Destined for Darkness

by Cassie Pierce

  “What do you want with me?”

  “Who are you?”

  He kneels down so that we are eye level and fixes me in his gaze. I am mesmerized by him. So lost in his perfection that I never want to be found. I have never witnessed such true beauty before this moment. He moves closer, his face only inches from mine. I feel his warm breath on my cheek, and it sends a totally different kind of heat to my thighs. I blush and start to look away when I see a glimpse of silver in the moonlight.

  My heart stops mid-beat.

  The symbol, the one that I have searched for, the clue to my true identity, rest right there on his chest. It is so much more beautiful than the drawing on the back of my photo. The two infinity symbols making a perfect cross, the letter L resting securely in the middle. The necklace is silver but the L is the most beautiful sapphire; an exact match to his eyes. He studies me closely and his eyes follow mine as I stare at his chest. He finally speaks.

  “I will not hurt you Ridley.” His voice is smooth and sounds like it is made to say my name. “Yeah, while in bed.” Oh, where did that thought come from? Please don’t have let me said that out loud. Please... I look at the beautiful stranger, deep into his eyes, but his facial expression has not changed. Thank god, for once in my life my brain to mouth filter actually worked.

  “Who are you?” I repeat with a voice that is no longer shaky.

  “My name is Tristan. I am like you.”

  What in the hell is he talking about like me? What am I like and how does he know my name? I want to be afraid. I should probably be afraid, but something deep within me knows that he is telling the truth. Then the pain returns, and this time it is almost unbearable. I guess I was so lost in his exquisiteness that the reality of my current predicament had been momentarily forgotten. Well, reality is back and man does she pack a hell of a punch. I have never hurt so badly in my life. My right arm is definitely broken if the bone sticking out of my wrist is any indicator. My shoulder and head are bleeding profusely. I am sure that I have a concussion. At least a head injury would explain the craziness that has apparently just become my life. The fire from earlier is still present under the surface of my skin, burning me alive. For a moment I consider giving in to the pain and crying like a baby. I mean… come on…. this hurts. I want to, but I don’t. I know he has answers from my past that I need, so I push down my agony for now. “Later. I will definitely get back to the pain later.”

  “What do you mean like me?” I ask in a tight voice.

  He steps closer and I flinch. The sudden movement jostles my arm, sending a lightning bolt of pain through my body. I try not to, but a few very unladylike words slip past my lips. Tristan laughs. His eyes show only kindness as he comes closer, but I am hesitant. I want to believe him, but after tonight’s events I am not really in the trusting mood. My emotions must reflect on my face because he stops. His long legs take a step back before he answers my question.

  “Time will reveal all to you, but I am afraid that tonight I cannot reveal anything more. You are hurt,” he says, not like a question but a fact. “Let me help you.” Before I can answer he is directly in front of me. A spark of electricity forms as his hand wraps around mine. I watch dumbfounded as the most stunning blue light circles where we touch. It dances softly across our skin, creating a path that connects our hearts. The light merges between us, forming an infinity symbol. The moment that it is complete the light turns silver, and soaks into our chest. The blue in his eyes starts to glow, and I swear for a moment I see his soul. His soft lips turn up in to a smile as his eyes devour me. His warmth fills my body to the core, touching places that have never been touched before. The fire burns brighter and slowly begins to fade. For the first time in my life I am complete. I’m grinning like a fool and struggling to catch my breath. “That- that was-wow.”

  I move forward as I stare deeper into his eyes. There is so much that I want to ask him, starting with “what the hell just happened”? I am about to open my mouth and let it all come tumbling out when my eyes start to feel heavy. I struggle to keep them open, to focus on Tristan’s face, but it is too much. I am so tired now that I can barely blink. I search his eyes for silent answers. I instinctively know that he is the reason behind my sudden urge to take a nap. His expression is that of sadness and it breaks me. The heaviness increases, and I know that I have lost. I glance at his angelic face one last time before my world goes dark.

  ~~***~~

  Tristan

  I know the moment that I touch her soft, silky skin exactly who she is. I have dreamed of her long before she was ever born. She is so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. When her light combines with mine in the most perfect pale blue flame, I can feel it in every inch of my soul. She is the one. My other half. My mate.

  I had given up on finding her long ago, but I know that after one touch I will never walk away. We are destined to be together. Her pain is like a vice, squeezing my heart. I feel every ache like it is my own. I hate to use my powers on her, but I cannot stand to see her in pain. I see the questions in her eyes, the doubt, as she drifts off into a peaceful sleep. What she is about to face I would not wish on anyone. My touch tonight ignited her powers, which for some reason were dormant. Dormant, but far from weak. A transformation as great as hers will not be easy. I just pray that she is strong enough to survive it. Many do not. She is probably going to be pissed that I put her under, but she will thank me when the fire starts.

  I gently lift her from the ground, clutching her to my body. I use my free hand to wipe her hair from her face. She smells so sweet; a perfect mix of flowers and rain. I plant a soft kiss on her hair, before I spread my wings and fly into the starry night.

  ~~***~~

  Ridley

  I feel the ground falling away as I am lifted into the air. Warmth surrounds my body as he presses me against something hard and smooth. His chest, I think, as I inhale the most perfect scent. He smells like sunshine, strawberries, and man. I can feel wind on my face. “Are we flying? That’s impossible, right?” I try to convince myself of that, but after tonight I am thinking that I am going to have to redefine my definition of the word impossible. In the next instant, I am laying on something soft; my body sinking into its warmth. I try again to open my eyes, but for some reason they refuse to cooperate. It is almost as if they are being held shut by some magical force. If this is a dream, I want to wake up now.

  “Tristan!” I yell, panicked that he is no longer beside me.

  “I’m here,” I hear him whisper. “Why can’t I open my eyes? Where is here?”

  Heat assaults me as the fire from before starts up once again. I am now officially afraid. What is happening to me? Pain racks my body, and for a moment I think that maybe I really am dying. Maybe the man from the club really did kill me in that alley, and Tristan is an angel. Is it possible that maybe this- he is heaven. I hear a soft chuckle as a velvety hand brushes the hair from my face.

  “Silly girl. You are not dead, and I am no angel. That I can promise you. You have one thing right though.”

  Mmmm, I love the sound of his voice. So sexy.

  “My heaven will always be wherever you are Ridley.”

  The bitter taste of blood in my mouth makes it hard to speak. Blood. Yuck. Its sticky film coats over half my body. Great! I finally meet the man of my dreams and I look like Dracula’s bride. My thoughts are cut short when I feel his hands on my skin. I suppress a shudder as my clothes start to lift from my body. I am so lost in the thought of him undressing me that I almost…. “Wait a damn minute. Undressing me?”

  “Oh my god! Am I naked! Why am I naked? What are you doing?”

  He laughs. “Don’t worry Ridley. As much as I would love to see you naked, I am a gentleman. I didn’t look. I swear. I am just getting you into something dry and a little less bloody.” There is tightness to his voice that I haven’t noticed before. Something warm and soft presses against my skin, taking with it my doubts. It floods my mind with i
ts wonderful scent; sunshine, strawberries and saltwater. His shirt, I realize, as he gently covers my naked body. I inhale deeply, letting the scent wash away my fears. He gently pulls a cover around me and softly whispers, “It will feel better soon love.” It is the first time that I notice his slight British accent and despite the pain it makes me smile. Just when I thought that he couldn’t get any sexier. I can sense his closeness, and god help me I want to pull him to me and see if he taste as good as he smells. The only thing that stops me is the fact that my arm still hurts like hell. I am pulled out of my thoughts as something presses softly to the spot on my head that still throbs from my fight with the ground. I hear him whispering, but the words are foreign. Then, the most amazing thing happens; the pounding in my head stops as if it never existed. He repeats the same process with my shoulder and right arm. I sigh in relief as my bone sinks back into place. I have no clue what Tristan is, but at this moment I don’t care. I am certain that he isn’t human, but I am also certain that he isn’t bad. “He saved me.” I pull with all my energy, willing my eyes to open. They comply for only a moment, but in that moment I see him. His beautiful face, a mask of concern. For me.

  “Please,” I beg. “My eyes? What’s wrong with my eyes?”

  He gently cups my chin in his hand, “Your eyes will heal love, but for now it is for the best. The fire will soon consume your vision. I will help you Ridley, but you have to trust me. Can you do that?”

  Can I trust him? I don’t even know him. He is a stranger. I mean sure, he saved my life but he is still a stranger. “Yeah, a stranger that your soul recognizes idiot,” my conscious screams. Man, I really hate it when myself is right. It is in that moment that I realize I do trust him. With all that I am, I trust him. That alone is something for me, since I usually do not trust easily.

  I let out a shaky breath. “Yes.”

  The bed shifts beneath his weight as he climbs behind me. He gently places my weak body between his legs and whispers, “Okay.”

  I nod.

  He slowly wraps his arms around me and presses my back to his hard chest. My heart rate doubles but not from fear or pain.

  It is from desire.

  “Ridley,” he whispers.

  I shiver as his breath tickles my ear.

  “You are not making this easy for me.”

  “What? What does he mean? It’s not like he can read my mind. Can he? Oh-My-God! Does he know what his closeness his doing to me? What it is making me want to do to him?”

  He smiles against my neck and replies, “Yes and yes.”

  Oh! Someone just kill me. This is so embarrassing. He can read minds. This cannot be real. People can’t do that, right? His only response is a low, sexy laugh that curls my toes and does nothing to change my R rated thoughts. Well, until he speaks.

  “This may hurt,” he says, “but only for a moment. When it’s over you will sleep, but when you wake up your sight will be back. Do you understand?”

  “Hurt? What will hurt?”

  I want to ask, but I know that it is pointless. All that matters is getting this over with. Besides, it’s not like I have a choice. I nod, giving him permission for whatever comes next. He pulls me tighter to his chest and whispers, “drink.”

  He presses his wrist to my mouth and at first I am confused.

  “Drink what?”

  Then the metallic smell hits my nose and I understand perfectly what he wants me to do. “No way. No way in hell.” He wants me to drink blood. I am not drinking blood! I open my mouth to tell him that he is crazy, but I never get the chance. His sweet scent rushes in to me and all coherent thoughts are forgotten. There is only him and his blood. My mouth starts to water and before my brain registers what my body is doing, I pull his wrist to my lips.

  A warm sweetness fills my mouth, and I moan as a taste that is all Tristan assaults me. His blood is sweet, rich, and absolutely perfect on my tongue. Desire floods my body, causing my stomach to clench with an unfamiliar heat. I drink deeper, pulling harder, as my desire is joined by the flames. My body is boiling from the inside out. My nails dig into the flesh of his toned arm, drawing more blood. My tongue flicks out greedily to catch a drop of the sweet nectar that escapes my lips, and Tristan moans from behind me. I am not sure if it is from pleasure or pain, but I am guessing a little of both. A hunger like I’ve never experienced before coils deep in my stomach. I pull harder on his wrist, letting the blood clench my thirst. I moan his name on a whisper as his hardness presses into my back. A light forms behind my closed eyes, so bright it is like looking directly into the sun. I am certain that I will combust at any moment, but I am not sure if it will be from the fire or from the desire his blood awakens in me. I run my hands greedily up his thighs, pressing my back into his chest. His grip on me tightens as he softly whispers my name, and it sends me over the edge. My muscles clench and my body shakes, as wave after wave of ecstasy hit me. The light starts to fade and the fire is quickly turning to ice. Moments ago I was burning, now I am freezing. My teeth start to rattle, and Tristan turns me so that I am in his arms with my head against his chest. I can feel his light pouring into me, trying to reach me and bring me back.

  “That’s it baby,” he coos. “Don’t fight it.”

  My consciousness starts to fade, my mind too weak to hold on. I struggle to overcome the darkness but it is too strong. His lips press to the back of my head. A shiver races down my spine.

  “Tristan!” I yell.

  “Almost done, my love, almost done.”

  My body starts to go limp. My soul no longer burns. He is whispering to me softly in a language that I don’t understand. The words are beautiful, but they have no meaning to me. My body melts into his like butter as he finally switches back to English.

  “It’s you!” he says as he presses his lips to my hair.

  “My sweet kohtalo, it has always been you.”

  ~~***~~

  Tristan

  I whisper to her in my native tongue while she sleeps soundly in my arms. I have never witnessed a power as strong as hers. The most amazing part is that she really has no clue who she is. If my suspicions are right she is going to be important to everyone, not just me. I know nothing about her but her name, and already I feel like I have known her forever. Watching her come apart at my touch was amazing. It took every last ounce of my self-control to not give in to my desire. Although based on some of her thoughts, she would not have minded.

  I want her to be the one to take things to the next level. I never want her to feel pressured or rushed to be with me. I want her to have a clear head if and when that happens. For the first time in my life, I am content to just hold a woman. Holding her is my own paradise. I know that there will be severe consequences for what I did to save her, but I just don’t care. Some things in life are worth it, and she is one of those things. They can take anything they want from me, because without her it means nothing.

  I gently lay her down on my pillow. She is so perfect, so flawless. I could look at her forever. I softly kiss her on the forehead before leaving the room to make the necessary phone calls. The council will be pleased that their long, lost, princess has been found.

  ~ Chapter 4~

  The Lamont

  I squeeze my eyes shut as the bright morning rays try to lull me out of a deep, peaceful sleep. I have not slept that soundly in what seems like forever. It was the first night in months that I had not had the dream. I feel energized. I stretch my stiff legs as I recall the crazy dream that had replaced my usual nightmare. I dreamed of death, desire, and a dark angel. Tristan; that was his name. Man, Ali is going to have a field day with this.

  “Ali! Oh hell!”

  I bolt upright in the bed. How did we get home last night? Is she okay? Man, I must have really gotten tanked. I can’t even remember leaving….

  My thoughts are cut off as I finally register my surroundings. I run my fingers along the silk sheets. Yep. This is not my bed. I risk a glance at myself and suck in a quic
k breath. These are not my clothes. So the dream… Oh God! It wasn’t a dream.

  “Oh, God! Oh, God!” I am starting to hyperventilate now.

  It was real. It was all real. Which means Tristan- is- real. I take in a deep breath only to be assaulted with the smell of sunshine and strawberries. That’s when it all starts coming back to me. This is his bed. This is his shirt. That means that last night I really had an orgasm, my first orgasm, right here on his bed! I can feel the blush starting to color my cheeks as I remember his desire pressing into my back. My blush quickly fades as I recall what led to the orgasm. It wasn’t sex. It was blood.

  His blood!

  “Holy hell. I really drank blood and liked it. Am I a vampire?” Panic floods my body as I start to piece together the events of last night. I want to believe that it is all just some figment of my imagination, but I can tell from my surroundings that it was all very real. I should probably be panicked that I am lying in a stranger’s bed wearing nothing more than a T-shirt, but I’m not. For some reason I feel at home here, which is completely insane.

  “You don’t even know him,” I say to myself. Even as the words leave my mouth I know that isn’t entirely true. I may have never seen him before last night, but there is something about him that my heart recognizes. He is the part of me that has always been missing. This thought scares the hell out of me. “I don’t do love. It’s not my thing.” I am not the type to believe in love at first sight. Hell, I’m not the type to believe in love at any sight, but I am starting to think that is exactly what I experienced last night when I saw Tristan. I let out a deep breath to clear my mind.

  “No, Ridley. That’s impossible. It’s not love. You don’t even know his last name. Nope, not love at all, but lust. Yep, it could totally be lust.”

  In an attempt to clear my mind, I focus my attention on the charming room. Wow! He has great taste. A girl would love to wake up to this every day. The bed is king size with an antique finish and large posts. The walls are a soft chocolate with white trim. The comforter is a mix of soft and bold browns. The sheets are made of the softest silk. The far wall is nothing but a huge window overlooking what appears to be a lake. The thing that really grabs my attention though is the wall beside the bed. It is a huge book shelf. My fingers are already itching to browse his selection. After all, you can tell so much about a person by the books they read and the way they shelf them. The sound of water turning off snaps me back to the present.