🪻《Rune Tattoos》🪻

Evangeline bound  Clodette with a strong enchantment. Clodette kept on trying to find a way to move her body but the harder she tried to fight it, the tighter the enchantment held her.

"Clodette, please listen to us" Evangeline pleaded but Clodette bluntly ignored her pleas.

"That boy–We have to go back to the coven. Marcus promises—"

"Have you ever learned anything?!" Clodette cut her off. "Marcus will never keep those promises!"

Julius moved closer and placed his hand on Clodette's head. "You have to come with us" before she could utter a word Julius already finished casting his spell and her body stopped moving. Clodette felt like a doll with a conscious mind, she could see and hear everything however she couldn't utter a single word nor could she move an inch of her finger.

Julius held her up. "Hurry, Help me Evangeline!" Evangeline helped Julius carried her to the carriage but before they could, a flash of amber flames shot the carriage incinerating it.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Marvius stood glaring at them with his sleeves folded up revealing tattoos of odd ancient symbols. Claude quickly ran to Clodette but he was stopped by the barrier Evangeline set up.

"Evangeline. You? Why!" Claude exclaimed! Evangeline remained silent, pressing her lips together tightly. She couldn't look Claude in the eye Clodette knew she was embarrassed to be seen like this.

"Give her back to me!" Claude shouted. Clodette dangled as Julius held her in his arms. She tried her best to move any part of her body just to reassure him that she was conscious. Marvius stepped forward, holding his cane tightly. The dragon's eye gleamed brightly, it was a rune. Marvius muttered some spells and a flash of amber flames came out from the dragon's eye. Evangeline countered it with her protective spell setting an invisible shield.

Explosions after explosions were conjured but the protective barrier was left unscratched. Evangeline kept her arms raised as she panted heavily. Marvius' magic was far more superior than hers and to conjure a great magic to counter it, would take a great toll on her body.

"Pretty good for a witch" Marvius snorted.

"I learned from the best" Evangeline retorted back.

"My father would have turn in his grave seeing you betray the one you serve"

"He would be proud of seeing me protect my master!" She sharply replied.

Evangeline hurriedly folded her sleeves up revealing multiple markings. When she softly spoke her incantation the markings gleamed, two strange symbols flew out and knotted each other. The markings joined together forming a golden star, she quickly pointed at Marvius and the symbol released a lightning spear.

Marvius waved his cane up and held it tightly in front of him and with just a word "raise" the ground immediately raised up to protect him! The lightning spear hit the earthen wall subsequently it scattered and disappeared.

"That magic is kid's play! Let me show you real power" Holding his cane up he immediately plunged it into the ground sending shockwaves, Marvius quickly raised his right hand where a couple of tattoos immediately gleamed.  Just after Marvius uttered this incantation, the markings on his arm suddenly danced and floated in the air, forming a protective shield around his body.

They looked like fireflies dancing in the wind! He casted another enchantment softly like a whisper and the markings immediately scattered, they moulded into several gleaming golden threads. Just then, the threads weaved together forging a star crossed symbol! It gleamed even brighter when they were connected.

The golden hue was replaced by a silvery glow more beautiful than the golden threads that I've seen a moment ago.

The fourth knot of Spells.

"percute inimicum tuum" Marvius pointed to Evangeline and a bolt of silver light precipitated to strike her.

Julius hurriedly laid me down and hastened to protect Evangeline! He used his own body to counter it, the light even grew stronger as Marvius kept on muttering the incantation! The light penetrated Evangeline's barrier and created a crack. Evangeline hastened and chanted her spells to provide another barrier, Julius hastened to her side and casted himself between Evangeline and the shield meeting Marvius' magic however it was too much for Julius to face head-on! The light penetrated into the barrier and destroyed it completely, the barrier scattered like broken glass!

As the light converged with Julius' skin it burned like paper, leaving traces of red blisters! The blazing light slowly scalded his face, it divulged a blackened and charred inner skin while he cried tears of blood! I could hear Julius screaming to Evangeline to run but she refused. She chanted her spells and creating a new barrier to shield them.

But the damage was too severe, Julius' right side was burned into a crisp. He was breathing heavily, his lips quivered as he spoke huskily:

"Run Evan–Evangeline take Clodette"

"Oh! you're still alive?" Marvius arched his eyebrow in disbelief. He smirked "But not for very long"

"RUN!" Julius shouted. His knees gave out and he kneeled on the ground motionless, Evangeline was hesitant but this was not a battle that they could win.

"I will see you in another lifetime" Evangeline spoke "and I will be the one to save you then, my friend" Tears streamed down her face as she ran towards Clodette. Everything was happening so fast, before Evangeline could reach Clodette, Claude had already caught up to her.

"Claude–" Evangeline's voice trailed off as Claude stabbed a dagger into her heart!

A dagger! Where on earth did he get a dagger? Clodette thought inwardly.

Claude spoke almost like a whisper but vampires had incredible hearing and Clodette could hear everything: "You should have remained ignorant" as he plunged the dagger deeper. His golden eyes glimmered with excitement!

Clodette watched helplessly as the light left Evangeline's eyes and she fell lifeless on the ground. Clodette couldn't move, she couldn't scream! Just as Claude regained his consciousness, he had already slain Evangeline, his golden gleaming eyes quickly replaced by sorrowful azure ones. He couldn't believe what he had done, he stood immobile staring at his blood soaked hands.

Marvius voice brought Clodette back to her senses he was suddenly beside her "Release!" the enchantment that bound her immediately disappeared. Clodette tried to choke down the tears but she lost, tears fell down as she ran towards Evangeline, she touched her cold, lifeless hand, tears came down uncontrollably, she held her hand close to her face and sobbed loudly.

She was her confidant, her friend, her adviser, her Evangeline. "Why can't I hear her heartbeats?" Clodette turned to Marvius, face covered with hot tears. "Why?"

"She is dead, Clodette" Claude spoke gently as he caressed Clodette's hair and all she could do was glared furiously at him. He tried to take her hand but before he could she suddenly lunged at him, clutching his collar.

"You–you did this! why?" She screamed as she hit his chest over and over again. He grabbed her wrists to stop her from beating him even though she was stronger she couldn't push it away. Clodette couldn't bear to hurt him. Claude pulled her into an embrace and cradled her in his arms.

Clodette's cries echoed in Marvius' Woods.

Julius and Evangeline had passed on. Clodette's most trusted friends betrayed her, claiming it was for her own protection. They were speaking in riddles that she couldn't solve, she kept on thinking about the answer but she couldn't find any. Claude was the same, his head was clouded with unsolved questions about himself, Clodette couldn't blame him. He had no control of his body, whatever resided inside him was something they needed to get rid of immediately!

Julius and Evangeline were buried in a rainy afternoon, Clodette chose for them to rest in the family cemetery so she could still be close to them. Even though she called it 'Family Cemetery' none of her blood relatives were even buried there.

Clodette glanced at Evangeline's twin daughters, the red-haired beauties. They were known to possess such incredible magic power since they were young thus earned the name "Fates of Savannah".

She knew they blamed her for their loss but they held their tongues. House Monique was still an authoritative figure in New Orleans despite their grudge they couldn't move recklessly not when Marcus was still known as the head of the family.

Maybe, it was really her fault.

She placed her head gently on Claude's chest as he wrapped his free hand around her shoulders and with his other hand holding the umbrella. He tilted the umbrella more to her side, ignoring the fact that his own shoulder was drenched.

Upon arriving home, Clodette felt her shoulders slump down with unspeakable heavy weight of reality. Evangeline was gone and she couldn't hear her laughter again nor could she taste her brewed tea. She moved in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection, She was wearing a black dress embroidered with intricate lavender vines down the hem and an obsidian girdle that hugged her waist tightly. Lips pale, dark circles under her eyes and hair that lost its luster, for a moment Clodette didn't recognize her but the woman in the mirror was her.

She touched the necklace made of pearls that rested around her neck. She felt so suffocated, she heaved a sorrowful sigh but upon gazing at her own reflection she grew angrier! She slammed her fist on the mirror and the glass scattered on the floor, tiny shards pierced her hand, she looked at her blood soaked hand. It shook not because of the pain, it trembled because of anger.

I could have saved them if I was more powerful, saved them from Marcus' seductions! If I listened to them none of things could have happened! They were telling me something important and I dismissed them! It was my fault, my own selfishness killed them!

The tiny scratches immediately healed like nothing happened, tiny shards fell one by one on the floor. It infuriated her further! She gripped the pearl necklace and pulled it so fast that the pearls caught her skin, causing elongated scratches on her neck!

She groaned angrily, tears streaming down her face as she pulled the girdle and tore the hem of her dress! I couldn't breathe! Let me breathe!

"What are you doing?" Claude was standing outside her bedroom door, concern was evident on his face! He swiftly strode towards her and enveloped her in his arms. "Stop, please stop" He pleaded.

When Clodette had calm down he stared at her crimson eyes and caressed her neck and as he did the wound quickly healed. Claude already got used on seeing how quickly her wounds recover, she stared back at him:

"No matter what I do, people leave me!"

"I won't"

"You will eventually"

He placed his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. He didn't speak, he just closed his eyes and even his breathing. Clodette waited for him to speak, his eyelashes trembled as he contemplated on what to say. After several moments of silence he spoke finally, "I won't"

He opened his eyes and gave her a reassuring smile "Our fates are intertwined there were no lifetimes I haven't loved you and I won't stop now"

"What? lifetimes?" Didn't we just met 6 years ago? What is he talking about? "What are you talking about?"

"I just simply love you"

I love you. Clodette's heart was beating too fast like it was on a race track, she quickly cupped his face on her hands and  gave him a kiss. He placed his hand on the back of head to deepen the kiss, his lips were soft and sweet. She rolled her tongue inside his mouth meeting his own, their tongues danced to a rhythmic harmony that only they knew.  

He tasted of lemon and honey, his mouth opened wider and sucked Clodette's lower lip. His hands snaked around her waist and with one swift movement he lifted her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, his body felt hot against hers.

They were consumed with the fire of desire that couldn't be quenched! 

He released her lips slowly as he whispered:

"Can I keep you?"

🪻《Author's Note》🪻

🥀First of all, I apologize for killing two characters at once 😭 but more events will unfold so please stay tuned!

Question of the day:
Do you think it was wise for Marvius to kill Julius? Should he have let him live to question their motives? And what do you think will the Evangeline's daughters' roles to play in this story?

Please leave a comment and don't forget to vote!
Love you all, Julia 🪻