Eternal desire

Chapter 15

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**Chapter 15: The Shadows of Crimson Hollow**

Amara’s nightmares had grown more vivid, haunting her every moment of rest. It had been weeks since she left her mother, and every day the pull of her old life weighed heavier on her. Her powers had become stronger, but so had the whispers of her bloodlust. Lucien did his best to keep her grounded, but the hunger gnawed at her relentlessly.

Tonight, however, was different.

She woke suddenly, her eyes snapping open. The house was too quiet. Lucien wasn’t by her side. Usually, his presence was a calming force, but now, the emptiness around her stoked a growing panic.

She stood up, instinctively reaching out with her mind. She could feel her powers stir, but something else pricked at her senses. A darkness—familiar yet strange—hovered at the edge of her awareness. It wasn’t just the usual pull of her vampire instincts. It was something more.

The sorceress.

Her pulse quickened. She hadn’t seen or felt her presence since their last confrontation, but his shadow seemed to be lurking again. And this time,she was closer.

Without thinking, Amara stepped into the night, her movements quicker, more fluid than they had ever been. The woods surrounding Crimson Hollow stretched out like an endless maze, but she moved with purpose. Her heightened senses guided her deeper into the trees, where the air grew thick with the scent of magic and something darker.

Suddenly, she heard it—a faint voice. Lucien’s.

*“Amara... stay back... it’s a trap...”*

She froze, her breath catching in her throat. The voice was faint, almost like a whisper on the wind. Her mind raced. Lucien had warned her before about the dangers of facing the sorceress alone, but if he was in trouble... if something had happened to him...

Amara clenched her fists, the power inside her surging. She had no choice. She couldn’t lose him.

With renewed determination, she pushed forward, her eyes scanning the shadows thankfully she could see in the dark due to her powers. The trees parted into a small clearing, and there, in the center, stood Lucien—bound by chains that glowed with a dark energy. He struggled against them, but the chains pulsed with the sorceress' magic, tightening with every movement.

“Lucien!” Amara cried, rushing forward.

But before she could reach him, a figure stepped out of the shadows. The sorceress, cloaked in darkness, her eyes gleaming with malice.

“You came,” she hissed, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “I knew you wouldn’t resist.”

Amara stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the weight of her magic pressing down on her, suffocating and relentless. But she couldn’t let fear take over. Not now.

“Let him go,” Amara growled, her voice trembling with anger. “This fight is between us.”

The sorceress laughed, a cold, hollow sound. “You think you’re strong enough to fight me now? You can’t even control your own powers. And soon, they will consume you.”

Amara’s hands clenched into fists. She could feel the power inside her swirling, begging to be released. But she had to be careful. If she lost control now, it would only make things worse.

“I’m stronger than you think,” she said, her voice steady despite the chaos within her. “I’ll never let you take Lucien from me.”

The sorcerer’s smirk faded, her eyes narrowing. “We’ll see about that.”

In an instant, the ground beneath them trembled, and dark tendrils of magic shot out from the earth, reaching for Amara. She dodged them, moving with a speed that surprised even her, but the sorceress' power was relentless. The tendrils wrapped around her ankles, pulling her down, their grip cold and suffocating.

Amara struggled, her vision blurring as the magic tightened its hold. She could feel the bloodlust rising, the dark hunger that had always been there, just beneath the surface, threatening to take over.

But then, she heard it—Lucien’s voice, calm and steady despite his pain. “Amara... focus. You can control it. I believe in you.”

His words cut through the haze, grounding her. She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. She could feel the power inside her, wild and untamed, but she wasn’t afraid of it anymore. She would use it—not the other way around.

With a roar of determination, Amara pushed back against the sorcerer’s magic. The tendrils recoiled as her strength surged, fueled by her love for Lucien and her need to protect him. The chains binding him began to crack, the dark magic weakening under her assault.

The sorceress snarled, her face twisting with fury. “No! You cannot defeat me!”

Amara’s eyes glowed with a fierce light as she stood, her power radiating from her like a storm. “I already have.”

With one final surge of energy, she unleashed her full strength. The air around her crackled as the sorceress' magic shattered, and with a blinding flash of light, the dark tendrils dissolved into nothingness.

Lucien fell to the ground as the chains disintegrated. Amara rushed to his side, helping him to his feet. He looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of awe and relief.

“You did it,” he whispered.

Amara nodded, her heart still racing. “We did it. Together.”

But as they turned to leave the clearing, Amara couldn’t shake the feeling that this was far from over. The sorcerer’s power had been strong—too strong. And deep down, she knew that this was only the beginning of the fight.

As they disappeared into the night, the sorceress' voice echoed faintly behind them.

“This isn’t over, Amara. Not by a long shot.”

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