Chapter 32 Vesper
Vesper
Cedar was dead. There was no bringing her back, no matter how hard we tried.
I couldn't move. I couldn't bring myself to leave her, even as the vampires were gathering around us. Yelling at us.
Neither could Aurelia.
Her fake husband and Atlas were doing the brunt of the work, trying to keep people at bay. We would have to face them sooner or later, but this was not the time. If there would ever be a time for that.
I don't know how long it would take me to recover from this.
How could this happen?
How had we won the battle and still lost in the end? There was no way the world could be this cruel. I would rather have lived the rest of my days in an Adrian-filled misery with them or even died at his hands with them.
In both scenarios, we’d be together.
It wasn't the best, but it was better than this.
My eyes roamed Cedar’s body. Logically, I knew that she couldn't have survived something like that, but it didn’t feel final. My mind was telling me she was still alive. That at any moment she might sit up, and we would all laugh like this was some stupid joke.
But it isn’t.
This was real life, and I had to face it. I had to be strong. Not just for myself but also for…
I couldn't even look at Aurelia for fear that I would break down even further.
The tears running down my face splattered onto Cedar’s pale skin. The blood had all but drained out of her, leaving nothing behind to flush her skin.
I'd never felt a pain this strong. It was like someone had ripped my heart out and shredded it to pieces, and I was forced to live through it. I felt her death a hundred times over, but I couldn't turn off the pain.
Turning it off would mean letting her go.
And then I felt it.
A twitch.
I thought it was Aurelia at first, but when she looked at me, I could tell she felt it too.
I wanted to believe it, so I latched onto it. To the hope.
I looked at Cedar, analyzing her face for any sign that she was alive. It was still just as pale, but when I looked down at her chest, the wound was slowly knitting itself back together.
One by one, organs, muscle, skin—all of it had started to grow back, connecting to each other until her chest bore no sign of a wound.
“What’s happening?” I forced out, my voice rough from trying to keep my screams locked in me.
“I don’t know. She—”
Cedar’s eyes snapped open. She was looking up to the ceiling, not noticing us there. Shock, happiness, confusion—I didn't know what to feel first, but I couldn't stifle my gasp.
Because her eyes weren't the same color.
The forest green had been replaced.
With red.
Much like a—
“Vampire?” Aurelia breathed.
“Cedar?” I asked distantly. Her eyes moved to me, and I knew.
I remembered this moment when it happened to me.
One moment I was on the cold ground, shivering, slowly fading. Then, suddenly, I was pulled back, snapped into consciousness and into a body that didn’t fully feel like mine.
The first normal reaction was to freak the fuck out. And I had. But Cedar wouldn’t be able to, not with the chaos surrounding us.
“Back up!” Aurelia yelled.
Atlas and Caspian echoed her. When people started catching on, a collective gasp ran through the crowd. Somehow, the fact that a witch had turned into a vampire was even more surprising than whatever the experimental shifters we saw were.
“Slowly,” I breathed, putting my hand on her chest, the wound now closed.
She watched me, and I saw the ferocity in them. Hunger shot through the bond.
It's still here. She’s still a part of this. Of us.
“Breathe in,” I said in a whisper.
Aurelia moved closer to me, her hand covering mine.
“And out,” Aurelia added.
Cedar’s eyes shot to her.
“Thank Krae,” Aurelia whispered.
Cedar bolted up, faster than a witch ever could. I braced myself for the attack, but it never came. Instead, she wrapped her arms around us and held us close.
“I almost died,” she said, her voice gravelly.
“You did for a second. Or a few minutes,” I said with a laugh as I embraced her.
“And don’t you ever dare do something stupid like that again,” Aurelia told her, her voice thick with tears.
“You’re one to talk,” I said, pulling away to look at the sobbing princess. “A fucking Royale?”
“And you didn’t even think to tell us.” Cedar reached out to ruffle Aurelia’s hair, but it was too fast, too rough. Aurelia flinched. Cedar’s eyes widened, and she looked at her hand. “Sorry!”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I grabbed Cedar’s face and kissed her. She kissed me back with a deep hunger, her blood still on her lips.
We were pulled away only for Aurelia to take my place.
Gods. I’d never get tired of seeing them together. They were explosive, even more so now that they were both vampires.
We all are. Forever is looking a hell of a lot better now.
Just as I was about to go in for one with Aurelia, someone cleared their throat behind us. The three of us turned to see Atlas and Caspian looking at us. Atlas was less than pleased, but Caspian had a small smile on his face.
Behind them was a group of people who just watched us blow up Aurelia’s marriage.
“I knew they weren't married.”
“You know, this is actually common in royal marriages.”
“I was always Team Silver-haired, though I can’t say I mind watching both of them.”
Aurelia stood up to face the crowd. I pulled Cedar up, and while she likely didn't need it, she leaned on me anyway.
“One last thing,” she said, her eyes narrowing on a slimy vampire trying to sneak out of the crowd. “Solei.”
As soon as her finger was raised to point him out, he started running, but not fast enough. One of the shifters was faster to react, running after him and locking their jaws around his head before shaking him violently.
Another came up to pull on his lower body until they separated it from the head. When they were done, they both looked at Aurelia and lowered their heads. She just smiled.
“Thank you, everyone, for your help,” Aurelia said and bowed.
Many of the vampires bowed back, and when she stood again, she held her head high.
“The Castle family is no more. I apologize for lying to everyone, but I appreciate you all seeing it through. You are free to move out as you wish. I have technically broken the rules of the Royale, so I will accept my exile—”
There was an uproar. Royals were yelling, some for, some against, but the majority wanted the princess to stay right where she was.
Cedar and I smiled at each other as we felt her shock and pride run through the bond.
The people were rallying for her.
“Thank you.” She gave them a smile. “But the world doesn’t need a Castle rule anymore. As for me…” She reached out to us. “I would like to spend the rest of my days with my loved ones.”
There was a noise, and the crowd parted, letting Aurelia’s mother through. She was being held up by vampires, her body clearly still weak, but that didn’t stop her from beaming at her daughter.
A weight lifted off me as I watched our princess run to her.
Cedar’s chuckle was warm in my ear.
“What do you say? Can your blood be the first I drink?”
Her question sent a shiver through me.
“You should get a human’s first,” I said and nudged her. She sent me a devilish grin.
“And miss out on your intoxicating taste? Plus, I haven't even told you where I want to bite you yet.”
Her eyes ran down my body, pulling a smile from me.
She may be a vampire now, but she hasn’t changed.
Much to my relief.
And I would give her all the blood in the world if it meant I would have both Cedar and Aurelia by my side.