Chapter 86: Bonded
My vision swims first in flickers, then in great, rolling waves. Each step forward is agony, but I force myself toward her, the thing that once had a human name, Aafje. I sneer, my teeth bared, watching her writhe in the prison of my illusions, her mind trapped in eternity’s nothingness, her spirit screaming in the endless void I made for her.
But my luck has run out. The pain in my side is a burning brand; blood soaks my shirt, sticky and hot, too much for any human body to lose. I stumble, my sword heavy in my hand, and nearly fall. Desperation claws at me, so I grab the hilt, using it as a crutch to keep myself upright.
That hesitation, that moment of weakness, is all it takes. I see it in her eyes—the flicker, the focus, the light flooding back with murderous intensity. A gasp escapes me as she shakes off the last of my illusion, her black eyes burning into mine.
Her hair moves around her head like a crown of writhing snakes, alive with malice and hunger. She stands tall, regal, her skin pale as fresh snow, blood still drying on her claws. She smiles, teeth too sharp. Her voice is smooth, triumphant, every word slithering into my ears.
"Heu, puer, paene perfecisti. Primus es, qui ad me occidendam mille annis accessisti. Sed iam artem tuam novi; iterum non fiet."
["Wow, boy, you almost did it. You are the first human to get close enough to kill me in a thousand years. But now I know your trick. It won’t happen again."]
She licks her lips, eyes lingering on me like a wolf sizing up a wounded deer.
"Potuisses multo amplius fieri."
["You could be so much more."]
My heart hammers, my blood pounding in my ears. I can barely hear the frantic sounds behind from the rest. I know they can’t help me. No one can. I’m alone with the monster and once its done with me it’ll move on to them, and I can feel death’s cold breath on my neck.
She leans in, her face inches from mine. Her smile widens fangs glistening with blood.