Alexandros
F or over two hundred years I have had to live a cursed existence without my Ashley. But in one fell swoop the black clouds of dread and solitude were lifted, light finally returned to the land, and with it my will to live.
This prison may be a hell in Dominion, but I praised its grey ashen wall, I celebrated its disgusting odors and even the scoundrels it housed. Because this place had brought my angel back to me, rebirthing her in all her beauty and charm.
I did not know what I could have done in my wretched life to deserve such a blessing. But now that she was here again, I only knew one thing for sure. The Gods themselves could never take her from me again. I would burn the world to crisp ashes before I ever let that happen.
There was only one problem. She wanted to know about my Ashley. She’s unaware that it’s herself she wants to know about, her from another life and time. But no matter how much she begged, pleaded, and prodded, I would sooner rip my own heart out than utter a single word to her on the subject. She must never know about Ashley. I would take this secret kicking and screaming to the grave.
How could I ever tell her the truth of our shared past? How could I tell her that the demon Broderick, may have lit the match to my Ashley’s demise but that I was the flame? I was to blame for her demise. That’s why she must never know. For whom could ever love the monster who betrayed his one true love?
So, I would take my dark secret and bury it six feet deep. Only then will the flower of our destined love sprout from the soil and bloom once again. Only then can I redeem my damned heart and soul and reclaim her as mine.
I would help my Jessica retrieve her key and her brother, and then together we’d take our leave and begin our lives anew.
It was dinnertime in Pembroke Penitentiary, and Jessica and I had decided to make our move on the Guard’s Barracks. That was the best place to get the key she so desperately needed. So, instead of going to the cafeteria with most of the other prisoners we remained in the rec room, waiting for our golden opportunity.
Right now, most guards would be busy chowing down in their eating quarters and having a few beers before readying for tonight’s lights out.
Now was the best possible time to strike if we were to get the key undetected. We both left the rec room and made our way to the lonely corridor that led to the guard’s barracks. It was long and straight, with hideous floral wallpaper lining the way down to the door at the end of the hall. That was our way in. Normally guards would be buzzing in and out of it like a beehive but because it was dinner, the path to the door was ghostly quiet with not a soul in sight.
There was just one way to be detected, the many cameras that trailed the hall down to the door. Necessary security to keep the prisoners away.
“Okay, Vampy.” Jessica said from where she stood at my side, her eyes peering down the interminable stretch of empty hallway. “We have to get in and out without being picked up by the cameras. Think you could trace us there?”
“I’m assuming you have some way for us to get through the door when we get there?” I asked, and she sighed.
“Actually, I don’t, we have to wait for a guard to go in or out and we can just sneak in that way.”
“Ahh, I see. Gotcha.”
I’d expected to see a guard walking out from the door but to my surprise I heard the sound of boots making their way down the hall behind us. It was two of the female guards, one blonde the other brunette chatting to each other while walking in the door’s direction.
They hadn’t spotted us yet, but as we stood between them and the door, it wouldn’t be long before they did. And if they did, we’d be spending the next several weeks in solitary having the crap beaten out of us daily.
Jessica lurched back in surprise as she caught sight of the guards. She then looked up at me, a pleading wrinkle in here eyes. She needed me and I wouldn’t let her down.
The guards neared us, their feet clacking on the tile as they came. The blonde had stopped speaking as if sensing our presence down the hall several feet in front of her. Just as her head tilted in our direction, I reached down to scoop Jessica in my arms.
Without waiting, I took off at light speed, tracing us to the door and back down the hall and back again like a yo-yo zipping back and forth. At this speed we were invisible to the guards as they slowly made their way to the door, continuing their conversation as they went.
I passed them repeatedly but still they never saw us.
They reached the door at last, and swiping a key card over the sensor on the knob; they opened the door. They both walked inside leaving the door to close behind them.
Now was our chance to get inside. Our one golden opportunity. Though I could use much of my power under the influence of the poison, it still left me greatly diminished. I felt myself slowing involuntarily as I traced as fast as my legs would take toward the closing door.
Jessica’s fingers gripped tight around my neck as nerves visibly overtook her. We were only a few feet from the door now but it was closing so fast. Only a sliver of space now separated the door from the wall.
I gave it everything I had in me, charging for the door and just as it was about to close, I slipped my hand around the door and pushed it open, thrusting Jessica and myself into the barracks.
I paused on the other side of the door as the guards walked further away from us, not stopping their conversation. Clutching Jessica to my chest, I scanned the area. We were in the barrack’s main corridor.
Just as I’d expected, there were no cameras anywhere to be seen. The administration must have assumed no one could enter without the outside cameras notice.
Doors lined the long stretch of path ahead of us, about ten feet apart.
The female guards were now several feet ahead of us chatting and laughing, unaware of the predators that lay behind them, readying to strike.
I took a step forward, stalking toward the women with my fangs bared. They had the keycards my Jessica needed and I would take it from them, either willingly or by force. To me it didn’t matter.
I rested Jessica gently on her feet and bent my knees, eyes trained on my prey. I crept closer to the guards, careful not to make a sound.
Then, precious moments before the assault, Jessica grabbed me by the arm and halted me in my tracks. I straightened and turned to face her a look of confusion high on my face.
“What is the matter?” I whispered, and she yanked me down to whisper in my ear.
“Not those. We need a universal key. Those guards aren’t ranked high enough.” She then jerked her index finger in the direction of the white cards that hung at the guard’s waists.
In big red letters both cards read ‘Cell Blocks 1-3 Only.’
“Then we must keep looking,” I said as we allowed the two guards to continue their walk down the long corridor before they made a left at the fork at the end.
We both snuck our way down the corridor taking care not to make any noise and alert someone to our presence. The sound of voices filled the air as it spilled from one of the doors to the left up ahead. It was ajar so it was possible to look inside.
Moving with the stealth of a ninja, Jessica crept up to the door and took a peek inside. She then waved a hand gesturing for me to look. She stepped away from the door giving me room to check out inside. I pressed my head to the opening and peered inside the room.
There were over a dozen male guards clad in wife beater tank tops with their green jumpsuits thrown over the back of their seats. They sat around the three tables that filled the small room with about four men at each table. Every man was playing cards and tossing back one beer after the next, laughing and belching merrily.
Not surprising, it couldn’t be a fun job having to oversee hundreds of rowdy magical beings day and night, any of whom would not pass up the opportunity to slit their throat if given the chance.
It was interesting though, seeing them like this. Intoxicated and vulnerable, it made my fangs burn for the taste of their blood. I never co
uld resist the temptation of easy opportunities. But I never usually craved the blood of men. My little tracing stint may have weakened me more than I’d realized.
“Jackson, Jackson did you hear I got a date with that sexy little succubus who works at Lilly’s Cauldron Emporium?” A red-headed guard said from one of the tables as he held a bottle of beer to his lips. He was then jabbed in his side by his blonde colleague, as he turned to face the red head. The jab made him spill a few drops of his beer on the table.
The blonde one’s lids shot open in shock at the news.
“Betty the buxom blonde? That succubus?” The blond asked. “Word on the street is she makes her dates take her out for bbq ribs. If she likes the ribs, she’ll fuck ya. But if she doesn't like it, she’ll kick ya right good in the face!”
The blond laughed, taking a swig of beer. “Did ya know about that little rule a hers?” Every man at the table listened intently at the conversation while holding their cards up in front of them on the table.
“Hear about it?” the redhead said, “Why do you think I’ve taken up cooking lessons?” They all shared in a good laugh at that.
I scanned the waist of every guard at the tables. Most had cards similar to what the female guards had, only allowing access to specific blocks. But then my eyes caught sight of a man who sat at the furthest end of the table nearest to the wall. He had an ‘X’ shaped scar on his cheek and a beer belly the size of Tiffania City. At his side, hanging from the waist of his pants was a golden card with a black stripe across it that read, ‘All Access.’
Jackpot!
I informed Jessica of the presence of the access key and the fire of excitement lit within her eyes. Now onto the next problem. How in the hell were we going to get it with so many witnesses around?
“Vampy, look! More guards are coming this way.” The words rushed from her mouth in a panic and my eyes shot down the corridor. Three guards armed with thunder batons were making the corner coming right for us. If they discovered us, not only would we never get the key, they would throw us head first into solitary.
Without taking a moment to think I scooped Jessica up in my arms once again and traced down the corridor, passing the guards before they could see either of us. I’d reached the fork at the end of the hall and just as I was looking to stop tracing horror struck me. This new corridor where we now stood on the threshold of, was buzzing with activity.
There were guards spilling in and out of the doors like ants in a nest. Most with their heads down reading from clipboards, while the other talked amongst themselves. They had to be getting ready for tonight’s lock down. Worry marred my Jessica’s face as she viewed the guards. All hope of getting her key drained from her eyes more and more by the minute.
It wasn’t over yet. We hadn’t been spotted. There was still a chance. Still a way for us to make it.
Holding Jessica tight to my chest I continued tracing, swooping passed one guard after the next so we wouldn’t be seen. We sped down the busy hallway and the more I went, the more I felt my power drain away like water down a pit.
I no longer felt like the prince of all vampires. Instead, I felt as weak as a vampire babe, my mouth now burning for the tiniest drop of precious blood to sustain me.
But still I refused to stop tracing, refused to let my Jessica down. I would drop dead of hunger before I allowed my mate to face the horrors of the Pembroke solitary cells.
I’d never been sent there myself, but the screams you could hear from the entrance to the isolation wing made it more than clear that they were tortured mercilessly inside that dreadful place. Those who ever returned to their cells, and few ever did, were never the same.
Their bodies were lethargic, and their eyes were soulless, as if the better part of them had long perished and all that remained was an empty shell of their former selves.
I would never allow that to happen to Jessica. Never.
However, despite my best efforts I felt my legs begin to slow, so slow we would almost be visible. My vision became so blurry I saw double the surrounding guards I had seen only a second ago. I was inches from collapse but before it could get to that stage, I set my sights to a nearby door marked with the words ‘Cleaning Closet.’
I wrenched the door open and threw my body inside with Jessica still clinging to my chest. As quietly as I could, I pressed the door closed behind us and prayed we were not detected.
Jessica sat on the floor in front of me as I collapsed beside her, my back slouched up against a wall. I was panting heavily, the room seeming to spin for a few moments before everything came back into focus.
The room was cold and dark with a few old mops and brooms thrown in the back. There were several paint cans scattered far and wide on the floor. My heart began to rumble in my chest, as my throat burned more and more begging for blood.
Jessica rose to her feet and paced the floor of the compact room restlessly, her hand glued to her chin as if lost in thought.
"Those fucking guards! They nearly ruined everything. Just another second and the two of us would have been up shit creek. If you hadn't been there to... Wait. Are you okay?" She paused mid stride and her eyes fell on me. Concern immediately dulled their beautiful shimmer. If I looked half as bad as I felt she must have been disgusted by the sight of what I’d become. Worn out and weak, collapsed on a dirty floor. A shell of what I’d been only minutes ago.
Instead of the reply I intended to give, a cough escaped my lips.
We were screwed. Every ounce of my power had vanished as if stolen in the night. My body was no more useful than a chunk of wood, and just now, when she needed me, this is what I have been reduced to? Me? Litian royalty, an ‘A’ class ancient?
“Hey! Can you hear me?” Jessica knelt down before me, patting me on the face, her brows drawn, her lips trembling with worry at the sight of my collapsed form. She worried that badly? For me?
“Please, Jessica. Look away from me. I cannot bear to have you see me like this, see me in this shameful state,” I coughed. “Anyone but you.”
“Quit the melodrama and tell me what’s wrong. You look like you’re on the brink of death.”
“The tracing. It took up more of my power than I had to spare.” I outstretched my hands to grasp hers as tight as I could manage. “Listen Jessica. You must flee this place before we are discovered. I will only slow you down and if the guards catch you, you and your brother will never leave.”
“And what about you? Are you planning on taking up residence in this closet? Come on, Vampy. If it's blood you need then just take it.”
She waved her beautiful baby pink hair back and tilted her head, her long neck now taking center stage. My mouth watered at the delicious sight. I could hear her warm blood pumping freely beneath her flesh like a river. I could smell the scrumptious sweetness of her skin and it made my belly burn with hunger.
Delicious.
Sweet.
Salty.
Need to taste her.
My fangs sprang free of their own accord. They tempted me with unspoken words, demanding I feed. Demanding I take a bite and feast on her. The worst of it was, I could feel the veil of my fragile sanity slipping away like sand through a skiff.
Every moment I sat here eyeing her bare neck I felt myself become more unhinged, I felt myself lose control more and more. I would soon become no better than a beast, a slave to dark hunger.
No! I had to fight it! I had to keep it together. I could not bite her. Not with my hunger so deep, so earth shatteringly overwhelming. There was no telling if I could stop myself before taking it all. I might drink her dry, lost in the sweet ecstasy of her exquisite flavor.
"No, Jessica. I do not want to harm you, if I start, I may never stop. You must leave here now!" I bellowed as the cloud of madness had almost completely descended. In her eyes I saw anger, annoyance, and a stubborn refusal of what I’d asked of her. But more than anything, I saw myself.
My eyes were red as blood, bright enough to shine in t
he darkness. The madness had almost taken me whole. One bite and there was no telling what I would do.
“Why the hell are you being so stubborn?!” She cried, “can’t you see your dying? I mean just look at you, you look like roadkill and you want me to leave you here? Like this? Don’t worry about hurting me. You'll stop in time. I know you will."
Her voice was almost begging now, emotion flooding her words. Her eyes began to glisten with what seemed like tears and she had to look away.
“I don’t know what the hell it is about you. From the moment we met I felt something weird between us, almost like we’d met somewhere before,” she admitted. “But now I think it's so much more than that. I’m certain that I know you somehow. I mean right now how could I be fighting back tears over some random vamp I don't know from Jack? It makes no sense that I feel this way, but I do.”
I reached out a weary palm to rest it on her cheek, pulling her head in to face me. Tears were spilling down her cheeks and it sent a chill through my spine. The pain I'd caused her. All I did was cause her pain. Was this my curse?
“It does make sense Jessica, because you are mine.”
“Yours? But I thought your mate was dead? How can I be yours?”
“Just trust me and prod no further. Please, I beg of you,” I choked out the worst as my every breath felt like an eternal agony.
“Please! I need to know. This secret is tearing me apart. I can't explain it, but something’s been eating away at me to know more about her. Who was she? What was her name? Was she a vampire like you or a-”
I cut her off by saying, “This is one thing I cannot do for you, sweet Jessica. You are far better off never knowing.” She went silent for a moment, her expression somber as if she held the weight of the world on her shoulders. But I knew it was not the lack of information that distressed her, it was that soon I would be dead.
Her teeth then clenched; the flame of defiance raged in her eyes. She lunged at me and pressed her neck against my lips. I grabbed her hair between my fingers and yanked her head back savagely.
“Foolish girl! Heed my warning lest you lose your life!” I snarled, baring my fangs at her, anger blazing in my eyes. But her courage did not falter, she tore free of my hold staring me down in a righteous challenge.
Escape of the Fae: A Fae Fantasy Romance: (Poison Penitentiary Book 1) Page 18