| Abhiya FF - His Firefly | COMPLETED Chapter 108 Pg 88 - Page 50

superb chapter

uff both maithali & anshuman r same selfish greedy😡

they can do anything just to get power both r using each other for power😡

so anshuman was planning to get maithali's power since the beginning now he is waiting for another blood moon

hope abhay & his gang will finish that monster anshuman before he gets maithali's power

finally that anshuman killed dipianita👏

continue soon

Originally posted by: Supervampire

Thanks for update

I was waiting eagerly😊

Hope everything change in abhiya favour

Waiting a powerful attack on Ashu mam😀

welcome 🤗 let's see what transpires next

Originally posted by: cuteariya

superb chapter

uff both maithali & anshuman r same selfish greedy😡

they can do anything just to get power both r using each other for power😡

so anshuman was planning to get maithali's power since the beginning now he is waiting for another blood moon

hope abhay & his gang will finish that monster anshuman before he gets maithali's power

finally that anshuman killed dipianita👏

continue soon

thank you so much ❤️ let's see if they can get rid of this threat 😳

Chapter 92

A Second Chance

Piya slept as best she could through the low hum of the jet engines, curled up in Abhay’s lap. It wasn’t air safe, being without a seatbelt and all, but she had felt uneasy and wanted to be as close to Abhay as possible. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her anyways. The gentle rise and fall of his chest helped soothe her nerves, but sometimes the plane shook from oncoming turbulence, disturbing sleep. It was a bumpy ride. Her ears hurt again, cause yet unknown. Changing air pressures in the plane couldn’t explain it away. It felt like someone was poking at her eardrums with a sharp needle, just about to make them burst.

“Jaan?”

She wasn’t sure if she heard him. It sounded fainter than usual. Was it the engines, or the blanket bunched up around her neck and ears, blocking out sound? Perhaps she was half asleep. He had to say it again, for her to hear it properly. She blinked twice, rubbed her eyes, and looked up.

“Hmm?”

“Are you alright?”

She nodded, and took a moment to stare at him. It was dark inside, the moon shining outside the window on the other side of the aisle. Scattered clouds amongst the stars. His scent lingered. Her fingers grasped his shirt, and her nose buried itself between the creases.

“Never leave my side, okay?,” she whispered. Abhay nodded and touched her cheek. He took their pinkies, and entwined them.

“I won’t. Promise.”

The blanket of clouds disappeared above them as the plane began to make its descent. Though Piya wanted to stay in Vienna longer, she knew circumstances wouldn’t let them be at peace. They would only be in danger. And even then, home was near. Their home. She didn’t mind that either.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Dehradun certainly felt safer, in familiar territory. Nevertheless, it only took Abhay seconds upon reaching their doorstep to sense that an unwanted presence was inside the mansion. Piya leaned her head against arm, struggling to keep her eyes open. She wasn’t used to long flights at all, and wanted to sleep, but Abhay was hesitant to even enter the house. He pressed his palm against the wood of the door and closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed. The aura he was feeling was small, but similar to that of the enemy. His family was inside, yet it was quiet. Too calm. He grit his teeth and unlocked the door, pushing it open with caution. Piya sensed the tension in his body and held him tighter, almost hiding behind him.

As usual, their nights were lit with candles. But the lights to the kitchen were on, an uncommon sight in a house of vampires. Even more strange than that, was the smell of food, despite him telling them beforehand that Piya had eaten before reaching home.

“But I’m not hungry…” Piya muttered, taking a peek beyond the door frame of the kitchen. Abhay nodded. A foreign scent caught his attention as they walked closer. It belonged to the owner of the unusual aura. Piya shivered.

An otherwise normal scene. Haseena was there, to his surprise. Mandu was holding a bowl and spoon, Siddharth next to her and looking up at them, and a child sitting on the counter. Abhay couldn’t stop staring at the child in particular. He was frail and thin, small and aloof. Hungry. The unwelcome aura was coming from that boy, and Abhay was not keen on having one of their kind in the house. Piya looked at him and rubbed his shoulder. He stopped breathing.

“Abhay…?”

His fangs extended and he tore a chunk out of the door frame. Piya wasn’t safe here either. He stood a step forward, but Siddharth blocked his way before he did something rash. The latter was expecting some displeasure from the boy being here, from Abhay, but not this level of hostility. Did Maithili do something beyond just gracing that city with her presence? He didn’t have the answers to that because Abhay never gave them. He was always vague over the phone, a bad habit. He stopped Abhay from advancing further with his frame and pressed his fingers into both his shoulders. Abhay glared at him.

“Relax little brother, let’s talk outside.”

The boy started crying, seeing the glowing red eyes and fangs of an angry vampire. He was perhaps reminded of the trauma he once faced in that old cabin. Mandu tried to console him, without a word towards Abhay. She wanted to talk to him about this situation, but the time wasn’t right. Siddharth and Piya, now wide awake, cornered him in the living room, and Haseena advised Mandu to go upstairs to her room with the boy. She nodded and hurried away, the cries slowly drowning out from at least Piya’s ears.

“That child….what is going on?!” He shouted. The chandelier above shook from the gravity of his voice. Siddharth looked him in the eyes and rubbed his shoulders.

“I’ll explain. Come with us. Let’s go to the balcony.”

Abhay held Piya’s hand tight, naturally threatened with its presence after the attack on her. Even if it was a child, he might as well be a trap. Abhay’s ability to trust was wearing thin. The four went out onto the balcony connected to Abhay’s room, and Siddharth shut the doors behind them. No doubt he was seething with rage.

“What is a Vitael child doing in this house?!” Abhay shouted. His eyes began to blaze brighter, and his aura changed. Lest his rage manifest into something harmful, Siddharth first asked him to calm down.

“Control yourself first, Abhay. Relax. I need to hear what happened in Vienna first.”

“I’m not in the mood to divert the topic, Siddharth. That can wait. This can’t.”

Haseena stepped between them. Both brothers would continue to argue back and forth and stall the conversation if she didn’t step in. Abhay looked at her then at the hand still wrapped around Piya’s. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight again. The former stared at him sternly, arms crossed and gaze unyielding.

“Abhay, what did Maithili do?”

His body language was common for vampires who had lost control of their emotions. He was letting the beast speak and act for him, the beast that was likely angered with the sight of its beloved facing danger. Abhay sighed and slammed a fist into the railing.

“She attacked Piya. If I didn’t make it on time, neither of us would be standing here before you.”

The two looked at Piya, who looked shaken up but calm even still. Haseena nodded, and caressed her hair.

“Are you alright, Piya?”

“I’m fine.”

That was a lie of course, but the ringing of the ears ceased for now. At this moment in time, she was only tired, but nevertheless okay.

“She wanted my soul, so she tried to break the bond between mine and Abhay’s. But her spells didn’t work, so she tried to drown me.” She whispered. Her skin crawled with the thought of the cold water enveloping her body and filling her lungs. Abhay continued to glare out into the dark wilderness, hands crushing the railing marble to bits. It powdered the skin of his palms white.

“Your turn.” He muttered, looking at Siddharth with a more mellowed gaze. The red in his irises was gone, at the very least. Siddharth was doing his mood-lifting chuckle to himself, like he was about to deflect from the conversation. Or lighten the grave mood. Abhay was visibly annoyed.

You were really never good at that, big brother.

“Ironically, we saved that boy from drowning as well. A Vitael woman, presumably his mother, tried to kill him.” Siddharth squeezed his shoulder. “You know how Mandu is. We couldn’t get rid of him either. He’s just a little boy.”

“This could all be an elaborate trap. Maithili is no stranger to how much Mandu loves children.”

“We are not acting blindly, Abhay.” Haseena said. “I have warned both of them of the same. We plan to consult the council once he recov–”

“Estelle requested me and Piya to pay them a visit as well. We will go together, in a few days. If he proves to be a threat, I want no excuses.”

Abhay took Piya with him, and requested them to leave them alone. Haseena went to the study to read up on a related topic, and Siddharth went back to his room. He opened the door slowly, met with a quiet breeze on his face. Mandu was standing at the window, staring out with the child in her arms.

She was humming a song. Her lullaby.

He hadn’t heard that lullaby in a while. In her arms, she rocked him to sleep, humming the lullaby she used to sing to Vaibhav. It brought him back, almost. The sight looked the same, just the child was someone else’s, and the mansion more modern than an old palace. Wind blowing the sheer, white drapes around them, the closed and tranquil eyes of a mother, and a beautiful song that could dispel the most stubborn of insomnias. The boy looked to be at peace, eyes softly shut.

His heart began to melt, though he knew it wasn’t a good idea. Some dreams weren’t meant to come true, no matter how much they were within reach. He took a step inside, and Mandu turned with a finger over her lips. He smiled, and held his palms up. He closed the door with a touch of a foot.

Is he asleep?

Yes. He was a little fussy, so I tried the lullaby.

Siddharth nodded, and walked to her with hands in his pockets. Truth be told, even he was getting attached. It felt like those nights in their human lives again. His hands wanted to caress the boy’s head, like he was their own.

Don’t get attached, Siddharth. There’s too much uncertainty surrounding him, he thought to himself.

Mandu put him to sleep in their bed, her eyes refusing to waver away for even an instant.

“Is Abhay alright? What happened?”

“He’s on edge right now. Maithili tried to kill Piya two nigths ago, so it’s only natural he doesn’t want a Vitael in the house right now.”

This wasn’t surprising to Mandu, after the phone call that same night. She twisted the bedsheets in her palm and stared out the window.

“I will talk to him later. Is Piya okay?”

“She’s fine. A little shaken up, but fine.”

Siddharth shut the window and dimmed the lights.

"We'll continue this conversation in the morning, once they are well rested."

——————————————————————————————————————————

Piya was quite curious about the little boy. Like Abhay, she should have been wary of him. But he was just a little kid, a kid who had no one when they found him. Mandu was alone with him at the dining table, while the rest were in the study, discussing what to say to the council.

“Good morning Piya. Sleep well?”

Piya nodded, eying the breakfast on the table. It smelled like Abhay’s cooking, down to the toasted bread. She sat down next to Mandu, giving her an embrace. It seemed like ages since they last talked. The child sat atop the table quietly, playing with one of the table napkins. Piya looked at him closely.

How can a child be a threat to anyone?

“He’s looking much better than when we found him,” she said, trying to get him to eat. Piya showed a small smile and began to dig into her own food. “How was the honeymoon? Before….”

Her voice trailed. Piya took her hand.

“It was wonderful. Abhay showed me a good time…”

Out of habit of the phrase and memory, she blushed. Mandu giggled, and playfully pushed her shoulder. The boy began to stare at Piya.

“Hi…” She said, with a small wave.

“He won’t say anything….as of yet.”

Piya nodded, and looked at him again. There was slight bruising under his eyes where she would place the glowing red runes. She thought she saw faint imprints of the pattern. But Maithili didn’t have hers this young. She tilted her head out of curiosity.

“He doesn’t seem like a threat either.” She said. Mandu looked at her. “Kind of how Maithili wasn’t either, when she was younger.”

“Sometimes I forget that you’ve seen our past. You’re right. Even Maithili wasn’t like she is now.”

Mandu looked at the boy. Perhaps this was a chance to give something that she couldn’t give her sister. This little one didn’t have to end up like her. He could have a new beginning. He didn’t have to be like the rest of them. She was getting attached, no doubt about that.

I have a name in mind already, silly I know. But I’ll give it to you later, if they let you stay. I hope they let you stay.

awesome chapter

what happening to pia? why she is hearing voice?

hope there is nothing big problem

whatever happened in their honeymoon scared both abhiya😭

they r not ready to leave each other side

oh god abhay's reaction on seeing the vitael baby was scary😲

baby got really scared seeing the red eyes again😭

abhay is worried that baby can be trap for them

haseena siddharth & madhu got worried abt pia when they got to know abt the attacked

seeing madhu with the baby brought all the memories of their past & even siddharth getting attach to the baby

if council won't let the baby stay madhu will be heart broken💔

she even have name for the baby

just hope the baby isn't thread or trap for them

continue soon

Nice part

Continue soon

Thankyou for tagging me

Originally posted by: cuteariya

awesome chapter

what happening to pia? why she is hearing voice?

hope there is nothing big problem

whatever happened in their honeymoon scared both abhiya😭

they r not ready to leave each other side

oh god abhay's reaction on seeing the vitael baby was scary😲

baby got really scared seeing the red eyes again😭

abhay is worried that baby can be trap for them

haseena siddharth & madhu got worried abt pia when they got to know abt the attacked

seeing madhu with the baby brought all the memories of their past & even siddharth getting attach to the baby

if council won't let the baby stay madhu will be heart broken💔

she even have name for the baby

just hope the baby isn't thread or trap for them

continue soon

let's see if she's okay or not 😉 and what happens to the baby

thank you dear 🤗

Originally posted by: soniakhanna01

Nice part

Continue soon

Thankyou for tagging me

thank you and welcome for the tag 🤗❤️

Chapter 93

Tacet

Sunlight upon the eyes, a start to a fresh morning. Her eyelids fluttered open, hand above her vision, to a pale cream ceiling, shadows of an old fan spinning with dull creaks. Her legs and back ached from staying in one position for too long. She was far too big for the bed she forced herself to sleep on. Why was it so small anyways?

Our room doesn’t have a ceiling fan either. Where am I?

Piya rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up. A book landed with a thud on the floor, starling her. A girl much smaller than she was standing in front of the dresser, reaching for a hair tie that was just out of her reach. One hop, two hops, three. The door opened. The book lay open flat just behind her.

Mumma?

That little girl was her. This was another dream. A sweet memory disguised as one. Piya didn’t remember the more frivolous details of her childhood, like this one. An ordinary morning, anything but eventful. Then why now?

Sugandh retrieved the hair tie, picked up the book, and waved them both with a smile before her face. Piya touched her own hair as the younger version of herself got it ruffled. Some visuals didn’t stay in memory, but some sensations did. The birds chirped outside, taking flight when she turned her head. It was a crisp summer morning. While most of her friends were out traveling with their families, she usually stayed home. After Arnab made his exit from their lives, Sugandh refused to go out beyond necessity. Perhaps it was from the fear that she may run into him again.

“Mumma mumma, will you read me this story?”

“First breakfast, then we will read. Okay?”

“Okay!”

The two left, leaving the actual Piya to examine her old bedroom. This house only existed in her memory. Praveen had it sold after he took Piya in, though after much protest and tears from the latter.

Whatever is letting me see this again, thank you.

She stepped outside. The clock hands moved rapidly before her eyes. The sun had already set. Time moved differently in dreams. On the coffee table, the book about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, a drowsy Piya curled up on the couch, clutching a throw pillow to her chest and sleeping on one under her head, and Sugandh playing a soft rendition of the same excerpts of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony that she was intending to play for Jovan in the future.

What a coincidence. I was going to practice it soon too, mumma.

She smiled, and sat on a dining chair far enough from the two. But as the beauteous musician continued to play, the sound began to distort. It grated at her ears, like the tip of a knife piercing through.

It….hurts….

Red filled her vision. She placed her hands over her ears to stop the noise. It wasn’t her mother’s music. It was a demon’s screech. It didn’t want her to listen to the sound again. Her palms felt warm, slick and wet. Bleeding again.

I want to hear her. Please, please let me.

Sugandh looked at Piya. Not the one sleeping on the couch, the one who was watching them in a dream. Even her voice was faint.

“What happened, Piya? Can’t you hear it?”

—————————————————————————

It wasn’t only Piya that found comfort in the edelweiss hill. Abhay was in need of some solitude, and company with flowers doesn’t seem so bad. It was a part of their story, those fields of small white beauties. After a lengthy hunting trip, he took a minute to sit at the top, like they usually did.

While most of the flowers grew in bunches, there was one lone edelweiss next to some tree roots, far from the others. It wasn’t as much vibrant white as the others, a grayish white. as if it was wilting. He touched it with his fingers, and a petal separated and fell.

His fingers curled back, jaw clenched slightly. He stood up, stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, and went home. He didn’t look back. The remaining petals fell off behind his steps, dissolving into the soil like melting snow.

—————————————————————————

Unnerving nightmares always stole sleep from her. And she didn’t need it, frankly, when her soulmate would always be awake with her. She wasn’t that tired, to be honest. She had slept enough when she was recuperating. Abhay wouldn’t let her step out of bed for long until she was absolutely fine.

The bathroom door creaked. Piya shut the faucet off to see Abhay standing behind her. He had gotten messy. Blood stained his neck and backs of fingers this time. She dried her hands quickly.

“You’re awake, jaan?”

“Why are you whispering?”

He furrowed his brows and shook his head.

“I’m not. Are you okay?”

This time she could agree with him. Maybe she was just out of it. He touched her cheek with clean fingers, then washed up at the sink. Piya waited at the doorway, peeking around the door frame. Abhay smiled a little, a smile that could always cheer her up, and lifted her off her feet, twirling her once, then nipping her neck once. It made her smile. She poked his dimples out of habit.

“I missed this….,” he murmured into her ear. Piya blushed, and gripped the hems of his coat. It was bothering her, the distance, the additional layer of cloth that kept her away from touching skin, the excitement of being alone that was short-lived. It was selfish to think so in a time like this, but she couldn’t help it. The sound of her heart and her breathing gave it all away. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Maybe jet-lagged again.”

He smelled very nice, and his skin glowed. Vampires thrived with their charms when well fed. His hunt seemed to have gone well. Piya pressed herself closer, shivering at the growl that erupted from his chest, utterly charmed and entranced by him. The coat fell from Abhay’s shoulders to the floor, and his feet moved forward until Piya was pressed against the wall and he pressed into her.

A soft cobalt gleamed. Cold fingers teased her collarbones.

“Whatever it was, let me help you forget.” He whispered, grasping her tight around the waist, fingers sneaking down. They both had yet to taste total satisfaction. But Piya hesitated for a second out of embarrassment. Everyone was at home. They weren’t completely alone. “I only want you to remember me, nothing else…”

What if…we’re too loud?

Well, that would be more exciting, wouldn’t it? Trying to stay quiet?

A small flame ignited in his palm, and with a swipe in the air, the candles were lit. Just enough light for her to see him. It was that mysterious amount of light that made him all the more alluring to her. Truly an effect of a vampire’s charm.

The walls have ears. Let’s not give them an opportunity to hear.

He sat up in bed, drawing his little firefly closer to his darkness. Piya crawled into his lap, working through his buttons while her lips worked into a deep kiss. The shirt went down his shoulders and onto the floor. His eyes burned. His hold was unrelenting, full of possession. He cradled her head and back, fingers tangled in hair, and dipped her underneath him. He wasn’t taking off her clothes, he was tearing through them. The emotion was manifesting with more madness, and driving her just as crazy, through passion being previously deprived.

But the walls did have ears. Very good ones. She wanted to vocalize the pleasure, the loss of control, but each time, Abhay kept her quiet with a kiss. He was in control, and she loved that. It made the burn sweeter.

For each day of their honeymoon they missed, they showered each other with just as many kisses in return. Abhay’s taste lingered pleasantly on her tongue, and her measly attempts at love bites still marked his skin.

Still thirsty?, she thought to him.

You still haven’t learned a thing, jaan. Never tempt a vampire with their thirst.

I’m not tempting just any vampire.

She was hoping that would mean he would give in. But he knew better than to drink from her when his thirst had already been sated. All he gave her was a kiss on the neck instead of a bite, and a tighter hold around her waist as he slipped inside her.

“Abhay…”

“Shhh…” He murmured, locking lips together again. His tongue met hers, muffling the sound again. They were as silent as they could possibly be. Slow strokes to keep the bed from shaking. He let his passion and lust overpower both their thoughts and bodies. The shadows escaped his body and darkened the room, extinguishing candles, only letting his eyes shine. Piya couldn’t contain herself, and shivered violently. All she could see were his eyes. The darkness around them was her own blindfold.

“Just feel me….” He murmured into her ear. She felt his tongue flick her earlobe, followed by a tug with his teeth. She liked the dark, the uncertainty. Where would he touch her next?

“Mine….”

The clock continued to tick in the background. Soon, all was quiet again in the Raichand mansion. The sun was about to rise, but the two didn’t know sleep that night. Their marks touched, souls met, and bodies melted, in the strangest of times, just to steal back the moments they had lost days ago. They wouldn’t be able to steal any more time for a while.

Abhay had hope they would be free from this in the near future. For her sake.

This will all be over soon, jaan. I promise.

—————————————————————————

A silk black dress hung on the wardrobe door, one of Abhay’s recent gifts, flowing through Piya’s fingers. Supernaturals seemed to have a big thing for formality. Even a gathering as serious as this one required more sophisticated dressing. Everyone else was downstairs, waiting, only Piya was left. Her hands felt clammy.

They still don’t really like me. Since I’m human.

It likely wasn’t blatant hatred towards her, but likely towards the circumstance. She couldn’t blame them either. It wasn’t everyday that a human carried such forbidden knowledge. But at least her family was with her.

She checked her phone after changing, though there were no calls to expect at this moment in time. Everyone else was under the impression that she wasn’t due to return from the honeymoon until a few days later. Misha made sure everyone would refrain from calling until they came back, to make sure she and Abhay weren’t disturbed.

Abhay promised her some time with music tonight. Till then, she was about to become an unwanted center of attention, along with the Vitael kid. At least she had someone to share the stares with, though the kid didn’t deserve them. Born into this beautiful yet cruel world, yet to see happiness. The fault of a bloodline wouldn’t be kind to him.

She looked downstairs, clutching the fabric of the dress in both palms. Abhay always had impeccable fashion choices. They were matching with each other. He was standing to the side, away from the others. Eyes lifted, jaw clenched, and posture standoffish. It seemed he was still upset, and avoiding Mandu and the boy in particular. When he sensed her, he went up the stairs and took her hand. His eyes softened.

“Shall we?”

Piya nodded, and the family walked into the basement. The boy was staring at her from over Mandu’s shoulder, a curiosity filled gaze. Haseena pulled out a separate key, hanging on her bracelet, a key that could grow and shrink to hide and make useful. Into the keyhole it went, one twist, and she pushed it open.

It was a flame lit hallway, stifling from the accumulated heat. Heads turned immediately, stares of different colors and emotions. Piya and the boy were the ones who stood out. But the Raichand family was used to the stares since the beginning. Piya just shivered, and held onto Abhay’s arm.

She could have sworn a few of the vampires were looking at her like dinner. How did she know they were vampires? They all showed their fangs when she passed, but one counter glare from Abhay was enough to make them back off. The dominance of a Duralis vampire was evident in their body language after he threatened them with his eyes. Even Haseena, with her age and reputation, couldn’t surpass the presence he was given.

“At the end of the hall.” Siddharth said, pointing down the hall. The doors were large, touching the ceiling and spanning several feet on either side, and wide open. So many people were inside, none of them human. Yet they all looked like it, minus a few sirens with scaled-covered legs and fairies with their wings. It reminded her of an elaborate halloween party, the thought eliciting a chuckle from Abhay.

Why are you laughing?

Why not? Your thoughts are the only entertaining thing here.

The council was already seating before the guests, solemn and waiting for the scheduled time to arrive. Dragomir had the stone safeguarded on his person, inside a large velvet box. Upon Piya’s entry into the chamber, it began to glow beyond the confines of the container and blind those sitting next to him. He crossed his arms and watched her closely.

Piya knew someone from that side of the room was staring, but she chose to wave at Jovan instead, who greeted the Raichand family with hugs and smiles. Though he did stare awkwardly at the boy.

“I don’t understand.”

“You will soon.” Haseena said. Mandu nodded, ignoring stares upon herself. There was audible gossip, business as usual.

Behind the council, large steel cages, their bars pulsing with odd magic, trapped some more Vitael. Piya didn’t need to recall faces to recognize them. The chill up her spine was enough. They were all staring at her, irises burning with hatred and vengeance, but they looked weak physically. Before Abhay could react, the doors were shut tight, and a silence washed over. Everyone turned towards the esteemed council and waited silently for their word.

Dragomir shoved the box under his cloak and stood up. Hands behind his back, he began to speak.

“The prisoners you see behind us have revealed more of Maithili's intentions. They were captured from a recent attempt to claim a soul with the Mark of Celeste.”

Eyes immediately turned to Piya, most of those eyes unfriendly and annoyed. Just about anyone in this room could kill her without even blinking.

“Enslaving humanity with the intent to farm constant sources of power, and by extension ruling over us all. That is her broad goal.” He paused. “For millenia, us beings of the supernatural sphere have constantly been in conflict with one another, before The Circle was established. Bloodshed was widespread. Peace wasn’t known. Now, we live in a time where peace is commonplace, and it is threatened.”

If there was one thing supernaturals loved more than their immortality, it was their freedom, peace, and quiet. The vampires were already enraged at the thought of having their better blood source snatched from them. Less animals than people. Others didn’t want their cover blown and attention drawn to them. And by now, no one group wished to be dominated by another.

Piya assumed it was an ego thing. Abhay’s untimely chuckle confirmed this for her.

“With Nature in her hands, she can wreak havoc on the lifes of humans in countless manners, inviting fear and forcing them to submit to her and her kind in order to save themselves. We’re right after them. Hence, our first goal is to free Nature from her clutches, and we have the weapon necessary to do so.”

It was the stone, of course. Abhay lifted his head and made eye contact with Seraphina. He still wasn’t sure if they would return it to them, and neither was she. According to her, it would still do something, but it highly risked failure. Keeping it with Piya kept that risk at a minimum. But Piya could be easily killed. They couldn’t.

The only way is to have them tag along with us, she thought, leaning her cheek on a fist.

Dragomir didn’t show the stone in front of everyone, but he did stress its power. The Vitael in the cage began to cackle, which pissed him off. Their use was expended anyways. After he concluded, the cage ignited into flames, eating away flesh and screams into the void. They couldn’t remain alive, lest they find a way to inform Maithili. Piya ducked behind Abhay’s back, and pressed her nose into him to avoid gagging from the smell. The boy burst into tears from the noise, forcing Mandu to step outside in a hurry.

“That is all.” Dragomir concluded. “We will individually inform you of your assignments the following day.”

—————————————————————————

In the council’s private chambers, Mandu and Siddharth stood in the forefront, Haseena, Piya, and Abhay waiting patiently in the back. The boy was asleep in Mandu’s arms, slowly finding comfort with her. His small palms grasped the sleeve of her dress, mouth slightly open and drooling. Just like she had given birth to him. Dragomir tapped the table with his fingers and stared at the wiccan around the room instead. Both shared looks of discomfort, to varying degrees. Siddharth cleared his throat, and took a step forward.

“We found this child a few nights ago. A woman, who we think is his mother, tried to drown him. We took him in, not thinking about what he was. But we thought it necessary to inform you all.”

“And? You wish to keep him in your care?” Dragomir said, looking at the boy, and then the wish in Mandu’s eyes. She wasn’t trying to hide it in the slightest. “Very young, 2 or 3 at my guess.”

Mandu nodded immediately, then looked at Siddharth. A chair screeched against the stone floor, causing the boy to stir. Lachlan stood up, adjusted his glasses, and walked behind her. He could see the runes faintly imprinted on his skin. He straightened himself, and stood watching.

“This early? Hmmm….”

Seraphina tried to peek from her seat and placed her hands under her chin. She knew the two men were going to drag this out into eternity, and she wanted to go home. She also pitied Mandu, already losing herself in the love for a child.

“Frankly speaking, he doesn’t seem like a threat. You both found him around the same time Piya was attacked and nothing happened afterwards, hence the incidents seem unconnected. And lucky for him, this can be reversed.”

This raised the eyebrows of the entire family. Abhay stood up from his leaning position on the wall. Mandu’s eyes lit up, smiling in place of her lips.

“How? What do you mean?” Haseena asked, stepping forward. Seraphina smirked.

“He may have Vitael blood, but that doesn’t mean he has to give into their nature and methods of casting magic. He is young and free enough to escape it. He can be like us, though it won’t be without pain.”

The runes could fade and free him as long as he stayed away from Vitael nature, and learn magic the normal way when he became of age. But the process that unbound him from him would be painful when it came down to it. Mandu saw it as a second chance. He didn’t have to end up like Maithili did.

Seraphina recalled reading upon the subject when she was learning magic and its methods herself, in her youth. This would be the first case in decades to try it, an opportunity she didn’t want to let slip. Not only could she help a dear friend, but she could also excuse herself from these boring meetings.

“I would be more than happy to take charge of this task, if I may, Dragomir.”

Disgruntled, he waved his hand back in approval.

“Very well, I expect no mistakes from you, Sera.”

“Mistakes and me? Those don’t go together.”

Abhay scoffed in the corner. She shot him a glare while Piya nudged his arm. But Siddharth and Mandu were lost elsewhere. The hope they both had didn’t fall apart. Maybe happiness was right around the corner, starting with this young boy.

“You are dismissed.”

It was time to go home, with their new addition. Mandu held him just a little tighter, trying to hold back tears. In his ears, she whispered something. A name, a name that connected her past and future. Keeping the starting letter as ‘V’, she chose a name to commemorate a new beginning, for the three of them.

“Vihaan.”

—————————————————————————

Just like Abhay promised, they spent the remainder of the night in the study. There was one piece they hadn’t yet played together, the one that only resided in the little recorder. She wanted to hear it with the reverb of the room. Not a recording.

“Shall we start?”

She played each open string, and shook her head.

“Can you help me tune first?”

Abhay nodded, and gave her the key for each string. She had some trouble tuning this time, and even Abhay looked concerned. When she thought it was okay, he shook his head.

“I think it’s slightly off. Can you hear it?”

Piya looked at him like a deer caught in headlights, then stared at the floor for a minute. She didn’t see an issue, but how could she deny his unnatural hearing?

“I’m….not sure.”

He stood up, and asked for the violin.

“May I?”

Piya nodded, handing it off to him. He handled it as gently as a feather. It didn’t take long, and Abhay took his seat. With a shared nod, they began to play, and as enjoyable this pastime was for the two of them, he noticed something was off with her playing. It wasn’t in time, and a little quiet. Perhaps it was a lack of practice. They had never played this piece together before after all. It was a spontaneous choice.

It doesn’t sound like you.

Piya’s perspective was different. She thought Abhay was out of time. The sound was there, then it stopped. She thought maybe the bow in her fingers stopped moving, and by extension Abhay’s fingers. But her arms still moved. Abhay's lips were moving, but the sound wasn’t reaching her ears. Something felt warm. His expression looked horrified. Her precious violin slipped from her fingers, as her head spun. There was nothing to hear, only darkness to see, and the cold floor to feel.

In her dreams, she was drowning again. Body limp, chain bound around her foot, just like that night. Surrounded by water, deeper and deeper into the darkness of the sea, bound against her will. Pressure was building around her head and in her ears, until even her screams fell deaf to her ears. A silent cry. She had lost something dear. It was too late to stop it.

Originally posted by: simply.meghana

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