CIAN

I am more affected by the sweet, innocent kiss than I thought. I can still taste her honey-sweet nectar on my lips. She is a delicious treat—a gift from the goddess, and I don't even know how it happened.

I hadn't intended to kiss her. I only meant to help her, but once I held her in my arms, there was no stopping us.

What is this feeling? What is this pull? She calls to me deep within my soul. I want to know her. I want to hear her every thought. I don't want to be separated from her.

My heart stirs in a way I haven't felt for ages. But then, she passes out on me, falling into slumber, and I scoop her into my arms.

I cannot take advantage. I cannot be crude or improper. I need her to want me. I need her to crave me. I want her to feel the way that I do. To feel this burning passion.

Should I have used some more of my human abilities to woo her instead of my vampire capabilities? I didn't mean for them to come on so strong. I didn't mean to put her to sleep. I only meant to slow things down, so I could think.

I was so startled by her openness to kiss me, her willingness to be with me, that I panicked. I froze up. I faltered and rendered her unconscious. Now, I regret everything.

If only I would have just let her be. Then, what might have happened? What would have transpired if I had let things unfold naturally?

I clasp her lantern in one hand as I carry her down the hall. The only sounds are the soft padding of my feet on the crimson carpet. The castle is silent.

I push her door open with my shoulder; she hadn't even bothered to latch it. I make my way into her room, where it smells like her.

Honey and lavender. A sweet, dreamy aroma. Sweet like her—beautiful, light, and comforting. I gently place her on the bed, pulling the covers back before tucking her in.

I set the lantern on the bedside table and put it out, not wanting to rouse her. I don't need the light to see in the dark, but it would have looked strange if anyone saw me carrying a girl to her room without it.

She has some books and parchment on the bed stand. I fumble through them, impressed. I knew she was into the Di'an, but I had no idea how much work she put in.

This woman clearly loves mythology and ancient civilizations. She has tremendous notes and ink smudges in the margins of her books. I can feel the passion as I look at her scribbled notes.

I am amazed at how much information she has collected on the Di'an. No one ever pays them any mind, except for brief inquires into their goddess. The civilization is all but lost, but she won't let them go. She works hard to keep them alive.

I admire that. I find it endearing and inspiring. The way she holds onto things of old. The way she sets her mind to work for something that she never even knew. It's intriguing. I want to know more about her.

To see my homeland through her eyes, the eyes of a stranger, as it was a millennia ago. It fills me with warmth. In my first life, before the prophecy, when I was fully human, that's how I used to see these things. They used to elate me and draw me in. They used to inspire me.

I see that in her. The thirst for knowledge. The thirst for truth and the past. I look at her sleeping body and smile. Where has she been all my life? Why has it taken so long to find someone so true and pure?

It's literally been hundreds of years since the Di'an disappeared.

I was there.

Everything has changed: the landscape, the houses, the people. Everything but me, and now, she comes around? She wants to know the truth. Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to her.

Time has changed so much. Everything is different than it once was. I am a crusty, old vampire, stalking the underbelly of a castle, who has given up on life, but now…now…

I look over Adeline, sleeping peacefully in her bed, and I am reinvigorated. I am renewed.

She has something special in her. Something that reminds me of the Di'an. Of my past. Of that peace I once knew. At first, I thought it was just the students here, and their recent studies into The Di'an Dulaine, that had truly awakened me, but now I know. It is her.

She is what woke me, not the mere interest in my past. Perhaps something bigger is at play. Is she truly a descendant of the Di'an? Could she be the key to fulfilling the prophecy? Could she be the goddess reborn?

I’ve been mistaken in thinking I found her before.

I sigh as I study her.

I never put much stock in that goddess’s prophecy, and after a thousand years, I never truly believed it would come true. But is she the answer?

I smile as I move toward the window, pleased that I found her and that she is attracted to me. I reflect on the kiss, and a part of me swoons.

While she was the one who collapsed, it was my knees that went weak. I tremble at the thought of her lips on mine.

I could have this girl eating out of the palm of my hand in no time, and if she has the power, she could name me king of all. I cannot let this opportunity pass me by. I must take full advantage of this.

Glancing out the window, I see a hulking figure beneath the trees, and I recognize him immediately. Ronan. My brother. He glares up at me in the darkness, his lips spread thin as if he is snarling at me.

"Get the hell out of here." I mind-link with him.

Ronan doesn't respond. He just stares up at me like I'm making the biggest mistake of my life. There is so much disgust and contempt in his gaze. I shake my head and turn away. I am doing nothing wrong.

Forget him. He has no power here, and he agreed to leave the castle to me. I will let him fall back into the shadows. I don't need his judgment.

I think back to the night I walked into Adeline's dream. I purposefully set out to seduce her. Everything was going fine until Ronan showed up.

Adeline was jerked awake from her dream before I could finish winning her heart. Before I could fade her memory so that she wouldn't recognize me in person. My brother ruined everything.

People tend to get frightened by powers like that. Which is why every time I see her, she flinches. She knows something is going on.

But the feelings she had in those dreams would have surfaced once we spent more time together. If only Ronan hadn't interfered. Damn him!

Adeline snores softly, and a slight twinge of guilt enters me. I'm conscious of the depravity of my actions, which is hard to handle.

How can I be like this? Why am I this way?

I look at her slumbering body. She seems so peaceful. So pure. What am I doing?

I shake these thoughts away. This is about breaking the curse. This is about something bigger. I'll do anything to see that happen. I'll do anything to see this through.

Though sweet and beautiful, Adeline is just a means to an end. She will save us from this stalemate. She will be the reason that everything falls into place. She will prove who is the proper king.

Still, as I look at her, I feel weak. A small tremble courses through me. I feel an urgency. Some kind of inner warning that I can't quite figure out. It's making me anxious. I wonder how long I should stay. Should I even still be here? I look around the dark room.

I can still feel my brother's presence outside. I snarl as I dash back toward the window. I sneer down at him, my jaw tense.

"Stay the hell away from her. She is mine." I force myself to sound terrifying. I am not a monster he wants to mess with.

"I know she is the priestess. I can feel it in my bones." Roanan's voice echoes in my mind.

"So what if she is? I've already claimed her."

"I will fight for her, too. The battle is on, brother. Prepare for war."