The Light Within Her - Book Nine

Ch. 35- Sacrifices

"If it should be that I am hated by the world for the simple sin of loving you, then let me be despised."

—Amias Guinevere—

Soari was unconscious as her body slowly healed herself and I did nothing but stare at her. She was beautiful in a way that the sun was and yet, I found myself blind by it. From the moment we met, there was no denying my feelings for her. My heart beat against my chest for the first time in seventy years and every time I spoke with her, I wanted so badly to tell Soari. But I wanted her to choose me on her own–to see that I was not like those other guys that used her. So I waited and the longing for her only grew unbearable until the day when I swore the blood oath to her. It was stupid, I know. To go against an ancient Vampire law was stupid. But I would do it again in order to protect her from Erebus.

My fingers grazed her cheek, wanting so badly to spend forever with Soari Breevort. But we would never have the future we talked about–not when my sentence was set in stone. I would spend an eternity loving her in a cage while she lived her life outside. She would sail around the world and swim in every ocean with the biggest smile on her face. And I would happily give up my immortality for her happiness. "I loved her before I swore the blood oath, Sebastian," I confessed. He stood in the corner of the room, frowning as his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching me like a fucking criminal and of course, I deserved it that kind of treatment from my eldest friend. "You are probably thinking I'm stupid for ever loving her when I could not have her, but who wouldn't fall in love with Soari?"

"What do you want me to say, Amias? That you love my daughter enough to pardon you from an eternity in a cage? Even I cannot do anything in this situation. It's the Law."

My eyes stared back at Soari, smiling like she was the sun in the sky. "No, I never hoped you would do anything to help change my future. But I was the one that kept her from falling into the abyss of her own pain. I watched as she pretended to love that monster for months. How can you hate me for loving your daughter enough to sacrifice myself?"

"I do not hate you, Amias," Sebastian whispered. "I hate myself for not being able to do anything to help you and Soari. When she wakes up, I will be able to give you five minutes before guards come and take you to Hellebore Penitentiary." Sebastian walked out of the hospital room and I silently cursed at myself for screwing it all up. But Soari, she was the one thing in this whole entire world that I do not regret. Once everyone finds out, they will hate me. But they will love my girl even more because she was the one that saved us all from the wrath of Erebus. I was prepared for the hatred the Kingdom will give me but I won't be prepared to let her go just yet.

The door opened again and I could tell it was my brother, Luc. I still wasn't sure how he felt about it–but I had a feeling he was about to tell me. Two other men walked in after him. Kerim and Vincent. "Promise me you will protect her when I'm gone. The second you notice she is drinking too much or taking too much drug, bring her back from the darkness in any way you have to." My head turned toward them now, grief in my heart and soul. "Swear you will watch out for her because she's going to need all of you now. Soari is going to need her friends."

"You are so goddamn stupid, Amias," Luc growled. "We could have kept it a secret until we found a way out of the blood oath. But no, you decided to derange her plans which left her in this state!"

"Would you have watched the girl you loved marry someone else!?" I yelled. "To see her smile at him for months even though I knew it was all fake. My heart didn't. Yes, I know I was being stupid but I could not watch Sor stand beside him any second longer. I would rather spend my immortality in prison than watch her with another man, even though I never deserved her in the first place."

Luc shook his head. "I will watch out for her, brother, and find a way to get out of prison. We aren't giving up on you."

"I swear." Kerim nodded.

"I swear to protect the Princess," Vincent replied.

My breathing calmed down a little while I turned my attention to Soari again. She was slowly waking up, her eyes fluttering open which gave my brother and the two men a signal to leave. Once she was fully awake, I would have five minutes before I would have to let go of her and there was nothing else I could do but cry. Cry because we never had a chance to be together–to have the future we promised each other. Soari was my life and without her, I would be nothing but a hollowed mess.

Soari's eyes opened fully, wild with panic as she scanned her environment. She was in a hospital gown and beneath it, her chest was covered in bandages. Jasper successfully healed her body and her powers were restored quickly. But she still wasn't out of the woods yet. "We don't have a lot of time, Sor," I whispered.

"I love you, Amias Guinevere," she whispered, her eyes filled with tears. "You are the most considerate Vampire in the whole world and you understand me completely, even when I did not deserve it sometimes. Please, I cannot lose you. Not when we made promises to each other."

I grabbed hold of her hand and kissed the top, while blood-red tears stained my cheeks. "Make those dreams come true for the both of us, love. I will watch happily knowing you achieve everything you wish for–that you are living your life in the sun. I love you, Soari Breevort. But once I leave this room, you need to let me go. Erebus is gone now and you have your freedom back, so use it wisely."

"How can I live my life when the man I love is in prison because of me?" she snapped. "I was the one that kissed you first, so it should be me in that cage instead of you!"

"I am protecting you," I replied calmly. "Even when I'm rotting away for the rest of days, I will never regret my choice. You, Soari, are the greatest thing in my life and I will always bet on you. Remember that." I leaned in close and kissed her temple slowly, wanting so desperately to keep her in my arms for a minute more. "Live your life for me." No matter how much my heart longed for her, it was best to let her go. She deserved everything the world has to offer–even if it wasn't me. My Vampire hearing sensed that guards were quickly walking down the hall to take me away but all I could focus on was Soari. She was the woman I loved. My future.

Soari. Her name meant sun in Romanian, a language all Vampires learned at a young age. She was the bright light in my life–leading me out of the abyss. My lips were smiling ear to ear as the guards opened the door and shoved me away from her. They were much stronger than me and I fought them off as best as I could, wanting to stay with her forever. Her screams rang in my ears as she fell off the bed and tried to crawl to me. But Sebastian ran into her room and held her back as she cried. "You are under arrest for breaking ancient law, Amias Guinevere. You will meet with Princess Ellie Breevort before your sentence." one of the guards ordered as he pulled me away.

"Stop!" Sor cried. She tried her best to crawl out of her father's arms, but he stood fierce. "Amias, please! I love you, okay? I love you!"

I was still smiling as the guards pushed me out of her room, accepting my dead-end future. She loves me and that is all that mattered in the end. Soari defeated the infamous god of darkness and yet she was worried about me. I did not deserve it. As I was led away from Soari–the only thought was her.

Her. My sun.