Abi was breathless. She thought for a second that she was not going to make it because Alex hadn't moved to catch her the entire time they were falling. She thought that this was going to be her last moment here on Earth but he caught her at the very last second, just before she closed her eyes and prepared herself to die.

  She gazed up at his face as the dust settled down.

  "A-are you alright?" she asked. She felt his body temperature return to normal but the next moment, he wobbled and dropped to his knees. Abi quickly pulled away from him and held his face.

  "Alex! Are you okay? Look at me," she told him but he just closed his eyes and buried his head on the nook of her neck. His body became limp.

  Abi started to panic and she shook him gently. "Alex! Alex… please stay with me. Please be okay……" She pushed down her panic as she looked for signs of life. She breathed in deeply to slow down her racing heart and she breathed out a sigh of relief when she felt his heartbeat.

  Now that her mind was calmer, Abi looked around to see if she could see someone who might be able to help her and was glad when she saw Zeke already approaching them.

  …


  Inside Alex's room.

  "Is he okay? He suddenly… he just suddenly fell, Zeke. I think there's something wrong with him. He also looked like he was in pain before he fell," Abi told Zeke once the man was done checking on him.

  Zeke looked at her and sighed.

  "There's nothing wrong with his body," Zeke replied.

  "Then why? I saw him struggling to breathe and his body suddenly turned as cold as ice too. I felt it."

  Zeke turned and stared at Alex's sleeping face before he held Abi's arm and led her near the window. "Listen, Abigail," he started, looking intently into her eyes. "At first I thought that he had lost his soul but that theory was proven incorrect judging from his reaction towards you. So then I thought that his soul might still be lurking within him, half dead. But now, after what you told me, I have another theory. I think that he might actually be dying. I think I got it wrong again when I thought that his body wouldn't die."

  Abi froze with what she heard. What? Her Alex was dying? But… he was an immortal! He had the dragon's blood running in his veins!

  The thought made her feel like she was being strangled. No. Alex could never die.

  Looking at her as she shook her head in denial, Zeke took a deep breath and made her look at him. "Of course, this is again just another theory. But there's no other way to explain the things that are going on with him. This is the first time something like this had happened to him. An immortal would never lose his strength and power even if he was being cut into pieces. What happened to him almost seemed like he had turned into a powerless, dying human for a moment. And now, he even passed out. That has never happened before."

  "Wh-what should we do? Zeke… please, save him…" Abi's eyes began to well as they both looked back at Alex as he lay on the bed, sleeping so soundly.

  "We only have one choice. We have to move now. I think he might be running out of time," Zeke said and Abi looked at him with questions in her eyes. "We are going to leave the castle at dawn to hunt those witches down."

  "Are they going to help us save him?"

  "No, they won't. These witches have wanted him dead for thousands of years now."

  "Then why are we –"

  "I told you before, right? Witches can see the future and also the past. They can see the answers of the mysteries that both vampires and humans know nothing about. Their knowledge is their power and that is what we need from them."

  "So we need to catch them and force them to speak."

  "That's the only way."

  "But what if they will not tell the truth?" Abi asked him but Zeke just showed her a wicked smirk filled with malice.

  "Don't worry. I have a plan," he replied and his expression returned to normal. "Watch over him closely. I'll go prepare for the journey," he added as he walked towards the door.

  He halted by the door and glanced back at her. "Also, make sure to prepare yourself. You can't just follow us around like a useless piece of luggage. You have an important role, too, so I want you to prepare your mind and your entire being. Understand?"

  Abi gulped by his words but she eventually nodded. "I understand."

  "Good."

  Once the door was closed, Abi walked over to Alex. He was so peaceful when he was sleeping. As she looked at his face, her mind wandered back to what just happened, at how he still managed to save her despite the situation he was in. She knew he did that because he didn't want her to die and her heart swelled at that thought. This man did everything for her. He saved her and suffered for her.

  Now that she thought about everything that happened, Abi thought that she wasn't really the one who was hellbent. Or she was, but not as much as him. She was the reason why all of this was happening. Unknowingly, he had loved her and saved her and suffered for the woman who was destined to kill him. And now, he might really be dying.

  Her heart ached. She wanted to save him too. What should she do to save him? She wanted to do anything and everything for him. She would never let him leave her again. She would willingly give her life up for him if that was what it took because living without him was the same as dying every day.

  Thinking about sealing her vow to herself by kissing him, Abi's lips were about to collide with his when…


  "What a sneaky little lamb…" his hoarse voice jolted her.