CHAPTER 33: A SHOOTING STAR

Two days had passed, and it had been nothing short of beautiful for Aaliyah.

He was always by her side, day and night. It was so heartwarming waking up to see him next to her, and she was glad she was getting to know what it meant to be genuinely happy.

They spent most of their daytime at the library where he usually read out to her. He was more like a teacher though and she had learned so much in the past few days. He would still carry her everywhere she wanted to go, prepare her meals like he was her personal chef, and even feed her.

She never wanted this to end. He had told her she was healing properly and might be able to walk on her own in a few weeks, but she didn’t want that. What if he changes back to his old self after she’s healed? Then what?

But she had decided not to focus on the future nor the past. The present was a blessing that was slowly curing her heart from all the terrible things that she had undergone all her life, and she would bathe in its glory and smile every second of it.

Right now both of them were sitting on the porch, staring at the compound of the house. They had just had dinner, and it was dark outside. He had her sit next to him, and she was resting her head on his shoulders lovingly, a soft humm dancing between her lips.

Just as the lights had been repaired inside the mansion, there were multiple lights set up around the compound giving the place a bright haze. They could see everything clearly, and Alastair was frequently staring down at her, and she would return the gesture with a big and cheeky smile.

"It’s gonna be a Full Moon soon," Liya said to him, pointing up at the sky where the Moon was.

"The Month is ending," Alastair replied, his eyes glued to the object in the sky with a silver glow.

"According to that book you read to me, the Full Moon is that time when werewolves go rogue and are at full power, right?" She inquired again, admiring its beauty.

Alastair simply nodded.

"Werewolves," She said to herself, "Good thing I didn’t see one in the Hollow, or else...," She laughed at herself for saying that. According to the books, werewolves are one of the strongest dark creatures in mythology. Their ability to transform and their heightened senses remain unparalleled to many.

Plus, they were said to be even more vicious than Vampires. How crazy is that?

"People write in these books about all these myths. But they don’t really tell us how these creatures came to be. When you think about it, how did the first Vampire come to be? What about the first werewolf? Or...the first Nightwalker? Were they born from ordinary humans as unordinary? Or maybe a mutation that caused all these? Or they were just chosen and cursed with such devastating powers? Or maybe it was a blessing? However, I don’t think not being able to step into the sun for a long time is a blessing. Or fatally weakened by silver? Or iron?" She glanced at her husband, pursing her lips, "Am I talking too much?"

She caught him staring at her, but he didn’t take his eyes away. Recently, she would find him staring at her in a quiet... deeper way than before. It made her always feel giddy and sometimes she would lose her bearings and get lost in his eyes.

The sound of moving tires broke their gaze from each other to see a car driving down the road, and letting itself into the gates. Aaliyah knew it couldn’t be Theodore or else she would have scooted even closer to Alastair by now.

Instead, a pair of heels alighted from the car followed by a familiar face that had a scorn forming on Liya’s face.

Elizabeth was here...again.

The woman paused, seeing the position Alastair and his wife were in, but fought to maintain her composure and walked up to them. Aaliyah frowned, and wrapped both arms around Alastair’s hand, clearly marking her territory.

"I have news," She stated strongly, ignoring Aaliyah.

Alastair remained quiet. Aaliyah wanted him to send her away, but she didn’t want to be selfish. If Elizabeth came here to deliver news, it could be important. Still, Aaliyah could not trust the woman.

She hated her guts and her pretty face!

Just then, Alastair picked Aaliyah into his arms and walked into the mansion with Elizabeth following behind.

"What are you doing?" Aaliyah asked as he dropped her on the couch.

"Count from one to two hundred. Remember I taught you yesterday?"

"I promise I won’t listen. Take me with you,"

"One to two hundred," he repeated with a stoic look before he walked upstairs.

Elizabeth glanced at Aaliyah and rolled her eyes with a mocking smile before following Alastair. It made Aaliyah mad, and she almost punched the chair.

But just as Alastair had requested, she began to count. She had this sick urge to focus her mind and listen to what they were talking about, but she also wanted to fall over the couch and cry her eyes out. She felt Jealous and angry.

Laying her head on the couch, she continued to count while staring at the ceiling.

"56...57...58...59...60..."

The slight heaviness in her pocket told her the rock was in there again. She wanted to take it out and look at it again, but she didn’t want Alastair to suddenly show up and catch her. Wait, why was she even trying to hide it from him?

She didn’t let herself feel so guilty after all, the man was a walking mystery. Someone like him must have tons of secrets and maybe a very exciting past like he told her the other day. He wanted to pull out the Maqbath and become perfect again.

But what sort of perfection was he talking about?

"I56...157...158...159...160..."

Aaliyah frowned again. What was taking them so long?

"I71...172...173...174...175...,"

She kept counting even as she heard the clicking sound of shows because she knew that was Elizabeth and not her dear husband.

Elizabeth came into view, and Aaliyah ignored her and continued to count. Just twenty more and she would go up the stairs herself to look for her husband. If Elizabeth was done relaying the news, she should leave immediately.

"Having the time of your life?" Elizabeth chuckled wryly.

Aaliyah continued to ignore her.

"You don’t even deserve that much from him, but I guess...that’s what needs to be done,"

"185...186...187...188...,"

"Oh, You Poor thing. You all were wishful thinkers. Pureblooded. You didn’t know anything about the world...and it remained like that,"

"192...193...,"

"Ignore me all you want. I always have the last laugh at the end, and it will forever remain this way,"

"197...198...199...200,"

That was it. She was going on her own to find Alastair and why he had kept to his word and returned before she got to a hundred.

But just as she looked up, she found him standing by the stairs with a heavy presence. It seemed like whatever news Elizabeth had relayed wasn’t a good one. How did he even come down there so fast? More like he appeared or something.

"Elizabeth,"

She fought to breathe, unable to look him in the eye.

"Apologize to my wife, right now,"

Aaliyah’s eyes shook from his words, not knowing the right emotion to use for this. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard, but her mixed emotions were turning into this warm embracement in her heart.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth could not believe her ears and looked up at him with shaky eyes.

The look he gave her was lethal, and she could not dare go against him.

"I’m sorry... Aaliyah," She forced out, a devastating scream forming in her throat. She had stooped so low.

"Leave," Another Strict command and she was done before the next ten seconds.

Her car started outside, and they both heard her drive away from the premises.

Aaliyah could not help but smile at Alastair, "Thank you," She said.

"Of course," He walked up to her and kissed her forehead. It had also become one of his regular activities to kiss her forehead these past few days as if he was trying to use it as compensation for not kissing her lips. She didn’t understand why he might hate kissing so much, but she was glad she was getting something.

And she loved it.

The feel of his lips on her head was bliss and peace.

"You came 200 on the dot!" She grinned.

He shrugged.

"Alastair?"

"Yes, little Siren?"

What was the news about? Who is Elizabeth to you? What is the meaning of what she was saying? Where is she coming from? She had big questions. She was curious about these things and wondered if he would ever tell her.

"I don’t want to go to bed early today. Can we sit on the porch and watch the stars instead?"

"Of course,"

She knew he wouldn’t say no. He was keeping to his words, and she liked that. Hopefully, he would not break his Promise.

Alastair had turned off most of the light outside to make the sight more beautiful, and Aaliyah’s eyes shimmered to see so many stars in the sky. They were twinkling and were all over the endless but she couldn’t think of anything more beautiful than Alastair.

He was her star. The only star in her Dark sky.

"Thank You," She said again, resting on his shoulders, "I don’t want this night to come to an end,"

"You should make a wish," He said softly.

"A wish?" She asked.

"There’s a shooting star. You guys usually make a wish whenever you see one, right?" He pointed to their right where a twinkling light was running through the sky.

Aaliyah had never seen anything like it before! Quickly, she clasped her hands together and uttered a wish.

Also, what did he mean by ’ You guys ’?