Music: 'Cut the Cord' by Shinedown (click to listen above)
Chapter 55 – Do It
I didn't know how much time had gone by.
I was too busy burning.
My wrists were smoldering and scalded red. Wisps of smoke periodically puffed off of my charbroiled skin. The ruined flesh bubbled as fresh blisters grew and then popped, only to immediately make room for new ones. My body fought a constant battle between healing, only to have the silver incinerate me once again.
It was all I could do not to scream in agony. Sweat poured off of me as I trembled uncontrollably. The few times I had broken down and let out a shriek, Ciro's hand immediately returned to his dick.
What the fuck was wrong with this man?!
After that, I locked my jaw tight and brutally gnawed on my lower lip with my teeth, drawing blood, to keep me from whimpering.
Ciro looked disappointed. He leaned toward me and whispered, "It is okay...Let it out. You are fucking beautiful when you scream. The pain will also enhance our pleasure later. You will see. Pain and pleasure always go hand in hand."
"The only thing I see in your hand is your dick," I ground out between clenched teeth.
He laughed and sat back.
Abruptly, a man's voice could be heard over some sort of intercom, "We have a problem."
Ciro's head jerked up. Hope soared through me. Anything that was a problem to them was probably fantastic news for me. Ciro slammed his fist down on a button on the console next to him, presumably enabling his side of the conversation and snarled, "What is it?!"
"Black sports car coming up on our left – fast."
Even through my agony, I smiled brilliantly.
It had to be either Gwion or Myrnin or hopefully, both! Relief flooded my system. I hadn't allowed myself to think about what had happened to them after I left. I couldn't face that emotional trauma in addition to dealing with Ciro, so I had blocked it out – until now. Now, I let the knowledge of their safety wash over me, soothing the parts not currently on fire.
Ciro knew who was coming as well. His face contorted in fear and anger as he snarled, "How does that motherfucker always find you so quickly?! We got away cleanly."
I laughed shakily.
Ciro snapped his head toward me and hissed, "What the fuck have you done?! Are you wearing a tracking device?! Fuck! I knew I should have stripped you naked the moment I had you."
Barely able to speak, I rasped with great difficulty, "I didn't do anything, dickhead. You did! Myrnin can track me...Without the assistance of any device."
Pant. Pant. Pant.
"It's a result of the...bond he created. And his ability to find me is heightened one hundredfold...when I am in pain."
I looked down pointedly at my burning wrists and continued snidely, "So...Thanks for this."
Pant. Pant. Pant.
"This brilliant little sadistic plan of yours...was just as effective as if you had called him on the phone and let him know where to meet us."
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he breathed, "How did he...?"
I realized then that Ciro was not familiar with Myrnin's ability or the exact connection Myrnin had created between us. I taunted him, "Yes, Myrnin has the ability to create that type of bond. Are you still so sure that you could break it? Have you even fucking heard of it?"
Ciro's expression of shock and indecision gave me the answer.
Myrnin had told me the truth.
Our bond couldn't be broken.
Tears of relief slid down my cheeks.
I watched as a new realization grew over Ciro's face. He was going to have to face Myrnin, and if my gut was correct, Gwion as well. And the only defenses Ciro had were five measly vampires to try to stop them. It was laughable.
Ciro's fist slammed down again on the button and he shrieked, "Out run the bastard!!"
The response from the unseen vampire was immediate. "There is no way to out run that vehicle. It will be upon us in less than four seconds." The two vampires at my sides ignored me completely now. They had long since released my arms, preferring to keep watch out the windows, so they could face the new threat head on.
Ciro shrieked louder, "Don't you fucking stop this car!! Do you fucking hear me?!"
I have no idea how, but a giggle made its way out of my throat. I think I was delirious from the pain. Ciro's hand struck across my face, whiplashing my head violently to the side, causing my vision to go black with only bright little specks floating in the darkness. I groaned.
As the stars cleared from my vision, my head lolled to the left, my eyes desperately searching out the window. Every nerve inside of me ached to see them. The overwhelming pressure of it was actually painful. Or maybe that was just the fire radiating from my wrists out to my entire body.
And then I saw them!
Adrenaline and joy surged through me so violently, that the combination almost blocked out the pain for a moment. Almost.
Gwion drove the Hennessy Venom GT directly parallel with the speeding SUV. The instant he was in position, Myrnin leapt out of the passenger seat, landing with a thud on the roof of the Escalade.
I desperately hoped the Escalade was not armored. If it was, I wasn't sure how Myrnin would be able to penetrate the exterior. I got my answer a moment later when I heard the driver's side window shatter. I could not see what was happening because the driver's compartment was sectioned off by a privacy screen. But the unmistakable evidence of a fight, growling and cursing, was loud and clear.
Without warning, the SUV lurched violently and teetered on two wheels. I was tossed to the side, slamming against the hard chest of one of the vampires, before being flung back onto the seat, when the car crashed back down on all four wheels and continued hurtling down the highway.
Adrenaline raced through my veins. I was grateful to still be in one piece, but I desperately wanted the vehicle to come to stop. Myrnin was so close now, and the need to be in his arms caused an unbearable pressure in my chest.
Abruptly, I got my wish – at least, the part about the vehicle stopping – just not quite in the safe and orderly way I had hoped. Instead, the Escalade made a sharp left. And of course, our current speed was too much to accommodate the turn, causing us to flip. I lost track of which direction was up and down as the SUV rolled over and over. I felt like the tiny bits of snow being shaken in a snow globe and idly speculated if this was what it felt like to be inside of a washing machine.
Yeah, I was definitely delirious.
The spin seemed to go on forever. Maybe we were going downhill. I wondered when it would end. A devastating crash combined with the excruciating discontinuation of inertia on my body, more than adequately answered that question. We had clearly impacted some form of resistance, sufficient enough to impede the cylindrical rotation of the out of control SUV. From the destructive sound of it, we were probably a new addition inside of a building alongside of the highway.
When we finally ground to a halt, the short beat of silence was almost deafening before pandemonium erupted, vampires around me yelling, Ciro screaming, and vicious growling, Myrnin!
He was close!
Shockingly, it appeared the vehicle had stopped with all four wheels on the ground. I was wedged against the window on one of the seats. All of the vampires around me scrambled to right themselves from whatever position they ended up in. Ciro's creepy green eyes rolled wildly.
In the next instant, Ciro gripped the silver dagger in his fist and launch himself toward me. If his intention wasn't already obvious by the maniacally deranged expression on his face, his words made it crystal clear as he hissed, "I'm going to fucking kill you!"
Amelie's powers still flowed through my system, a result of the extreme pain I continued to endure, and my body reacted to his assault without consciously thinking. I shot my leg out, making brief contact with his chest, spinning him away to the side. But it wasn't enough. I was too weak.
He growled angrily and coiled to spring again.
I pulled my knees against my chest to protect my heart, just as he landed on my body. I tried to fight him off with my hands, but the pain was too great. I was only able to burn him briefly. In his blind rage, I doubted he even noticed.
He grasped my knees with his left hand and yanked them away from my chest. His right hand was already in motion, the dagger aimed right at my heart.
"No!" I screamed and shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to be staring into his disturbed gaze when I died. I couldn't believe I had gotten this close, only to die within seconds of being reunited with Myrnin.
But the strike never came.
Instead Ciro was violently ripped off of me and disappeared out of the vehicle. I didn't even remember hearing the doors being torn off of their hinges, but it was obvious from the gaping hole across from me. In the next instant, Myrnin appeared at my side and his arms of steel lifted me from the seat. He held me to his chest, jumped from the car and then carefully laid me on the ground. I stared up at the night sky. The stars had never looked as brilliant or as beautiful as they did to me right now in this moment of relief. The scents of grass and wood wafted over me.
A stream of profanity released from Myrnin's mouth as he realized I was shackled with silver handcuffs. He hissed urgently, "Do you know where the key is?!"
The pain had slowed down my brain and subsequently my tongue. I was only able to mumble, "Ciro... Neck."
Myrnin yelled over his shoulder to Gwion, "Get me the motherfucking key from his neck!" Myrnin raised his hand in the air without taking his eyes off of me, obviously trusting Gwion was capable of hitting the mark when he threw the key.
He was right.
Because no sooner had Myrnin's hand gone up, did he yank it back down, with the key clutched in his fingers. He quickly unlocked the restraints, his hands burning as he removed them.
As soon as I was released, he waited the sixty seconds it took for my wrists to heal and then gathered me into his arms, clutching me against his chest like his life depended on it. One of his hands tangled into the hair at the nape of my neck as he whispered fervently in my ear, "Cariad, I am so, so sorry!"
"I'm okay," I whispered hoarsely, even though I knew I wasn't. I was fairly certain I was in shock and Amelie's powers still ping-ponged through me like an 80's pinball game.
Of course, Myrnin also knew I wasn't okay. He peppered kisses in my hair and rocked me in his lap, promising vehemently, "I will fix this...You will be okay... Soon."
I couldn't speak.
I let my head fall to the side and looked around to get my bearings. I found that Myrnin and I were sitting about forty feet away from the crash site. As expected, the Escalade had indeed driven into some sort of building. It looked like an old abandoned gas station.
All of the vampires were lying in various positions on the ground, most certainly dead. Gwion was holding Ciro by the neck as he writhed unsuccessfully to get free.
"Finish it!" Myrnin called out to Gwion.
A moment later Gwion stood next to us with Ciro in his grip. He hissed, "Not yet."
Gwion looked down at me and purred, "Shall I take care of him in the manner we discussed? Although with those damn drugs in my system, I am admittedly a little weaker. Oh well, I'm sure he won't mind if I continue to try until I get it right," Gwion smiled wickedly.
Ciro and I both knew what Gwion was referring to. When we had been at the rave, Gwion had promised to emasculate him with his bare hands. Ciro pleaded desperately with me, "No, no, no! Please make him kill me now!"
I stared at Ciro and then back up at Gwion. Gwion's dark pupils penetrated my gaze as he waited for an answer. Amelie's powers roared up to meet him in response, fiercely connecting us.
My decision was made.
I turned back to Ciro and replied callously, "You wondered when my cruelty would 'bloom'? The answer is now."
My gaze shifted back to Gwion, and I replied coldly, "Do it."
"It will be my fucking pleasure," Gwion replied and headed back toward the building with Ciro in tow, shrieking the entire way.
A few moments later Ciro's shrieking changed into cold-blooded screaming and I knew that Gwion had begun. Deep satisfaction flowed through me, satiating Amelie's power's demand for payment of Ciro's crimes with his flesh.
However, as we waited for a vehicle to return us to the hotel and Myrnin continued to hold me, all of the stress finally released from my body, leaving me back into my right mind.
And then I couldn't bear to hear it.
Ciro's non-stop screeching.
I had never heard anything so horrible before and prayed I never would again. Guilt suffocated me to know that Gwion had left the decision up to me. And I had chosen to destroy Ciro in the worst possible way imaginable.
Fifteen minutes had gone by. Fifteen minutes of incessant screaming and thunderous growling. Gwion may have started with the emasculation, but I was absolutely certain he was well beyond that now, and I suspected he had the skill to extend the torture for an indefinite amount of time. My head was pounding from the noise. I couldn't think anymore and desperately wanted it to stop.
Myrnin sensed my overwhelming anxiety. The instant the dark vehicle pulled up, he had me in his arms and we were in motion. He set me gently on the seat and climbed in beside me. The closed door muted some of the sound, but not much. It wasn't until we were miles away that the screaming stopped in my head.
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