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Chapter 9
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From His Shield to His Nightmare Chapter 23
Alaina’s POVSpring arrived.The Florentine sun chased away the last chill of winter.Elsie’s clan, weakened by scandal and the imprisonment of their lord’s daughter, had lost its former glory and faded from public view.My life, however, was like the wisteria blooming outside my window, full of life and hope.My and Chiara’s magical art gallery, with the full support of my family, was finally about to open.We chose a location in an ancient building on the banks of the Arno River, once the home of a famous Renaissance mage.The day before the opening, I was personally arranging the final exhibition hall.The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm golden glow on the giant mural in the center of the hall, a depiction of the “Advent of Holy Light” that I had just finished restoring.Just then, I felt a familiar, cold surge of magic behind me.I didn’t turn around.“The gallery is beautiful.”A hoarse, weary voice sounded behind me.
From His Shield to His Nightmare Chapter 22
Cedric’s POVI returned to the empty castle, a shell without her.The first thing I did was go to her family’s ancestral home, long since abandoned.It had been taken over by a new, upstart vampire family who had made their fortune through speculation.They had torn out the night-blooming cereus she loved and planted gaudy, common blood roses in their place.They had replaced the stained-glass window Alaina loved, the one that looked out at the moon, with heavy, opaque obsidian.Every trace of her spiritual energy was being crudely erased, disappearing bit by bit.I couldn't stop any of it. This land no longer belonged to me.I could only act like a wretched scavenger, secretly picking up the pieces of Alaina’s “trash” after the new owners threw them out.A shattered piece of a magical stone tablet carved with guardian runes.A few withered, crushed petals of a night-blooming cereus.A worn leather case she used for her restoration tools.I collected this garbage like they were holy re
From His Shield to His Nightmare Chapter 21
Alaina’s POVIn the end, Cedric couldn't give me the healing salve himself.But the next day, the hotel manager mysteriously approached my father, saying an "anonymous Mr. Rothschild" wanted to sell a bottle of a potent, ancestral remedy at a high price, and asked if we were interested.My father saw through the clumsy ruse immediately but "bought" it without a word.That evening, as my mother applied the salve that smelled of Cedric to my knee, she sighed, "Why does he bother?"I didn't answer.Because I knew some debts, even if he wanted to repay them, I wouldn't accept.After the Alps, my family and I traveled to Tromsø, Norway, to chase the legendary Northern Lights.We stayed in a glass igloo where we could lie in bed and watch the stars.When the brilliant, ribbon-like green aurora danced across the night sky, everyone gasped in awe.I clasped my hands, closed my eyes, and made a wish for the new year.May the ones I love, and the ones who love me, be safe and happy.And may I, f
From His Shield to His Nightmare Chapter 20
Alaina’s POVThe next morning, as I was about to leave with my family and friends for a ski trip in the Alps, the butler informed me that the box Cedric had left, the one containing the "First Embrace's Blood," was still at the door."Get rid of it," I said without turning back. "Or send it back to the Thorne clan. I don't care."I wanted no more ties to that name.The snow-covered Alps were breathtakingly beautiful.I quickly learned to ski, flying down the slopes like a free bird.This feeling of liberation almost made me forget all the shadows of the past.But during one challenging run, I took a fall, my knee hitting a snow-covered rock hard.Back at the resort, my knee had swollen up, the pain sharp and piercing."The nearest pharmacy is in the town down the mountain. It's a two-hour round trip by car," my friend Chiara said worriedly as she applied an ice pack. "And they only sell regular ointments, which might not work for someone with your constitution.""It's fine, I'll just r
From His Shield to His Nightmare Chapter 19
Alaina’s POVThe birthday party at our family’s Tuscan estate lasted late into the night.I’d had a little Chianti, and my cheeks were flushed.Surrounded by friends and family, I had the happiest birthday of my life.After the party, I took a solitary walk along a moonlit path through the vineyards, wanting to clear my head in the cool air.Just as I was about to head back to the villa, a figure stepped out from the shadows, blocking my path.It was Cedric.He wasn’t in his usual lordly attire. Just a simple black shirt. He looked like a common traveler, lost in the night.But in his hand, he carried an exceptionally ornate box made of obsidian and pure silver.“Happy birthday, Alaina.”His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.In the moonlight, his crimson eyes held a raw vulnerability I had never seen before. It bordered on utter despair.The smile on my face froze.“What are you doing here?”“I…” He seemed to want to explain but just shook his head and held the b
From His Shield to His Nightmare Chapter 18
Alaina’s POVI started planning my future—a future without Cedric, without the Thorne clan, a future of only sunlight, art, and freedom.My birthday was approaching. And for the first time in a very, very long life, I was actually looking forward to it.My mother and aunts were excitedly planning a week of celebrations, from a party at a Tuscan winery to a masquerade ball in Venice.I watched them bustle about and smiled, a true, genuine smile.This pure warmth of being surrounded by family was something I hadn't experienced in a hundred years.On my birthday, I received countless well wishes from friends and partners.Among them was a package encrypted with the Thorne clan’s highest-level magical sigil.I hesitated for a moment before opening it.It wasn't from Cedric.It was a cloak, light as a cloud, woven from moonsilk and unicorn mane. It was imbued with the blessing imprints of Elder Alaric and Cedric’s mother, Lady Elena.A parchment letter slipped out.【Dearest Alaina, happy bi
