Arlo’s POV

I watched her as she drifted off to sleep. Her face was so peaceful and I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. It wasn’t like I would get a chance to watch her sleep every day.

The way her coral lips were slightly parted as she breathed in and out. Her cheeks had a natural redness to them and her violet hair added to her allure. Even from this distance, I could hear her steady heartbeat. It was thumping rhythmically as it soothed my senses.

And her smell was beyond anything I had ever smelled. It felt divine, just out of this world. Not that I would ever try to drink her blood or ever harm her by any means. But I would be lying if I wouldn’t say that I did wonder what her blood would taste like.

Her arm was bleeding when they had brought her in earlier and I had to hold my breath for a while to avoid the scent of her blood. It dripped on the floor behind her as Zeph carried her in with Kilamin at his heels.

I had just recovered from the hallucination episode. Dria and Ayrden were sitting with me. Arden rushed to Zeph’s side: "What happened?" she inquired completely shocked.

"She fainted after her battle, her energy drained I guess," Zeph told her in a stiff voice, his face contorted with worry. I couldn’t help but stare at her. She seemed so helpless right now.

Soon Mariela Sensei arrived and told everyone to leave. She needed quiet and wanted her to be in a peaceful environment. She believed Serene’s senses were at overload because of being under constant stress and pressure. Zeph didn’t want to leave her side, I could see the anguish on his face but Mariela Sensei sent everyone out including Dria. She pecked my cheek before leaving. Only Kilamin was allowed to stay.

The urge to go and take her in my arms was real but I knew she didn’t belong to me, and never will. She was too pure and precious to be tainted by vampires. We were ruthless beings and my kind was the worst when it came to hurting or killing the Fae kind.

A part of me was always glad she chose Zeph, now that the misunderstandings between them were gone, I could see how much he cared about her. I could always smell him on her.

Mariela Sensei healed her arm and instructed Kilamin to let her sleep as much as she can, who nodded in return. She then came to check up on me.

"How are you feeling Arlo?" She inquired in her serious tone, her face expressionless as always.

"Better. Is Serene going to be ok?" I couldn’t help but ask.

"Yes, she will be fine. She just needs rest. Hallucinations are hard, they can mess with your brain and can cause permanent damage. I want to keep you under observation for tonight. Stay here, I will check up on you again. If you feel anything strange, let me know." She told me in a stern voice, indicating it will not be up to debate.

"Yes, Sensei." I felt so exposed due to that hallucination episode. Only a few people knew about my feelings for Serene and now almost everyone knew. I not only embarrassed myself but I also embarrassed her. She was in a relationship and here I was screaming her name.

But the things they made me see were enough to drive anyone crazy. She was being tortured by Queen Vilarja and there was blood so much blood. And I couldn’t move, I was bound by chains, and all I could do was watch her being tortured.

No matter what I tried or how loudly I shouted, I couldn’t help her. When I came to my senses I knew that was just a hallucination but it felt so real. I wanted to go to her and make sure she was safe. But then she was brought here in an unconscious state. My heart felt like it had dropped into a bottomless pit.

Kilamin stood by her side, waiting for his Princess to wake up. Sometimes he would pace alongside her bed other times he would stand and look at her, he was utterly restless.

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at Kilamin. He was by her side, they spoke for a while, and then she started crying. I watched her helplessly, how I wished I could just wipe away her tears. Once Kilamin had left I tried to talk to her.

There was a smile on her face and how she lowered her eyes whenever she felt shy. Her heartbeat would go haywire. The way she flicked her hair back and the genuine concern she showed for me. Her face depicted how worried she was for me.

And when she confessed that she wanted to hurt him for hurting me. It filled my heart with contentment, I hadn’t felt such happiness in a long time. I couldn’t help but smile at her. That was the moment I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her deeply. But, alas those were my wishes which will never come true.

Finally, she fell asleep and I wanted to record every second of this night in my mind. I didn’t want to waste or miss any moment. Kilamin had stayed close but had gone to sleep as well.

After a couple of hours, her expression began to change as if she was in pain. I was on the edge of my bed and then she began to clutch at her throat as if she was having difficulty breathing. No voice was escaping her throat.

I rushed to her side and took her in my arms. I tried to wake her up. Her body jerked, her eyes opened and she sat up screaming. She wasn’t breathing and her heart was going wild in her chest. Her whole frame was shaking. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

I instructed her to breathe as she clutched my shirt and sought comfort. My whole body felt warm due to her touch and I pulled her close to me, gently stroking her hair and back. She had closed her eyes and held me tightly.

"Serene, are you ok?" Kilamin inquired, who had rushed to her side as he heard her scream. She simply nodded her head without opening her eyes. Her heartbeat was returning to normal and so was her erratic breathing.

This was the first time I had seen her suffering from a nightmare. Judging from Kilamin’s expressions he had seen this before. My heart was agitated, why she had to suffer like this? She was the epitome of innocence and purity.

Her head was resting on my chest and I was hoping she was finding a bit of peace and solace. She finally let go of my shirt and opened her eyes, I was holding her by her shoulders.

"Thank you, I feel better." Her voice was low and her cheeks were flushed.

"You need some water?" I inquired but she refused. I stood up so she could have her space but stayed close.

"You want to go out in the fresh air?" Kilamin asked her, his voice was edged with tension and I could see the veins popping out in his clenched fists.

"No, I would like to stay here." Her eyes were red from the lack of sleep. How I wished I could keep her in my arms so she could get some peaceful sleep. She laid down quietly but didn’t close her eyes. I sat down on the bed near her while Kilamin kept standing at the base of her bed.

None of us spoke for some time. The tension filled the air. Then she finally said while staring at the ceiling: "Can someone sing me a song?"

Kilamin and I exchanged looks and I could tell he was not the singing type. I, myself had no proper training in this department but I had a decent voice. But I had never sung for anyone. Just liked to hum once in a while.

"Please..." her voice held pain.

"I will sing," I replied calmly to her and she shot me a look full of gratitude. I couldn’t see her in pain, this was too much for me.

I began to sing her a traditional song of our family. She listened quietly, I kept singing lightly and her eyes began to droop again. I sang to her until she had fallen asleep again. And this time I stayed close to her. She remained peaceful until morning.

At 5 in the morning, Zeph walked in and I instantly took a step back from her. His appearance was disheveled and the state of his clothes told me he hadn’t slept the night, either. He sent me a disdainful look but said nothing, instead went straight to her bed, she was still fast asleep.

"How is she?" He finally asked me, in barely a whisper, not trying to wake her up while keeping his gaze fixed on her.

"She had a nightmare." His expression darkened at my words and I could tell he was trying to contain his anger.

Then she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, a smile reserved only for him crept up on her face and I knew this was my cue to leave...