Serene’s POV

As soon as Kilamin picked me up I wanted to scream not to do it, but no voice escaped me. My body and brain were not under my control. She had given me a sharp stick to stab him and retrieve his blood. She only needed a few drops.

The question was, why Kilamin? Why did she need his blood? I wished my body would freeze but to my horror, my hand moved and stabbed him in the back. His grip loosened and taking the stick with me I ran and jumped through the barrier. He tried to follow me but the barrier halted him.

I ran on wobbly legs clutching the stick containing his blood. How I wished I would just drop it but my brain was still under her mind control. My legs ached beyond anything I had ever experienced. It felt like my soul was slowly being drained from it.

She was waiting for me with a crooked smile as I approached her and handed her the stick.

Taking the stick from me she dipped it in the container which already held my blood and mixed it. The liquid inside began to glow with a yellow glow as if it had been lit.

Kilamin’s blood was somehow special, was it because he was a fae-warlock hybrid? But there were numerous such hybrids in this world. What made him special? Didn’t she say she needed the blood of my brother? Was he my brother? I began to spiral out of control and fell to the ground. Every ounce of energy gone.

Meanwhile, she placed her bloodied hand on the barrier, and everything shuddered. The force of the barrier-breaking hit me as it crumbled and disappeared in front of me and I fell to the ground, darkness engulfed me.

When I came to my senses again, I felt someone holding me. I slowly opened my eyes to notice it was Kilamin. A small painful smile crept on his face as he placed his hand on my cheek and said:

"I am glad you are awake and yourself." I peered around me, trying to comprehend the situation.

"What happened?" I asked him trying to remember the last thing I saw before fainting.

He didn’t speak instead his face formed a thin line. Then I remembered what I had done, the barrier, was gone and nothing was standing between our world and Dark Realm anymore.

I began hyperventilating when the realization of my actions hit me.

"Nooooo," I shrieked at the top of my lungs, tears stung my eyes and blurred my vision. I tried to sit up but he didn’t let me. Instead, he held me closer to him.

"Shhh, it’s going to be alright. It wasn’t your fault. Everyone is on their way. Slayers have been notified and they will contain the situation." He stroked my hair, trying to calm me down, but nothing eased the burdens of my heart at that instant. Tears flowed freely as I clutched his shirt tightly.

We were no longer in the Dark Realm and I was guessing he had rescued me once the barrier had fallen. I was back in the infirmary. Where were that evil she-vampire and the creatures which had been following her? And then I remembered her words and I stared into his eyes. Could that be true? He did have similar hair to that of father and his wings screamed royalty.

"Kilamin..." my voice got hitched and I couldn’t ask him what I wanted to ask. I let go of his and stepped back so I was staring into his eyes.

"Yes," his reply was soft.

"Are we... blood-related? Are you really my...brother?" The shock on his face was beyond description, he watched me with wide eyes and gritted teeth. His jaw was so taut. I guessed that was something he never wanted me to find out. His silence was deafening.

"Please...tell me the truth." I pleaded with him, and tears flowed non-stop, making it difficult for me to even breathe.

"Yes," he finally uttered the one word which held so much meaning for me. One word that changed everything, which elevated him to an exalted position and altered the whole dynamics between us. Why wouldn’t he ever tell me that? I spent all my life thinking he was just an outsider when in reality he was my brother.

My heart filled with warmth at his word and I just threw myself at him, enveloping him in a tight hug, my bawling became louder as I cried my eyes out. He hugged me back with so much tenderness and affection that only an elder brother could shower.

Every word, every instant, everything made sense now. Why father trusted him, why grandmother pleaded his case, why he always protected me not caring about his life? They all knew and yet they kept it a secret from me.

"Why? Why wouldn’t you tell me? Why keep me in dark all those years of my life?" I whimpered not letting him go. I had a sibling and they made it appear that I was alone. I sought that in Zian and I sought that in Ralph but they denied me, my real brother. It made me furious.

"I didn’t want you to hate me. I am your step-brother and we thought you might not accept me. Your mother found it difficult to do that, although she was never unkind or harsh to me. But my existence was a constant torture to her, a reminder that her husband had loved someone else before her and fathered a child without marriage. We didn’t want you to carry that burden." His words came out ragged as if he was trying to reel in his emotions.

"How could you even think about me hating my brother? I would never have done that and if the events of tonight had not unfolded, I might not have ever known. You denied me your love and let me believe you are just an ordinary person." I sobbed and complained, wetting his clothes with my tears.

"I am sorry, I only wanted to keep you safe and my heart holds unconditional love for you. Don’t cry. You were not alone to experience nightmares of her, I did too but they were not as severe as yours. So I understood what you went through. But I didn’t pay much heed to them. Now I am guessing she needed my blood too to break the barrier. That’s why she sent you?" He took my face in his hands and wiped my tears and I just nodded my head, too emotional to speak.

So he had been experiencing nightmares too, that’s why he knew so much and volunteered for my training. He always had my best interests at his heart.

We could hear shouting and shuffling of feet coming from outside and I panicked. Were we under attack? There was so much I wanted to ask him but I guess that had to wait. She would definitely target our Institute, nowhere was safe now. I just hoped our barrier spell will hold her and her entourage of monsters at bay.

Kilamin finally let me go: "Stay here, you need rest. You have lost a lot of blood. Mariela healed your wounds but some were extremely deep and we couldn’t figure out the toxins so it will take time for some of them to heal. Besides we haven’t notified your friends about what happened. Artins wanted to keep it this way until we analyzed the situation."

That reminded me of Ayrden. "What about Ayrden? Where is she?" And Kilamin hesitated before pointing towards the far-end corner of the infirmary. Sun had risen and tiny rays of light were filtering through the window. Ayrden was laying there on a bed, unconscious as light hit and illuminated her face.

"Is she still unconscious?" I asked in apprehension and he nodded, making me gasp.

"We believe she has fallen into a coma." We both stared at her and I wanted to rush over to her but Kilamin stopped me.

"No, stay in bed. You are too weak right now. Replenish your energy and let your body heal you. I am not letting you walk under any circumstances and no matter what happens outside, no matter what you hear, you are not to step outside." I glanced down at my body and most of it was covered in bandages. My arms, legs, hands and abdomen, everything was wrapped in special bandages.

I was only clad in a shirt and underwear, a blanket covered me. No way was I in any position to walk about in such a condition. My body was in shambles and so were my brain and heart.

Our world was almost doomed because of me and no way were they going to forgive me for I will be the cause of countless lives that will be lost when those monsters will wreak havoc.

But Kilamin stood tall with me and I knew he wouldn’t let anyone touch me. I needed to tell him what happened.

"Kilamin, your blood combined with mine was used to break the barrier spell and I..." he cut me off.

"I know Serene, my mother was from the bloodline of Orison; Sahala’s best friend. When you stabbed me and ran away, it did cross my mind. Since Orison and Sahala both prepared the barrier spell, it makes sense that blood from both of us was needed to break it." I gasped, it made sense now.

Just then the door of the infirmary opened.