Chapter 72 - Freedom*

Luna couldn't kill these Archdemons because they are immortal, but she was pretty sure if she could get Luxen and Ravin through the portal, she could imprison them in Hell forever. 

She knew that it was way better than wreaking havoc in the Vampire Realm.

They still are connected with Luna, but their life forces aren't attached in a similar way to the Vampire blood bond.

The blood bond would make the other mate feel sudden emotions, especially shock, pain, and suffering, if their connection wasn't that strong and unmanageable yet.

Blood Bond is more effective to vampire mates because, of course, they drink blood.

Archdemons can probably mate by blood with whomever they chose, but is bound to the said female is another story.

They were pleasure-seeking rogues, and they do whatever they want.

They weren't capable of loyalty. 

They kill without regard—innocent or not— and they have zero morals.

The ice split underway below the chasm, and Gluttony and Lust stopped falling as they tried to hover in the air.

Hundreds of hands came through the rocks and ice and grabbed them.

"Impossible," Luxen breathed when he realized he couldn't control the souls grasping him downward, his silver eyes locked with Luna.

This was a Kingdom he had ruled.

How come that the High Priestess had controlled over them than him?

Ravin couldn't believe that the High Priestess was capable of overpowering an Archdemon when it comes to controlling the portal.

Maybe it was because of the Goddess Hecate's help, her acquisition of their true names, and the blood bond; she had complete control over them, and unfortunately, they couldn't manipulate her strong will.

"Go to hell," Luna whispered.

And then she released them from her hold.

With deafening aggressive growls echoing throughout the abyss, the Archdemons were dragged into the dark pit by the hundred hands--an incalculable number of writhing arms closed over them until finally, they disappeared underneath them forever.

The Hell's portal closed, and the barriers of the Devil's Trap were lifted, leaving Luna hovering at the bottom of the dark rift as she panted with exhaustion.

Barely able to move, Luna's vision blurred as she climbed out of the dark void, reaching the surface of the underground shelter.

Her body began to tremble, but she squinted from both of her eyes to see them, even though her right eye was monstrously swollen. 

"Claude ostium," The ground squeezed together with a grinding moan and shut with a small boom.

She had used too much of her magic, and her wounds were healing at a snail's pace.

As Luna fumbled towards the Vampire King, Luna sobbed with fatigue and pain as she repeatedly called the Vampire King to wake him up.

Luna grabbed one of the Vampire King's hands and pried it open, rubbing her tear-stained face with it.

"Please wake up for me, my King. I wouldn't be able to live without you."

Placing her hand over her chest, she checked if his heart was still beating. 

There was still a pulse, it was inaudible, but at least it was there.

"I shut the portal, and I shut it forever," Luna rasped through her tender vocal cords as she spoke to the Vampire King. "These Archdemons weren't permitted to enter the Vampire Realm anytime soon."

She remembered how the Vampire King was adamant about making her his Empress, marrying her when he discovered that they were mated because of the Blood Beast's doing.

She put her hand around his shoulders, lifting his head to settle unto her lap.

"My king, you need to come back for me," Luna said in a surprisingly tender voice as she squeezed his elbow.

Luna took the Vampire King's arm and put it over her shoulders, half-carrying him—half staggering-- away from the Pentagram's markings to the mattress.

Her neck hurt from the stab wounds Ravin had done to her mate, but, like the rest of her, it was healing.

Luna could feel the Vampire King's life force, feel his dying flame. "Vampire King, answer me."

Quiet, peaceful, a hush of sound. Then,

'I am here, my soul trapped in my own body. I can hear you but I couldn't wake up.'

She followed the mental thread to discover his lonely soul lying in the pitch-black edges of his consciousness.

Luna focused her sentience on entering his mind, used her glow light once again to illuminate that part of his brain so that he would awaken and wouldn't stay in the darkness for too long.

The Vampire King smiled when he saw a piece of her soul floating in his mind.

"You are not to die, my King." Luna dared not touch him, afraid that it was an unwelcome gesture. "Come back to me." 

She already invaded his mind.

Luna connected with Ravin and Luxen as 'mates,' but it wasn't stronger than the Vampire King.

The Archdemons had the desire to own her because she was a powerful High Priestess, but in reality, it was the other way around. 

The closer she got with the Vampire King, most probably if they had sexual congress, Luna realized, their mental links would reach newer heights.

Luna could feel a wide range of emotions—also telepathic communication-- but she wasn't thinking about renouncing herself as the High Priestess yet, now that she broke the curse once and for all.

These assumptions of hers couldn't be far from the truth.

Luna had no plans to hurt his shattered soul when he had just recovered from an Archdemon's control for as long as he could remember.

'I hear you, alright.' She could hear the teasing even in that fading whisper. 'If I could just figure out how to get out of this mental prison.'

'Take all the time you need. I will be here.'

The High Priestess' canines elongated, and a strange, beautiful, golden taste filled her mouth as she felt a tear slide down her face.

He was a strong High Priestess—a Vampire Amazon.

She rarely cried.

"I will perform the Blood Bond ritual again. Maybe that will bring you back."

'Do it.' Weak laughter in her head. 'I miss you.'

Her heart stopped beating when his life force started to fade, and she leaned forward, her mouth overwhelmed by the taste of beauty, of life.

The Vampire King's lashes struggled to open but failed.

His mental voice, though weak, was adamant. "I will be with you for eternity."

"You must live." And then she bit her lip enough to draw blood and kissed him, feeding that golden taste, that intoxicating blend, into his mouth. "You must live, amare."

+++

The first thing Luna saw when the Vampire King blinked and opened his eyes was blue.

Endless, fathomless, brilliant blue. 

The Vampire King's eyes.

"Are you fine, High Priestess?" The Vampire King asked her, getting out of the bed as if they were still in danger, jarring her out of her thoughts.

"You're back, thank the Goddess," Luna exclaimed with joyful tears.

She was about to wrap her arms around his body to hug him, but then he stopped her by shaking his head as if telling her not to.

The Vampire King lifted a finger, tracing it over her cheekbone as if to test if he still had the Blood Beast's curse, the touch of death.

When it made contact with her face, nothing happened. 

Black and blue imprints didn't make web on her skin like they used to do when the Vampire King touched other beings.

She flinched, and not because he was hurting her. It was the opposite.

The places he touched . . .

It was as if he had a direct line to the hottest, most feminine part of her.

A single stroke, and she was embarrassingly damp.

Their blood bond had intensified.

He put a finger on her chin to make her hold still.

He stared into her injured eye.

Still staring at it, he leaned to the side. "What happened to your eye?"

"What do you mean?"

That finger passed over her jaw and whispered along the line of her neck, giving excruciating, unwanted pleasure.

"Your eyes, they are different," The Vampire King said as he cupped her face tenderly, nodding.

It seemed like he couldn't look away. "The colors of your green eyes changed."

"What are you talking about?" Luna said, her voice cracking.

"Your other eye turned to gold and it was shifting to silver depending on the light." The Vampire King said quietly.

"Is it scary?" Luna asked the Vampire King, paranoid that no one would ever want to look her in the right eye again.

He started to laugh and then stopped abruptly, grimacing, as he clutched his healing wounds.

His smile was less a shadow this time, those changeable eyes sliding from black to something closer to cobalt.

Alive.

Electric. 

"When I was possessed by the Blood Beast, you must have noticed that I had one golden eye." He said. "This other eye—its iris was shaped like a lightning bolt--and you have them."