Her Sacrifice

17. Feelings

Amber was completely numb by Brian's questions. She didn't know how to respond to him. She could see the pain in his eyes and she couldn't face it. She couldn't help it.

"Answer me, Amber, why did you do that to me?" Brian asked. He looked completely frustrated but more than that, he was hurt. His eyes were teary and it seemed like he was about to cry but somehow controlled himself. He felt angry, sad, frustrated, shocked, hurt all at once and he just couldn't figure how to react to it.

Amber could feel how Brian was feeling right now. She couldn't control her guilt and tears started flowing through her eyes. "I am sorry," she sighed, "I just wanted to help you."
"But why?" Brian snapped, "I think I told you that very day that I do not like getting favours or help for my helplessness. Then why did you do that, Amber?" Tears started rolling down through his eyes as well.

Amber bent her head down as she couldn't face him anymore. "I am sorry if helping you seemed like a mistake to you. I am sorry that I hurt you while doing my duty," she sobbed. "What kind of duty?" Brian asked in disbelief.

"We witches are bound by duty to help any human who needs help, whether they ask it or not. We have to help them," Amber explained. "Oh." Brian couldn't figure out what to reply. "That day, when I saw you on the bench, shivering in cold and trying to sleep, I felt bad," Amber looked at Brian with teary eyes, "I don't know why, but from the very first day, it pinched me whenever I saw you in pain or some kind of trouble. That sad gloomy face of yours haunted me, man, and then I felt a strong urge to take away all your pain and trouble even when I didn't even know you back then. I didn't know why but I felt something very different from the first day I saw you. I felt like no, I have to snatch away all your pain. I wanted to see you happy, I wanted to see you living your life to the fullest. I didn't want to see you as a guy who has no friends, who spend his entire time and life in isolation and sadness. I wanted to make you feel happy and wanted and many other things. I wanted you to feel all the positive emotions a human feels and for that I was ready to do anything. I don't know why, but it felt like I was even ready to die if it was needed for your happiness." Amber confessed.

"Amber," Brian interrupted. He looked at her in disbelief as she said those words. He could feel the intensity of her words by simply looking at her eyes. He could feel the depth of her feelings which she has for him and he couldn't believe it for once.

"That night," Amber continued, "I stayed with you the entire time. I put on a magic spell that would protect you and your stuff from the storm. I lit out a bonfire so that you can feel warm and I stood there, looking at you while you slept peacefully. Because it felt like I was dying to see your peaceful face and when I saw it, it gave me immense relief. I felt happy and contented that day." She looked here and there and finally settled herself on the bed as she sobbed.

"I know you don't like it, but I will keep helping you so that I can see you happy, because... Because your happiness gives me peace. And maybe I am selfish, but I can do anything to have peace in my life," she spoke as she looked straight into his eyes.

"I can't believe this," Brian sighed as he sat beside her. He avoided any kind of eye contact with her because he knew that he couldn't face her right now. He just looked at the other side, while Amber looked at him as she slowly laid her head on his shoulders.

On the other side,

Angela found something fishy as she couldn't find Derek and Clara in the house. She looked for them here and there in the neighbourhood as well, but no one knew where they were.

Finally, after a long amount of time, they arrived home. Angela immediately rushed towards them. "Mom, Derek, where have you guys been?" She questioned. "For some important work," Derek snapped and tried to walk away. "Derek," Clara called him. Derek looked at her, "what mom?" He rolled his eyes. "She is Amber's mother. She should know," Clara spoke.

"What should I know?" Angela looked at her husband and mother-in-law with lots of questions in her eyes. Clara looked at her. "We went to find a suitable suitor of Amber," Clara confessed. "What?" Angela was shocked. "Yes, any problem?" Derek snapped. "No problems but why? Isn't it too soon?" Angela asked.

"Well we thought it was too soon, but the way we saw our Amber in the University. I am scared that what if she takes some sinful steps. I do not want that to happen." Clara monotonously spoke. "She is Amber. She is way more intelligent than us. She cannot take any kind of wrong steps mom," Angela argued.

"But what's wrong if we find someone for her right now? She is eighteen and she has to marry when she turns twenty-one. If she meets the person she is going to marry now then she can know him as a person, as a spouse and then she can fall in love with him. If she knows the person well, she will be happy after her marriage. Love will bind them together, not some kind of responsibilities. What's bad in that?" Clara put her point in front of Angela. Angela didn't have any replies to Clara's argument, she just rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"Anyways, I have found a powerful warlock* who will be the perfect match to Amber. He is from the Red Moon coven, the coven as powerful as the Geminis. He is a powerful warlock and can match up to my granddaughter. I have selected him as her suitor and I want him to marry her." Clara announced.

Angela was completely surprised by Clara's announcement. She looked at her mother-in-law and husband completely astonished.

"And we are sending him to Amber's university. He will be joining there as an assistant professor. He will be wooing our daughter. He knows what he has to do. And I am sure, that they both will look great together as a couple and our Amber will surely fall in love with him," said Derek.

Angela didn't have anything to say. She couldn't even figure out whether they were wrong or right. She looked at them, they seemed happy and satisfied. They had dreams for Amber, they didn't want her to land in any trouble and so they took the necessary precautions. She tried to understand them and their insecurities and when she got a hold of them. She smiled. "Okay, you guys won't make a wrong decision for Amber. I trust you both," Angela spoke.

Two hours passed by. Amber and Brian hadn't uttered a single word in these two hours. Amber had still rested her head on Brian's shoulder and Brian stayed there quietly. But something did change, the pain they were feeling had vanished. Both had a mild smile on their faces as both felt contented. They didn't utter a word, but the silence and their smile spoke out many things.

"Brian," Amber softly called him, breaking the silence. "Hmm," Brian replied. "I wanna confess something," she spoke. "Then confess," he teased her.

Amber looked at him and then took a deep breath. "I love you," she confessed.