Caddie's POV:
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from my best friend, breaking the silence that had settled over us. I couldn't see anything. The place I had teleported us to was dark and smelled like dirt and mildew. The smell was awfully familiar but I was too busy scrambling towards Alix's writhing body to put the pieces together.
"Alix!" I yelled.
Grabbing her thrashing arms, I tried to hold her still but she was ruthless. Without trying, she kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying into one of the boys. A low groan came from the person under me. I knew it was Jaxon. He and Aleksander had very different voices. Alek's voice was lower, with a deep timber, like a man trapped in a teenage boy whereas Jaxon's voice slightly higher but had more warmth within it. He pulled me into a sitting position once he had regained his wits and we both cautiously inched next to Alix.
"What happened?" Aleksander asked, appearing by my side.
"I have no idea she just started screaming. Jaxon grab her arms, we need to calm her down."
"You want me to grab her?" His voice was thick with worry. "She's acting like the freaking Tasmanian devil and you want me to grab her?"
"That's what I said!"
Jaxon sighed but I think he agreed- I couldn't actually see whether or not he was holding her down. Her screams were muffled, they turned into hysterical cries and pitiful whimpering. The heartbreaking noises were driving me crazy. She couldn't be hurt! She was Alix, strong, sassy and incredibly durable. Nothing could break her and yet there she was, lying on the ground howling in pain. A sense of of need arose within me. I needed her to be alright. Cam, Dmitri, my mom, and half the world could die- but if I lost Alix what was my life? She was my first friend and in many senses, still my only real friend.
"Alek, calm her down, take the pain away-make her pass out- I don't know just make it better!"
"Caddie you need to-"
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" I snapped, "Help me!"
"Caddie, love, I need you to calm down or else I can't concentrate," Aleksander reminded me gently.
He ran his hands from my shoulders down to my hands. Threading his fingers through mine, I felt his power take effect not only in Alix but in me. Alix's whimpers quieted until, I could only hear light snores coming from her mouth. I leaned back in Aleksander's embrace and closed my eyes for second. I wanted to fall asleep, it had been such a long day but Alix still needed help, putting her to sleep wouldn't stop whatever was hurting her.
"What do you think happened?" Aleksander asked.
"Probably the rats," I murmured, "Let's get her to the infirmary."
"Yeah," Jaxon agreed, "Let's do that but first can you please tell us Caddie where you teleported us to?"
Looking around the at the complete darkness, I placed my hands on the ground and felt the dirt floor. That was why it smelled so familiar. Once again, my subconscious had taken us the dungeons. But why? What could possibly be in a series of dingy, disgusting tunnels that kept me coming back.
"The dungeons," Aleksander whispered while standing up. "Why did you teleport us to the dungeons.
I gathered Alix in my arms, hugging her close to my body. If she were awake, she would know exactly what to do. Alix always had a solution.
"I'm not sure," I told Aleksander honestly, "When I was trying to escape you guys, I accidentally teleported here as well."
Both Jaxon and Aleksander froze at the mention of what had happened earlier. I still had yet to forgive them. They had been complete assholes. If I didn't want to get involved then I didn't have to. It was a free country after all.
"Maybe there's a reason you came here. Jaxon, do you think-"
"It's a real possibility," Jaxon said, reading Aleksander's mind.
"What are you two talking about," I growled.
They hesitated. Though I couldn't see them in the dark, I had a feeling they were having one of those silent conversations. Maddox and Aleksander would have those all the time. Aleksander would think something and Maddox would respond through his emotions. I never quite understood how Aleksander could figure out exactly what Maddox meant since he was only reading his emotions but it seemed to work for them. The weirdest part though, was when they would nod at the end and then pretend as if nothing ever happened.
"It turns out that your boyfriend is not just a pretty face. He was thinking your subconscious could be taking you here because this might be where the Dark Ones are."
I sighed and muttered, "Knew that already."
"You knew," Aleksander's tone was accusing, "How did you know? Why didn't you kill them?"
"I didn't know for sure, at the time but it makes sense now. When I was here last, I had ran into Roberto. He seemed keen on keeping me from traveling into the dungeons," I said, "Plus I'm not going to blow up a whole room full of people."
Anger rolled off of Aleksander and Jaxon in waves. They were furious at me and feeling slightly betrayed. Never in my life has I felt such anger from them. Jaxon was the first to crack. A slew of curse words and unintelligible noises came from his mouth as he punched the tunnel wall.
"You bitch!" He screamed, "You selfish bitch! I get it you don't want to hurt anyone else, Alix and Aleksander have filled me in on that but this is your one fucking chance to fix everything that's happened and you're throwing it away."
His words sliced through my heart. I coiled back in fear as he continued ranting. Tears welled in my eyes but they refused to spill. Aleksander said nothing, he just stood off to the side, letting Jaxon demean me. I wanted to do something but what was there for me to do? He was right. It was selfish of me to not step up and do what was right but I just couldn't. I couldn't kill another person. Every life I took brought me closer to my mother and that was the last thing I wanted.
"Caddie," Aleksander cooed. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rocked me gently.
"I don't want to kill anymore people," I cried into his bicep. "I want the little demon voice to go away, I want to stop seeing their pale faces and lifeless eyes."
Rubbing my shoulders, Aleksander pecked my cheeks while giving both Jaxon and me large doses of peace and serenity. I slumped in his embrace, my mind felt practically numb from the effects of his magic. I could feel Jaxon's emotions change drastically. Hearing my pathetic sniffles, he walked over to Aleksander and I and put a hand on my knee. I couldn't see him him but I could feel him. I could feel his pain and regret.
"If you stop them Caddie," he said in a softer voice, "All those people that you had to kill in the twenty-first century would be alive. All those Dark Ones won't even exist, they'll get a chance at a real life. Aleksander will get his brother back and your friend, Cam, he wouldn't have died in that tunnel."
Memories of both Cam and Dmitri dying assaulted my mind as I clung to Aleksander.
A horrified gasp escaped from my lips as I stared at the humongous burn on his chest. I could only see parts of it through his ripped t-shirt but I knew it was going to be fatal. All layers of the skin were completely destroyed. His once smooth tanned skin had become leathery and blackened. It literally looked as if his body been left on a grill for too long.
"Oh Dmitri..." I cried as fresh tears appeared in my eyes.
He noticed the flash of pain on my face and grimaced. Extending a scarred hand towards my face, he cupped my face and caressed my cheek softly. I felt so guilty staring into his eyes as the light began to fade. This is all my fault! I just wanted this insanity to be over. The deaths needed to stop, the pain needed cease. I couldn't take it anymore. My strength was starting to fade with Dmitri's life.
Aleksander fell to his knees. Dmitri's free hand clasped Aleksander's. They shared a long look filled with pain and suffering. The pain we shared in our little triangle was unbearable. I wanted to scream as I felt Aleksander's agony trickle into my system. The pain he felt was much stronger than his brother's. Not only could Aleksander feel the effects of the burn but he was also suffering from the pain of losing a brother. That scar would never fade.
"The pain will go away," Aleksander whisperer to Dmitri as he held his hand tightly.
Dmitri nodded weakly, "Yours will too someday."
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Maddox approaching with Kimone beside him m. Their faces had transformed into masks of terror but they didn't comment on Dmitri's burn. They let the two brother's say their goodbyes.
"Don't worry about me," Dmitri sighed when Aleksander refused to let go of him. "I got what I wanted in life. I played the hero and saved someone's life. Now that girl can grow and become a better person then I was."
"H-how can you say that," Aleksander choked out. "You have always been a good person and a hero to me. You threw away your life when I disappeared and then you risked it when I needed to be saved. Y-You're my little brother, I can't lose you."
Dmitri turned his attention to me, when Aleksander began to ball his eyes out.
"I can save you Dmitri," I croaked. "Say the word, and I can stop this from happening."
He shook his head adamantly. That was the last thing he wanted.
"Take care of him," Dmitri ordered, "We're all tired of you two running around in circles. Go save the world, prove you're not the villain and kiss your Prince Charming." I wouldn't call Aleksander my Prince Charming but I understood what Dmitri was asking of me.
"I'll do my best," I promised in a small voice, trying to avoid his gaze.
"I know you will. You're Caddie Böse- nothing can stop you from accomplishing anything."
Dmitri... Oh how I missed him. For most of our time together, he left me feeling very conflicted. Because he looked like Aleksander there would be moments of unwanted lust but then, when we had left Castle Böse I couldn't help but feel as if we had formed a strange friendship. Maybe we could have become good friends, once I met the real him but that would never happen now and it was my fault. It should have been me. I should have been the one saving that girl, not him. We all saw that the building was falling apart, there was no way anyone could go in there and survive. But I let him go nonetheless. Just like how I let Alix drag me away that night in the tunnel. If only I had stood my ground and fought, Cam wouldn't have gone crazy. And then I wouldn't have been forced to put him down like a rabid dog.
I kneeled on the floor. Cam gave me a heartbroken look, tears glimmered in his onyx eyes. Another piece of my heart cracked as I raised my shaking hands and touched his face. I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted to help him. But sometimes death is the only way to someone. It was like putting down a rabid dog- I did it for his benefit. Lord knows, killing Cam would never help me.
"I did this for you!" He yelled, "I did this all for you! Caddie please don't! I love you! Please!"
Choking back a sob, I dug my fingers into his skull and released my black fire.
"Goodbye Cameron." I loved you too.
I crumpled to the floor with his ashes in my arms. Sobs racked my body as I mourned the loss of my first love, again. That time it was really my fault. I only had myself to blame, even he had said that he did it for me. I wish he wouldn't have, life would have been so much easier if he would have stayed dead. I couldn't imagine of a day when my heart would be mended back together.
"It will be as if those horrible things never happened," Jaxon said, breaking me free from the painful the painful memories.
Wiping my tears away with back of my hand, I pulled out of Aleksander's warm embrace and slowly stood to my feet. Alix was restlessly kicking in her sleep. Small groans and whimpers escaped her lips as she faded in and out of the dream world. Alix would know which option was right, I thought. All day she had been trying to get it through my thick skull that killing Roberto was the best route to take. I should have listened sooner.
"First we need to take Alix to the infirmary and find out what's wrong with her- then we need to sleep. I have a feeling we have a rough couple of weeks ahead of us."
"Aye aye, ma'am," Jaxon said while picking Alix up from the ground.
Even though she was unconscious she still managed to wrap her arms around his neck as he cradled her close to his chest. Grabbing their hands, I let my magic take over as I teleported us to the main part of the school. We landed right outside of the infirmary. Jaxon wasted no time, throwing open the door. He barked orders at the nurses who frantically rushed to make the bed and grab their healing stones.
The infirmary looked very different in 1816, it didn't have that sterile smell of the future infirmary and almost nothing in the room was white. Instead, the room smelled like thick incense and herbs, the walls were made of the same stone that could be seen throughout the rest of the castle and the floors were made of poorly placed wooden planks. There were only two cots, one contained a young looking werewolf who seemed to be stuck between human and wolf form, the other was being made for Alix. Aleksander kept me tucked under his arm, as I watched the hectic scene with wide eyes. Alix's face was flushed but her lips had gone pale, her eyes were closed shut and small beads were forming on her brow. Jaxon relayed what happened to the nurses, leaving out certain bits and pieces, they became eerily silent as he finished speaking.
"Oh dear," one of elder nurses said, as she placed a damp rag on Alix's forhead, "Let us pray that she hasn't got the plague."
"Plague?" I asked, "How could she have gotten the plague? She just got bit!"
"It doesn't take very long for the fever to kick in but since you got her here soon, we should be able to save her," said a young woman in a apron, as she pushed a wooden cart over to Alix's side. On top of the cart was a giant leather bound book, with the Latin inscriptions on the cover. Jars filled with herbs and strange looking jellies filled the bottom of the cart.
"You better," Jaxon growled.
The older nurse ignored Jaxon and caressed the side of Alix's face with the rag. "There will be repercussions of course. We've saved people from the plague numerous times but there will always some damage left behind."
I gulped, my fingers twitched nervously as I stared at Alix's writhing body. "What do you think will happen to her," I asked the nurse.
She sighed, "We shall see."
**Okay I know Caddie might have seemed a little whiney in this chapter but come on, if you're reading this as a teen can you honestly say that if you were in her shoes, you would just accept all the death and carnage that has plagued her life. Honestly, I wouldn't. I probably would have been hiding under a bed. But for those of you who like kickass Caddie you will be seeing her revert to those ways in the following chapters. If any of you are wondering about what Jaxon said, technically it is true. If Dark Ones never existed, Dmitri and Cameron would be alive but to stop the Dark Ones, Luna will have to get rid of Roberto, while ensuring that Imgoen will be born and get the powers, and kill all the preexisting Dark Ones. That's not that hard, right? It should be a piece of cake, especially with Alix immobilized. (I don't know about you guys but I'm not liking their chances). Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter and if you're from America I hope you guys had a good thanksgiving. If you're not then I still hope you guys had a good week.
Remember to thank all those who you love!
XOXO,
Ro.