CHAPTER 23
Elijah
I once wanted to believe that a man has cruel as he could someday be my father. I had believed that cruel lie most of my younger years spent rapunzeled in a tower. I had believed it until the truth was revealed to me.
Fate could be cruel indeed, cruel enough to make me share my destiny with two strangers, cruel enough to take my mother from me, and cruel enough to pit my father against me, for the son of a commander must kill his sire to fulfill his destiny. And perhaps that's the reason for my father's hatred which resulted in mine.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he had talked to me, if he had been my father instead of my tormentor, would i have delivered the moon child to his doorsteps? Whatever my answer was, it changed the moment she activated the triquetram triangle, and then I knew I would take on the world if it meant keeping her by my side. Trying to forget the other angle of my triquetram was strangely harder than I thought it would be. While I had no urge to look into his eyes, or crashing on his bed at night on the pretext of being concerned, I was also worried for him, and the disgusting thing was if he called for me, I would go running, unable to help myself.
I was no stranger to failure, after all I had failed all my life, but back then the only person to witness my crushing defeat was my self. But what do I do now that it's all changed? Immediately my father left, we all noticed the irregular pattern of the young boy's frantic breaths.
He was losing it, every vampire here knows what happens next. We have all heard of their kind before, but it was the kind of things we learnt about in history lessons and old legends. It was not supposed to happen here, not inside the school that had become a safe haven for my kind, and me as well.
"He is becoming petrified, isn't he?" Ashton asked softly, and I turned to him.
"Clear the hall. Move everyone outside. This is something we have never had to deal with before," I told him grimly.
We both turned to the young vampire on the floor gasping for breaths, he was already roped in silver chains by the guards, and we all waited to see what would happen next.
I must admit, the sight of a person chained with silver brought back terrible memories, the voices in my head woke up with a vengeance. Since I met Paris they had been mostly silent, but now they spoke sharply, words like daggers, and laughter like spears.
I could see Ashton staring at me with concern. No one knew the details of my time in the tower, but I had told them enough for them to be concerned, a fact that I now regretted. They were stupid enough to use their bodies as shields for me earlier, my Father was not a man known for mercy, and now I worried about what they would do in a situation they thought I could not handle. I shook my head at him resolutely and stared forward, gaze strong, body poised, and my mask unshakable.
"He is turning," A guard muttered in awe, and everyone shifted forward cautiously, we had never seen a petrified before. It was a novel experience.
"What are you all doing?" Mr Rhazia gritted, striding towards us in his long black coat and trademarked walking stick.
"Protect your prince!" He ordered.
I turned to him, lips flattened to show my displeasure.
"Protect me?" I laughed sarcastically. "Yeah right, you are just about eighteen years late," He flinched back before masking his expression again. With a swift nod from him, the guards surrounded me, forming a perfect shield. I almost laughed at the irony.
"We have to secure him right here," Ashton's voice interrupted my thoughts. They were all still, waiting for my command, I nodded.
"Secure the threat."
They immediately sprung into action, roping the young vampire in more chains, twisting it around him to form an intricate bond, and secured the chains around silver stakes they had plunged into the ground.
With a growl, the vampire shifted awake, fully cognizant and hungry. He twisted and bent his limbs gruesomely, hands outstretched and desperately trying to claw his way out, or claw out another's throat, lips parted in a snarl, and drool dripping from the corner of his growling mouth. Mindless, wanting, and dangerous. My father, the man who sired me, did this, and it was all my fault. With that crippling thought, I turned away.
"Hey. Are you alright? What happened?" Noah asked immediately he saw me. I tossed my head back, desperately willing the sun to wash away the putrid darkness inside me, no matter how much it hurts.
"Do not hide behind your hair man. What now?" Noah asked again, and I peered at him from beneath the curtain of hair veiling my face. I had gotten used to my hair been that way, it was my shield against the world, and in a way it pleased me to view the world through a black tinted veil, helps me believe the darkness does not reside in me alone.
"What can I say?" I questioned, my voice breaking at the end to my dismay. "I am helpless and it's all my fault. His blood is on me. I killed him," I muttered with barely an emotion. I just stood with hunched shoulders, reflecting, if only I had not defied my father. There were just too many if's, I raked my hair forward again to shield me.
"I am proud of you, you know,"Noah's soft voice reached me. "Had this happened a year ago you would have broken down. But look at you, you can't be broken anymore."
I listened to him intently, hanging on to his every word, the weight on my shoulders unbearably heavy.
"You may not believe me, but it's true," He paused with a sad smile. "You are better than you give yourself credit for, and far stronger than you think,"
I whimpered quietly, trying to hang on to his words and keep the voices in my head at bay. He moved to stand beside me, leaning casually against a wall. Just then his phone chimed with a message, and he chuckled.
"Hey. Meeting in Principal's Rhazia's office now," He informed me, eyes watching my every move. I stood still, my eyes focused on nothing in particular as I tried to control my breaths.
"Paris is coming as well," He ended, now this I reacted to. I turned sharply and he grinned.
"Yoo! Don't kill the messenger. If she's the moon child, then she deserves to know."
I hunched forward again, battling between my desire to see her, and my need for solitude. I sighed.
"Alright, I'll be with you in a minute," I responded and he beamed.
"Alright, I'll see you in a minute," He parroted, and I humored him with a nod. Beaming at me one last time, he left.
Checking one last time to verify he truly left, I leaned forward with a hoarse cry emerging from my throat. The thought of the young vampire whose name I didn't even know had me dry heaving. He was going to be put down like an animal, just like I was, only this time, there would be no second chances. Falling to my hands and knees, I let my head hang with a sob on my lips.
"Weak!"A voice in me cried. "He cries for the youngling!" Another hollered. "Why? He cannot escape his own petrification any longer. That is also his fate," A raspy one cackled. "Give up young princeling, your fate has been drawn in the sands","About three voices melded together. "Shut up! Just shut up!" They shrieked again. "Set in stone!" More cried. "No no no no no. Stop! Just stop!" I cried, and they laughed some more. "Written in the stars!" They all howled, their voices melding into a cacophony of evil shrieks and dark howls.
"No. No more, please," I gasped, still on my hands and knees. "I will fight this. I have come this far. I'll not be petrified so easily," I warned them, breathing hard. They cackled again, as if I had said something particularly amusing.
"Your choice, young princeling," A voice rasped softly. "Do you know the first signs of petrification?" Another whispered, i tensed, my claws digging into the stone floor. "Me! We! Us" It laughed. "We are your damnation," They were howling now.
I clenched my eyes shut but the tears could not be trapped. They floated down like fallen crystals, a symbol of my pain. Just then, my phone rang.
Paris' voice fluttered in from the other end, scolding me. I could hear the anger and frantic worry in her voice. Her tones soothed me and I leaned against the wall with a soft smile. With every word she uttered, she drove my pain away from the surface where it hurts the most.
"Alright fine. Cease your whining, I am on way," I grumbled and shut my phone, smiling at the rage that must be coursing through her.
My steps were lighter as I walked back to the principal's office. Crying never really solved anything, just made me crappier, and my thoughts heavier. I walked along until a soft hand gripped mine. I whirled around in surprise.
She was petite, quite young too, with brown hair, glasses, and huge brown eyes framing a pert nose. She looked familiar.
"Yes?" I asked her, my voice harsh, she trembled.
"H_he is my brother," She whimpered. Immediately the truth became clear, and my vision blurred.
"Ryan, h_he is not a bad kid," She sobbed, trembling with fear.
"H_he never did anything wrong, never broke any rules. He does not deserve this. Please help him!" She cried. I shook my head trying to clear my vision, nothing worked. Gasping, I stumbled away from her.
I stumbled all the way to the office, and arrived with the word "Ryan" resounding in my brain. Suddenly, knowing his name made him more of a person and less like a creature to eradicate.
"Hey son. Are you alright?" Mr Rhazia's voice interrupted me and I stared, blinking in a daze. Paris rushed to my side and held my arm, brows furrowed.
"Are you alright Elijah?" Her soft voice asked, I nodded and stared at all of them sitting on different chairs and watching me. The office was too dim, the air smelt faintly of blood, and Mr Rhazia's coat was resting on the high backed chair. Books lined the rows of shelf on the far end of a wall, and human medals and awards adorned a glass cabinet nailed into the opposite end of another wall.
"Well you missed the meeting," Our history teacher, Mr Ramon gritted. I shrugged.
"Figuring out the outcome was not rocket science you know," I tried to shrug nonchalantly, and by the irritated looks on their faces it was working.
"Bringing down a vampire like this is no joke," Mr Rhazia gritted. "But bring down we must. He is dangerous now. We need you_," I cut him short.
"You need me to be the one to bring him down because cutting down a petrified is a danger to the killer as well," I ended, and he nodded his head in approval.
"But not a danger to you Elijah Danksworth, first born son of high commander Danksworth, and first in line for the throne," He bowed in reverence and I rolled my eyes. He was just another person condemning my fate.
~
I walked outside with the rest trailing behind me. The bells were rung thrice to signify a solemn occasion. Everyone was decked in black and so was my Paris. But her silver mane shone brightly against her attire, like a glimmer of light in my dark world.
The crowd slowly parted as I came through. The murmurs grating, and the cries stifling. I walked up to meet Ryan raving mad. His clothes were in tatters, skin bleeding, brown hair disheveled, and brown eyes stark raving mad. As I looked into them, they stared back at me with a fanatic hunger.
"What are you waiting for princeling?" A voice interrupted, and I gritted my teeth. "His soul is gone. There is no saving him," Another chuckled with glee. "His sister. She watches you," Another insidious voice whispered. I whirled around and saw her standing at the edge of the forest, hands clutched to her chest, and a dark look in her eyes. I turned away.
Mr Rhazia handed me the bow with a sad look in his eyes. From my periphera, I saw Noah and Ashton attempt to move to me, but were quickly restrained by guards. I saw Paris standing with bewilderment and fear in her eyes.
"Ryan Bramley!" I shouted, and he snapped his snarling face to me, drool drooping from his mouth, and eyes insane. "Ryan Bramley. Son of Lord Eugene Bramley. I hereby sentence you to death," I shouted, and nocked the silver bow, eyes stinging but my face composed. I aimed the arrow.
"May death bring you freedom from this cruel fate," I let my arrow fly loose. "Farewell, brother."
The crying behind me rose to a crescendo. Echoes of pain, and anguish, and fear. And once again, the fault was mine.