“No!” I think to myself, as I push the rush of the power to the back of my mind. I will not let darkness overcome me. I have to fight with a clear head. I have to save Tristan. I use all my strength to refocus my attention. I struggle at first but one look at Tristan makes it easy. He needs me, and I will not fail him.
I scream in pain as the icy coldness of dark magic once again assaults my body. This time finding no pleasure in its presence. Breathing is becoming a struggle, but I refuse to give up. Every breath brings excruciating pain, but with the pain comes clarity. The pain feeds my dark side. It also gives me the power I need to face Nicholas, and the clarity to remain myself.
Tristan remains suspended on the far wall, struggling to keep himself from hanging. His once golden skin is now a sickly gray, and his eyes have lost almost all of their color. Waiting is no longer an option. He has minutes left, if that. I have to break free from this spell, and I have to do it now. I look to Derek for help, disappointed to see that he is once again on the ‘Nicholas is awesome Kool-Aid’. Well...I’m not. I can do this on my own. Piece of cake.
I let out a slow breath, and with it surrender to the darkness that I have been trying my whole life to contain. I imagine my walls falling, and the darkness spilling out; covering every last inch of me. For the first time in my life, I just let go. Embracing my dark side, and everything that comes with it.
My vision clouds red, as anger and vengeance become my primary focus. I want blood. I want death. I want pain. The real Ridley is now taking a back seat. Dark and deadly Ridley is awake, and she wants to play. I really hope that when this is over I will be able to contain what I am about to become. Now is not the time to worry about that though. I have to save Tristan. If that means sacrificing myself...my soul….then so be it.
I use the pain like fuel, drawing it into myself to feed my vengeance. When I can hold no more, I let it out in an explosion of black energy. My target is clear, and he never sees it coming.
Nicholas.
I watch in satisfaction as the black and red bolt erupts from my hands, slamming into his back. The force of the impact knocks him forward, releasing me from his spell. I stretch my arms, and take an angry step toward him. I fully intend to kill him with my new found power. I slink toward him with a cat-like grace that I have never possessed before. I’m a new woman; a bad ass woman with a score to settle.
“Release Tristan Nicholas, and I might kill you quickly.” I taunt.
He smiles, enjoying this game a little too much for a man who is about to die. “You can try, but we both know that you cannot beat me.”
Well now, that just pisses me off. I mean, no one likes a know it all. To prove my point I toss another bolt at him. This one burning the soft flesh of his perfect cheek. “Ouch. That’s gonna leave a scar. A little something to remember me by.” I hear Tristan’s quite groan, and it only strengthens my resolve. I may not be strong enough to kill Nicholas, but I can hurt him. That is my last thought before all hell breaks loose.
Literally.
*****
~Tristan~
I am powerless to help her as her and Nicholas exchange blows. I am fighting for sweet consciousness as Nicholas releases a bolt of black energy; hitting her in her left shoulder and knocking her to the ground. She quickly rights herself before firing back with a powerful strike of her own; knocking the smug vampire back a few feet. She fights well for someone with no training.
I use the last of my strength in an attempt to break my chains, but it is pointless. The dark magic that is holding me prisoner is unlike anything I have ever faced. My powers are weak in its presence. Hell, my whole body is weak. The chains have literally sucked the life right out of me. I am not stupid. It is highly unlikely that I am going to leave this room alive, and strangely I am okay with that. I have lived a good life; better than most. Ridley has shown me more happiness in the last few weeks than I ever thought was possible. Knowing her- loving her, was worth it. My only regret is that I didn’t get more time with her. So no, death does not scare me. If I have to die so that she can live I will, but not before I know that she is safe. Only then will I give in to the coldness that is struggling to claim me. I will hold on until then. I just have to.
I watch her as she fights; so fierce, so brave, and so damn beautiful. Watching her makes it easy to fight for my life, for her life; because really who wouldn’t fight for the right to love her? I pull from the strength that her love provides me, and once again begin to struggle for my freedom. I will not give up; not on her, and not on us.
I look to her eyes for strength, and what I see stops my futile attempt at freedom. “No…”
The beautiful blue eyes that remind me so much of home are now gone. In their place sits two ruby red orbs, with flecks of blue. Gone is my sweet, shy girl. Before me stands a fiercely brave woman. The change in her is terrifying, yet stunning. Her already milky white skin is now two shades paler. The fangs that she was so hesitant about before are now present without her knowledge. The girl who before thought that no one deserved death no matter what they had done, now looks more than ready to kill. I watch as they continue to battle, exchanging blows like it is an everyday occurrence.
“He’s holding back, but why?”
I know that he could kill her if he really wanted to, but it is apparent that he is just toying with her. He showed me his power the day that he captured me, and this is child’s play compared to that day. Does he really just enjoy playing with people? Causing them pain? Is it that simple, or is it something else?
My strength is almost fully depleted as I continue to watch them. They are so lost in their own deadly game, that they are oblivious to the rest of the room. Now would be a good time for the others to arrive. I scan the room, and to my disappointment it is still empty with the exception of Derek-Cade-whoever the hell he really is. He is standing off to the side, looking like he is in a trance. His eyes are an exact match to Ridley’s, except his are speckled with gold. Looking at him makes me think of the way that he watched her earlier, when he had been himself. Hell, the way he looks at her bothers me more than the thought of my impending death. I know that look. I know it well, because I have looked at her like that many times before. The way he watches her is the way that a man watches a woman when he….when he loves her.
My vision is now dotted by a million imaginary stars. I only have seconds left before the fight leaves me. In those last seconds, I realize two things with perfect clarity.
Ridley is now a vampire, and my brother is in love with her.
Just as I start to fade away into sweet oblivion, the door leading into the cell explodes. Tyler’s voice calls my name.
“Tristannnn………..”
Then……Nothing.
*****
~Ridley~
Chaos is all around me as I continue to battle with Nicholas, throwing bolt after bolt of dark magic at him. I am drained on a cellular level. I don’t ever remember being so tired. I want to lie down on the cold, dirty floor, and just let him kill me. I want to but I can’t. If I die, Tristan dies. Tristan has saved me more times than I can count, and it is about time that I return the favor. So, I fight. I fight with all that I am. When he moves, I move. On and on it goes, both of us refusing to let the other win.
I am so lost in the battle that I am only vaguely aware when the others arrive. Part of me is relieved; the other part terrified that by them being here, they too will just get themselves killed. Dust now coats everything in the small room, making it hard to see. My ears are ringing from the explosion that announced their arrival only seconds ago. They get points for style, that’s for sure.
When the dust settles, my eyes land on Tyler and Aiden. They look like two avenging angels, ready to fight for the people they love. After weeks of being alone in this hell, it is great to see them. They freeze when they enter the room, their eyes traveling from Tristan’s pale and crumpled form to me. They are debating who to help first. It shouldn’t even be a questio
n. The magic that is holding Tristan is strong, and it will take both of them to break it. I am so distracted by their arrival that I lose focus, taking a bolt of black magic straight to the gut. I am momentarily stunned from the impact. Gods! That hurt! The boys take a determined step in my direction, so I force myself to my feet. I bite my lip, speaking through the pain.
“No! Not me! Him! You both have to help him! The chains. They are draining him. It’s a spell. He will need you both. Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” To prove my point I throw a bolt of my own, hitting Nicholas right in the manhood. I smile in satisfaction when he hits his knees. That’s right ladies. A direct hit to the junk will bring them down every time.
Despite the situation, Aiden smiles and Tyler laughs. Confident that I can hold my own for a few more minutes, they go to help Tristan. I only pray that they are not too late. He looks bad; really bad. I turn my attention back to Nicholas, but I am a moment too late.
I never see it coming. I am no fool. The man has been holding back the entire time, but not anymore. Quicker than my mind can process, I am pinned against the wall. His hand is unforgiving around my tender throat. Some sort of transparent force field is now separating us from the rest of the room. I watch as Aiden and Tyler prop a now free Tristan against the wall, and charge the invisible barrier. Aiden reaches the wall first, and the moment he makes contact with it he is thrown back into the far wall of the cell. Tyler tries next, and he too has the same result. I am trapped here, totally at the mercy of Nicholas Knight. I swallow as the realization hits me. This is not a good place to be.
It’s funny really. You don’t really realize how much you need oxygen until you go without it for a few minutes. It has probably only been about thirty seconds since his hand clamped down, cutting off my sweet supply of air, but I can already feel the effects of its absence. Every few seconds he releases his hold just enough to tease me with a hint of the precious life force, then he clamps his hand back down, taking it away. It is the cruelest of torments, but to him it is just a game. The sadistic grin he is wearing tells me that this is just the beginning of what he has planned for me.
They say that the moment before you die your whole life flashes in front of your eyes. What a crock of shit. That’s not what happens at all. There is no time for that. There is no time for anything really; except for fear, and possibly regret. I slowly turn my face away from him, refusing for his eyes to be my last memory. Instead I think of the beautiful blue eyes that stole my heart with one look. I think of the love in those eyes, and I pray that maybe in the next life those eyes will be there waiting to welcome me home. I think of his lips, soft like silk, kissing away all my pain. I remember his arms, strong yet gentle. The capable arms that finally gave me a place to belong. I hear his laugh, and the way it reaches into my heart, soothing my soul. In my final moments, I think of Tristan.
A single tear betrays me, hot and cruel upon my skin, as it runs down my cheek. I hear him, screaming my name over and over again, like a tortured melody. I want so badly to open my eyes and look at him one last time, but I just can’t. The pain I will see on his beautiful face would haunt me, and I only want to bring happy memories of him with me when I leave this life. I do not want to die, but I would gladly die a million deaths if it meant that he didn’t have to. I smile at the thought of him safe, knowing that my death, my fate, will not be his.
“Sweet Ridley. I have waited for this for so long. Don’t cry. I’m not going to kill you. No, as I have told you before, some things are worse than death.” Nicholas’s breath is hot upon my cheek. I force myself to look at him as he speaks. Death, I can handle. What he has in mind for me, I’m not so sure about.
He wipes the tear from my face, before ripping open my shirt, exposing my blood stained bra. Panic starts to creep its way in, but I push it away. There is nothing sexual about the way he is looking at me. Instead, he looks focused. I follow his eyes to my chest, realizing that he is fixated on my tattoo; the infinity tattoo that I received when my bond to Tristan was complete. He trails a cold finger down my collar bone, tracing the design like an artist would trace a sketch. He is memorizing it, studying it.
“Nooo!!!!” I gasp in panic when realization sets in. I immediately start to struggle, kicking and hitting at him. It’s no use. My hits don’t faze him at all. All they get me are bloody knuckles, and possibly a few broken bones. I don’t care. I keep hitting him, because giving up is not an option. “He is right, some things are worse than death. He can’t…. He won’t…..” but the wicked smile on his face tells me that he will. He is going to break my bond to Tristan.
A sparkle catches my eye, and I notice that in his left hand he is holding some kind of stone. It is hard to tell in the dimly lit room, but it looks like the stone is shaped like a teardrop. It emits a faint red glow, but the rock is ebony in color.
“Ridley!!!!!!’” Tristan’s pained screams filter through the invisible wall that separates us. He is pounding on the barrier. Each time getting thrown away, and each time coming back with more force. He will fight for me until there is nothing left to fight for. He doesn’t know yet, but I do. He’s already too late.
“I love you,” I say to him, but he can’t hear me. I turn my eyes away as Nicholas increases his grip on my throat. A cold burn settles over my chest, as he presses the stone directly over my heart. The words that flow from his mouth are in a language that is both beautiful and foreign. With his last word, he presses the stone deeper into my mark. My soul jerks from my body, taking with it everything that makes me…me. An intense emptiness that settles over me, ripping me in half. I cry out, but not from pain. I cry out at the loss of his presence; his love. With one touch, one spell, Nicholas has taken from me the thing that I value the most. Tristan must feel it too, because his scream changes. It is laced with a pitch of terror that drains the last bit of hope out of me. It carries desperation, loss, and pain; so much pain. A soul crushing emptiness starts where my heart should be, expanding outward. Grief coats me, sticking to my skin, flooding me with sadness. I don’t scream this time, but not because I am noble or brave. I don’t scream because I ….can’t. I am trapped inside my body, unable to break free. The smell of burning flesh floods my nostrils. The feel of invisible flames scorch my skin, but even then I can’t scream. I am somehow locked in myself, feeling everything, but unable to move. My mind is starting to feel fuzzy. Afraid…..I am afraid? Aren’t I? No….that’s not right. I belong here.
“No!’” A voice inside my head screams. “You do not belong here. Don’t listen. Fight damnit….fight.”
“ Nunc Anima Deleri,” Nicholas whispers. The final sentence of his spell sealing my fate.
A heavy pressure settles deep inside my soul, before both he and the stone vanish in a cloud of black smoke. The shield that has been separating Tristan and I disappearing with him. My legs feel like a runners on the last mile of a marathon. They buckle under my weight. Strong arms catch me before I fall. The same arms that always catch me. His embrace is strong, yet gentle as he lowers me to the ground. There is nothing left now, except emptiness. My soul is a dark void, endless and un-forgiving. Whatever Nicholas did to me is draining my essence. Soon, there will be nothing left. I’m not sure but I think that bastard stole my soul.
Derek rushes towards us, swearing in a foreign language. Aiden and Tyler call my name, but it sounds wrong somehow; far away. Those strong arms pull me into a hard chest. Blue eyes sparkling with tears search mine. I want to tell him that it’s okay. That I love him, but my mouth won’t work. The world around me starts to fade, and I hold onto those blue eyes for as long as I can. They are the last thing I see before death takes me.
*****
~Tristan~
I am too late.
I look down at my beautiful girl, once so vibrant and full of life, and feel the worst kind of agony a man can ever feel.
I am too late.
Her once creamy white skin is already starting to turn a dusty blue. Her bright blue eye
s that remind me so much of polished sapphires have lost their shine, and not once do her long lashes flutter.
She is gone.
Her shirt is ripped open, and a nasty burn in the shape of a teardrop (how appropriate) now mars her flawless body. The mark of the Lamont is no longer there, in its place rest the harsh reminder that our bond is now broken.
Through death.
I can’t stop the tears that fall. Hell, I don’t want to. Somehow, the pain I am feeling is the only thing that is keeping me alive right now. I cry for the life that we will never have, for the life that she will never have, but mostly I cry because I failed her. This-this is my fault. I promised her that I would keep her safe. That we would get out of here, and she believed me. She- believed- me. Her love for me, her belief in me, killed her. I hold tightly to her limp body, refusing to believe that this is the end.
A hand lands on my shoulder, but I don’t look up. I sure as hell don’t let her go. With any luck, I missed one of Nicholas’s men and he is here to kill me. Death… death would be better than this.
I am so lost in my own grief that I almost miss the meaning behind his words.
“Tristan. I can save her. It is not too late, but you must give her to me. Please bro-brother, I can save her.”
I instantly recognize the voice as Derek’s. To be honest, I forgot that he was still here. I just figured that he would have bailed. I open my mouth to beg him to do just that, trying twice to get my mouth to form the words. Before I can say anything, his hand is ripped from my shoulder by an almost manic looking Aiden. Aiden, who doesn’t know that Derek isn’t the spawn of hell. Derek’s not the bad guy here; not really. Hell, he isn’t the good guy either, but he isn’t evil. He even helped Ridley when she needed it. He was….is my brother.
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