The Love of a Vampire

Chapter 4

As Micah left the restaurant, her grandfather looked at Mr. Velasco apologetically. “Please forgive her attitude, Wilson. We never had the chance to tell her about the engagement. She probably just needed time to process everything. Don’t worry, we will talk to her tomorrow.”

“It’s alright, Isaiah. Micah is but a woman and they tend to handle things differently.” Mr. Velasco replied.

On the other hand, Vincent was glancing at the doors where Micah stepped out off. He was having an internal conflict about whether to follow her or not, but he gave up the thought because he knew it would only anger Micah more.

“I’m sure Micah will come around, Wilson. She’s my daughter, after all. Why don’t we discuss their engagement party? Now that we’re all here, I think this is the best time.” Mrs. Clark added.

“Are you sure Mom? Shouldn’t we wait until Micah cools down?” Mrs. Clark turns her head to her son. “Micah has always been like this. She needs time to think and, after that, she will learn to understand that all of this is for her own good.”

Michael was displeased by his mother’s answer. “Is it?”

~~~~~~~

Micah reached home past midnight and, surprisingly, their house was still empty. Shaking her head, Micah thought little of her importance to the family. She remembered when she was fifteen, Arci had an argument with her family and ran away. They looked endlessly for her; every time she did that they would always look for her. But this was never the case when it came to Micah.

She only ran away once and when they found her, they made sure she wouldn’t think of running away again. Micah entered the house and went straight to her room. Staring at the bed, she let herself fall on it, face first. The thought of running away again crossed her mind, but she couldn’t underestimate her family’s ability to track her and if found once again, she had limited means to protect herself. And there is no telling what her family would do once they got her.

Micah closed her eyes and the memory of her encounter with the vampire crossed her mind. She felt frustrated that she didn’t get to see his face and what was more frustrating was letting a complete stranger, an infamous blood-sucking killer, molest her body. She snapped her eyes open and rolled over her bed facing the ceiling with a deep frown on her face.

“Molest is such a strong word, besides, I bet he used some sort of magic on me to prevent me from reacting, but why would I think I enjoyed it? What?!!! Urgh!!!”

Micah rolled her body once again and buried her face on the mattress.

“Why? Micah, why? You never let any man near you or even touch you, but you let a vampire --“

“Aaarrrrggh.”

Standing by her bed, Micah sighed. She started stripping and stepped into the shower to cool herself down. As she stepped out of the shower, she stood before the mirror and stared at her reflection.

“WHAT THE HELL?!!!!!!” Micah’s voice was loud in their empty house as she stared at the mirror in horror.

Scanning her neck and her back, red spots were all over the area and even on her shoulder. “Sh*t!!!! That son of blood-sucking bitch.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm her raging anger, but instead, she remembered what was done to her, including the inexplicable sensation she felt as his lips touched her skin. Micah groaned, running her hand through her hair roughly.

“Okay. Micah, calm down. You can just heal it, alright. Calm down. There is nothing you can’t heal. Okay?” Micah thought to herself, breathing in and out with her eyes closed.

Micah focused her healing magic on her body to heal the red spots that the vampire stranger left on her body. Gently opening her eyes, she was surprised to see them still there. She walked out of the bathroom and took her phone from her purse.

“Hello?”

“Arci?”

“HEY!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!! COME HERE, YOU DEVIL WOMAN.” Micah rolled her eyes at Arci’s loud voice, making it too obvious that she was at a bar and clearly drunk.

“How do you cover a hickey?” there was a long pause and the only thing she could hear is the music playing in the background.

“A what?” Arci finally spoke; she sounded baffled.

“A hickey! I got hickeys all over my neck and I don’t know how to get rid of it.” Micah said through gritted teeth. Looking up, she saw her reflection in her full-length mirror on the side of her closet, making her sigh in annoyance. She is reminded of that vampire every time she looks at it.

Micah glared at her phone when she heard Arci holding back her laughter before saying, “I guess your dinner did turn out well, considering that you had hickey all over you.”

“Puh-lease. This was the worst dinner I have ever attended. My parents are marrying me off to Vincent Velasco. Wow! Who knew? Their idea of a graduation present is like no other.” the sarcasm in her voice was evident, but the dreadful thought of marrying Vincent Velasco was replaced by the events that happened after that. Micah told Arci the rest of the events that had transpired and she squealed upon hearing the last part. Micah held the phone away from her ear.

“Okay, THAT was the hottest thing you’ve ever said to me since diaper days.”

Micah rolled her eyes. “You still haven’t answered my inquiries.”

“Oh, it’s just a hickey. You can always heal it, duh.” Micah squeezed her eyes shut trying to contain her irritation. “Do you really think I haven’t tried?”

Arci gasped. “Maybe because he is a………you-know-what and they are experts with their mouths.”

“Do you still have that concealer I got you? It was a perfect shade for you and it was expensive yet you’re not using it. I guess this is the perfect time to use it. I suggest you do that in the morning if you’re already going to bed.”

Sighing, Micah replied, “Thank you, Arci.”

Once again she stared at her reflection and a smirk played on her lips. “It’s not like I committed a crime.”

Micah changed into her nightdress and climbed on the bed where her thoughts of the vampire cuddled her to sleep.

~~~~~~~

The next morning, Micah fluttered her eyes open, her breathing fast as cold sweat ran down from her face. It was the same nightmare again. Someone is pulling her deep in the water and no matter how much she wants to be free, she can’t.

Micah closed her eyes trying to steady her breathing and calm her racing heartbeat. With one last sigh, she finally calmed herself down and that’s when she heard noises downstairs. As she looked at the clock on her bedside table she gasped. “Shoot!!!”

Today is her meeting with Queen Amara and she only has less than thirty minutes to get ready. After the quickest shower she ever had in her life, Micah slipped into her royal blue dress and dried her hair.

She didn’t bother looking in the mirror as she only had a few minutes left. Micah descended downstairs where, surprisingly, her entire family was having a joyous breakfast. They all went silent at the sight of her. Ignoring her family, Micah was about to leave when her mother stopped her.

“Where did you go last night?” Micah turned her body around and frowned. “I think it’s rather too late for you to concern yourself about that. Seeing as not even one of you came looking for me.”

“Mind your tongue, Micah; that’s your mother.” Micah eyed her father, then she sighed, “I just went for a walk. Now, if you’ll excuse me----“

“A walk? Then what are those marks around your neck?” Micah had forgotten about them and she didn’t expect those marks to stay till morning. Well, how could she possibly know? She had never had a hickey before.

“I’m single. Of course, I can fool around with anyone.” Micah replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“You shameless child!!! What will Vincent think if he learns about this?!!”

“Mikaela, that’s enough.” Mr. Clark throws a warning look at his wife before turning to glare at his daughter. “Micah, you are engaged to Vincent. It has been decided.”

“It has been decided, by who? Why am I suddenly engaged? As far as I know, NO ONE has EVER proposed to me yet.” Micah was trying her best to keep her voice calm, but the anger was still evident in her voice.

Micah shook her head and sighed. Lifting her head, she held a stern look on her face. “I’m off to my appointment with Queen Amara, so, if you’ll excuse me.”

She turned around but was stopped when her mother raised her voice, “WE’RE NOT DONE TALKING YET YOUNG LADY!!!”

Micah turned her head to look at her mother with a blank look on her face, “I’m sorry to break this to you but I’m no YOUNG LADY anymore and I wouldn’t want to make the queen wait just because I was dealing with such pointless arguments.”

Mrs. Clark wanted to say more but her husband held her back. She snapped her head at him and frowned. “Do you see her attitude? What happened to her?!! What will the Velasco family say if she continues to act like that?”

“Stop it, Mikaela.” Micah’s grandfather finally spoke. He was quiet the entire time, silently listening and observing while keeping his eyes on the newspaper.

Placing the newspaper down, Grandpa Clark took a sip of his coffee and lifted his head to look at his son. “If you add fuel to the fire, it will only burn all of us. Soon, there will be a full moon. Give her the chance to find her soulmate and if she can’t, then she’ll have no choice but to marry Velasco’s boy.”

“What makes you so sure that she would just give up, Dad?” Mrs. Clark asked.

“Micah’s been walking around on a full moon looking for her soulmate. She was sixteen when she started that and now, she’s twenty-three, she’s on the verge of giving up. Have it her way for a while.” Grandpa Clark replied, unfolding his newspaper once again.

“But what if she finds him?” Mr. Clark asked. “Accidents always happen, son.”

~~~~~~~

Micah lifted her head and gazed upon the castle of the Kingdom of Magic as she stood in front of its doors. Sighing, Micah held her purse tight and entered the castle.

“Lady Micah Clark? Queen Amara and King Damien are waiting for you in the conference room.” Micah nodded her head and followed the woman to the conference room. They walked past a carpeted floor to a corridor of portraits which she recognized as the previous Kings and Queens of the Kingdom of Magic, as well as the portrait of the most powerful sorcerer of all time; Amaria. It was said that she created the element guardians.

“We’re here, my lady.” The woman bowed her head and left. Micah sighed before knocking on the door gently. The doors opened, revealing a spacious room with a long table in the middle, a long couch, and a traditional 1800s interior.

“Welcome, Micah.” Queen Amara greeted her with a broad smile on her face.

Micah bowed her head and kept her head down as she replied, “Forgive me for my tardiness, my queen. I got held up at home.”

Queen Amara smiled. “I know.”

Micah gently raised her head and that was when she noticed that, aside from the queen, there was one person present in the room. By the looks of it, she is not a member of the ministry.

“Shall we?” Queen Amara extended her arm to the couch. Micah nodded her head as a response and followed behind the queen.

“We wouldn’t keep you long, Micah. I know you have a ball to attend this evening, at the palace.” Queen Amara said as they got settled in their seats.

“I never knew there would ever a chance that I'd get to step into the High Kingdom and at the palace more so.” Micah replied.

“You have to get used to it because, as our royal representative, you will be required to attend meetings at the palace in our absence; that includes the Queen’s Summit, the Festival of the Moon, and many more.” Micah nodded her head; unsure what to say as she was almost too overwhelmed by her job description.

“Would you like some tea? Coffee? Juice?” Queen Amara offered in a welcoming and queenly way. Micah can’t help but smile and feel a sense of belonging as she sits close to the ruler of their kingdom.

“An orange juice would be nice.” Queen Amara smiled. She swirled her hand and a blue-colored butterfly came out. Blowing the butterfly away, it flew through the door, making Micah frown with curiosity.

Queen Amara started discussing Micah’s role in the ministry and in the kingdom. As a royal representative, she would lead the ministry meetings and the affairs of the kingdom alongside the king and queen.

As they further discussed Micah’s role, she came to understand why Mr. Velasco, seemed rather displeased at the thought of her being a royal representative. Because being one is almost the same as being a regent.

“I hope it’s not too overwhelming, Micah. We really wanted you to help us build a stronger and more peaceful kingdom.” Queen Amara said and, on that note, the woman who led Micah to the conference room came back with a tray of drinks for them.

Micah held her glass of orange juice and was fascinated by the butterfly-shaped ice on her glass. The butterfly is not melting. It was as if it was there to keep the orange juice chilled. Micah then understood the nature of the queen’s magic.

But she is still wondering why Queen Amara is still alive even after giving birth to her children. A sorceress is said to die once she gave birth to an heir because her powers will transfer to them, but how is she still alive? For a sorcerer, magic is their life force. If they run out of magic, it would put their lives in danger, but why is the Queen of the Kingdom of Magic still alive? Does it mean that her power is immeasurable? Those questions were running wild in Micah’s mind, and she didn’t realize she was staring at the queen.

“Is there something wrong, Micah?” Micah blinked her eyes upon hearing Queen Amara’s voice. She shook her head apologetically. “Forgive me, my queen. I just had a lot of questions.”

Queen Amara chuckled. “I can see that. Ask away.”

“Your majesty, how are you still alive despite the fact that you’ve given birth to two children? I mean no offense….I just….”

Queen Amara smiled. “None taken, Micah. Everyone asked me the same question and, honestly, it was thanks to the mercy of the High Queen. Women from our kingdom no longer bear their child inside a magical rosebud, instead, we carry our babies inside our womb.”

“I don’t know what the High Queen did. All she told me was I no longer have to worry about dying in childbirth and that the kingdom has been reborn.” Micah nodded her head in understanding.

“It’s such a shame that I cannot see the Garden of Life. I heard about it during our lessons and, since then, I have always wanted to see it.” Micah commented with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“The Garden of Life is still here but there are no seeds anymore. Oh, I forgot to introduce you to Agua. She is the caretaker of the Garden of Life till the last seeds blossom.” The woman who was silently sitting beside Queen Amara smiled and extended her hand to Micah.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Micah.” The woman said. Micah accepted her hand and frowned as she pulled her hand back. She stared at the woman in front of her.

“What’s going on?” Micah thought. She felt a surge of energy flow from Agua’s hand to hers. It was as if she was absorbing her life force. “I don’t have that kind of ability.”

Micah knew that Agua felt it too, but looking at her, Micah got the sense that Agua knew what was going on.

“It’s time to tell her, Amara.” Micah’s frown got deeper as she looked at the queen and then at Agua.

Sighing, Queen Amara said, “This isn’t the only reason why I called you here today, Micah. The main reason why I summoned you is that Agua wanted to meet you. Do you remember your graduation? You asked us what was going on. Now is the time for your questions to be answered.”

Queen Amara turned her head to the side, giving Agua an encouraging nod. Agua sat up straight and said, “Micah, we have summoned you not only to become the royal representative of the Kingdom of Magic but also, to be the next guardian of the water element and its realm.”