by Ivy Carter
I do a 360 around the entire deserted deck. Taking in every possible angle of this astonishing view. Tristan doesn’t take his eyes off me. He chuckles when I get excited about something. But he continues to wear that same boyish smile even when he isn’t laughing at my antics.
I soon make my complete circle taking everything in. I could stay up here forever. It’s exquisite. Everything about this view is astonishing times ten.
“How did you pull this off?” I turn from my new favorite place and ask my new favorite man.
“I paid the security guard to take the night off.” He states simply as if him planning this. Taking me to one of the most romantic places in the world. Showing me one of the most amazing views in the world. Is nothing at all.
“You are amazing.” I tell him still wearing my face splitting smile.
“I would do anything to make you smile like that.” He whispers to me as he comes up behind me wrapping me in his firm embrace. He rests his head on my shoulder looking out over the most romantic city in the world. Sharing this with me.
The shell I have erected around my heart cracks a bit. Who am I kidding there is a huge gaping hole in that shell now. And Tristan is walking right on through and making himself at home there. The place that I vowed never to let another man into.
I shiver…Finally realizing the wind is damned ice cold and I didn’t bring a jacket. Tristan feels it. He pulls back and removes his suite jacket to wrap it around me. I snuggle into the piece of clothing as soon as he has it wrapped around my shoulders. Mmmmm. It smells like him. Dark and delicious.
Once he wraps his arms around me again. I sniff the jacket again. I want to know what kind of cologne he wears.
“What do you wear?” I ask him.
“What do you mean?” He answers while nibbling on my earlobe cause sparks to ignite throughout my body.
“Cologne?” I whisper. Trying to keep my head straight.
“Nothing. I don’t wear prissy water that modern men are so fond of.” He grumbles.
“Well you smell nice.” I tell him plainly which causes a full body laugh to ignite.
“How old are you anyway?” I ask out of curiosity when he has simmered down from his laughing session.
“I don’t know. I am old. Older than even Sebastian. But I have chosen to never keep time. It has been a lonely existence. Reapers are made to be solitary creatures. As I have already told you. Keeping track of the days, years, centuries that I have moved through this life alone would have driven me insane.” He mutters in a low voice.
“I am sorry that you were alone for so long.” And I am sorry. No one should have to be alone. Everyone needs to know that they are loved. To have someone hold them close when they are sad or sick. I know. I never had that growing up. I can’t imagine spending centuries feeling as I did for a measly 18 years.
The more I learn about the solitary man the more I want him. So I ask the most direct question I can think of. If he can’t answer it. Then I guess something beautiful will be over before it even gets a chance to start.
“Tristan?” I ask interrupting him nuzzling my neck.
“Hmmm?” He mumbles spreading little bites up and down my neck now. I shiver from the sensations.
“Could you ever see yourself caring someone like me?” I whisper out. Barely loud enough for myself to hear. I wouldn’t have thought he could have heard me. But when my question slips from my lips to float upon the air I feel him stop playing with my neck.
“Someone like you?” He asks. SO NOT the answer I was hoping for. I feel tears prickle my eyes. I quickly blink them back. Glad that he is looking at the back of my head now not my face.
“Yes, someone so young. Someone that can’t control her temper or her gifts when her temper is peaked. Someone that gets everyone around her that she loves killed.” I cough out a sob thinking of my beautiful boy. My Devon. This one sob I can’t quite fight back under control.
Tristan quickly turns me around so that I am facing him. My back is pressing into the railing now. Tristan raises both of his hands to my face. Grasping it on each side then using his thumbs to wipe the tears that have slipped from my eyes.
“It wasn’t your fault. I saw the last of your battle with the Demon Lord. I saw that you sent him back to wherever they come from. No one has ever been able to do that.” He gives me a little shake. Emphasizing his words. “You almost killed yourself to save that boy. I saw the state that you were in before the others got to you and got you out of there. You couldn’t even stand you had expended so much of your gift and energy taking out that evil piece of shit.” Anger laces his words.
“I have wanted you since that moment. Since the moment when you finally noticed my presence. You were so weak and depleted, distraught. But you were willing to take me on in order to save what was left of your friend.” He takes a long breath as if gathering his words. “I have never witnessed such bravery. Or love for another.”
I smile up at him through my tears.
“I wasn’t brave. I was desperate…” I admit to him. “I had already failed him. I couldn’t let him down again. Whether he was gone or not.” More tears flow. I can’t control them. I am still scared. The nightmare didn’t come last night. I slept peacefully for the first time since Devon’s death. But I know they will return. The Demon Lord has a hold on my psyche somehow.
“I am scared Tristan.” I whisper out through my tears. I finally admit it. I have never uttered those words to anyone. I always adopted Jessa’s motto. Fake until you make them believe it. Or until you begin to believe it yourself.
Standing atop the famous Eiffel Tower I admit to the man that I am maybe falling for that I am scared. This astonishes even me.
“Tell me.” He states simply. Demandingly.
So I tell him about Gavin’s theory. How he thinks the Demon has established a link to me. How he is using that link to torment me through my dreams. How maybe we can use this link to track him. How I was supposed to talk to Sebastian about it but Jaxx showing up blew the chance of that out of the water. And while I am baring my soul, I feel something inside me heal just a bit. The tears stop. I feel anger replacing the hopelessness that I have felt since Devon was taken from me.
“Your brother is right. We can use this link that the Demon implanted to track him. I am sure he thought you wouldn’t figure it out. That you would think the tormenting dreams were just a part of your psyche not being able to handle what you have been through.”
“Do you think I have a chance? Do you think I could defeat him if I am able to track his bastard ass down?
“More than just a chance. I think that you could destroy him. But we want to bring him to you. Not the other way around.” He looks me in the eye to see if I am getting what he is saying.
“So, we bate him?” I ask in astonishment. Catching onto the plan forming in Tristan’s head.
“Yes.” He answers simply with a wickedly dangerous smirk.
I take a deep breath coming to terms that I am going to be doing battle against that thing once more. I am stronger now than I was then. I have a better understanding of my powers. My gifts. My mother. The Goddess told me that I would become the most powerful being to walk this earth. I guess it’s time to see. Time to bring the bastard back to this plane and see what I am truly made of. But first things first.
I look up at Tristan.
“No games. No lies. No secrets. No masks.” I repeat our earlier words.
“Exactly.” He bends down and brushes his lips across mine. “You are mine. I don’t plan on losing that.” He smirks at me.
“Same goes.” I tell him. “If I am yours then you are mine. ONLY MINE.” Fear lacing the last two spoken words.
“Only yours.” He whispers while looking into my eyes assuring me.
I feel a face splitting smile crawl across my face. My heart feels a sense of lightness since the night of Devon’s death. Since Jaxx crushed me under his boot heel.
“I have something that
I do need to tell you. I don’t want to hide anything from you... I felt so beaten and bruised after you helped me connect mentally with him. So I went to the Blood Scribes book and preformed a spell to mute the pain. To wish it away. I wanted to be able to function. To just be me, again. Not some poor sap wallowing in her own despair. But I also read that if it was truly love. With love being the most powerful force in any universe. More powerful than any form of magic. That it wouldn’t have worked if it had been real. The spell wouldn’t have been able to mute anything if the feelings that were between had been real.”
Tristan looks at me in astonishment.
“I don’t know if anything between Jaxx and I was real. When I look at Jaxx now I feel happiness because of the life that he and his mate are bringing into this world.” I once again take a deep breath trying to gather my thoughts. I look at him asking for understanding and time.
“When I find the person that put that retched plan into play, I am going to rip out his spine and suck out his bone marrow.” Tristan says hotly.
“Tristan?” I ask. Not understanding his anger.
“It was all done with the intentions of hurting you. No one hurts what is mine and lives to tell about it.” His voice is a menacing growl. His fangs have punched out. Bright obsidian flames are swallowing the whites of his eyes and dancing in rhythm with the shadows flared out at his back.
His anger should scare me. But I guess I am just not the normal type of person. Because seeing him that angry over something done to me is very attractive.
I fist my hands in his shirt and pull him toward me. When his body collides with mine.
“Yours huh?” I ask in a breathy voice turning my neck to the side. Baring it for him to mark me as his.
“Mine.” He growls out before he sinks his fangs into the tender skin of my throat. I moan out in pleasure of his bite and his claim.
Chapter 17.
Tristan removes his fangs from my neck. I moan in response. Missing the sensation of him being imbedded inside of me. I am excited at what’s to come. I like the feeling of discovering new forms of pleasure with him. Tristan pulls my head to his and then brings his mouth to mine for a soft, gentle kiss. Unlike his normal kisses. I can still taste my life’s essence on his tongue. I can tell that he tastes it too. Twining his tongue with mine.
Then I hear the most disturbing noise. It’s like nails scraping their way across a chalk board. Then an eerie giggling. Tristan quickly pulls away from me and adjusts his pants then pushes me behind him. He obviously knows or senses something that I do not.
I peak around him and what I see makes me what to puke up the contents of my stomach. Then the reek, the smell of putrid rotting flesh hits me. This thing coming toward us is limping dragging one limb, as if he has a dead leg. Which I think is exactly the truth of it. It looks like a rotting corpse. There are chunks of meat missing from parts of his face. You can see muscle and bone showing through the visible holes. Sagging skin is hanging off in parts all over his body. The clothing he is wearing is nothing more than tattered rags.
He is dragging his elongated nails, or maybe they are claws across the tiers railing. Causing sparks for fly and light up the night in tiny peeks of light. Whatever the hell they are they look wicked fucking sharp. They are black with what looks like rot.
“What in the hell is that foul thing?” I whisper to Tristan still looking at the thing limping, dragging itself toward us.
“A Demon Lord’s Minion.” Tristan hisses. “If they bite you or cut you with those claws, you turn into exactly what you are looking at now. A foul revolting waste of rotting meat.”
“I have a message for the little Celios…” The thing inching ever closer to us hisses out between bone lips. Yes, those are missing as well. “My lord has told me to tell you that he has your friend….” He stops and gives off a hacking cough. “The dead boy. His body might be gone but my lord has his soul. He tells me that it tastes delicious!” A shrill cackling howl finishes off his little speech.
I am floored. Completely undone. I can feel the tears flowing down my face.
“You are lying.” Tristan growls out.
The thing lunges at us. Claws out reaching for us. Ready to rip them across our skin. While wearing a grotesque smile that is warming his hideously disfigured face.
Tristan’s shadows engulf us, and we vanish. But I can still hear that shrill cackle echoing inside my ears.
We appear in the middle of Gavin’s living room. As soon as the shadows pull away, I collapse into a heap on the wood flooring. I feel as if I can’t breathe. NO! That thing cannot have my friend. He can’t possibly still be torturing Devon. There is no way that Fate would allow such cruelty to be subjected onto someone so innocent.
I can hear my harsh breathes echoing through the tomb quiet room. No, it isn’t quiet. I hear muffled sniffles and sobs. I open my eyes and look around trying to focus on something else. Something is wrong here. Nothing can be as bad as the message I just received maybe this problem is something that I can fix. Then I will hunt down that Demon bastard and peal the skin from his body with my teeth. And enjoy every scream I incite from the fuck.
When my vision fully clears of the residue to tears, I look around the room at the morose faces of my family. Jessa is sobbing into Sebastian’s shoulder. Gavin is sitting in a chair near the sofa with a stoic look on his face. Even Jaxx and his mate are present, they too have devastated looks upon their faces.
“What has happened?” I ask the room at large. I can feel Tristan to my back. He is standing near where I am kneeling on the floor. I push up to my knees. Then I feel hands reach under my arms and help me fully to my feet.
Sebastian moves out of Jessa’s tightly twined embrace to hand me a tattered piece of old paper. Parchment, yes that is what that is called. It smells of rot and old blood. As he hands it to me, I can feel the residue of very dark power clinging to it.
I can’t believe my eyes when I read it. NO! This can’t be happening! I thought that foul beast of a thing was lying.
My dearest Celios,
How I love sharing our dreams. I have a present for you. I offer a trade. You for your precious friend. I still remember the joy in tasting his blood before I ripped out his throat. I know that you must enjoy it to since I share this fondest memory with you nightly. His body might be gone… But I have his essence trapped here with me. He still tastes every bit as sweet.
Fond dreams to you my dearest.
I drop the parchment as if it is deceased. I look around at everyone. Sharing the looks of disbelief, they are wearing upon their faces.
I turn to Tristan and ask the question that has been in my head since the thing on the tower tried to gut us with its rotting claws.
“How can he have Devon? You took his soul to wherever souls go? Didn’t you?” I try not to sound accusing but I must not have succeeded because he has an affronted look upon his face.
“I am not accusing you of anything. I am just overwhelmed. I thought that Devon was out of harm’s way now. I thought that he was at peace.” I finally break down. I basically collapse, I would have fallen to the floor if Tristan wouldn’t have caught me in his strong arms. Hoisting me tightly to his chest.
The cool embrace of his shadows engulfs us and I bury my face against his strong chest and weep. Soaking his shirt as he murmurs to me in a language that I don’t recognize or even attempt to understand.
I feel Tristan laying me down onto my bed. I can tell its mine because it smells of us both. Our entwined scents is something that I find comforting. But these pitiful tears will not stop falling and that pisses me off. They won’t fix anything. They can’t help what is left of Devon from the hell he is current a prisoner in. They don’t do anything but make me weak. A weak crying little girl once again relying on others to fix her problems because she is scared.
Scared to accept herself.
Scared of what she will become if she embraces the totality of her powers.
Scar
ed that it is because of who she is that everyone around her always ends up hurt or dead.
Just Scared. And I am so tired of being scared.
I jump up from the bed. Wiping the tears from my face as I make my way across the mattress to the hiding spot under the edge of the bed. I get off the mattress and sit cross legged on the floor. I reach out and lay my hand on the wood flooring. Under the loose a floorboard is where I keep my tome, the Blood Scribe’s Book. I call my power into my palm and it automatically starts to glow. I push my light into the flooring and the secret compartment that holds the precious tome pops open. I carefully reach in and lift it out. The book is wrapped in a large piece of black velvet to protect it. I spelled the velvet to hex anyone that touches it besides me. But I also spelled it to protect the book from being damaged.
I carefully lay it on the bed the pull myself up and just look at it. Wondering if what I am about to do is even possible. I sit beside it on the bed. Pulling the book into my lap.
“Angel, what is that? And what are you doing? You need to lay down. You are overwrought.” Tristan is looking at me in concern.
“I don’t need to rest. I need to do something about this. No more coddling me okay? I know sometimes I need it. And I love that you want to do it. But I have to be stronger than this. Stronger than what I am being right now. Or I will die when I try to kill this thing.” Tristan inhales a sharp breath.
“You cannot kill a Demon Lord. No one ever has.”
I look up at him and I feel my eyes glowing…
“There has never been another being like me to walk this plane either. Yet here I am.” I smirk.
“This is insanity” Tristan tells me hotly.
“You can either help me. Or you can leave. But don’t think I will let you hinder me in this. My mind is made up.” I tell him with just as much emotion lacing my voice.
I don’t even look up as he stomps across the room and slams the door behind him. I know that he is just afraid for me. But I can’t let emotions get in the way of what I must do now. Emotions will fade. But I will NOT let that monster torture my friend longer than what I have too.