Vicious Fangs (Mystic Bonds #1) | COMPLETED

28. Cara

I tried not to show my suspicion when Sera started talking to me like a long lost friend once more.

"And you know what? Arion simply used his powers and threw the suitor out of the room. Never to be seen again." She sighed wistfully. "And I actually used to like him!"

The slight crease between her brows was seemingly genuine and faking the slow blink was quite difficult for me for it was real.

However, Sera's story regarding the protective streak her brother had towards all her potential partners was information that truly shouldn't have been shared with me.

Again, I resisted the urge to outright question her or give her a look of pure incredulity or befuddlement.

She sighed wistfully and pursed her lips as if in exasperation as the carriage moved along.

Crunching sounds of leaves and branches beneath the carriage wheels was prominent and the route wasn't laid with rocks and pits. The ground was yet to become uneven.

Small animals such as squirrels and minks scurried away from our travelling company. I looked away from the outside world.

I wondered how different Valeryn would be as compared to Celera. Draped in shades of uneventful grey, Celera and its weather truly complimented the vampires. Such rare days of sunlight proved so very convenient for them but to other creatures it was like confinement.

After all the stories I had heard from Sera, I had one genuine question.

So I chose my words carefully, "Have you ever been in love?"

Her eyelids shuttered and she smiled slowly. I observed her reaction.

But it wasn't as happy as she would have probably hoped it came off as. Still...it didn't seem like she was trying to mask her expression.

"No. I didn't love someone the way - " She seemed to cut those words off with a shake of her head. Picking off where she left off, she expanded, "But I had a family I would give my life for."

I couldn't make out when her tone turned light and when dark. It was a mix of symphonies of a song and I was unable to separate the notes like a well woven woolen garment.

But her words sung a note within me, pulling me in.

I wonder what the story behind that is.

Without my prompting, she continued.

"They always had my back. And I....I made a promise that I would have theirs." She looked at me with a fierceness in her eyes.

My chest felt constricted for no reason besides the anticipation of her words.

I slightly leaned towards her, as if really wanting to know her next words as curiosity got the best of me.

Seraphima's gaze dropped to look outside the small window of the carriage but my eyes remained fixated on her.

"There was once a home. A family. A true force to be reckoned with." Her tone was distant and so was the look in her almond eyes.

A lock of ocher hair fell forward as she leaned against the carriage, closer to the window.

A tug of strange longing pulled at the strings of my own heart.

"It was all just sacrifices. And promises. Bonds forged in love never seen before. Loyalty given in blood. Friendship stronger than magic." Her throat bobbed slightly and I couldn't help the prickling feeling behind my eyes.

It became a physical effort to bat away the tears gathering.

A sense of bafflement filled me. Seraphima's words seemed to have hit too close to home.