The evening after, I move towards the rendezvous point given by Theo. It is close to the castle and densely wooded. I turn my gaze to the castle. It's an enormous structure rising toward the night sky, surrounded by a tall wall, and a line of guards walking its perimeter. It is a perfect place for the three vampires to guard during the night.
Right now, I am nervous as I stand waiting for him. I know that I need to do this-things would be harder if I didn't. Yet, I can't shake the feeling of anxiety as my meeting with him looms ever closer.
"Kaiya."
I spin around at the sound of the familiar voice and smile awkwardly at him. Theo is dressed in casual clothes, which surprises me. He wears a short-sleeve shirt that reveals his toned chest and a pair of dark blue pants that fit him perfectly. He really is an attractive king. My heart skips a beat, and I shake my head. I am in trouble.
He strides towards me, and I notice he is also armed with two swords on his back.
"What's with the swords?" I ask.
"My generals advised me to always bring weapons with me since the attacks are becoming more frequent."
"I heard nothing about that."
He smiles. "If you are still my lover, then you will hear every detail of my life."
I turn my back on him and walk to the tree instead. I lean towards it and cross my arms. It is a sign of defense and control, especially when I can smell his lavender scent. Why, of all nights, is it too pronounced now?
"Theo, why did you call me here?" I ask, even when I have a purpose for meeting him as well.
He beams. "I have something to give you."
"You can just hand it to me wherever and whenever."
"I can't. It needs to be done under the moonlight."
He moves closer to me, and I grab tightly in my arms. I need to control myself. His gaze fell on my knuckles, and I was worried he knew what I was feeling now.
"I need your hand, Kaiya," he says.
Without a choice, I give my hand to him. He slips a ring on my finger. I take in a breath. The gold band glows and warms my finger. It is followed by a tingle that spreads throughout my body.
I look closer and realize that the ring glows with a soft blue light. I move it, and it shifts color based on the moon's light. Moreover, it pulsates red, then blue, purple, and red again.
I look up at him. "I hope there is no magic involved here? No bondage?"
He chuckles. "Tempting, but no. The only magic it has is its connection to the moon."
"So, if there's no moon?"
"It will be just a normal diamond ring."
"This is diamond?" I can't tell because it has a lot of changing colors.
"To be more specific, it is an altered type of diamond."
"I hope it is not expensive." He grins in response. "So, it is expensive," I comment.
"In the morning, you will see the Pitchford crest on it."
I stare, transfixed at the ring on my finger. Pitchford family crest? "This is too much..." My heart is an agitated mess. I need to take it off.
He notices my hesitation and moves to take my hands in his. I freeze, not sure what to do or say. He looks deep into my eyes, searching for something, and all I can do is stare back, feeling as if I'm standing at a crossroads. Should I accept? Reject? Or stay in the middle?
"It is not too much, Kaiya. You are my only family." He touches my cheeks and caresses them softly. I look away, unable to say anything. I feel lost.
"This is just a symbol of my love for you. I don't want to see you with anyone else but me. Not even in the future."
His words make me weak, especially when I am going to tell him that I need to remove my mark on him. I feel like I am drowning. I still can't look at him, so I look down at our enjoined hands. The ring burns in my skin as if it is trying to consume me.
Theo leans towards me. I feel his warm lips on my neck. "Kaiya," he whispers.
He pins me against the tree, and I can't breathe. And so I push at his chest.
"Theo, the vampire that we are looking for. It's been found on Owusu," I inform him.
He pulls back and looks at my face. He probably needs clarification about why I am saying it now.
"Gezer requests for me to be there," I add.
"You can't. I can't come with you right now. I just returned. Documents are waiting for me."
"I will go there without you."
"That will just hurt you. The mark is still active. I know, because I can sense some of your emotions."
"I know. But Inanna can remove werewolf marks, and I asked her to do it for me."
Theo's face darkens. His eyebrows crease together in a frown. He tries to step away from me, but I grab his shoulders to keep him in place. The tension in his body is palpable, and his eyes flash with anger.
He tries to pull away. "Theo!" I scold. "Stay!"
"Why?" he asks. Since he can't escape me without hurting me, he chooses to hit the trunk beside my head instead.
"Because I need to be there. Are you going to let the vampires leave without someone who can control them?"
"Of course not, but why are you going to leave me?! I thought your memories returned. You know how much I love you!"
"Shhh," I coax.
I touch his forehead to mine. He moves away at first until he slowly allows me to connect with him. I feel his body pressed against mine. He is angry, but he doesn't pull away from me.
"Kaiya, you are slowly slipping away from me again."
I press my hand against his chest. His heartbeat is erratic, like the wings of a frightened bird.
"Theo, this is important to me." I need to choose now. And right now, I realize I still want to be with him. Not as his lover, but just close to him. "But please know that I won't leave you. I won't escape you. I will return."
"I don't understand. It is from another kingdom. A different creature. Why do you need to go? Why do you need to remove your mark on me?"
I sigh heavily. We are just going in circles, but I need to compromise with him. Not an answer, but still… I am going there.
"I think I have forgiven you, Theo. All the pain, I am slowly recovering from it."
"You will become my lover again?"
"Not yet, but I can stay as a friend, as your warrior, as your companion."
"But you are my mate," he whispers.
"As you are mine," I reply. "But give me time to think about us."
This time, I lightly kiss his lips. Electricity runs through my body. Instead of smothering him, my hands go to the back of his neck.
Thankfully, his eyes are closed, as if in deep thought. At least, he won't be able to see my desire as I gaze at him. The instant he opens his eyes, I tiptoe and slide my tongue over his lips.
His eyes widen, but he pushes at me instead of answering my kisses. "Stop!"
I blink in confusion.
"Even if you kiss me like that, I won't agree for your mark to vanish!"
Ah! He thought I was doing this because of an ulterior motive. He didn't realize that I had lost control over my desires. The kiss was just another way of expressing it.
"Kaiya, you can't do this to me," he pleads.
"I am sorry." My voice is low but more determined. "But I need to do this, Theo."
He blinks twice, then shakes his head as if trying to clear it. When he looks back at me, there is an intense fire in his eyes and a lot of pain mixed in.
"Fine," he says. "Do whatever you want! Besides, what I think and feel doesn't matter to you anyway!" He retreats from me with unsteady steps.
"Wait, Theo!" I shout after him as he enters through the castle doors. "Theo!"
He walks away, and I am left standing outside. My fists clench with a mixture of sorrow, anger, and confusion. Part of me wants to run after him, but I am rooted to the spot. All I can do is stand there, watching him get farther away from me.