ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)
PART TWO: CHAPTER ELEVEN

Grunting loudly as the sizzling purple-coloured portal led her to the supposed meeting point, Alisha racked her head once more to remember what had happened after she and Zara were taken out of the deep pit.

When she finally came to, she was surrounded by a lot of blood, random eyeballs, some torn limbs, and creeping night sounds that summed up the disturbing state of the nearly empty place.

When Alisha ran toward the eastward end of Zenrada that was linked to the rear of Amok, she kept hoping that she had not pushed Zaramanni to her doom.

“Fuckkk…” Alisha let out a lengthy swear as she slouched, her hands on her knees, her head a mess as she started to adopt the thought that Zaramanni could indeed be in danger.

“Alisha,” Ezeman’s sultry voice called from a particular direction.

Alisha set her eyes on the fairy who flew in majestically, his tanner hands on the ends of his gemstone suit, his pointed ears showing thanks to his new hairdo.

Seconds later, Alisha was embracing him tightly.

“Hey…” One of his hands rested against the back of her head. “Alisha, are you okay? Where is Zaramanni?”

Alisha’s throat instantly felt heavy. With tears clouding her eyes as guilt ate its way into her heart, she looked at the scenery of green leaves and tall trees.

“Where is she, Alisha?” Ezeman asked again, the tone of his voice suggesting that he was beginning to think that something terrible had happened.

Before he could ask his question again, Alisha decided to talk.

Letting out a shaky breath, her grip around Ezeman’s neck loosening, Alisha took a step back. She dabbed her teary eyes with the back of her hand and gained composure after.

“Ezeman, I was able to get her out of Zenrada but we encountered something on the way.”

”So?” The fairy eagerly waited for her next words.

“But, vampires attacked us, I think.” Alisha’s confusion showed on her face. “I don’t remember what happened, but when I fully woke up, she was gone. So were the vampires. But blood was everywhere for some…”

Alisha hated the look on Ezeman’s face.

Ezeman’s lips stayed apart for some seconds before he let out a chuckle.

“Wow,” he said as his short laughter persisted. Holding the bridge of his sharp nose, throwing his head back with increasing laughter, Ezeman sure managed to look insane. “I don’t believe this,” he put an abrupt stop to his short chuckles. “You had one job, Alisha.”

”Something went wrong along the line, I-”

“All you had to do was bring her to me!” Alisha sighed deeply as Ezeman raised his voice. “You had that one job, Alisha. I expected that you would think of my predicament and be motivated to do the job well.” His voice was now softened and he sounded pained.

“Ezeman, there was no way I could have predicted what happened on our way back. And, I-”

”Now, I am starting to doubt if you love me as you always claim,” Ezeman dropped as he interrupted her honest explanation.

Alisha gasped, shock on her face.

“Why would you even say such a thing?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper, her voice filled with pain that surpassed the one she felt concerning Zara’s issue.

“If you really love me, you will understand how important this is to me. If I don’t get that girl and set things straight, I could die when the Fairy Queen replaces out what my master has been up to.”

“No.” Alisha shook her head as she rushed towards her man with apologies in her eyes. “No, Ezeman, you won’t die. I won’t let that happen. What do you want me to do next? Huh?” she asked with desperation as she searched his eyes. “Do you want me to look for Zaramanni once more? I will do whatever you ask me to do.”

“My goddess.” The side of Ezeman’s lips managed to tug into a thin smile. Holding the sides of her face dearly, he stared into her frenzied eyes. “My beautiful Alisha.” The witch smiled. “You have proven to be nothing but… useless. But, I still love you regardless.”

”Ezeman…” The fairy stabbed her heart with his words. Whenever he did such, she felt immense panic in her system. It always became hard for her to live without him. Grabbing the collar of his low v-neck attire, she begged, “Please, let me help you.”

”It is okay, Alisha.” Ezemi tilted his head and planted a short kiss on her lips. “You might have me killed if I let you do anything more.”

“B-but I can help you. You need my powers. You need me to be able to talk to Zaramanni. You-”

“Alisha!” His voice echoed past the immediate surroundings. Some tiny creatures that made the forest their home were as startled as the witch who swallowed hard as Ezeman’s tough gaze warned her to stop talking. Alisha drew a sharp breath and she cowered as he grabbed her shoulders.

“Stay out of it, Alisha. It is for the best. Am I clear?” he asked with deadly calm in his voice.

Alisha nodded and she almost let out a wince as his grip disappeared.

Soon, she heard his goodbye.

And, as she watched him fly away, Alisha felt the very ache whose return she dreaded.

She was yearning for Ezeman once again and she wished he would turn back and make love to her again.

But he did not.

~~

A snicker was followed by a voice that said, “For what reason are you standing in front of my Alpha’s place?”

Zaramanni briefly locked eyes with Laura who had her arms folded as she awaited the girl’s response.

Zara had no intention to reply so she curtsied with a simple bow of her head. She then looked towards the entrance of the barely large building where King Darren was having a meeting with some people.

Sham had told her that the King refused to hear anything regarding her departure.

She had expected it, but she was disappointed regardless. The man had no right to keep her in that place.

All Zaramanni wanted was an audience with King Darren and she would make sure to convince him to let her start her journey to Mount Hermos.

That plan was the reason she was standing in that spot. She was waiting for King Darren to come out. Then, she would ambush him and roll out her speech.

“Did you lose your tongue while you were a captive? Did the rogue vampires suck out all of your soul and leave you with an empty shell?” Luna Laura pushed her words even though Zara looked less concerned about her presence.

“In case no one has told you,” her voice turned into a whisper, “you look like a dead person. And, with your skin and that hair of yours, hmm…” Zara finally looked at the woman who now had her fingers on her chin as she scrutinized her with a mocking look. “You look like you could compete with the angel of death.”

Zaramanni sighed. She needed to get rid of the woman.

“Laura,” she called.

“How dare you call me by my name? I am the Luna and I demand-”

“Please, I am tired.” The nonchalant wave Zara gave shocked the Luna. “Bitch, if you don’t stop talking, I might become that angel of death and take your soul, if that will shut you up.” Zaramanni had the most serious look amid the tiredness she displayed on her face.

Laura scoffed with disbelief as Zara turned her head in another direction.

The she-wolf was about to shoot angry words when King Darren walked out of the building, Sham and two men behind him, seriousness on their faces.

When the king got to the last step that leveled with the sandy ground, he looked towards the two women who were watching him with very distinct looks on their faces.

Zara stood straight and released a deep exhale. She was about to walk toward King Darren when Laura ran towards the man-wolf.

“My love,” she said delightfully as she hooked her arm with his. “Have you eaten?”

“Should we have the next meal together?” Zara heard King Darren ask, his stern-looking face hardly matching the slight excitement in his voice.

The duo walked and King Darren didn’t spare Zara one more glance.

And, just like that, he ruined her plan.

From where he stood, Sham shot her an assuring look to which Zara barely smiled.

Seconds later she was alone in that space.

With her hands on her waist, Zaramanni looked up at the sky which was looking less depressing. There were patches in the sky that wore an opposite shade to the gloominess of the sky.

Glad that Zenrada’s sky wasn’t destined to remain in its sorry state, Zara wondered how else she could convince King Darren to let her go. There was no doubt that she had to dissolve the anger he felt toward her but she had no idea what to do.

When she noticed a small bench resting against one of the many big trees that surrounded the Heart of the Kingdom, Zaramanni went to have her seat. As she relaxed against the tough bark of the tree, she felt a small tap on her right shoulder.

With a slight frown and swift head movement, she looked behind her.

No one was there.

Zara adjusted her buttocks on the bench before she turned, but, when she faced her front, she let out a shriek as her heart jumped.

Her legs felt feverish in reaction to the face of the rogue vampire leader right in front of her.

Zaramanni began to shake her head as her brows twitched with terror.

’It is not real,’ she said in her mind.

But as she closed her eyes to get rid of the image, he was all she could see and unimaginable fear ran through her body.

Zara’s heart picked an unusual race and her pupils dilated when she opened her eyes to stare into the dead eyes of the vampire.

Her whole limbs felt frozen, she could not move. The fright overpowered her.

“Y-you are-” The vampire’s face seemed to glitch. His voice began to sound manufactured but it still felt real. “I- I am b-b-back for you-u-u.”

Zara could tell that he was about to reach out and touch her with his death-like hands.

In that stillness, while the eyes staring at her instilled more fear in her, it occurred to Zara that the creature was back to continue what he had started. And her fear grew.

But, King Darren’s wolf had attacked him that night, Zara thought.

So there was no way that moment was real, she reasoned further.

Zara was about to summon the courage and break out of the trance when the distant sound of shattering glass reached her ears.

Suddenly, her feet felt light, and she was floating in the air. Her state of surprise was sustained as she remained in the air for a while before she was suddenly dropped on the ground, right in front of the tree she was supposed to be sitting against.

Everything became more confusing as the noisy night became quiet and, with a closer look, she saw that she was still sitting on the bench.

’Oh my God! Am I dead?’ she wanted to exclaim but her words refused to come out.

Her heart loud enough to kill the silence of the night, Zara began to walk toward her body which looked asleep on the bench.

She was almost touching her face when her eyes suddenly opened.

A startled gasp followed and it came to an end.

Zara finally felt like her whole self as her eyes opened.

Blinking gently, she noticed that she was not alone.

Her heart yet to stay calm, Zara recognized the stern look to be that of the man-wolf called Zoey.

As she stared into his strangely worried eyes, he asked, “You saw him, didn’t you?”

Zara almost frowned. “Who?”

“The vampire.”

She sat straighter. “How do you know that?”

“Relax,” his voice was calm. “I knew this would happen. But, don’t worry, I will take care of it.” Zara felt his large palm against her cheek. His piercing gaze fell on her as he caressed her skin and said, “I will take care of you.”

Zara was unable to say another word even when he offered his broad back for her to mount.

After wrapping her hands around his neck and securing her legs around his waist, the man that had a coppery-brown tone to his solid physique began to walk.

While Beta Zoey’s steps advanced, fear gripped Zaramanni again as she recalled the unexplainable thing she had just experienced.

The more she thought about it, the more she linked the crazy thing to her half-fairy status.

Then, Zaramanni wondered if that meant that she had to be afraid.

That she had to be scared of Zaramanni, the half-fairy version, and the unimaginable powers she was yet to discover…