Three months ago, I lost the two halves of my heart.
Three months ago, I stood in front of the man who took so much from me and I let him get away.
Three months ago, I let the good of my people, my training soldiers, my friends and family, die by the hands of the monster that is Lucious.
I am not the same girl I was three months ago.
I'll never be.
"Anne! Should I wrap these or just let them air dry?" Levi walked over carrying the newest arrow shafts.
Stainless steel tips with a hard wood stem to make sure that when it went through, it stuck.
I eyed them over and picked one up, "Just wipe them down and then start wrapping them. Make sure you use the rough tape." I wanted it to hurt.
"Sounds good. Are you coming to the bonfire tonight?" He asked as he began furrowing his brows to watch and keep guard of my expressions.
I've been doing good to keep myself looking like my old self, sarcastic and witty. Yet inside I feel the dark and heavy ache, the emptiness within me that's slowly rotting me away.
'Such a shame too, I was really hoping they'd gut you up and feed you to Israfel while you stood screaming.'
Shut up, you're not Michael.
'But I am. This, this is who I've always been Annalise.'
Go away, I'm not in the mood for your shit right now.
'Tell me Ace, does it bother you that you will never see the old Lilith again?'
His voice was taunting me again, he wanted me to lash out, to look crazy. He wanted me to look unhinged and unready to help and to conquer this fucking war.
But I'm not crazy, I'm a woman looking for vengeance.
'I'm so proud of what she's become. She feeds and she lets them feed on her. I like to watch.'
Get the fuck out of my head!
'Especially when her bodies just absolutely stunning. They really like her here, Verin admires her hunger and endless energy.'
I felt my heart race in fury and anger, don't let him get to you Anne! Don't!
'You'd think she'd be sore but she likes it. Did you know your sister was such a kinky little vampore?'
That's it!
Going to the kitchen, I headed past the cooks and to the freezer pulling out a tub of ice cream and scooping a massive piece before shoving it in my mouth.
Fucking hell! Shit! Oh, that hurts!
Cold, so fucking cold.
Snake venom didn't work the first time I tried it, and then I tried some spells. Nothing seems to get him to shut up or leave besides some good old fashion Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
As his voice faded, I let out an aggravated scream before slamming my hand into the counter and dropping my head to its cool granite counters.
Michael isn't the same, they tortured him, they used his weakness for me to pull him deeper into the darkness. He's so far gone now, so far gone.
My heart ached because I knew when I met him, he fed on humans but also kept his main diet of foods. He wasn't savage.
This Michael, his entire diet is vampires. He's untamed and ruthless. Apparently Lily is too, but I know us Dragos woman, we don't go down too easy.
I'm going to win this fucking war, and I am going to kill that son of a bitch Lucious.
Then, I will take Michael and Lily, lock them away and make sure they come back to me.
Heading out the kitchen while apologizing to the cooks and telling them I was okay, I headed through the double doors, in and up the stairs, past the doors and to the small and simple wall.
My hands ran over it softly, my heart trembling before I softly and quietly whispered the words into the wall, "In caritate perpetua" I stepped back and the wall pressed in before moving aside.
I'd been so drunk the night Michael brought me here, but I remembered the wall, the words.
I stepped inside and the door shut behind me, my feet taking me down the steps and through the mesmerizing rose garden.
Grabbing the small watering can by the end of the steps, I filled it with the water of the lake and began watering each rose to sooth my mind.
Lucious's reckoning will come, and I will hand it to him in the most brutal, selfish and unfairest way I could possibly think of.
He will live, he will not die because the pain he's brought to me is enough to last me my entire life, and so, until my dying breath, I will be giving him what he deserves.
His Reckoning.
MICHAELS POV:
Again, she's frozen me out.
She's afraid of what's to come, but I am not. I know that one day I will stand before her and we will fight to the death and I will win. I know more than she wishes I would ever know.
"Michael, your fiancé is asking for you. Should I send her up?" Gloria asked as she looked to me and then over at Lilith who sat on the chair eyeing her over in hunger.
I moved my focus from Lilith, back to Gloria, "Yes, have her sent up." I said watching her turn and head out the door shutting it behind her.
Dahlia was an untimely and aggravating woman. She made my skin crawl and my body ache to run the opposite way.
I'll marry her though, whether I like it or not, mostly for my duty towards Israfel. We need her people, her alliances and their support in this war.
I've heard Annalise's thoughts, she thinks they should bring the humans into this, that they'd have more than enough support that way.
Too bad she is unaware of the fact that Humans are fucking cowards! Selfish cowards who only do for themselves.
"You need to fuck." Lilith stated bored and yet so powerful, She was definitely a Dragos at heart.
I didn't like her in the way that my father hoped I would, in fact I almost despise her for being so much like Anne.
Always so dependent, "I don't need to fuck Lilith, I need to feed." I said aggravated by her continuous attempts to try and get me to have sex.
Im staying clear from that, far from it, especially since my dick betrays me and only get hard at that thought of Anne.
Fuck.
"Another boner, what is that? The third one this morning?" Lilith asked as she got up and walked over to me.
She met my eyes and pat my chest, "You need to get your head in the fucking game Mike. We're counting on you to kill her, to end the last lineage of Nyx." She said scowling at me in a way that told me, whatever Lily used to be, she isn't that anymore.
Maybe it was the beating, the feeding, the raping. Maybe it was the branding, the starvation or the hunger.
I couldn't tell which part broke her.
To be honest, I can't remember when I broke. Somewhere between the first drowning and the second set of whips.
All I know is that I can not fucking stand Annalise Dragos and I will be so pleased to bring her shattered and broken corpse to Israfel to reintroduce this new world.
The better world.
The world of Reckoning.
THOMAS'S POV:
"She's your daughter and I just feel like if there's ever a time to come out, it's now. You need to tell her." Jolene's voice was soft and reassuring.
I've avoided having to do this for a while now, the thought of confessing to her that I'm her dad just felt a bit...well it felt like I didn't deserve the right.
The very first day I met Kilana, I was in absolute love. She was everything I could ever want in a woman, but I knew that she loved Lucious more than she could ever love me.
It hurt, that the one person she loved more than me wounded up her downfall.
Jolene though, she's always been there. I often think about what my life with Jolene would've been like instead. Then I remember, I never would've had Annalise and now that I've met her, I cant imagine a life without her.
I can still remember the first time I ever held her, right after I brought Jolene and Kilana's body to the castle. I laid Kilana down for her brother and sisters, and took that little girl into my arms.
I was terrified, my arms shaking and my heart beating madly.
In that moment I knew I could never love anyone more in the world.
There was no one I trusted better to raise Annalise than my own brother and his wife Abbigale. The two did so lovely, I am so proud of the strong and magnificent woman that girl is growing in to.
Kilana would be the proudest mother, mostly because she's so much like her.
"You're thinking about her." Jolene said softly while walking over and running a hand up my arm in a comforting manner.
I nodded once, "I'm just thinking about how much Anne's like her." I said with a soft smile.
She smirked up at me, "She's a lot more like you than she is like her mother." Her words felt nice.
I smiled down at her, "She's a bit of you too." I spoke softly, afraid it might scare her away from her close proximity.
I've loved Jolene for years, but I can't remember when that love went from wanting to be around her to wanting to lie with her, kiss her, to hold her.
She gave me those big green eyes and I noted the fact that Anne has that same look when she's afraid.
Jolene dropped her hand to her stomach, running her hand over the scar.
I felt the sickness grow in my stomach.
Placing my hand over hers, I pulled her to my chest wrapping my arms around her as she slowly laid her head on my shoulder.
To the world she's a powerful magnificent woman with a history so harsh and horrid that they wonder if she even has feelings left.
To me, she's a beautiful, confused and misunderstood woman who's strength can falter sometimes, but it's okay because I'll always be there when it does.
"Go tell her." She said pulling back and giving my cheek a small kiss before she turned and walked to her book shelf eyeing the books.
I gave her a look over, admiring her beauty and strength before I turned and headed out the door.
Following the sound of Anne's voice commanding Dimitri and Leandro to lift, "Get it up, come on boys, put your back into it!" She said aggravated.
Yeah, she's definitely my daughter.
I headed out the back door and noticed the guys lifting the crates of new weaponry.
"Can you go sign for the weapons?" Anne asked me as she noticed me.
Her eyes focused back on the crates as she counted them.
Smirking, I headed over to the humans.
Three young men who all looked around the same age, I remember these kiddos. The Viper brothers, they could be useful for the war coming. I'll make sure to bring that up with Jolene.
"Judah." I said holding my hand out to the eldest brother.
He gave me a small nod, "Thomas, great seeing you again. I didn't know you worked for the academy." He said gesturing to the castle.
I eyed it over and then looked to Anne, "I'm here on special business. How many more shipments do we have?" I asked him looking to the big truck being unloaded.
Judah looked over at his brother Valdus, "Three more trucks." Valdus said crossing his arms over his chest while watching Annalise.
Ha, a human with my daughter.
I watched him before I signed for the weaponry, "Let your dad know I'll be staying in contact. We might need more than just weaponry." I said handing the clipboard back to him.
He nodded, "Are we talking workers?" He asked discreetly.
I've hired his brothers before, great assassins.
I gave a single nod and he gave a stern smile, "We would love to, just keep in contact." He said before turning and going to the truck.
Valdus kept his eyes on Anne who was staring back at him. Her eyes heavy on his, and I stepped forward looking to him and catching his stare, "Don't look at my daughter that way unless you'd like me to show you where we keep the dead bodies." I said smiling softly.
His eyes ran over me and then Anne before he nodded, "My apologies." He said before turning and going to the door pulling it open and going in.
Damn right.
I walked back over to Anne and gestured for her to follow me. "I'm busy old man, every second matters." She said opening a crate and lifting one of the guns out turning and eyeing it over.
She's definitely her mother's daughter.
"Come on, this is important." I said watching her look to me and then nod tossing the gun to Bronx and following me.
I watched her stand beside me eyeing the fences being put up.
Giving a nod to Abe as he walked by carrying a crate of ammo, I ignored the fact he almost had sex with Anne and focused back on the fact.
"What's so important?" Anne asked looking over at me.
I stared down at her, "I uh, I wanted to just say that I- well you're a lot like your mother." I tried introducing the topic.
She smirked, "Oh please don't tell me you loved her too." She said laughing low.
I shook my head, "No, not loved, love. I still love her." I corrected watching her furrow her eyebrows "I thought you loved Jolene." She said cocking an eyebrow at me insinuating things.
Staring at her I nodded, "Again, love, not loved. My love for both of them is..." my mind ran over the fact Jolene's definitely listening. "My love is everlasting for the both of them." I said clearing my throat.
She nodded, "So is this you asking advice about Jolene? Because I know she's my aunt but I won't help you. I've got too much already." She said crossing her arms over her chest reminding me of Kilana.
I smiled softly, "No, I actually wanted to ask if we could have dinner. You and I." I said watching her stop in place and look at me grossed out, "Thomas, you're like fifty." She said cringing.
Oh god, "No, not like that you dumbass." I said realizing this isn't going anywhere as planned.
"Were you there the night my mom died?" She asked catching me off guard.
I looked her over as the feelings inside me filled into fear. I gave a nod, "You couldn't have saved her?" She asked softly.
My heart struck and I felt the tears pinch at my eyes "No, not-I wasn't close enough. I love her, and I tried. I did, but I couldn't make it in time." I said trying to ignore the night wanting to flash back.
She ran a hand over my arm, "I wasn't there when they took Lily, I don't know what my mom was to you, but Lily is my world. I hate that I failed her." She said breaking my heart.
It takes a lot to break this old mans heart, but my daughters blame on herself and feeling of helplessness was enough.
I took a shaky breath "My wife." I said watching her wait, "Your wife what?" She asked as we slowly walked around by the garden.
Shit, this is harder than I thought it'd be.
"My wife, that's who your mom was to me." I said softly before moving my focus to her.
She's stopped in her place and stared over at me with a heavy frown and furrowed brows.
Anne stepped forward and placed a hand to my arm confusion spilling over her face, "Who are you to me then?" She asked quietly.
I'd figured that would add up, but maybe I'd have to say it.
I looked her expression over, "I wanted to be there, for every part of your life Anne, but I wasn't the type of guy who could father alone. Abbigale and Jeffrey did amazing and you're more the woman I ever hoped you'd be. You make me so proud." I said feeling the tears well up.
She looked to my arm and her chest rose and fell quicker, she looked a bit paler, "You're my dad." She said so softly, I barely heard it.
I gave a nod and she stepped back staring at me for a while, her face expressions changing from surprise, confusion, pain, fear, sadness and then a soft smile.
Anne began crying and looked up at me wiping her tears, "I'm sorry, I've just-I've been looking for you for years." She sniffled and then smiled at me, "I mean I guess I should've guessed. You have great comebacks." She said laughing and shaking her head.
She dropped her stare to the floor, "Thank you for telling me and thank you for entrusting Jeffrey and Abbigale." She said surprising me.
I kind of expected her to be angry.
Her eyes moved to my eyes, "I might've driven you insane. It's a good thing you didn't raise me." She said laughing.
I gave her a soft smile, "You're a good kid Anne, just uh, stop trying to get with the off limit guys. You're killing me here making me worry." I said watching her smirk and nod once.
She looked to me and smiled wide, "It all makes sense now, I always thought you were just some old fashion man. Now I see you're just a protective father." She said cocking an eyebrow at me.
"Anne, Killian's looking for you." Anastasia broke our conversation giving us both a small smile.
Anne gave me a small smile and then headed inside.
Anastasia eyed Annalise over, "Heart to heart?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest and walking over.
I gave a small nod, "I told her that I'm her dad. She took it a lot better than I expected her to take it." I said thoughtfully.
She smiled over at me, "That's good, so Jolene must be rubbing off on her." She said laughing.
Kilana definitely would've been furious, so would I.
Not Jolene though.
Shit, maybe she is part Jolene.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Here's a tease and piece of the second book to Vangsvere Academy. Recently Wattpad has closed down the feature in which I get paid to write. It won't stop me from writing and doing what I love. Money or not, I write because it bring my mind peace and makes me happy.
XOXO love you all.