Posting This Because I Can't Get Over How Awesome And Badass It Looks.

As a Kamilah stan, I concur!

I just dont really get why some people are upset over hearing about Gaius constantly.

Kamilah was with him, for almost 2000 years, hes not just some insignificant figure from her past.

She said it herself this chapter. Gaius reminds her of everything she did, who she used to be. The pain and suffering that shes caused. All these things that shes suppressed, she now needs to face.

Her past isnt something that she can just 'get over', Kamilah herself doesnt feel worthy of redemption. Kamilah needs this, she needs to come to terms with what shes done, her relationship with Gaius. Then, she can truly begin to heal, and let go.

Its understandable that shes hurting, and its understandable that she needs time. Thats the process of healing, and forgiving herself.

We as her li should be understanding, and respectful of her space, just like MC was this chapter. It was good, healthy, and I liked it. I get that we all just want some time with Kamilah, I do too, but I think we should all acknowledge that Kamilahs situation isnt easy.

Gaius coming back has brought back everything that Kamilah has tried to keep hidden, its clear she hasnt properly had time to think about it, and if what she needs right now is time to come to terms with it, I think thats completely fair.

(I dont mean to offend anyone with this, its my opinion. I am not 'coming for anyone' or attacking them)

A shocking surprise? What or who could it be?

Agreed. Though, I would add the following:

6. The Elementalists

7. A Courtesan of Rome

My Top 5 Choices Series That Should Be Netflix Originals

Endless Summer

Perfect Match

The Crown & The Flame

It Lives Anthology

Veil Of Secrets

It was just a mistake! Thank goodness!

I am reblogging my own story. Hehe. ✌️

The Promise

Note:  Hello, everyone. I got the idea for this Kamilah x MC story some time after the latest BloodBound chapter was released. This takes place immediately after the events of the said chapter. Also regarding the Order of the Dawn,I assumed, for the purpose of this story, that they possess high-tech weapons specifically designed to take down vampires. The assumption is based on the information Adrian shared.

Anyway, this story is rather lengthy. Lol. I hope that you guys will like it! :)

P.S: Also, please forgive the title. I couldn’t think of anything else. Haha.

Amy’s POV

The Knights of the Order of the Dawn march through the entrance of Serafine’s nightclub. As they fill the room, streams of flaming arrows fly across the room, immediately setting dozens of vampires on fire.

Screams fill the air as chaos erupts among the crowd. Vampires desperately push against one another in an attempt to escape.

“Amy, get down!” Serafine yells over the screeching as she pulls down to the floor to avoid getting hit by the arrows.

“Serafine, we gotta get to Adrian and Jax!” You tell her.

But your words don’t seem to have reached her. Serafine looks wide-eyed at the ground before her.

“Serafine! Wake up!”

Your loud voice seems to have broken her from her stupor. “Oui! Stay close to me!”

Serafine grabs your hand as she expertly weaves her way through the panicking crowd. You barely manage to keep up with her, but eventually, you find yourselves back in the VIP room where you find Jax and Adrian talking to a group of frightened vampires.

“Guys, the Order of the Dawn is here!” You exclaim as an explanation.

With his eyes glowing red, Jax unsheathes his sword. “Yeah. We heard.”

Adrian steps forward, his face grim. “We need to get out of here.”

Serafine addresses him with a disheartened look on her face. “But there are too many of them." 

You see Adrian’s face harden. "We have to do what we can! We’ve come this far, and there’s too much at stake for us to give up now!”

“Adrian’s right.” Jax steps up beside him. “We can’t stop. Not right now.”

“But the Order…” Serafine mumbles. “… How did they even find my nightclub?”

You look at Serafine whose face is fraught with despair. Her eyes are unseeing - it’s as if she’s re-living a traumatic event.

Adrian notices her dazed state and grabs her hand to squeeze it firmly. “Serafine. Listen to me.”

She turns to him with worried eyes. “You need to calm down.” He tells her. “We can get through this. It’s not over until it’s over.”

The French vampire looks at him for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opens them, you see red irises.

“You’re right. We must fight back.”

You grin at her. “That’s the spirit.”

Adrian cracks his knuckles as his own eyes slowly turn red. “Now then, shall we greet the Order?”

“Oui. We shall.”

“Let’s do this!” Jax growls.

—-

Despite being greatly outnumbered; you and the others were able to put up a fight. Some of the other vampires joined you in the battle - you were all able to hold your own for a while.

But the fact remains that the Order is stronger and larger in number. As the battle progressed, you all started to sustain wounds from their technologically advanced weapons. And eventually, you, Adrian, Jax, Serafine and a few other survivors are crumpled on the ground and are surrounded by the Knights.

Your struggle to keep your eyes open while you cover your bloodied temple with your left hand. You try to hold your head steady with your right one.

“We couldn’t beat them.” You say with a defeated sigh.

“Damn. Those weapons of theirs are really something else.” Jax grunts as he clutches his badly burned shoulder.

“They’ve certainly… upgraded… their arsenal.” Serafine wheezes as she wraps her arms around her stomach.

“We came all this way… Damn it!” Jax yells in frustration.

“At the very least, we will not die as cowards.” You hear Serafine seethe as she glares at faceless masks of the Knights.

“There’s not… much that we… can do.” Adrian grumbles – the pain from the blast to his back making it difficult for him to speak. “It was an honor to… have fought… alongside you all.”

The Knight in front of you raises his arm. “Men, ready your aims!”

Simultaneously, all of the Knights aim their weapons at you, ready to strike.

You look at the Knights, then to your friends, and then to the still-lit ceiling. “Lily… Kamilah…” you say softly, “I hope you guys can finish what we started.” You then close your eyes, waiting for it to be all over…

BOOM!

Something suddenly explodes, and you hear the Knights scream. Your nostrils are immediately invaded with the smell of smoke.

When you open your eyes, you see that the room is now filled with smoke and that the Knights have been scattered across the floor. Through the entrance, a group of red-eyed vampires arrives with weapons of their own. They immediately take advantage of the confusion and engage the members of the Order in combat.

And in a flash, a familiar face is kneeling in front of you.

“You called?” Kamilah smirks at you.

You could hardly believe your eyes. “Kamilah?!”

Even though she’s smirking, you can see hints of relief and worry in her eyes as she looks at you. She instantly tears off one of her long sleeves and quickly wraps it around your head to stop the bleeding.

From beside you, the others react to her sudden appearance. “Wait… What?!” You hear Jax mumble in shock.

Despite her injured condition, Serafine smiles brightly at her. “Darling! So good to see you again!”

“Kamilah! But how?!” Adrian sputters before wincing in pain.

Kamilah looks over her shoulder to call out to another vampire. “Samuel! I need help with the injured!”

“Yes, Miss Sayeed!” In a matter of seconds, more vampires approach your wounded group.

In the blink of an eye, she’s carrying you in her arms. “I’ll explain later.” She addresses all of you. “Right now, we have to get you all to safety.”

“Hey. No arguments from me.” You chuckle as you rest your head against her shoulder.

You see her smile at you quickly before addressing the others. “Let’s move!”

In a matter of minutes, you’re inside a large van.

“Amy!” Lily calls to you from the driver’s seat.

“Hey, Lil.” You smile at her weakly.

“Whoa. You guys look messed up!”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Jax grumbles.

As soon as all the injured have been loaded in the van, Kamilah slams the door shut. “Now’s not the time for pleasantries. We have to go now!”

Lily immediately takes the wheel and starts the engine. “Got it!”

Soon, you’re zooming down the roads of Paris far away from the Order.

—-

Four hours later

About four hours later, you’ve stopped at the front of the side of a mountain somewhere in the woods located miles away from the main city.

“Where are we?” You ask.

Kamilah responds as she places some items in a satchel. “We’re at an old safehouse used by European vampires back in the early 19th century as a hiding place.”

“Safehouse?” You ask, looking at the wide expanse of hard rock through the windshield.

“It’s built inside the mountain, Amy. The entrance is hidden. How cool is that?!” Lily explains.

“Oh. I see. But won’t the Order find us here?”

“We’ll only stay here for the night. We’ll move to a more secured area come dawn. Besides, this is one of the very few hideouts that the Order has yet to find.” Kamilah says as she slings the bag over her shoulder.

Serafine leans forward. “Oui. This was one of the safest places to go when on the run.”

“This is about as good a hiding place as any.” Jax says from his seat.

Kamilah addresses her other companions. “Get Adrian, Serafine, and Jax inside and give them blood packets. They need to heal immediately.” She then turns to you. “I’ll take care of Amy myself.” She effortlessly scoops you into her arms and carries you outside.

A short while later, Kamilah has removed the rudimentary bandage around your head and cleaned the wound before placing some anti-bacteria solution covering it with a long strip of proper medicinal gauze.

“Thanks.” You say.

“Not a problem. Now let’s go meet with the others.” She offers you her hand, and you take it – letting her pull you up.

—-

You meet at the center of the safehouse and settle around an old and grimy ornate table that has seen better days.

“So, Kamilah…” Adrian begins, now completely healed, “Why are you here? How did you find us?”

Kamilah folds her hands on the table. “When you left to meet Serafine, I called some of my old contacts in Europe. I know as well as anyone that the Order of the Dawn is still active and is more dangerous now than ever. I asked them to watch your movements and also to collect information about the activities of the Order so that I would know if you ever get caught in one of their raids.“

Jax couldn’t contain his shock. “So, you’ve been spying on us this whole time!?”

"I wouldn’t exactly call it "spying.” Kamilah began. “But I suppose I was.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that you were!” Serafine places her hand on Kamilah’s forearm. “You saved our lives, darling! Thank you!”

The Egyptian vampire smiles at her French friend. “Of course.”

“When did you guys arrive in Paris?” You ask.

Lily turns to you. “We got here this afternoon! Talk about getting here in the nick of time, right?” She grins.

You feel your eyes widen. “This afternoon?!”

Kamilah clears her throat, prompting everyone to look at her. “Yes, we arrived this afternoon. One of my contacts told me that the Order was planning to raid an underground nightclub owned by a vampire. And when they told me that it belonged to Serafine, I knew that there was a chance that you would all be in grave danger. So, Lily and I left for Paris immediately. We also brought along some of our strongest Clan members since we’re going to need a larger group to be able to mobilize and strategize considering the extent of the Order’s influence.”

“But what about the rest of our Clan members?” Adrian asks, worry etched on his face.

“Don’t worry. I had already evacuated our Clan members from New York City and called in a favor from our werewolf friend Cal. They’re now in New Orleans. Cal’s Alpha leader agreed to grant them temporary sanctuary.”

Both Adrian and Jax breathe out sighs of relief. “Good. At least they’re out of immediate danger.” Adrian comments.

Jax nods in agreement. “Yeah. Their situation is about as good as it can get.”

You all let a brief moment pass to allow some of the tension to fade. Kamilah eventually speaks again.

“So, tell me. What exactly have you accomplished so far regarding our search for the Tomb of the First?”

—-

Two hours later

You and the others quickly caught Lily and Kamilah up to speed. You told them that you already obtained the Book of Blood, which thankfully, was in Adrian’s satchel the entire time. Serafine then explained that the next step was to find the Eye of Bathory amulet, which was last known to have been possessed by vampires from Prague. Everyone agreed that Lily would help Serafine gather data about the amulet’s current whereabouts and that Serafine would look through your vampiric memories for more information once you regain your strength.

You’re now in one of the old bunkers of the safe house. The room’s only source of light is a single lit candle placed on the bedside table. You toss and turn in the centuries-old cotton bed, unable to fall asleep because of your racing thoughts.

Now that the adrenaline of fighting has subsided, your mind starts to wander to other things. You think about the visions that you’ve seen. Now that you’re aware of your powers as a BloodKeeper, you’re able to recall better the memories that you’ve already witnessed. You think of the First Vampire Rheya and how she was banished to the caves where she eventually gained her powers. You then think about Gaius as a human soldier and how different he was back then. Then your thoughts go to Kamilah.

You think about how she was forcibly Turned against her will by Gaius. You then think about how, despite that fact, the two of them looked at each other so lovingly centuries after.

You immediately feel a pit of unease form in your stomach. You’ve always wondered what kind of relationship Kamilah shared with Gaius. You’ve always wanted to ask her but thought better of it considering the situation you’re all in. She mentioned that she was his Queen and that she did love him before. She also said the Gaius’s return has made her feel vulnerable, but that only made you even more curious about what they had before. Apart from that and a few other tidbits of information, you have no idea about the extent of their relationship. You’ve seen a few memories, but you know there are more.

Your train of thought then leads you to examine your own relationship with Kamilah. She’s shown you tenderness and affection, but just how much does she really care? She admits that you’re the first person that she’s ever been with in a century and that fact in itself already means something. But just how much does it mean?

Your reverie is interrupted by the sound of the door creaking.

“I thought that you’d be asleep.” Kamilah says softly.

You raise your head to look at her. “Hey.”

Kamilah steps inside and closes the door gently. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

You sit up. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. What brings you here?”

She makes her way to your bed and sits beside you. “I wanted to check in on you.”

She raises her hand to gently touch your bandaged head. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel better.”

“Hmmm.” Kamilah drops her hand to her lap.

You both stay in silence for a few moments before Kamilah reaches for your hand. “I’m sorry for not arriving sooner.”

You look at her and see worry in her eyes. “You have nothing to apologize for. You did what you were able to do. What matters is that we got out okay.”

She smiles gently before leaning closer. “I’ve missed you, Amy.”

When she leans in to kiss you, you immediately jerk back.

Kamilah looks at you in quiet surprise. “What’s wrong?”

You stare at her confused face, wondering how you should express what you’ve been thinking about earlier. “…I–…I—” you start to grasp for the right words.

You eventually sigh in defeat before getting up from the bed.

“Amy? What’s wrong?” Concern starts to lace her voice as she watches you slowly pace around the small area of the bunker.

You finally stop in front of the wall and exhale. “I want to know.”

“Know what?” Kamilah asks from behind you.

You swallow before answering. “About you and Gaius.” You let a few seconds pass before you turn around to face her. You see that her face is frozen in shock – her brown eyes are widened, and her mouth is slightly agape.

It takes her a moment to shake herself out of her stupor. “You… what?!” For once, she seems to be at a loss for words. “…Amy, you already know that I was his Queen. But that’s all in the past now.” She offers as an explanation.

You shake your head. “No, Kamilah. I want to know the full extent of your relationship with him.”

Your response seems to have shocked her even further. “Why? Why do you want to know?”

You press your lips into a hard line. “Because I saw memories of you and Gaius…” you begin, watching Kamilah’s reaction. “I know that you tried to kill him before he Turned you without your consent.” At this line, Kamilah’s eyes widened even further. “I also know that centuries afterward, the two of you seemed to be so happy together.”

You eventually pause as you try to collect your turbulent thoughts. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m c-confused.” You feel tears starting to prick the corners of your eyes. “I know that you went through a lot as a vampire. I saw some of your memories, but I still don’t have all the answers. You went through so much together with him. And the fact that I’m confused m-makes me feel a-afraid.” Your voice is now trembling.

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid that you might still feel something for him!” At this point, the tears have started to flow freely. “Don’t get me wrong, Kamilah. I know that you won’t turn on us. But I can’t help but feel scared.

“I don’t exactly know what we have between us, Kamilah. But… you mean a lot to me. I know that we’ve only known each other for barely a year, but after everything that we’ve been through, I feel connected to you. And… the idea of you still having feelings for him… it breaks my heart.”

You let your tears trail down your cheeks as you continue to sob softly. Kamilah could only stare at you in shock. Your confession seems to have shaken her.

She remains immobile for what seems like an eternity. But then she closes her eyes before taking a deep breath.

"Amy.” The quiet and firm way Kamilah says your name instantly silences you.

She quietly moves from the bed and steps towards you. When you look into her eyes, you see raw vulnerability. Kamilah tentatively lifts a hand. She hovers it over the side of your face, and when you show no signs of jerking away, she places it on your cheek. She begins to gently stroke your tear-stained skin with her thumb.

“I know that you have a lot of questions to ask.” Her voice is soft. “I know that you want clarifications. And you should get the answers. I’m sorry that you feel this way…

“But now is not the time for such a conversation. Too much is at stake, and there is too little time.”

You feel an ache in your chest. “But Kamilah —-” you start to protest.

She silences you once again, this time by placing a finger from her free hand against your lips. “Ssshhh.” She lets the finger linger for a moment.

“Let me finish.” You look at her with wide eyes before giving a small nod. Kamilah drops her finger. “This conversation will not only be quite long. It will also be… unpleasant.

“And honestly, I… don’t feel ready to tell you everything just yet. I want to. And I will eventually. But I can’t. Just not right now.

"But I want you to know this: whatever Gaius and I had in the past doesn’t matter anymore. The Kamilah Sayeed who was under his spell is no more. She has been dead for a long time now. She died the moment she saw how truly dark and cruel he is.”

She takes a second to let out a breath.

"Amy.” She says your name again, the vulnerability more evident. “You are what matters to me right now. I care about you. So much. You mean a great deal to me.

"I don’t know what the outcome of all of this will be, but regardless of what may happen…”

She pauses as she leans in closer. “I want you to know that you make me want to be a better person. You make me feel things that I haven’t felt in a long time. You remind me that there’s still hope in the world. You make me want to try and strive harder. I am just thankful that you came into my life… And I want you to stay in my life.”

Her words make you feel a rush of emotions. As you hold her gaze and take in the vulnerability and sincerity that she allowed to slip through her walls, you know that she’s telling you the truth.

Unable to help yourself, you press your lips against hers. Kamilah wraps her free arm around your waist as she continues to stroke the side of your face with her hand. And you tangle your fingers into her hair as your lips and tongues brush together.

You rest your forehead against hers when you pull away.

“Kamilah…” you stare into her eyes intently. “I believe you…” You continue to stare into her deep brown eyes and take in the warmth and sincerity they emanate. "We still have… a lot of things to iron out between us. But I know for sure that being with you will be worth everything that we have to go through.” She smiles at your declaration.

You untangle your fingers from her hair strands and settle them on her shoulders. "I know that we have a long way to go until all of this over. But… whatever happens, let’s face it together. And whatever comes after, let’s figure out together too. Promise?”

Kamilah looks at you - the earnestness in her eyes is more apparent than ever. “I promise.” She whispers the words solemnly against your lips before kissing you again.

Replayed TH:M to get the highest score possible… Princess of Monaco Marguerite? Its plain to see, darling…

I'd be lying if I said, I wish you never found my bed

Note: My entry for Round 16 of Choices Creates, for the prompt: “Don’t ask me to say I don’t love you” Summary: Good old fashioned angst with a dab of get your sh!t together, guys. Book: The Freshman Pairing: Becca/MC (Note: I named my MC because I find it increasingly awkward to keep writing “MC”) Tagging this week’s host, @texanhusker :) Thank you for hosting!

Keep reading

Since it's going to be a few months until we get to see our favorite vampire queen, I'm reblogging my master list of Kamilah x MC stories. Hehe. ✌

Master list: Updated as of 8/12/19

Hello, everyone. I decided to organize my stories by creating a masterlist with links for easier and more convenient access.

BloodBound:

Kamilah Sayeed x MC

The Brightest Light

Fears, Doubts, and Apprehensions

Mistakes (Part 1)

Mistakes (Part 2)

A Moment Alone

The Promise

Reunited

Glad that I Have You (NSFW) 

Making Every Moment Count [Latest addition to the list]

Note: I will update this masterlist whenever I post new stories. :)

This scene was a slow emotional burn for me. I love these two together.

Confessions

Hello, everyone! I mentioned in a previous post of mine that I planned to post a new Kamilah x MC story before the new BloodBound chapter is released. So, here it is! I hope that you all like it! :)

The setting of this story takes place after the meeting with the Five of Japan.

-----

Amy’s POV

You sit on the bed of your chosen room at Takeshi’s penthouse suite. You absentmindedly clutch the soft comforter as your mind begins to wander.

You think of the Rheya and the impending doom that will surely come should you fail to stop her. You involuntarily swallow as you imagine the drastic consequences of such failure.

You then think of Gaius and automatically shudder as your mind relives the memory of your death at his hands. But you also can’t help but wonder at the vulnerability hidden behind his monstrous surface.

You then think of Kamilah… of how you and she went through so much together. And of how deep your feeling for her ran…

You also think of Aiko Nakamura and how Kamilah openly admitted to having a fling with her so carelessly. You then think of Gaius again and then of Serafine….

As an agitated feeling makes your chest ache, you force yourself to stop your train of thought. It’s not until you hear the tearing of fabric that you realize that your fingers actually ripped through the fabric of the comforter.

You sigh wearily and let go of the punctured cloth.

The sound of a knock then reaches your ears.

“Amy?” You hear Kamilah.

Upon hearing her voice, you automatically straighten your back and stare directly at the night sky beyond the floor-to-ceiling window.

You clear your throat before responding. “Yeah?”

The door opens and closes before you sense Kamilah approaching you. She stands at the foot of the bed - as if waiting for you turn your head to greet her.

You don’t.

After a silent second, the older vampire moves to sit beside you. Yet, you keep your eyes trained on the starry sky.

“Amy?” She calls out to you softly.

“What?”

From the corner of your eye, you notice Kamilah’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly at the curtness of your voice.

“I… just wanted to see how you’re feeling.”

“I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” You say a little too quickly. You internally wince and curse yourself for being too obvious.

As expected, Kamilah is clearly unconvinced. “Amy…” she lifts one hand to touch your cheek.

But before she can, you immediately stand to move to the window. Although your back is turned to her, you can sense her shock at your abruptness.

“I said that I’m fine.” You say again, hoping that she’ll take the hint.

It’s clear that she has no plans of doing so when she moves towards you. “You’re clearly not okay.” She steps to the window so that you’re standing side-by-side. You still refuse to look at her even though her head is turned to yours.

Kamilah lets a few silent moments pass until she speaks again. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?” She prompts, her tone concerned.

You mentally debate whether or not this is the right time to bring it up. You eventually decide that now is as good as any considering the circumstances.

You sigh as you continue to stare at the dark horizon. "You said that vampires have flings every century or so because they get bored..." You begin, still looking forward.

You pause. And you can sense that Kamilah is waiting for you to finish. A minute lapses before you speak again. "So, what does that make me? Another... fling?" Your voice cracks at the last moment. 

As you silently pull yourself together, you sense her stiffen momentarily. A few seconds later, you feel her fully turn toward you. You crane your head and see her looking at you with completely widened eyes.

"No..." she starts to say, her voice colored with subdued shock. "... of course not. You are much more to me than that, Amy." She starts to reach for your hand... but you move it away from her grasp.

Both Kamilah's outstretched arm and expression fall at your rejection.

You bite your lip to calm yourself. "Oh, really?" You manage to straighten your tone again. You exhale before continuing. "Do you remember before I left for Paris? We went to your office together. And on the way, you told me that I'm the first person you've been within a century. And that I should know that that means something..."

You then cross your arms in front of your chest. "When you said that, I felt... special." You clench your own biceps even more tightly. "I felt like I meant something to you. But literally, just about an hour ago, you said that vampires have flings every century because of boredom. And then we both just met another ex of yours - a pretty, rich and powerful ex who may or may not still have the hots for you. And well ..." You finally look at her as you wave one hand around aimlessly as if to wrap up your statement.

A pained look settles on Kamilah's face. She bows her head as she takes a breath. She keeps her head down for a moment before raising it to look at you.

You train your eyes away from her again.

"Amy..." she steps towards you. As she raises her hands and hovers them tentatively over your shoulders, you take a step back. "Don't. Just don't right now." You mumble.

Kamilah's arms fall down back to her sides.

"I --"she struggles with her words for a brief second before clearing her throat. "I'm sorry." She finally manages. "I'm sorry for what I said. It was thoughtless and careless of me. I should've been more considerate of you."

You smirk sardonically. "Hmph. Maybe you should have. But then again, when we first met, you admitted to having had a lot of lovers. So that doesn't make what you said about vampire flings any less true, does it?”

From your periphery, you see the older vampire flinch at your remark. A tense silence fills the air. "... No. It doesn't." She finally admits.

You give a derisive laugh at your ironic victory. "Ha. I thought so."

The agitated feeling in your chest begins to grow, and you breathe in an attempt to quell it. But it eventually grows into a raging storm of emotions – you feel as if it's threatening to shatter you. You try to choke back a sob and roughly press your hand against your mouth.

Tears eventually fall from eyes as you try to take a breath. “After everything we went through together…. All the personal and intimate moments. The fact that you Turned me because you said that you didn't want to lose me…” you try to wipe away the tears as they come.

“… All of those things should be enough to give me a sense of security about our relationship. But… they…they aren't!” You start to cry freely. “For some reason, they aren't! And… now I'm feeling upset and jealous because you and your ex have a vibe going!” You rub at your tear-streaked eyes in frustration.

You then finally look at Kamilah and see shock and hurt on her features. “I… don’t know about this anymore, Kamilah!” You hastily rub your wet cheeks. “You can make me feel as if I’m the only one you see. But at the same time, both your past and your actions give me mixed signals!”

You sniffle and sob at the same time. “I accept your past, Kamilah. But somehow, it always manages to bite me in the ass!”

A tense silence fills the room. For what seems like an agonizing eternity, Kamilah can only stare and gape at you. A myriad of emotions flashes in her eyes as the gravity of your outburst settles. Your frustrated sobbing soon calms down to silent weeping.

The older vampire finally moves – she closes her eyes as if to reflect, before taking a deep breath. When she opens them, her gaze is anxious and uncertain.

“A…amy.” She calls to you, her voice a soft whisper.

Without a word, you move to sit on the bed and bow your head – too tired and numb to even give her a response.

Kamilah approaches you tentatively. When you show no signs of wanting to move away, she sits down next to you.

"I..." She hesitates and pauses. From the corner of your eye, you see her rubbing her thumb against her palm – a telling sign of nervousness. “I… I want to explain." She stops as if waiting for you to retort. When you remain quiet, she continues.

"Let me explain, Amy... Please."

Your raise your head at the last word and finally look at her – unable to believe it. You see the vulnerability you just heard in her usually calm voice clearly reflected in her eyes. The shock stills you for a long moment.

The older vampire seems unsettled by your lack of response. “Please.” She says again, her tone pleading.

Kamilah is actually begging you to listen.

You thought that you would never hear that word from her outside the bedroom.

You continue to look at her in surprise, unsure of what to say or do. You take in the weakness she allowed to break through her walls. A fragile and sad woman stands in place of the fearsome and proud warrior you’ve come to know.

“Fine.” You finally say.

Kamilah sighs, relieved. She clenches her hands together as if to brace herself for what she’s about to say.

Moments pass by before she speaks. “I thought that I loved Gaius.” She begins, her voice just above a whisper. “But I realized that I was merely manipulated by him. He turned me into the worst version of myself.”

She shuts her eyes tightly as she continues. “But that doesn't change the fact that at one point in time, I was a monster. And that I was devoted to him, in a sick and twisted way.

“We had... what you would call an 'open relationship.' We had no qualms about each other seeking out the company of others. And... I was actually thankful for that. I sometimes sought out other people for amusement. But over the course of several centuries, I found myself yearning for something else. Something that he couldn't give me. So, I had lovers.”

When she opens her eyes again, she immediately looks away, as if ashamed. “But I always went back to him. I think it's because I felt tied to him and that I'll always be tied to him no matter what. And he always went back to me.”

“But after nearly two millennia of bloodshed, I started to become disillusioned with the life I had been living. I slowly stopped enjoying needless violence. Eventually, I grew tired and sick of it. I guess I have Adrian and his goodness to thank for that.” The corners of her mouth quirk upwards at the mention of her blood-brother. “Somehow, someway, I resonated with his compassion.”

“When we moved to America, I felt like it was a chance for me to be a better person. But I was still with Gaius during that time, so for the sake of keeping up appearances, I played along. But in reality, I no longer enjoyed partaking in his monstrous activities.

“A part of me wanted to leave Gaius back then. But another part of me told me to stay with him for two reasons: the first was because of the history we had together… and the second was because…” She trails off, and you notice the slight tremble of her hands. “…he would probably execute me for even thinking of leaving him.”

Suddenly, her voice hardens. “But in the 1920s, Gaius went too far.” You see her hands close into fists. “He planned to virtually eliminate all humans save for a few thousand who would be drugged to serve as bloodstock for us. I could no longer just stand by. So, I decided to help the other Council members take him down and imprison him.”

Her fists then unclench as she sighs wearily, the burdens of the past obviously weighing heavily on her mind. “When we succeeded, I... didn't know what to feel. I felt relief, sadness, and anger all at the same time. I was relieved because Gaius was stopped. I was sad because, despite everything, the fact remains that Gaius and I still had a history together. I was angry because I hadn't acted sooner and because I had been blind for so long.”

The Egyptian vampire raises her hands to rub her face tiredly. “I eventually realized that I hated myself. I hated how evil I was. How I caused so much pain and suffering.

“So, I decided to try to atone for my sins. From that day and onwards, I denied myself any true happiness because I deserved none of it. How could I? I was a monster.”

She pauses as if to let the weight of her words of reflection sink in.

“For an entire century, I had been leading an isolated existence – devoid of any true happiness.” She speaks with an air of resignation while looking at the polished floor of the room. “My relationship with Adrian was a small piece of salvation. But at the end of each day, I was alone.”

She then raises her eyes to meet yours. “… until I met you.”

You feel your heart thump almost painfully against your chest as Kamilah looks at you with amazement, tenderness, and yearning.

“Before I met you, I thought that I would live the rest of my existence alone and without any kind of happiness until the end of time. I was trapped in a darkness of my own making… But you came into my life and lit the way to a better and brighter path." Her voice, which was weighed down with anguish, is now uplifted with a quiet joy.

“You are a kind, beautiful, and brave soul who drew me in. You saw me for who I am and accepted all of me. You showed me that there's still hope in this world. I meant what I said before, Amy. You are the most remarkable person that I know. You are my greatest miracle.”

Kamilah slowly reaches for your hands. This time, you don’t pull away.

She grasps them in hers, and you feel the warmth of her gentle touch. "… And the greatest love of my life.”

Your heart soars at her declaration, and you feel as if you're flying. You feel tears form in your eyes again.

“It's true that I've had lovers. But none of them could ever compare to you, my firefly. I love you, Amy. With all that I am and all that I have.” Kamilah’s voice is raw with solemn devotion and passion.

You gasp as she moves from the bed to kneel in front of you – all the while keeping your gaze.

“I told you back at Elias's vineyard that if you would accept me, I'm ready to be yours. So... the question is... will you have me?”

You take in the sight of her – kneeling and bearing her heart out. The tears start to stream down your cheeks freely. You feel as if you’re dreaming.

"Ka... Kamilah..." you begin shakily.

You slowly kneel down to meet her eyes. The earnestness and vulnerability in them are as clear as day.

You take an unsteady breath. "You... you have no idea how badly I wanted to hear that." You sniffle. "How badly I needed to hear that."

Kamilah's lips curve into a sad and remorseful smile. "I... I should have told you sooner."

Amidst your tears, you manage a small laugh. You frame her face with your hands, and she leans into the touch. You stroke the sides of her face with your thumbs. "Of course, I'll have you." You lean closer. "I love you too." Your voice is heavy and thick with emotion. "I love you so much."

A bright and beautiful smile graces Kamilah's features. "I love you, my firefly. And I vow to always stand by you and protect you."

You feel warmth and happiness bloom inside of you – the joy rejuvenates your entire being. You giggle uncontrollably and lean in even closer until your forehead is resting against hers.

"Kiss me, Kamilah." You whisper against her lips.

She gladly obliges, and you meet together in a soft and heated kiss. You wrap your arms around her, and she pulls you closer by your waist. Your tongues brush together sensually, and you moan into her mouth. You eagerly press yourself against her – wanting your every sense to be engulfed with her. Kamilah slides one hand down from your side and down your thigh until it reaches behind your knee. 

You break away momentarily to look at each other - you're both breathless from the intensity of your shared kiss. Kamilah's gaze is smoldering, but at the same time, her eyes are alight with love and devotion. You feel your already flushed face become warmer at her potent gaze.

"I love you, Amy." She declares once again, her voice gentle and solemn. "I am so sorry for not saying so sooner. And for making you think and feel otherwise."

You move one hand from her neck to hold the side of her face. "Hey. Better late than never, right?" You jest to lighten the mood. Your effort is rewarded with a light chuckle from the older vampire.

"But all jokes aside," you say while caressing the side of her chin, "I'm just glad to finally hear that you feel the same way."

Kamilah turns her head to press a kiss to the side of your hand. "I do feel the same way. And I always will. No matter what."

Your smile widens as your chest flutters again. "I'm going to hold you to that."

End.