Cognata: A Vampire Romance (20 page)
I held my hand out, ready to wipe his infectious existence off the face of the world and yet, I stood there frozen - unable to act. Aristide caught my hesitation and came to my side, holding my hand, charging his own dark gifts with mine.
"You did a grave mistake. With the Society gone, armies will come from the north. Uprisings will move from the south. The whole world will come for your head. You are a relic of the past and you will always be my puppet. Even now - you're still doing as you're told."
Aristide was nudging me to do it, but I held the power in my hand.
"Kill me, puppet." Caelinus shouted. "Kill me like the good girl you are... "
"No." I hissed at the mangled nightwalker. "Do it yourself." And with that, I dissipated the energy and curled it away, refusing to let him make me his toy again. This, 'pain', this whole life of living in shadow, feeding and raping, killing and destroying
- was I to carry this man's scars with me forever?
Hold onto the insecurities, make myself into walking death? How long was I to let Caelinus, and men like him keep me down and control me?
No. This ends tonight. I refuse to be their instrument.
I turned away, my revenge peculiarly fulfilled and a strange sense of calmness came over me. In the distance, I could hear the ruffles of the leaves, the thirst of the Strigoy - drawing nearer. If Caelinus was so eager to die, then it'd be their doing.
Aristide didn't wait around either. We departed the area, hearing the tortured screams of the brat prince, crying for a quicker death on our way out. The Strigoy devoured him, ripping him to shreds, feeding off his bits. That would be his own undoing, and he'd have no one else to blame but himself; for this was his fate, and fate came calling. Still, it bothered me as we drew nearer to Sam and Sergio who'd been waiting in a safer part of the forest.
All that power he amassed, he couldn't have done it alone. And what he said about those armies coming for me? I knew a storm was brewing in the horizon but was it wrong to assume he'd just been a pretentious jackass? Caelinus was only one head of the Hydra.
There are others I don't know about.
They're still out there, brooding and waiting. They still wish to keep my kind down.
I won't allow it.
"I've done what I can for the pureblood." Sergio had Sam leaned comfortably against a rock, "It will not be enough. He's lost too much blood. He won't make it another hour." The Wolf Man came to my side, held my arm and I felt a warm sensation ridding me of the bullet's poison. He then stepped aside while I went to my love. I quietly stopped down and gently caressed his face with my fingers, contemplating the severity of what I was about to do.
"Let him go." Aristide bitterly remarked. "You know what he's led you into before. Don't repeat the same mistake again."
I fluttered my eyes in disdain, still paying attention to Sam, "Would you like to add yourself to that list of mistakes as well?"
He immediately became startled. "There is nothing you can do for him, Alexia."
"Actually, there is." My mind was already set.
"You can't possibly be serious!" Aristide was appalled in his assumption. "I forbid it! He can never be one of us! This era is too dangerous. The humans of this time are depraved in their minds!"
"You are in no position to forbid, or permit. Besides, he's no regular human." I smiled. "He's mine."
Aristide couldn't whisper another word. There was nothing he could say to change my mind, although, he was partly right. I didn't have the intention to turn Sam into one of us, but there would be something in between that would have to work. I held my wrist out, looking at Sam's fading gaze, then I bit into it - spilling my blood on his lips. I gently guided his face to suck on my veins, feeding him into becoming something... more.
Life came to his eyes almost instantly, and both desire and will flushed into his broken body. He held me tighter, and I wondered if it was really the right decision, especially with Aristide in the background waiting for the moment Sam snapped.
'Look at me, my love.'
I whispered into his mind, trying to guide him past the animalistic blood frenzy he was experiencing.
'Stay with me. Remember who I am. Remember who you are.'
I was prepared to let him take my whole arm off, but I remained hopeful. I knew Sam and he knew me. If this love was really meant to be in this lifetime, then he'd stop. He had to - for me.
'Stay with me... '
I pleaded as he began draining me lifeless.
I could hear the footsteps of Aristide and even Sergio ready to pounce in and rip Sam to shreds, but I quickly gave them a ferocious glance that told them both -
back off.
"Stay with me... " I whispered aloud, softly letting him feel my fingers trail down his quickly healing face. Then, it happened. Sam's unnatural urge to consume me came to an end, and his eyes became enlightened when he realized he was not dead and this was no dream. I was there. I was real, and I was right at his side. He removed my hand from his mouth, the blood still dripping down his luscious lips.
He looked into my eyes and a sudden feeling of euphoria shattered our doubts. I wanted to tell him something, but he wouldn't give me the chance. With his newfound strength, he reeled me in, kissing me deeply; the blood on our lips dripping down our chins. Our foreheads touched and we became silent, forgetting the world around us.
"Now, if you don't mind... " He struggled to collect his thoughts. "Can you tell me what you did to me? Am I vampire?"
"Not quite." I said.
"I see." He frowned, "Then I'm yours." The frown abruptly turned into a smile.
How did he know that?
"I love you." He whispered. "Forever."
"I love you too." I smiled in victory.
Sergio came to our side, still unimpressed and detached in his usual manner but that was Sergio, and I loved him for it. He looked out to the night sky, still focused on the tribulations to come.
"This isn't the final victory, Misty White." He warned, "You know what's coming. Don't you?"
"I do." I looked up at him confidently.
"And you're prepared to take on this destiny?"
"You know that I am."
He chuckled in amusement. Wings grew behind his back as he proceeded to head to the ledge. "You should've called me sooner." He warned. "That was cutting it way too close."
"Thank you for coming anyway." I smirked.
"I will always be yours to command as long as you bring balance to our kind." His wings extended and a soft boom shook the area around us as he took flight and flew off into the night.
Aristide would be the next to say his goodbyes, but I knew he wasn't ready to really affirm that. My maker had no intention of giving me up that easily. He didn't bother looking at Sam, disgusted by the fact I'd made him my own ghoul.
"One day, my debt will be repaid." He whispered to me as I rose to my feet. His cold fingers, trailing across my cheek - "And we will be together again, as Maker and Child."
Before I could respond, he turned to shadows and vanished into thin air, taking his signature coldness with him. I thought of his words, demanding as they were, there was still some comfort in being protected by him. Then there were two, as they say. I held Sam's hand, helping him up and led him to the ledge where Sergio had taken off from, to view the beautiful moon.
"Can you forgive me for what I've done to you?" I needed to know.
"That depends." He turned me around, forcing me to take my mind off the perils of the world - at least, just for this one moment and just focus on him and him alone. The repercussions of being a ghoul wouldn't immediately come into play just yet, but I was prepared to deal with the consequences of what was to follow.
"Promise me something." He spoke clearly.
"What?"
"Don't ever give in."
Nathaniel's words hadn't left his spirit after all, hmm?
"You know I won't." I beamed as my grip tightened around his hand. "Never again."
The troubles of this world may know no end, at least not in this century. I will never be able to get my lost child back, nor will I become human, yet these scars come to an end on this day. Everyone has their own pains, their own failures and disgraces, but it takes a deep inner strength to overcome them and move on to a possibly better future. I'm prepared to take on my role in this grand architecture; defend my kin and do what I must. It may not be perfect, but I know the decisions we make - from here on out, will be made with something my kind had long abandoned.
Hope.
From Double Dragon Publishing
www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
Nyxe
Nyxe... a genetically enhanced young woman awakens in an underground facility where she discovers a mission left behind by her forefathers - rebuild the earth.
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