Vesper and I crumpled. Her hands reached out to me, mine reached out to her. But it was useless. The pain was too much.
She’s gone.
Cedar
So soft. So warm.
Vesper and Aurelia were curled up at my sides.
I sighed and fell into the soft mattress below.
There was a nagging feeling pulling at my consciousness, telling me something wasn't right. That I shouldn't be lying in a plush bed with my two lovers.
But I couldn't be bothered because this was exactly where I wanted to be. My body felt fine, but my mind felt a weight that kept sinking me into the bed.
I'm so tired.
How long has it been since I felt fully rested?
I tried to think back, but my mind was a jumble, and every time I tried to search my memories, it was like a fog settled over me.
No matter.None of that was important. Especially not when soft kisses were trailed up my shoulder.
I let out a sigh. The bed felt like it was going to suck me down into its soft abyss, but I didn't care.
There’s something I need to think about. I need to open my eyes.
But my body would not obey.Or was it my mind?
“I didn't know you had it in you. Very impressive. Though I would say martyrdom doesn't really suit you.”
That's when my eyes snapped open. Because that voice belonged to someone that definitely should not be in the middle of my cuddle session.
As soon as I opened them, I realized I wasn't in a bed at all. I was back in the throne room. It was filled with vampires, watching the scene unfold in the middle.
The scene where I…
A gasp was torn from my chest.
Aurelia sat there in her ripped dress and blood covering her body, holding me and crying. Vesper was on my other side, her face buried in my chest and her arms around Aurelia.
I was unmistakably dead. My entire body had gone paler than I'd ever seen it. My magic was seeping away from me into the floor below.
“I'm dead.”
“Well, you diddie.”
I turned to the voice, but the seer next to me was no longer a boy. He was almost as tall as me and looked well on his way to being a young adult.
“You’ve gotten taller.”
I don't know why that was the first thing out of my mouth, but it was the only thing I could think of. It was also one of the first things I said to Vesper when I saw her again, so maybe this was a full-circle moment.
He let out a laugh.
“The chains kept me in their control. The side effect was losing my ability to age. Thank you for freeing me.”
I looked back at my lovers as they cried over my body. My stomach twisted. My gut felt heavy, and my chest started to tighten.
