“You call this romance? I call it a vile display of two vulgar and perverse individuals.”
“Hmm, I think we should get a second opinion. Let's ask lover boy what he thinks,” Cadence said, revealing what, or should I say who, she was hiding behind the tree.
“Tristan!”
I took a step forward. Cadence held up a finger. “Uh-uh,” she said, wagging it back and forth.
I looked back over at Tristan who was barely hanging on. He was covered head to toe in blood. He was beaten and bruised and not able to stand on his own. My anger was building so high I started shaking. “Why?” I cried.
“Because of you, of course. Haven't you learned by now that all these people had to die because of you, Ella? All this could have been avoided if you simple did not exist,” she said modestly.
“I don't understand,” I said.
“Of course you don't you, silly girl. This is bigger than you will ever know.”
I really wish people would stop saying that.
“Doesn't matter, it's nothing you need to worry you're pretty little head about. This will all be over soon enough,” Cadence said, as she handed Tristan over to Jack. “And your powers will be mine.” Jack cleared his throat. “Sorry,” she said, rolling her eyes when he wasn't looking. “Ours.”
“I don't even have my powers yet.”
“You will soon.”
“Why kill anyone then? Why not just come for me?” I asked, trying to stall as much as I could.
“Just some insurance, we needed an incentive for you to give up your powers.”
“You bitch!”
“I'd be careful if I were you. You saw what happened to Skylar. She liked to mouth off, too,” Cadence warned.
I clenched my fists. “What about Josie? She didn't do anything to you. She had nothing to do with this.”
“Please, that whiny little whore. I wanted to kill her the moment I met her. We only kept her around long enough because we knew she would eventually lead us right to you.”
“I'm going to fucking kill you,” I growled.
“Please, don't make threats you can't keep.”
“I will never give you my powers!”
“Don't be so sure of that,” Cadence said, turning to Tristan, smiling. She took him from Jack, holding him by the back of his shirt. Her eyes began to glow as she exposed her fangs and sunk them into Tristan's neck.
“No!” I screamed lunging for her, but Jack was too quick and had my arms behind my back before I could react effectively.
I watched as Cadence drained the life from Tristan. His eyes found mine and tears spilled down my cheeks. “Stop, I'll do it. I'll give you my powers,” I wept.
Cadence dropped Tristan to the ground. He looked up at me, voice weak, he said, “Ella...don't.”
Cadence was at my side in an instant. “Do be a dear and hold still,” she said as she bent down to sink her teeth into my neck.
“Wait!” Jack said. “Not yet. We need her at full strength to take her powers.” Cadence paused, pulling back. She looked up at Jack and smiled. Jack loosened his grip on me when he leaned in to kiss her.
I thought I was going to be sick. Jack let go of me so he could embrace in their kiss. I fell to the ground and crawled over to Tristan. “Tristan...I'm so sorry...this is all my fault,” I said, pulling him into me.
He reached up to caress my face. “Ella, it's not your fault,” he said, trying to smile. My lips started to quiver as he leaned in and kissed me gently.
“Enough of that,” Cadence said as Jack ripped me from Tristan's arms. I tried to fight back but I wasn't strong enough.
I looked at Tristan, helpless, as Cadence picked him up off the ground. Her arm was around his chest holding him up, the other around his head ready to snap his neck. “NO!” I screamed.
“Shut her up!”
Jack put his hand over my mouth. Clearly he hadn't learned his lesson from last time. I bit down hard. “Bitch!” he yelled out in pain then smacked me, knocking me to the ground.
Tristan growled and tried to escape from Cadence's grasp, but at the moment she was stronger. “Do I have to do everything?” Cadence growled.
“No,” Jack said, giving her a menacing look. He bent down and picked me up by the back of my neck. “Try that again and I will make you suffer,” he warned.
“Now, where was I?” Cadence said. She lifted her arms again, ready to deliver the final blow that would end Tristan's life.
Fear and panic were rushing through my body.
I closed my eyes not able to watch. Jack shook me, forcing my eyes open. “Oh yes, you do want to watch this.”
I looked up at Tristan and deep into his eyes. He met my gaze and I watched as his eyes started to burn bright. He smiled and then snarled as he threw an elbow up breaking Cadence's nose. She dropped him and he was instantly up knocking Cadence to the ground and holding her hands behind her back. “Let her go!” Tristan shouted.
“Don't do it!” Cadence yelled.
“Do it or she dies!” he threatened.
“He's bluffing. He doesn't have the strength or the guts to kill me,” she smirked.
“Pretty big talk coming from the bitch on the ground,” Tristan retorted.
Jack released my neck but held tight to my arm. I heard a crunching noise, then Cadence screaming in pain. Tristan had just broken her arm. “Let. Her. Go.” I could feel Jack hesitate, debating what he should do. He stood his ground and kept his grip on me. I cringed. I thought he was going to crush my bones. “Last warning, release her or the arm comes off,” he said, tugging at the already broken arm causing Cadence to scream out in uncontrollable pain.
“Let her go,” Cadence said in between breaths.
Jack released me and I ran to Tristan. “No, Ella, get out of here!”
“I'm not leaving you.”
Jack took that moment and flew at Tristan, but he was up as quick as Jack knocked him down. They danced around each other, waiting for the other to attack. Cadence, seeing I was defenseless, charged at me. She grabbed me and bit down hard on my neck making me yelp. Tristan growled ferociously charging at Jack knocking him into a tree. Then he grabbed Cadence and before I could blink he snapped her neck.
I fell to the ground, dizzy from the bite and blood loss. “Ella, look at me. Ella,” Tristan begged. I looked up at him and smiled, reaching for his face. I went to speak, but he told me not to. He placed his hand over the bite marks on my neck. I felt a cool, tingling sensation. Then I saw the same silvery blue light come from Tristan's hand as it did the day he healed my shoulder in the hotel. The dizziness disappeared and the pain in my neck was gone. “You're going to be okay,” he said, smiling at me as he helped me sit up.
We heard a cry of pain and turned to see Jack kneeling by Cadence's body. He whipped his head around and leapt for Tristan. They tumbled a few feet away. I stood up, trying to find something, anything to help Tristan, but I was coming up empty.
It was hard to watch.
Jack was stronger and wasn't weakened from an earlier battle. I watched as they wrestled back and forth and I knew Tristan was losing. The more I watched the more I couldn't take it. I had to do something, but what?
All of a sudden my knees felt weak, wobbly, and could no longer hold me up.
I fell to the ground on my hands and knees.
I felt a hot, sharp pain shoot through my hands.
I dug my fingers into the ground gripping the grass as the pain moved from hands all the way up my arms. The same silvery blue light I saw come from Tristan's hand was now making it's way up my arms and continued it's way down my back through my whole body.
I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. The pain was so agonizing. It burned so hot and felt like I was getting pricked with tiny needles everywhere.
I didn't understand what was happening.
When the pain finally subsided, I flipped my head up and looked around. I could see...everything.
Everything was ten time
s clearer. And the sounds…I could hear cars, but there were none in sight.
I closed my mouth and felt two sharp points on my lip.
I felt like I had the strength of ten men.
My powers, I had just received my powers.
I stood up carefully, still feeling light headed from the pain of getting my powers. I searched the grounds for Tristan and Jack. I found them in the distance and watched as Jack threw Tristan into a flag pole knocking him unconscious.
For the first time ever, I let out a feral growl.
Jack spun around. “Well, look at who finally got their powers, seems like I can kill two birds with one stone tonight.” He charged at me and I reacted on instinct moving out of the way in time. Jack fell, but quickly recovered. “You can't beat me, Ella, even with your powers.”
“We'll just see about that,” I smirked.
Jack lunged for me but this time he didn't miss.
He pinned me down to the ground with my arms tight at my sides. “You don't have control and therefore I will take you,” he hissed, leaning down to bite me. I jerked my knee up hitting him in the groin. He fell off, howling in pain. I stood up and smiled at him, waiting for him to attack. He was right, I didn't have control of my powers, but I knew how to control the situation. Jack was irrational, never having a real plan of attack. He always struck first and asked questions later. I knew I had to be smarter and outwit him.
“You know, Jack, it's a shame what happened to your girlfriend.” I knew aggravating him wasn't the best idea, but with his emotions running wild, he would be careless and I could catch him off guard. “Although, she was kind of a bitch. You know there was this guy she used to complain about all the time. She said how much of a wimp he was and she was only keeping him around to be her lackey. Come to think of it...wait...I guess that would be you,” I said with a smart ass smirk.
He leapt for me but I blocked him. He was being careless and not thinking straight. We battled it out, each getting equal hits in. I kept up with the banter, knowing he'd slip up and give me the opportunity to take him down. “Jack, you had to know she was only using you for her dirty work.”
“No, she loved me!” he spat.
He was letting his emotions get the best of him allowing me to get the upper hand. “Please, the only thing Cadence loved more than herself was that football player she was messing around with.”
“You're lying!”
“Am I?” He paused for a slight second, giving me an advantage. I took it and knocked him down.
Now I had him pinned. “I know you're lying,” he said between breaths.
“And why is that?”
“Because, we were always together and besides she was always too busy taking out the threats,” he smiled. “You should have seen the way she cut into Skylar.” His eyes glazed over with the look of admiration. I gripped him harder smashing his head into the ground. “Did I hit a nerve?” He laughed, exposing his blood stained teeth. “Now Josie, that was a team effort. Didn't plan to kill her at first, but mmm, she tasted so good.”
My rage grew and I let go of his arms so I could smash his head into the ground. I struck only once before he was knocking me off of him. He picked me up by the neck and slammed my body into a tree knocking the wind out of me and rendering me defenseless.
For a brief moment I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
He gripped his hands around my throat tighter, squeezing the life out of me. I clawed, punched, scratched at his hands, arms, but it was no use.
I truly thought this was it, this was end. Jack had won.
Just when I thought I was about to black out I was dropped to the ground and Jack's body went sailing in the air, landing off in the distance in a crumbled heap. “Ella?”
I blinked a few times, adjusting my eyes, trying to catch my breath. “Tristan, you're alive?” He smiled weakly. “Jack!” I said, trying to get up, but Tristan held me down.
“He's knocked out.”
I followed Tristan's eyes to see Jack lying still on the grass. “We need to get him. He won't stay down for long,” I said, managing to stand and then only to have Tristan pull me back down.
He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket and handed it to me. “Call the guardians.”
“It will take too long for them to get here, I can –” I looked up.
Jack was gone.
“Where is he?” I asked, looking all around.
“He's gone,” Tristan said, growing weak.
“You don't know that, he could be anywhere.” I said, still searching, waiting.
“Ella, he's too weak. He needs to regain his strength and he can't do that here.”
I looked back down at Tristan who was fading in and out of consciousness. “We need to get you to a hospital,” I said, trying to help him up.
He winced at the movement and fell back against the tree. “Ella, I can't.”
“Then I'll call the guardians and they'll –”
He reached up and took my hand. “No Ella, it's too late,” he coughed, spitting up blood.
“What are you saying?” I asked, blinking back the tears.
“It's okay. I kept you safe, for now at least. That's one promise I can say I kept,” he said, flashing me his cocky smile.
“Tristan, you're not going to die. I'm not going to let that happen.” I stood up and tried to dial for the guardians but I had no reception. I screamed frustrated and then yelled for help. “HELP! SOMEONE HELP US!”
“Ella...Ella,” Tristan called. I knelt down next to him. He wiped a tear from my cheek making me cry even harder. He took my hand and held it to his chest. “It's okay,” he said, squeezing my hand tightly while he went into a coughing fit.
“Stop it. You can't leave, you can't leave me now.”
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can go knowing I felt true happiness.”
“I know now. I know it was you who saved me that night of the accident. I remember. I thought it was just a dream, but I remember,” I said. I didn't understand at first when he said he found the necklace the first night we met, but now I did. Tristan was the man who pushed me out of the way of the fire.
He smiled. “That was when I knew, you were the one. I never thought I'd see you again,” he paused to take a breath. “But then you showed up here and you turned my whole world upside down.”
“Tristan,” the tears were now pouring down my face.
He reached up and touched the star necklace he gave me. The one I forgot I was wearing. “La mia bella stella,” he whispered.
“My beautiful star,” I said, closing my eyes, finally understanding what it meant. I opened my eyes to look at his beautiful face, his eyes. I held his hand over my heart. With his other hand he reached up and touched my face, smiling, and with his last breath he whispered, “I love you...”
His hand fell by his side, his head lolled, and he was no longer moving. “Tristan?” I shook him. “Tristan?” I closed my eyes and leaned in to kiss him goodbye. “I love you, too,” I said, as I lay my head on his chest and cried...
To be continued...
PLAY LIST
Chapter one
Consolation prizes (Opening sequence) * Sia – Breathe me
Courage is (Drive to cabin) * The Airborne Toxic Event – Missy
Chapter two
Bird on a wire (Party at Kevin's cabin) * Neon Trees – Everybody talks
Don't let me be misunderstood (Ella's talk with Kevin) * Of Monsters and Men – Love, love, love
Dog days are over (Dancing with friends) * Group Love – Tongue tied
Chapter three
Who's in your corner (Ella's fight with Dean) * Mumford and Sons – Timshel
Splishin’ and splashin’ (chilling with Josie at pool) * Matt Kearney – Hey Mama
Chapter four
Less is more (skinny dipping in the lake) * Fun – Some nights
Walk this way (search for Jake) * Florence and the machine – Seven devils
Chapter five
Head full of doubt road full of promises (Ride to airport) * Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes – Home
Welcome to the black parade (Tour of school) * The Airborne Toxic Event – Gasoline
Chapter six
Step by step (Party at Fraternity) * Fall out boy – Grand Theft Autumn
It's a man's world (Introduction of Tristan) * Mirah – The Garden
Free your mind (Talk with Cadence) * Ben Francis Leftwich – Stole you away
You spin me right round (Ella returns to the party – keg stands) * Fun – We are Young
Hello, goodbye (The morning after, Tristan checks on Ella) * The Blakes – Don't Bother me
Chapter seven
Get it while you can (Hanging with Jack at student center) * The White Stripes – We're going to be friends
You can't always get what you want (First day of school) * The Black Keys – Hell of a season
Pour some sugar on me (Study session) * Bright Eyes – First day of my life
Chapter eight
Never say never (Party at fraternity) * The Airborne Toxic event – It doesn't mean a thing
Hit me with your best shot (Playing pool) * The Airborne Toxic Event – The girls in their summer dresses
White blank page (Ella trying to paint) * Sarah McLachlan – Bring on the wonder
Call me, maybe? (Tristan's distant behavior) * Massive Attack – Teardrop
Chapter nine
Please allow me to introduce myself (Getting ready for initiation) * Modest Mouse – Missed the boat
Super massive black hole (After party) * The Airborne Toxic Event – Changing
True colors (Tristan and Ella's private talk) * Band of Horses – The funeral
Take me as I am (On the stairs) * Imagine Dragons – It's Time
Too close (Study break) * Digital Daggers – Head over Heels
The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven Page 40