by Rue Volley
The house was dark. I could not feel anyone in it. No color, no life. I had not made it home yet… I had so far to go and I was hungry… hungrier than I had ever been before. I heard a whispering to my left and looked into the forest. My mind told me that I should go in the house. My mind also told me that I needed to sleep in my bed. My heart told me otherwise. I could feel Josh, feel his heart beating inside of my chest. I stared at the forest and knew what I had to do. I had to go to Valon. I started to walk towards my real home. The only place I belonged now… towards him.
***
Josh took a step back from Evil and looked around the room. She was beyond pissed now. She gritted her teeth and screamed out as he thought of how many ways he could try to escape. She stopped screaming and stared at him… then she tilted her head and started to grin. She relaxed her arms and straightened up, keeping her eyes on him. The blood still trickled from her neck where she had cut nice Rue and in turn injured herself. Josh felt his mouth water and a tingling in his fingertips.
“Oh,” she whispered to him.
He shook his head at her and took a step back.
“No way,” he said to her.
She slowly pulled the dress from her shoulders and smiled at him.
“Don’t do that,” he muttered.
“What, Josh…? You know that I am just like her. You want me so badly; I can feel it,” she whispered.
Josh shook his head and gripped his blades.
“You are not Rue,” he said.
She took a step towards him and he felt his heart begin to race. She had changed her energy, to something that he could feel in his chest… a longing that he had fought with for so long. He lifted his blade and she touched the end of it, sending a wave of energy through it and his body. He stumbled and sucked in his breath.
“I have wanted you for so long,” Evil Rue whispered.
She pulled the dress off and stood before him naked. He tried to not look at her, but the feelings he had overtook his judgment. She flashed behind him and placed her hand around him, slowly touching his bare chest and moving her hand down the front of him. He gasped for air when she stopped right above his belt line and let her fingers slowly move back and forth.
“You want to taste me, Josh… Let me show you what I can do,” she whispered to him.
Josh stood there, his hands trembling… He lost his grip on his blades and they fell to the floor. He turned to her and she smiled at him. She placed her hands on his face and he closed his eyes. She smelt sweet, like honey and he could taste her in his mouth.
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up to him. She threw her head back and he ran his mouth along her neck slowly. She drew her breath in, just as Rue would have. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed against him. He felt her heart beating against his chest. Color started to swirl on his skin. He rubbed his fingers along her back, gently touching her skin. Her body shook under his touch.
She leaned up in his ear.
“I am Rue Volley… Give me your blood; make me real,” she whispered.
“I feel you,” Josh whispered back. Evil grabbed his hair and turned his head. She bit into his neck and he flashed them to the bed and laid her down under him. She moved slowly under him causing him to sigh. He could feel her pressing against him, moving and causing his heart to pound in his chest. He looked at her and traced her collarbone, soft and sweet… like Rue. He stared at her and sucked in his breath in staggered moments as she reached in between them and slowly moved her hand. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly.
“Oh god,” he whispered to her.
“Yes… Josh… Let me do this for you,” she whispered.
Josh moaned as she continued to touch him. His body shook and he tried to focus. His eyes were swirling in color… His whole body swirled in color. He couldn’t think of anything clearly… anything but Rue.
She suddenly stopped and he took a breath and looked at her.
“Take me... and I can leave this place with you… We can return to Valon and rule together. I have been trapped here for so long,” she whispered to him.
He adjusted himself on top of her and slowly lowered down into her. Josh tried to fight his need for her, but Evil had him in her spell. He clinched his fists and his mind completely shut down. Nothing mattered but this moment… this moment. He pressed against her and immediately shimmered in sweat.
“I can’t… I can’t breathe,” he whispered to her.
***
I stumbled through the forest as a sudden wave came over me. I stopped and clinched my fists. I could feel something… something new in me. I didn’t know what it was exactly, but it felt beyond awesome… beyond anything I had ever felt before. I fell to my knees and looked down at my hands. Color swirled on my skin, in a chaotic pattern. I could feel Josh. I could feel his hands on my skin. I leaned back and grabbed my stomach.
“Oh god,” I whispered.
My eyes rolled back in my head and my back arched; I couldn’t even control it. I cried out as I felt a vibration well up in my… well… we don’t have to go there really. I gritted my teeth and tried to push the feeling out of me. I mean I was on a mission for Christ sake… I was going to…
”Oh god!” I screamed out as I grabbed at the ground and took a deep breath.
“Rue?” I heard behind me.
Johnathan flashed to me and leaned down over me.
I tried to focus on him, but I was screwed here. I really was… literally.
Johnathan touched my face and I cried out as my back arched. I laughed.
“Right now is like the worst time to talk,” I said as I gritted my teeth.
Johnathan grabbed my shoulders.
“Where does it hurt?” he asked me… totally not knowing what I am going through.
“I pulled myself out of… Oh god...! Hold on,” I said.
I started to control my breathing and Johnathan tilted his head at me.
I nodded to him and wiped the sweat from my head. I looked at it shimmering on my hand.
“I was there… now I’m here… Okay?” I said.
I made a weird noise and held up my hand to him, as my knees locked under me.
“I think that we need to get Theodore,” Johnathan said to me.
I looked at him, my eyes all glossy and my throat burning dry.
“I would so appreciate it if you would give me a moment here,” I said breathlessly.
I fell on my back and cried out; I couldn’t help it.
If anyone could possibly understand what I was feeling, they would be immobile just like I was then.
Johnathan tried to touch me and I hit his hand away from me.
“Don’t touch me,” I muttered.
Johnathan pulled his blade and cut his hand, assuming that I needed food.
I looked at the blood dripping from his hand and my stomach knotted up.
“Don’t… please don’t do that,” I muttered to him.
Johnathan grabbed me as my head fell back and I laughed.
“Drink, Rue… I think that you are dying,” Johnathan said.
I looked at him and bit my lip so hard, blood ran down my chin.
“Mmm. Mmmm,” I said as I held my lips together and shook my head ‘no’.
Johnathan lifted his hand to my mouth and grabbed the back of my head.
I struggled to fight off his hand and the craziness that I was feeling in all the wrong places.
“Rue… do it… drink my blood. You are starving to death,” Johnathan said as he pressed his hand on my mouth.
I looked at him and my eyes rolled in my head. I didn’t know how I kept my lips pressed together… I really wanted blood, but I was so not going to do that with him. I mean what would happen? Would we bond? Oh crap.
Johnathan bit his lip and then he did the one thing that should never have happened… The messiest thing that would make this the biggest clusterfuck of unreason. He kissed me, tongue and all… mixing our blood together
in my mouth. I almost bit his tongue off as I pushed him off of me. He fell back and cried out as the color swirled on his skin. I did too. I felt a burning well up in my chest and then I rolled on my side and spit blood out onto the ground. Johnathan swallowed, of course he would. He arched his back and grabbed at the ground. I pushed myself up and looked at him.
“Why the hell did you do that?” I yelled at him.
He couldn’t respond to me; I guess I wouldn’t be able to either.
He rolled on his side and moaned as he grabbed his stomach.
Sam flashed up to us and looked at Johnathan on the ground and then her eyes went to me.
“Rue!” she yelled out.
I sat there completely disgusted and confused. All feelings of whatever greatness I had suddenly disappeared and I could feel something in my chest. A vibration and then there it was… Johnathan’s heartbeat. Holy shit.
Sam flashed to me and placed her hand on my face.
“Rue… we tried; we really did,” she whispered to me.
I looked over at Johnathan and he was on his knees. He was still breathing hard.
I shook my head and looked at him.
“Way to go,” I said to him.
He looked up at me with his grin. You know the one.
I knew at that moment that we were screwed…
“What did I do?” he asked me.
***
Josh suddenly stopped and looked down at Evil. He grinned.
“I have wanted this moment for so long… I love you,” he whispered.
Evil smiled as she felt his bond with Rue severed.
***
Sophia slammed her fists on her vanity. She sat there and quickly calmed herself down. The thought of allowing herself to lose control now was not even an option. She heard a tap on her door and waved her hand. The door opened on its own and she didn’t even turn to look. She had called for a guard and now she had one task at hand. She was going to hurry this along. The Lord needed to emerge now… not at a later date. The council was growing restless. The city was starting to be gripped by this ever threatening paranoia and she was not patient by nature. The guard stepped up behind her and she glanced at him in the mirror.
“What do you wish?” he asked her.
She turned to him and grinned.
“I would like for you to collect twenty humans and bring them to the trial,” she said to him.
He didn’t question her, but hesitated a little too long.
She flashed up to his face and stared him down.
“Do you understand?” she asked him.
He looked at her and then lowered his head.
“I will do as you wish,” he said.
Sophia watched him leave the room and looked back at her vanity. She reached down and picked up a watch on a necklace and rubbed it in her palm. It had a sun on one side and a moon on the other.
“You will not stop me,” she whispered.
Sophia turned to her door and walked out. Turning the corner, she was suddenly stopped by two council members. She looked at both of them and nodded. They said nothing as she continued to walk towards the trial. If she was to do this… to push things along, she would have to do it quickly… before another meeting was called to question her.
She hurried along until she came to the trial room. She slipped inside and turned to see that the mirror was continuing to lose the fog placed on it by Joshua Barrington. She smiled and closed the door behind her. She walked towards the mirror and stopped, watching the color swirl on it chaotically. She tilted her head and felt a vibration in her hands. She raised them up and looked at them.
“What is this?” she asked out loud.
The mirror started to roll and boil. She took a step back from it and held her hands up in front of her, not knowing why the energy coming from it felt so different. She had felt the energy of a Lord before… She had the pleasure of knowing all Lords emerging before this one.
She watched as a hand started to come through. Josh emerged from the mirror and pulled someone with him. Sophie sucked in her breath as Rue emerged behind him, holding his hand. Josh stood there, eyes rolling black. Rue grinned at Sophia then let go of Josh’s hand.
Sophia shook her head as bitterness welled up in her mouth. She felt compelled to spit it out. Rue stepped down from the platform and looked around. She took a deep breath and then looked back at Josh, holding her hand out to him.
“Come, love,” she said to him.
Josh took her hand and stepped down from the platform.
Sophia lowered her hand and stared at the two of them.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Sophia said as she stared her down.
Rue laughed and squeezed Josh’s hand.
“Yes… seems that this Lord has a mate,” she said.
“Only one?” Sophia asked her.
“He will have no need for more,” Rue replied.
“Well, this is a great moment in Valon. I will let the council know that we will welcome our Lord this evening… It will be a celebration, one of which we have not seen in a thousand years.”
Rue looked at Josh as he stood there saying nothing. Sophia looked at him and felt a strangeness coming from him too. She was not accustomed to feeling fearful; so she controlled her feelings and decided to simply have them shown to their new home.
“I will have guards escort you to Lord Barrington’s home. I fear that it was not expected for him to emerge with his mate… I will also have clothing brought for you,” Sophia said.
Rue nodded and looked at Josh.
Josh stared at her like she was the only thing that existed in the entire world.
She looked back at Sophia and smiled.
“I know that we have had our problems in the past, Sophia Graph… but I assure you that all of it will remain there forever,” Rue said as a wicked grin came across her face.
“Understood… It is not fruitful to dwell on anything now. The new Lord of Valon has emerged and hopefully an heir will soon follow.”
Rue leaned up on Josh and whispered something in his ear.
He looked at Sophia with no expression on his face.
“A new heir is a priority,” he said.
Sophia stood her ground and held her uneasiness in check.
“Yes… good,” she replied.
Sophia held her hands up and the air waved around her in one pulse. Two guards immediately appeared at the door and opened it up.
She continued to stare at Rue.
“Our new Lord and his mate have emerged from trial. Show them to their home and be sure to accommodate her with clothing.”
Rue grabbed Josh’s arm and started to walk with him towards Sophia.
Sophia stepped aside as they passed her by. Rue looked back at Sophia and grinned.
“I forgive you Sophia… for trying to kill me,” she whispered.
Sophia closed her eyes as the door closed behind her.
***
So… yea. We walked back to the house saying nothing. There was nothing to say really. Johnathan tried to hold my hand and I so was not going to go there. I just lost my bond with Josh and picked up a new one with Johnathan. Just fantastic.
We stopped at the door and I looked at the forest. Johnathan leaned into me.
“Where were you going anyway?” he asked me.
“To Josh,” I muttered as I stepped into the house that I had so wanted to be in, right up until this moment.
I stopped when Kai stood up and looked at me. I ran to him and almost knocked him down on the couch. He pulled back from me and shook his head at me. I had nothing to say… again. Theo stepped up behind me and I turned to him and bear hugged him too. He held me for a moment and then backed up and tilted his head.
“Rue… you feel different,” he said.
I looked at Johnathan and sighed. Theo turned to him and shook his head.
“You bonded with her?” he asked him.
Johnathan ran his hands through his hair and shru
gged his shoulders.
“I didn’t know,” he said.
“What a mess,” Theodore said as he looked back at me.
He placed his hand on my head and then quickly took his hand off of me.
I stared at him waiting… just ready for the questions to come flooding in.
Yes, I put myself in an asylum… haha.
Yes, I was all about imaginary Blake.
Yes, I romped around with Josh.
Yes, I saw me… all geared up. Obviously a crazy side effect to the whole crazy mess I was in.
Theodore said nothing. He suddenly raised his hands and the room froze. Johnathan froze… Sam froze, Kai froze. I looked around and didn’t understand what was happening. I swear to you, that for a moment I expected for everything to melt and to find myself back in the asylum. I stared at him as he grabbed my arms, a little too hard.
“You saw yourself,” he said to me.
I looked at his hands squeezing on me and then muttered, “Yes.”
“And Joshua was with her when you came here?” he asked me.
I nodded. I mean he is acting like he doesn’t know me.
“Theodore… it was in my head… She is not real,” I said.
His eyes started to swirl. He grabbed both sides of my head and I struggled with him.
“I’m sorry love… but she is,” he whispered as a flash of light welled up so bright I couldn’t see anything but white.
***
I rolled over and focused in on my clock going off, all obnoxious. ‘6:30’ was staring me in the face. I pushed myself up and stretched my arms out. I yawned and blinked a few times. Suddenly it hit me… today was the day. I grinned and pushed myself off of my bed, hell bent on getting the shower out of the way. I brushed my teeth as I stripped my clothes off. I swear it felt like Christmas morning. I jumped in the shower and let the water try to wake me up. I wanted to be all focused today… the big day, something that I have planned for my entire life.