Blood Queen || COMPLETED

Chapter Nine

Opening the bottle I take a small sniff and immediately cough as it burns my nostrils.

Wolfsbane.

Made of pure silver and toxic petals from the rare foxglove flower, it is most commonly known as Dead Man's Bells. My wolf growls as I look inside to see the thick purple liquid sloshing from side to side. Why the hell would my father lead me here?

The Oasis lies beyond the 'X'

His words echo in my mind as I try to make sense of it. Am I meant to drink it?

My wolf growls at the idea. Drinking it will of course kill me... Or will it? Aren't I considered immortal now?

With a deep inhale, the dank dusty air fills my lungs as I bring the cold bottle to my lips. Squeezing my eyes shut, I take a quick gulp. My throat constricts and my stomach clenches into a tight knot. The liquid burns me from the inside out, and I hunch forward as my body tries desperately to expel the wolfsbane. With unsteady hands, I roughly place the bottle on a small wooden table as I stumble backward onto the wall and slide down. The loud pain-filled whimpering of my wolf as the poison attacks us from the inside out makes me instantly regret my decision.

A cool tingling sensation replaces the burn. It spreads through my bloodstream in tiny pulses. The sensation gets stronger until my entire body is pulsing. On the last pulse, I am catapulted from my body and a horrifying sense of weightlessness takes over. A short strangled grunt escapes my lips as I hover a few inches from the ground in front of my lifeless body slumped against the wall.

Did I just die? Again?

For someone who is supposed to be immortal I have died more times while being undead than I have when I was alive. How ridiculous is that?

Examining my translucent self, I can't shake the disbelief from my system. I'm a ghost. A real live (well not really) ghost. Out of all the things that have happened in my life, this is by far the most bizarre. I am pulled from my reverie by a soft shimmering golden light emanating from the wall behind me. The delighted laughter of children spills into the room. Now, any sane undead creature would back away from the peaceful yet creepy laughter seeing as how every horror movie ever made indicates that sound is never a good sign.

Despite my better judgment, my feet pull me towards the laughter as warmth welcomes me. I tentatively step through, half expecting to slam into the wall. Sighing in relief when I find myself on the other side, my eyes widen at the sight before me. The village previously devoid of any living creature is now teeming with life. I stand in the middle of the town square feeling the air get knocked out of my lungs as I stare at the restored houses and shops. The children play on the previously shattered swing sets and I am awestricken. The moment my feet touch the ground my ghostly self is gone and I am back to normal. The sun illuminates the clear blue skies and everyone goes about their day with smiles so bright they rival the sun. Feeling disoriented as to how I ended up in the town square I begin to make my way back to the packhouse.

"What is this place?" I whisper to myself as I walk further into the village. My eyes watering as I see all the children racing and playing tag.

"Now Now little John, that was not nice!" reprimanded a familiar voice. Her brown hair is tied into a messy bun as she places her hands on her hips and scowls at the little boy. The breath leaves my lungs and I choke back a sob. Her head looks over at the sound and her arms fall limp at her sides, eyes widening in shock as she sees me.

"Alora?" She whispers in astonishment. I nod my head and she immediately breaks into a run. I wrap my arms around her as she slams into me and I pull her tight.