The Next Ender Dragon book II: Accepting Change

Chapter 4: Blood

I thought I could handle this, but I was wrong. I started crying silently as tears filled my eyes. Then as fast as it happened she looked up at me smiling. She had the bullet in her teeth and spit it out at my feet. Blood was trickling through her lips as she smiled at me.

"If I die by anything I wanna die by her bullet," she said. I lost my breath. How could I kill her? Vilkas stood and pulled the trigger again. This time she deflected it with her chains. She wasn't about to give up unless I pull the trigger. Vilkas handed me his gun and pointed at Hex.

"For your father, for your kingdom," he said. I grabbed the gun and looked down at the chrome artillery. It felt like Vilkas just placed a ton of weights in my hand. My body couldn't take this.

My mind was so clouded and my heart ached. My stomach was upset and my throat burned from choking on my tears. My eyes started welling up and I was shaking. I felt so cold almost as if I froze solid. I looked at Vilkas then at Hex. Her blue eyes looked into mine and I just broke down. I couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I cocked the gun back.

"Why would you make me do this? I don't want to kill you Hex! If you can read my emotions why are you torturing me?" I yelled. The crowd was still cheering for her death, but the stage was completely silent. Vilkas placed his hand on my shoulder and Hex just stared at me as if she was surprised that I couldn't kill her.

"What?" She said. I dropped the gun to my side and sighed.

"I don't want to kill you because I love you," I said.

"I wouldn't have guessed from how you've trapped me in that prison for a month. Do you know what goes on in your so called fine establishment?" She said. I looked at her confused and she sighed. She raised her shackles and her sleeves fell to reveal cuts and bruises. She then opened her shirt to reveal even more, but what stood out to me the most was the castle's insignia burned into her chest.

I was speechless and furious. Her guards, the ones standing beside her keeping her chains locked.... Have been beating her.

"Hex I...," I choked on my words.

"Of course not. It's not like you care anyway," she mumbled in a single breath. I popped the bullet out of the barrel and dropped the gun. I raised my right hand and aimed it at her head. The gun called Savior materialized in my hand again. I crouched down beside Hex and whispered in her ear,"don't you ever believe I don't care about you." I then kissed her cheek leaving my lip gloss print on her face.

"That's it I'm through with this!" Yelled Vilkas. He picked up the gun I so carelessly dropped and cocked it back.

"Hex no!" Yelled the woman. Vilkas shot at her repeatedly, but all to no avail because every time he shot she stopped it with her chains.

"Vilkas stop!" I yelled. He pushed me and took my gun away. Hex's eyes widened as Savior went off. I couldn't believe it.

Hex stood up as soon as he shot. The bullet broke the chains, but it also went into Hex. She suddenly collapsed to her knees and started bleeding profusely.

"Aim for the head or the heart. I hope you suffer demon," he started laughing as she bled out of her chest. I ran up to her and held her in my arms. I cried and I couldn't stop. My heart had disappeared and had turned into ice. I hugged her tight as if I was clinging on to her last bit of life.

"S-still m-my little play thing," I suddenly felt terrible deep inside. Hex was still alive and suffering through the pain of being shot by my gun.

"Shut up. Why did you have to put me through all of this? Why didn't you just stay with me that night? Why couldn't you just defend yourself from your father?" I spoke into her ear so only she could hear, but it was chopped from my repeated crying. My face was soaked and all I could do was bury it in her chest.

"I promised you I wouldn't kill," she grunted as blood started spilling from her lips.

"I take it back Hex. I just don't want you to die. I'd give up my wings just you have you at my side again. I want my Hex forever and ever, but now...now I can't even keep myself from crying so I can see you clearly," I said. My eyes were clouded and stinging. Hex started laughing and spit her black blood into the concrete stage. I watched as her blood seeped into the dirt and turned a rose budding out of the concrete black. It started budding faster and bloomed into a full rose and cracked the concrete even more.

"May I say something like when I first met you? You're that rose, budding with strength and beauty. Everyone loves you, but if they don't handle you correctly they'll get pierced by one of your protective thorns. I am my blood. I wasn't going to do anything, but ruin your life," she whispered.

She was getting cold. How does someone that catches fire get so cold so quick? I hated it! I don't want her to leave me!

"Shut up, now you're going to listen to me! Back then I couldn't think of anything beautiful, but now I see it. That was an ordinary rose that grew up in a solitary place unable to fully to reach its full potential. That is me! With your blood that rose has bloomed into a beautiful one of a kind rose. No one can deny the strength of it now and it stayed alive and healthier with it! I need you Hex! Don't you dare leave me!" I started crying even more. Her blue eyes were turning milky.

"It's okay Susan. Just let go. Just lay me down please," she spoke hoarsely. I held her closely.

"No," I spoke sternly and tightened my grip. Hex started laughing, "You never did listen to my wishes." All of a sudden Hex burst into flames and everyone backed up. Everyone, but me and that new girl.

"Hex!" Yelled a male voice. Leviticus burst through the crowd in a flash and grabbed hold of her. I looked down as he held her the only way a father could. He pulled a vial out of his pocket and bit hard on the cork before yanking it free.

"No!" Yelled Hex as she shifted her head back and forth like a kid wishing not to take its cough syrup.

"Susan now!" He yelled. I grabbed the vial as Levi held open her mouth. I poured my blood down her throat and she kept it in her mouth. I kissed her cheek and she swallowed it. She sat up and started coughing.

"Susan this is..." She looked at me surprised. Her flames were thick and we were in the middle of the ignition. Levi was sure no one could see us. I smiled and kissed her as she stood. My lips were warming hers. Our bodies were pressed together as I cupped my hands under her chin. She wrapped her arms around my waist. I stopped before it got too real and looked into her eyes.

"I guess you still love me," she chuckled.

"Of course I do, now go hurry!" I said.

"Hex focus on your kingdom. Focus real hard because your life depends on this!" Levi was putting pressure on Hex's ability to teleport. Sure enough she grabbed the hand of Levi and the woman's chain and teleported with all her prison friends. The flames still burned after she left.

I stood there until someone grabbed me and pulled me out of the fire. My diamond armor protected me on the outside, but on the inside I was more damaged than ever.

Levi's plan was excellent, but why would Hex wait for me to pull out Savior of she could've just teleported free? Why did she want me to pull the trigger? Why did it have to be my blood?