Destiny has left its mark (Vampire Romance) (Completed)

22 ~ So far away

"What's going on?" I demanded as Elijah let go of me. We stood outside, the chill night air biting at my skin.

"You and Darryn are a yin yang."

"And?"

"In order to bind the gargoyles for a few hundred more years, you have to perform a spell to interconnect your dark magic with his light magic, sending the combined forces to all the gargoyles to ensure they remain dormant."

"And I'm the dark force?" My voice cracked under the weight of the revelation.

"Correct."

Neo approached us, his face taut with worry. "What are you going to do?" he asked Elijah.

"I won't let them do anything."

"They will insist."

"I know. And with Daniella's dark magic, they will try to force me to agree."

"What will happen if I agree?" I asked, my voice trembling. Both men looked at me as if I had grown a third head. "Is that why I can't control my magic? Because I'm a yang?"

"You could lose your humanity and become like us, a vampire," Neo said, his eyes dark and intense.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"You could turn out to be a ripper. Have you ever heard of rippers?" Elijah asked, his voice low and serious.

My mind raced, conjuring images of myself as a ripper. Rippers almost never became normal again; they had to either die or be locked up until they could prove to be normal—or as normal as a vampire could be.

"You'll have magic too, and that can make you even more dangerous," Neo said, shaking his head. "It's definitely not an option." He turned to Elijah. "What are we going to do?"

Darryn appeared, his expression determined. "She could be turned before we do the spell. Her vampire side will then dominate her yang."

Elijah was on him in an instant, gripping Darryn by the throat. "No one will dare include her in a spell this dangerous."

"I didn't choose her to be my yang."

"She's your sister.""Don't you think I wish there was another way?" Darryn forced out, his voice strained. 

"Could you let go?" Elijah released him, and Darryn bent forward, gasping for breath. "This is what we were meant to do."

Elijah's voice slices through the tension like a knife. "Daniella is meant to be with me." His tone is possessive, almost territorial.

Our eyes lock briefly, a silent battle of wills, before I look away, breaking the contact. I can't remember him being this possessive when it came to Charlotte. Last night, I fell asleep on the couch. He carried me to my bed, tucked me in, and then lay down beside me. When I woke up, he was still there, and it was I who was holding him, my leg tangled with his. I can't deny that waking up so close to him felt... nice.

That morning is etched in my memory. I remember thinking I'd never be able to fall in love with anyone else but him. He looked at me as if I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But then reality hit me like a cold splash of water—I remembered how he killed Charlotte. I jumped out of bed, grabbed clean clothes, and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Staring at my reflection, I thought, Get a grip on yourself. Then I heard the bedroom door creak open, and I knew it was him leaving.

"It didn't look like it when you dragged her out," Darryn says, standing now, unafraid to voice his thoughts. "You would have been married to another woman by now if I had found my sister sooner."

"You should both calm down," I interject, sensing the rising tension between them.

Neo nods in agreement. "We need to come up with a plan. We can't stay here. The guardians will come for her if they find out."

"Guardian Green already spoke with one of them over the phone. I think they're on their way as we speak," Elijah adds.

"Is he really your stepdad?" I ask Darryn.

"Yes, he adopted me when I was fifteen. By then, I had been living on the streets for four years because my adoptive parents were afraid of me."

"We should go," Elijah says, suddenly alert, as if sensing something we don't.

"I'm coming with you," Darryn insists.

Elijah looks sceptical. "I know a few spells. I can help you," Darryn explains.

Neo turns to Elijah. "I think he should come with us. That way, they can't use him to find her."

"One wrong move, and I'll end your life," Elijah warns my brother. I have a brother—how surreal is that?

Neo wraps an arm around me. "I agree with my brother."

"Relax," Darryn says, raising his hands in surrender. "She is my sister, and I promise I won't hurt her. And she has both of you to protect her."

"What do you think?" Neo asks me.

I look up at him and nod.

"You take her to your hideout by the sea," Elijah instructs.

Neo looks surprised. "You know about that place?"

"Of course I do," Elijah replies. Then, turning to me, he says, "Darryn and I will come after we've made sure they can't find you." He touches my face gently. "Stay with Neo, no matter what happens."

Neo grabs me abruptly, his vampire speed turning the world into a dizzying blur as we streak through the inner court. My heart pounds as the scenery melts into a swirl of colours. In an instant, we scale a towering wall at the yard's edge and dart through the dense forest. Branches claw at us in vain as we zip past, the wind whipping against my face.Before I know it, we've reached a deserted road. Neo sets me gently on my feet, my mind still reeling from the swift journey. Just then, a car pulls up beside us and I recognize the driver.

"Josephine?" I blurt out, my voice tinged with disbelief.

"Get in," she commands, her smile not reaching the coldness in her eyes.

Neo opens the back door and motions for me to get inside before circling the car to join Josephine up front.

"Josephine is a mole," Neo explains as we settle into our seats. "Elijah sent her to ensure we had someone he could trust, just in case you were reluctant to cooperate. She's a vampire too."

I notice a bag next to me. "I packed your personal belongings," Neo adds, his voice low and filled with a mix of regret and urgency. "It's all in there."

He switches on the car radio, then lowers the volume so it's just a faint hum. "We'll be there in less than half an hour."

My thoughts race, the sea must be close, I think.

Josephine's eyes remain fixed on the road. "I'm sorry I had to lie to you," she says, her tone laced with genuine regret. "I had no choice. I can't believe you're part of a yin yang."

"So you two know each other?" I ask, still processing the whirlwind of events.

"Yeah," Josephine replies curtly.

"We've been on a few assignments together," Neo chimes in, switching off the radio entirely.

"Won't they find us easily?" I ask, my voice wavering with worry.

"Elijah's probably heading in a different direction, far from here. Guardians aren't really fighters. Even if they find him, they can't do much."

"They don't have magic?" I inquire, sceptical.

"They do," Neo concedes. "But I assure you, they won't be able to harm Elijah."

"Why would I care?" I mutter, unease creeping into my voice as I think of Elijah facing a band of immortals with magic. I've heard rumours about the students' abilities, and it's no trivial matter.