Okay, so I'm going to start really working on this story again. Check out my other one; it's called Haven of Light. I also have a collection of poems and scary stories and funny quotes, too.
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“Amaya.” I stated emotionlessly, “Climb higher.” I got into a low crouch, so I would be able to spring up or away depending on what the bear did. It slowly started to circle me, emitting a low rumbling growl every once in a while.
This is not right, I thought, frowning slightly, Bears do not usually attack like this. That was true. When bears attack, they charge. This one was different. I noticed vaguely with my peripheral vision Amaya climbing quickly up the tree, which I gave a small nod to. At the same time, I realized that on the bear's left hind leg was a smallish insignia, silvery yellow and intricate. It was the Royal's insignia—the witches. The bear must have escaped from their private menagerie. But how? Animals never escaped; there were magical wards around the walls of the menagerie to keep the animals from going out.
A small scream snapped me out of my contemplation and I cursed myself for letting my thoughts go astray. It was not Amaya's scream, however, it was older. I looked up, searching for the source of the scream. My eyes landed on beautiful girl laying on the ground, and I saw the blood that Amaya had been talking about. It was all over her lovely creamy yellow silk dress and legs, splashes of it covered her hands and face.
The bear let out another gut wrenching roar and I switched my gaze back to him. Taking a deep breath steady myself, I leapt forward before I could give myself time to think about it and slashed at his hind leg, leaving a thick cut running deep. The bear bellowed in frustration as blood poured out of the wound. He swiped at me, but I danced away, tantalizing him. Heart pounding, I met it's small black eyes and felt a swelling sensation deep in my stomach. It was built up of everything I was feeling; fear, pain, and the deep underlying sadness that was always there. My breathing became heavier and I winced in surprise as a small jolt of pain ran through my body. I bent with it, curling in around myself as it got worse. I faintly heard the bear utter one more snarl, then turn and run into the underbrush. The pain coiled in my stomach, and before long, I was on my hands and knees on the ground, dry heaving onto the leaves. Amaya jumped down from the tree next to me and patted my back while I waited for the pain to subside. When it did, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and stood on shaky legs.
“Dessie—what just--” Amaya started, pale and shaking also.
“I have no idea, Amaya.” I answered, staring at the spot in the bushes the bear had disappeared into. He was gone, I could sense it. Another cry of pain wrenched me from my thoughts and I quickly filed my questions away in my mind so I could think about it later. Not putting away my knife, I rushed to the woman laying on the ground. She was clutching the soil desperately, legs thrashing around. Her eyes were so wide I could see white all around and she breathed in quick little pants. There were small pinpricks all over her body, in clumps of two everywhere. Vamprye. It would explain her strange behavior also, for vamprye saliva could make a person hysterical. It was also said that people hallucinated, but nobody could remember what happened while the saliva ran through their bloodstream.
“Help me!” she screamed suddenly, and I felt Amaya flinch next to me. Without thinking about it I scooped her up in my arms, ignoring the blood and venom seeping into my clothing.
“Amaya,” I spoke harshly to the trembling girl that stood next to me, “Run back to the village and get Gretta up, she'll know what to do.” Gretta was the best healer we had in the village, and would hopefully be able to do something for the girl's numerous vamprye wounds.
“Dessie, be careful. She is in the middle of the Change.” Amaya warned, then she turned and ran off into the woods in the direction of the village. Against what my gut was yelling at me, I watched her go for a moment, then set off after her. I walked slowly, attempting to staunch the flow of blood from the girl's neck. Definitely a vamprye—there was a silky white fluid dripping from her neck, which is what vampire venom looks like. My arms tired quickly and my head pounded from the several times Deirdre had hit me last night.
After a few minutes, the girl stirred in my arms. When she opened her eyes, I gasped and stumbled back a few steps. Her eyes were a lovely moss green, but that wasn't what scared me. What scared me was the area surrounding her iris and pupil. What should have been white was stained a blood red. The girl had changed in an extraordinarily small amount of time.
Many people think that the Change lasts for days. It does not, not in all cases. Some people who are stronger are able to go through the Change quickly, like this girl, and others take days for their body to strengthen. The people that take days to Change are the ones that are near death when the Change occurred. This girl must have been extremely strong in order to go through it in a few minutes. In a flash, she was out of my arms, standing in front of me with her lips pulled back from her teeth in a grisly snarl. I pulled my knife out of my boot and dropped it, showing her that I was not a threat to her. Slowly, her face relaxed from its scared, confused, and angry look into something that was scared, angry, and lustful. Only it was not a sexual lust—no, it was much more than that. It was the lust for my blood.
“I want...” she murmured, sauntering towards me, “I want to...” I stood still, hoping that she would snap out of it and regretting dropping my knife on the ground. I had no moves. This girl was a vamprye, and there were hundreds of ways she could kill me. I had only one weapon.
“Wait!” I gasped desperately, wishing to distract her, “Who are you? Who did this to you?” She paused in her stalking me, a ripple of shock running through her body. The bloodlust faded from her eyes as she gasped, seeming angry with herself. Then she met my violet eyes with her exquisite green ones, the red gone. Breathing deep, she answered me.
“Prince Jacob, the vamprye prince.” she said in a light, lilting voice. It sounded musical and beautiful and I found myself entranced, wanting her to say more.
Clearing my throat and mentally slapping myself for getting distracted, I posed another question. “But...who are you?” the girl smiled, spreading her arms wide.
“I am Queen Ekaterina, Ruler of the Witches. And Prince Jacob just made me the most powerful Witch-Queen of all time.” My jaw dropped. The Queen Ekaterina, queen of the Children of the Stars, was standing in front of me. I had carried this woman that I had only heard about, but never seen, in my arms while she made the Change from witch into witch-vampire hybrid. She was even more beautiful than I had imagined, with her creamy white flawless skin and moss green eyes that were rimmed with such dark lashes. Her hair was a chocolate brown, and it was long and wavy down to her waist. She was short and curvy. Small rosebud lips adorned her face, with a tiny dark brown birthmark to the side of her left eye. She was radiant, positively the most beautiful being I had ever seen. Her beauty—it was a warm beauty, friendly and kind, not like the cold possessive brilliance the vampires have. A trill of laughter flew up through the air and I directed my gaze back to her eyes. I had the sudden chilling realization that she had read my thoughts. When I thought this, she nodded approvingly, then spoke.
“Desdemona, I saw you in a vision. The flaming red hair, your lovely porcelain skin, and those interesting purple eyes...I prophesied you, and you shall become my Fledgling so I may Change you into one of the most powerful Seers of our time.” I froze, mouth agape. She winked warmly, seeming motherly and affectionate. “I learned what I must do to gain more power so I could train you properly. I know it doesn't make much sense now, but it will. I'll see you at the Auction, dear. But first...to make the bond....”
I would have liked to ponder what she had just said to me, but Queen Ekaterina did not give me the chance before she pounced on me, and I was helpless as a kitten against her brute strength. She wrapped her arms around me, licking a spot on my neck tenderly. I shrieked in surprise and fear as she bit me, her sharp front incisors sliding easily into my flesh. Something inside me told me that she was not only doing this for me, but because of the bloodlust she had now as a vamprye. The Queen drank quietly, and as she did I felt a spark somewhere in the back of my mind. Dimly I felt my knees give out, but she held me against her and I did not fall, even as she continued to drink. The spark grew bigger and bigger, just as I came to the conclusion that it could not grow anymore, something inside me gave way and I saw the Queen, just as she saw me. In that instant, I felt such a surge of devotion and a loving tenderness from her even as I felt the same for her. Fighting against the tidal wave of emotion, I felt her sigh against me at my stubbornness.
We are bonded, her voice whispered joyously in my mind, Nothing shall be the same for you. We must continue our journeys together, for now our fates are intertwined. Gulping even though it sent a flame of pain through me, I pushed weakly against her. Never pausing once in her drinking, the queen knelt to the ground with me limp on her lap. With a gurgling sigh, my head fell back as my limbs went numb. Ekaterina supported my head so she could continue her drinking. I could feel her in my mind, prodding around and examining my memories and her resentment against my mother and how horrible she was to me.
This is wrong, I thought with a sort of drowsy alarm, She is going to end up killing me.
Not kill you, dear, I am strengthening the bond. I cannot kill you just as much as you cannot kill me. Now, she carefully extracted her teeth and raised her head so she could meet my eyes, When you awaken, you shall remember nothing until I command your memories to arise. You will go to the Slave Auction today, and I will buy you. You will let me buy you. You will not fight or try to escape. Now, sleep and recover. Pleasant dreams.
I stared up at her as the world faded into a soft golden light, obscuring her features and my surroundings. Feeling my eyes close, I realized that I could still see the light, and I realized that I was going to dream very good dreams, just as the queen had told me. The queen chuckled above me, and the bright warm light disappeared as my spirit flew out of my body. I was watching my sleeping (I am not even sure that is what I was doing) self being cradled by the queen. She gazed down at me with a sweet expression, and for a moment she looked like my mother had before my father died.
Then I knew what I was going to dream about.
I heard his big, booming laugh before I saw him, and then he materialized in front of me just as the scene below vanished, leaving us floating in a blank white space. He looked just as he had when he was alive; strong, healthy, tanned, and happy. Staring at him, I felt my throat close up and pressure behind my eyes. He was here; his spirit was with me. Ekaterina must have summoned him for me. I stared, drinking in his healthy appearance. Not believing what my eyes were telling me. Finally, it snapped in my head that he was here, and I was most likely running out of time to talk to him.
“Oh, my queen, thank you,” I murmured, not taking my eyes off my Pa.
“Come here, baby,” he enveloped me in his arms. After a moment of shock, my arms went around his neck as I hugged in, breathing in his scent rapidly. The tears overflowed onto my cheeks, but I let them. I did not wipe them away.
“Papa...you're really here! I'm so sorry you died...it's all my fault...I should've been the one that died...” I hiccuped. Pa jerked away from me and cupped my face in his hands.
“My beautiful little Desdemona, it was not your fault. It was an accident, and accidents happen.” I shook my head, biting my lip. He continued, “I was meant to die that day. If the...accident...didn't happen, I would've been crushed under a falling icicle, or gotten injured so badly I did die.” He paused while I let that sink in. Reaching out, he stroked the yellowing bruise on my cheek. “Where did you get this?” he asked, concern flitting across his face. I gulped and stared at my feet. Should I tell him what a monster his wife had become? Surely he knew already?
“Papa...I do not know if I should tell you....” I said, biting my lip anxiously. His eyes darkened and he met my eyes directly.
“Dessie. What. Happened?” his voice was laced with danger and anger. I took a deep breath, looked down, and told him.
“Well, Deirdre--”
“Deirdre? Your mother?” I set my jaw and shook my head firmly.
“She is not my mother. Deirdre blames me for your death. She has begun to smuggle alcohol in from the Siren Kingdom, and she beats me. Almost daily, now. Amaya is the only person keeping me sane, I think,” I added softly. I worked up the nerve to look back up at my wonderful Pa and sucked in a breath at his murderous expression.
“Dee...beats...you.” he stated emotionlessly. I nodded. In an instant, his arms were around me and they were so warm and solid and comforting that I burst into tears.
“Daddy...I miss you,” I choked out, “She's so horrible and I cannot live with her anymore, but I do not want to go to an orphanage, I am not old enough to be on my own yet. I miss you and I look up at the stars every night and wish you were there and...” I trailed off, my heavy sobs making it impossible to continue.
“Dessie, I'm so sorry.” he said simply, and then he just held me. And on the inside, I thanked Queen Ekaterina—whatever she might be doing to my body right now—for bringing my Papa back to me, at least for now.
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REMEMBER THE FIRST COMMENT GETS A DEDICATION. IF YOU FAN ME I WILL SMILE :)
GASP! HOW DID HER FATHER DIE?
WHY DID QUEEN EKATERINA FORGE A BOND?
WHAT IS THE QUEEN'S PLAN?
WHY AM I WRITING IN CAPS?
THE WORLD MIGHT NEVER KNOW (WHY I'M WRITING IN CAPS. YOU'LL FIND OUT EVERYTHING ELSE).
So...bye.