Eternally Yours

Chapter Fourteen

Ameera

'God, my head aches so much. It feels like an avalanche just knocked an ice berg onto my head. Squinting at my surroundings, I realize that I am back in my room. I fall back onto the mattress in exhaustion, even though I probably slept for ages. Okay, no more getting drunk.

A groan comes from beside me and I turn to see a mass of blonde hair next to me. I smirk as I notice it is Avery, just now awaking from her slumber. Her hair is matted to her face with a sheen of sweat across her forehead. Her eyes held a bit of a daze before they adjust to the vision of me. A small, lazy grin forms on her face before she slumps back into the bed with a small moan, probably at the pain in her head.

"It's morning already?" She mumbles and I chuckle at her, "Yup."

"Was it always this bright?" She groans before glancing at me through her still gorgeous hair. Being a mermaiden had its perks, I guess.

"Yes, it was." I sigh before sinking back down next to her. Her lean fingers play with my dark hair as she hums in content at the nice silence enveloping us. We lay there for a few minutes and maybe would have stayed there the whole day if the interruption hadn't been made.

"My lady, a man is awaiting downstairs for you. He insists on meeting you." Lydia comes through the door with her head down. Mother always had the maids and butlers keep their heads down when talking to us, who knows why.

"Okay, thank you, Lydia. I will be there after I get dressed. Bring me my robe, please." I say softly before stretching my tired limbs out. Standing up, I go in to the washroom to freshen up.

Duke

I hear a deep voice coming from the formal as I walk by from the kitchen. Nathan and I have not left yet as Dwight wanted to first make sure if all was well. I peep my head into the archway to see a darker skinned man standing there. Raising my eyebrow at him, I shrug and walk away even though deep inside of me, I felt a tugging at my subconscious suspicions.

Oh, forget it. Let' s focus on Ameera.

A hunched over Lydia suddenly rushes past me to scramble up the stairs like her life depended on it. Before I could call out to ask if everything was alright, a tired, gruff Nathan appears next to me.

"Dwight just texted me. The town is a mess, but the troubles are officially gone." He sighs as relief spreads through my body. Finally.

Again Lydia rushes past us, leaving her scent of burnt ashes behind. Nathan scrunches his nose in disgust before following her in suspicion. He signals me to follow as he steadily trudges into the hidden hallway behind the wall of the formal. Through a small peephole, we could see an exhausted Ameera enter the room in her silk rose colored dressing gown. She comes to a sudden halt as she notices the darker man. Her now dark, fiery eyes glistening with sorrow, confusion and slight anger. Words cannot describe how her stunning sharp features could scare the soul out of any living or nonliving creature at this very moment. Hell, even I was trembling under her gaze which was not even on me.

"Daren, what are you doing here?" Her voice comes out strong yet a tinge of confusion laces them as she takes in this strange man's appearance.

"Ameera! So it is true, then? You really have carried on the curse! Tell me, sweetheart, have you absorbed the troubles?" The man asks in the most unusual tone, almost as if he was testing the waters.

She nods a little cautiously before swiveling her head to the side as he leans in to touch her cheek.

"Darling, I know you hate me for leaving you, but do hear me out. I had to leave. I knew you adopted the child, Sophia tried to tell me, but my boss made me write the letter in order to get you in the right path. Being with me would lead you to not complete your destiny of saving the town full of troubles." He explains and even I am hypnotized by his delicately deep voice.

"How do you know about the troubles?" Ameera sharply asks as Daren sighs and takes a seat on the sofa, "My dear, my father is agent Howard. The barn's keeper. He is also my boss, or was. After Nathan killed my father, I had to escape the barn and come here to rescue the people in case Mara decides to show up again."

"What people?"

"Your mother left this house as a safe haven for creatures who have been affected by the moon and sun curses. Not only those, but all kinds of creatures and troubled people who died in the process of being cured. Your friend, Crocker, kills them and they end up here. Now, that you all have absorbed them again like the old days, hopefully everything will go back to normal."

"Yeah, there's a slight glitch to that.." Avery speaks lazily from the doorway as Daren turns to glance at her, unfazed by the blonde's beauty.

"What?"

"Well, yes she has absorbed the troubles, but she absorbed the blasting trouble bomb. Her attire as she took it in has turned to the dark side. We are no longer saviors, in fact we are in need of saviors. Our bodies and powers are being sucked away and turned into the original curse. The curses of our individual species." Avery replies, fear lacing through her words. Daren whips up and gathers Ameera into his arms. Her arms wound around his body as she gives in and starts to sob. It broke my heart as I watched the two embracing, I should have been the one to hold her. Not, Daren!

"What's going on?" A drowsy Hazel trudges in and staggers back in surprise to see Daren, "Daren! You're back!"

"Hahaha! Yes, I am, Hazel. Still not in control, yet?" He chuckles as he gives the small lavender head a side hug.

"I'm just light weight is all." She giggles before taking a seat on the couch. A tail slips out and rests against her.

Daren raises his dark eyebrow at her furry tail, "Why is your tail suddenly out?"

"I don't know. I saw it this morning. Why?" She cocks her head to the side like a wolf would when it is curious about something.

Daren stiffens a bit and soon everyone in the room freezes. Hazel's eyes widen as she listens for something none of us could decipher. By us, I mean Nathan and I, because I am pretty sure everyone else on the other side could hear. Ameera pops her little head up and pushes away from Daren. She makes her way to the board that we were behind. I creep away a bit as she gets closer. Nathan, on the other hand, stands by completely oblivious, only then do I realize he was making a weird sound.

"Nathan." I warn softly but it was too late as a disappointed Ameera stands in front of us with a glower.

"Care to explain why you haven't left yet for Haven?"