Am I Still Dreaming? ~ Kingdom of the Immortals

Am I Still Dreaming? {9}

-9-

Bonnie arrives about an hour later. During the wait I watched Niklaus pace as if he actually gave a care about me. I figured he was only concerned because without me he wouldn’t have a personal maid to do his bidding. 

Bonnie has a worn looking book with her, she set it down in front of me and says, “After this I want you to keep this book.” 

“Why?” 

“It doesn’t matter right now, let’s go out to the garden,” She suggests. 

I haven’t left the castle since I arrived here, but I had no reason to be nervous. It was gorgeous! The sun was shining, spreading warmth everywhere. The garden was full of colorful flowers, some in the ground and some sprouting on bushes and trees. There were some benches scattered through the garden, Bonnie decides to take us to the heart of the area, under a large cherry blossom tree. The pink petals blanket the ground. 

“Why are we here?”

“Love and nature are similar, I felt like the spell would be more effective if we did it where true beauty lies,” Bonnie smiles opening the spell book. I wondered why she was planning on giving me the book. I didn’t even want to be immortal let alone practice witchcraft. She finds the page she was looking for and begins to form a circle out of the petals before she starts a chant. “Close your eyes, and imagine a green swirl of energy where your heart is,” She commands in a very calm voice. I do as she orders and start to feel very calm, I don’t think I have ever felt this relaxed before. She continues her chant and tells me to open me eyes. 

Niklaus comes over and places his hand on mine. The three of us wait for something to happen, but after a minute I retract my hand and realize that I am completely unscathed. “Thanks so-” 

Bonnie collapses to the ground and immediately I place a hand on her shoulder, “What’s wrong?” 

“Bravo,” A familiar voice sends chills down my spine. “You think you are so clever don’t you?”

“What do you want, Albert?” Niklaus growls. 

“Sadly,” He sighs. “Nothing you can give me.” He pushes past me to get to Bonnie. Niklaus holds me back, knowing that Albert isn’t safe or to be trusted. “Dear, I believe your time is up!” 

Bonnie closes her eyes in resignation as he rips her heart from her chest and she collapses to the ground like a rag doll. I let out an ear piercing shriek, but Albert places a kiss on my cheek and disappears into thin air. 

As soon as he is gone I rush over to Bonnie’s corpse with tears leaking from eyes, “Did she know this was going to happen to her!?” 

Niklaus doesn’t say anything. I look up to him and he sighs, “Both of us knew it was a risk, but she was willing to do it for you.” 

I crawl over to the spell book and hug it to my chest, “S-she... died to break the spell for me.” 

Niklaus sits next to me and wraps his arms around my tiny torso, I don’t stop him, I just let him do whatever because it doesn’t matter right now. “Bonnie and I were talking last night. She told me what you did for her. How you found her cutting and how you talked to her and saved her from killing herself. She was planing on killing herself a few nights before, did you know that?” 

I shake my head, “No.” 

“She didn’t mind dying for you. We all have to die sometime and this was her time. She could sense it, she was part psychic.” 

“You never told me that your sister was a psychic,” I say trying not to sob. 

“That’s a conversation for another day,” He whispers. “Let’s make sure that Bonnie gets a proper burial.” 

“Can we just sit here for awhile?” I ask holding back tears. 

We make a silent agreement. I keep my head burrowed in between his shoulder and the crook of his neck sobbing while he rests his chin on the crown of my head and traces invisible shapes on my back. He continuously whispers, “It will be alright.” 

I wished I could believe him. 

I make sure the spell book is not in plain sight by hiding it in one of my dresser drawers. Niklaus goes to tell his parents what happened to Bonnie, and I go to the bathroom to look at my reflection. My face is bright red, my nose matches, and my eyes are puffy and bloodshot. It almost makes me want to start crying again, but I don’t. I can’t be a baby. 

There is a knock on the door and Zoe enters the bathroom. 

“How are you?” She asks. 

“I’ve had better days,” I reply hoarsely. 

“Do you know what your name means, Ambrose?” 

“Names have meanings?” 

She laughs, “Yes they do. Your name means immortal.” 

I give a chuckle, “That’s ironic.” 

She nods, “Have you learned anything about immortals or immortal hunters?” 

“Not really.” 

“Well, since Albert... infringed on our territory we have the right to get back at him and the first thing that helps is the basics.” 

“Are hunters a type of species?” I ask.

“Sort of,” She nods. “You see immortal hunters have existed for as long as immortals have. They each have the same green cat-like eyes that can be used to identify them. They usually appear immortal as part of their lure to capture and attack immortals. They aren’t as strong or as fast as us, but they are not as weak as humans... no offense.

“Unlike us, they live in villages which only consist of hunters. They don’t really like outsiders. From birth, they are trained on how to kill immortals and how to create potions and elixirs to hurt, harm or weaken us like the forgetful potion or the love potion. Most of them are pure-hunters, but only a few have powers. Albert has the power of transporting, which can seem intimidating, but immortals can do the same thing so it really isn’t an unfair advantage.”

“What about immortals?” 

“Well we don’t live in villages, we are more nomadic, but pure-bloods are considered royalty. There are only eight pure-blood families left out of the original thirteen. Our family, as rulers, has to make sure that not a whole bunch of humans are discovering our existence, no one is trying to create an army of immortals, and among many other things, supply the elixir to all immortals.” 

I wrinkle my nose as I remember the taste, “Apparently, I’m not ‘ready’ for the elixir.”  

“Fate is weird like that,” Zoe shrugs. “As an immortal, life is awesome, or so I am told. Some of us have special abilities - like me and my psychic abilities. Niklaus has the ability to control people-”

“Like compelling?” 

“Exactly,” She nods. “Then, there are the powers that everyone has like mind reading, transporting, psychic to some extent, but not like me - they can only sense auras, not see them. Immortals are probably some of the fastest and strongest beings on Earth. Plus, we don’t get old or at least we don’t appear to be and we heal instantly - the elixir is to thank for that. Also, we can create the portals to get to Wonderland and sometimes the Forbidden Realm, and best of all, we can frame outside of Wonderland!” 

“Are you sure that I’m not dreaming, that this isn’t some terrible nightmare or coma or fantasy?” 

“I’m positive, Ambrose,” She giggles. “Everything is just coming together now.”