Lunar's Curse

The mansion was made of grey cobblestone. It wasn't really like a mansion. It was a castle. It was a small castle, in terms of castle size. But overall, it wasn't an underestimation to call it big. I've never seen a castle in real life unless I counted pictures I found on the internet.

Quatan had been keeping well behind Xavier for fear that Xavier would somehow go crazy on him. I didn't blame him.

We had only just reached the doors of the mansion when Xavier snapped out of his trance.

Xavier spun and narrowed his eyes at Quatan. “What,” he began, “are you doing here?” Quatan held his ground and looked straight at Xavier where any person with less courage than Quatan would have cowered under the glare that Xavier was giving. But of course, Quatan was 'supernatural'. He wouldn't be scared. Not at all. What would he be scared of if he had powers like that?

“If I have to remind you,” Quatan said simply, “you allowed me to follow you, remember? Myra suggested it and you jumped at the chance. I didn't do anything to you. You did it to yourself.” Though Quatan cast me a look when he said this. He knew that I had done some mind persuasion. I hoped he didn't suspect that I was half-Vampire though Quatan wasn't stupid. Luckily, Xavier didn't catch the look that Quatan was giving me.

Xavier looked slightly annoyed. “I haven't allowed you to come,” he said defiantly. “Why would I let scum like you walk the grounds of my own house? You'd be stupid just to think that I'd allow you in my house. I'm sending the guards to ship you off,” Xavier said. “You're worth more trouble than you think.”

“How touching,” Quatan said dryly. “Playing the 'I'm Prince' card. It wasn't like I expected any more from you anyways. Seeing that you're not even human and all.”

Xavier ignored Quatan's words. Mainly because he seemed to think it was of no importance to him. He was Prince, of course. Why should he care about what Quatan, a 'lowly' human, said?

“Wait!” I stepped between Xavier and Quatan. I wondered if it was a bad thing to do because as soon as I did that, Xavier's eyes narrowed in on me. I swallowed. It was too late to take that back now. I would have to convince Xavier to let Quatan stay here. Quatan was the only one who made me feel...better. Human. Almost normal. “You let me in your palace, or whatever it is,” I said. “I want Quatan with me.”

I didn't attempt to persuade him again. As it had proved, the spell would wear off soon. I didn't want it to wear off while Quatan was here. He would have Quatan murdered. Or even worse—send him back to the pens. That thought sent a shudder through me. I would not let that happen. Not when I just found someone here who actually made me feel better.

Xavier let out a short laugh. “You and puny little humans,” he said in a mocking tone. “I don't even know why you're so obsessed with them. The emotions you have around him are like the ones you had around that puny human boy. What was his name again? David?”

“It's Dean,” I found myself saying involuntarily. Quatan shot me a look as if to ask 'who's Dean?'. I didn't plan on answering that. Ever.

“That's why humans are so weak,” Xavier continued. “All you care about is feelings. An advantage to being a Vampire is that we don't feel love. Not like you do. Look how it cripples you,” Xavier said, amusement glittering in his eyes. I felt embarrassed.

“It does not cripple me!” I cried. “And since when has this conversation turned to feelings? I said that I wanted Quatan here. I don't care about what you say.” I stood up straighter and held my head high, hoping that I looked much braver than I felt. Xavier didn't say anything and I had a horrible feeling that he was going to send us both to the pens right now. On impulse, I quickly added, “My blood doesn't come free.” I wanted to scream at myself the moment I said that. Xavier seemed to remember why he had taken me to the Realm and a sinister smile spread across his face. I cringed. Since when has he been so...vampiric? I still remembered him in Coffee Coven and school. He was just an arrogant boy no matter how freaky he seemed to me. He wasn't the bloodthirsty Vampire Prince he was now.

Justine thought bloodthirsty Vampire Princes were hot. Look where she was now. She was even fed on by the Prince Vampire himself. I shuddered as an unbidden image of Justine being attacked by Xavier entered my mind. She had only been trying to help me...

“Fine,” Xavier said. “But all blood runs out eventually. Once you're sucked dry, the boy will be fated to have the same death.”



Quatan got a room across from mine. I thought we would be sharing rooms, but apparently, Xavier felt grateful enough and gave Quatan his own room. Maybe this was because Xavier planned on sucking my blood in privacy without Quatan there in the same room. I couldn't believe I said that to him either. I could believe that I reminded Xavier of my blood. I should have just used my persuasion.

The moment I got back to the room I had been staying in, I heard Eternal's voice in my head again.

The little Djamphir is back, isn't she? Did you see the pens, the Cattle Farm? Lovely things we come up with. That idea had originated from your grandmother. Still the Lamia bloodline. We've accomplished many things. She sounded so proud that it made me sick. How was the Cattle Farm something to be proud of? How?

“I don't want to talk to you right now,” I said to Eternal, not even bothering to keep the conversation telepathic. To others, I would have been talking to myself. I must have looked insane. But what did that matter? If I stayed here longer, I would be insane. There was no point in this. If I didn't want to go insane, I had to get the hell out of here.

Aren't you a bit touchy now? Eternal gave a guttural laugh.

I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. I just wanted to...do nothing. I didn't feel like talking to Eternal. I didn't want to hear her voice. I had probably just sealed my (and Quatan's) death with Xavier. It had been the only thing I could think of at the time. But why had I been so stupid to mention my blood again? Of course Xavier would want my blood. Just because he hadn't really drank yet didn't mean that he wouldn't. I was nothing to him. Nothing more than a human toy.

But...Eternal... That reminded me that I wasn't fully human. I could still hear Eternal going on about how worthy the Lamia bloodline was and how the Catlin stole everything and gotten all the glory. Personally, I didn't think it was glory but I didn't mention it to Eternal. I wasn't quite sure how she would react if I said that it wasn't glory, though I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant.

The door to my room was still open and I heard someone step in. I looked to see Quatan with a slight smile on his face. The smile, for some reason, made my heart beat faster. And the fact that the smile was directed at me... It made it feel like I was pinning after Dean all over again. But Quatan wasn't Dean. Quatan was...well, Quatan. He was...better than Dean.

“Hey,” he began, “I have to say, this place is pretty nice.” He let out a short laugh. “But of course, this is where Prince Xavier lives.” He said Xavier's name with scorn. Quatan surveyed the room that I was in. “Though the decor isn't quite the Dracula type, don't you think?”

I shrugged. I didn't really want to talk. Unfortunately, Eternal insisted on it.

There was a raspy gasp. Quatan raised his eyebrows at me like he could hear it. I frowned. Since when did others hear Eternal?

Little girl, Eternal murmured, my eyes are deceiving me. What sort of Witchcraft have you used? Even this is not known to me...

“Um,” Quatan hesitated, “Myra, do you hear someone?” So he did hear her. Or maybe I was just assuming things. He could have heard something else and I didn't want to sound completely insane by rambling about how Eternal was talking to me.

I didn't want to lie so I just shrugged. I wasn't telling him the truth, but it wasn't a lie either. I didn't want to seem insane in front of him. Maybe he was actually imagining things. I would have sounded crazy if I confessed about Eternal while he was just talking about something else.

Eternal spoke again. Silly girl, she told me, why have you brought him here? What did you think I would do? What do you think you would have gained?

Nothing, I told her, feeling confused. I don't quite understand what—

Then it hit me at once. Quatan Loy and Quatan Catlin. They looked similar. Seeing Quatan Loy must have gotten Eternal confused. And the fact that Quatan was with me...

I suddenly felt a sting of jealousy as soon as I thought about my Quatan and Eternal together. It was absurd. Quatan didn't even know who Eternal was unless reading from his book counted. And when had I started to think of Quatan as mine? I shook that thought out of my head. I couldn't be thinking this way about Quatan. Not now. Not yet.

I should be thinking of a way to escape the Realm before Xavier comes to kill me with Rina by his side. I shuddered at the thought of having to encounter Rina ever again. Especially after Rina had promised/threatened to kill me.

“I swear,” Quatan told me. “I hear a voice. It sounds...familiar.”

Of course you hear a voice! Eternal hissed, sounding snake-like. Foolish boy!

Quatan heard. Eternal confirmed all this. How could Quatan could hear her but Xavier and Rina couldn't? It must have something to do with his...abnormality.

I just hope that he wouldn't question how I could hear her. I didn't want to tell him that I was half-Lamia. I didn't want to tell him that I was a Djamphir.

“Well,” I started, trailing off. I cleared my throat and started again. “Quatan...this is...well... She's not really here, but in some ways she is—”

I am Eternal Lamia, Eternal said, sounding very proud. Quatan looked startled at the mention of her name. Of course he would. We had just read the entire section about the Lamia not so long ago. Quatan cast me a glance. Was he suspecting me?

“Right,” Quatan said. “You're the...first Lamia.” There was no fear in his tone. In fact, he almost sounded at awe. Another pang of jealousy shot through me.

Of course I am. Who else do you think I am...Quatan?

Quatan didn't seem surprised that Eternal knew his name. In fact, he didn't even seem frazzled at the thought that she really was the first Lamia—the one who turned everyone dark. Eternal was the one who cursed everyone. And here she was and he was just...talking to her...like it's such a normal thing...

“Quatan I don't—” I was cut off by Eternal's cold laughter.

The little child is jealous, dear boy. Don't listen to her. You must remember me, young Quatan. Remember how you trusted me?

I froze. I knew that Quatan was the young Prince that the legends had warned about. I hope he wasn't the same now. No, I prayed that he wasn't as naive as he was in his earlier carnation. He couldn't be... If incarnations existed...

If incarnations existed, would I be Mel? The grim reaper who saved the Quatan Catlin?

Quatan hesitated. For a fearful moment, I wondered what exactly he would do. Then his gaze flickered to mine. His blue eyes. They weren't red like Quatan Catlin. He isn't Quatan Catlin anymore. He's Quatan Loy. Small and maybe even trivial, but different. I was sure about that.

“Me? Trust you?” Quatan laughed. It was cold laughter. Something I thought could never come from him. “Only in your dreams.” Quatan gave me a sudden worried look and mouthed, 'This woman must be crazy.' He smiled at me.

I managed a smile back at him. Maybe he wouldn't think it was so crazy if he had actually seen what had happened in that vision with Eternal and Quatan Catlin. Maybe he would be questioning himself like I was.

But if I told him now, he might think that I was insane. I didn't want that to be his impression of me. It felt demeaning for some reason, for him to think of me like that.

Foolish boy! Eternal hissed, I am Eternal Lamia! Your lover!

I shuddered at that thought but Quatan only laughed. “Who do you think I am? That dead Prince?” He laughed again and I could only stare at him.

This time, it was Eternal's time to laugh. It startled Quatan into silence because it wasn't something he thought she would join in on.

Oh, you are foolish as you are blind. Why don't you ask your dear Myra to tell you? She spat out my name like it was filfth.

I didn't want Eternal to say anything else. I had a feeling that she would tell Quatan that I was a Lamia and he might be a reincarnation of Quatan Catlin.

I tugged on his hand. “Let's get out of here,” I told him. “She's crazy.”

I pulled him after the room while Eternal kept on ranting on. She was screaming at us now. Screaming things about reincarnation and the Lamia monster. It was insane to hear...unless you knew what she was talking about.

Eternal's voice didn't follow us to Quatan's room. I assumed that she was somehow trapped in that other room.

“So,” Quatan said as soon as we entered his room. We could still hear murmurs of her voice and he kicked the door close. My breath caught and I involuntarily looked behind me at the king-sized bed. Quatan caught my look and there was a wolfish look in his eyes that made my heart beat faster.

“Not bringing you here for that,” he said, jerking his head towards the bed. “But I've got a feeling it would be nice.” A smirk played on his lips.

Normally, I would have been horrified and disgusted to hear that from anyone (especially since Justine loves to make those jokes) but something about the way Quatan said it and the way he looked when he said it made my heart flutter.

I shook those thoughts away from my head. No. I could not be doing this—thinking about boys like this (that I had only just met!). That was more of Justine's thing. I had more important issues to worry about. Quatan seemed to notice the tension in the air and he let the smirk drop from his face.

“Anything you wanted to tell me?” he asked me, his voice quiet. “You know, we're actually in this mess together now.” He titled his head to the side and managed a smile at me. “I know we only met but if we want to get out of here, we'll have to work together.”

Now that I was staring at his face...there was something about him that reminded me of someone I knew in this life...

“The website,” I said suddenly. Quatan frowned and I elaborated. “Did you write a website about Seul Âme? The Lamia? I saw your picture as the author.” Justine thought you were cute, I thought with some sort of jealousy. I shook it out of my head. What was with me and jealousy about other women with Quatan?

“Oh yeah,” Quatan said rather sheepishly. “Well, you know, I just had to warn the world about the dangers that lurk beneath theirs...”

“Beneath?” I asked, astounded. “Seul Âme is below...our earth, our dimension? Whatever it is? Are you sure?” I couldn't remember whether or not I read that in Quatan's book he carried.

“Yeah,” Quatan told me. “It's a little bit like the underworld. There are other creatures living here too, after death. Soul Reapers...”

Soul Reapers. Like Mel. “And people who had lost half of their soul or shattered them?” I asked quietly.

“That too. Mainly it's the Soul Reaper's fault if that happens.” Quatan reached into his bag and took out the book again. “There was this really infamous Soul Reaper by the name of Mel. Apparently, she reborn the Prince that Eternal—” he looked at the door, “—tricked. She had too much mercy for this guy and helped him meet his end quicker rather than watch him suffer for days. Then she got in trouble and all that. It's not that fair if you ask me.”

Mel. She was real. The events I had witnessed were real. So maybe that dream I had when I was running away was real too.

Maybe I really was a Lamia. A monster.

I knew that I shared the same bloodline that I was hoping that I would somehow not get the share of 'monstrosity' that they all shared. At least my mother was a little human inside...

Being human inside was what truly mattered, right? I looked at Quatan and wondered whether he thought the same thing. I hoped that he thought the same thing. What if he saw me as a monster when and if he found out? We needed each other to get out of here. Whatever odd lust/love feeling that I felt wasn't as important as that.

“Do you think...” I couldn't finish the sentence. Did he believe what Eternal said? But seeing the look on his face, I knew he didn't. Why would he?

“I'm not the Prince,” Quatan told me incredulously, “if that was what you were going to say.”

“No...never mind,” I said quickly. “Anyways, my friends are stuck in this place,” I told him, “I need to get them out of here. They shouldn't even be here in the first place...”

Quatan raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure that they're alive? Not many of us make it through the first day unless they've got supernatural abilities like me or are shipped off to the pens, the Cattle Farm.”

Supernatural... That reminded me...was Quatan some kind of Sorcerer? Maybe he knew 'spells' like my grandmother... I didn't even know where my grandmother currently was. Was she even alive after that night? No, I had to concentrate on who I could save right now.

“Quatan, I know that they're still alive. Apparently, they're in the dungeons or something. But I really don't know my way around this place so I...”

“Thought I would be able to help you?” Quatan finished. “Sorry, but I don't have a map of this place and I have no idea where the dungeons are. Or anything like that.”

Frustrated, I stalked over to the bed and flopped down face-first. How was I going to get out of here with my friends and my sanity intact? This felt so impossible. Quatan wasn't helping in any way.

Before any of us could do anything else, the door to the room creaked open. I turned around slowly to see a brown-eyed Vampire at the door. Quatan was right—their colour was odd. It was almost like they were...glowing, somehow. But that was possibly because they were so pale that the colour was a stark contrast to their skin.

“Myra,” he said, his voice monotonous and cold. “Prince Xavier would like to speak to you, alone.”