Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 267: Chapter 267

Her instincts screamed at her to jerk away from whatever that was causing it. She didn’t. Instead she remained put and continued to focus on that spot beneath her ribs as the feeling heightened.

The pressure unfurled, spreading throughout her chest and her limbs in faint, luminous threads. She gasped softly as awareness expanded beyond her body.

Her awareness heightened even more. She could feel the possum’s weak pulse, its sluggish heart beat as it fought hard to keep itself alive.

Its soul burned quietly like a small flame, easy to snuff out. But no matter how hard it fought, death was inevitable.

Circe’s breath caught.

"I feel something," she whispered.

"Describe it," the woman said calmly.

"It is the feeling of straps being unfasten," Circe said. "I can feel its soul slowly untethering itself from the body. Like it doesn’t belong there anymore."

"That is the process of death," the woman replied. "It is not merely the absence of life but it is also the process of a soul releasing itself from its confines."

Circe opened her eyes. The glow along her arms was visible now, thin lines running up her skin like veins. "If I can feel it," she said, "then I can stop it. Can’t I?"

The woman was silent for a moment.

"Try," she said at last.

Circe stood. Her legs trembled, but she ignored it. She reached toward the possum, careful not to touch it, focusing instead on that quiet flame inside.

She let instinct guide her as it was yet to fail her. She gathered the pressure in her chest and pushed it outward.

The possum’s chest now rose and fell more strongly.

Circe’s eyes widened. "I did it."

For a moment, it looked like she had succeeded but then after a while, the soul resisted, pushing back against her power.

The sensation was immediate and jarring. Her magic responded to the resistance instantly. What had been a gentle push suddenly became a violent surge, as her power furiously burst out of her.

The possum twitched, a thin sound escaping its throat.

"Circe," the woman said sharply. "Stop!"

Circe froze. The glow along her arms flared, then sputtered.

The possum went still again and the flame within it vanished completely.

Circe staggered back, nausea rising fast. She barely registered the woman steadying her before her knees hit the stone.

"I—" Circe swallowed hard. "I don’t know what just happened. I thought I was doing well."

"It was bound to happen," the woman said blandly.

Circe clenched the fabric of her dress tightly in her fist to ground herself as the last echoes of magic faded. Her pulse pounded painfully in her ears.

"You said I could try," she accused.

"I did. How else are you going to learn that death is inevitable, even for the most powerful beings that claim to be immortal. For now you can only slow its arrival, not halt it permanently."

Circe looked up at her, anger and shame twisting together. "I killed it."

"No," the woman said firmly. "You delayed the inevitable and made its passing more difficult." ƒreewebɳovel.com

The words landed heavily.

Circe dragged in a breath. "Then what was the point?" she demanded. "If I can’t save it, why show me this at all?"

The woman moved to stand in front of her now, close enough that Circe could feel the full weight of her presence.

"Because your power is much more complex than you know, so much so that you can spend an entire lifetime learning and you still wouldn’t fully understand it." She said, voice gentle. "This lesson is about understanding when not to interfere."

Circe clenched her jaw. "That sounds like an excuse."

"It is a truth your mother never learned," the woman replied quietly.

Circe flinched before she could stop herself. The mere mention of her mother evoked long buried emotions within her.

Her aunt turned back to the still form of the Possum. With a subtle motion, she brushed two fingers over a portion of its fur that wasn’t stained with blood. There was a brief shimmer in the air, so different from Circe’s magic.

"Watch," she said.

Circe felt it immediately. The woman did not force her magic on the animal. Instead it coiled around the last lingering traces of the possum’s soul that was already fading. Her magic worked to coax it out of the body gently, and allowed it to unravel fully.

There was no resistance from the animal.

"You tried to bind what was already leaving." Her aunt explained.

Circe swallowed. "And you?"

"I eased its passage," the woman said. "That is all my magic allows."

Circe looked down at her hands. The faint glow was gone.

"So what can I do?" Circe asked softly.

The woman studied her. "That is what we will spend many lessons uncovering." Then her back straightened and she turned to stare at the path they had taken to get here.

Circe felt the pull of wakefulness tug at her.

"One more thing," Circe said quickly. "You never told me your name."

The woman’s gaze held hers and the look that crossed her eyes told Circe that the omission had been very intentional.

"Names are very precious to our kind. Offering up your true name to someone is the same as submitting yourself to be bound to that person. I doubt you would appreciate all that it entails."

Circe could feel herself fading. "Then what should I call you?"

"Dena."

That was the last thing Circe heard before the light faded.

She jerked awake, her heart racing as she tried to steady her breathing. The room was dark, and for a moment she struggled to remember where she was. Just as her distress rose, strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against a warm, solid body.

"Shh, you’re alright. You’re here with me," he whispered against her hair, his hand moving slowly along her back in soothing strokes.

She breathed in the familiar scent of sandalwood and leather and began to calm, recognizing him instantly. Gradually, her breathing slowed as the panic ebbed away.

He held her for a while longer until her eyelids grew heavy and sleep tugged at her once more. This time, she knew she would not be summoned.

He kept her resting against his chest as she drifted, the steady firmness of his body only helping her relax further. Just as she began to slip back into unconsciousness, she heard him murmur something under his breath. The words were so soft she could barely catch them through the haze of sleep, but it didn’t matter. In that moment, she felt cherished.