I could still hear the banging and screaming outside the door as Anastasia tried to break through it. I could hear her desperate calls of my name. It filled with misery and heartbreak. Victor winced and walked away. I pulled Alex into my embrace and placed her soft cold lips against my bleeding cut.
"Alex," I whispered into her ear. "Come back to me, please."
I clung onto her tightly, willing her to drink from my blood as if it was the only way our souls could merge and become one. But her unresponsive lips still rested on my shoulder. Not a slight lap of the tongue was taken place.
"No Alex, don't do this to me," I said as desperate tears welled up even more.
For a moment, I didn't know what to do. My mind went overdrive. Millions of thoughts flashed back and forth. Memories of us together in the past few months jumbled inside my head. They kept rushing in until I lost my grip on reality. And just like that, I was transported back to the time where Alex and I were together.
"Will you be my rose princess?"
Her golden voice resonated like blissful music in my ears. The heart-warming memory made me smile in spite of myself. I said the only thing I longed to say for the first time.
"I love you."
Suddenly, I felt light-headed as if I had just channeled the most powerful energy out of every cell in my body. Then a slight tickle on my skin broke my train of thoughts. The tingling feeling rushed through my core as a new realization of Alex weakly nibbling on my skin.
"Oh my god," was all I could utter. This time, tears of worldly joy liberated themselves from my eyes. The taste of my blood awoke her senses. I could feel the tiny tips of her fangs finding their way into my willing flesh. Their sharp edges poked through the soft tissue of my skin as my love was becoming alive again.
Everything started like a miracle. Alex was growing stronger as she kept feeding on the blood from my veins. Her soft velvety tongue lapped over my skin. How I longed for this wonderful touch. By now, I no longer felt the throbbing pain. It was nothing but bittersweet joy.
Until the chill seeped into my body, I realized I was being pulled into the realm of nothingness myself. I tried not to let go of Alex, but my hands and eyelids felt too heavy. No matter how hard I fought to stay awake, the last light inside me slowly began to fade.
Chapter 46
Alexandra
I was drifting beyond this physical world of time and space. Until all my senses were wide awake, like the first blossom of spring. Like a spark of music to wake me from this endless dream. One touch at a time formed a sensation. A burst of electrifying jolts brought back fragments of my thoughts one by one. My hands wrapped around a small frame of someone. I felt like a newborn, suckling with hunger and wants.
Ravenous growls echoed from the depth of my stomach. Sinking my teeth deeper, I wanted to get more of this blissful liquid taste. It was like sweet nectar or rich ambrosia to my thirsty mouth.
For some reason, everything felt wrong to me. Something about a glowing effect that I couldn't see yet it was there, like a candle that wipes out darkness. It was stronger than the craving.
I could smell the familiar scent that floated in and out my nostrils. The wonderful taste I knew all too well was blood itself. But there was something about the pressure against my skin, and the soothing warmth that radiated into my body. I could have ignored everything and let my monstrous side took over. But my heart was pounding in a frantic tempo as if it was trying to find another rhythm that matches its own.
For the first time, I made a conscious effort to open my eyes. Once I succeeded, it felt as though I was swimming in the sea of dizziness and buzzing sounds. The world seemed askew to me.
I found my hands entangled with the soft silky hair that I felt familiar with. They were still roaming over the smooth flawless skin longingly. I was drinking from someone's blood, and not just anyone. Even without looking, I could feel how important this person was to me. The one and only person my heart ached for.
Then the sight of bright crimson blood appeared to my hazy eyes. I began to panic. With my newly recovered strength, I unclenched my jaw, ignoring the sweet delicious smell. At last, I was able to pull the sharp long canines back inside and unhooked my mouth from the desirable taste.
I looked around myself, noticing the fresh blood dripped down my chin. Then I was faced with the most unimaginable moment in my life. Avery's pale beautiful face was inches away from mine. Her skin was almost icy cold against my body. It was obviously from the loss of too much blood. I gasped, dropping my blood-stained jaw, losing my voice to shock. Tears burst out from my eyes as I realized the whole time I was drinking from her. Her blood awoke me. No, not only that, her whole presence did. Her essence, her loving soul had found me in the sea of emptiness. But now here I was, holding her empty self in my arms like that of a cruel predator I always was.
I wanted to scream until the world comes crumbling down on me.
Chapter 47
Anastasia
I punched one of the royal guards hard. He stumbled back and yelped in pain. I kicked the other in the stomach and flipped another off my back to the ground. My hands twisted his hand at the joints until I heard a crack. The poor guard cried on the floor. I was mad with anger and heartache.
By then, no one dared to touch me anymore. Their fear of getting hurt like their fellows was visible on their hard faces.
"Your highness, please forgive us. We're only following the order," they apologized, bowing in surrender.
"Your job is to do as I say!" I yelled. "Now open the freaking door now or I'll rip all your heads off!"
"But Grand Duchess Alexandra..."
"Now!" I said, rushing at a blinding speed to one of the royal guards and lifted him off the floor by the throat. My eyes were ablaze with a burning rage. If anything happened to Avery, I wasn't sure I could stop myself from destroying everything in sight. The other guards looked at each other in nervousness but then they decided to move to the steel door.
"Open the door for her highness," they ordered their comrades from the inside.
At last, the entrance went ajar. I pushed them aside and spotted Avery from across the hall. I couldn't feel any more frightened than when I saw Alex holding the girl with her face buried into her neck.
"Alex no!" I shot off like there were rockets fired from my heels. All I knew was I had to stop my sister. Her not being herself after coming back to life was predictable and dangerous. I didn't have the time to feel relieved seeing my sister alive again. Not when Avery was lying on the bed completely still. Her face was too pale for a human. Alex's shoulders seemed to shake, but I couldn't see her face.
I rushed over and grabbed Alex by her shoulders, pulling her away from Avery. She wouldn't budge. Alex was probably in a frenzy feeding that she no longer recognized anyone.
"Alexandra, stop!" I cried and looped my arms around hers before I dragged her away with all my might. She got off Avery at last, but then she turned around and snapped her teeth at me. I blocked her crazy bites, trying to shield her off. Victor came to help me, but Alex swatted him off like a bug. He went flying across the room. Other vampires stood by, too afraid to intervene.
My sister wasn't as strong, but it was obvious she had lost her mind. And madness made her vicious and uncontrollable.
"Alex, it's me!" I yelled. "I'm your sister, Anastasia."
In a split second, a flash of recognition crossed her feverish eyes. Then the madness began to subside as if memories seemed to catch up with her.
But after a moment, Alex's tears rolled off her cheeks. Her face contorted with confusion and regret.
"Av...Avery..." she finally formed her first word. Her face turned into a terrified shade. "I killed Avery."
With those words, my heart stopped. I pushed my sister off of me and went back to the sleeping girl on the bed. Alex also came to Avery's side. Her hands shook visibly as she brought them to her lover's blood-drained face.
"Oh god, what have I done?" Alex kept sa
ying over and over, shaking her head to herself.
"Avery sacrificed herself to bring you back," I said in a whisper. "She let you drink her blood so that you could wake up."
"Oh...stupid girl..." Alex cried then she turned to look at me. "Why didn't you stop her?!"
"I tried!" I said. "But she didn't listen."
"Anastasia..." she swallowed hard as she looked at me. Tears streamed down her cheeks without ceasing. "Anastasia please, you have to turn her for me."
I wanted more than anything to make Avery open her eyes again. But the truth was, the girl's last breath was gone. Her link to this world was completely broken. And worse Alex refused to accept it. I felt like the earth had stopped spinning.
"Alex...she's....she's gone. I can't turn her." I shook my head in despair. The venom had stopped her heart. And even if I gave her my vampire blood, there was no guarantee that she would turn.
"No! Avery is not dead! You have to try! She's my life. I can't lose her. Oh, Anastasia, please!" Alex begged me through her tears. "If you don't change her, I will!"
"You're not strong enough to do it, Alex," I said. "You might as well kill yourself!"
"I don't care! It's better than living without her," she sobbed.
I had never seen my older sister cried so much, not even when we saw our family being murdered.
I bit my lips, and with the deepest, most horrible pain of losing the girl I had loved, I had to go against the truth. They say miracles won't happen twice, but I prayed against all odd, that this time was an exception.
I brought my wrist to my mouth and slit it with my sharp teeth. Blood gushed out once again, dripping furiously onto the bed. I lifted Avery's head from the bed and put my bleeding hand to her mouth. Trying to get as much as blood into her system was almost impossible. I had to make her swallow. I withdrew my hand back. Alex frowned at the interruption. I ignored her and sucked my own blood from my wrist before feeding Avery mouth-to-mouth. Her lips were as cold as ice against my own. This once lively skin was unresponsive against mine. All the while, my sister was watching with a desperate look on her face. I didn't stop until my blood spilled back up as a sign Avery could take no more.
I pulled myself away, breathing harder than ever.
"Avery, my dear love, please wake up. I need you here with me," Alex cooed at her lifeless lover as she stroked her cheek. "You know how much I love you, please, don't kill me this way."
My sister picked up the love of her life, her whole essence and eternity. She held her against her sobbing chest, rocking back and forth as she whispered pleadingly in her ear. My feet felt wobbly as I tried to stand up and stepped back from the devastating sight. I couldn't find anything more heartbreaking than the tragedy of a lover. And then my knees buckled. I collapsed to the floor and the whole world spun around me.
As I stared up into the void of loss and grief, I knew this was over.
Chapter 48
As I sat inside an open-air gazebo, I watched the salty gentle breeze blew over the palm trees. Above the clear aqua-blue water, I watched herons filled up the tropical plants. Others went soaring in the high blue sky, going out of their nests for the morning hunt. Little birds chirped away over the blinding white beach.
I breathed in the fresh humid air of serenity and tried to soak up the new reality I was thrown into. Then a musical voice drifted through the gentle wind. A new rush of vibrating zeal burst through my veins. I knew that sweet delicate tone. My face lighted up into a smile, already anticipating the presence of my other half.
"Alex!"
I stood up and turned around to find a stunning girl in her beautiful pink pastel dress. It flowed and rippled over her elegant frame down to her knees. She pushed the sunglasses up her straight nose and adjusted her straw hat on her wind-blown hair.
"You're up too early," Avery said as she ran up into the gazebo towards me. I opened my arms and welcomed her onto my embrace. Avery hurled herself at me, and I stumbled back. She just forgot her newfound strength again. We collapsed onto a loveseat together, buried ourselves in the soft pillows. She giggled and took off her straw hat, letting her dark brown hair flow over her slender shoulders. I took her sunglasses off and gazed into her bright violet eyes. They sparkled and danced like precious gems.
The thought of Avery being a newborn hadn't crossed my mind until I witnessed her human qualities slowly magnified. Her natural beauty became so enchanting to the point it took my breath away every time I looked at her. Though I always thought she was beautiful as a human, I had never seen her more graceful and lively like she was now. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gazed at me with a smile plastered on her alluring lips. I looked back at that doll-like face of my lover.
For a moment I found myself unable to speak. I was speechless from all the contentment that life bestowed on me. I thought this only existed in fantasies, but now reality was better than my dream.
I had decided that my whole existence would come to an end when I thought I had lost Avery forever. But the fate always has a way with irony. Then again, I would never trade for anything else in the world. Avery was worth all my pains, my tears, and most importantly she was worth my love.
"Good morning princess," I said. Avery cocked her head as she hovered over me.
"Shouldn't I be the one to say that to you?" she said.
"In my heart, you're the real princess," I said. "The princess I've been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl."
"You and your honeyed words."
“Don’t hold back if you want to taste them on my lips,” I said. She tipped my nose playfully with her index finger.
“Who said I want to?” she pretended to scoff back. I giggled. Unable to curb my affection for her anymore, I started trailing kisses over her neck. Avery squirmed away with a shy yelp.
"Aw Alex, stop!"
"I can’t, my love," I said, tightened my arms around her waist to keep her from moving. "I want to make sure that you are real and not my own imagination."
"It's already been months and you still couldn't get used to it?" she teased me back. "I think you're slower than usual ever since you woke up."
"Well, I just think it's better now that I can have sex with you every day of the month," I said with a smirk. Avery's mouth flung open. She slapped my arm.
"You're such a pervert!"
"Ouch," I said and then started tickling her. Avery screamed and laughed in my arms, begging me to stop. When I finally stopped, I kissed her on the corner of her lips. Avery smiled and took my face in her hands and kissed me back on my forehead. I wanted more, but she pulled away and sat up again. Avery still had that beautiful blush. This one thing never changed.
I put my arms around her and lifted her legs up, pulling her onto my lap. We sat looking at the blue sea before us, listening to the waves crashing the white shore. The memory back in Russia seemed like a distant star, burning so far away, yet at the same time, it was always there.
I remember how it almost killed me with all the pain and grief she put me through. If it wasn't for Anastasia, I wouldn't have been here with my Avery. Speaking of Anastasia, I had no idea how she coped with everything. I hadn't seen her since Avery was back. But I still owed my sister this for the rest of my immortality.
It did take Avery longer than usual to turn. Yet she completed the transition at last. I remembered how bright her eyes were once she woke up. It didn't take long for her to recognize me. Of course, there are consequences that come along when you cheat death. But Avery accepted everything with bravery and calmness. It was as if her humanity was still her strongest forte. It was still a shield that protected her from the harsh reality. Her compassion prevented her from giving in to the inner demon of our kind. And I couldn't be any prouder.
"What are you thinking about, Alex?" Avery whispered, noticing my distant expression.
"I'm just so thankful that you came back, Avery."
"Likewise." She smiled, stroking my face. "I'm so very happy to have
you."
"Aren't you afraid of what you are now?" I said, brushing her wind-blown hair from her face. As I could tell, she was still having a hard time dealing with the craving for blood. She still had the temptation we all shared, but again, Avery refused to drink from humans at all cost. I guess Anastasia was a big influence on this part. No matter what, my sister still had a place in her heart.
I stared at Avery's twinkling violet eyes. Her impossibly long black lashes shaded them from the rising sun. Then she looked up at me again.
"With you, it's different," she said. "No one makes me feel so safe like you do, Alex."
A smile stitched across my face. I kept staring at her until she blushed again. But her eyes shone brighter, and she looked so content in my arms. I knew it was time. I pulled out a golden box from my pocket. I'd been waiting for this moment a very long time and that made me a bit nervous. My hand shook a little as I held the tiny box to her.
"Give me your hand," I said. Avery's angelic face turned to me and then at the object. Then her blank expression vanished, replaced by the new realization.
She gasped.
"Oh, Alex!" Avery cried, looking astonished. I opened the gold box, revealing a shiny diamond ring. It flicked brightly like rays of rainbow against the light.
"It's so beautiful," Avery whispered.
"That's my mother's wedding ring," I told her. "Now it's yours."
"Oh my god, Alex!" she breathed as joyful tears welled up in her eyes. I took her hand in mine and slipped the ring on her tiny delicate finger. It fit so perfectly. Then I put her palm against my chest as we stared at each other.
"Vot moe serce. Ono polno lubvi, here is my heart, and it's full of love."
Avery smiled with pure happiness and then she leaned forward to place her soft lips on mine. And the kiss was like no others before. It was divine, nothing to do with lust or sexual means. It was only the innocent craving of two bonding souls. A kiss that had overcome the darkest of the deep empty space. It was like falling stars in the night sky, a burning flame, and frosting ice. Like pure spring water from the mountain dew. This is what you dream a kiss to be. We would have a kiss just like this every day, forever and always.
The Romanov Sisters Page 17
