Sorry if you haven’t received any private messages from me (I really want to and I try to), but please know that I appreciate each of you amazing and very supportive people! If you’ve reached reading this chap, THANK YOU! If you’re still patiently waiting for my slow (sorry T_T) updates, THANK YOU!
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Andi’s LOCO Playlist
You better run
Cause there’s gonna be some hell to pay
- “Run, Devil, Run” by Kesha (REPEAT ON)
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Chapter Thirty-three
I groan as I force the haziness out of my head.
I can smell something burning and I can hear the crackling of flaming wood and the fading, anguished cries that I’m quite accustomed to.
I struggle to focus and shake my blurring sight clear.
Everything is destroyed.
My eyes go gradually wide in fright as I roam them around the place. Every raised structure is either burning or crumbling into rubble. Humans are fleeing away while clutching bundles of their clothes and belongings. Some of them are kneeling on the ground in a huddle and wailing in grief. The sight of dead, bloody bodies sprawled not just in their midst but all over the area hitches the breath in my throat and draws a strangled cry out of my mouth. I’m standing rigidly inside a wrecked village and I have no recollection of how I’ve gotten myself in the middle of all these.
Flickering images haunt my head like a cinema that uses a defective reel. Screams raise my eardrums’ work to their maximum exertion and make me believe that a banshee may have taken up residence in my auditory canals. I see confusing visions of scurrying people which consist of humans and… creatures. I assume they are not like us from the way their eyes turn red and their mouths enclose a pair of longer canines. I watch a lamp toppling over a wooden porch due to the ruckus thus starting a fire, women screaming for help, men trying to placate them and urging them to run faster, humans dropping down to the ground and the creatures exploding into ash.
What baffles me more is the setting of the events. They are occurring in several, different places.
Have I been in all of them? Have I always been running away? From what? Am I caught up in a tribal war together with these people? Then, I must waste no time and move with them.
I take slow, hesitant steps forward. All heads turn towards my direction, causing me to stop instantly and to hold in a mouthful of air. The look of utter terror on their faces triggers me to whirl around in panic at the thought of a creature lurking behind me while brandishing a set of fangs. I heave up a loud sigh when I see no one. Yet, I realize that my immense relief is only temporary when my gaze drifts back at them and notices that the magnitude of their fright hasn’t lessened.
Are they staring… at me?
I look down and find myself in a decent, woolen dress and a couple of dark brown slippers. I reach for my head and discover my bleach-blonde hair tied neatly in a long braid. I arrange my ruffled clothes and scrutinize myself for whatever hint that may have caused the people’s horrified reaction, but I can’t point out anything. I rub the perspiration from my brow and the dampness from my face.
The sticky feel on my cheeks has me ceasing from any movement. They’re wet but, I’m certain, not with tears. They’re soaked in something thicker than salty water. Its dried form sticks to my skin in a way that I have to use my fingernails to pry it off. Holding my breath, I slowly slide my hands down and hold them in front of my eyes.
Oh, my God.
I vigorously wipe my face and cause the smears of blood to spread even further on my cheeks and palms. I may have only made myself look terrifying when I detect everyone becoming more eager to take flight.
Am I the reason for their fear? Why? The person that they should be scared of is the one who’s ruined---
I freeze and little by little sink on my knees when my mind dwells on the thought that I should damn stop treating myself as some powerless victim.
No… oh, no… I couldn’t possibly… How could I even..?
“Mika…”
I lift up my vacant gaze to a man who’s staring at me helplessly and at the destruction surrounding us. I also catch an old woman and a group of men standing behind him.
“Mika… I’m sorry…” The deep remorse on his handsome face has the capacity to break my heart.
If I only know him.
“Come home… please…”
“Who… who are you?”
I notice that I’ve completely surprised him when he takes a quick step back and gapes at me in disbelief. “You don’t recognize me?”
I force my mind to but stop when I realize that I won’t remember him no matter what I do since I have no memories to scan. I shake my head and look at him desperately. “But you do know me? Right?”
His jaw drops even further and I know he’s going into shock.
“I-i don’t remember anything. Please tell me, kind sir. Do you know me? Who am I?”
I watch as he swallows hard and regards me carefully. “You’re my wife.”
Now, it’s my turn to gape. “I am?”
“Yes. Look at me. Don’t you know who I am?”
I examine him thoroughly. He’s tall and well-built. His disheveled, black hair reaches his nape. I inspect every little detail of his face. His features may be soft but I’m certain that one downward turn of his mouth is enough to put anyone to attention. His presence is both commanding and giving. Strong and gentle. Fierce, but just. I find his eyes and look into the most golden orbs. They can make a person either relax with their warmth or nervous with their blaze. I fix my gaze on them and the overflowing affection that he doesn’t bother to hide immediately brings me to tears.
“Don’t you really recognize me?”
“Sunflowers.” I whisper as the first few drops of tears find their way down on my cheeks.
___
“Lady…”
I turn around and see three, big and golden sunflowers below a pair of innocent blue-green eyes. I smile and bend on my knees to take a good look at a little girl who’s dressed in a long chemise. Her brown hair keeps on covering her angelic face so I brush them off her, causing her rosy cheeks to redden even more. “Yes?”
“This… This for you.” She shoves the flowers towards me and beams shyly. “From Sari.”
“Why, thank you. I didn’t know sunflowers grew around here.”
“Know you love frowers, lady.”
I giggle in amusement. She looks very young and adorable. Four or five years old, maybe. Yet, she speaks seriously and fluently – well, almost – like an adult. “I do, and they are flowers… Sari, right? Say it with me, Sari. F-l-owers.”
“F-r-owers.”
I laugh and lightly pinch her cheek while clutching the plants, whose stems and leaves – even roots – are still attached, on the other hand. “You are so pretty. You’ll grow into a very beautiful woman someday.”
“Like you, lady?”
My heart melts when I recognize admiration in her bright eyes. “You’ll become even more beautiful than me.”
She chews on her lower lip and stares down. “Not true.”
“Oh, you’ll see. Where did you get these?”
“Mama took me to woods to find berries. Then I saw them. Lots of ‘em. They are pretty like you and they are like king’s eyes---” Her beautiful orbs abruptly widen just as a shadow hovers above us, blocking the light from the small bonfire that’s crackling at the center of the village.
I stare up and discover the man standing behind me and wearing a stern expression. That must have caused the little girl to quickly clamp her mouth in silence.
I smile, to my surprise, heave myself up and feel his hand instantly wrapping around my waist. I give him a peck on the cheek which he answers by pulling me tightly against him. “Good evening, my liege.”
I can sense the warmth in his amber eyes.
“Sari was just giving me a lovely gift. These are called sunflowers, my liege. You may not remember what the sun looks like, but just take a look at these beauties. They’re open and bright and yellow, right? Just like a sunny morning. Can I plant them around the house? Maybe outside our bedroom window?”
The man draws me close and kisses my hair. “Do as you wish.”
“And Sari was telling me that they were like your eyes…” My gaze drifts back towards the child who’s standing as still as a tree and bowing her head low. I know that she’s afraid of the man who really looks scary but who’s also holding me very gently in his arms. “Would you like to tell your king why they reminded you of his eyes, Sari?”
The girl bites her lower lip again and I notice her little hands twisting each other.
I stare at the… king and coax him silently. He looks at me like I’ve gone mad, but later on sighs and kneels in front of the nervous girl.
“Tell me.”
I roll my eyes at his gruff tone. Any child will run at the opposite direction if he speaks to them like that. Sari takes a wary step back when his command scares her further. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze.
“Why are the sunflowers similar to my eyes?” He strains to ask in a nicer manner.
“C-corors are same. And they are warm, bright when king looks at lady.”
I stiffen while the man’s rigid stance gradually relaxes.
“You noticed?”
“Every night.”
“You’re always looking at us, huh?”
Sari blushes.
“Am I that obvious?”
She suddenly looks up and both of us are stunned to see the man’s smiling – almost teasing – face. “King… king don’t hide it.”
His smile widens and causes the child to gape at him more and my mouth to further drop down. “Don’t you like it?”
“N-no.”
“No---you don’t like it?”
“I don’t don’t like it. Lady is happy when king’s eyes are like sunfrowers.”
“Really?” The king gazes up at me in mock surprise.
‘Oh, great.’ Kids are very observant. ‘Brutally honest, too.’ I run my hand through his hair and raise a wry brow.
“Yes. King is happy when lady is, right?”
“Very.”
“I like happy king. He’s not scary.”
“Am I scary? Really? I didn’t know that.” He gawks at Sari and the disbelief and horror on his face finally make the little girl smile.
“Yes, but not when lady is here.”
“So, let’s keep her here, alright?”
“You won’t send her away?”
The man’s ‘sunflower’ eyes flit upwards and traps mine in a soul-draining gaze. “Never.”
“Promise?”
He looks back at Sari and grins. “Promise.”
“Swear.”
‘Is this child ordering me?’ His incredulous eyes tell me that before I push him to do whatever the girl wants. “Alright. I swear.”
“Do solemn swear.”
The king’s brows shoot up and I can’t help but laugh and plant a kiss on top of his head. He sighs in defeat and heeds to the pouting, tiny human. “I solemnly swear that Lady Mikayla will stay here as long as she---” He stops upon seeing Sari’s reproving look and lets out another exasperated breath. “Lady Mikayla will stay here. Forever. I won’t send her away to whatever the hell--- to whatever purpose that may come. With this errant rascal--- With this human as my witness, I solemnly swear that I will keep her by my side for all the years to come.”
“And you shall make her happy.”
“Yes.”
“And protect her.”
“Of course.”
“And obey her, too, if for king’s good.”
“Why this little--- alright, alright. Fine. Yes.”
I release my grip on his shoulder, laugh, bend down and wrap an arm around his neck. I kiss him on the cheek and whisper in his ear. “That’s a good, obedient king.”
“We’ll talk later.” He utters between clenched teeth but manages to maintain his smile in front of the child who’s unfortunately already called by her mother.
‘Uh-oh.’
Sari faces back and runs away in glee – totally forgetting the two of us because of the distraction.
“And where are you going?” The man swiftly grabs my arm when I hurriedly walk past him.
“To… to prepare dinner, my liege. Yes. I’m going to the kitchen.”
“That can wait.”
“What… what happened to that swear?” I ask nervously when he wraps his arms around me and smiles devilishly.
“I remember swearing to keep you beside me.”
“Don’t take it literally---”
“Yes. Don’t. I’m going to miss you. I’ll be away again thanks to those wretched bloodseekers who’ll arrive north on the morrow. You don’t seriously think that I’m just going to let you stand beside me now, do you?”
I scream in surprise and watch the sunflowers as they fall to the ground when the king hauls me up on his shoulder. I struggle and even curse him when he spanks my butt that’s indecently hoisted in the air. “Luc! Put me down!”
“Hmm… come to think of it…”
I feel our surroundings wavering and disappearing. I gasp when I find the both of us in our bedroom with me leaning against the wall and him hastily raising my skirt up.
___
“Luc..?”
More memories of him slowly return to me in a series of short clips. My mind almost screams in frustration as it struggles to file everything properly back in their storage.
“Mika? Do you remember now?”
My head hurts as it attempts to absorb all of the lost information at once. I raise my open arms, stare pleadingly at my worried husband and weep. “Luc…”
It takes him less than a second to reach my spot and to pull me up in his arms. I embrace him as tightly as he crushes me that I can’t already raise my chest to breathe. I sob on his tunic and he keeps on kissing my hair and whispering apologies in my ear. “God, I missed you… I thought I’d never see you again.” He suddenly holds me at arm’s length, rakes me with assessing eyes and quickly tugs me back to place a firm kiss on my forehead before caging me in another bone-crushing hug. “I won’t ever allow you to leave my side again. Do you understand that? I’m not going to lose you.”
“Luc…”
“You know what will happen to me if I’m going to, right? I’ll be very miserable that I’ll go crazy and will make the others’ lives a living hell, too. You don’t want them to blame you, do you?”
I manage a weak laugh and close my eyes. “No, I don’t. Though that sounded like blackmail.”
“I’m willing to use blackmail or any other devious ploy if it will let me keep you.”
“Devil.” I mutter and catch my grandmother, Beatrice, smiling a few feet from us despite the tears in her own eyes. Luc’s minions stand stiffly around her and the sight of them together with the witch who’s always been wary of these creatures gives me a sense of peace.
“Let’s go home and you can call me anything you want.”
I beam when he takes off his cloak. He wraps it around my shoulders before holding me firmly at his side. We begin walking but my eyes keep on darting at the several groups of people who’re following us with curious gazes. Some of them have run away and have vanished almost as fast as vampires upon seeing me looking at them. “Why are they staring at us, my liege?”
I notice his pace quickening that he’s already carrying most of my weight.
“How did you find me? How did I get into this village in the first place?”
Luc neither decreases his speed nor answers my questions.
I abruptly turn my head at the sound of crying children. I find a group of them crowding over a young girl who’s lying on the ground and breathing harshly. They’re already weeping as if she’s already dead which she isn’t. Yet. I slip away from Luc’s arms and rush towards them.
“Hey.” I kneel beside the girl and ignore the group’s screams of fright as they flee from me. I examine her massive wounds and press on respective pressure points to stop or at least to minimize her bleeding. “You’re going to be alright.”
“Get away from her!”
I yelp and fall on my butt when another young girl pushes me away. Luc swiftly helps me up while I watch as the child leans over the other and strokes her hair. She then faces me with all the anger and courage in her eyes.
“Don’t touch her. You’re bad!”
I gasp and my husband’s grip on my upper arms tightens.
“You did this! You killed her!”
I begin to shiver. “I-i…”
Luc hastily hugs me from behind. “Shhh… It’s okay…”
“Luc...”
“Mika, don’t---”
“What have I done?”
___
“Are we going to just leave it here?”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t kill it?
“Master said that we have to leave it alive near the village.”
The four vampires dump my weak and battered form on the ground.
“Let’s go.”
“So long, love. Thank you for your wonderful service.”
They all chuckle as they rake their red eyes all over my body, maybe reminiscing how they’ve cruelly and relentlessly used it. I avert my gaze to ease the self-disgust that’s slowly crawling on me. Alas, an emotion. Yet, if this is the first one that I’d feel, then I’d rather dig for my heart and pull it out of my chest so that I can continue relishing on the comforting numbness.
“It won’t last long. I think it would want to kill itself before Master could.”
“You bet.”
Their retreating forms finally allow my stuck-up mind to restart and relax. I want them far away from here – very, very far away as much as possible.
However, the four vampires’ heads snap up when they hear a rustle. The sound does not also escape my notice and I can even identify muffled cries that are followed by soft thumps.
Two of them disappear and later on return with four humans; one is a man, two are women and the last is a struggling, little girl.
My eyes instantly widen and a second emotion – tremendous fear – surges through me and further plunges down my body’s core temperature.
Sari.
“Look what we got. Snacks.”
Both vampires immediately kill the man. The others hastily clamp the screaming women’s mouths as their companions drain the helpless human dry.
“P-please, s-spare us.” One of the women croaks.
“Let go!” Sari squeals.
“I beg you… you can kill us but let the child go. Please…” The other, I then recognize as Sari’s mother, kneels with clasped hands.
“Touching the coven wasn’t in our orders, but well…”
“This is one lucky night.”
Sari suddenly notices me and stares at me in relief. “Lady! We found you! See, Mama! Lady is well. Let go, demon!”
“Oooo… we’re scared.”
“King will kill you!”
“Oh. So, where is he?”
“He will come! He swear! You all dead!”
“My. This kid is courageous!”
“Or annoying if you ask me.”
“So what are we going to do with them?”
“Master said no witnesses, right?”
‘Oh, my God.’ I feel that all of my strength and will are renewed upon thinking about what they might do to little Sari. I ease up and gather myself weakly on my feet. “P-please let them return to the village…”
“I’m surprised you can still stand after---”
“Beg first, love.”
“This tiny vessel smells great. No offense, milady. You still are the best.”
“But a baby’s, a child’s or a virgin’s blood are also the finest.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
I blanch. I’m aware that the question is not directed to me, but I damn well know what these fiends are thinking. “Let them go. Please… please…”
Sari’s mother screams loudly when a vampire tears off her clothes and slams her down on the ground. Two creatures does the same with the other woman and the last sweeps a now terrified Sari up from the ground and holds her neck tightly to one side.
“No!” I shriek and attack them like a wild animal. I push the vampire who’s holding the child with so much force that I knock both of them down. The beast instantly recovers, roars angrily and stands up. He zips towards me and slaps me so hard that I slump on the ground. I then feel his digging grip on my shoulders as he sinks his fangs into my neck.
“Let go! Let go of her!”
Amidst my struggles and groans of pain, I find Sari pulling the vampire by the shirt and hitting his back with her tiny fists. “N-no… Sari, run…”
“Don’t bite her! Stop! Stop it!”
“You imp!” The vampire quickly withdraws from me and clutches the girl in annoyance. He pushes her down on the ground and bites her throat.
Sari’s scream pierces my ears and nearly shatters my eardrums. I hurriedly climb on my feet and assault the man, but the brute easily shoves me away. I stumble down and hit my head against a large rock with a force that almost throws me unconscious. I can feel trails of warm liquid trickling from my skull and soaking my hair. I moan in pain and try to move, but I can’t when my exhausted and injured body takes its toll.
I stare helplessly from the ground as the vampires once again unleash their brutality. I realize however that it’s more excruciating to watch than to be the one who’s under the circumstances. Sari’s yells turn into a stream of heart-crushing sobs as the vampire vigorously rips her skirt while still feeding on her.
‘No… Don’t… Please…’ My mind begs silently. ‘Please… Stop…’
‘Stop, you son of a bitch.’
I feel an uncomfortable kind of heat trailing towards my eyes and it’s an omen. They are often accompanied by something bad but with what I’m currently witnessing, I won’t even try to stop the dreadful events that I’m sure are about to happen.
Hot liquid starts to form at the corner of my eyes and the unbearable pain ceases my steps when I finally reach evil’s lair and makes me hesitate if I want to continue going in. Yet, with the scene playing in front of me that’s causing evil’s dark claws to slither out of their cave and tug me seductively, I don’t need any more convincing.
The vampire on top of Sari is the first one to turn to me and I relish at the pleasure of seeing the horror on his face as he bursts into dust. That causes all movements in the area to halt. The monsters snap their heads towards me and the shock followed by terror in their eyes bring me immense delight, even when the first drops of burning fluid starts their descend and leaves searing trails on my cheeks.
I slowly stand up with a revitalized strength that I have no idea where I’ve gotten from. The vampires also recover from their disbelief and are now hell bent to avenge their fallen comrade. They all follow him to hell, though, when they attack me and turn into nothing but ash before they’ve even invaded my social space.
I finally allow myself to scream at the scalding pain brought upon by my tearing eyes. I look up at the moon and see it red. I grit my teeth and sob at the thought of everything that I’ve gone through tonight. ‘Why? Why must I be the one to suffer this fate?’ Those beasts don’t even deserve the merciful way that I’ve killed them. If I could only make them rise from the ground, I’ll kill them again.
And again. And again.
Terrified wails go in sync with my anguished cries. I look around and see two women and a child who are huddling together, staring at me in fright and trembling violently. They tighten their hold around the little girl who’s crying in their middle when they realize that I have found them.
I take a step forward, causing them to leap back. I blankly gaze at their shuddering forms as I slowly walk towards them.
“L-lady…”
That soft sob is the last thing I hear before filling up my eyes with more blistering tears and blacking out.
___
“No… I didn’t…”
“Mika…”
“What happened to Sari?”
“It doesn’t matter---”
“What happened to her, Luc?”
“She… she’s gone.”
“I killed her.” I declare breathlessly.
Another violent wave of comparable visions, but now involving other humans and different places, rushes in my head until I shriek at it to stop.
“W-was that the reason why you were so angry at me when you arrived home? No…” I answer my own question when another picture of devastation flashes in my mind. “That was not it.”
“I’m not angry---”
“Why not? You should be, my liege. After all… I destroyed our village.”
“No---”
“And the nearest village at the west…. And the next after that…” My eyes are already brimming with unshed tears. “And the next… Then this… I killed Sari, her mother, one of our humans, and ten more… thirty… thirty-five…”
“Stop.” Luc’s arms tightly enfold me.
“Forty… fifty… fifty-one counting that old man I’d met on my way towards the third town… fifty-eight…” Heavy tears start to fall on my face. “Sixty-two…”
“Stop.”
“Seventy-three…”
“Stop!” Luc roars and weakly leans his head on top of my shoulder. “Stop…”
A sob escapes from my mouth which is followed by another, and another, until I can’t count them anymore as they turn into an endless stream.
“I’m sorry…” Luc whispers in a rueful voice. “I’m sorry for driving you away. I’m sorry for being an idiot who couldn’t understand you. I’m sorry if I didn’t listen to you though I’m supposed to be your husband and I’m doing a poor job of it. I’m sorry if I left you alone at the time when you needed me most. Mika, I’m so sorry …”
“L-luc…”
He turns me around and gazes down at me eagerly. “We’ll start anew. You can pick any place you want. Do you want to go back to that tribe of Franks we’ve visited after our wedding? I know you like the terrain and its people. We can build a village near them. Would you like that? Just come back… Come home…”
“Luc, I…” The desperate plea in his bright eyes almost makes me say a hasty yes. “I can’t…”
“Forgive me for the way I behaved the last time we talked. I was just furious that… You know that I’m an ass when I’m angry, right?”
“Listen to me---”
“I searched for you immediately after that. Believe me. I’m sorry it took so long. It was difficult because you kept on moving, but then I followed the trail of… I miss you. Come home. Give me a second chance. Please. I can change---”
“Listen, my liege---”
“What do you want me to do? Kneel? Beg? I will ---”
“Listen to me, Luc!” I shout at him, successfully shutting him up and stopping his litany. “I can’t come home. I’m… It’s not safe…”
“I will protect you---”
“No! No… You can’t. You can’t protect me from myself, Luc. I’m not the same. I will never be the same and I don’t know if I’ll be able to take more of this…”
“I know.” He cups my face but I hastily shake my head and remove his hands.
“Luc, I don’t want to hurt anyone…”
“I know. I understand, Mika. Let me help you. I can---”
“So, kill me.”
Luc abruptly stills.
“Kill me, Luc.” I weep and stare at him pleadingly. “End my suffering.” I panic when I suddenly feel my eyes heating up again. Oh, my God. Not now. Oh, no… “Kill me, please!”
He finally recovers from his shock and glares at me. “What the hell are you saying?”
My eyes start to burn and I close them tightly to prevent them from targeting anyone – especially my husband who’ll instantly and easily turn into dust the moment I cast him a mere look.”Kill me before it’s too late...”
“You’re mad if you think---”
“Kill me!” I shriek when my eyes snap open. I barely manage to avert my gaze near his right ear and it focuses instead on one of his minions who’s standing a few meters at his back. The vampire gawks at me in shock and joins the gravel on the ground by bursting into a topcoat of ash.
I see Luc, his other vampires and the witch gaping at me in disbelief. They at last realize what they are dealing with.
I suddenly cry out, not in pain but in distress, as more bloody tears scorch my face.
God, I almost killed him.
The thought fires up my desire to end my life even more. I see no other way around this. If I kill him, which I think I can when I’m certain that Luc won’t even dodge my attempts, I’m bound to choose to kill myself, too. I can’t bear to lose him. I can’t imagine living my life without him. I just love him too much. “Luc… kill me… please…”
“Mikayla…” Beatrice steps forward and pleads. “Let’s go home.”
“No, nanna. You know that I’m becoming uncontrollable. It won’t take much time before I’ll lose myself, forget everything again and kill everyone – anyone – who’ll cross my path. Can you imagine what I will feel every time I wake up and discover that I’ve destroyed another village and added fifty people in my list? Where will I wreck havoc next? How many more will I kill? Will I be seeing you or Luc at my feet the next time I regain my memories?”
“We have the ring, child. Lucifer found it.”
“It won’t be able to stop me anymore. You know that, nanna. At this point, it can’t.”
“You can’t break a vow.” Luc holds out the ruby ring between his forefinger and thumb and presents it to me in the same way when he has asked me – gruffly at that time – to spend an eternity with him. “You promised to obey, to take care of thy spouse and to stay whether in good or in bad times. You even said so yourself that only death can bring us apart, though I rectified that statement since I’m already dead.”
My bloody, tearful eyes rake his stern face. “Luc…”
“There is nothing that can part us then.”
My sight begins to burn and the vivid colors dance before my eyes. “There is.”
The unmanageable hatred and discomfort returns to me in a rush. My body unfortunately directs them towards two humans who I’ve caught watching us behind a mass of fallen debris.
“Mika, no!”
I’m aware when he wraps me in his arms that he’s trying to teleport to bring me out of the area but unfortunately, he can’t. Magic won’t be able to affect me when I currently possess the greatest form of it.
Realizing his failed attempt, Luc turns around to ward off my deadly gaze from the mortals. I catch a glimpse of both men coughing out large volumes of blood and conclude that his movement may have come a little too late.
“Stop!”
My light-blue orbs search for another set of victims. They narrow and lock on three of his minions. I faintly hear Luc’s yell and feel him almost shaking the soul out of my body as the three vampires disappear permanently from this world.
I produce the searing blood as easily as tears. Either I’ve developed a tolerance for them or I’m really starting to become numb. I can only feel only one thing. I can feel the gradual flow of evil in my veins and I know, I know for sure, that it will consume every part of my being and will entirely wrap my heart with its dark and seductive poison.
Beatrice gasps and drops to her knees. Her thin, wrinkled skin visibly moves as her blood revolts underneath, wanting to come out. With her frailty that has come with her advanced age, it will take no time for her to rupture like an overfilled balloon.
“Mika, stop!”
I look up at Luc’s face when I take a temporary hold of my raging self. “Please kill me. I’m begging you… I can’t take this anymore…”
“You can control---”
“Help me end this… please… Luc, please…”
“N-no…”
“Then I will kill everyone in here.”
He swiftly cups my face, maybe hoping to keep my weapon away from the bystanders. “You won’t---”
“Starting with those children kneeling around the dying girl.”
My eyes begin to blaze and I know that he notices it when a look of alarm crosses his face. Luc’s hold under my chin tightens even further. Just a little more force and he’ll break my jaw.
“I will kill them without mercy just as I’ve killed Sari.”
The girl who has pushed me away abruptly kneels down and the group hovers over her in panic as blood seeps out of her nose.
“Mika!”
“Lucifer…”
Both of us turn to the witch who’s racking her lungs with violent sobs. She looks alright except for a few discolorations on her arms and face. She regards the king with a silent look that I clearly and respectably understand. Nonetheless, it has only made my husband more enraged than ever.
“No! How could you even---”
“If you won’t kill me, Luc…” Blood soaks my face as another child drops on the ground and screams when he also starts tearing up with gore. The pain is unbearable for an adult like me, how much more for a child? “Then I have no choice…”
“P-please, Mika…”
“But to kill them all…”
A third little human joins the other two and convulses restlessly as her mouth foams with blood. Shrieks and cries echo around the broken-down village and the combination of the sounds will give anyone who hears it an unforgettable and surely recurring nightmare.
“Stop it!”
I gasp and the disturbing melody of death abruptly ceases. I gape at Luc who shares my look of shock before staring down at his hand that’s buried deep within my chest and holding my faintly beating heart.
I can’t see anything anymore as my eyes endlessly fill up with tears.
Luc frantically supports me upright when I weakly lean forward. I put my hands on his chest and place my head against it. I groan as the movement causes his embedded hand further into my ribcage. “M-mika…”
“Luc… Lucifer…” I’m aware that I’m holding my life by the thread so I rush the words together with a trickle of blood out of my mouth. “I love you… ever since you’ve scared and bitten me in your tent. R-remember that? It was the time we’ve officially met. You were a bastard.” I manage a feeble laugh. “B-but I was right all along. There’s a man behind the beast… who’s capable of goodness. T-thank you for a-allowing me to meet him. Luc… you may t-think you’re evil but… your heart is kind…”
“I-i’m… I’m sorry… I-i’m so sorry…” Luc’s voice cracks. I want to raise my head to see if he’s really crying but with the sob that has accompanied his last stated word, I realize that there’s no need for me to.
“And m-mine… will forever belong to you.”
“Mika…”
“Goodbye, my liege…”
With that final whisper, I suddenly and forcefully push myself away from him – leaving my warm, beating heart at the center of his palm.
I gaze at the sun setting behind the Carpathian Mountains.
I put my hands on top of the parapet and bask at its remaining rays. I inhale the earthy smell of dusk and ignore the dread that’s starting to fill me up. I hate to admit but even the darkness of the night is already enough to scare me. After all the terror that I’ve been through, I’ve thought myself as a brave – though always unfortunate – woman. Yet now, the mere idea of red-eyed monsters lurking in the shadows makes me bolt and seek for any trace of light.
My thumb runs over the ruby ring that’s surrounding my middle finger. The feel of it comforts me a little. The only thing that keeps me from falling apart at this moment is the knowledge that I’m not going to do any more horrible things.
For now.
I have replayed that particular vision over and over in my head. At first, it has brought me nothing but fear. I’m frightened of what I’m truly capable of that I’ve considered casting myself away to some isolated island. Then, it has made me feel sorrowful that such great love has been torn apart by cruel fate – and it has also reminded me that I owe the king a very big apology. Luke doesn’t deserve those mean words. He has been through hell because of what’s happened in the past and I’m damn sure that I don’t want him to experience that kind of pain again. I admire him more now since if I’m the one who’s gone through all that, I may have become obsessed with ropes and ceilings and chairs. Later on, the vision has given me a tremendous, bewildering question – what now? What am I going to do? With myself? With my abilities? With the war? With Gab--- the fucking enemies? With the still-unknown traitor?
And I have given an answer that may horrify the world if its salvation depends upon me – I have no idea.
I sigh, bid the day goodbye and walk back inside the castle. I head towards the only room where I’ve spent almost the entire day and step inside without knocking.
The sight of Lizzie lying unconscious on the bed immediately causes me to tear up. Crap. I’ve visited her for almost a hundred times already and I don’t know why I’m still crying whenever I grace her with my unwelcome presence. I wipe my face, keep on sobbing and sit on the bed beside her.
I hold her hand and find it cold. She looks so pale but her blonde hair shines like a golden halo around her beautiful face. I weep and silently chant another onslaught of apologies in my head.
She will hate me for this. I’m sure she will. That’s why I want to be this close to her when I still have the chance. I want to be with her when she isn’t still looking at me in anger and with all the blame in her eyes. This may be the last time that I’ll be able to see her without her slamming the door on my face. “I’m so… so… sorry, Liz.”
“We know for a fact that she has the Bloodtear, sire. It’s dangerous to be even near her.”
“Hush.”
I watch as the knob slowly turns. Luke takes a peek inside and widens the opening of the door upon seeing me in the room.
“Hey.” He greets casually.
Luke? Casual? To me? I sulk in disbelief. Oh, shut up, Andi. You nearly killed Zach, one of his Vampire Council members. Not to mention the other… Do you expect him to smile and thank you?
I notice Nathanael and Raphael slipping through the door while supporting a thin and feeble-looking Zacharael Kauffman. They help him towards the nearest living chair and settle him gently in it.
Zach groans and it makes me think that he’s in some sort of pain. My conscience quickly takes another beating when I discover dark circles underneath his eyes. His cheeks have hollowed and his lips are grey. He’s chalky white and his blonde hair lacks luster. He looks like a week-old corpse that should be rotting six feet underground instead of sitting in a regal chair and smiling at me with his sparkly, complete – thank God – set of teeth and obvious canines.
“What’s up, Andi?” He utters in a weak but still cheerful voice.
My eyes promptly fill up with tears and it doesn’t take much time for them to become heavy and drop like giant meteor showers on my cheeks. “Z-zach…” I sob and run towards him to squeeze him in a hug. “Zach! I’m very sorry!”
“There, there.” I feel him soothing my back. “I may look like I’ve recently starred in The Walking Dead, but I assure you that there’s no need to start shooting me in the head.”
I laugh and cry at the same time. “I’m so glad you’re fine.”
“So am I.”
I draw back and stand before him. “I’m sorry for---”
“Shhh… think about it no more. You just took me by surprise. It was my fault. I wasn’t careful. The next time, you won’t beat me that easily. Actually, my pride hurts the most painfully right now. Beaten by a human? A woman? A woman, can you believe it? What has the world turn into?”
“Zach! Stop it. How can you jest in a time like this? Liz---”
“---will be fine. I want to thank you for saving her, Andi. Danke.”
“N-no… I brought her to harm. I caused her---”
“You perfectly warned her not to roam around the castle alone, but your friend is as stubborn as you that she broke her own promise. The moment I got diverted by a security breach, she came running towards you and got caught along the way.”
“But---”
“If you have not intervened, she may have been taken to devil-who-knows-where. That would’ve caused me to go mad – if I’m still not at that son of a bitch. I swear I’ll tear that arschloch inside out when I see him. Right now, I’m just glad that my wife is here beside me and that she’s safe.”
I hastily calm myself down at the first sign of rage. Maybe I should start taking anger management classes and introduce myself as she-Hulk. “But she won’t be---”
“Relax. She will still be the same, Andi. You’ll see.”
I look at the slumbering woman and hope that Zach’s right. I’ve often read that vampires are more savage when they’re new to the immortal life.
Luke silently walks towards the bedside table and drains the contents of a blood bag – I’m now referring to it literally – into a tall glass. I watch him pop a straw into it and consider its similarity to a glass of plain, ol’ strawberry juice.
I avoid the king’s gaze when it flickers towards me. We haven’t spoken to each other ever since I’ve begged him to save Lizzie’s life. I know that I’ve given him no choice and have pushed him before he can clear his head and think it through. However, I’ve been so desperate to quickly undo the unspeakable horror that I’ve caused.
I force myself not to think about the events that have happened last night. Even when I’m wearing the ring, I really don’t want to test its limit when the very thought of that arschloch is enough to sear my veins with fury.
Gabriel is an enemy and I will now treat him as such.
Even when everythinginside of me nags in disagreement and screams for reconsideration.
And if he as much as lay a finger again on anyone I care about, I will not think twice in using my… ability against him.
I will kill him.
Can you? A small part of my mind asks derisively.
I will! I won’t let him hurt anyone again.
Lizzie’s sudden movement leads me away from my musings. Her chest heaves up as she takes her very first breath as an immortal.
Red eyes flash as she snaps them open.
“Lizzie..?” Luke approaches her and of all the vampires present in the room, only he appears calm. Even Zach seems like he’s holding his breath which puzzles me because he doesn’t really need to.
“Liz..? Darling..?” Zach calls out in a carefully contained voice.
I gasp when the woman suddenly sits up.
Her rapid action may have caused her head to spin. She holds her temples – in another super fast movement that she still hasn’t noticed – and groans. “Oh, my head…”
“Darling?”
Lizzie’s face finally lifts up and her eyes narrow and widen as she tries to focus. “Zach..?” She abruptly grunts and yells while clutching her throat. Luke instantly holds himself in front of her as some form of a very effective, formidable wall; especially when Lizzie’s sharp gaze locks on the only human in the room.
I gulp.
“What’s… what’s happening?”
“What do you feel, Liz?”
She stares at Luke and at the glass of blood he’s holding. “I-i’m… I’m so hungry…”
“Do you want a drink?”
“What? That?” Liz practically shrieks in horror.
“Come on, darling.” Zach forces himself upright and brushes off the Nikonovs’ attempt to aid him. He drops his frail form beside his wife and coaxes. “Take a whiff.”
“What’s happening, Zach? Why am I--- Mien Gott! What happened to you?”
I cringe at Lizzie’s angry voice.
“Long, embarrassing story. Come on.” Zach plucks the glass from Luke’s hands and brings it under Lizzie’s nose. “Smells good, right?”
“I really don’t want to admit it but… yes.” Liz finds my eyes and looks at me incredulously.
I put on a smile and nod in encouragement. “Go on, Liz. Be a full-fledged vampire badass.”
“What?” She gapes at all of us. “I am a what?”
Here it comes. I bite down my lower lip hard.
“You’re a vampire, darling.” Zach saves me from my speechlessness. “Now, we can be together – forever – even when the prophecy fails.”
“Really?”
My face immediately falls off at Lizzie’s thrilled expression.
“Ja. So, come on. Drink and then tell Andi how good it really tastes.”
“Actually, Andi smells way better than this.”
I’m pretty sure that when I step out of this room, I’m already a hundred percent more susceptible to heart attacks.
“Liz?”
“Zach?”
“Drink.”
Realizing what she’s just said, Lizzie’s face goes two shades paler. “Right.” She hurriedly grabs the glass and sips all of its contents in a matter of seconds. “It tastes disgustingly good. I can’t believe I just drank the whole… thing. Ugh… But, I’m still hungry.”
I watch in awe as she snatches the second blood bag from Luke, pierces it with her straw and hastily drinks from it like it’s a tetra pack fruit juice. She groans in delight and throws the now empty bag on the bedside table.
She licks her lips and gazes at me apologetically upon seeing my discomfort. “Sorry, Andi…”
“No, no… it’s okay.” I work up another smile and sigh when it fails. “Liz… I’m sorry for what happened last night. I begged Luke to turn you since saving you required a miracle. You lost a lot of blood and the only way to rescue you was to replace it with venom. I’m sorry for choosing this dark path for you without getting your consent. I understand if you hate me.”
“Hey. What are you talking about? It’s alright, Andi.”
“You’re not angry?”
Lizzie smiles and the sight of her prominent fangs triggers my tears. She holds out her hand, drawing a loud sob from me as I take it. She hugs me tight and lets me wail on her shoulder. “I’m not, Andi. I’ve been preparing for this for years. I’ve long accepted even before the prophecy has been told that this is the brightest path for me. I want to be with Zach forever and he’s been as stubborn as a mule in refusing to turn me. Becoming a vampire has always been the best of my options.”
“I’m sorry for the horror that you’ve---”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. We should all forget about it. Don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?”
“Thank you, Liz.” I close my eyes and embrace back the most selfless woman I know. Well, vampire now.
“No, Andi. Thank you.” Liz whispers and takes a long, deep breath. “Now I know what they’re all talking about. You really do smell mouthwatering.”
I promptly turn rigid just in time when Luke pulls me out of Lizzie’s arms.
“I know, I know. I should start taking precautions.” Sadness briefly crosses her face, but she chases it away by beaming warmly. “We’ll always be girlfriends.”
I smile and ignore the fact that Luke’s hands are still caging my upper arms. “Of course.”
“Andi killed Victoria, darling.” Zach announces it like winning numbers on the lottery.
“You did? How?”
“I… Luck?”
“Amazing! I owe you big time then. Oh, I really hope I’d seen how you killed that bitch!”
I have no idea what to say to that so I merely grin - awkwardly.
“What happened to you, Zach?” Liz faces her husband and scrutinizes his form. “Who did this? Tell me. Was it Gabriel? Because if it was him, I’d surely rip him apart the next time he steps foot in here. I’m very capable of doing that now.”
Oh, my God. I groan and hide my face in my palms when Zach laughs loudly.
“You won’t want to do that, darling.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Why not now?”
“Since my life is still in danger. Especially when she will hear how I’m going to narrate it.”
Lizzie throws me a curious glance. I quickly avert my gaze and contemplate if it’s been really wise that I’ve spared Zach’s life. Maybe I should continue what I’ve started by wringing his neck.
“You know what, Andi? I have a great idea. I can create stuff---”
Great? I highly doubt it. “You’re a scientist and an engineer.”
“Well, yes. The thought had been amusing me since last night even when I was lying on bed and writhing in pain.”
I flinch. Damn it. How can I pretend that everything’s back to normal when memories of what I’ve done to two of the most important people in my life keep on bugging me? I won’t be able to engage in a human talk with Lizzie anymore. I won’t be able to look at Zach in the eye and tease or insult him.
“Are you familiar with the X-men character, Cyclops? I can build you a similar visor, Andi! I just need---”
On second thought… I look at Zach like he’s grown a unicorn horn and a rainbow-colored tail. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
“No, I’m serious. You can choose any design. I have thought of a few that will suit a lady---”
“You’re out of your mind if you think I’ll even consider it, Zach!”
“Don’t you find it cool? It would be like those superhero movies that we’ve watched. I can make you a battle suit, too – a really tight and sexy leather suit that will make your enemies stop and drool. What? Unmoving targets are easier to kill, right?”
I sweetly smile. “And so are corpse-looking targets who can’t walk without assistance.”
“See? I told you, darling. I’m even receiving death threats straight to my face.”
I roll my eyes, raise my hands in frustration and turn around. “I give up. There’s your husband, Liz. Do whatever you like to that poor, injured and insufferable creature.”
“Hmm… an interesting suggestion.”
“Oh, dear. Please save me.”
I laugh when Lizzie pulls Zach at the center of the bed and pins him down with her newly-acquired strength. Still weak and recovering, Zach’s struggles are just like that of a child to his now-vampire wife. Lizzie simply straddles his lap and smiles seductively down at him.
“Nein… please, no… Help me!”
“Please give us some privacy, gentlemen, Andi. I have to make Mr. Kauffman pay for the grave sins that he has done to my mortal self.”
“Nein… nein… Andi! Luke! Don’t leave me here!”
I hastily walk out of the room together with the other three, conniving vampires.
“Nate! Raf! You oafs! Get me out of here! Nein… no… Have mercy, darling, please!”
“Enjoy, Liz.” I wave at her which she answers with a wink. “Good luck, Zach…”
I laugh at his pleading face and hear him beg again before shutting the door.
I clear my throat when I can’t bear the silence any longer.
Luke sighs deeply.
“I’m so---”
“Andi, I’m---”
We both stop and stare.
Crap. This is the first time that we’ve been awkward around each other and we’re acting like idiots hanging out in the kitchen, wanting to talk but avoiding the need to talk. Does that even make sense? “Alright, you first.”
“No, you first.”
“Why does this sound familiar?”
“A cheesy scene from a rom-com?”
“Right.” It takes all of my strength to suppress my smile. “I’ll go first then.” I tap my fingers on top of the dining table and glance at his from that’s leaning against the counter from my seat. “I’m sorry for what I said the other night. I know everything now. I’ve seen the true events and I think that you don’t deserve any insult that I may have brainlessly thrown at you. I’m sorry… You could’ve told me about Mika, though.”
“I know. But I wanted to lead you away from the past. I wanted to avoid anything that would trigger your---” He exhales heavily. “You could’ve also told me that you’ve been seeing things.”
“I was afraid at first that you’d all call me a loony. I thought that it wasn’t a big deal and the visions were just products of my crazy imagination. Fine, I might be a loony. Then, I was caught up with everything that I had seen and keeping them a secret seemed right. Safe.”
“I understand. I’m sorry for hiding a lot of things from you. My only intention was to keep you safe.”
“With what I have done, that doesn’t sound right.”
“Andi…”
“I don’t want this, Luke.”
“Are you scared?”
“Like shit.”
“So am I.”
“You? Vampire king? Scared?”
“You scare me.” Luke captures my gaze and smiles lightly. “I already told you that.”
“Scared of what I can do? To you?” I say breathlessly. The thought of killing this… angel is enough to make me slap myself in disgrace. I’ll do anything to keep my lethal gaze away from him. I’ll even consider welding the ring to my finger if that’s just possible or I will do the same thing that Mikayla has – provoke him to kill me if there’s a dire need to.
“No. I’m scared of what I’m going to do… for you.”
I bow my head when the deep emotions in those ‘sunflower’ orbs start to disrupt my orderly state of mind. “Y-you must think of the greater good.”
“Well, it’s always the right thing to do.”
I urge when his words hang in the air. “But..?”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to think of the greater good whenever you’re involved.”
And why the heck did I even ask him to elaborate? My cheeks heat when I catch him staring at me in a familiar Luke-weird way. It lasts longer than usual though, and is rather more intense. Oh, God. I blink away and breathe fast. I’m blushing. God, I’m actually blushing.
“You know who I’d choose, Andi.”
“T-then I’ll make sure that there will be no need for you to.”
“It’s inevitable.”
“It’s not. I’m… I’m not going to give up as easily as Mika had.”
“I know that.”
“I’m stronger than you think.”
“I know.”
“I’m not going to let this get out of hand.”
“I know.”
“And I’m just trying to sound tough when, in fact, I don’t have a damn idea what to do now.”
He chuckles. “I very well know.”
I chew on my lower lip and look at him timidly.
Luke gazes back in amusement with a wide grin. “Come here.”
My face slowly breaks into a smile. I jump from my seat and rush into his open arms.
Luke crushes me in a hug and lifts me off briefly from the ground. “Keeping my mouth shut around you nearly drove me nuts.” He murmurs in my hair.
“I’m sorry, Luke. I know what you’ve been through. You didn’t want to kill her but you had to. I couldn’t even fathom how you managed the excruciating grief as I remember you calling it for more than a thousand years. You should stop punishing yourself. I know that Mika loved you and that you actually freed her from the curse. She was even thankful to you for it.”
“But it still doesn’t change the fact that I was the one who killed her. I left our village to ward off a group of vampires that she had seen coming. We waited for two days but no one came. It was too late when we found out that the group had changed course, attacked my home and took my wife.” He sighs and wraps me in his embrace even tighter. “Beatrice told me what really happened to her. I cruelly pushed her away, Andi, when I found her killing--- when the truth was…. The thought of her crying while… calling out my name… wishing that I would come to save her…”
“Luke...”
“And I didn’t.”
“You had no idea.”
“I should’ve listened to her at the very least when she tried to explain.” He whispers in a heartbreaking voice. “The witch was even more devastated than me. Beatrice thought that Mika was the last of her bloodline, but then the Sight returned to her. She was confused until she found out that Mika had a half-sibling which she also had no idea. Thus, the curse remained and continued within their family.”
“So, I’m here.” I shrug.
“And now, the last of your kind.”
“Great! That’s why our enemies are very eager to get hold of this monster.”
Luke holds me away and frowns. “You are not.”
I scoff. “Yeah, killing anyone at my will just by staring at them is not considered as monstrous.”
“You have the Bloodtear, Andi. You ‘tear up.’ It denotes two things. Rip apart and cry. If we, vampires, are called by the blood, you can call out blood.”
“And you still don’t think that I’m a monster?” I almost scream when the more definitive description of my ability horrifies me further.
“No.” He says sternly. “You aren’t.”
“Yet.”
Luke’s scowl deepens. “Do you even think that I’ll allow it to manipulate you? If I can just hide you away from any form of stress, I will, but I can’t with everything that’s going on right now. I won’t repeat the same mistake that I’ve done one thousand and five hundred years ago, so I will do every damn thing possible to keep the woman I love safe.”
That triumphantly shuts me up.
“I already failed once.” His voice quivers. “I won’t let it happen again.”
I press a hand on his cheek. “I’m sorry. Stop thinking about it.” I sigh and step into his arms.
Luke instantly brings me closer. “I try, but it still bugs me. It’s been an unsolved case for a very long time.”
“You really have no idea who’s behind Mika’s abuse?”
“I had my suspicions, but the crime had been executed cleanly. There were no witnesses and Mika killed the criminals. I’d even consulted Beatrice about it, but nothing. The blasted fate didn’t want to meddle. I couldn’t just condemn anyone without concrete evidence and being grief-stricken at that time didn’t help in clearing up my mind.”
“That’s why you’ve decided to give up everything.”
“I wasn’t worthy anymore to be called king.”
“For me, you still are, so shut up.”
I hear him laugh.
“But I say you’d make a lousy Sherlock, Luke.”
He snorts. “We have our own weaknesses, Croft.”
I pound my fists against his back, drawing another peal of laughter from him. “Don’t dwell on it anymore, okay? No matter what we do, we can’t change the past.”
“That’s the second thing I tell myself when I wake up.”
I pull away and raise my eyes to his. “What’s the first?”
Luke smiles. “Hold on to the present.”
I forget all about breathing when Luke caresses my cheeks and stares down at me like I’m the most fascinating fossil that he has found and examined underneath his magnifying glass. He tugs my face – I panic a bit – and plants a gentle kiss on my forehead as he always does. I close my eyes and revel at the calming warmth that he has always been able to stir within my heart.
“And I will… as long as I can.”
I grab his hands that are still cradling my face and squeeze. “You deserve everything in this world. You’ve been through hell but you’ve remained good. It’s crazy and amazing. I wish--- I want you to be happy.”
“I am. Right now.” He kisses the top of my head before stepping back and grinning at me. “I have something for you.”
I raise a brow. “I hope it’s not another creepy voodoo stuff. I seriously need a break.”
He chuckles. “No.” Luke shuffles the contents of his jacket and hands me a small, white box.
“No way.” I gape at the words Richart and Paris that’s printed in black. “And you’re giving me this tempting treat because..?”
“I know you have a sweet tooth.”
“That’s it?” I hurriedly open the box and coo at the different designs of the tiny chocolates that are neatly arranged inside.
Luke seems like he’s about to burst in laughter at my expression. “By the way, I won’t be joining you tomorrow. I have to take care of something. Don’t worry. Zach and Lizzie will accompany you anywhere. I’m sorry, firefly, but it’s for your own safety.”
I gawk at him with my fingers holding a candy-sprinkled heaven near my mouth. My face slowly dims until I’m already glaring at him. “I knew it! I knew this was a bribe! Where are you going, Luke?”
He shrugs. “Vampire business.”
“Can I come?”
“Definitely not.”
“Wow. Can you say that even quicker? Why, Luke?”
“It’s dan---”
“Dangerous? Is it a lead on Gabriel?” His two-second silence counts as yes. “I wanna go with you.”
“No, Andi. I won’t let you. After what happened last night---”
“I wanna see him and make him pay for what he’s done. He killed the humans and vampires guarding the dungeons, Luke. He almost killed Lizzie, too. That bastard bit her! So much for not biting anyone for centuries. Hah. If we can get to Gabriel, we can find out who’s pulling the strings and kill him. Gabriel also knows where they’re keeping the witch. You understand how important it is for me to save her, right?”
“You’ll just put yourself at risk, Andi, not to mention everyone. You can’t take that ring off and the enemies will do anything to force you to. Hatred is a potent poison. It can consume you and lead you to your own destruction.”
“I won’t let it and I’m sure you also won’t.”
“With the way you’re talking about Gabriel, I bet you’re cursing him more in your mind.”
“Yes and you can’t blame me. He’s the most vile, despicable and worthless man I’ve ever met.” A slight quake causes my voice to rasp, but I quickly cough it away.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. I think that whatever feelings I have for him is now gone or is replaced with fury. I don’t want him to use my own emotions against me anymore, Luke. He has effectively played with them and I’ve been so stupid to let him. I realize that his intent all along has been to piss the hell out of me until I snap and turn into a monster bitch.”
Luke remains silent. I’m about to continue my tirade when he suddenly speaks. “You gave up on him.”
Now, I’m the one who goes speechless. My gaze drops down to the ground. “All I see in that Gabriel is darkness.” I lift my face when he doesn’t give me an answer. He’s turned broody and the melancholy that he exhibits tells me that he also agrees. “But no, Luke. I haven’t.”
Luke robs the little piece of chocolate out of my hand and stuffs it in my mouth, instantly dispelling the gloom that’s starting to hover around and making me smile. “You’ll now allow me to go with you?”
“No.”
I pout, chew and swallow. “Believe me. I can help you. With my… Bloodtear---” I wince. “I’ll be a big help.”
“Andi…”
“Please. All I ever did before was run and hide. It’s time for me to face my own battles. If I’m given this curse, I may as well use it for the benefit of both ourrace. I think that treating this as a gift will aid me more in finding a way to control it. I really want to help, Luke. Please… I need this.”
“No.” He declares again with the same tone of authority.
I narrow my eyes at him and beg for a vision or something that will make or even force him to agree. Still engaging in a to-death stare against the vampire king, images of spinning roulettes, slot machines and card tables flick through my mind like turning pages of a picture book.
Oh, yeah. I’ve been sure and confident that if the situation involves getting me killed, fate will never deny me of a vision.
“You’re going to Vegas.”
“What the--- You’re not playing fair, Andi!”
“And so are you.” I gaze at him in challenge. “Do you know what establishment he’ll be in? Or what will happen when we attack the place?”
Luke gives me a dark scowl.
“Well, I do. Swear that you’ll take me with you and I will share the information I know.”
“So stubborn.” He mutters under his breath.
“Such admirable trait.”
“For a toddler, it is.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “So, do we have a deal?”
“Damn it, Andi. You’ll stay with me and you will not ever leave my side when we’re there. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!” I jump up and down in glee. “Wait, what will he do in a casino?”
“To raise funds, I guess. It’s the easiest way.”
“Vampires are gamblers?” I gape. “I bet you guys cheat.”
“That’s why it’s the easiest way.”
“He will also be heavily-guarded…” I say just as the information passes through my head. “No worries. I’m willing to become the bait---”
“Hell, no---”
“Distraction. I meant distraction. Relax, Luke. I’m a master in poker, you know. I have a specific skill set that excels in anything that involves gambling. In fact, I’ve been demonstrating a great deal of it with my own life as the bet, but I’m still alive, ain’t I?”
“And you also find that admirable?”
“For a woman? Extremely.”
“Alright. Fine, fine. Damn it. I hate myself.”
I offer him one chocolate which he hastily gobbles up. I merely grin at his frustrated face, pop the same cocoa delight in my mouth and throw him a chocolate-stained, all-teeth smile. “We’re going to Vegas, baby!”
“I swear you’ll turn all my hair white.”
“You are seven thousand years old, sire. Your hair should be white.”
“Are you sure you don’t want the visor that Zach---”
“For God’s sake, Luke, shut the hell up.”
People have often said that gambling requires two major elements.
First off is skill. Of course, it’s self-explanatory. You need to learn the game to join in the game. It can be acquired through years – as they’ve emphasized – of experience. It can also be honed with the tutelage of those who like to call themselves as experts. It’s not all about knowing the technical aspect, though. One has to have a very keen sense – know when to raise the stakes or grab the chips and get the heck out, be aware when the dealer or fellow gamblers are bluffing and cheating, become the best in bluffing and cheating and seduce the opponent into betting everything.
The second and the most crucial element is simply… luck.
I wander my gaze around the elegantly-designed casino floor and breathe. There are a lot of people conversing in hushed tones, maintaining the light and tranquil ambiance of the place. My sky-high, black stiletto pumps sink into the plush carpet every time I take a step. I shudder and I’m not sure if it’s caused by my lack of cover since I’m only in a little, black dress or by my anxiety that’s brought by the idea of crossing paths again with the enemies.
My hold around Luke’s arm and to my black, sequined purse tightens when I notice that vampires are spread around and are casually mingling with the humans. They look normal but being around them for quite some time has taught me how to distinguish them from the mortals. They may not be all pale, but their features are sharper and their stances are way too stiff. Every time they glance at a human, their eyes gleam like they’re looking at something delectable. And that’s what they’re actually thinking.
“Relax.” Luke whispers in my ear.
“How can I when everybody’s staring?” I reply in the same breathless manner.
Everybody is staring, vampires and humans alike. I assume that the women are looking at me in envy because of my gorgeous date who’s clad in a sexy business suit. On the other hand, I have gotten the attention of most vampires, unfortunately, because of my scent. Can you please suppress it more? I groan at the ruby ring around my middle finger.
“You can’t blame them. You look stunning.”
“Whatever. Tying me up while Lizzie treated me like freaking Barbie? Thanks for being an ass.”
“After you nearly clawed my face off, you needed to be tied up.”
“You were lucky that had been my only intent.”
“Yeah, right. Biting me like a rabid dog didn’t count.” Luke glances down and beams. “I don’t mind when you look like this.”
I roll my eyes as we head towards the cage. I watch in disbelief when Luke slaps a thick stash of one-hundred dollar bills in front of the mesmerized cashier. “Are you planning to spend the entire night in here?”
“I intend to fulfill our mission. Taking a few winnings along the way won’t hurt.”
“And they say you can’t mix business with pleasure.”
“Ahh… a common misconception.” Luke takes a few bright orange and yellow chips that the woman hurriedly hands him. I catch her sighing dreamily before we’ve turned around.
I shake my head in amusement. “And you said you wouldn’t catch attention. Are you sure they won’t know who you are?”
“Nope. As long as no one will provoke us that’ll make me… they won’t.”
I look at him dubiously. “And you expect no one will provoke us?”
He grins. “I hope someone will provoke us.”
“Thought so.”
“But the area is packed with humans. This is not just a place for vampires to get easy money, firefly. In fact, this is mainly used to keep their selves safe. Of course, we don’t want to be made known to the public, so we avoid scenes in front of mortals.”
“Vampires hide in public?”
“Sounds ironic?”
“Sounds ridiculous.”
I brace myself as we head towards the Poker Room. But then, I take a surprised step back when two humans intercept and block us by the door. Luke swiftly shoves me behind him and I have to pull him back when he begins growling at the rude men.
“This room is private. Only members and women are allowed inside.”
“Private? In a casino of a hotel?” Luke almost says in a snarl.
“Please leave or there’ll be trouble.”
“Luke…”
He throws me a glance and follows what has captured my gaze.
Both of the humans’ eyes are deadpan.
Luke attempts to step forward and one of the men automatically uses his body as a wall in front of the door.
“Please leave or there’ll be trouble.”
“This room is private. Only members and women are allowed inside.”
Oh, shit. Controlled humans as guards? Seriously?
People are already giving us curious looks. We can’t definitely make a scene when there are a lot of witnesses around. This calls for a Plan B.
What is Plan B?
Luke faces me and leads me away. “I’ll find a place where we can teleport straight inside.”
“How will you know if we’ll arrive in there without freaking anyone out? I think they’ve spread humans and vampires equally around here, maybe even purposefully. There may be innocent humans in there that are just used as decoys.”
“Damn it. We have to get inside.”
“I know.” I’ve told him that I’ve Foreseen our mission sitting in the Poker Room. I really need to practice on how to widen my Sight’s scope, so I’d be able to ready myself for unexpected and frustrating situations like this. “I guess there’s no other choice.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you hear what he said? Women can get in.”
“Don’t even think that I will---”
“Luke, listen to me. Time is running out. You still want to fulfill the prophecy, right? We have no choice but to grab this chance. Who knows when we’ll be able to have another lead on the witch?”
“I won’t put your life on the line---”
“Hey. You’ve said so yourself. Vampires don’t want humans to know about them. What can they possibly do to me in a public place like this?”
Luke’s displeasure is visible in his gaze.
Gotcha. “I’ll just look around and be out in no time.”
“Andi---”
“Why don’t you and Raphael check out the Senators Suite that I’ve told you about? It’s also been in my vision and I think they’re staying in there. Maybe you can find clues on where they’re really going home after a night’s devious work and play. Alright?”
I’m certain that Luke notices the stubbornness and finality in my face. He sighs in surrender. “Fifteen minutes. If you aren’t standing by this door, I’ll raise hell and get you out of there myself.”
“Thirty.” I arrange his tie and smile at his glum expression. “Fine, then. Twenty. With a five minute allowance. Okay?”
“If anything happens---”
“You’ll come. I’m sure you will. That’s why I’m this confident to act like a James Bond. I always imagine myself in his place every time I watch his movies. I’m actually excited!”
Luke stares down at me dryly. “You look more like a Bond girl.”
“Who knows? Maybe that’ll help me more tonight.” I laugh when he quickly grabs my hand as I begin walking away. Oh, Luke. I smooth out the wrinkles on his forehead. “I’ll be fine, Sherlock.”
He manages a beam. “Do your thing, Croft.”
“Screaming and running? Sure.”
He chuckles, but instantly turns serious. “Twenty minutes.”
“Twenty-five including the allowance. If you could just kindly let go of my hand so I can make it to the deadline, I would very much appreciate it.”
“Oh.”
“And give me those chips.”
“Damn. I almost forgot.”
“What the hell will I do in there without these?”
“Fine, fine. No need to nag. Good luck with those. I don’t really mind losing some.”
“Sheesh. Have a little faith, will you?” I smile wide, give him a playful salute and slip through the doors without as much as another interference from the human puppets.
I fortunately catch my purse as it falls off together with my smile at the appalling sight that has greeted me.
Fuck.
The Poker Room is another dimension of hell.
The place reeks with tension. I’m not going to dwell on what kind as I scan the place and find a few tables playing Strip Poker. There are also humans who are spread around and are even playing against vampires, but then they seem different.
Men are laughing boisterously while sipping whiskey, smoking expensive tobaccos or kissing whores on both of their sides. Some women are sitting on the men’s laps while others are stashing money between their breasts or lying almost naked on the table to be the table. I like to think that they’re just drunk or high or even mind-controlled, but they don’t seem to be any of the three.
Oh, my God.
If there are two kinds of vampires, there surely are two kinds of humans.
And I’m in a den full of both races’ unfavorable kind.
“Hey there, hon.” A man, a human who’s dressed smartly, approaches me. “Bored?” He looks like a rich businessman who goes home to his wife after sleeping around.
“Why do you think I’m here?” I snap.
“A tigress, eh? Well, I’m an expert tamer.”
I’m about to retort when my eyes catch sight of my mission who’s seated at the middle of the room.
I fume at the mere sight of him. How can he even spend his time in a place like this when he knows that he has put Lizzie’s life in danger? Oh, how I hate his guts. I’m so angry at what he’s turn into and what he’s done to his friends. Not to mention to me and I’m not talking about him breaking my heart after getting everything. He’s the one responsible for awakening the curse and for turning me into some sort of a monster like him.
Well, even worse than him.
Gabriel looks up, recognizes me and slowly frowns.
“I’m checked in the Octavius Tower and it has an amazing view of the pool. Want to take a look, hon?”
Hmm… Plan B? I turn to the stranger and sweetly smile. “Sorry. You’re not my type.” I walk away from him just as his jaw drops in disbelief. I can sense the human’s eyes following my form as I make my way towards the center of the Poker Room.
“Hi.” I greet cheerfully when I reach the table.
The dealer of the house, who’s human, and four other players look up at the sound of my deliberately lowered voice.
“Mind if I join you?” I rest an arm on top of a vacant chair, lean against it, and show them my chips.
The five players around the table are all men – three humans and two vampires. I nearly laugh when the other vampire keeps on staring at me, bowing his head and looking up at his superior, whose frown couldn’t get any darker, like he’s done a heinous crime.
Gabriel hisses. “Private game. Get lost.”
“You chicken?” The words are already out of my mouth before I can stop them. The hell I care. “Don’t tell me that a man as big and as handsome as you are is afraid to be beaten by a woman?”
He scoffs. “You? Beat me?”
“That sounds kinda sexist.”
“Because you can’t. Even when I’m blindfolded and tied-up.”
“Now, that sounds sexy.”
Gabriel blinks momentarily in surprise. Déjà vu? I guess I’m turning into a trying-hard temptress again because of my rebellious feelings against him. Or maybe there’s really a temptress in me – among other things – who’s just starting to step out of the light.I’m sure I can’t win against a vampire, but I sure know how to win against a man.
“So are you gonna keep on staring at me or are we gonna play?” Oops. That sounded inappropriate.
“This group is fond of making life-and-death wagers---”
“Oh, I bet.” I purr and take the seat in front of him. I put my purse on my lap, cross my legs and smile. Seductively, I hope. “Just the group of men I lovehanging out with.” I gaze at the humans – also rich, bored and fickle businessmen, I’m certain – who’re gawking at me like hounds at a juicy bone and feign a plea for sympathy. “You don’t mind a woman on your table, do you, gentlemen? They say that we can greatly add to the fun.”
All of them, even the other vampire, rapidly shake their heads.
“We don’t mind, Mr. Montgomery.” One human looks at Gabriel with begging, puppy-dog eyes.
“We really don’t.” Another seconds the motion.
I bend my head to the side and give Gabriel a pleading – secretly taunting – look. “Please?”
I notice him clenching his teeth in barely-contained rage. “Don’t run crying when you’re down to the felt.”
“Oooo…” I gaze at the other men and earn their looks of amusement. “Is that a threat, Mr. Montgomery?”
“Absolutely.”
“How I like men who speaks cockily and with that sexy accent… oh, my. But I like it more when I see them down on their knees in front of me.” I, then, laugh at Gabriel’s glower that can already cause the entire room to dim. “I’ve only meant that I like taking control. God, Mr. Montgomery. I’m afraid to ask what other things you’re thinking. Loosen up a bit, will you?”
I’ve barely glanced at the cards that the dealer has skillfully thrown at me, but I just keep calling on their raising bets and end up winning with a straight.
The men regard me incredulously.
“Beginner’s luck.” One of them mutters and I think it’s just a way to save his ego.
Men… My mind snorts. “I think it’s woman’s intuition.”
Realization gradually dawns on Gabriel’s face as he finally understands what he’s up against.
Too late, though. “Do you still want me to get you a blindfold and a rope, Mr. Montgomery?”
Gabriel smirks. “I’m afraid I don’t do S&M.”
Changing tactics, huh? “Hmm… too bad then.”
“You actually know what that means?” He puts on an appalled expression.
Nice try, mister. “Why, I’m flattered. Does that mean I look like a nice girl to you, Mr. Montgomery?” I slowly run my tongue over my ruby lips and watch the men’s breathing go harsh.
I now appreciate Lizzie’s efforts to dress me up tonight. My red, wavy hair flows sleekly on one shoulder and my eyes are emphasized – and experimented to be exact – by a cat-eye make-up. As I remember my image on the mirror, nice girl doesn’t fit anywhere in it.
Gabriel clears his throat and the obvious discomfort that I might have caused him makes me smile. “My opinion doesn’t matter.”
“You’re right. After all, nothing matters to you.”
“A little judgmental, aren’t we?”
“Mmm… I prefer the term honest.”
Gabriel shows his cards and presents a full house. “Honest people always lose.”
“I beg to disagree.” I flick my cards and reveal a four of a kind.
Even the dealer is already gaping at me in wonder.
“No hard feelings, boys. Or are you just all being chivalrous and are in fact going too easy on me?”
“You’re very lucky.” The same man who’s first commented on my luck says again.
“Thank you. You may be the only person who thinks so at this time.” I throw more chips in the pot and coax. “Come on, boys. Give me a good game or do you need a motivation? Strip poker… perhaps?”
All eyes quickly dart to Gabriel in question and in fervent plea.
“No.” He basically snarls.
Thank God! I’ve been so horrified at what I’ve just mindlessly suggested that I’ve been holding my breath when I’ve waited for his answer.
He’s not yet a full-fledged asshole after all.
“How about a dance, then?” I touch the first three cards and instinctively know that I’m not going to win this set. Hmm… let’s test that theory again. “I’m thirsty. I may grab a drink and dance in the bar for awhile after this round. The winner can join me if he likes. But if I win again, I will start calling all of you ‘losers’ when I get back. Fair deal?”
They all nod except for the grumpy, old man. Technically speaking.
We reach the showdown and I find it hard to maintain the look of dismay on my face. The man who’s been constantly remarking about my fortune literally jumps out of his seat and shouts in victory.
“Look who’s lucky now.” I laugh and roam my eyes around the people sitting on the table. I stop them at Gabriel, slowly stand up to give him a full view of my tightly-clad body, grab my purse and smile. “Well, Mr. Montgomery, I hope you don’t mind me taking one of your players. Oh, don’t you worry. We’ll be back. Just a quickie.” I even wink at his stony face before facing the eager-looking human. “Thank you for accompanying me, Mr..?”
“I’m---”
The poker table, all of a sudden, shakes violently. The man at my right supports me by the arm as I struggle for balance when I swerve to avoid the tumbling table. I hear the loud crash together with my surprised scream before everything stills again. We all gaze at the cause of the uproar and find Gabriel standing and scowling murderously from his spot.
“Sit.” He barks at the overjoyed human who follows his command faster than a trained dog. “Take your hands off her right now or I will break them.” The man holding my arm swiftly lets go as if I’ve burned him. I take nervous steps back when Gabriel circles the table and strides furiously towards me. “You.” He seizes my elbow, growls and drags me towards the door. “You’ll come with me.”
“He could’ve just asked nicely if he wanted her.”
I hear the man, who hasn’t had the chance to even say his name, mumbling and I’m sure Gabriel also has. To my relief, he chooses to ignore the remark along with the questioning looks that we’ve received as we walk out of the room.
Umm… Luke? I anxiously search the carpet joint for any sign of him when Gabriel leads me away with his iron grip. Hasn’t it been twenty minutes already? Oh, damn. The five-minute allowance. “Where are you taking me?”
“Out.”
“Out--- where?”
“Back to wherever you came from.”
“Oh, sure. Can I have my passport, ticket and money, so that I can go back to Romania, please?” I ask sardonically.
“I’m sure you’re not alone. Where’s Luke?”
“Watch your back. He may suddenly come with a stake in hand.”
His hand tightens around my upper arm as he tugs me out of the casino and into the hotel’s lobby. We stop in front of the elevator where Gabriel hurriedly presses the arrow-up button and begins tapping his shoes impatiently on the shiny, tiled floor. “Call him.”
“Wow. Are you actually letting me go? Why, Gabriel? Taking a break from being bad? Tell me. Is it easier to be an asshole than to pretend that you care?”
“I don’t want you here---”
“Maybe you mean I don’t want you, period?”
“Why the hell did you come here?”
“Where are you hiding Beatrice?”
He clamps his mouth close.
“In your base? Where is it? Who’s giving you orders? Have you been a lying bastard for four hundred years?”
“Be quiet.”
I notice a lot of people rushing back and forth in the elegant lobby. Closed-circuit television cameras are placed above every corner of the area and aside from that, tourists are roaming around and are snapping pictures at almost all identifiable surface. I bet they’re the reasons why he’s not doing anything cruel to me at this moment.
Well, let me take advantage of that. “How did you turn into a vile, worthless creature so quickly? Did you take acting lessons? Do you really feel nothing at all? Don’t you really care that you’ve nearly killed Lizzie? She’s a vampire now and I’m not sure if she’s happy about it. She looks like it to me but I can see the pain in her eyes whenever we talk about family, children and you. Thank you for doing to her what has been done to you, Gabriel. Thank you for robbing her of her humanity and for giving her no choice but to just accept what she’s turn into. If the prophecy fails and I know that you’ll be dancing in glee when it does, Lizzie can’t have the babies that she’s always wanted. She won’t be able to cook any meal for Zach who I’ve nearly killed by the way. Are you happy now? You’ve let others feel your misery. That’s what you want, right?”
A soft ding interrupts my rant and the elevator doors open. Gabriel shoves me inside and, to my horror, presses the button containing the number of the hotel’s highest floor. But then, a jolly group of tourists – probably Asian based on their slanted eyes – waves at us, runs and hurriedly slips inside the lift. I’m already squeezed against Gabriel’s form as the jam-packed elevator finally closes.
I look up and the sight of a camera causes me to release a relieved sigh. When did I even consider myself as brave? I try to relax and immediately realize that it’s impossible when I can feel Gabriel’s mandatory breath continuously fanning on the top of my head. My back is pressed against him and he’s still tightly clutching my left upper arm. I’m sure that he feels the goose bumps that have crawled involuntarily on my skin. Our very close proximity beside a large, rowdy group of people in a corner of an elevator makes me uneasy, especially when Gabriel takes a further step forward thus molding his body so perfectly against mine.
My face is firing up and I bet I’m already blushing like beets. I swallow hard and lower my gaze as my respiration starts to speed up. Damn it! How can he still affect me like this? I swear on my parents’ grave that I’ve felt Gabriel burying his nose in my hair and taking a long and deep breath.
Focus, Andi. You’ve unbelievably entered Plan C. Focus. The tourists are talking lively in their native language and I just hope that they won’t be able to understand our own conversation. “Tell me where my grandmother is, Gabriel.”
He unfortunately continues to wage a cold war.
But he feels nice and warm. I’ve often wondered how--- God, Andi, stop! “Tell me where you’re hiding her.” I slowly and discreetly push my ring down using my thumb. “Fine, then. You can stay mute, but I will find her, Gabriel. I will not stop and I will even force my Sight or nature herself to tell me where she is. I will save her first then I will hunt your master down. Do you hear me? I won’t just stand by anymore and let other people take care of things for me.” I silently curse when the ring gets stuck and won’t slip off. If I can just move my arm which he’s still damn holding a little to my right… “And if you hurt anyone I know again, I won’t hesitate. I will kill you, Gabriel.” I slightly turn and stare up at him angrily, all the while using the movement to unobtrusively hold the ring with my other hand and begin sliding it off my finger. “I’m sure you know what I can do.”
I’m about to shout hoorah in my head when Gabriel suddenly grabs my hand and easily slips the ring back into my finger. Shit! I drop my purse on the floor as I attempt to pull away but his grip tightens and only threatens to break my knuckles if I struggle any further. I don’t back down though and gladly engage in a mini tug-of-war.
Our fight, no matter how subtle, still catches the people’s attention in the lift. All of them turn abruptly quiet to give us curious looks, particularly an old couple with matching I Love Las Vegas T-shirts and digital SLR cameras slinging around their necks.
Both Gabriel and I go motionless as we, too, gaze at them awkwardly.
“Umm… Overly-attached newly-weds. Sorry.” I just smile and raise our clasped hands. “Would you like me to take a picture of you in this elevator? You know? Picture?” They finally understand what I’m talking about when I’ve made a gesture of clicking a camera with my free hand. They eagerly nod and begin handing me their DSLR. “Gabby, be a dear and let go of my hand so that I can take a shot of this lovely couple.” I tug my hand but Gabriel doesn’t even loosen his hold. “What are you doing?” I mutter with my smile frozen on my face. “Let go of my hand or they’ll think you’re a needy weirdo.”
“Not a chance. I know what you’re planning to do.”
“Afraid of me, huh?”
“If you want to instantly kill all of these people in front of the camera, then be my guest.”
“Oh. Are you saying that a heartless creature like you is actually concerned with these people’s well-being?”
“No. Your stupid, unnatural actions may raise questions and may lead to the exposure of our kind.”
“And I’m already sorry I even asked. A bastard will always be bastard.”
“You.” The old woman smiles wide at us, causing her small eyes to completely disappear. “Beautiful couple. Picture?” She holds her camera up to her eyes.
I glare up at Gabriel and he, in turn, glowers down at me.
“Say cheese.” The woman’s husband urges us to pose.
I work up a smile and stiffly crane my head to rest against Gabriel’s shoulder at the woman’s insistence. He does the same and even tugs me closer, also at the old man’s instructions. Both of the tourists take a few snapshots and a little while longer would have caused me to suffocate since I’ve been nervously holding in my breath.
“Kiss.”
I gape and neglect the fact that some of the vacationers have already stepped out to their respective floors.
“Kiss.” The woman gestures her hands meeting together at the thought that I haven’t understood what she’s said.
I really don’t understand why the heck she wants me to kiss this… despicable man.
“Background good.” She points behind us at the glass wall of the elevator where we can see the energetic night life of Las Vegas. “Go. Kiss.”
“Are they also headed to the highest floor or what?” I murmur under my breath. I glance up at Gabriel and discover him already staring down at me. He abruptly clears his throat and looks away.
“No shy. You couple. Kiss.”
Does he really feel nothing? I slowly face him. I guess there’s only one way to find out. I grin when Gabriel figures out what I’m planning to do and gazes at me like I’ve lost my freaking mind. Maybe I have. “We can’t deny these lovely couple’s request, can we, Gabby?”
“What the heck are you doing?”
“Kiss me, so that we can already get rid of them.” I roll my eyes at him. “They’re staring, Gabriel. Come on.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“I already heard that before so just shut up.” I grab his nape with my free hand, pull him down, raise myself on my toes and press my lips ever so lightly against his.
A couple of flashes indicate that the tourists have already taken their shots, but it hasn’t disrupted this very rare and almost forgotten moment. Our eyes stay locked together as I pull away and gradually set my feet back on the ground. We haven’t moved or even turned our heads when the old couple waves their gratitude and farewell and finally steps out, leaving two staring statues inside the elevator.
Why does he..? Why am I..? I blink as my mind goes into panic. No! I can’t let my emotions rule over me again. I’m sure that’s what makes Gabriel so complacent to pick on me. “I killed that psychotic bitch, two of your puppets and your minions. If your master won’t stop the war, as well as using humans like robots, I will turn every last one of your army into dust.”
The look on his face doesn’t tell me that I’m triumphant in raising the wall again between us. Shit, no.
“Your plan was to unleash this monster, right? Let’s see how you’ll handle it, then. I will---”
Gabriel suddenly seizes my shoulders and pushes me roughly against the elevator’s wall. The next thing I feel after barely catching my breath is his mouth raging against mine. My eyes go instantly wide as his lips brutally assault and force my mouth to open for him while he reaches for the emergency stop button of the elevator. I brace myself as the lift trembles forcefully to a sudden halt. I realize that I don’t need to when Gabriel’s hands firmly clutch my waist, only to press me even further against the wall.
No! I keep on turning my head and clamping my teeth tightly to ward off his bruising lips. I should have known that my struggles won’t ever discourage Gabriel Montgomery from getting what he wants. He, instead, kisses my neck and fills my throat with soft bites that have made me maddeningly aroused and have almost offered him my surrender. His callous hands rake my breasts, my waist, my hips, my thighs and back all over again in a greedy, clawing way. I haven’t stopped a yelp when Gabriel abruptly bites down my shoulder blades. Hard.
The moment I’ve opened my mouth, my defeat has been certain.
Gabriel wastes not a second and slips in his wild and very eager tongue. The fury – the longing – in his kiss sweeps me off my feet and carries me in a tumbling, intense wave of his emotions. I then forget about everything, grab unto his hair and meet his needy strokes with my own set of demands. Gabriel produces a deep growl equal to that of a starving predator and almost lifts me off my feet to crush me against him. He tightly grasps my hair on my nape as he moves my head and slants my mouth according to his very bidding. I slide my hands down to hold on to the lapel of his suit and moan uninhibitedly. The sound probably triggers Gabriel to turn into a total madman.
However, another sound, a metal hitting a metal, has also reached his ears.
Gabriel, all of a sudden, pulls away. We both stare at each other breathlessly and listen as the ruby ring rolls around the small area of the lift and ceases on a spot.
Oh, my God. I completely forgot that I’d been meaning to take off--- But then, I---
Realizing what I’ve been doing, Gabriel grabs my shoulders, leans forward and glares. “Do it.”
I clear my throat. This is it. This is what I’ve been waiting for.
“Show me the legendary Bloodtear.”
I focus my eyes on him and think of how I’m going to activate it. Activate what? I have no idea how I’ve done it before so I just begin by imagining what I want his death to be like. I sense the familiar heat flowing towards my eyes. It’s working. My vision sharpens and the fire that I feel in my violet orbs intensifies.
It’s fading, though, as I keep on gazing at him. Gabriel doesn’t even budge and the anger on his face doesn’t waver. He even appears expectant. Is he actually waiting for me to kill him? My own hatred for him involuntarily lowers down. No! I must do this! I’ll threaten him or just scare him until he’ll tell me anything I want. I clench my teeth and fill my mind with images of torturing him with my ability. Shit. It’s already too late when I realize that it’s a very bad idea. The thought has only pushed my earlier desire to hurt him even further to the ground. No, no, no! The burning sensation gradually seeps away just as I feel liquid trickling from my eyes.
And I’m sure they aren’t blood.
I confirm my guess when an uncontrolled sob escapes from my mouth.
I close my eyes, lower my head and allow my tears to flow like a warm river on my cheeks. Why? I crump my hands into fists so tightly my fingers dig deep into my palms. After everything that he’s done… after feeling my blinding hatred for him… why can’t I still bear the thought of hurting him? There is seriously something wrong with me. Maybe I’m a martyr. Or a masochist. Or both. God, help me if I’m both.
I gasp and open my eyes in surprise when I suddenly feel his forehead touching against mine. The sight of him – tightly closed eyes and lips in a thin line – causes me to cry even further. He leans even closer to me and the intense pain that’s now engraved on his beautiful face is unmistakable. I grab on to his suit almost desperately. Please… He actually hurts me more when he’s showing emotions such as this. I rather want him to be constantly evil than giving me hints of the old Gabriel I know who – I’m beginning to think – doesn’t actually exist. Please… This false hope always opens my already healing wounds and slices them even deeper, thus taking more time for them to close again and the cycle just basically continues. Please stop.
Gabriel’s hold on my shoulders loosens and vanishes, but then I abruptly find his hands cupping my face. The feel of them instantly makes me weep and I instinctively hold them in place with my own. God, I miss these. His thumbs gently wipe the wetness from my cheeks. He shouldn’t have bothered when a new batch of tears merely soaks them again. I press his hands against my face and close my eyes. Gabriel spreads his fingers and captures mine in between them. He curls them inward – fingers intertwined – and clutches them tightly against my cheeks. God, I miss you, Gabby. When will you be back? Will you ever be back?
“Please…” I sob. “You can bite me or strangle me or anything… just please don’t hurt me like this… please…”
“You can’t kill me.”
I look up at him just as he pulls away. He presses the red button and the elevator moves again.
“You have to learn how.”
I watch as Gabriel slowly regains his composure, along with his coldhearted demeanor.
“If you can’t or won’t, then stay the hell away from me.”
The elevator beeps and announces that we’ve reached our floor, but we both ignore it and keep our eyes locked.
“Because the next time we meet, I also won’t hesitate. I will kill you, Andi.” Gabriel steps out when the doors open. “Find Luke and go home. You have five minutes. The security will search for you because of that… scene.” He gives me one last, blank look before walking away.
I bow my head, pick up my purse and my ring from the floor and put the latter back in my finger. I wipe my eyes as I close the elevator and press a random floor. I shuffle the contents of my purse and pull out my phone. I’m about to dial a number when the elevator stops and opens. I walk into an empty floor and stroll through a deserted hallway as I press the call button and hold the device over my ear.
Someone immediately picks up after the first ring. “Andi?”
“Chip’s under his jacket. Don’t blink and glue your eyes on that dot in the map, okay?”
I hear a chuckle on the other line. “Fine, but I won’t take that order literally.”
"I hope you won't." I laugh. “And Luke?”
“Yep?”
“You can call me Bond. James Bond.”