Shadow Cursed

Chapter 18: Shadow-Kissed

- Continued in Damien's point of view from last chapter -

I didn't want to leave Isabella's side when they told us visiting time was almost over. A day passed. The problem was she was still sleeping and I wouldn't be able to sleep if I wasn't there for her. Her first thoughts would be confusing, probably overwhelming, and she would need me to get through them. I begged to stay with her for the night, almost us getting thrown out after saving her precious life.

Alric had left first. Before finally deciding to leave, I wanted to try something with her. I recreated the bond between us to visit her and tell her something. Isabella was happy to see me. But we both quickly discovered, it was not a normal bond. I felt it taking my mana. Isabella tried to control it, but she was not strong enough to. Either of us unable to break the bond, I was growing weak, struggling against it I fought and fought. I begged her to let me go and not kill me by accident. Isabella finally got it under control after fighting with it and released me by breaking it. She was on the verge of crying. I felt my body collapse on the ground, my mana drained.

My vision was unclear as I tried to stand up. Attempting to stand up failed and almost hit my head on the way down. If the bond was tainted it would dangerous for Isabella to maintain it without hurting us. Finally able to support myself only by holding the railing I stood. My legs were shaking and I could only helplessly look at her. I only fed her fate, but I needed her. If I left her to protect her, I would probably die from loneliness. And the part that haunted me, because I knew she would never forgive me for it.

She made me weak, I was her guardian, sent to protect her from Anna. Her demons were now my demons, her battles my battles. Now that I've seen her for who she was, things could never go back to the way they were.

With difficulty I made my way to the couch in the room and just laid there. It helped with fighting the dizziness.

A million thoughts ran through through my mind. Forming a bond endangered both of our lives, what was I thinking when I kissed her back there. Her life was already complicated as it was, I didn't need to make it worse by having her think about me all the time. She had no time for a love life. I groaned, why was I cursed to fall in love with Isabella of all girls. She was different than they described her to be. They way she blushed when she was embarrassed, the way she could perform magik at a decent level, and everything about her. She was not perfect, but perfect enough for me.

This was the best and worst day of my life. Best because I knew where I stood about my feelings for my crush, and bad cause it would possibly kill me if we were not careful. My heart was full of joy and broken at the same time.

Tired and weak, I fell asleep on the couch hoping to regain some of the energy lost by the time I woke up to see her again. I would need as much energy as I could when she woke up.

Sometime an hour or two later, I wasn't so sure, but someone tried to wake up me. I opened my eyes and groaned. My head was pounding and I was still weak. The voice tried to say something but I couldn't understand. I tried standing up, but the strength in me was long gone, and my legs gave out beneath me. In my fragile state, I crawled back to attempt to sleep. I could hear the heels clicking on the ground in a hurry as they left.

My body ached all over, a side effect of being nearly drained. My mana was still too low, it would take a while to recover. I whispered across the room, knowing she wouldn't hear it, "Isabella. I love you." The moment our paths crossed, we were bound to be Shadow-Kissed. I lay there smiling, drunk off the bond, another side affect. Isabella was my everything, and nothing would take her away from me.