Aurora and the Heart of Magic

AURORA’S POV

I drew in a long, deep breath before pushing open the glass door.

“Miss Aurora, please be seated. Dr. Dixon will join you in a moment.” The tall, lanky assistant muttered and walked out of the door, leaving me all alone.

My heart pounded against my ribs. I gripped the arm of the chair tightly as I studied my surroundings to keep myself distracted.

The office was just like a gynecologist's office should be—jet white walls with charts of babies and fetuses at various stages. A particular image of a beautiful baby girl caught my eye.

I had always loved babies, but after Leonard's betrayal, I had stayed away from any serious relationships.

“Ah! Ms. Aurora… right on time, I see. Your reports are here.” A sweet yet firm voice sounded in the room, drawing my attention.

I turned my head in the direction of the voice to find my charming and energetic doctor standing with a smile.

I chewed my lower lip and asked in a shaking voice, “And…”

Her lips formed a thin line, and she said in a somber tone, “You are indeed pregnant.”

I felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me. My voice wavered as I said, “How… how is this possible. I am on the pill.”

“Pills are not fail-proof, Aurora.”

“Are you sure there has been no mistake?”

“I have all the reports here. You can see them for yourself.” The doctor said handing me a blue file.

I turned the pages of the file and read through it as fast as possible. My heart sank as I saw the word ‘positive’ printed on the result. I kept staring at it for a long time as if it would change magically.

“You are still in the early stage of pregnancy. You still have a choice. I suggest that you think about it and meet me again next Friday.” Dr. Dixon said in a reassuring voice.

I nodded my head and trudged out of the office wordlessly. I took out my phone and was about to call Michael when something was sprayed on my face.

“What the hell!” I cursed as I shielded my face with the file. A pungent smell assaulted my nose, and I started feeling dizzy.

Wiping the moisture on my face, I opened my eyes slowly, but my vision had become bleary. The file in my hand slipped to the ground, and my body swayed.

 I gripped the nearby chair for support, but the spinning sensation intensified, and before I knew it, I had passed out.

***

When I woke up, I found myself in a luxurious bedroom with a poster bed, soft mattress, exquisite paintings, and dressing table. It looked more like a suite in a five-star hotel than a bedroom.

My heart skipped a beat when the realization dawned on me. Hadn’t I fainted? How did I get here?

Jumping to my feet, I looked around warily. My heart pounded against my ribs as I turned the doorknob. I let out a sigh of relief when it opened.

I found myself standing in a rather long corridor. There were several rooms on the left side of the corridor while the right side was fenced with a wooden barrier. Overlooking the long corridor was a large hall with plush couches, thick carpets, antique artworks, and magnificent chandeliers.

I walked along the corridor as if in a trance. Every inch of the mansion screamed grandeur.

My steps came to a halt in front of a room after hearing some voices.

“Time to find out how I got here,” I muttered as I walked into the room.

Two men were talking animatedly. They were standing with their backs towards me. Both of them were of similar height and build.

The only difference was that one of them had black hair while the other had copper-brown hair.

I gasped as I was suddenly pushed against the wall by a strong force. The one with copper-brown hair had me pinned against the wall. His eyes were red, and he was breathing heavily.

I was frozen on the spot as I drank in his appearance greedily: high cheekbones, fair complexion, cherry red lips, and dark brown eyes.

His face was chiseled to perfection except for the deep scar near his left eye. This added a dangerous look to his appearance, making him even more alluring. I had a nagging feeling that I had seen the scar somewhere.

“Do you have a death wish, girl?” His dangerously cold voice made me shudder. I opened my mouth to speak, but it was as if I had lost my voice. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

“Don’t you know that eavesdropping is punishable with death?”

“I… I wasn’t eavesdropping… I was just walking through the corridor and came in just to ask how I got here.”

The veins on his head popped, and he gripped my throat roaring, “Do you think I am a fool? At least make a reasonable excuse.”

I gasped for breath and tried to speak, but the pressure was too much for me to bear.

“She is indeed speaking the truth, brother. I brought her here,” the man with the black hair said, taking a few steps towards us.

His grip eased slightly, and I opened my mouth to greedily draw in the much-needed oxygen.

“Why would you do that, Aslan? I think you should know better than to let strangers saunter into our home.”

“She is not a stranger, Tyson. Don’t you remember her at all?”

He looked at me briefly before questioning, “Should I remember her?”

“Damn, Tyson! Can’t you be reasonable at least for once? She is pregnant with your child, for God’s sake!”

I gasped in horror. Now I knew where I had seen that scar. He was the man I had slept with in Nyla when I was drunk. I was never good with drinks and usually abstained from drinking, but Erica had forced me during a party.

I was so tipsy that I couldn’t remember anything the next morning. If I made it out of this alive, I would kill her for getting me into this mess.

He released me suddenly, causing me to stagger. I watched in horror as he grasped Aslan by his throat. Fire erupted from his fingertips and enveloped Aslan’s throat.

He screamed in pain, but the next moment Tyson was thrown against the wall. It happened so fast that I couldn’t grasp what was happening. They moved around the room faster than lightning as they fought.

“Listen to me, Tyson. We can’t leave her on her own. It is dangerous.” Aslan said through gritted teeth when he finally managed to pin him to the wall.

Tyson gave him a long look before pushing him away and storming out of the room. Moments later, Aslan ran after him calling his name.

My head spun as I tried to wrap my head around what had happened. I was pregnant with some psycho’s child. His brother wanted to keep me here as it would be dangerous for me to stay alone.

I couldn’t see how anything or anyone could be more dangerous than the men I had witnessed. I couldn’t stay in this wretched place any longer.

My fingers trembled as I took out my phone and dialed Michael’s phone. The moment he picked up the phone, I launched into a tirade, “Michael, please, find me quickly and get me out of here. The men… they are not normal. I don’t know what they are… I just saw fire coming out Tyson’s hand… he…”

“Listen to me, Aurora. Stay right where you are. I will come and get you. Do you understand? Stay right where you are!” his soothing voice said through the phone, making me feel at ease again.

I drew in a deep breath and said, “Okay, but please, come soon, Michael. I am terrified.”

 “I will be right there, luv,” he said and disconnected the call.

I just had to wait it out till he arrived. Then, I could get out of here. Easy, right…

 

TYSON’S POV

It was getting more and more difficult to control my anger. My own brother had betrayed me. On top of that, he was trying to speak up for the girl who was responsible for all of this.

If this continued, I wouldn’t be able to control the transformation. I had to leave before I ended up killing my brother.

I shoved Aslan away and rushed to the underground chamber. Forcing myself to take long, deep breaths, I sat on the green, ornate throne. It was made of pure jadeite. Being my birthstone, it always calmed me down.

A few minutes later, Aslan came rushing into the chamber. Seeing me seated on the throne, he halted in front of me and stood with his head bowed.

I was the King of the Fire Dragons. He was bound by convention to show me respect. I heard his erratic heartbeat and sensed his discomfort, but I wasn’t prepared to hear him yet.

I saw the veins on his arms pop as he balled his hands into fists. His frustration was mounting by the minute. When I thought he couldn’t take it anymore, I finally spoke up. “What do you have to say in your defense?”

His head snapped towards me instantly. There was a kind of desperation in his eyes. He wanted to be heard, understood.

“Let it be noted that you are addressing the King of Typhon and not your brother!” I warned him coldly. I couldn’t let him get away with this.

He let out a deep sigh and said, “Aurora bears the heir to the throne of Typhon. I have been keeping a watch on her. She hasn’t been in any relationship after…”

“Aslan! I never doubted that she isn’t pregnant with my child. When I gripped her throat, I could sense my blood. What I DO want to know is how this happened.”

Aslan’s face flushed red as he stuttered, lowering his head, “I switched the serum…”

The temperature of my blood rose, and my mind became clouded. All I could think was that he betrayed me and had to be punished. Anger and fury took a physical dimension, and it kept building. Before I knew, I had sent out a huge ball of fire towards Aslan.

The moment the ball of fire escaped my mouth, my mind cleared. My eyes widened in horror as I saw the ball of fire about to hit my brother. I didn’t want to hurt him.

He jumped adeptly and launched himself right in front of me at the nick of the time. Taking advantage of my distracted state, he lifted me off the throne and pinned me to the wall.

I growled at him and was about to hit him but stopped when I heard him beg, “Teddy, please… listen to me…”

All my anger vanished as if someone had poured ice-cold water over me. Exhaling deeply, I nodded my head.

“I am not going to lie, Teddy. I did it deliberately. It pains me to see you like this, brother. I want you to have a family where you can seek solace from the ugliness of the world.”

My noble brother. He never gave up, did he? After everything I had done, he still thought that I could have a happy, peaceful life.

I cupped his face in my hands. Looking into his eyes, I said, “I do not need solace, brother. That baby will make me weak. I have to rectify the mistake you have made!”

His face turned pale. His voice shook as he asked, “What are you planning to do?”

I just smirked at him in reply. I couldn’t let the baby live and become a tool in the hands of my enemies.

His eyes widened in realization as he said, “No, Teddy; you won’t!”

I glared at him and said, “This is not the decision of your brother. It is the decision of the King of Typhon!”

Aslan shook his head and shoved me away. His eyes blazed red, and he said, “If that is what your majesty pleases. But before that, it is my duty as your subject to give you complete information about that child.”

I let out a dry laugh at his furious expression. He knew me so well, yet he kept hoping for a miracle to happen. He was indeed foolish.

“That child is the key to ‘The Heart of Magic.’ If you kill her, you will lose it forever.”

Aslan’s words kept ringing in my ears long after he left.

‘The Heart of Magic’ was the most coveted stone in the world. Rumors have it that this stone can grant immense power to the holder.

The only problem was that it is hidden on the Enchanted Island. The only way to get there was through a portal. Since the baby was the key to the portal, I had to wait until I had obtained the stone before killing it.

Aslan was right. I couldn’t kill the baby, not yet.

ASLAN’S POV

Tyson’s heart was indeed made of stone. How casually he talked about killing his own blood! I was a fool to think that the news of Aurora’s pregnancy would change him.

A pang of guilt twisted my heart. I shouldn’t have entangled Aurora into all of this.

I let out a deep sigh as I trotted up the stairs. Aurora was pacing up and down the corridor. Her eyes kept flitting to the doorway.

Fuck! I had forgotten to take her phone away. I took a high jump and landed right in front of her. She was startled, but that was the least of my worries.

“Tell me you didn’t call someone to help you…” I asked, gripping her shoulders.

Her face turned ashen, but she managed to reply in a firm tone. “My friend Michael will be here shortly. I don’t care what your brother or you want. This is my baby, and you have no say in it.”

My heart sank at this statement. How could she be so naïve? She called an outsider to the mansion even after she met my brother.

“Text Michael right now! Tell him not to come here if he values his life!”

She halted for a moment but then started typing. Once she was done, I snatched her phone and snapped it into two before throwing it away. 

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Tyson catch it mid-air as he walked towards us. His lips quirked in an evil smile as he used his power to put the phone back together.

I could see his jaws clench as he scrolled through the text. He stood beside me like a statue, his face expressionless.

I knew this posture well. He was waiting for some drama to unfold. Probably Aurora hadn’t told Michael to return home.

I massaged my forehead as I looked at her empathically. She had no idea that she had sealed Michael’s fate with that one text.

A few moments later, the rhythmic sound of footsteps sounded in the hall as several of our bodyguards marched in and spread in a circle.

Four guards walked in dragging two men. One was a young, handsome man. My heart skipped a beat when I glanced at the other man who accompanied him. He was in uniform.

Fuck! Aurora had asked Michael to bring a police officer along. This wasn’t going to end well.

A gasp escaped Aurora’s mouth, and she whispered, “Michael.”

“Aurora, don’t worry. I will get you out of here,” the young man called out, struggling against the grasp of the guards.

I turned my attention to Tyson when I heard his dry laughter. He smirked and said, “Brother, you know how much I hate unwanted visitors.”

Aurora took a step towards him and said firmly, “He is not an unwanted visitor, Tyson. He is my friend, and he has come here to get me. Please ask your bodyguards to leave him.”

I was stunned by her audacity. I would have commended her on her bravery if only her actions weren’t foolish.

My brother’s face flushed, and his eyes turned redder than rubies. He glared at Aurora before commanding, “Lina, kill the cop!”

Lina gripped his head and was about to twist it, but she halted on hearing Aurora’s voice, “Stop! You can’t get away with this. You can kill a cop just like that.”

My brother chuckled before commanding, “Lina, I don’t like to repeat myself!”

A sickening snap sounded as Lina beheaded him with a neat twist. The moment she released him, he fell to the ground lifeless...

“No!” Aurora screamed as she grasped Tyson by his arms. “You… You are a monster… you killed him just like that… what had he ever done to you?”

Tyson smirked and said indignantly, “He dared to enter my home without my permission. Plus, I don’t like to be challenged.”

“He didn’t come on his own. I called him so that he could get me out of this wretched place,” Aurora shouted, shaking like a leaf.

Tyson brushed his fingers across Aurora’s cheeks and said, “Why do you think that will make any difference? The same fate awaits Michael too…”

Aurora’s face paled, and she begged, “No, you wouldn’t…. please… leave him… I promise I will never call him here…”

I saw Tyson’s eyes flash with tenderness, and for a moment, I thought he was going to forgive Michael.

But the next moment, Tyson pushed Aurora away and said, “Promises are meant to be broken, luv. I like to ingrain my authority in people’s brains.”

 He jumped right in front of Michael and turned towards us with an evil smile.

I couldn’t let him do this. If Aurora saw him kill her friend, it would destroy her.

I landed beside him in a flash and held his hand. He gave me a warning glare, but I ignored it and said, “Teddy, please don’t do this.”

Tyson was startled. I never used his pet name in public. Before he could recover, I looked into Michael’s eyes and said, “You will forget that Aurora called you for help. Go home and message everyone that she has gone to live with her uncle in Texas.”

His pupils dilated, and he nodded his head. Then, he walked away without even glancing at Aurora.

Michael was saved, but now, I had to deal with Tyson. I could see the storm brewing in his eyes. He lifted me into the air by my throat.

“I am sorry. I just wanted…” I tried to explain, but he cut me off saying, “Don’t you use that cheap trick on me… ever again…”

I heaved a sigh of relief when he released me and stormed into his room. He would make me pay for this some time or other, but I had dodged the bullet, at least for now…