This is it.
A nice, long ending to satisfy your little aching hearts.
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Listen to the song while you read. ;) (Crossfire by Stephen)
***
'There is nothing more beautiful than broken creatures learning to fly.'
***
Silence.
A dead and hollow space full of tension, unspoken thoughts and darkness. Clouds of smoke rise from the ground and cover the earth with a blanket of shadows. They watch and wait.
Valentine squeezes the hand that was shaking with the thought of me taking my own creators throne. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.
I can't be their Queen.
With limited time I was granted, I am restricted. Who knows when Rath will take my soul again. He never really gave me a time. He wasn't even clear on his conditions. I study their faces and their respect for their new Queen. This is what Ari saw in her vision. She said I would be made Queen but I'd have to make wise decisions. Kill or be killed?
The vampires steer clear of the host of darkness and we have all divided yet again. There is a line between us and them. A powerful wave of electricity washes over me, building in a tension-filled ball in my hands and temples. I can feel my eyes flood with black, showing the full extent of my being. "Your Queen is dead. Leave now or suffer the consequences," I shout over the massive crowd. The abrupt and demanding action causes the earth to crack under my feet.
"Saphira, you're letting them leave?" Valentine calls out to me. Bewildered, they glance at each other knowing what to do with my command. Sebastian raises an eyebrow at me and I return his expression with a scowl. The bastard doesn't even know what he's doing. He killed Datura. He basically just killed me.
"No," I shake my head, letting out a trembling sigh.
With a sharp intake of breath, I release the power and allow it to speed through the air hitting every insubordinate creature in its path. I've never seen destruction happen so beautifully. Black, vein-like patterns scourge the earth like the most intricate spider web. Life has been taken from each creature, blade of grass and plant until they withered to the grown in nothing but black dust.
They're dead. All of them.
The amount of power used causes me to collapse to my knees and release a painful grunt. It's taking its toll on my heart and mind, draining my body of all energy. I thought wrong about my power. Instead of taking the energy for myself, I'm pushing it all out. It's also killing me in the process.
"I think that's enough, love," Valentine whispers in a soft voice. The vibrations of his deep voice causes me to shiver, making my eyes droop down to a close. With a long drawn out sigh, I stop and let my shoulders drop along with all power and destruction from my hands. He places his hands on my shoulders and squeezes the tense muscles on my neck and back.
"It's over," he mutters under his breath while pressing his forehead against mine.
A single, bloody tear drips from the corner of my eye and down to my lips until it drops on the back of his hand. His eyes examine my face from my eyes to my lips and he frowns. Valentine caresses my neck and chin, trying to comfort my obvious disdain for what has happened. His disheveled hair casts a subtle darkness over his beautiful face and I forget about the battle, my death and the destruction I laid waste. Our connection holds us together. In a sea of Black Death are his majestic stormy eyes, reflecting the eternal heavens.
"I'm never letting you out of my sight." He holds my head between his hands and he presses his lips tightly against mine, tasting the blood that has coated my parched lips. He groans against my lips as he pulls me closer to him, locking me in place against his built chest, between his strong arms. I can feel him shudder just from the drop of my tainted blood and he pulls back. "Ever," he rasps just under my jaw.
"Good," I give him another peck on the lips. "I don't want you to."
Valentine smiles and captures me in a tight embrace, sealing our agreement. I take Rath's unfair conditions and let it drift to the back of my head as Valentine picks us both up to stand. Vampires around us have started retreating to the castle with the fallen. A few royal vampires and leaders have stayed to assess the damage and make sure everyone is accounted for. I notice the small, brunette princess trudge through the corpses with a solemn expression and I give her a feeble smile.
Valentine speeds over to her and whispers in her ear and immediately, I feel a sudden pang of jealousy spike through my heart. Who is this girl and why have Rath and Valentine suddenly found interest in her? I keep my head held high as I walk through the field, not paying attention to anything around me.
"Saphira," Valentine calls. I bite my lip as he gestures for me to approach them. The tiny woman looks to me with surprise and her mouth slightly drops. Is she not comfortable with me here? Of course, she isn't, she's with someone who can easily kill her. I realize that I have been thinking to deeply, and to be honest, quite immaturely, to notice Valentine's introductions. "This Karina, my cousin. Karina, this is Saphira, my mate."
She looks up at the two of us and smiles softly. Her emerald eyes glint with gratitude and respect. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Her voice is a soft twinkle that matches the bounce of her curly locks. "I've heard all about you."
"Have you?" I asked.
She nods and gives a nervous smile. Maybe I should look so serious. I'm scaring the girl.
"Yes, the whole Kingdom knows about you," she says quietly.
"I figure they must know, I've been trying to kill their greatest enemy for weeks."
Valentine's hand finds its way to my lower back and he caresses the bare skin his fingers can touch. I shiver as my core twists into a knot and a blush crawls on my cheeks. Trust Valentine to trigger my libido at a time like this.
"Karina will be staying with us for a few days, she's going to go through some of her parents' records in the archives," Valentine says just inches from my ear, making me tremble in more places than just my neck.
"I am to inherit the throne in the northern realm," she replies to clear my confusion. "I figured I should learn more about how to rule than sit pretty."
We are interrupted by a sultry voice. "I'll see you all at the victory party, yes?" Nikita, who I remember being attacked brutally, comes up behind Karina looking alive and well.
"Victory party?" I chuckle.
"Yes, we're hosting it in the basement since the ballroom has been severely damaged. We'll have lots of blood and dancing," she said enthusiastically with a wink. I can tell it's going to be quite a day. Underground parties have always been wild.
We all nod and reply simultaneously and head back to the castle grounds in the speed of light.
A flurry of emotions and bad thoughts fly into my mind and just like that my mood and energy drain to an all-time low. We arrive in our room and Valentine looks at me with concern in his eyes. I jump out of my bloody, torn clothing before starting a warm shower in the bathroom. I know what he's going to ask but I don't want to explain anything just yet. A lot of things have happened within the last day. From me becoming Queen of the Dark Forest to making a deal with the Demon King.
I'm trying to wrap my head around it but I just can't. It's still a foggy, diluted subject that is hanging in the air. I need to let it sit and thicken before I can touch it.
Quietly, Valentine removes his clothes and takes my hand. He leads me into the shower where he pulls me close to him. We don't need to talk about anything. For now, we just need the quiet solitude and the satisfaction of each other's company.
It's over.
Nothing else matters.
"What's wrong?" I've lost count how many times he has asked me that as I feel the warm water slap against my back. I take a deep breath and throw my head back. I slightly moan as I feel his fingers run through my hair and massage my scalp with soap.
"Are you hungry?" I don't know, I answer in my mind while shaking my head. I don't know if I'm hungry, tired, awake or even living. I don't know if I'm still a vampire or a darkling. Valentine senses my heavy mind and just places the tips of his fingers on my temples. He doesn't say anything. He just holds me tight against him as the water cascades down our bodies.
One thing I do know and can feel is the love that radiates from his heart. We have been together through thick and thin and although it has been a short time, it feels like an eternity. I feel my heart drum hard and fast against my chest, making me feel alive. They say our experiences make up our lives. I didn't believe it to be true until now. Until I learned to live again. Until I began to accept all that was happening around me.
It's hard to get up when you've fallen and it's going to happen every day. We just have to learn to get back up. Even if it hurts.
I embrace him until we are chest to chest and I run my nails down his back which causes him to let out a deep and rumbling groan. He takes a fistful of my hair and tugs it down, forcing me to look at him. He looks into my eyes and he doesn't speak. His body and soul is radiating powerful feelings and emotions that only I am privileged to feel and absorb. Without a single word, I hear the words loud and clear in my mind. 'I love you.'
The space between us ceased to exist when he pressed his hungry lips against mine. A burst of passion explodes in my chest and for the second time today, I cry. Crimson tears run down my cheeks, melting with the water dripping down my face. I never knew I would ever get to this point. I never knew I could love again and live again. Valentine was the lost star in my universe of longing. I'm grateful that our paths crossed the way it did. If not for him; there is no me.
The kiss is a sweet and burning fusion of our yearning for each other. Our tongues brush against our lips with the need to feel and taste - with the need to become one. I moan as his mouth travels down my jaw and onto my neck. I close my eyes in satisfaction as his fangs graze against each bite he has given me. His touch, his kisses, and his unspoken devotion causes my core to greedily melt into a heated pool of desire.
The water has long turned cold as we let it run in waste. His hips dig into mine and he pushes me against the tile, letting me become completely aware of his own excitement and need. I let out a shaky breath as he slowly tortures my body until I can no longer stand.
*
A beat drops hard from the speakers and hits my chest. It's similar to my pounding heart but this one is more aggressive and deep. When Nikita said 'Victory Party' in the basement, she truly meant every word. It's not your usual royal ball with fancy dances and spoiled dinner guests. It's a full vampire rave with bleeding humans and high demons. With a heated exchange of words and a few nicks and nibbles, Valentine was able to convince me to attend. I'm not all for parties or socializing. If anything, I'm only here for the music and because he's here.
Valentine's hand grips my waist tightly as he escorts me through the dark area and I place a hand over his hand to non-verbally tell him to not let me go. Blue and purple lights stream through the area making the area basically look like a pumping nightclub. Nikita passes by with a tall, male vampire in tow, heading towards the private rooms. The smile on her face can definitely qualify for a beam of light. I'm glad they can have fun. This is a celebration they have been waiting to throw for two-hundred years.
"She's finally dead, huh?" A voice says from behind me. I immediately recognize it as Augustine's. When it came to him I'm usually very hostile but today I feel a different approach, something close to amity. I know I can never forget the things I did and we will never we friends again, but he's no longer an enemy.
"Lucius lost his head, again," Valentine answers, as he senses my lack of energy and enthusiasm.
"So I've heard," he says while grabbing a human fleeting past him. I can see the obvious lack of blood in her body. He cuts the inside of her wrist and lets the blood drip into a blood-red goblet in his hands. "I also heard that the King shot Datura and Saphira died along with her. So, how are you alive?"
He looks directly at me and narrows his eyes as suspicion lines his mouth, jaw, and hairline. I squeeze my fists tightly but remain a calm composure. I can't let him get to me. I don't need this in my life right now.
Valentine glances at me and clears his throat to give him the whitest of lies. "She didn't die, she just fainted from exhaustion."
I sigh in relief and he gives my waist a squeeze of assurance. "Well, that's not exactly what I heard. They say her heart stopped for seven minutes then it miraculously started again and she was able to stand as if nothing happened. Now, if you tell me, that's not just from exhaustion, that's something else. Something dark."
"What do you want, Augustine?" Valentine enunciates in frustration, knowing exactly what his brother is trying to do. I narrow my own eyes at him and study his moves and his features. It is Augustine, alright. But at the same time, it isn't him - like something is ridiculously off. I know him and I've known him for fifty years, this isn't something Augustine would pursue or even tap into. Could it be that this it the notorious shifter we locked in the dungeons?
"I was just curious." He shrugs. "Anyway, you're both alive, it's all that matters."
I bite my lip at his answer and I can clearly see Valentine's hard-edged jaw clench with agitation. Augustine gives me a wink before he twists on his heels and turns around to disappear into the crowd.
I growl and push away from Valentine to go after him but he restrains me within his arms. "It's okay, sweetheart, he's just being an asshole as usual."
"No, it's not that," I say lowly. "I don't think that's your brother."
"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrow over is deep blue irises.
"The shifter," was all I needed to say until he realizes and he tugs me into the crowd with him to catch up to Augustine. We both know that Datura was not the only one trying to kill us.
Our eyes quickly glide over the crowd as he tries to follow his scent. The mass of fanged creatures dance wildly around us, thinking nothing of etiquette or formality. We brush elbows with everyone, including Vladimir, Rath, and even Sebastian. They should have all been busy with the celebration and it wasn't our intention to cause such a ruckus but they notice our hunt and join our pursuit. We shouldn't have caused such a scene, now everyone we know is here.
"Up to no good?" Vladimir snickers. I dismiss his light attitude with a roll of my eyes.
"Always," I reply a small smile tugging on my lips.
We find ourselves back in the same room that Valentine blew up. I hear a pair of voices argue and Valentine directs me to stop and stay quiet. It seems like a very heated conversation from the tone of their voices. Hand in hand, the two of us sneak around the corner and try to peek through the broken stone.
Vladimir does the same, but he is on the other side to make sure everything will go smoothly. We can't put our fingers on it but we are fully aware of the extreme suspicion and danger within the castle.
I crane my head around the corner and I gasp.
My eyes fall on a dripping body on a large spear sticking out from the ground. "Valentine," I whisper with a gulp, pointing his gaze toward the bloody space. He notices my peril and he follows my gaze. Shock riddles his face and he quickly speeds over to remove him from the wooden stake.
"Who would do this?" He asks. My body shivers as I recognize the body. A wave of heat cascades down my body. I know this feeling. It's becoming more and more potent to me - more tangible.
Just as he was about to turn him, we are interrupted by a mess of grunts and footsteps in the corner. "He would," Sebastian says as he aggressively pushes Echo into the wall, trapping him with his forearm. "The bastard even turned into Augustine."
Valentine gulps hard as his brothers' name was said out loud. He's holding his dead body in his hands now and is trying hard to keep himself composed, trying to figure out what has happened.
"It's never over, is it?" He growls, setting Augustine's torn body gently on the ground. I frown. That's another loved one he's had to put on the ground. How much more can he handle?
"No." Echo, the shifter struggles to get free from Sebastian's grip. He has him restrained and even bleeding from an obvious stab on his shoulder. He squirms, yelling profanities and begging for his life. "I'm taking him down," Sebastian says.
"Just kill the damn vampire," I shout the command without even thinking twice. My temper has reached its peak. He doesn't need to live. Not at all. Sebastian continues to escort, ignoring me completely.
Oh, hell no. No one, ever, turns their back on me.
I grab Sebastian's arm to stop him and he looks down at me with furious, red eyes. He growls but I don't stop.
"Unhand me, Saphira, or you'll be in a cell right next to him for the rest of your life," he threatens through his teeth. "He's scheduled for a trial next week. He's involved in more things that you can imagine. We need him alive."
Of course, these threats never work on me. I give him a look of my own and try to steal as much energy as I could without having him notice. I never liked Sebastian. I don't care about his title or his power as King. Why keep the damn murderer alive? He's already tried to kill so many people under the same roof and he managed to kill one today.
Sebastian disappears around the corner and I turn around to see Valentine crouching by his fallen brother. The expression on his face is blank - completely different from the emotions he had when his best friend, Astor, was killed.
Again, a note is folded neatly into the shape of a flower and Valentine picks it up to examine it. Questions shoot through my mind and hit me with a hard force. Valentine's blue eye zero in on the note as he unravels it.
On the note, written in bold characters, glaring at us like white eyes in the stillness of the pitch black.
"Until the last drop falls."
A big, red 'S' is drawn just under the black ink, standing out like blood in the snow.
Our gazes meet and Valentine's eyes turn black. My fangs kick in and the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Just when you think everything is going smoothly and perfectly well, there is an underlying fault running along with you.
But we both know and we are both ready. Because it's true - it's never over.
***
TO BE CONTINUED...
***
>:} I'm evil. I know. I'm a scorpio, apparently, we are the sexiest, most kinky, evil zodiacs out there.
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LOVE YOU SO FREAKING MUCH. I know it took more than a year to finish but I'm very grateful to those who stuck with me from the beginning. I can't thank you all enough.
FOR THOSE WHO READ OUR CRAZY AND UNHOLY ROLE PLAYS, I WILL BE COLLECTING THEM AND WRITING SOME BONUS CHAPTERS.
#UNHOLYSQUAD >:}