The Curse Of A Stranger's Gift 24 Lingering Emotions

Vladimir's body was shaking uncontrollably. Something inside him was uncoiling itself to slither from his deepest subconsciousness, allowing some sparks to crawl in his nerves. The moment he saw his sister writhing in pain with those wires connected to her temple, he shattered into pieces and his fragments stayed afloat, unable to move on.

Before he knew it, he was pounding the tube. In his mind, nothing was more important than to release her sister to such pain. However, no matter how strong his punches were, it did not put a single scratch to its surface. His brow knotted as he bit his lips. He refused to stop. This wouldn't be the end of his sister. They'll still be together and this time around, he'll make sure to do his responsibility as a brother.

Alic moved her fingers. Her eyes were closed tightly while her brows creased. What made Vladimir froze was when he heard her sister's voice inside his head. It seemed so near, yet so far; it reverberated past his cells.

"Brother! This is the way it should end. You must stop now. Father needs you. You must promise me to stay by his side. You're all he's got."

He clenched his fist. "No, Alic! I refused. This isn't the end. We could still fix this. Just let me." He's catching his breath as his veins throbbed; an electrifying shock shot through it.

"No, brother! You must awaken father. He's been asleep for a long long time."

"I don't understand you!" he shouted, "Why are you trying to man who gave you nothing but pain?"

"Because I know he needs help. He's not the man you know, brother. I've seen who he was and this wasn't him. He needs help from a son he awakens... from a son he brought to life."

"I will never help a murderer." He gritted his teeth before sending series of punches to the tube. He could sense a vibration in his fingers but he ignored it; as well as his sister's constant pleading.

"Listen to me, brother! You weren't supposed to live. You're dead the instant you're born. You only survived because he risked his life to let his Royal Blood flow in your veins. Don't let my death ruin your relations.h.i.+p with your father."

"Shut up!" he yelled; a distant memory started playing inside his head. He was once subjected to an endless battle inside a tube filled with red liquid. He could see it clearly inside his head as though it happened yesterday. "Stop it!" A wound started manifesting in his knuckles as his punch intensified.

"Remember it, brother. Remember."

"I said shut up!" Suddenly, his hands were surrounded by a fierce wave of water. He did not notice big cracks danced in the gla.s.s as the water crashed to it; he's way too immersed with his internal battle.

He would never ever consider helping that man. Alic's mind might be full of wisdom, but she's still a child. She's overlooking his father's wickedness by the notion that everyone could change. Even if that's the case, it would never justify his father's desire to acquire more power. Now he understood why he's intent to subject Alic in this. She's way too powerful for her own good. Telepathy was and has always been the rarest gift. It operates solely in the minds and unless the bearer has more techniques in store, she'll never be able to use it.

On the opposite side, Zayne was piqued by the surge of energy filtering in the air. She has been busy pus.h.i.+ng some b.u.t.tons in a rectangular table. She believed that it contains the code that would open all the tubes. However, she's having a hard time combining letters and numbers.

Her eyes widened when she saw Vladimir's body surrounded by ferocious water. Although she's now mortal, her senses were still on its highest peak as well as her gift. It allowed her to protect and defend her husband. What made her heart grew erratic was when the potion started draining from the deep cracks of the tube, and it would be fatal for Alic. She'll die out of suffocation. As long as the wires were still patched in her temple, her life depends on it.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" She tried going near him but the water pushed her towards the wall. "Vladimir, you'll kill your sister. We can still find a way." Her hands tried reaching the nearest test tube. The only way he would listen was when he snapped out of his sister's grasp. They've been communicating for way too long that he could not notice the changes in his body.

With all the strength she could master, she throws the test tube to his head. Her efforts were futile, though. The test tube broke even before it could touch him. Her breath hitched when the water strangled her to death. Sweats streamed profusely from her forehead as she trashed to get away from it. As she lost the clutch of the small strings binding her life, the water vanished and Vladimir plummeted to the wall. The king was holding his neck. It was then that she saw Vladimir's eyes; its gold crystals were splashed with a deep ocean color.

It's clear that he couldn't feel the king's grip. His face remained blank, making her s.h.i.+ver. He looked like a ferocious wolf ready to pounced anyone who obstructs his way.

She gulped when Vladimir raised his hand; a ball of water hovered inches to his palm. The king looked at it for a moment and an evil grin curved his face while he waits for him to attack.

"Get out of my way!" Vladimir said before hitting his father on the head. The impact knocks him on the ground. His voice echoed in Zayne's consciousness; she didn't know she'd live to see a vampire who could control elements. If telepathy was rare, this ability wasn't possible 'till now.

It was too late for her to warn him when he faced his palm to the tube. For a fleeting moment, nothing happened, until the water burst towards it. The king screamed as its fragments flew in the air, taking Alic' s body with it. Some of the sharp pieces of gla.s.ses pierced her body, but it was nothing to the excruciating pain inflicted on her as the wires exploded.

The time must have stopped as her body landed on the ground. Her mouth parted, releasing a wild gasp before it closed and her life fades away.

"You killed her, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" the king bellowed, his hands were clenched while he glared at him.

Vladimir's eyelids drooped. A great deal of his energy was drained out of him. His knees wobbled, throwing him off balance. He groaned when his face hit the ground. He's breathing rapidly while cold sweats filled his body.

Zayne's eyes were then filled with tears. It was hard for her to see him reached out for her sister's hand. He'd gone through a lot of miserable things but starting today, he'll face his life with the weight of Alic's death. She hoped for him to not feel remorse.

When Vladimir's successfully touched her hands, a spark like no other danced inside his head. He sighed deeply. The world around him started revolving. It was suffocating while the surroundings rumbled in a heap. The ceilings dropped, a bolt of lightning danced in it. He closed his eyes when everything fell towards him. Its heaviness pressed him deeper to the ground.

The cold hand he was touching was the only thing giving him hope. Even when the world ends he'll never let go of her. All of a sudden, it became warmer. His brows creased; her fingers moved a little. It was then that he realized the weight has lifted.

He raised his head only to see a lady with golden strands of hair covering her face. She's lying facedown to the ground. It was a stranger. His eyes wandered to the environment and he found the diamonds on the wall blinding. Where was he? He stood. The pain was still there, too. However, there weren't any bruises nor scratch in his skin.

He shook the lady. "Hey, wake up! Where are we? Where is my sister? Hey!" When she didn't budge, he kicked her.

She groaned. "What is your problem?" Her hands ma.s.saged the lower region of her stomach. "Don't you know that it's rude to kick someone?" Her body felt sore. It's like she'd met death. Her heart was throbbing and so as her head.

"You tell me where we are, young miss! In case you don't know, I'm a prince!" He glared and pointed her.

"Huh! I'm a princess. You have no right to point your filthy hand at me." She stood, looking at him from head to toe.

"I'm going to pluck your eyes. Stop staring at me!" He bent to be level with her.

"And I'm going to pull your hair so hard you're going to whine." She balled her hands.

A voice from behind them made them stop. "I hope you two know you look pathetic right now." Eleanor was leaning on the wall with crossed arms while giving them a boring look. "Anyway, I don't care. Just a piece of advice, Vladimir. Prepare for your coronation next week." With one sweeping look, she walked away from them.

That's when they realized who and where they were.