AMELIA
My eyes flutter open, squinting against the harsh light filtering into the room. As I move to shield my eyes with my right hand, I’m startled to find it stuck in something. Turning toward it, my eyes widen in surprise as I see Nickolas sleeping soundly on my hand.
A rush of confusion floods through me as I quickly scan my body, only to find that all my wounds are miraculously healed, with not a single scar in sight. It’s impossible. What the hell happened?
With a sense of disbelief, I carefully extract my hand from under Nickolas’s head, sitting up as I stare in awe at my fully healed body. The events of the previous night flood back to me in a whirlwind of memories, but none of them offer any explanation for this miraculous recovery.
“You’re awake,” Nickolas says, his voice tinged with exhaustion as he yawns, dark circles under his eyes. My gaze shifts to his hand, where I notice a
scar. Could it be possible? My brows furrow in confusion, but the thought is quickly dismissed as impossible.
Wetting my lips, I prepare to speak, but before I can utter a word, the door bursts open, and Beatrice strides into the room.
“You’re truly awake,” she says, her smile warm as she begins to examine my body with a small ball of water in her hand, which touches my skin without wetting it.
“How did you know?” I inquire, watching as Nickolas rises from the seat beside my bed and moves toward the door.
“I placed a spell over your eyes so I could know when they open,” Beatrice explains.
“Oh,” I respond, my attention shifting to Nickolas as he prepares to leave. I want to stop him, but the words seem to stick in my throat.
“Ouch!” I yelp suddenly, feeling a sharp sting on my shoulders. Beatrice smacks them.
“This is the last time I am ever going to save your life from danger,” she scolds, grabbing my ear and pulling it firmly. I grimace, placing my hand over hers to alleviate some of the pain.
“Do you hear me?” she demands, but her voice is filled with a hint of affection.
“Yes, I do. Please, let go of my ear,” I plead, the burning sensation in my ear intensifying with her firm grip.
“Better,” she says, sniffing as she releases my ear. “I’m so happy to see you doing better so fast.”Beatrice’s shoulders drop in relief, her eyes reflecting the same sentiment.
“How come I am?” I ask, bewildered by my sudden recovery from near-death so much I could take an ear pull from Beatrice.
“His Majesty,” she answers simply.
“His Majesty?” I repeat, raising a brow in confusion.
“He gave you blood as I drained you of yours stained with silver,” she explains.
“Nickolas did the silver cleaning treatment,” I say, shocked to the core that he would go to such lengths for me.
“Yes,” Beatrice confirms.
“Wow! I didn’t know he wished to kill my father that much,” I remark bitterly, feeling a pang of betrayal pierce my heart. He must’ve done it solely because of his desire for revenge, not concern for my well-being.
“I don’t think that’s why he did it, dear,” Beatrice counters gently.
“We both know it’s not because he cares for me, that’s for sure,” I retort, dismissing the idea with a bitter laugh.
“And what if he does?” Beatrice’s question catches me off guard, leaving me speechless for a moment. I stare at her like she just said the craziest shit ever, which she just did.
“Nickolas doesn’t give two shits about me. He only gave me his blood so I wouldn’t die and ruin his plans for revenge. That’s all,” I argue vehemently.
“Okay, if you say so, dear. But then explain to me why he risked his life to find the man who tortured you, even at the cost of getting attacked with oak tree venom. And despite the wounds he sustained from it, he was there for you when you needed help.” Beatrice challenges, her words striking a chord within me.
“What are you talking about?” I ask, puzzled.
“The night you had a nightmare, and Nickolas comforted you while he was injured,” Beatrice clarifies, her words sparking a revelation within me. Suddenly, everything falls into place-the day Nickolas comforted me while injured and why his wound wasn’t healing after he shattered the glass. It dawns on me that he must have been injured with oak tree venom. Even though days have passed, the effects lingered in his body. But one question remains: why did Adam use oak tree venom to attack him?
I want to ask Beatrice, but my mind is still reeling from the realization that Nickolas comforted me while injured-an injury that was partly my fault. The revelation leaves me stunned.
“Exactly, even you can tell he will only do that because he cares,” Beatrice says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I stare at her, conflicted and unsure whether to believe her words. Part of me wants to, but another part remains skeptical.
“I want to believe you, Beatrice, but it’s hard. Things between Nickolas and I aren’t that simple,” I confess, my voice filled with uncertainty.
“I understand, dear, but I am telling you this so you can keep your heart open. I wish to see the both of you happy together one day and all this quest for revenge done with,” Beatrice explains gently, her words touching a chord within me.
“I hardly doubt that day will come, Beatrice,” I reply, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me as I sink back onto the bed, lost in my thoughts.
Beatrice leaves me alone with my doubts, heading to the kitchen to prepare something for me to eat. As I ponder over her words, I can’t help but wonder if true happiness with Nickolas is even possible amidst the tangled web of revenge and deceit that surrounds us.
“I think she’s right,” Marie says, flittering into my mind.
“Or you wish she’s right because that means there’s hope for Nickolas and I to be a couple,” I counter.
“Maybe, but think about it. He didn’t have to kill Adam,” Marie persists, her voice gentle but insistent.
“I think he did since Adam wanted me dead,” I argue.
“That’s true, but he didn’t need to kill him so brutally, but he did. Where do you think all that rage he unleashed on Adam came from?” Marie counters.
“From the fact that Adam almost took his revenge from him,”
“No! Because he hurt you. We both know that’s why he killed him so brutally,” Marie insists, her words piercing through me with a sudden clarity. It’s a painful truth to accept, but deep down, I can’t deny that she might be right. Nickolas’s actions may have been from protectiveness over me, but our relationship remains fraught with complexity and doubt.
“But still, it’s not enough to say he cares about us. He might just be doing all these things because of the mate bond, not because he wants to,”
“That’s also true, but you and I know the mate bond can only make you want to do it, not force you to do it,” Marie reminds me, her words echoing in my mind.
“Yeah,” I agree with her, sighing heavily as I contemplate what it would mean if Nickolas truly cares about me. What it would mean for us. But for now, I decide to set aside my doubts and uncertainties, choosing instead to focus on the present and not burden myself with thoughts of the future until I know for sure.