Breaking Dawn

Chapter 4

They were from a small town called Holmes Chapel. Liam was the oldest but was not a direct bloodline to Harry and Niall who were brothers. Zayn was Liam's brother. When they left home they'd fought in the Great Northern War against Russia as noblemen officers, though eventually they'd wrested control of Estonia's floundering army. Each brother had become a general, leading the defense of a section of their country, under the ultimate command of Liam, the eldest.

At first, she'd remained in Harry's room because she'd been hopeful about him seeing her. Now she stayed because she was intrigued by the crazed vampire.

His history was like an incomplete puzzle, and with each piece of it she received, the whole grew more riveting. He'd been born human, and fought in the war with his brothers. His brothers had hid from him that they were vampires from birth, so when he lay dying on the battle field they turned him to save him. Apparently he wants to kill them for it. But that's not all, I found out why he had been brought here. They said a monster had control of his mind, and that this monster used him to kill for the last few centuries.

He'd been alone and friendless for all that time.

His past was so different from hers - with all the dancing and laughter and letting the good times roll - they were poles apart.

Yet with each revelation came more questions. He was obviously a powerful man, so what could be controlling him? And how could he remain in bed day after day? Did vampires have no bodily functions?

Each night they'd brought a thermos from the new refrigerator to Harry, and Amber was fairly certain she knew what was in it. But exactly where did they get it? And since Harry was refusing to drink the contents, how long would it be before he starved?

She'd watched him sleeping for more hours than she could count - why had he never once grown hard as men unwittingly did in sleep?

When dusk approached, and the brothers returned downstairs, Harry's eyes flashed open instantly.

She crossed to the door, floating in it, so that half of her remained outside the room, and half was inside. Still she could barely hear them downstairs. But she could see Harry's reaction and realized that he could hear them, even with the heavy door closed.

"After seeing him in this condition," Niall said, "I'm beginning to understand why he was so dangerous free. You were right Liam, he needs rest, because I don't see him having any killing thoughts now."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't. If we can't get him to break the bond then he will be fine. " Liam answered. "We've agreed to spend a month trying to rehabilitate him. If he shows no signs of improvement, then we'll do what must be done."

Harry's listening to them. Intently. She wondered what he must be thinking.

"That was before I saw him, Liam. Maybe we need to... to put him out of his misery." Is he in misery?

Harry's jaw clenched, and his expression grew deadly. Yet then his brows drew together as if he was considering the possibility right at that moment. When he frowned and closed his eyes, she felt a twist in her chest.

The vampire is in misery. And he's sane enough to know it.

Harry's POV

Misery? What the f**k do they know of it? He shakes his head as if to jar loose the thought.

He easily hears them downstairs as Zayn explains what he's learned about Kevin, and how he controls people. They must be stupid. I'm not controlled by anyone. "He controls his victims through brain power, making them think that..."

He blocks them out, his musings turning to the mysterious entity again.

The being can be one of three things. He thinks. An echo from a fractured memory, a hallucination, or a ghost. He has nearly three hundred years of experience with the first two possibilities - and none with the latter. The first pair are figments of his twisted mind. The ghost would be unimagined.

Can't determine what's real or what's illusion. For the last week the being has returned to his room. He's begun seeing her again, though not as much as that first night. Only a faint, glowing outline now. But he can scent her presence. Even now, he's awash in the smell of roses.

Whenever she comes to him, so do flashes of his lucidity. He doesn't understand the connection, just knows he's beginning to crave the focus of his thoughts.

A mystery. How could a figment of his mind clear his mind? Even as he's debating her existence - he's realizing that something is actually making him coherent enough to f**king debate her existence.

Maybe the shots they keep forcing on him are helping.

He can't recall much of what happened the morning he'd tried to escape. But he thinks that she'd been trying to undress him and possibly had attempted to kiss him - before casting him about the room.

Yet the being never attacked him again. Usually she stays near the window seat. Though he has sensed her at the foot of his bed on more than one unnerving occasion.

For years, he's constantly felt as if he was being watched by something unseen - now he actually could be.

No. He sees shadowy figures every day. Why should he think she's different? Because she has a scent? Because, for the first time, he wants a hallucination to be real?

He knows there's a line between suffering from hallucinations and interacting with them. You can live with the former; the latter means you're lost.

Over the last century, he's held on to the last of his sanity by his fingertips. Acknowledging her might just be the weight around his ankles needed to drag him down.

Even as he knows this, he speculates about her constantly. If she exists, then she's a ghost. Weren't ghosts born of violent deaths or murder? So how did she die? And when? Is she even sentient? He's seen her eyes and her long hair. What does the rest of her look like?

Why are my goddamned thoughts so lucid around her? What does she do to me?

His brothers sound as if they're about to come to the room. He doesn't want this. Each day the entity grows clearer as the sun sets and the room dims. But when his brothers arrive, she fades. He's realized that the uncovered new bulb above is too bright - the unnatural light obscures her. Darkness would reveal her to him.

It wasn't in the lightning bolts that he saw her that first night. It was in the dead black lulls between them.

Twilight's coming. Which means if his brothers will stay away, he would be closer with each minute to discovering what she looks like. He's hungry for the sight of her, hands clenching and unclenching behind his back in anticipation.