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. Nostalgia washed over her as memories of Arius teaching her came to mind. She already missed him, but deep down, Keira knew that even after she returned, they probably wouldn't be able to find a way to sort out their problems.

Zaidh watched Keira, unable to shake the question of why he cared so deeply for her. The only explanation that made sense was their bond. Now, he was nearly certain the Oracle had been right about their destinies being intertwined, and he felt that strange connection to Keira more intensely than ever. Though the feeling left him 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. "Arius was the one who took care of her."

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

"Yours, either." Elias raised a brow.

Zaidh furrowed his brows and shot Elias a sharp look.

"Well, my plan wasn't successful because of Arius." Zaidh rolled his eyes. "I changed my mind about her."

"Whatever you're planning, be careful, Zaidh."

Zaidh sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. The only thing he planned was to somehow convince Keira not to stay at the hotel. That place wasn't safe for her, especially now that 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.

"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 got some things to take care of," Keira said with a sad smirk. She needed to settle things with Arius before making her next move.

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

"We're heading back to New York," Zaidh said, grabbing the glass from Elias and taking a sip.

"I thought you'd stay for the party," Elias replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he stood up. “We've got some top-quality humans lined up with the finest blood.”

"I would  love to, but we’ve got business to handle." Both of them turned as Keira walked in and joined them.

"Take care of this idiot." Elias tapped her shoulder, making Keira chuckle softly. " And feel free to visit if you need anything."

They said their goodbyes to the others and left the mansion. As they walked out, Zaidh took Keira's hand, their fingers naturally intertwining. They exchanged glances, and the touch made them both feel a bit strange, but neither pulled away.

"Ready?" Zaidh asked.

Keira just nodded and closed her eyes, avoiding the blurry world rushing past. A few minutes later, they stopped. She opened her eyes to see the hotel in front of them. Without a word, they both walked in, still holding hands. It wasn't until a moment later that Keira realized it and quickly pulled her hand away.