Archangel's Kiss

Chapter SEVEN

ARIA

It made no sense at all. It was utterly unbelievable and illogical. But, there I was, walking behind that unknown French man, feeling his hands send unwanted tingles to my whole body, and making me feel flustered and powerless.

How is he doing this?

I tried to fight back against the pull—the submission state he had put me in—but it was useless. My body was a puppet to his will, and my mind was trapped inside. I was unable to use my voice to scream and call the attention of the people, who kept dancing and laughing, completely oblivious to what was going on with me.

We went to the back of the boat, where the servants were coming out with the drinks and the food for the guests. Then, we went downstairs to a dark and smelly place. Creepy shadows crawled on the walls, and mumbling and breathless voices whimpered in the background. The light was dim, and I was feeling the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I was sure that something awful was going to happen to me, but I had no idea why he had chosen me.

Why me? I was a nobody. No one ever noticed me. Why did he notice? What did he want from me?

A nauseating smell hit me, and I saw them out of the corner of my eye—other men with women having some sort of orgy. Lustful and guttural moans came out of the men's throats.

I felt upset of my stomach. It was promiscuous and perverted. Those people were having sex without any kind of shame. Until I realized that the women were in some sort of a trance—their eyes were blank, and their necks had blood and puncture marks. The men had black eyes and fangs. They looked frightening and nonhuman.

Why weren't those women screaming? Were they there willingly? I wanted to close my eyes, cry and scream, but I wasn't able to. Maybe they couldn't either.

Next thing I know, I was dragged into a room and the door shut behind me. The vampire pushed me against the wall, and I fell onto a stack of cushions that absorbed my fall.

He knelt in front of me as he shouted, "Look at me!"

I obeyed, my eyes moving up to meet his. I mentally screamed and fought to make my limbs move, to push him back and run away from there. But nothing happened. I just stood there, staring at his black, lifeless eyes. He was a monster, and he was going to hurt me.

His hands hurt my face, squeezing it between his fingers. "You are pathetic. You are nothing! Nothing but a stupid, spoiled girl who never had to fight for anything in her pitiful life. Who do the gods think they are to match me with you? Is this a joke? You wouldn't last a day in my world! I can't afford to worry about you and attend to all your human needs. I don't need this crap. I don't need love. I'm perfectly happy being alone. I've been alone for the past two hundred years. Where the fuck were you for all that time?"

He was infuriated with me. I had no clue why. His words made no sense. All I wanted to do was cry and beg him to let me go. I was terrified.

He inhaled deeply and leaned back. His eyes were still black when he got up and stepped back as he combed his hair. Growling like a wild animal, he grabbed a chair and smashed it against the wall opposite to me.

I was unable to sob, but my body trembled with fear. I wasn't going to survive. Something deep inside of me knew that.

He leaned his forehead against the wall and stood there quietly with his back to me.

His mumbled words reached my ears. "You wouldn't last a day in my world. I'm doing you a favor. It's not like we could have a family...a life. Let's face it," he stated, turning around to face me and resting his back against the wall. "Vampires can't breed. They can't walk in the sun and... We are only good at killing. We are predators. Do you know how many lives I have taken, Aria?" he asked with a deceiving, sweet voice as he stared at me with gloomy, brown eyes.

I didn't know if I was able to speak or not, so I remained silent. Yet, my eyes were glued to him. He was a rather pleasant psychopath to look at when he wasn't morphed into a vampire. Sorrow was replacing fear. I was actually feeling sorry for the crazy guy who had taken me against my will to a private room to be abused, sucked dry, or worse, killed. Not even in my worst nightmares could I have foreseen this end. But feeling sorry wasn't what I should feel for him.

He shortened the distance between us and fell on his knees in front of me. "Of course, you have no idea. You are innocent. I was once innocent like you,." He caressed a strand of my hair. "Until my mother, the whore, turned me into an escort for men and women who liked young boys. So, I wasn't innocent for long."

He laughed like a mad person. I had no clue why he was telling me all those things, but having a vague idea of all the horrors he had lived through made me feel even sorrier for him. I wanted to reach out and hug him. It also made me cry, and my tears made him stop laughing and stare at me.

He didn't seem pleased as he muttered, "Stupid child. I don't want your pity. Save your tears for someone who gives a fuck. I've survived. I've built an empire. It isn't going to be you who destroys everything I've fought for! Fuck love! Fuck you! I reject you. I, Philippe Benoît Duchamp, reject you, Aria. I unbind my soul from yours in this life and for the next ones. I don't want anything to do with you. I don't want you as my soul-mate."

Every single word he said hurt as if a knife was carving ornaments into my skin. I gasped, leaning forward to grab my chest.

Why is it hurting?

What did those words mean? Was he crazy besides being a monster? Why would he think that we were soul-mates? It was a completely absurd concept made up by romantic people. I wasn't a spiritual person, but a science person. I believed in what I could see and prove. But I never thought I could see vampires, that they were real, even if their existence could have a logical explanation. However, the existence of a soul-mate could be refuted by a lot of theories that explained love and the reasons why certain people fell in love with others. It was all hormonal and physical. It had nothing to do with the soul. There was no proof of the existence of a soul. That man, or vampire, or monster was simply crazy. He probably had some grave mental disease.

Despite all my logical thoughts, nothing explained why my body was shaking. My heart felt an excruciating ache, and I was feeling as if a piece of me was torn apart, leaving behind a vast emptiness inside my chest. I've never felt so lonely in my life. When I was scared and had nightmares, I would scream for my Mom and Dad. At that moment, it seemed that no matter how hard I cried and who came to hold me and save me from that nightmare, nothing and no one could chase that pain away.

Suddenly, I was dragged outside the room, following the vampire while stumbling on my feet. Once he stopped, I crumbled to the floor. Two men were in front of us. The vampire seemed to be asking them something in French, and they were complaining. He used a more menacing tone as he threw me against one of the vampires. His eyes were black as he stepped back and let me fall.

I had no idea what was going to happen to me.

Philippe leaned down. "Follow them," he ordered me as he helped me stand up. "Obey them."

I stared at him, feeling a profound and unfamiliar emptiness in my chest. I wanted to cry and hold on to him.

"Hurry up, the boat is arriving at its next stop," he snarled at his men. Then he turned his back and left.

I stood there, seeing him leave and fisting my hands with fear and mixed emotions. I didn't want him to leave me. Somehow, I felt safer next to him. It made no sense at all.

Then, I realized I could move. I was no longer under the spell. I could move my hands and clench them harder with rage and hurt. I could swallow hard and listen to my heart, pounding fast. But all was useless because one of the vampires grabbed me and forced me to follow him. 

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