Until Dawn: Last Light

by Simas, Jennifer Nicole

  I held a stiff finger over my lips, eyes scanning the perimeter of the circle, waiting. “It’s here,” I whispered.

  “It’s not real. You know it’s not real,” he said, taking a hesitant step toward me. “Put the knife down before you hurt yourself, Zo.” Before you hurt me. Or, at least, that’s what I heard. I knew it wasn’t real, but there was no convincing my mind of that. It saw it, it felt it, it heard it – it was real. And it was going to kill again.

  “Don’t listen to him, warrior. I’m here with you. I’ll always be here with you. Now, kill him!”

  “No!” I shouted.

  “Kill him before he kills you! You know it will happen! You’ve seen it!” the beast hissed, climbing up to the top of one of the massive stones behind Josh. “You know I’m right. You must kill him before he has the chance to kill you. Do it now!”

  “Zoë, stop!”

  Josh tackled me to the ground, pinning down my arms and legs with all of the strength he could muster. I thrashed beneath him, the dagger still in my right hand. Josh couldn’t toss it aside without releasing me, and he wasn’t about to do that.

  “It’s going to kill you,” I cried out. The Sythen spread its wings, creeping down the stone and toward Josh’s back. Saliva oozed from its jaws, sizzling as it burned through the snow.

  “It isn’t real!” Josh shouted. “Focus! It’s all in your head!” His muscles flexed over me, his arms trembling as they tried to keep me pinned down. I was a lot stronger than him. “Look at me, Zoë. Look at me!”

  I locked eyes with him but the beast was inching over his shoulders, blood-red eyes calling to me. I closed my eyes and screamed, trying to move the dagger.

  “Look at me!” Josh repeated. “You’re stronger than this, I know you are. You just need to look at me!”

  Ice-blue eyes met with mine, tears streaming down his cheeks. It was going to make me kill him. I could feel it in my head, moving through me. It thirsted for more blood. “That’s right, warrior. Do it. Better him than you,” it hissed. “It will happen one day, unless you kill him!”

  “I’m going crazy, aren’t I? He should have just killed me. I should have just made Alec kill me when I had the chance! Oh, God, please, just kill me, Josh!”

  Laughter echoed in my head.

  “Zoë, it can’t hurt you, no matter how real it feels, no matter how real it looks. It isn’t. Trust me. Come on, think about something else.”

  “Like what?” I asked, breathless.

  “Remember the first time we met, back in elementary school? We all got sent to the principle’s office because you punched Tony out because you thought that he was picking on me.”

  I nodded, relaxing slightly against his warm body.

  “No!” The beast hissed, rearing its head back.

  “Tony and I still joke about that. Do you know what we were even fighting about?” Josh asked, smiling over me. “We were arguing over who would get to sit next to you during lunch. We were fighting over you.”

  Tears spilled from the corners of my eyes, the dagger slipping into the snow. Josh hesitated to remove his hand, brushing the stray hairs from my face. He pressed his forehead to mine and exhaled. His sweet scent filled my lungs and I sighed.

  “Is it gone?”

  I peered over his shoulder and went limp. “Yes, but it’ll be back. It’ll always be back. My mind is no longer my own, not while that beast lives.”

  “Then I won’t rest until it’s dead,” he vowed.

  Josh didn’t get off of me as I’d expected. Instead, he kept me pinned beneath him. The weight of his body felt good over mine. There was a look of longing in his eyes. It caught me off guard. His bottom lip trembled ever so slightly as he inched his way toward me. His breath scalded the surface of my skin, his fingers intertwined with mine. I questioned him with my eyes as he closed the gap between us.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I forgot how to breathe.

  His lips grazed lightly against the surface of mine, bringing my entire body to life. There was a hunger deep within me, one that I’d never allowed myself to experience before. It was a yearning too great to resist. He hovered over me, no more than an inch away. I bit the corner of my lip, waiting anxiously. His hesitation worried me. We’d come so far and there was no turning back.

  His fingers traced the soft skin along my jaw, dampened with salty tears, his eyes glued to mine. His lack of physical commitment drove me wild. Never had I felt so alive, so human. Not even back when I still was human. My heart beat loudly within my chest, begging for more. I felt like if I waited any longer, he’d be gone and we’d never have another chance. Josh exhaled, his shaky breath caressing my sensitive skin.

  I could take no more of his torture.

  I pulled him down onto me, pressing my lips to his. He trembled at the touch, releasing a breathy sigh that only heightened my desire. My arms snaked around his neck, fingers running through the back of his messy hair. I thought I heard the sound of the snow sizzling beneath us. He rolled over, pulling me on top of him. I leaned into his strong chest, my nails digging into his shoulders. I savored the sweet taste of his lips, the feel of his body against mine. His mouth moved with mine like a passionate dance, his large hands tangling in my hair, keeping me from pulling away. As if I ever would.

  Josh sat up and I straddled his hips. His lips never released their hold on mine. He deepened the kiss until I couldn’t think straight and my body screamed for more. His gentle hands ran down my spine, lingering over the small of my back. He pressed his chest against mine and released a breathy moan. I knew I could trust him with my body, with my life. The question was – could I trust myself with his? My fingertips traced the crevasse of his strong chest, slipping down to his abdomen. He shuddered, tightening his grip on me. I slid my hands over his sturdy back and breathed in his scent. Intoxicated. I felt dizzy with desire.

  How long had we been in denial?

  Reluctantly, his lips broke free of mine, returning again for a brief moment. His ice-blue eyes stared into mine as he tried to catch his breath. I ran my fingers over his flawless face; I had to be sure it wasn’t a dream. I desperately longed to know every thought that traveled through his head. He pulled me up to my knees and cupped my face in his large hands. I bit the corner of my lip, trying to resist the urge to kiss him once more, twice more – he was like an addiction. I just couldn’t get enough.

  “I’m sorry, Zoë,” he breathed, “but I couldn’t live out the rest of my life without having at least kissed you.”

  “Josh, I–”

  I gazed deep into his soul, searching for the words to fulfill the moment, to satisfy our inner hunger.

  Someone cleared their throat and I gasped. I was standing in a split second, leaving Josh on the ground, still steaming. God, I wasn’t ready for it to end. Josh scrambled to his feet, stepping in front of me. He was always my shield. Alec moved around a massive stone. He folded his arms over his broad chest and glowered at Josh.

  I took a step forward, trying to be as graceful as I possibly could. I was sure I failed. “Alec, what are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he said, never taking his eyes off of Josh. And the standoff began. “It’s dangerous to be out alone. Especially with everything you’ve been going through. You should know better.”

  “She isn’t alone,” Josh mumbled.

  “Was I asking you, human? No, I don’t think I was.” Before I could stop him, Alec was on Josh. His wrapped his hands around Josh’s throat and looked deep into his eyes. “Why can’t I read you?” he growled. “What are you?”

  Josh did his best not to react. He didn’t want to give Alec that satisfaction. Alec finally released him and Josh wrapped a hand around his neck, rubbing the already bruising skin. They glowered at one another, fuming.

  “Zoë, you need to go back.”

  “Alone?” I choked.

  “Yes,” he sai
d. “Your human and I need to have a little talk.”

  He was going to kill him. I could see it in his eyes, in his body language, all over his face. I grabbed firm to Alec’s arm. “No, I don’t want to go back alone. Not after everything I’ve been through.”

  I stretched up to my toes and kissed him with all the passion I could muster. When I thought about it, it was actually the first time that I’d kissed him. It took a few seconds, but Alec’s large hands wrapped around my waist, his breathing becoming heavy.

  I burrowed into his chest, looking at Josh from the corner of my eye. I’d do anything to protect him. I hoped he knew that.

  “I’ll walk you back,” Alec breathed into my hair. He glowered at Josh as we made our way toward the horses. We mounted the large animals and Alec steered us in the direction of the castle and away from Josh.

  I stole one last look over my shoulder, wishing for the impossible.

  –

  Alec shoved me into the bedroom chamber, chucking a few more pieces of wood into the fireplace. The flames hissed and crackled and warmth poured into the icy room. I wasn’t sure if it was cold because of the temperature or because of Alec himself.

  “Come here,” he ordered.

  “Do I look like a dog to you?”

  “No, but you look like you’re turning blue, come here.”

  He didn’t wait for me to respond. He stormed over to me and grabbed my wrist, dragging me closer to the flames. The heat felt heavenly on my freezing limbs. In all the commotion, I hadn’t noticed that my teeth were chattering until they finally stopped.

  I didn’t look at him, but I heard his heavy footsteps pacing back and forth across the bedroom, his heart beating loudly in my ears. His anger slipped under my skin and came to a boil next to the fire.

  “I don’t want you hanging around that human anymore, Zoë,” he finally said.

  “What are you talking about?” I snapped, spinning around to face him.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You will not hang around him any more. He is weakening you. I won’t have it. You are mine.”

  “Don’t talk about me like I’m some thing, Alec. You’ll learn quickly that I hate that term. And I’m not your slave. I don’t take orders from anyone. I think that I’ll be the judge of who and what weakens me. What, do you not trust me?”

  “Of course I trust you! It’s him that I don’t trust!” Alec ran his fingers through his messy blond hair and sighed. His shoulders relaxed as the anger fizzled away. “I hate the way he looks at you. You’re a beautiful creature, Zoë. Any man would long to have you in his arms. But, you are mine. God has given you to me – no one else. I can’t live without you. There is something between us and I intend to protect it with my life.”

  “Josh would never,” I hissed. I lowered my eyes quickly, realizing my words. Josh already had. Actually, I had. My heartbeat quickened when I remembers his smooth hands running over my flesh. Heat rushed through my cheeks and I turned away from Alec.

  “Why don’t you look at me the way you look at him?” Alec asked, sounding almost hurt. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was standing only a foot away. His breath scalded my neck.

  “I don’t look at him in any special way,” I insisted, turning back to the fireplace, keeping my eyes glued to the orange and yellow flames flickering before me. I didn’t want him to see the look on my face. I closed my eyes and exhaled.

  “Zoë,” Alec started.

  “I do not look at him any special way!” I shouted. My words echoed off of the cobblestone walls and bounced around the rafters high above us. I clenched my fingers into fists at my side.

  “Do you love him?” he asked. It was the question I’d been asking myself for years.

  I paused a second too long. Alec was in my face, searching my eyes. “No,” I said hastily, as if I couldn’t get the word out fast enough. “Of course not, Alec.”

  “Do not lie to me,” he warned, his hands gripping my shoulders. “I saw the two of you out there. I saw!”

  “No one gets it, do they?” I shouted, tearing his hands from my flesh. He probably had traces of my skin under his fingernails. “Josh and Tony are all I have left. They are the only people I have left in my life to remind me of who I was. They are a part of me, Alec. You’re just too damn old to remember what it’s like to feel that way. Everyone you knew and cared about is dead,” I spat. “Well, that’s your problem, not mine. Don’t take it out of me.”

  Alec’s jaw tightened as he stared at me with empty eyes. He turned away, walking to the large window on the far side of the room.

  I pursed my lips, trying to stop the tears from flowing. It seemed that since they’d started, they weren’t going to stop. I exhaled, lowering my eyes to the floor. “I’m sorry,” I breathed. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “It’s just that, time flashes before your eyes. I already feel like I have so little time left with them on this Earth before they’re taken from me. I can’t bear to have them taken away even sooner, especially not because of your jealousy. I am yours, Alec. You have nothing to worry about. I belong to you and you alone. Forever.”

  Alec took a few long strides in my direction, running his knuckles along my cheek and down my neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, pushing the hair away from my shoulders. “You’re right, it wasn’t my place. Just be careful – for me. I don’t trust him. I can’t bear to lose you, Zoë. I am yours from here until forever. With everything that is in my heart, I love you.”

  “I-I love you, too,” I breathed, curling up against his hard chest. It was true; at least, I told myself it was. He was right for me in so many ways. He knew me. The me that I’d hid from the world for so long, the me that was slowly losing her mind. And, still, he accepted and loved me. He still wanted me. I’d never lose him.

  Before I could pull away, he caught my tongue, quite literally. His lips moved over mine, dominating me, almost as if he had to prove that he was the better man. He pressed himself against me, grinding the bulge in his pants against my hips as he pushed me toward the bed. He feasted upon me with bright golden eyes, taking in every curve, every nook and cranny. His scruffy cheek scraped against my neck and I whimpered, falling back into the silk sheets and fluffy pillows of the canopy bed. Alec crawled on top of me, running his hands up my inner thigh and over my hips. I held my breath, my fingernails digging into his strong back.

  A hard knock came to the door and Alec growled, shoving his fist into the pillow beside me. “Who is it?” he shouted.

  “William,” the deep voice traveled through the wooden door. “I need to speak with you. It is urgent.”

  Alec sighed, bending over me. He kissed me, until I couldn’t see straight. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

  –

  The fire shimmered through the bed canopy, the light flickering erratically. It warmed the sheets and I snuggled into them, loving their comfort. The door to the chamber creaked back open and then shut quietly. The tall figure walked slowly across the room. Long fingers pulled back the silk fabric and he stood over me, flames reflecting in his ice-blue eyes.

  Josh kneeled on the bed, letting the canopy fall closed behind him. He crept toward me, peeling back the layers of sheets and blankets. I couldn’t look away from those eyes, those beautiful eyes. My breath hitched in my chest as he straddled my legs, his abdominal muscles flexing with every move he made.

  “What if he comes back?” I breathed.

  “Who?”

  “Alec,” I started, “he’ll kill you if he finds you here.”

  “Let him try.”

  My heart skipped a beat. I sat up, running my fingertips over his smooth chest and down his arms. I placed kisses along his jaw and down his neck. His skin tasted of salt and sweat, like a man’s skin should taste. And, God, he smelt divine. I breathed him in, digging my fingernails into his shoulders as he nipped at my neck.

  Josh found the bottom of my shirt and played w
ith the hem, eyes still glued to mine. As if I could read his mind, I lifted my arms and he pulled the black shirt up and over my head, tossing it aside. His lips found my skin once more; light kisses traveling along my collarbone and over the lace fabric of my bra. Goosebumps raced across my exposed skin and I thought I saw him smile.

  He rasped his teeth over my lower stomach and I bit my lip, tangling my fingers in his dark hair. His hands moved quickly over the buttons on my pants. He placed soft kisses along my inner thigh as he slid the cargo pants down my legs and off of my feet. I shuddered under his touch, the air leaking out of my lungs. Every nerve ending on my body came to life and I felt as if the flames had jumped out of the fireplace and into the bed, consuming my body.

  Josh made his way back up my body, taking extra care where care was needed. His hands slipped over my bra, molding to my breasts. He ran his fingertips along the lacy edge and I all but lost my mind. I was sure I’d laugh about that later.

  His lips found mine, a hand stroking the nape of my neck. I pulled his body against mine, desperate to be as close to him as I possibly could. A fire burned deep within me, driving me wild with desire. This was a side of Josh I’d dreamed of for so many years. I wanted the taste of his lips to linger on mine forever, and forever was a long time. If only I could curl up in his arms and never leave.

  He ground his hips against mine and I gasped for air, my head spinning. My fingers fumbled over the button of his jeans. Josh quickly took control, grabbing both of my wrists in one large hand and pulling them over my head. He kept them pinned there, leaving me completely exposed. He wanted me to trust him and I did, with every fiber of my body. I squirmed against him, desperate for more. As if answering my prayers, he deepened the kiss and someone moaned but I wasn’t sure who – it could have been me. My body came alive for him, responding to his every move.

  It felt like he was going to disappear. He kissed me as if it were the last kiss we’d ever share. If Alec caught us together, it would be.

  “I think someone’s coming,” I said, breathless, as he nipped at my earlobe.