Of Blood and Ice : Vampire Witch Romance Novella 1 ✔

CHAPTER 4: Broken

NAHARIEL

She's dead...I couldn't save her...

My thoughts were scattered as I saw the broken and bloodied body of my love, Isda.

"ISDA!" I sobbed and cried and tried everything to reach her one last time. Her hand had touched mine behind the glass for once and then she had collapsed leaving a bloody hand print and nothing else.

"ISDA! Look at me! Babe, look at me! Please! ISDA!"

I howled and snarled and wept. I—Nahariel Everbleed—wept for her. She was supposed to be my enemy. She was supposed to be someone I—I—

"No."

I screamed to the top of my lungs as his dirty hands touched the hole where her heart was.

"She's dead."

He pronounced as I snarled and showed my teeth. He didn't respond as he looked at her bloodied pale face. Such a beautiful face it was. Why—WHY—

"Don't."

Her voice got me doubled over as I saw the Queen. She was the one who was to blame. She was the one to be blamed. I gnashed my teeth and pounded on the glass with blind rage. But somehow she completely ignored me.

Then I felt it. The emptiness as everything faded into white. The chill of winter threw me off as I sank to the ground.

Snow...so much snow...

__________________________________

NAHARIEL

When I opened my eyes, everything was vibrant with the onset of spring. I blinked to clear everything as the green grass of the meadow and the sunrise at the far end of the mountains confused me further.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the mirror dimension."

I turned around to face a pale woman in a white dress with her silvery blonde hair in cornrows cascading down in thousands of braids down her back. Her full lips were up in a smile as her purple slit irises looked at me with sympathy.

"Hello, Nahariel. It has been long since you visited me, child."

My hands lifted to my head as I tried to balance myself. Her smile widened as she opened her arms towards my direction and I saw a purple rose blooming within her palm.

"You don't have much time. Take this and put it over her heart before it's too late."

Her voice was urgent as I instinctively reached across and shakily took the rose. My hands held the rose in gentle caress. It felt vibrant and smelled just as sweet.

Just like her...

My heart clenched inside as I remembered the gruesome murder. I remembered the woman's words and my eyes searched for her but alas, she had vanished into thin air.

Be careful, youngling for the Queen hides well in plain sight and your love knows well what will happen if you lose...

I involuntarily closed my eyes and suddenly there I was behind the mirror staring at her blood. She was nowhere to be seen.

Isda

My mind searched as I cautiously took a step away from inside of the mirror. I remembered the woman's words and with the knowledge I used my supersonic hearing and my sense of smell to advantage.

Fortunately it took me about three minutes exactly to find her. She was in the depths of the dungeons guarded heavily by some witches whom I recognized as the princesses. But, they seemed far different...younger even...

Then I saw her. My heart hurt as I saw her limp body there...lifeless...

Don't fail her, child.

I shivered as the woman's voice flooded courage in me. I straightened and imagined myself as the vampire. The killer...

With it, I let my instinct take me as their necks snapped quicker than lightning under my grips. They were humans and after all, they would never have expected me now would they?

I gently took the keys and opened the door. There she was. Her eyes were closed and my heart clenched again at the memory of her death.

With moments before someone might find out I slowly lifted her drained body and held her close as tears of sadness poured through my eyes.

"Isda. Please babe, come back to me. Please. Please..."

The flower glowed brightly as I sobbed and I heard the woman's voice yet again loud and clear.

Place the flower in her heart where the whole was.

I was hesitant but without much thought I slowly placed the flower accordingly. The flower glowed a final time before violet light poured away from it and my eyes were blinded.

Darkness coalesced around me as I saw the light scatter everywhere.

"Isda." I called through closed eyes as I heard the deep thud of a heart and her gasp. She coughed up and I opened my eyes immediately to see a giant scar on her chest. Her brown iris turned violet and her deep mocha color came back to ethereal vibrancy as my eyes watered in relief.

"Isda."

Then I heard their gasps and her screeching voice yelling. Isda's eyes turned to take everything in and as I saw the woman casting a ball of darkness I fell forward to protect her. My heart clenched but this time, I was relieved to know I would die for her.

"No!"

Her steel edged voice brought me back as I saw her eyes hands glow a vibrant violet and it encompassed us in an orb. The last vision I had was of Raina, the Queen and behind her, the Vampire king cowering like a child.

Afterwards, everything ran dark as I felt myself drifting in sleep with the scent of the one I loved deeply embedded in me and the sound of her voice making beautiful music.

Ever After always...

A Journey past Infinity...