The hand over her mouth disappeared the moment they were completely dispersed into shadows. Abigail gasped loudly, preparing to jump around and face her attacker before a familiar voice suggested otherwise.
"Hush!" Evangeline whispered in her ear, the hands gripping her shoulders tightly as she spoke. She tried twisting her head around to get a good look at Evie, who was still standing behind her, holding Abigail up by her arms. Abbi then slid to the ground, the struggle leaving her momentarily.
Once she had calmed down enough to finally speak, she was breathless and shaky, her fingers fumbling at her skirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. "Evie ...?" She breathed in relief.
Evie was still tugging at her armpits, trying to repeatedly get Abbi on her feet (even though Evangeline could've probably picked the human up with one hand). "Get up, we have to go."
"Go where? What's going on?" Abigail finally heaved herself up from the floor, holding her dress up at the knees as she turned completely around, facing Evie, confused and disoriented. "I don't understand what's happening."
But Evie was no longer there, she had begun to walk toward another -- somehow unnoticed -- narrow hallway. "An Assembly hasn't been proclaimed in over one-hundred years, Abigail." She said voice strict and low; Abbi wasn't sure she'd ever seen such a serious side to Evangeline.
She managed to stay close, even as Evie took that cramped passageway in elegant strides, whereas Abigail had to jog to keep up. "What is this -- this Assembly you're talking about?"
They'd reached the end of the aisle. Unlike the other hall, there were no doors going down its length. Rather, there was only one door that loomed at the end of the long hallway. Evie didn't hesitate to go to it. She thrust open the handle, the door swinging open so hard it smacked into the back wall on the outside of the building.
Evangeline's verdant gaze met her own, and just by one look into those prominent eyes, Abigail knew how dire this situation was; yet she still had no idea what exactly it was that was so grave.
"Come on, Abbi. There's no time to stand there looking like a simpleton." She said slowly, snapping her head forward once more before she bolted out the door, leaving Abigail to stand there and listen to the sudden commotion whirling about, back in the ballroom.
Abbi hesitated as she caught the heavy door trying to swing closed. She swiveled her neck around, just to get one last glance at the wedding reception, going down in invisible flames.
The vampires were running amuck; most wore a face of fear while others seemed impenetrable. But somehow, she had subconsciously sought him out through the blur of bodies weaving in between one another.
Nathaniel stood seemingly in the middle of the grand room. His back and shoulders were terse, and even with the space between them, Abbi could make out the blue glinting in his eyes.
And he was watching her.
The feeling that slowly leaked its way through her veins chilled Abigail to the bone, and while Nate stood there continuously staring at her, she identified that sensation as this sudden, overbearing guilt.
So instead of running to Nate -- as how she longed to do -- Abigail frowned, swallowing the bile rising in her throat then turned back around and pushed open the door, following Evangeline into the parking lot.
The moment she left the building, the crushing weight in her lightened, if only by a little. Abigail glanced up at the sky. No longer blue, the once pretty expanse was mottled with dark clouds stretching to the horizon. Somewhere in the upset clouds, thunder rolled.
Rain, she thought dejectedly, the perfect weather for your wedding occasion.
Abbi walked a faster than she had before, trying to decide which direction the red-headed vampire might've gone, since she was no longer in sight.
At the moment Abbi had stepped onto the paved street there was another rumble; only this time it wasn't thunder. She looked to the left, her eyes locked on a sleek black Cadillac pulling to a stop directly in front of her. When one of the back doors opened, Abigail ignored her nagging consciense and slid blindly into the backseat.
She shut the door firmly behind her and faced forward, immediately recognizing the two sitting in the front cabin.
"Patten ... Evie ... I need you to tell me what's going on." She said, having just about enough of being totally, utterly, and inconveniently clueless to the obvious issue at hand. Her statement was greeted by silence, and honestly, Abigail had just about enough of silence. So, instead of waiting for them to answer her, Abbi scooted up to the edge of her seat and shoved her face between the driver and passenger chairs. "Please guys ... answer me."
It was Patten who finally turned his head, giving Evie a lingering glance before focusing his gaze back on the road; then the boy spoke. "Abigail, an Assembly is not something to take lightly. This is serious."
Abbi bit her tongue and held back the urge to groan. "I'm finding it extremely difficult to not take an Assembly lightly, considering I don't even know what it is." She mumbled, knowing very well that they both heard her.
Evie pursed her lips, fidgeting with her hands; she was uncomfortable just being there. "An Assembly is ... well, it's never happened in ... our generation."
"-And by 'our generation' she means in over a century-" Patten cut in.
"Yes," Evangeline dropped her eyes down to her twisting hands, "and it shouldn't happen in any generation, or any century to come. You see, The Council ... it is their way of demanding the laws be enforced more thoroughly. Once the Assembly is called; it is somewhat like war being declared. Every vampire is expected to attend the Assembly, and if they do not, they're automatically considered dead."
By the time Evie had finished speaking, she was nervous and wary. Abbi had never seen such fear in her eyes, Evangeline being as strong as she was; just the mere subject of this 'Assembly' had the girl quaking in her boots.
"But why are they declaring one now?" Abigail asked foolishly, shaking her head as she did. What Abbi didn't notice was how Evie stiffened and Patten frowned, the small space between them suddenly a large void.
"You," Patten choked out quietly, "and Nate."
Abigail couldn't find anything to say. In those few seconds her world seemed to flip sides, changing direction so quickly that Abbi had nothing to grab a hold of before she fell. "But-" I already told Nate I didn't love him ... that was the deal ... She gulped; clenching her fists into her dress.
"Who declares the Assembly?" Abigail asked slowly; being careful to not spew her raging emotions all over the dashboard.
"Lucifer."
Abbi's heart skipped several beats. There was no way to describe the feeling burning its way through her veins, the insanity of it all ringing in her ears. Oh yes, Abigail was mad. Not only had she been naive enough to trip into Lucifer's dealings, but she'd also allowed him to manipulate the way she felt into one massive smudge of deceit.
There might've been some uncomplicated way to get out of this mess; if only she'd made the right choices on the way here she could've avoided all of it. Instead, she just had to fall in love with a vampire, and in turn, it all backfired.
And now? Abbi grappled with the thought of how Lucifer used used her as a pawn.
Maybe, exactly how she had used Nathaniel to save her mother.
"It's the law," Patten continued, his tone still considerably quiet. "When things get out of hand, the council calls an Assembly to enforce the rules and punish those who are considered to be traitors, but with the way things panned out over the past couple of days ..."
She snapped her head towards his direction. "What do you mean? The way things panned out?"
It was Evie who spoke again, not as shaken-up as she had seemed before, "There's been gossip, Abigail."
"About what?"
"The Court has made it clear on what the laws are, and their limits. And ... it seems that -"
"Rumors spread, Abigail." Evie said, "and by the obvious intimacy between you and Nate ... well, you get why it upsets The Council."
Abbi was silent, feeling her throat get thick and her mouth turn down at the corners. "So, the Council is calling an Assembly based off a rumor?"
Patten cleared his throat. In the quietness that spread around them, Abbi could see his fingers tighten around the wheel. Out the windows, the scenery blurred and passed them on the sides like a slideshow set on super-speed, but inside, everything went by in slow-motion, dragging out the panic and setting it on their shoulders.
"They're not doing it off a rumor." He said carefully.
"Then what, dear God, are they basing it off of?" Abbi replied baldly, her patience cracking in two.
"A snitch," Evangeline piped up, answering Abigail before Patten had to.
She felt her fingernails claw the black leather on the seats. A headache started to throb in her temples, the result of this pressure being too much. This cannot be happening, she thought, grinding her teeth together.
"Where is Nathaniel?" Evie asked, quickly changing the subject; like any expert speaker. She had stopped trying to tie her fingers together, and now held Patten's hand.
"He's still at the reception." Abbi said softly, the mentioning of Nate giving her another sharp stab of guilt.
"Good."
"What?" She asked, surprised by the blunt way of dismissing him.
"The more space we put between you two, the less confident the Council might think of their accusations." Abbi noticed Patten squeeze Evie's hand, the sentiment was small, but something about it made Abigail fall back in her seat, closing her eyes and attempting to shut out the world.
What she wanted most right now was not the freedom she had thought she needed. Not even the satisfaction that Abbi had saved her mother and herself. But what Abigail wanted more than anything was Nathaniel.
She wanted him holding her hand like how Patten held Evangeline's. Wanted him to hold her, tell her that no matter the consequences, that he had no regrets. No matter what the Council, or Lucifer, or anybody else said, they'd always have each other.
And honestly, hadn't he already been doing all those things?
Hadn't Nathaniel been the one to pull her into his arms, without regard to what anyone else thought? Hadn't he been the one to tell her that only his opinion mattered, or that he loved her? It was Abigail, in the end, who had been totally blind and foolish.
Because, now, Nathaniel would never want her again; she could still see his eyes - twinkling blue-as he stared at her across the ballroom.
The car pulled to a halt, the sudden stop bringing Abbi forward. She blinked, straining her neck to peer out the tinted windows. Time seemed to go by faster than she'd expected, and the giant mansion was impending, standing there on top the hill with its grand stone walls and dark shingles.
It had changed since the last time they'd been here.
Instead of the black and white décor, with the partygoers mingling and laughing, the vampires here were all serious and silent. The grounds were filled with people filing through the doors and into the foyer.
It was Evie opening her door that brought Abigail back into the present, making her aware of her surroundings. Watching closely, she stayed very still - because maybe, if she just sat there, no one would expect her to doing anything; Abbi wouldn't have to go into the house.
"Come on, Puppet." Patten said, turning his head around to look Abbi in the eyes. His expression remained soothing, but it had no effect on her heart; pounding like an upset drum. She was silent for a moment, before numbly nodding her head and sliding out of the car.
Luckily, Evangeline stood right in front of her door, so once Abigail finally managed to stand up straight and brush out the wrinkles in her dress, the tall girl blocked her out. Evie, besides looking completely stoic, was also still wearing her wedding dress. And when the other girl started marching towards the estate, Abbi had no problem losing track of her; she stood out like a sore thumb.
Abigail followed Evie into the collection of bodies. Some of them hardly noticed her, but others shot her wary glances, shying away from her like she was a pariah.
She wrapped her arms around her body, not only blocking out the newfound chill in the air but also trying to somehow push away the partiality she continuously received.
Abbi looked up, not for the first time; the sky was nearly black, now. Heavy clouds roiled like dark waves, and distantly, she could hear again the resonating thunder.
Someone smacked hard into Abbi's shoulder. The moment they hit her, she stumbled, shooting a glare at their back - quickly disappearing up ahead of her in the sea of vampires, but the person never slowed down, or even acknowledged her presence.
That was when Abigail finally noticed that she could no longer see the familiar white dress.
Abbi did a three-sixty turn, trying to spot the other girl's face, or any other face she might recognized.
But Evangeline was gone.
Her heart leapt into her throat, dread shooting adrenaline into her system. She started shoving people aside as she rushed towards the mansion, having to hold her skirts up with one hand.
Once Abigail got to the double doors, she found it almost impossible to get through - people squeezed themselves through the entrance, like sardines - pressing her body against the back of the mass, she pushed against them, heaving with her hands, prying with her fingers.
"Evie!" She called in angst, standing up on her tip-toes attempting to get Evangeline's attention from behind the shoulders of these unknown beings.
As if losing Evie in the crowd wasn't bad enough, a cold hand cupped her shoulder, their velvety voice speaking in her ear.
"Darling," The voice belonged to a boy, his low monotone sweet and sensual.
But Abigail didn't hear the rest of what he had to say - she fearfully ripped her shoulder away from his grasp, tearing through the impassive group of vampires blocking the entrance.
Abbi stumbled forward, still clutching onto her gown as her eyes widened at the sight before her. In the middle of the royal lobby, stood Abigail, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she remained frozen. Around her though, straying up the stairs, down the multiple hallways, and dominating the large ballroom ... were vampires.
They were pale, eyes cold, dead, and their faces were masks of perfection.
And there were too many to count.
She was completely alone; completely surrounded by everlasting people with their own hidden beasts. And never in her life, had Abigail Worthington felt such an intense fear pooling in her blood; increasing her heartbeat, and suspending her thoughts - just so she could watch them all.
Then came the relief.
At the top of the staircase, Abigail spotted a flash of white and red.
The sight was her savior, she decided, suddenly darting towards the staircase in a maddened flee to get to Evangeline.
Abbi took two steps at a time, mounting the steps so that she reached the top in a flurry of golden dress and black hair. She saw it again; the white dress, turning around a sharp corner down one of the shrouded hallways.
She started moving again, starting to get frustrated with Evie. Do you not see me here? Abbi's inner voice screamed; have you not realized I'm not behind you?
Abigail practically ran down the corridor, heaving in air as she cut the corner abruptly.
She expected to see Evie standing there, looking relieved or maybe even happy. But instead, Abbi was greeted by a solemn figure, one that grabbed a hold of her fast, and pulled her into the cloaked darkness.
And then, just like that she was soothed; soothed by his low voice and the name -- her name -- being uttered into her ear.
"Abigail," Nathaniel said cautiously, as if he wasn't sure that it was her.
She had only enough time to take one uneven breath before his fingers cupped the back of her neck, and Nate brought her lips to his.
His kiss was rushed and overbearing, and Abigail could distinctly hear the throaty growl erupting in his throat, but she had no troubles at this moment -- and if she did, Abbi might've just forgotten them. She returned the kiss wholeheartedly, savoring the sweet taste lingering in her mouth. Abigail could only stand there, with Nate keeping her head locked in his hold, doing away with her lips ... exactly how she'd been longing for him to do.
Oh, but irony was sweet, and the moment did not last long.
Nathaniel tore his mouth away, pushing Abbi back by her waist. One of his hands immediately went to his face, hair falling forward to mask the expression she ached to read.
She was out of breath, that much was obvious, but what Abbi hadn't expected was Nate -- who seemed to be fighting some inner war within himself -- and the way his raspy breaths were louder than hers.
Abigail took a wary step forward, parting her lips and reaching out a hand ... just to get his attention; her body still humming with the need of his touch.
"Nate-"
Nathaniel moved all of the sudden. He grabbed her wrist, fingers prying and possesive, as he pushed them both into the nearest door. Unlike the first time they'd found themselves alone, there was no uncanny nervousness or maddening sadness; it was just her and Nate; both hidden in each other's swell of emotion.
Once the door had closed behind them, Nathaniel tugged at her hips, pressing Abigail against the wall with his body and pinning her there. As Abbi gasped, his lips quickly found her throat; expertly moving that mouth up and down her neck, placing hungry kisses as he went.
Once again, Abbi couldn't gain control of the feelings overflowing; she couldn't disect the wrong from the right, and with Nathaniel kissing her the way he was ...
He slipped the sleeve of her dress off her shoulder, his touch like the caress of satin. Leaning down, Nate pressed another kiss into her skin, this time slower and more delicate.
He moved up again, lips kneading her earlobe; cool breath fanning across her throat -- and then, as if he almost didn't mean to say anything at all, Nathaniel whispered something to her.
At any other time, any other moment, Abigail would've completely missed what he'd uttered; but, Abbi hadn't ever been as aware of him as she was now.
"I know why." He hushed softly, "I know why you won't love me."
With her flushed against him this way, she was exposed; exposed to emotion and exposed to her feelings, but even in exposure -- Abigail couldn't let him phase her. She shouldn't have let Nathaniel worm his way in again. For all she knew, he could've been a test, a test that Lucifer had designed; an obstacle that was meant to get in the way of freeing her mother.
"Good." She said curtly, tilting her neck back to watch his expressive eyes. Abigail tried pushing Nate at his biceps; get away from him, was her thought process, don't let him affect you.
But Nathaniel wasn't bothered in the slightest; in fact, he laughed, throwing his head back and then laughed a loud and deeply bothering laugh. "Oh Abigail," he chuckled, "don't humor me."
She scowled; adamently showing her frustration. "I wasn't trying to be funny, Nathaniel."
He smirked, blue orbs gleaming a Caribean blue. "And I wasn't either, but somehow you always treat my feelings like a joke."
"We weren't talking about your feelings," she retorted, still squirming against him; trying to get out.
"Actually, I don't think we were talking ... not at all ..." Nate said suggestively leaning into her once more, his chest fastening her to the wall while he ran his fingers through her dark hair. Abigail couldn't help but shiver, her eyes fluttering for mere seconds but Nathaniel noticed and he smiled at her reaction.
"I know everything, Love." He whispered hoarsely, trailing his hands down her waist. Abbi might've commented on this very conceited statement if she hadn't been so trapped in her own pressing hormones; all directly focused on what he was doing.
Then when his kiss came again Abigail was putty in the, very capable, vampire's hands.
His lips were a reminder of what she really wanted; wanted from the first moment she laid eyes on him. Here, in this dark room, there were no bargains to be fulfilled, no mother at risk, and Abigail could have Nathaniel -- enjoy him, his mouth, his voice ...
But there would always be her conscience directing Abigail toward a different path. It would always be the one, very tiny, part of her that would never agree to her relationship with Nate; and right now, it screamed for her to stop as she leaned into him, winding her hands around his neck and into his silky hair. It jumped and hissed and screeched as he then deepened their kiss, and that little voice, always so prominent, was then closed off -- and Abbi did what she wanted; she kissed him back.
But as soon as she decided to let him in, Nate was gone; grinning like a maniac as he took a step back away from her, leaving Abbi feeling cold and wanting more. She stared openly at him, her heart chugging along, out of control while she was positive her fingers were shaking.
Nathaniel came at her again, slower this time, his movements cat-like and his hands gentle. But instead of kissing her, Nate folded Abigail against him; embracing her, holding her there in a warm cacoon. His lips moved at the base of her neck, making words that she could not hear.
"I know everything," he repeated slowly, "but what I don't understand is if you were actually faking some part of it, or was it the truth? You claim you don't love me but why do you react to me this way? I know I'm driving you crazy."
Her throat closed up, and she clenched her hands into fists, trying very hard to resist this torture. How did he manage to have the upper-hand? How could she have been so helpless, to be as yielding as she was right now?
"Don't fight it, Abigail."
She was released; spinning like a dancer as she went.
Abbi felt dizzy, her head throbbed, but it was not because of her twirling debut. The moment she no longer felt his hands was the moment Abigail looked up, trying to locate the boy desperately, because yes, Nathaniel was driving her crazy. Emotions were erupting throughout her being, and Abbi needed him, needed him to hold her, kiss her, touch her.
But he had performed another disappearing act. As much as she tried -- which she did -- Nate had completely vanished into the obscured shadows around her, and Abbi couldn't find him anywhere.
"Nate?" She croaked, whipping her head around.
"Don't fight what we both know you feel."
Abigail turned around, trying to find the location in which his voice came from. But what she didn't expect was to feel his hands again, this time at her hips, palms moving in slow enticing circles as his lips found her ear once more.
"I need you to tell me the truth, Love." His words were deliberate, striking where they'd meant to hit. "Tell me you had been lying; tell me you love me and I'll let you go. I'll return you to the party so you may save your mother."
Abbi stayed where she was, the blood leaving her face as she blanched. He knows? Any feeling she could manage to recognize no longer held Abigail down, she couldn't possibly be still now. Abbi gradually strained her body to face Nathaniel with a face full of shock. She could've opened her mouth, could've tried to explain to him that it wasn't what it looked like. But even Abbi wouldn't have fooled herself.
"Do I have to?" She asked, voice small and unthreatening -- even though she felt like slapping Nate across the cheek for putting her in this position.
What if Lucifer could somehow hear what she was about to say?
Nathaniel, even if the idea was much to insane for her to delve on, could have been bait. Perhaps he was; maybe he had been decieving her as much as she had been him.
"If you want to leave ... then, yes. You have to answer." There was a glint in his eye as he said this; the blue in his eyes like twin sheets of ice -- cold and rigid. Abigail had never felt such an intense longing, in two different ways. Nate knew he was taunting her, and although it drove Abbi to the limits of utter insanity, she also remained staked on the knife of anger. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?
"Fine," Abigail said frostily, slamming her words down on him with a scalding glare. "But I don't know how the truth will ever help you."
That endearing smirk was back; he watched her anxiously, hands tensing at her waist, pulling Abbi just a little bit closer as if he would never be able to hear what she had to say.
"Try me." He murmered, expression turning soft, his eyes trailing over her face, comitting it to memory.
And so Abigail did, the breath catching in her throat as if she almost struggled to spit the words out.
"I love you, Nathaniel."
The moment she actually managed those three little words, she tried rending her body away from him, to get away from the beast intimating her. He wanted to play with her feelings, Abigail was certain of it.
But right now, she couldn't deal with him. There was her mother to worry about.
Lucifer had already pulled one over on her; and there was no telling what would happen at this Assembly. Abbi's safest bet was to get to her mom and then find safety; because two humans in a mansion full of vampires was destined to get ugly.
What Abigail hadn't expected was Nate's reaction to her words. He seemed relieved, as if, all along, he hadn't believed a word she'd said earlier.
And while Abbi remained mysitified at the surprises he kept pulling from his hat, another shock came to her when Nathaniel didn't let her go.
Nate held onto her fast, his fingers once again caught her hand before he smoothly crushed her into his frame. With a grunt, Abigail glowered at him. This back in forth thing was not something she liked; the rush of it all gave her headache a headache, and although she couldn't ignore the tingle crawling up her spine, she could, however, ignore Nate.
He wasn't having that, though.
While keeping those strong hands on her back, he slowly trailed them up to her jaw, then turned Abbi's to face him.
The hardness captivating Nathaniel's eyes was gone, and so was the walls she'd worked so hard to put up between them. "Look at me, Love." He hushed, allowing the very core of her being to tremble. Abigail's resolve was crumbling, the undeniable passion rising in her chest, and if he didn't kiss her now, she would have to do it instead. Abbi was looking, and never had she ever looked so closely.
It was the way his eyes glistened; the way his hair fell around his face -- perfectly disheveled, or maybe his skin ... creamy, pale, and smooth that brought Abbi up to his lips. She had no conscious thoughts behind her actions, as usual when she was around Nathaniel Drake. The enigmatic static between them still confused her, and she had yet to catagorize their love as volatile or fiery, but for right now, she would manage to wade between the two -- and kiss Nate with as much intensity as she could manage.
This time was different. As Abigail bent up to his lips, pushing the weaker side of her will away, she kept her eyes wide open. Unlike the other kisses and touches, she did not plan on succumbing to Nate's wicked ways, but what she did succumb to was the relief; relief at the sweet taste that was him.
His lips were so unexplainably warm and soft and inviting, and through the thick haze now rolling like fog into her head, Abigail was lost at sea -- with the one person whom she didn't mind being lost with.
She parted his lips with her own, taking him in like a ravanged begger, eating his first piece of pie; warm and delicious ... and blond.
Oh so very blond, Abbi thought, curling her fingers into his soft locks while also pulling herself into the crook of space between them. There would be no room for air when she kissed Nathaniel Drake, no room at all.
There wasn't even enough air in her lungs. Though, Abigail was positive she would probably need room for that any second now; the harder she kissed Nate the tighter her chest seemed to feel. And with the last breath she could manage Abbi gave it all she had -- never seeming to get just quite enough -- until, of course, Nathaniel pulled away.
At first, Abbi was confused. The ardor at which had taken over them moments ago was gone in just seconds, and all she could do was stare at Nathaniel, who wouldn't meet her eyes with his head turned to the floor.
Then she finally realized what he was doing.
Nathaniel listened intently -- or from the actions he made, what she assumed was listening. She took a steady step closer to him; maybe she could hear whatever he wanted to hear, as well. But the moment she moved, he shook his head and turned hsi gaze back up to face her.
"Abigail, we need to go ... like, now." He said, already moving towards the exit. If it wasn't for Abbi, grabbing a hold of his shoulder, Nate would've probably walked right out the door.
"Why?" She said defiantly, even though minutes ago it was the only thing she wanted more than to kiss Nathaniel. In reality, she knew she was being stupid; there was a point when one wasn't supposed to ask questions, just take orders and do them. But Abigail didn't like the idea of not being fully aware of what's going on. She didn't want to be the one left standing there like an idiot, not sure whether her own death was imminent or not.
"It's starting." He motioned with his head towards the sudden, impercievable silence emincipating from downstairs. "And if we are to diflect the accusations, it would wise if both of us were present; seperately."
She didn't like the idea of going down there alone, and maybe he felt the same way, but she couldn't be sure because Nate was walking away, again.
"Nathaniel!" Abbi said in a hushed whisper. "I don't-"
He had suddenly taken her hands, smoothing her fingers down with his own, eyes beseeching hers. "I need you to remain calm, Love. Follow the staircase back into the Assembly; try not to attract attention and we'll meet up afterwards."
"But ... my mom," Abbi argued further, her gaze flicking in between the light behind his shoulder and the dimness shaidng parts of his face.
"Will be safe; I promise. We'll get her back ... I'll talk to Grandfather ... and ..." He seemed like he was trying to come up with excuses for himself and her. "And ... everything will be fine in the end. You'll see."
She couldn't really see the plus side to going back downstairs, but in the end, the only thing to keep her from thinking of the worse was to act upon what seemed easiest.
"Fine." Her voice was unsure, even to her own ears, but it didn't effect Nathaniel. He smiled grandly at her, then with a pointed turn he was off -- disapearing into the shadows like a ghost into a wall.
Then he was gone; just like that.
She probably should've felt more afraid than she actually was, but where her fear was lacking, a daze settled and she moved to the grand staircase once more, this time, to go back into the ballroom packed tight with vampires.
Abigail didn't know how she managed to take the first steps, but once she did, the rest were easy -- like moving in a trance. She descended the stairs, slowly but surely, feeling the sequins in her dress catch at the grooves in the wood, letting her face resemble the average, stupor vampire, while around her the Assembly remained unaffected.
Abbi noticed the exuberant woman -- standing on the stage that Abigail's mother had once been chained to -- turned on her with crazed yellow eyes, gleaming with sadistic satisfaction, and smiled; full lips curling into a smirk.
She turned her head away, hair moving back and worth as she sashayed onto the very edge of the stage, regarding the poeple below her with obvious distaste.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the woman drawled in the silkiest voice Abbi had heard, "the Laws above us are on verge of crashing down; the very roots of what we know as right is being threatened; threatened by your own brothers and sisters."
The mass did not react to her statement. Perhaps they'd already seen this coming, or were just too frozen to feel the electricity settle throughout them all.
"There are traitors amongst us." She said dramatically louder. "Those who have decided to disregard the laws so gracefully handed to you, the ones who have chosen to ignore the council. And for this, my people, we will all be punished."
Abbi's hand, resting on the shiny railing of the staircase, tightened. Across the ballroom, through the wave of pretty vampires, Nathaniel had just waltzed through a pair of doors. She would've once been glad to see his familiar face, but not now.
His entrance hadn't just caught her attention.
Behind the woman, a long couch, the color of wine, squatted in the center of the stage. Sitting in those posh cushions were five vampires -- some more frightening than others. On the left, the demonic twins watched the scene with glittering eyes. On the right, the lean young woman with honey hair sat very still -- she kept her eyes to the floor, but what Abigail hadn't noticed at first was she was also holding Alexander Drake's hand.
Alexander had made himself rather comfortable next to the skinny vampire, but he kept his eyes trained on the woman in front, his mouth turned down in a flat line. He had to have known what was going on, didn't he?
Abbi moved her eyes past them, though, glaring at the youthful-looking man regarding them all with lifeless eyes and a all-knowing expression.
Somehow managing to always be in the center of things, Lucifer was settled into the middle of the sofa; admiring the spectacle before him. With the way Abigail had so blindly decieved by the vampire, she now felt the fire in her veins ignite; lighting an anger that was directly pointed at him. As if sensing her gaze, Lucifer met Abigail's eyes.
He dipped his head in her direction then smirked, making the blood go ice cold in her veins as he stared through her.
"But first, I want to give a special round of applause to a few of the most disloyal in our race." She hissed through a creepy grin, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. "Treachory is untollerable ... and for your direct crimes, all of you will suffer impendent death."
This time, the vampires all seemed suddenly very conscious to the poeple around them. Like the shifty creatures they were, each of them gave the person beside them a look; speaking, could it be him, or her? Could they be the traitors?
The woman let out a victorious laugh, but in which, her face went slack -- eery eyes narrowing as the cackle pacified. She looked almost confused, that was, until her head was knocked back by some invisible force and she groaned; throaty and bizarre.
No one but Abigail seemed deeply bothered by the fact that the woman's shoulders were suddenly shaking -- a strange, violent shaking that had her entire frame quivering. The mass, in fact, were only staring stock-still, eyes wide and faces gaunt.
Then, in one last jerky movement, her arm swung up towards the crowd, one finger jutting out to point into wave of perfect faces.
The vampires pushed themselves away from the range of aim. Parting like the Red Sea, each of them spread away until they left two of their own standing at the end of the tunnel.
Abigail stumbled slightly, her mouth falling open, while at the same time, the woman screeched a word. One single word, that was as grave as all the rest spewing from her mouth. "Traitors!" She cried.
Patten and Evie stood there at the end, holding each other's hands like it was the only lifeline in the room -- which was probably true. Neither of them appeared shocked though, and in the heinous part of her head Abigail knew this was probably her fault -- but she also knew she didn't want to be standing there with them, defending them; Abbi was already going to die.
And so she watched, like a cowardly criminal, as her friends stepped forward, both with a much stronger looking vampire on their sides, their hands remaining entwined.
She saw Nathaniel move just as the woman up front had another tremulous fit; hands shaking, body unnaturally convulsing. Then, with a new choked wail she snapped her eyes open and turned around to face the few persons lounging on that sofa.
The council watched her with curious eyes, not unsettled, just merely lazy, as she pointed to the very far right of their posse.
At first, Abigail couldn't see who it was because the woman's body blocked her view -- but as the she stepped back a little, a small smile on the corner of her mouth, and whispered once again "Traitor" Abbi finally found the familiar face, too surprised to really react.
Alexander tore his hand away from the woman next him, his mouth yanking open like he was about to protest but before he could possibly do anything, what appeared to be a guard (similar to the ones next to Patten and Evie) put a large hand on his shoulder and uprooted the man from his seat.
The possessed woman laughed again; her aqueous eyes flashing as she raised her hand up once more, not bothering to flounder around this time, and pointed again.
Nathaniel, far too busy trying to comprehend what had just happened seconds ago, was not paying attention to what was happening now. He didn't seem to notice how the people around him had scurried away, or how Abigail -- now at the base of the stairs -- gasped, the only awknowleding sound in the entire ballroom.
Except of course for the foreseeable word that echoed off the cielings, bounced around the walls, then made Abbi want to drop to her knees.
"Traitor!" The woman screamed to the crowd. "Traitor!" She jumped up and down, her hands flying this way and that, all the while the vampires watched like innocent bystanders as one other guard suddenly molded from the crowd and locked his firm arms around Nate.
"These persons are found guilty under the crimes of breaking and disregarding are sacred laws!" The woman's voice was like an undercurrent of goading. One by one each of the vampires started to get upset, calling out to their neighbors, jabbing their fingers in the traitors' directions, before in only a few seconds, they'd all responded in an uproar.
"This one!" She gestured wildly to Nate, a shadow falling across her face. "chose to break one of the most important of our laws! He's fallen in love with a human; a blood whore; a distgusting mundane." The crowd audibly gasped, while most looked disgusted, some few had to right themselves, like just the mere thought had them losing their balance.
Abbi had to push back the nausea rising to her throat. These people, most of whom had once been human, were acting as if the notion of love between their kind and another was as deadly as small-pox; an impurity to the imperfection that was a vampire. Abigail had never felt such a rage, yet saturated fear building in her chest. How could they be so cruel? She believed Nathaniel and her's love was of the purest; there was nothing wrong with it; and there never would be, yet, as she watched their eyes slowly inflame with anger and repulsion, Abbi knew she would not sway a single one; they were doomed.
"And these," There was another display of indication to Alexander, Evangeline, and Patten, "have haboured his crimes! Helped him openly defile the rules above us!" Again, the vampires were upsetted, crying out in horror, and wildly moving amongst themselves.
It took several minutes to calm them down enough, and in this time the wicked female had composed herself again -- looking completely serene and beautiful -- to stare them all down with a pair of snake-like eyes.
"Sons and Daughters of The Night," She addressed them all with a low booming voice, "will we allow the simple inanity of a human and one stupid vampire risk our cover? The secrecy of our race?"
A throng of them stepped forward, outraged, and raised their hands again; shouting vulgar words and exclaiming their wraths', but most, who continuously stood there making no knowledge of the situation, that was until -- almost like they read each others' minds -- each and every vampire put a finger up to their throat and drew a careful line there. The action was simple, and it meant one thing; death.
Abigail was dumbstruck, she had no comprehension of what was happening, yet, she knew everything. Nathaniel was wrong; there would be no pursuading this crowd of their innocence.
So instead of speaking, or really reacting, Abbi reasoned with herself. While Nate, Evie, Patten, and Alexander remained in the clutches of the thick, overly-muscled men, she would have no saviors at the moment; which meant that she would have to stay level-headed; calm.
But how in God's sake was she supposed to do that while the one she loved was being dropped at the foot of the Council?
The Council. Abbi's subconscience was, once again, that half-empty opinion -- taunting her with the threat of something she would never have control of. If only there was someway she could get to them, taunt them like they had her.
But that was impossible because the Lord of Taunting held his chess peices very closely; almost as close as they sharp way he watched Abigail now, those lifeless eyes like orbs of ridicule.
Abbi found she couldn't pull her stare away from Lucifer's.
This was all his doing, yet somehow, the weight of it all crushed her shoulders -- like the sky, falling from above to land in her hands, she being the only one who could ever hold it up off the ground.
Then Abigail felt a rough tug at the hem of her gown.
It was the sharp movement that brought Abigail from her reverie, but it was also the movement that made her stumble -- stumble down one step, to finally realize the force overwhelming her was not pressure pent up time and time again; it was the gravity of each and every stare, focused solely on her.
Abbi registered the noise next. They were all yelling; trying to tear past one another to reach her ... until one finally did. A cold figure rose from the wave, face pale eyes red, and without any warning, he crouched low to the ground, then pounced.
She was painfully thrown back on the stairway, landing, not only with a smack, but with the solid corpse of a man on top of her. He snarled down upon Abigail, two long canines jutting from thin lips. And when he raised his head, like a catapult preparing to release it's shot, Abbi lost every drop of her level-headedness; she shook in her fear, arms propelling around to get some sort of leverage against this man. Whipping her head to the side, Abigail found the one person she was looking for.
He was struggling, thrashing around in his captors' arms; a mad-man straight from an asylum.
"Nathaniel!" Abigail screamed; she couldn't keep the tremor from her voice.
\The woman's voice echoed in the background, urging the vampires on; "Look at the way she calls to her lover, ladies and gentlemen! Will you stand for this?"
Nate looked up for only a second. When she met his gaze his eyes were roiling, crystalline waves; angry and vengeful. But he only took seconds to see her situation; and whether it was to try and get away from the guards or to give up on her entirely, Abigail couldn't be sure, because the entire ballroom was suddenly, unexplainably, scorched in blackness.
The dark settled around her like a cape. Abigail hardly had time to savor the surprise before the weight flattening her against the stairs was ripped away. Several different pairs of hands now had hold of her dress. They screeched, and tugged, and ripped at her -- but unless they had night vision, there was no possible way any of them would ever see her.
"Get up!" A silky voice demanded from above. Abigail almost thought it was Nathaniel, coming to her rescue, but that was impossible; not even Nathaniel Drake could move that fast.
She would've sat there and pondered the familiarity of such voice if it weren't for his hands, grabbing her waist and dragging Abbi up onto her feet again.
"Abigail," He hissed in her ear. "You need to go, up the stairs -- go up, get out, and run. I will hold these ones off."
The orders were just meaningless words, ones that she could've ignored if she wanted to, but somehow, Abbi was moving back up the staircase -- tripping over the steps and the ragged ends of her gown. She looked back, trying to place that voice to a face, but everything was blank, and her throught process was far too muddled to even be a process by now.
So she stumbled onwards, listening to the crashing rate of her heart and the livid screams and hollaring coming from downstairs.
Abigail didn't dare make a noise, but she could not see; the darkness being a traitorous ally, and inevitably, she knew she was lost. Lost in a house of vampires that wanted justice for her crimes. There was no way she would find an escape in this gloom, and she could not call out to her friends.
Abigail, now blind as she stumbled down the hall, held her hands in front of her, feeling her way out using the walls. In the crevices of her mind, she knew that this manor was too huge for her to simply "get out". Not only were the lights seemingly nonexistent, but the place was thriving with vampires - vampires, who just seconds ago, had wanted to brutally tear her to pieces.
She was panting already; whether it was from the exertion of merely scrabbling from her death moments before, or the heavy artillery punching back her will - Abbi really didn't know. Nor could she afford to right now.
This place was like a ticking time bomb; never knowing when the next explosion would hit, and until then, she was set in an inferno of tension.
Abigail's motivations varied, too.
Maybe if she really was trying to save her own life, she would've run faster. But now, not only did Lucifer have her mom, but the only people who'd been with Abbi from the beginning. And the prospects of losing any of them were unbearable.
In that small amount of time, in which Abbi had truly lost herself to the dark forces of her imagination, she had run out of wall.
Abigail fell forward slightly, the hard surface her fingers had once been trailing along was gone - and so was Abbi's sense of direction. She was lost in an endless black, surrounding from all corners and pushing her further into the heart of the mansion.
The same second Abigail realized she was exceptionally screwed, a pair of hands clamped down on her shoulders.
She jumped out of her skin, the sharp cry escaping her mouth loud enough to echo around the unknown room. The hands were firm, yet warm, and they loosened greatly at her reaction.
"Abigail, I thought that smell was you." Patten said in all seriousness, his voice like the only grasp back into the present.
Abbi surprised herself, leaping into Patten's arms like they were a rescue boat for the Titanic. With a sob of pure relief, her hands came up and probed his face - just to be sure she wasn't imagining him.
He hugged her briefly. Setting Abigail back onto her own feet, Patten - still completely indistinguishable in the dark - was quick to take her hand, though his hold was strangely limp and clammy.
"Where are Nathaniel and Evangeline?" Abbi asked the moment she had gotten her heart to settle into its usual rhythm. Patten did not answer immediately; his expression seemed unsure, but his eyes remained confident and when he did finally respond, there was some kind of infidelity underneath his forced optimism.
"They ... they're supposed to meet us outside the manor. I came to find you while Evie took Nathaniel and Lord Alexander."
"But they are okay, right?"
He gave her a sparring look before completely changing the subject. "We have to move - it's not safe with all these advocates running amuck, plus with the storm now completely above us-"
"Storm?" Abigail asked, her head involuntarily turning up to watch the ceiling, as if it somehow was the storm and not just a completely shadowy space above them.
"Apparently, the lightning has affected all the power in the building; but even so, it supplies a very adequate diversion, which also means, we really need to get out of here. The Council won't let a few sparky clouds ruin their hunger for hypocritical justice." He said firmly, grabbing a hold of Abbi's arm and pulling her into the dimness, hanging around them like fog.
Abigail had no sense of direction, and she wasn't sure if Patten felt the same, but for some reason, his footfalls were confident, like he knew where he was going. So, putting as much faith in the boy as she could muster, Abbi held onto his lanky arm like a child would hold onto their parent - allowing her to be guided deeper and deeper into the labyrinth.
The yelling, back in that ballroom of treason, was now a soft chorus way far off. That mean they'd probably gotten farther than Abbi could perceive.
She thought about Lucifer, then.
There was no telling where he and his company were, but the threat of his power was still fresh in her mind, and even more so, the idea of what would happen if he caught up to them. All excuses put aside, Abigail was frightened to the point of submission. If she'd been in this alone, there would not have been the slightest of chance she'd have the courage to stand up to him, or any of the others for that matter.
She was, truly, the weakest link in this equation.
Abbi couldn't possibly make out anything in this dark, and she had shrunk against Patten to the point where they could've been connected as one. Then there was Nathaniel and Evangeline and Alexander, who had suffered from her choices to stay in love with a vampire.
And most recently, there was that unknown voice - the one Abbi hadn't been able to put an identity to. He seemed so foreign, yet, unexplainably familiar, and the way he'd so bravely let her free so he would face the rabid vampires, alone.
Then too, she had let her actions most likely end - if not severely damage - his life.
Lost in her wandering thoughts, Abigail was startled when she suddenly went down, her palms just barely stopping the worst of her fall.
"Are you okay?" He was there in a flash, trying to pull Abbi up off the floor. She was fine, a little shaken but still in good health. Abbi admitted to being clumsy, but she'd never just simply tripped over her own feet (or at least, she didn't do it often).
What caught her attention, though, was her gold dress - now slightly visible in the gloom. The tattered edges had caught on an object that rose from the wood, shiny and black.
She inclined her head, finally noticing the small square window set high in the wall beside them. The haze outside the window had parted, revealing the moon - a translucent light shown into the spacious room.
Abbi glanced at Patten, her eyes burning as she turned her gaze back to the object she'd so ineptly fallen over.
It was a shoe, upset on its side showing the worn soles and ripped seams.
And the moment she saw it, another wave of nausea rolled over her. Abbi's tear glands were starting to work up again, the lump in her throat making it impossible to breath, or make a sound.
Abigail skidded across the floor, snatching up the shoe like it was diamond and hugged it to her chest.
Patten was there again, his hands fastening onto her shoulders. "Abigail, come on, we don't have time for this. We need to-"
"This is my mother's shoe." She interjected weakly, trying to stop the water threatening her eyes.
He was silent, and although she thought she heard him curse to himself under a huff of breath ... there was no way she would allow her mom to slip through her fingers once again.
Her resolve was strong; stronger than most of the time, and she held onto that shoe like a destitute would his last morsel of food. "I won't leave you again, mom. I promise I won't leave you here ..." She whispered, rocking slightly on her heels, back and forth like a soothing cradle. The tears were coming, Abbi knew it.
"We can - we can come back and get your mom, Ab. I swear. But I promised Nathaniel, and Evangeline that I would return with you as soon as possible. We have to get outside."
In the next second, there was a loud boom - the sound of the storm out the window finally breaking - followed by the distinct strike of lightning, lighting up the sky with a white electric barb.
They both flinched.
Abigail stood, ignoring her dress pulling the floors as she did so. "I will not leave my mom with him again." She hissed through clenched teeth.
"But Abig-"
"No." She all but snarled, the light catching her eyes and making them glow molten gold. "You can go back to your wife and the others, but I will not leave her behind."
"You don't understand," Patten argued his voice urgent. "It's possible she'd already dead. You'd be walking right back into their bloodthirsty arms!"
"I'm not leaving the break open to possibility. I have to go, Patten. She's my mom." Abbi set her jaw, clenching her fists at her sides as she turned smartly around, just as the moon veiled again with darkness, leaving them in the obscure.
Abigail took an unsteady step forward, then another, before she was moving with precision back into the complete black. Patten did not call after her. She tried to ignore the twinge in her chest; some part of her had expected him to come with her, and yet, she was stupid to believe that he would.
Her own love for Nathaniel would never amount to Patten's feelings for Evangeline.
And so Abigail was alone again, lost in this sea of confusing turns and sickening, nightmarish thoughts, with only the fragile shoe - wrenched so tightly in her fingers - to push her forward, back into the bowls of the mansion.
******
You'd be surprised how difficult this was to write. I experienced an extreme case of Writer's Block.
Ten Votes for the hard work?