The Vampire King's Second Love.

Cadella's POV

“My dearest Sophia,”‬ I gazed up into the golden eyes of the man who towered over me.

He reached out his hand, bridging the gap between us as he handed me large bouquet of mixed wildflowers. My favorite flowers.

“I love you, lover.”‬ His voice was smooth and familiar.

Everything about him was familiar. Something stirred deep in my chest, recognizing the man who stood before me. Yet, I was certain I’d never seen him.

A pleasurable, yet spicy scent wrapped itself around me, like it was trying to comfort me. Telling me this was safe, that this man would never cause me harm. It made me want more. The rational part of my mind wanted to step back, put more space between us.

Instead, I found myself leaning toward him as my hand met his own, accepting the bouquet.

“Thank you. I love you too.”‬ The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Some small part of me knew they were true. My mind raced as I tried to connect was going on. Familiarity and strangeness fought in my mind and chest. Warring between each other.

How could I love a man I’d never met?

A sudden pain raced through my chest. Before I could bring my hand up to try and rub it away the world was spinning.

Colors blurred together as everything spun faster. Roaring wind whipped around me, making my hair connect with my face stinging my cheeks like tails of a whip. I snapped my eyes shut, trying to stop the queasiness the spinning caused. My clothes wrapped around me as I the spinning and roaring wind increased.

Silence.

My head spun as I tried to process what was happening around me. I barely had time to realize everything was still and I laying in a heap on the solid ground before an all-consuming pain swallowed me.

My eyes darted around as I tried to see what was causing the agony pulsing through my body. The pain made it hard to breathe. A thick warm fluid dripped down over my forehead into my eyes, causing my vision to blur, making it next to impossible to see.

Then I wasn't looking through my own eyes. I was floating above myself staring in horror was the sight of my broken body. My usually fair skin was so pale it looked white. Skin that was always so clean and clear cracked before my eyes. The cracks spread like a porcelain doll that had been dropped.

Bright red blood flowed freely from the forming cracks. All I could do was watch in horror was my life force stained the ground and spread out. It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t just spreading out, but it was forming a strange, intricate pattern around me.

“Sophia!”‬ An angry, deep voice bellowed from above me. “You have betrayed us. This is your last chance to redeem yourself.”‬

Confusion raced through me. What was happening? Why was I bleeding out like this? Who did I betray? Why? Why were they calling me Sophia?

“You betrayed us and have used forbidden magic of the evil blood race. Your only chance of forgiveness is to sacrifice yourself to wash away this sin!”‬ The voice boomed above me, making me want to cower.

Sacrifice myself to wash away my sins? What sins?

My thoughts grew foggier, and vision blurred. A bright light grew steadily stronger from the bloodied pattern. The shapes and symbols becoming clearer as they were illuminated coming together to form a circle.

Panic surged through me. It can’t form a circle. A wounded cry I didn’t recognize pulled from my chest. A circle would kill him.

The light grew brighter and the pain coursing through my body increased. My agony deepened, almost like it was reaching my very soul. Like it was trying to pull me apart.

An urge to fix this critical error pulled my mind. I had to protect him, otherwise this would all be for nothing. I couldn’t let this be for nothing.

I watched as my broken and bleeding body struggled to move. The blood flowed faster. It was like my body was an endless spring.

The movement made my body scream in protest as the pain heightened. It became sharper and more debilitating. I watched as my body pushed that pain aside and crawled to one side of the circle.

Mumbled words fell from my lips. Words spoken so softly I only recognized the gentle flow and rhythm of a spell being chanted.

“I will protect you, my-“ A pulse of pain stopped my words as it pulsed through my still bleeding body. “My lover.”‬ I cried as I pushed myself and tried to correct the magical pattern below me.

My shaking hand did its best to scrub the circle away and alter the design to what it was supposed to be. My last effort to protect the man who consumed my thoughts as much as the pain did that was weakening me. I watched as the changes rippled through the rest of the design, as it slowly altered everything below me.

I watched mystified as the intricate design was changed, the still flowing blood erased and recreated a different pattern below me. The movements of my hand grew slower and weaker as my body continued to feed the magic. A sense of urgency to finish the changes drove me to continue my work.

The end was near.

“May you…”‬ The words I spoke became muffled and broken. Only bits and pieces reached my ears. “Peace…”‬

Just as the last stroke was completed, a shuddering breath was released from my chest. The blood that had been flowing from my mouth slowed to a trickle as the light that was growing from the bloodied pattern brightened.

The light consumed my broken form, the cracks in my skin widening. As the light became blinding my body shattered, the cracks winning the battle. I watched as my body below me shattered into million little pieces.

The world spun again, and the wind roared as it whipped around me. This time I found myself in a castle that seemed familiar.

“Sophia!”‬ The man from the start of the dream roared from beside a bed.

His gaze settled on me where I stood across from him. It was as if he could sense the invisible presence of my soul in the room. Only this time the affection and love that once filled his gaze was gone, replaced by fury and pain. Pain I’d caused. Fury I’d fed.

“You deceived me!”‬ He hissed as he stepped forward toward me.

There was no way he could see me. I wasn’t a physical form. I wasn’t sure how I knew that, but I was certain I wasn’t in this room.

Before I could process any other thoughts, a bright light broke through the window. The same light that had shattered my own broken body only moments before. The light disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Leaving the room dim with only a candle to light it. But something else had changed.

My eyes flicked back to the man I recognized as my love. The man who thought I’d betrayed him and broken his heart. The man I’d sacrificed my own life to save.

Only instead of glaring at the space where I floated, he was swaying in his spot beside his bed. A silver spear pierced through his heart. He didn’t reach for it. He only stared at where it protruded from his elegant gray suit.

His skin paled as he looked back to where I was hovering. I watched in horror as he fell back on to his bed. I hadn’t realized I was moving until I found myself beside him. Somehow my spiritual form became solid enough to swing his legs on his bed and move him, so he was laying like he was sleeping.

The deep red satin pillowcase made his pale skin stand out. His eyes closed as if he really was just sleeping. Leaning in, I swept his dark hair back from his handsome face. My heart breaking as I leaned in.

“Sleep in peace, my love. I will always love you. Please, try to understand this was for you. All of it was always for you.”‬ I whispered into this ear.

Stepping back, I watched as the spear dissolved into countless silver vines binding his body to the bed and spreading out over the floor to door. They crawled across the room weaving in and out of each other, mimicking the pattern that had been formed by my blood on the ground. A finality pulsed through the room as they encased the door.

“A seal? The spell wasn’t supposed to create a seal!”‬ A deep voice thundered through the door.

“This is forbidden magic. Something that hasn’t been touched or thought of in centuries. There may have been errors in the translation, or any multitude of things could have altered it.”‬ Another, calmer, voice answered.

“He’s locked away, and Sophia is the only one that can free him. The traitor who died is the only person that bring him back.”‬ The first voice held a cold anger in it.

“No, her soul could come back. We must have faith, sire.”‬ The calmer voice responded through the door.

My eyes moved back to the man lying on the bed. He looked peaceful.

“I’ll be back, my love. You will be free again.”‬ I vowed as blackness overtook me.

A whistle sounded, pulling me upright in my bed. My gaze darted around, panic seizing my breath in my chest. The familiar slow rocking reminded me of where I was, that I was safely on the train to Celtradian.

I ran my hands over my face as I took a deep breath, trying to slow my pounding heart. It had to have been a dream. A dream that felt very real, but a dream.

Glancing out the window I only saw darkness. It was still late. Laying back down I pulled my blanket back over me, snuggling back into the warmth of the mattress. Pushing the memories of the dream that left an ache in my bones away and finding a peace inside of me to hold while I drifted back to sleep.