The Wicked Ones: Destiny of a Vampire

Protection

From Arius perspective

"Tell me about my memories, or I will leave, and you won't be able to stop me," she exclaimed, pointing her finger at me.

The first thing that caught my attention was Cassius's scent lingering on her clothing. It didn't take me long to realize what was going on and why Keira was so frustrated.

Of course, he had told her something.

I could see it in the way her eyes glared at me with rage. I’m not sure what he had revealed, but it seems that now Keira is aware that I altered her memories.

"Calm down first, and then we will talk."

"Cut the bullshit!" she yelled, her eyes instantly shifting to a dark red. For the first time, I witnessed Keira become this angry. "I want to know how much of my life you've erased! How could you do this?"

"I did it to protect you," I confessed, turning my gaze away from her. There is no point in hiding that fact any longer.

Tears streamed down her face, and she hurriedly wiped them away with trembling hands. Guilt surged through me as I watched her, and I asked myself the same thing: how could I do this to her?

At the time, it felt like the only way to truly protect her and prevent my siblings from seizing control of Keira. They were already growing suspicious of me for review so much to her as I stayed in Nashville. The only reason they allowed me to stay with Keira was because I convinced them I would erase her memories.

Zaidh even renounced me as his brother the day he discovered I was spending time with Keira and Noah. But that didn’t stop me from staying by her side. I was ready to sacrifice everything to protect her.

I still am. But sadly, she just doesn’t understand it. And probably never will understand.

It wasn't easy for me either, watching her build a life without me. But I couldn't let her live among us and risk Inquisitors finding Keira through us. She would never have agreed to stay hidden while Inquisitors hunted her father, nor would she have allowed me to kill him.

I had considered turning Keira into a vampire sooner, but the Oracle warned that doing so would alter her destiny, preventing the prophecy from unfolding.

At this point, I realize that there is no other way but to bring her memories back. Magnus had told me that after her powers reached their peak, it is possible that all of the enchantments would be lifted, including my altered memories. Which also means that even Zaidh probably won't be able to control her mind anymore. So now I only have to hope that Keira doesn't turn against me.

What bothers me even more is that Keira had already become so powerful before performing the ritual. It's possible that she won't be able to use the spell to transfer her powers because there won't be enough time. The absorbed magic could destroy her instantly.

I hadn’t felt such fear in a long time. The thought of restoring her memories terrified me, especially given how unstable Keira is right now.

From the start, I had closely monitored her emotions, as she struggled to control them. She might be strong enough to face the truth without experiencing emotional black out but there is also a real chance she would choose to turn off her emotions entirely.

And yet, despite my fears, I have no other choice. I have to show her what happened.

"I'm sorry." I took her hand and closed my eyes.

Arius memories

"Ezekiel know about our alliance," Noah broke the silence, cracking open a beer can. He lounged in his chair on the porch while Arius stood nearby, leaning against the fence. "You need to take her away from here. They are coming for me."