The Wicked Ones: Destiny of a Vampire

Lessons

For the rest of the evening, Keira guided the new hybrids, teaching them useful spells and helping them harness their magic.

That evening, a wave of nostalgia washed over her as she recalled her training with Arius. The absence of his presence hit her harder than she cared to admit. Deep down, she knew that no matter how much she wanted things to work out, she and Arius had drifted too far apart.

Drifting away from Arius and growing closer to Zaidh was the last thing she wanted-yet it was happening.

Zaidh watched Keira from a distance, wondering how all of this could truly be real. He had longed for her death for years, but now, that feeling was completely gone.

He was nearly certain that the Oracle had been right about their destinies being intertwined. The strange connection he felt with Keira was more intense than ever. Though it left him feeling vulnerable, he chose, for once, not to suppress his emotions as he usually did when they threatened to overwhelm him.

"Why is Keira with you?" Elias whispered, casting a cautious glance at Zaidh. "Wasn't Arius keeping her away from you?"

"He was," Zaidh replied. "Yet his plan wasn't successful at all."

"Yours, either." Elias raised an eyebrow.

Zaidh furrowed his brows and shot Elias a sharp look.

"My plan wasn't successful because of Arius," he muttered, rubbing his temples as if trying to dispel a headache. " But, yes. I changed my mind about her."

"Just be careful, Zaidh," Elias warned. "Whatever you are up to."

Zaidh sighed deeply, running his fingers through his hair nervously. The only thing he planned now was to convince Keira not to stay at the hotel. That place wasn't safe for her, especially after Arius had chosen to remain human.

He briefly considered asking Keira to leave with him but then laughed at himself for such a foolish thought. Even to Zaidh, the idea seemed absurd; he had never imagined he would even consider such a thing. Yet somehow, he found that he enjoyed spending time with Keira-and that made him feel strange in many ways.

"What are you thinking about?" Keira's voice made Zaidh look up, meeting her gaze as she stood in front of him.

"Finished with your lesson?" He stood up from the couch and stretched his arms.

"I think they're going to be alright."

Zaidh nodded, and for a few moments, they just stared at each other in silence. Keira wondered if they were heading back to the hotel soon. She liked spending time here with everyone, but her mind kept drifting back to Arius, and she felt slightly worried about him.

"You want to go back, don't you?" Zaidh asked.

"I have things to take care of," she replied with a sad smile. She needed to settle things with Arius-to make sure there were no more loose ends before she could move on.

Zaidh wandered into the kitchen, where Elias was sitting, sipping blood from a glass.

"We're heading back to New York," Zaidh said, grabbing Elias's glass and taking a sip, his eyes flickering with a mixture of thoughts. "No time for a party tonight."

Elias sighed in mock disappointment, standing up.

"I thought you'd stay for the party," he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

"I would love to, but we've got business to handle." Zaidh shot him a brief smile.

"Take care of this idiot," Elias added, playfully tapping Keira's shoulder. She chuckled softly. "And don't hesitate to visit if you need anything."