Chapter Text
Chapter One
Neither this life nor the next would keep them apart.
London buzzed with life, people flowing around him effortlessly to get to their destination. He had watched as the city built itself from the ground up. The nightlife was amazing—but that was all he knew.
The night.
Mankind never ceased to amaze him.
Times changed. The people changed. But nothing changed for him.
He lived, but he didn't age. Time meant…nothing.
And nothing stopped him.
Nothing except for the soft laugh that had him pausing mid-step.
It wasn't the loud voices or even the lure of blood that surrounded him. No, what stopped him was her voice. Sweet. Innocent. Soft. It had him turning his head.
And there she was, her fingers trailing over the bouquet of flowers in her hands. Time was lost on him in that moment—because what was time to a monster like him?
Mirena.
Mirena. Her name whispered through his mind.
The memory of her had haunted him through the years with sorrow. She'd begged him to drink her blood. Kill her. Do it—a death that she willingly gave him to save their son. He'd gained immortality. Through her selfless act, he'd achieved victory.
Her death was still a bittersweet taste in his mouth. And he remembered the words he had spoke. A vow. Neither this life nor the next will keep us apart.
She'd died in his arms.
But there she was. As fragilely beautiful as she had been then; nothing about her had changed. Vlad lifted his head to the skies. They were being given a second chance. Hope. Knowing that, he couldn't walk away. There was no chance of that. He felt a softness that he hadn't felt in years. He took the first step towards her. He smiled when he reached her side.
"Beautiful." He said softly.
And she turned those memorable eyes on him. Eyes as blue as he remembered in days past. If his heart hadn't already been dead, it would have stopped beating all over again. He could see himself reaching out to touch her skin, to run his fingertips over the softness of her cheek, but on the outside, he did nothing but smile.
There was no recollection in those startled blue eyes.
He nodded his head. "The flowers, my lady."
"My lady?" She asked with a small laugh. "Where are you from?"
Her voice had his smile deepening. "A long way from here."
"Well…." She said in what Vlad already knew was a goodbye as she took a step around him. "Goodbye."
He wasn't letting her go; not again. Vlad knew that with as much certainty as the darkness that had claimed him centuries before. She didn't remember him. She didn't know him. But she was his Mirena. She had taken two steps when he spoke. "…why think separately of this life and the next, when one is born from the last?"
And there it was. The pause as she turned to face him. "That's my favorite poem."
"It speaks to you of longing, of days gone by." An unusual thing to say in today's world; but he was from a world born centuries before. Of course it would be her favorite. He had known it would be. If only she knew it wasn't Rumi who had spoken those poetic words.
She hesitated but Vlad could see the curious nature of her eyes; she smiled. "I'm Mina."
He reached out with a gloved hand and lifted hers. He bowed over her hand and kissed her knuckles delicately, his eyes meeting hers. "Vlad." He said, inhaling her scent. Familiar, so sweet and longing. Human.
They were being given a second chance.
Not Mirena. Mina. He flipped a silver coin towards the clerk and plucked a red rose from the array of flowers. "A rose for the beautiful Mina?"
She gave another soft laugh. The look in her eyes said it all; strange behavior from a gentle stranger. "Thank you." She said softly.
He held his arm out to her. "May I escort you…?" He let the offer hang between them; anything to see her smile again. He could send her hesitation again, but she placed her hand on his arm and let her guide him in the right direction.
"Of course…I was meeting a friend for dinner." She gave nothing away, merely trailed beside him on the sidewalk. She was clear in the knowledge that she was meeting someone. She wasn't alone.
After all, he was still a complete stranger.
He knew her better than even she knew herself.
"If you don't mind me asking …where are you from?" She asked. "Your accent, I can't place it."
"Transylvania."
"Good God, why would you come all the way here?"
Vlad couldn't help himself. He laughed at the sheer shock of her question. "Why would I not?" He asked in turn.
"But London is so…" She looked at the towering buildings and brick homes built too closely together. Crowded.
He arched an eyebrow. "You prefer the vast lands of Transylvania over the London lifestyle?"
"I've never been outside of London. I can only imagine it's beautiful."
"It is." Vlad said. He wasn't talking about the land that he called home.
He lifted his head when someone called her name.
"Mina!"
It wasn't hard to miss the woman in question. The red head was bearing down on them from across the sidewalk.
"Lucy."
Vlad could hear the familiarity and emotion in Mina's voice. There was envy for the woman approaching; a deep founded friendship. She left his side to embrace the female, greeting the other woman with a kiss to the cheek.
"Now, Mina." Lucy chided softly. "Are you not going to introduce me to your friend?"
He could sense her peaked interest. He bowed over Lucy's hand, his lips barely grazing her knuckles. "Vlad." He introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucy."
He was, after all, still a prince and a gentleman.
"Oh, but Mina!" The redhead said with a small laugh, fluttering her lashes his way. "You do find the most interesting ones."
His interests would have her running from London in terror.
"Do join us!" Lucy threw the offer out there before Mina could stop her. Vlad looked at Mina; it was an opening that he hadn't even asked for, nor one that he would refuse.
"Be it that I could ever say no to such beautiful ladies." He said and pulled out two chairs. He didn't seat himself until both ladies were seated and then took the seat opposite of Mina. There were already wine glasses waiting and he lifted his in a toast in Mina's direction. "A toast."
She echoed his move with her own glass but frowned. "To what?"
"To second chances." He meant the words. He knew she didn't understand; but it didn't matter.
"To second chances." Lucy mimicked, clinking their glasses together.
The stench of the wine filled his nostrils and while the women across from him took a sip, he lowered his. His eyes moved over Mina's face. She was a delight to behold, as beautiful now as she had been in her past life. She spoke animatedly, laughing over something Lucy said.
He remembered when they had done this very thing over their own dinner table. He could see her in his mind, the blue eyes that had once stared at him with love. Long hair twisted in a braid over her shoulder as she spoke his name.
"Have you heard from Jonathan? Has he proposed yet?"
"Lucy… he's away. We haven't—"
The wine glass in his hand shattered.
Vlad looked down to see his hand clenched into a fist. Blood seeped from between his closed fingers. He barely noticed the fleeting pain. Both women gasped. He stood smoothly, folding his arm behind his back; his hand was already healed.
"I'm quite alright, I assure you." He murmured.
What Lucy said echoed in his mind.
Has he proposed yet?
What fool would dare take Mirena from him?
No one.
"If you ladies will forgive my sudden departure, I've prior engagements that require my attention." He turned to Lucy and lifted her hand to his lips.
Neither woman questioned him; his voice left no room for argument.
He turned to Mina and then lifted her hand to his lips. His lips lingered, his eyes meeting hers. "Mina." He murmured before turning away.
His eyes narrowed as he blended into the crowd. His words centuries before hadn't been merely words. They were a vow. Neither this life nor the next will keep us apart. Fate had torn them apart. Destiny had brought them back together. If he hadn't already been damned, he'dbedamned before letting her slip away from him again.
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