Aiden is about two seconds from staking him when I finally snap to my senses. If he can help her, I have to let him try. I would do anything….
“Stop!” I yell trying to sound intimidating, but coming off as defeated. “Are you deaf Aiden? He just said that he can save her you idiot. Killing him is not going to happen, so just stop.”
I push myself up, still holding her tightly to my chest. I look at the man who was once my brother and hand him my most prized possession.
He gently takes her from me, nodding when I place her in his arms. The look on his face when he looks at her broken, lifeless, body gives me hope. He loves her, maybe not as much as I do, but he loves her. If there is anyone else in the world that will fight to bring her back, it’s him. He would do anything to save her, just as I would. For the first time since learning of his connection to her, I am glad. A man in love, if equipped with the right tools, could move heaven. Judging by the guilt I see in his eyes, the pain for his part in this, he is very much in love.
Tyler comes to my side, and judging by the look on his face, he too recognizes Derek as Cade. I know my brother well enough to know what he is going to ask, so I just decide to save him the time.
“Yes it is, and before you ask, he doesn’t remember.”
Tyler nods, and to his credit doesn’t say another word. He sees that I am hurting over Ridley. Now is not the time to talk. Later, we can do that later.
Derek walks to the center of the room, and gently places Ridley’s lifeless body on an old, dirty mattress. He squeezes his eyes shut before turning to me.
“Tristan. She needs blood.”
Blood… of course. Why didn’t I think of that? Before he can say another word I have already bitten into my wrist, my blood flowing freely from the wound. My feet carry me to her side. A hand to my chest stops me short, and for a moment I am confused. Then, I understand. I swallow hard, and look at the ground.
“Your blood. She needs your blood.”
He nods a silent yes before tearing into his own wrist, and placing it over her mouth. I want to help. I need to help, so I do the only thing that I can. I walk over to where she lays, and place her head in my lap. Being as gentle as possible, I pry her mouth open, making it easier for her to get the blood that she needs. I hold my breath the entire time; waiting for something, anything to prove that the girl I love is still there. At first, there is nothing, and then I see it…..
A tear. The most beautiful tear that has ever been cried. A tiny bead of life, trailing slowly down her face. A tear that brings with it hope. I swear, I want to catch that tear, and keep it forever. It is liquid life. Her lashes flutter as more tears fall, each one proving that she is in there. That she is alive.
Slowly her skin regains its creamy color, and her cheeks begin to flush pink from the fresh blood. She has not yet opened her eyes, but I somehow know that they too have regained their shine. Gone is the cold embrace of death, and in its place sits the warmth of new life. I watch her closely, thankful for each rise and fall of her chest. Eventually her sweet lips latch onto Derek’s arm, no longer needing to be coaxed into feeding. She drinks deeply and freely, and he lets her. With each drink she takes, life returns to her, making her more beautiful than the moment before.
She is back. My love is back.
He did it somehow. Maybe it was because his blood gave her life in the first place, who knows? Who cares? He brought her back from death, and for that I will forever be grateful to him. I can’t help but notice that Derek’s skin is now almost transparent, and his eyes have went from caramel, to red, to a soft pink. He is giving her life.
His life.
He has given her too much, and she is too weak to stop. He needs to pull away, but I somehow know that he never will. Satisfied that she is going to be okay, I do the only thing that I can do to repay him. I save him. I gently break her hold on his wrist, sending him crashing to his knees. I guess in a way, I am doing for him something that he would never do for himself.
Once the connection is broken, his eyes return to the soft caramel color that reminds me of our mother’s. He run’s a shaky hand through his hair, and smiles at me. A real smile.
A Cade smile.
In that moment he stops being Derek Knight, the Prince of Darkness, and once again becomes Cade Hart; my brother.
“Thanks.” He whispers as he pushes himself to his feet.
“No, thank you. I don’t know how, but you saved her. I owe you man.”
He opens his mouth to object, when Tyler suddenly tackles him in a big bear hug. Derek appears taken back, but he doesn’t protest. He looks to me for clarity.
“Derek. This is Tyler, our other brother.”
Derek nods, and Tyler takes a step back, allowing him his space.
“Sorry man. It’s just-I’ve wanted to hug you for a century now, and I told myself every day that if I ever got the chance I wouldn’t pass it up. Kind of forgot that you don’t remember us.” Tyler explains.
Derek laughs, and it sounds strange; like it has been too long since his last laugh. “It’s cool.”
I don’t want to interrupt their happy reunion, but we really need to get out of here.
“Look guys. Can we do this later? Right now, we need to go. I really don’t want her to be here when she wakes up.”
“Finally, someone with some damn sense!” Aiden pipes in. “Let’s go!”
I gently scoop Ridley into my arms as we all walk out of the cell. I want to get her far away from this place. I never want her to remember this place. I wish that I could take it all from her; the pain, the fear, but I know that I will never be able to. There are some things in life that even time can’t erase from our memories. Some scars that never heal. I open the door that leads to freedom, when a tiny voice stops me.
“Wait.”
I turn to find the founder, looking determined yet afraid. She takes one look at the un-conscious girl I hold in my arms, and starts to cry. I’m talking big, sloppy, alligator tears. After a short discussion, and Derek’s word that she is harmless, we agree to take her with us. Ridley will be happy to see her when she wakes up. I have just slid into the back seat of the escalade and placed Ridley on my lap when Derek jumps in beside me. We were headed to a safe house in Montana. It should be nice, and secluded there. The perfect place for Ridley to regain her strength, and hopefully find some peace away from the craziness that her life has become. We are pulling onto the road when Derek turns to me.
“Tristan. We need to talk. I’m not certain, but if my suspicions are correct than you need to know. The Ridley that wakes up might not be the Ridley that you know.”
I look down at her sleeping face, knowing that nothing will ever keep us apart. Our love is strong enough to survive anything. Still, he has me worried. I slide my fingers through her soft brown locks, and tell Derek the only thing that matters.
“Nothing in this world or the next could ever stop my love for her. It is endless.”
The rest of the drive is silent.
~Chapter 18~
Anew
*****
~Tristan~
It takes us nearly two days, but we arrive at the safe house in Montana at around midnight on the second night. I normally love the scenic beauty that the drive here offers, but to be honest I barely notice it today. My thoughts are solely on Ridley, who has yet to wake up. I was too weak to protect her when she needed me, and I hope that whatever spell Nicholas cast on her is not permanent. Somehow, I have a feeling that whatever this is, is all part of his plan.
It takes every ounce of my strength to lift her from the car and carry her inside, but I manage. The dark magic that drained so much from me still lingers, pulling at my tired body. Derek offers to take her for me, but that is not happening. He may have saved her, hell he may even love her, but that does not mean that I fully trust him. For all I know, he could be in on this. Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for him healing her, but I can’t help but think that he has an ulterior
motive. I want to trust, to see the goodness in him that Cade possessed, but trust is not something that I give out easily. Trust must be earned, and although he has earned my respect, he is yet to gain my trust. Even if I did trust him, there is no way that I am letting go of her again.
I walk the short distance to our bedroom, and gently lay her down. As I look upon her sleeping body, I am transfixed by her beauty. If Heaven had a face, it would be hers. Her rich, chocolate locks fan out on the pillow, making her look like a story book depiction of a sleeping princess. My princess. A sick feeling forms deep in my stomach when I think about everything that she has been through over the last few weeks. She deserves so much more than loving me has given her.
“I’ll make it up to you. I swear I will. You just have to wake up love, so that I can.” I whisper as I kiss her softly on the cheek.
“Ridley, baby. I know that you’re in there, so come back to me.”
I study her for a reaction, but there is none. Still, I continue to talk to her, hoping that my words will reach her; wherever she is. I talk to her for hours, about everything and nothing. What I wouldn’t give right now just to hear her sweet voice.
The sound of the door opening catches my attention, and I turn to see who entered. It is Ali, and she isn’t alone. Tyler and Aiden are right behind her, looking apologetic. Last but not least, Derek enters. He has changed out of his torn clothing, and seeing him now reminds me so much of Cade.
“But he’s not Cade, not anymore.” I think sadly as they all file into the tiny space around the bed.
I want to be irritated at then for interrupting, but how can I be. They all love her too. If Ridley were awake, she would be glad that they are here. Besides, she needs all the love that she can get right now. I am not selfish enough to deny her that.
“How is she?” Ali ask as she gently sits beside her on the bed. Her voice is brave for Ridley’s sake, but there is no hiding the slight tremble that it contains. Ali loves Ridley like a sister. This has to be killing her. I give her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know that I understand her pain. It’s killing me too.
“She is going to be okay Ali. She just needs time. She is strong and brave. She will come back to us.” I say the words just as much for her reassurance as for mine. I have to believe that she will come back, because the alternative is not something that I am going to accept.
“Damn straight she’s coming back.” Ali says, this time unable to stop the tears. I want to make her feel better, I really do, but right now I am kind of having a hard time with it myself. Tyler comes to the rescue. He scoops Ali up in a hug, whispering something in her ear. Whatever it is, it makes her smile. Confident that she isn’t going to start crying, I turn my attention to the rest of the room. It seems one person didn’t join us, which is odd. She should want to be here. She is her mother after all.
“Hey guys. Where is the founder?” I ask.
Derek pushes off of the wall, making his way over to the bed. “Sleeping,” he shrugs.
His response strikes me as odd. I have never really been known for my filter, and it seems that this time is not going to be an exception. Before I can stop myself I ask, “Vampire’s sleep?”
He shoots me an annoyed look, but answers anyway. “Why yes Tristan, we sleep. Not as much as you do, but we do sleep. You know brother, my kind really isn’t that different from yours. Do you not drink blood for nourishment? Do you not heal fast? Are you not immortal? You think just because you were created for good that it somehow makes you better. Are there not Lamont that are capable of causing others pain, or even death. So, if there can be bad Lamont, how can you have such a hard time believing that there can be good vampires?”
Damn if he isn’t right. I really hadn’t meant to offend him. I just talk before I think sometimes. Truth be told, I do think that.
“Look, I’m sorry man. I didn’t mean… I just…”
He puts a hand up to stop my half-ass attempt of an apology.
“No, it’s alright. I get it. Let’s just concentrate on helping Ridley right now. I think I might know a way to wake her up, but you probably aren’t going to like it.”
The look on everyone’s face tell me he is right, I probably won’t like it. Not that it matters. Whatever it is, I will do it. I would do anything for her.
“It’s not about what I like. If it will help, do it.”
He nods, and slowly approaches her. I say nothing as her offers her his wrist. She inhales a deep breath before taking it. I hate seeing her feed from another, but I manage. It helped her before, maybe it will help her again.
“I’m going to try something Tristan. Do- not- hit- me!” Derek says.
“What? What is he talking about? Why would I hit him?”
When he leans forward, and sinks his fangs into the milky flesh on her neck, I understand perfectly. I really do want to hit him. To my credit, I don’t. I ball my fist at my side, trying to contain my anger. I am actually succeeding at calming down, until a soft, breathy moan escapes her lips. It is the kind of moan that she has only ever made for me. She finally made a sound, and it was for him! Oh hell no!
Aiden’s laughter in the background finally breaks the thin cord of resolve that I have, and I can’t stop myself.
I hit him. Hard. My fist connects with his jaw, knocking him a good three feet away from her. Not far enough if you ask me. My anger is instantly dissolved into concern when her moans turn to sobs; soul-shattering sobs.
Derek pushes himself forward, stopping inches from me. “What the hell! I told you not to hit me!”
Aiden laughs, and this time Tyler joins in. “Men have died for less. Don’t hit you, yeah right.” Aiden says through his laughter.
I give Derek a look that says -I’m sorry, but not really- before returning to Ridley’s side. She has stopped crying, once again returning to her muted state. The puncture wounds on her neck from Derek’s bite are already gone, leaving only a small streak of blood as evidence that it happened. A powerful smack to the back of the head has me turning around to face a very angry Ali.
“What was that for?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure that I already know.
“That-that was for being a possessive, he-man. Can you not see that he was helping her! She finally made a sound! Who cares if it was a pleasurable moan! Get over it! We all know who she loves, and that is you! So, be a man and let him help her, or so help me I will put you on your ass!”
I admire Ali’s spunk. She has an un-canny ability to call people out. Behind her Tyler is grinning from ear to ear, no doubt thinking the same thing. Aiden, well, he is still laughing. I let out a defeated sigh.
“Ok, say that I agree with you. That still does not explain why he bit her.” I say as I turn to Derek for some sort of explanation. No way is he taking her blood without telling me why he needs it. I swear, I wish more than anything that I could read his mind right now. I didn’t really realize how much I relied on my ability, until going without it. Too bad that vampires seem to be immune to my little talent. It also does not escape my attention that I can no longer read Ridley’s mind. I tell myself that it is just because her mind is locked up right now, but I fear that it is more than that.
“She can’t be a vampire. She just can’t be.”
“I was helping her, that’s all. I can’t be sure, but I think that my father used a shadow stone on her in addition to a removal spell. I don’t know what he took from her, but it has to be mental; a memory or an emotion perhaps. We can’t really be sure until she wakes up. What I do know is that the scar on her chest, the one shaped like a teardrop, comes from a shadow stone. Shadow stones are very rare and extremely powerful. It is believed that the stone, made of onyx, can actually pull a person’s essence into it. Once the stone captures their essence, it can only be regained by destroying the stone. The problem is that the stone is magically protected, and can only be destroyed by the one whose essence it holds. I thought that if I performed another blood bond with Ridley that
I could at least break the removal spell and release her mind. Look, I would let you do it, but she needs as much of her essence as she can get right now and since….”
“Since your light is her light, then it might be able to bring her back.” I finish for him.
He nods, letting me know that is exactly what he is thinking. It makes sense. Nicholas took part of her soul, the part that she values most; her light. Derek has the ability to give that back to her. As for what the stone took, only time will tell. I swallow hard as the reality of his words hit me. We have to do this. It isn’t even a choice. It is the only way. Our bond will not be repaired, instead it will be replaced. To save the woman that I love, I will have to lose her. It crushes me to think of her needing him, but it crushes me more to think of her like this. If we don’t do this, she will never wake up. Sometimes, there is no good choice, just the better of two bad ones.
So, I do the hardest thing that I have ever done. I let another man claim my mate. My only hope is that her love for me will be stronger than her need for him. Still, what choice do I have? I would rather live in a world where she doesn’t love me, than a world where she doesn’t exist.
“Just do it.”
He once again offers her his blood, smiling when she accepts it. I turned away when he bites her, refusing to watch. The sound of her moaning for him, both my hope and my destruction.
~~***~~
Ridley
I scream at the top of my lungs, my throat burning from the effort, but it is no use. I am alone here, trapped in this dark place. The ground beneath my feet is dry, like it has been robbed of every bit of moisture. The air here is hot and humid, and it taste of ash. Everything here tastes and smells of ash, searing my already dry throat and burning my eyes. It is so dark that I can’t even see my hands, but I know that if I could see, exactly what it would look like. I have been here before, in my dreams.
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