Die, My Love

  All eyes ping between Daniel and I.

  I keep forgetting the immortal but not invulnerable, part of my new life. I’m aware of it now, very aware of it as the hole in my stomach is slowly healing. Well, slowly from my perspective. Already, the tissues and muscles knit back together. I shudder and grit my teeth at the sensation from my middle. My throat burns. Thirsty. I need to feed if the healing is to go any further.

  “This is not your fight,” Daniel grunts to the assembled group.

  Simone slaps his face. Her palm connects squarely and the sound slingshots across the meadow. “Sei ruhig!”

  “This is my right,” Daniel bites back louder and tips his chin regally. “You cannot deny me because she got in the way.”

  “In the way,” Simone hisses. “She is the Child. She is to be protected and revered above all. Do we all not bear scars for you, Daniel, from when you bore this honour? Did I not bleed for you when you when you riled the Lycanthrope King to attack us? Did we not stand and slaughter hundreds of Lycan young to keep you safe?” Simone looks positively frightening as she steps forward, her hands curled into claws. “Did we ever begrudge you for getting in the way of what we considered a perfectly good plan to live out our lives in peace? Even now you anger them and revive an old feud that may see the end of us all. And what of Anya! When you killed my protégée and refused to tell me what happened, did I harm you even then?” She clutches a hand to her chest. “Mir ist schlecht! Oh, es tut mir weh. Ich habe keine kinder du bist mein sohn. Ich liebe dich, Daniel. How could you do this to us!”

  Adam places a hand on her shoulder and draws her back. “Calm yourself, dearest.”

  Simone drags in a deep shuddering breath. “Nein! He has pushed the realms of my patience too far. He must be judged.”

  “And he will be,” Adam assures her. “The Child is wounded, but she will live, she is strong and can survive this.”

  Simone turns to me and picks up the discarded sword from the grass, still wet with my blood. She holds it up to her face and bows to me. “Meine Königin, allow me to deliver punishment. Sein blut muss fließen.”

  I look at Daniel. Then at the bodies dead in the grass … and oh, my heart! We had lost so much tonight, the thought of more death makes choke. “Bring him here,” I say, and clench my teeth when my spine fuses back together. I stifle a scream when pain flares through my body.

  Iain and Afzal drag a limp Daniel closer. He does not fight them. In front of me, he reaches out as far as Afzal will let him go and stops his hand over my damaged stomach, a mess of red sinking inward. “I did not…” his eyes close. “You are precious now. I just wanted you to not fail us like my own protégé. I wanted you to be better than he was, to choose better next time around. I wanted to guide you but you would never allow that with him close to you.”

  Ben stares at him, his Sire, with such a sad expression. Daniel does not look at him, he only watches me, his eyes pleading forgiveness. I see. This man is not evil, he is simply flawed, as we all are. He has forgotten his place and forgotten that there are some things in life more rewarding than being powerful. Even now, he seeks to make me understand he only sought to make me better than I am.

  “You think I don’t understand, but I do,” I say sadly. “It’s you who are lost. It came close, Daniel. We all came so close to dying. You know this?” His expression is strained, but he nods jerkily. My eyes narrow to slits. “I cannot bear asking anyone to take your life after the brothers and sisters that have fallen today.” I lunge forward, instincts taking over, and bare my fangs. “But I need blood, and yours is forfeit.”

  I clamp down on his neck and Ben joins me, bringing Daniel’s wrist to his mouth. Simone bites him too, and so does Adam. Iain and Afzal kneel down to feed, and we suck the blood and life from Daniel until there is barely anything left. Only when his heart stutters do I pull back and urge the others to do so as well.

  I place a hand to my stomach to see if it has healed. I check Ben and the others’ minor wounds and see they too are well.

  Can I bring myself to forgive Daniel? Yes, of course! But I know it’s not possible for the others, and for my dear Ben. It’s ingrained in them to protect the Child until their last breath, and Daniel has broken that sacred covenant.

  “Take him to the edge of the woods and leave him there,” I order. He is to be our peace offering. If the Lycans take him, so be it. If not we shall have to think of something else to convey our sadness at what has happened here tonight.”

  “We shall be lucky if they do not attack us the next full moon when they are strong and prepared,” Simone replies. Her lovely face is half drenched in blood. Her catlike eyes glow. “Die wölfe sind stolz.”

  I look away from them all, unable to focus on death and destruction any longer. “Then a war we shall have.”

  Chapter 15

  Monster Of Mine Forever Sounds Perfect

  I watch Simone walk down the beach, the wind tugging at the long mass of her blonde hair and her skirts. She is so poised and beautiful. The moon fades her hair to silver, and her gliding gait makes her ghostlike as she walks the coast.

  I breathe out and my shoulders slump. I slept all day and half the night. When I woke the bodies were gone and Adam waited for me. Simone had taken Daniel to the boundary line and left him there as I requested. He was gone when they rose from slumber.

  The Lycanthropes claimed him.

  I could still feel him, but I decided to keep that to myself. Adam did not push me to reveal this though I know he saw it on my face when he wondered aloud how long Daniel would live.

  “Why did you speak for me?” I ask.

  Adam smiles and pats my head like I’m his favourite pet. “It is prudent for the old and the young to stick together is it not? I represent the past. A monolith of power that is unending and never changing. Reminding our race of what once was. You are a bundle of raw energy and passion pushing our race to evolve, even though we find it difficult to change. We had become so unconcerned with the troubles of mortals. You remind us that our actions affect more than ourselves. Besides, you love Ben. He was a good Child, and I find myself moved by the emotion between you.” He looks toward the direction of the beach, obviously anxious to fix the bad feeling between him and Simone. “One day, I will tell you how she and I came to love each other. The claiming of my bride is a story that puts yours and Ben’s tale to shame.”

  I wring my hands, thinking of how fierce she was the last time I saw her. She hacked Daniel’s legs to pieces and not once did her face show any form of pain or inclination that what she did was anything other than deserved. I suppose, in her eyes, it was much less than his judgment called for. She had a kind heart, and had watched many of her kind die … had to end them with her own bare hands. No wonder she was pissed.

  “Will she be angry with you for long?” I ask worriedly.

  He laughs, “The last time we argued it took a decade for her to forgive me.” I gape at him in horror. Ten years of anger? Over what, I wonder. My goodness, what could possibly have happened for her to distance herself from him for so long? I … oh, right. Thanks memory. “I see you remember now.” Adam smiles at me. “Do not fret, Petite One. Winning her back is part of the thrill for me, and at least this time she did not try to kill me, hmm?” He pulls me in for a hug, squeezing with bone-crushing enthusiasm, and I’m bewildered, reliving the moments that are clearly from Simone’s memory of trying to chop Adam’s head off. “Make sure Ben is not too hard on himself? If you do not pull him out of his melancholy soon he will be lost in it for some time. We have a habit of holding grudges, even against ourselves. Till we meet again.” With a quick kiss to my brow, he is gone.

  Oh! I got my cuddle!

  I look back to Castle, home, hearing music. I cock my head and listen harder. Hmm. Ben? I slowly walk back into the building, enjoying the soothing soft notes. Petals? Blood red roses are scattered across the floor, a trail leading up the stairs. Ben what are you up to? I follow this trail of
flowers until I reach a bedroom that escaped the fire. The petals lead up to the bed, then through an open doorway with more stairs leading up. The secondary tower, perhaps. The music comes from up there too.

  On the bed is draped a risqué dress, beautiful really. A gift? I strip down and put it on, luxuriating at the feel of the heavy silk on my skin. It crosses over at the front to secure my breasts and hooks around my back in a halter. Low on my hips ride the full skirts. It’s plain, cut wonderfully, and I feel sensual, womanly.

  Ben is close. I smell him, and as I walk the halls of our home, his spicy scent gains strength. Is he still sulking? Upset? He blames himself for my injuries, which is bad enough, but his melancholy is infectious.

  I climb the stone steps and the wind catches my hair. The dark locks lush with immortal life fan out, tugged in the blustering nor’easter. Huh? Nor’easter? This puzzling word makes me pause for a beat because I’ve never used it before, and soon it’s meaning is clear in my mind. The wind. I sigh. Words and phrases keep coming to me like that. Fragments of knowledge that is now mine, passed on to me from my predecessors. I shake off my shock of knowing all that has passed in this world, and focus on the now.

  Ben stands with one foot on the stone ledge, watching the waves crash on the rocks and the albatrosses diving into choppy waters. The rare birds are far from home. Ben too is windswept, gazing out into the overcast horizon. Had we been human, the sheer force of the wind would send us toppling over; but in this form, it’s a light breeze caressing our skin. The silk of my dress slithers across my hand as it flutters. With a sigh, my head tilts to the side.

  Lee, this man hurt you.

  Hmm. Yes, that is so true. To see him broken and shredded beneath Daniel had made my whole world collapse. But … I love him. And that is all.

  He turns to me slowly. His eyes are filled with regret, his mind disquiet.

  Ben! Why do you always do that? Turn inward on yourself? You have me now, so reach to me, hmm?

  With a small shake of his head, he holds out his hand. I drift forward and he meets me halfway. My hand comes to rest on his shoulder, the other held loosely in his grip. He quirks his sleek eyebrow at me, and smiles impishly.

  Are we to dance now, darling?

  He chuckles and quips, ‘Keep up.’

  A lull, the drum beat thunders in my ears and blends with the sound of the wind and ocean. With a gentle sway to set the tone, we fly over the grey stone, our feet spry as the music drifts into the night.

  I’m alive in his arms. I feared that Ben might turn from me to wallow in misery for what almost happened, and look at us! I’m alive, he is alive, and we are joined. Blood rushes through my veins, my heart; it beats for him. I spin for time unknown and the world blurs. He’s there to gather me close when I face him again. My back arches, bending so my fingertips scrape the floor. His arm supports me then sweeps me up again for another turn about the rooftop. This moment, I swear, we shall relive every full moon, my heart. Possessive, yet accommodating, he stays behind me as he leads the dance. Out kicks my leg, and my skirts fly as it lifts, extends, and cuts an elegant curve into the air. Arms held high above my head in a graceful oval, I go up onto my toes, and am poised to let go. Ben cups my waist and lifts me up high over his head. Oh! My head falls back and my body relaxes. My arms fall to my sides, and I’m weightless. I twirl on top of the world.

  The lunar light bathes my skin, cool and comforting. My skin tingles. I burn, for him.

  Ben’s mind brushes mine. ‘My love, you saved me.’

  My lashes sweep the tops of my cheekbones as I blink slowly, soaking up his admiration. I think, ‘Darling, I am strong, because of you. I’m yours. Always. We will fight, but always, I’m yours.’

  Ben’s arms yield, letting me swirl within a vortex of gleaming silk, but before I fall further than his waist, his hands find purchase, and scoop me to his chest. He strides with me held close to him, my arms looped around his neck. With a gentle push, I’m back on my feet, and flying.

  My steps are sure, flawless. They come to me from ages past, memories of those who have walked and lived before me.

  We duel each other, bodies perfectly synchronized, bending, coiling, and moving in violent abandon. Ben’s movement is bold, intense. His body is strong, frame delineated by the starlight. His striking golden eyes smoulder, the pupils flux, and snap to slits. My own start to burn, and I feel them change.

  Oh my goodness that can never be…!

  I see myself in Ben’s mind’s eye. In his consciousness, there is only darkness, and me. As I move, I shine like a silver sun and leave sparkling dust in my wake. In his eyes, I’m delicate and waiflike, an ethereal spectre, and the beauty of his world. To him I’m everything, and tears of blood roll down my face, because his thoughts of me are so beautiful. Oh look, see how you make me a liar again, Ben! I swore once you changed me I would never cry if you were safe and now look at me.

  The music flows through us and we transcend.

  His thumb strokes my jaw. I collapse in on myself, leaning into this feather light touch as I reach out for him. He steps forward and I dance back in a chaotic blur until I’m stone still, my back against the sea, my chin lifted high.

  Tisk, darling, am I not a tease? I dare you to approach me. I challenge you to close the distance and see what wicked things I will impose upon you. He does, and I pace back again. A loose stone falls from under my foot and he clasps my forearm to pull me into him. Swivelling away, he releases me from his arms with flourish.

  I face the sea, my arms flung wide in supplication. I think I may fall off the edge of the world in this perfect moment, with saltwater spray on my checks, and the wind in my hair. The moon is fat and bright, reflected on tumultuous ocean waves that plunge toward me like charging horses. If I jump, will I fly away into the seductive night? Glide upon wings gifted to me by darkness that is now my maiden, my herald? If I dive under, will the sea claim me and transform me into a naiad? Will I grow a tail and golden scales, sit upon the rocks and lure Ben to me with a siren call? Or will I drag him under to dance in the deepest depths of a watery sepulchre?

  Listen to me, how I speak! My thoughts are profound. I speak of things, creatures, and power that I have memories of, but I have never seen with my own eyes.

  Ben clasps my waist and turns me to him. “I will never let you go,” he murmurs.

  The beat of the music pauses, we take up stance again. My chest heaves from emotion and he dips me, lips achingly close to my throat. His cheek rubs mine, rests there, and his chest presses on my breasts. His heart thumps. His fingertips dig into the base of my spine, arching me further into him. My hand slides up his strong arm to rest across his bare shoulder, my fingers splayed at the nape of his neck, and teasing his sable curls. His legs are braced apart to carry my weight.

  I’m submissive and I don’t like it. A demon rides my soul hard, and it will be respected, even by my love.

  I drag a foot up his calf, my plan of control forming. Bending my knee, I hook my leg around his waist to tug him close. He jerks, blinks in shock, and the hand gripping my upper back flexes.

  “I’m your equal now,” I remind with deadly quiet, my face severe with passion. I draw myself up and disengage his arms with ease. I slap a palm to his chest, defying him. I demand he match my steps as I attack the dance with renewed vigour, forcing him to surrender ground to me. “Mind, body, and soul. And I warn you lover, during this eternity we share, never underestimate me again.” I exploit the rhythm. My heels lead, my frame is wide. Paso Doble. My rigid form and chest lifted high give the impression of a fierce bullfighter, and I am, in my own way, going in for the kill. My limbs are fluid yet angular, my hips locked into position. “Never presume to snuff out your life for the sake of preserving mine.” Abruptly, I stamp my foot pushing him back, and the rock cracks. The tower trembles, and Ben! He stumbles to one knee. I grab his arm to steady him and snap his head to the side in triumph.

  Mine.

  I whispe
r in his ear, “I will never let you go.”

  A current of air whirling around us buoys the sensual music. Ben remains on bended knee, staring up at me, his chest heaving. I brush my fingertips across his face. Mmm. Stubble. I smile. ‘Come here. Dance with me,’ I think in a happier tone, and turn from him to jump up onto the rooftop edge.

  He joins me, laughing. Instinct takes over and our agility is matchless. The music crescendos, and I’m leaping, my arms reaching for the stars twinkling overhead. We are free. Indomitable. I bound over the stone shelf with Ben behind me, and the deep below us. We do not falter; our languorous feline ability gifts us the dexterity we need to perform a dance this world has never seen. We spar each other, push to go faster, wilder, as we taunt danger.

  Ben throws his arms out. Hands fisted, he roars at the sea, a warrior who has won his battle. I throw my head back and scream at the moon, a banshee princess who has found her darkling prince. My dress billows in the gales of wind buffeting me from the raging aquatic. Lightning cracks the sky, and with a vast leap, I soar and land in Ben’s waiting arms. My legs wrap around his waist as I bury my head in the crook between his neck and shoulder. My fangs clamp down marking him as mine. He fists a hand in my hair; and murmurs that I’m his true love. My wrist is captured, his teeth enter me, and the chain is complete.

  Sated, I lick my lips, wet with his blood, and place a tender kiss on his sweet mouth.

  To lose this? Never. I will fight any adversary for my Ben. So much of what I was, who I was, has changed, but my love for him will never diminish or be replaced. Breathless, we clutch each other tightly. Yes, I would destroy everything for him.

  Nobody stand in my way, I will end you!

  ‘Such fierce thoughts,’ Ben thinks affectionately, and sets me down. He takes my hand and we turn to face inland.

  Standing in the field of grass, bleached silver by the moon, stand the others. Only four remain. These solid and silent sentries will protect me forever. We are the cold ones, the blood drinkers. Our souls are chained to the darker forces of this universe.