Chapter 4

I stared at the beautiful scenery that is Lake Como. My sudden departure in France was unplanned and the next best thing was Italy. I've always wanted to visit this place. I wanted to get married here; not that it'll ever happen. Not a lot of people share my fate, and not a lot of people actually pass my impossible standards. 

I received a text from my manager, Ric. 

It's done. He received your letter in the morning. He left with his brother at noon and didn't ask about you.

I sighed, feeling relief. That's a good thing. 

Still, I didn't understand what happened. I was more than certain our souls were bonded. How else could he feel that I'm alive? If we were never bonded, why are we connected? He claims that angel blood flows through his veins, meaning that spells don't affect him; that's an acceptable reason. The only person who could clarify this is Yves. I suppose paying him a visit wouldn't hurt.

I dialed a contact from France who could help me get intel on Yves' whereabouts. He's the same person who helped me keep tabs on the people I cared about. It rang a couple of times before he finally picked up the call. 

"Well, well, well," he says through the line, "Long time no call, Aubrey. So, to what do I owe you this pleasure? You have a job for me?"

"I need your expertise, Christopher. Find out what you can about Yves Siemens," I replied, "There's something I need to discuss with him."

"I'll see you soon, princess," he says before hanging up. 

Christopher is a six-hundred-year-old vampire who thrives on being a PI and an assassin. That's how he makes his millions. He works alone and gets the job done. I met him a few years ago before I bought the hotel in Paris. 

My thoughts wandered back to the letter I wrote as a last goodbye. 

Hey,

I wanted to apologize for disrupting your life. I never intended for that to happen. All I wanted to do was break the bond that tied you to me. I was going to undo the spell discreetly on the rooftop without having to bump into you. As it turns out, we were never tied in the first place. 

I was selfish to want to check on you. I guess there's still humanity left in me. I just want to say that I'm proud of what you've become and what you've built for yourself. I really wish we could stay friends, but being friends with someone like me would only put you and your family in danger. 

I will be fine on my own. You don't have to worry about me anymore. I've always wanted immortality anyway. So please don't come looking for me. Move on and live an amazing life. It's time you put me in the past and focus on what's ahead.

I apologize again. Thank you for caring and for being such a loyal and good friend. You're family to me and I'll never forget you. 

With love,

Aubrey

Thinking about it makes me sick. There were so many things I wanted to say, but my mind went blank. Even if I did say what I wanted, what was the point? We can't rewrite the stars. Our lives are made to go on different paths. 

"Well if it isn't Aubrey," a familiar voice came from behind. 

I turned to face her and it was none other than Amihan—a person who shares my fate from my bloodline. She's much much older than me. She's taller and she has lighter skin. She was born way before the colonization of my country, and she was once regarded as a princess. 

"Amihan," I bowed my head lightly in respect. 

She stood beside me, watching the lake. "I heard you risked your life by meeting with "that" boy," she says disapprovingly, "How many times do I have to remind you of the dangers that you bring? People like us—we don't get to come back to our old lives. Our families and our friends are all gone. We can only move on and meet new people."

"I know," I replied. 

"So why did you?" she asked. 

"Because I wanted to break the spell I cast when we were kids," I replied, "That's all I wanted to do. As it turns out, the spell didn't even affect him. We were never bound. But that doesn't explain the connection we have. He could literally feel that I was alive and I kept dreaming about him; I thought that's all because our souls are tied. He says he has angel blood."

Her eyes grew wide and the calmness on her face faded into worry. "Angel blood? He has angel blood flowing in his veins?" she questioned, "People like them are dangerous, Aubrey! We may not have any effect on them, but they can—if gifted—use their abilities on us. We come from darkness; they come from light. Put that in your head."

"Do you know why we have this connection?" I asked.

She shook her head in response. "I can't help you, Aubrey. I'm sorry. This is as far my knowledge goes," she says, "Now, I have to warn you. Stay clear from people like them. We are indestructible, but they can easily destroy us if their God allows them."

Amihan is right. If they are people of light then we ought to stay away. If they could destroy me and the other dark worlders, it's best to avoid them. I will do that. I just need to get some information first. Once I've got it, I'll steer clear for good. 

"I'm serious, Aubrey," she says, "If you continue meeting with them, it could cause a war. People from darkness are meant to stay away from people of light. People like them hunt werewolves down and stake vampires for fun. They even started the witch trials that massacred thousands if not millions of witches all over the world. They hate us."

"But you and I are simply immortal. We don't kill people for food," I argued, "Why would we be in danger?"

"Because demon blood flows through our veins, child," she explained, "That's all they need to take us out."

"Have they ever killed an immortal like us before?" I asked.

"No," she replied.

"Then we have nothing to fear," I said, "We can't be killed."

She sighed heavily, shifting her gaze from the lake to me. Something about it wasn't right. There's something she's not telling me. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

"The Siemens are a dangerous linage, Aubrey," she warns, "They were the founders of White Veil—an organization dedicated to "protecting" humans from people like us. By doing so, they kill any unfortunate soul they could find. As for us, since we can't be killed, our people are kept to suffer in their prisons."

"What?" I questioned. 

I couldn't believe it. The Siemens? I've known them for quite a while. They were good people. And if they are what Amihan claims them to be, why haven't they slaughtered me? They had every opportunity to do so. They could've easily sensed me. Why spare me?

"That's how ruthless they were," she continued, "Because of that, people like us created our own organization—Dark Oaths. We dedicated our lives to protecting our own. For centuries, there's been a war being fought. Although now we're not fighting, it doesn't mean that we've achieved peace."

"You never mentioned the Dark Oaths before," I said, "What is this? Some kind of sick joke?"

"You woke up one day and became what you are. You've got vampire friends doing your dirty work," she says, "And you can't grasp the information I just told you? What kind of chosen kid are you? None of these things are a joke. I wish it was. But this, child, is our reality."

I won't lie. This is pretty cool. I'd be lying if I said this whole thing doesn't excite me. Human life was so boring. If I do die because of those so-called "White Veil" it would be a cool way to die. My life has just gotten a whole lot more interesting.