© ItalRT4u, 2012
I hadn’t known of this place; only that it seemed familiar but I couldn’t pin-point from where. Although it being in a different light, this haunting place seemed like it boded a romantic feel all at the same time.
Sure, if you can describe the site of a future massacre as romantic. What the hell is wrong with you woman?
It was the one place where, on this night hopefully, everything would go down; the one place where some of us would meet our end, in the hopes that balance and all things good in this world would be reassumed and fall back in its place – the ending to a haunting era.
I stood in the center of this eerie clearing awaiting Matt’s arrival. We had agreed to meet on neutral ground at midnight, and this place was it. I knew that I couldn’t hold him to his word and so, Cane and the rest of the Fae that had come to the house, women and men alike had come along, only to remain at a distance, sight unseen and on standby. I had managed to get my abilities in check enough to create a partial block with those that had accompanied us from the mansion. I knew that it would be difficult to trust and keep a partial block up seeing as tonight was my first time attempting this feat on a large scale; that of which entailed for me to block those on my side and keeping my wall partially lowered to read into Matt and those who will most likely be surrounding us on his side.
“How foolish of you.” I heard, making me jump out of my thought process. I saw a shadow emerge from the thicket of trees facing me – Matt was here.
No turning back now.
“Are you sure about this, Babe?” Cane came into my thoughts with concern. As we had discussed our tactics, he had pleaded with me to wait things out a few days so we could make our move but I had refused; adamant that I couldn’t allow anymore death and chaos to take place under my nose – not without a fight anyway. With a bit of coaxing and stating fact after fact that time was of the essence, Cane came to stand by my side in agreement as we had informed those who had come of what we intended to be doing this night.
“I love you and yes.” I told him through our link. The only ones that knew about this mind link was Cane’s immediate family. We figured that we’d keep it to ourselves, thus giving us a one-up on our tactical defences – a surprise vantage, a hidden ace up our proverbial sleeves.
“I’m not the one who’s foolish here.” I pointed out. Matt stood a few dozen feet away from me, a cocky grin slowly displaying itself at his disgusting mouth; a grin I was too willing to oblige in wiping off of his face. I sensed that he wasn’t alone.
Just as quickly as that last thought occurred, shadows began to emerge from the thicket, flanking Matt from all sides.
“Wow! A party just for me? You shouldn’t have.” I said hotly, exaggerating my tone of delight. He was so predictable.
“You didn’t expect me to take you to your word that you’d be coming alone, did you?” He chuckled sarcastically. “After all, there’s no way that I’d take that risk but I see that you’re not that smart after all; another reason why Royals are completely useless and overrated.” There must have been a hundred men standing all around me. The reality of what was about to happen was hitting home and I struggled to stand my ground, worried about those who had come along with us. Hiding my urge to run, I maintained whatever was left of my confident composure.
Don’t let him see your fear. I repeated the mantra to myself in an effort to keep my worry at bay.
“We’re in trouble.” I warned Cane.
“Is that my cue?” He asked me. I didn’t know how to answer that question somehow. I trusted that I could get away with finding out what the whole deal was going to be prior to calling my backup into possibly the largest bloodbath in Fae history.
“What do you want, Matt?” I demanded.
“Funny. I should be asking you that question seeing as you’re the one who contacted me in the first place. After all, we’re all here for you, my Queen.” A few of the men standing around chuckled at his disdain-filled statement.
“You know what I want.” I told him, my voice exuding as much power and confidence as it possibly could seeing as I stood there on my own, trying not to give us away.
“You know that can’t be done. But…” Matt paused and tapped gingerly at his chin, an amused light gleamed playfully in his eyes before he continued. “I may be persuaded if you agree to come with me. I never got to finish playing with you, my pet.”
“It’ll never happen.” I proclaimed, emotionally detached. “Like I’ve said before and I’ll say it this once more; over my dead body.”
“And as I’ve said before…” He looked at me, pure unadulterated evil present in his gaze. “It can be arranged. Everyone knows that there isn’t a need for a Royal and you my dear have bought yourself a one-way ticket to extinction.”
“In that case…” My voice trailed. I had tried the bargaining angle to see if there was any chance at resolving this in a non-violent fashion, as much as I knew it wouldn’t happen. Matt and his clan were too far gone and out of control with their lust for power and dominance. I noticed movement from the corner of my eye, over to my right. “Now!” I screamed internally at Cane as I felt like a cement wall had come in contact with my body, taking me down to the clearing’s floor.
Everything happened as quickly as a flash of lightning. First, I heard the rush of bodies through the thicket of the surrounding forest; secondly, I felt muscular arms surrounding mine, taking me into a hold that even Hercules couldn’t get himself out of. This plan wasn’t foolproof in the least and we knew it but it was the best we had; I only had myself to blame if we failed seeing as I was the one that decided not to wait to put a stop to all this mayhem. The familiarity of the arms’ hold was all too haunting and reminiscent of the day I had been abducted. Regardless of my efforts, I kept struggling against my captors’ grasps.
“Unhand me now!” I commanded. Their grips began to loosen.
“Don’t you dare!” Matt ordered them and as quickly as those grips loosened, they tightened tenfold, pain radiating through my body from their vices.
They had brought me to Matt and held me down so I was in a kneeling position, my back to Matt. If the possibility of distraction was on my side, I would gladly reach for the knife I had hidden inside my knee high boots but such was not the case in this very moment. I was mentally trying to calm myself down, preventing myself from giving in to my urge to fight and attempt escaping knowing that my efforts would be utterly useless and unsuccessful as they have been up to this point. I was trapped in a submissive pose to watch the horrors unfold before me; taking in the incessant fighting. Our numbers might have been smaller but the more I watched everything unfolding, the more I couldn’t help fighting the smile that was spreading onto my face. It looked like we were winning but my smile had been wiped from my face just as quickly when I spotted Cane being jumped by two much larger and burlier men from either side. In shock, I hadn’t been able to be quick enough to warn him. Cane being tackled to the ground, I couldn’t help the struggle to escape the two sets of arms that held me to my spot. Rage seethed through me as I watched the two goons pummel my match, my love, my life.
Cane lay on the ground motionless for what felt like an eternity. He had been dragged to my feet as I had been forcefully pulled up to a standing position above him. His shirt hung off of him, practically ripped to shreds showing off the bruised, swollen and bloodied skin beneath it; his face cut up, an eye swollen completely shut, and his lips were split where blood freely poured from those wounds. I looked for someone to come and help but they were all too busy fending for themselves; dealing with their own individual battles.
“Cane. Please wake up!” I pleaded via our mind link. Although he was alive, his breathing was ragged. I whimpered, consumed with my feelings of defeat. I hadn’t realized that Matt’s men had released me until I had found myself free-falling down over Cane’s chest, my face burying itself into the crook of his neck. I had to do something; but what? I pleaded to the higher powers that be – yeah, even God to show me the way.
This wasn’t the way this was supposed to end. I told myself.
“I’ll do anything.” I whispered. “Please just wake up.” I heard a slight groan from Cane’s throat and quickly backed away, my eyes wide and thoughts of thankfulness and relief ever so present that Cane was coming to. I felt oddly dizzy and a headache started at my temples so suddenly. Turning towards Matt, my bodily control lost, I found myself moving as though I was a puppet, some kind of external force dictating my every move – altogether ethereal. I had retreated myself far within the bowels of my consciousness, the former Payton sitting back as an observer over my next few actions, or so it seemed. The one thing I was aware of was the ever so potently consuming emotions of sadness and grief for those lives that had been lost this night; their souls presently floating away as their bodies remained battered and bloodied on the ground before me, but predominantly, fury. My eyes burned with a fire that if they could, they would have incinerated everyone in their path of vision. I reached into my boot and felt the cool handle that awaited my grasp.
With my hands down at my sides, in a controlled fashion, I slowly got up facing Matt and his two minions. Our gazes locked. One of his two goons attempted to push Matt behind them but I heard myself speak in a voice that barely resembled my own; commanding him to stay in his place.
I will slit your throat here and now before the end of this night. I heard myself think in a voice not my own despite the fact that it had all been in my head.
Sheltered in the back of my mind, I sat back watching and listening as my body continued on its own; controlled by this invisible puppeteer. As if by some miracle, everything seemed to have gone silent around me, my focus remaining intact, the surge of power rushing through my body as looks of horror played on every single one of these people’s faces; all but one – Matt Davis. I closed the distance between Matt and I and came to a spot that left a few feet distancing our erect bodies; his defending duo that once held me captive retreating slightly to either of his sides, allowing me full access to their leader.
This needs to end now!
“Are you willing to submit?” Matt smirked cockily but I detected a sort of hesitancy to his voice.
“Maybe I should ask you the same thing.” I rebutted. He scowled at the confidence my statement held. I heard some light rustling behind me – Cane. He was coming to. My puppeteer losing grasp of their strings by this distraction, I felt myself come back to my normal self as I turned to see what state of consciousness Cane would be in behind me. He was being held back in a headlock and grunting for air in the process. Kept from any form of self-defence, I had attempted at a few forward steps to help my match out only to feel an arm wrap itself around my neck and the other around my waist, pulling me back, chocking my lungs of much needed air. Yes, things do have a quick way to turn around and bite you in the ass when you let yourself get distracted. I blamed my underdeveloped abilities and inexperience at the moment. How was I going to get out of this one?
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