Chapter 27

Chapter 27

She smiled slowly. "I will die as a traitor."

 "Don't say that," he whispered.

Just then, the door opened, and Hannah walked in, holding a cup. "The doctor said she should drink some of this. It will help relieve the pain," Hannah announced, handing the cup to Cassius.

He took it from her and brought it to Anastasia's mouth. She slowly drank some of the herbal tea before leaning back against the pillow.

"Come with me," he urged. "I have somewhere to show you." "I can manage myself," she protested, managing to stand up. "Where are you taking me?"

Cassius didn't respond, but he smiled enigmatically. She followed him out of the room, and they walked through different corridors before finally reaching the ground floor.

A carriage was waiting for them, and Cassius helped her get inside. She sat down, feeling the cold air brush against her skin, and shivered. Moving closer, she put her arms in his long coat.

Cassius stiffened at her touch, not expecting her to move closer to him. She was cold as ice, and he could hear her teeth grinding against each other. He could feel his muscles tensing with her arms around him.

"You feel so cold," he murmured, feeling her cold breath fall on his skin.

"Humans are very fragile and could easily fall sick," he muttered.

"Well, what do you think would happen after drawing a lot of blood from me?" she asked.

"If this were happening weeks ago, I would have been happy, but I don't want you dead anymore," he replied, his tone softening.

Anastasia slowly nodded her head, feeling very weak and tired. She was dehydrating fast, and she knew this wasn't a good sign. She had to stay clear of water to avoid transforming, but her body needed it to heal.

"We need to do something about your condition. I can't let you die," he said, concern etched on his face.

When they arrived at the place, Cassius helped her down from the carriage. Anastasia looked around, taking in the breathtaking sight of a vast and deep ocean stretching out before her. She looked happy, but made sure to keep a safe distance from the water.

"What is this place?" she asked, feeling curious.

"My mom used to bring me here when I was young," he replied, wearing a nostalgic smile on his face.

"For blessings."

Anastasia scoffed, "Blessings? How can the ocean bless someone?"

Cassius chuckled. "There are a lot of rumors about this ocean. Let me tell you its history. Come with me for a walk."

 She nodded her head and started to walk with him. For some odd reason, she felt a surge of energy standing near the ocean.

"Thousands of years ago, there was a woman," he began. "Everyone despised her in the Kingdom. She lived like an outcast among the vampires. Being a human felt like a heavy weight on her shoulder. She tried to fit in with society, but that only made them hate her more."

"One day, she was killed by one of her vampire's mistresses, and she died. A lot of people say her spirit went into the water, and she took it as her home," he finished.

"I still don't get how the ocean can give blessings," she said, confusion etched on her face.

"Not just blessings," he clarified. "It can also curse you."

"Most times, women would go there and cry to the ocean for help. She mostly helped humans, not just women," he explained. "Other times, they would be found dead near the ocean. She despised the vampires. They were cursed to die."

"So how did it not curse you and your mother when you both came?" she asked, still not understanding.

"There's something my mother used to tell me when we came here," he said. "Since she has anger towards the vampires, you should appease her with something."

"So before coming to the ocean, we would bring fish. A lot of them. And we would throw them into the ocean. After some time, she would give us a sign that she had received our appeasement and had blessed us."

"Wow," Anastasia smiled, her eyes wide with amazement. She had never heard of anything like that. "It feels…."

"Strange?" Cassius suggested, tilting his head to the side. Anastasia nodded, her brow furrowed in thought.

"You know she's fond of my mother," he said. "Even as she was a vampire she never cursed my mother any day."

"Did you ever meet her?" Anastasia asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"No," Cassius shook his head, his eyes gazing out at the ocean.

Anastasia felt a sudden, light ache in her stomach and brought her hand to touch it. But to her surprise, she didn't feel the wound anymore. Her eyes widened in shock, and she snapped her head towards Cassius. "What just happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.