even run towards her I felt a hand stopping me from my tracks. A bitterly-cold touch.

"You have her now. Bring me back my husband and daughter, beast." she scowled with balled fists. "Miran...da..." I gasped, letting his hand pull me closer to him. I felt mentally weak, I couldn't feel the incentive pull to fight back, to scream.

Somehow, I could feel the ache of my heart. I wish I was an acosmist at some point in life, maybe then I wouldn't be stuck in this drench hole.

"You imbecile, do you think I'm Satan himself? Preposterous!" he laughed, taking me by the arm and kissing the top of it. "But thanks to you, I have my wife back." he looked at me with a huge grin, his fangs seemed to have been longer and keen.

"We're not even married, fool." I rolled my eyes, Perseus gave me a stern look and glared with a squeeze on my shoulder.

"Silence, (y/n)." he let's out a hoarse tone.

"You can't do this! You promised, beast!" Miranda staggered forward with a stake in hand in front of her body with legs crossed. "Promises are meant to be broken, Miranda." he eyed her down, pushing me back and just as I thought I was free four hands stopped me from moving as they clung onto my shoulders.

I kicked and scuffled. With every step Perseus took, the more my heart dropped. "Run! Miranda! Run!" I shouted with all my strength but she didn't listen, she gave me a glance with her eyes softening. For a moment, I thought I saw a trail of regret hinting her eyes.

Perseus caught her throat, she gripped on the stake tight and was ready to plunge it on Perseus's heart but failed miserably when he caught her wrists.

With a tight squeeze, she let's go of the stake. I could hear her struggling voice pleading for life, pleading for forgiveness. "Perseus! Stop it! Don't do it!" I sobbed in between , my sight coming to a blur.

I shut my eyes close as I heard Miranda let out a painful scream.

I fluttered my eyes open and saw her decapitated head and Perseus in front of me. With both of his hands, he caressed my cheek and leaned forward with the two vampires still holding me back.

"Did you miss me?"