Airin could count on one hand the number of times she went to sleep without having nightmares or any kind of dream at all. It was those kinds of nights that lead to brighter mornings and feelings of being well rested. Although, even after a good night's rest, could the... event of last night have been nothing more than a dream, Airin wondered.
It was a disheartening notion and Airin would be lying if she said she would prefer it to have been a dream. The thought had occurred more than once during the "dream" and honestly it was becoming the most likely option the more Airin thought about it. The one nagging detail that prevented her from accepting this conclusion was its overall vivid and tantalizing nature.
In the end, there was only one way to be sure. Airin willed her eyes open, gradually adjusting to the light of the morning sun pouring into the room. It's bright glow hurt her eyes but Airin could've sworn that the pile of blankets she'd been attempting to convince herself of being nothing than that was actually breathing.
Airin forced herself not to choke as her heart jumped straight to her throat the more her vision began to acclimate. Truly, there could not have been a more beautiful sight than that of the boy with an especially breathtaking expression of serenity. It was right here in this moment that it finally dawned upon Airin that last night was anything but a dream and, even more exhilarating still, this was the first time she had ever seen Devlyn so content. They were so close, with their arms laced around one another, and Airin could make out nearly every strand of the werewolf boy's hair (some of which were still coated in sweat from the night before). Airin raised her arm cautiously, ghosting over the select few locks draping in front of his face.
If there was any moment she would choose to relive later, this one would be one of the first few at the top of Airin's list without question.
Devlyn felt the light brushes of a hand over his hair, calling him out of his sleep. His eyes slowly opened, at first not recognizing his surroundings. But that did not last very long. The memories of last night began to spring into his mind, causing his heart to jump with bliss. As if in synchrony, he felt Airin jump beside him as she realized he was awake.
ReplyDeleteIt was all he could do not to laugh as she attempted to fein she was asleep.
Why is she so adorable?
He pulled her closer to him, enjoying the feel of her body against him. He noted a blush appear in her cheeks, making her look even loveier in the morning light.
"Ri, why is it that even after last night, you still jump when I notice you?" He teased her.
A small giggle betrayed her lips as those vibrant eyes looked up into his. Gods, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes alone could bring men to their knees.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to you, Devy."
He grinned at her and brought her close for a kiss. He could never get enough of her. Even now, the need to take her again was already growing. He liked seeing her explore him, lose herself to the moment and enjoy pleasure. His heart nearly burst out of his chest as he remembers the way she looked at him when she finally began to trust him in the most intimate way.
"Gods, I don't think I'll ever get used to you either, Ri." He kissed her again and again until he succeeded in eliciting that amazing laugh of hers.
"You know, right now would be the time I get up... Make you an amazing breakfast," he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and dropped his voice lower, "then indulge you some more. Probably until we pass out. And then after that.. I probably will never leave." They both laughed, knowing that last part was probably true.
"But," he continued " seeing as I am in your castle... And if your kitchen staff were to see me I would be dead... Much more if a guard would see me i would get hell from your mother and probably be killed... How about instead I take you out to one of my favorite places and get breakfast there? And then, we can do whatever you want for the rest of the day. Does that sound, fun?"
Devlyn enjoyed seeing her eyes light up with excitement and the most amazing smile speard across her features. Yep, this was his reason for living. Airin owned his heart, without a doubt.
"I'd love to, Devy," Airin said, biting her lower lip as she smiled. She pushed herself up and her eyes instantly darted to the clothes they'd both worn splayed along the floor. A weight arose in Airin's stomach as she saw the shredded remains of Devlyn's shirt among the other fabrics. Her eyes flickered back over to Devlyn and her gut wrenched when the sight of small, claw-like scratches cover his shoulders.
ReplyDelete"Oh, Devy..." Devlyn's head cocked to the side as his brow drew together in confusion and concern. Airin motioned towards the scratches. "I'm sorry."
He glanced at each shoulder in turn, perplexed. "Oh! Don't worry about it, they'll heal."
"But Devy-"
"It's not a problem, trust me." He flashed her the hugest grin as reassurance until Airin all but sighed in defeat. Shifting up to sit next to her, Devlyn's eye caught the state of his clothes. "Besides, I think our biggest dilemma will be trying to get a new wardrobe."
Airin's bottom lip was starting to get sore from all the gnawing but it helped her think. "I could ask the servants to fetch us..." She trailed off at her sudden realization; wouldn't the servants find it suspicious if she suddenly asked to be given male clothing? Most of Airin's clothes were hand-me-downs from her mother so they wouldn't work either. So then what could she...?
"Oh!" Airin exclaimed, instantly on her feet. She glided over to the other side of the room in two strides, grabbing a morning robe as she went by. She skidded to a halt to briefly bid Devlyn a "Wait here" before exiting out into the hallway. Scanning the area for any guards, Airin hastened her way to Cyrus's room right next door and knocked. Her eyes darted constantly from left to right and back again and even after the second knock there was no answer.
He must be still sleeping, Airin sighed. Abandoning any notion of proper manners, she sneaked in through the door with a soft creak and honed in on her brother's closet. She sifted through each shirt, every piece of clothing hung on a hanger, with short loud screeches following any slight movement of the metal.
"What are you doing?"
Airin flinched, snapping her head over to Cyrus as he rubbed his eyes open against the light. She huffed, her arms still shaking from that split second of alarm. "Looking for clothes."
"I can see that," yawned the young vampire. "Why?"
"I... just need them for today." Great, start off the day by lying to your brother. Airin sighed, turning back to the row of clothes and rummaging through until finding a simple black shirt. "For Devlyn."
That got his attention. "Wait, what?"
"Don't tell anyone, ok?" She threw her brother the most pleading of looks she could while trying to remain sincere. Airin could curse herself for letting the notion of what happened between her and Devy be known to another soul but, as almost always, it would seem her and Cyrus's special bond pulled through.
"Scout's honor," Cyrus mumbled, burying his face into his pillows once more. Airin smiled in earnest and made her way back to her room with much haste and no interference. It was slightly nerve-wracking to have been able to sneak around in her mother's castle so easily, even if Airin did live here. Then again, there were worse things that had broken into the castle and the thought made Airin shudder from the echo of that memory.
Yes, thought the young princess to herself bitterly, what an awesome way to start the day, Airin.
And she was gone. Devlyn plopped back on the bed with the biggest smile on his face. Airin was always in her own world, even with others around.
ReplyDelete"Just anther reason to love her."
Devlyn heard the soft whisper of the door opening and closing as Airin entered the room.
"I hope these fit. I know Cy has trouble with his own clothing too so if they don't fit I can go find some that do. Or maybe you could just pop to your place and get some-" She shuffled through the clothing's as if making sure she got the right ones. She looked almost a bit flustered.
"Of course if you don't want to we can always-"
"Airin," Devlyn brought her attention to him.He took the clothing's from her hands. "These will do, don't worry."
She gave him a bashful smile as she bit her bottom lip in a nervous gesture.
"Sorry, I just. . . I've never. . . I'll just go take a shower." And before he knew it, she was off to the bathroom.
A part of him wanted to go in with her.. but he knew he couldn't rush things. One step at a time Devlyn.
He pushed himself off the bed and stretched his sore muscles. He'd never felt this sore in quite some time, and the cause of the soreness only made him even happier with the pain.
He'd just finished slipping on the pants when he heard his cell phone ring somewhere off in the distance. A small, lazier part of him made him want to ignore the cursed ringing and continue on with his day. Another part of him knew it could be something important.
Much to his dismay, his reasoning won and he was off trying to track down his phone in the mess that apparently Ri and he had caused.
My gods! The room looked like a bomb had set off. Furniture was overturned, some chairs were even missing legs.His eyes landed on the small sofa that was ripped to shreds by Airins claws. The memory of how he took her on that sofa distracted him until that annoying buzz and ring broke his concentration.
A bit pissed off with the phone, Devlyn nearly destroyed it when he found it wedged behind Airin's dresser.
"What?!" He barked into the phone.
"He's sent another message." Tristin's voice snapped him out of his sour mood.Devlyn knew all too well who "he" referred to. He looked over his shoulder to make sure Airin was still in the shower before turning his attention back to his second in command.
"What does it say?" He dreaded how the messages were sent. It was usually on a female or child. Carved into their bodies while alive and later disformed and tortured to death before sending them to him. . . Kieren did anything to try to psych Devlyn out.
"That's just it. . . it isnt a word message. Its just a picture." Devlyn kept his nerves in check as dread began to settle in,and in the most calming voice he could, he asked.
"Of what?"
"A blue rose."
Airin basked underneath the flood of warm water in a daze, her eyes tracing drops of water on the shower's glass doors. It gave her somewhat satisfaction in knowing that Devlyn's scent would never leave her body no matter how much she could try to scrub it clean, not that she ever would. The progress of her's and Devlyn's relationship had taken the next step and oddly enough Airin didn't feel the need to fret over it. So long, too long, that she had been waiting for this moment to finally come to fruition and most of the time she hadn't been aware of it. She had her misgivings when they were younger but any trace of doubt was washed clean after last night. Airin caught herself smiling; there would definitely be more nights like that one.
ReplyDeleteThe already hot and steamy room was starting to grow warmer the more Airin reminisced about last night so she took it as a sign to not torture Devlyn with her absence anymore and turned of the shower head. After drying herself off with a nearby towel, Airin stepped out of the shower stall to dress. She forwent the trouble of wearing a dress in favor of a blouse and dress pants since they were going out in public and the oversized dresses would look ridiculous. Not that either of them would care what they looked like as long as they were together.
Airin paused, noticing the mumbling of voices on the other side of the door. Was Devlyn talking to someone? The only person that came to mind would be Cyrus (since anyone else would most likely be screaming orders to drive out or kill the werewolf prince), but as more time went by Airin noticed the voice had an undertone of static. Someone on a phone line, then. Waving away the guilt of eavesdropping with more disregard than normal, Airin pressed closer to the door to hear more of what they were saying.
"... it's just a picture," the static voice said. Airin scrunched her nose; who was Devlyn talking to?
"Of what?" replied Devlyn calmly.
"A blue rose."
What? What did that mean? Now that Airin thought about it, weren't the roses Devlyn gave her-
The young vampire froze, the sound of the accelerated beating of her heart drowning out whatever else Devlyn and the voice were talking about. It was abrupt and potent, carrying a particular scent that Airin couldn't identify, but there was no mistaking it. She could smell blood.
ReplyDeleteIt was at that exact moment when she came to this conclusion that something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The medicine cabinet mirror hanging over the sink had a dark drop of liquid traveling down the middle of the mirror that left a distinctive trail of crimson red.
Airin must've stared at the small bead for what felt like minutes, watching as it slowed in its descent. She glanced above the mirror for a split moment to see what could have possibly caused the droplet to appear but the wall and ceiling were clear. It was just inexplicably only in this room. Airin returned her sights directly towards the mirror when her blood all but froze in her veins. More droplets appeared, faster than the first, and practically flooding down to the bottom and into the sink. It wasn't until a loud crack of shattering glass dividing the mirror straight down the middle did Airin find her voice to yelp in shock.
"Airin?" came Devlyn's voice as he pounded lightly on the door but in Airin's hysteria it might as well have been an earthquake that hit. Her hand flew to her mouth as the other was kept clutched against her vibrating chest; her heart hadn't beat this fast in over ten years.
"Airin!" Devlyn's tone was all but panicked and Airin's eyes darted anxiously to the locked door handle as the werewolf attempted to open the door.
Airin returned her gaze towards the mirror, scared to miss anything else it could do, and the sight had her landing on her knees even more terrified than before. The mirror was clean. The smell and sight of blood was gone and the glass was perfectly in tact. The only liquid on the mirror now was the condensation from the steam of her shower.
W-What the hell? Airin thought, holding back the bile she was sure her adrenaline spike was stirring up. Am... Am I... seeing things?
"Airin!" Devlyn took a step back, readying himself to kick down the door, though it wasn't necessary. The lock clicked and the door opened slowly, almost cautiously.
ReplyDelete"I'm-I'm ok." Airin assured him, but her features said otherwise. Her entire body was trembling, her face pale from fright. He could hear the acceleration of her heart beat as her nerves began to take over.
He immediately took her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. His own heart beating frantically as he attempted to make something of this situation.
"Devy, you're squishing..me." She wiggled in his arms as she tried to loosen his grip.
"Sorry. What happened in there Ri?"
Her eyes darted away from his as she avoided eye contact with him.
"There was... um... I saw blood. I could even smell it. A-and. . then there was more. It seemed so real. The mirror shattered as if it was some kind of . . . dam. But now. . ."
Her gaze turned towards the open door of the bathroom.
Hallucinations. . . could it have been Kieren? How far did his power reach?
The blood in his veins froze as he contemplated the possibility. . . it couldn't be. . . Was he near the castle?
"Devlyn?"
"Where is Cyrus?" Devlyn demanded. He felt the need to ask even though he already knew where.
Damn it. The message had him on edge. It was a picture of a blue rose, but Kieren had gone after both twins the last time he attacked. Surely, the demon would know that Ri was under his protection. . . but what if he tried to hurt her by hurting those close to her?
"In his room, why? Devy talk to me-" Her voice grew increasingly in alarm. He knew in not telling her the truth, she would only enter a panic. Despite his better judgement, Devlyn turned towards the door and headed for Cy's room.
"I received a call from one of my men about five minutes ago. We think. . ." He hesitated at Cyrus's door. He didn't know the gravity of the situation, didn't even know the true threat. The only thing he could do was defend, and hope it was enough. Keeping his emotions in check, he finished, "I think Kieren is coming after you. In every way he can."
Kieren. There was a notable darkness arising in the corridors at the very mention of his name, gravity itself seemed to cower and malfunction when Airin had the sudden sensation of feeling weightless. At first she didn't respond, the world abruptly registering through a filter. Everything was so far away while she stood there being swallowed up by a dullness encompassing her very being...
ReplyDeleteAnd then everything raced. Kieren. Kieren is here. He's after me. He's going to take me. He's going to take me just like when Cyrus and I-
Cyrus.
"Cy!" Airin bellowed, slamming into the door to force it open, unaware of Devlyn's shocked protests.
"Ri-"
She couldn't hear him. She had to open the door. She had to get to Cyrus. She couldn't let anything happen to him knowing she could've done something. Anything. She couldn't fail him again. The distant sound of his merciless cries from Airin's memories arose and she pressed her forehead against the door as she forced those horrid memories back down. Dammit, Airin, keep it together.
"What's going on?"
If that voice hadn't spoken just moments before the door opened from the inside, Airin would've fallen face first onto the floor. Cyrus stood at the door somewhat bemused, obviously not pleased precious time was being taken from him sleeping in. Airin could literally feel her shoulders going slack in her relief.
Cyrus cocked his head curiously. "What are you-?"
"Kieren," Airin interjected, noting how Devlyn sighed in an undertone of exasperation. Devlyn would've kept it from Cyrus if he could to protect him, Airin knew, but it was better that Cyrus was aware of the danger. Only when his eyes flashed with that unmistakable and unrestrained fear did Airin feel a sharp pang in her stomach for being so careless. "S-Sorry."
Cyrus swallowed, acknowledging her apology with a nod. "I... I take it that's what the scream was about?"
"Did you see anything... demented, by any chance?" Devlyn jumped in, striding into the room and inspecting around each crevice.
"Demented?" Cyrus asked, his brow furrowing. "... Does a nightmare about waking up in a bed full of dead, bloody bats count?"
Airin raised her eyebrows, incredulous. Cyrus's coping mechanisms always threw her through a loop; honestly, she could never feign being so calm even if she tried.
"We need to get you two somewhere safe," Devlyn announced, drawing the collective attention to him. "My team's home base will do for now."
He turned to summon a portal and for some reason, perhaps due to the adrenaline, Airin called, "Devy?"
When their eyes met, ocean blue to cold steel, Airin smiled at him in earnest. "Thank you."
The three of them entered through the portal with Devlyn in the lead. WIth a quick check that the portal was safely closed behind them, he took them down the darkly lit corridor. It could have been easier to open it directly inside the base, but it would mean that any creatures with his similar abilities could get in. They had to make sure this place was air tight against any possible weaknesses or faults.
ReplyDeleteThe sound of their foot steps rang dully in the back ground as he allowed his thoughts to wonder.They raced with every possibility of attack that Kieren could possibly launch. Cyrus and Airin were safe, without a doubt, but he didn't know what they were safe from. If Kieren was using their psyche against them, they could be facing some serious problems.
As they approached the main door Devlyn could feel the wound from that dreadful night begin to throb. It continued to serve as the nasty reminder of the bond that Kieren and him seemed to share now. The bastard had marked Devlyn that night, and ever since then, he would not let him forget it. Devlyn quickly hid any disconfort he might show, he couldn't cause Ri or Cy any worries. They were scared enough by the ambiguous threat Kieren placed on them, showing any signs of weakness would not be an option.
Devlyn shook away anymore distracting thoughts and gave his eyes for the scan and prints. The door unlocked and with a loud suction opened up to the main base.
Oddly enough, Devlyn found himself hoping for Ri and Cy's approval and with them here, all the faults began to jump out at him. None were security faults of course, it was more. . . trivial. It wasn't exactly a picture of the perfect "CIA" head quarter. They had equipment lying everywhere in no particular order, papers stacked up high enough to almost touch the ceiling. He couldn't believe that in _this_ situation he would be worried about such nonsense and frankly the fact that he did showed two things: one, he was absolutely out of his fucking mind. Two, being that he was letting the situation get to him.
Focus Devlyn, come on.
"Yo, Devlyn! Fuck me, man, listen! Hello!" Somehow, Devlyn hadn't noticed Tristan standing right in front of him. He cursed as he drew his attention to his second in command.
"Yea, sorry." He cast a quick glance to Airin and Cy, who both stood fairly close to him as if scared they might get eaten by one of his men.
"Right, so, Draven has been tracking the source of the message. It was sent on a young female, 18 years of age. Her name was Racheal Travis. Species, vampire. She was found at Moonlight lake at five a.m. The second message-"
"Wait, Tris." They could go over these details in private, right now he had to find a comfortable place for Airin and Cyrus to stay.
"Right," Tris, said as he understood why he was stopped mid sentence. "I'll finnish briefing you later. Take them where they need to go, I'll be here."
Devlyn nodded his thanks and turned to the young vampires.
"Come on, you guys will be safe in my office. Don't worry, none of the people in here will harm you. They will protect you guys with their lives. I trust them with mine, you can too." He reassured them as he motioned for them to follow him.
"Devy? What. . . are you going to do. . . exactly?" Airin's voice was a welcomed relief at the uncomfortable silence.
ReplyDelete"I'm going to hunt down the threat and neutralize it." He stated simply, although that was much easier said than done. And the fact that he had no idea what he was exactly up against. . . but he very well couldn't have said nothing to Airin, he hoped his response satisfied her a bit.
"Oh." Airin's response was as simple as his.
He hadn't been aware he was holding his breath until a wave of relief washed over him. He was thankful she didn't delve further into questions he didn't have answers for.
The door to his office opened automatically as they approached and he motioned for them to enter. He noted how their eyes scanned the large space as if in awe. It was a little over the top, he had to admit sometimes, but the space proved necessary since it also served as his "stress relieving room." It was fully equipped with many exercise machines when he needed to "work" through his problems. It wasn't exactly a hotel, but . . . There he went again, caring about the "beauty" of the room. Pathetic, Dev.
"Ri, you have my cell number. Call me if you need anything."
"Ok. . . Devy?" He turned back to her in time to feel the sweet softness of her lips against his. His heartbeat rocketed out of control as he let her esence calm the nerves that put him on edge. The kiss ended too soon as she pulled back and smiled up at him with utter trust.
"Good luck." Devlyn smiled, but before leaving he caught Cy's stare. Comically enough, Cy brought up his hands as if in surrender, "Hey, you're not getting a kiss from me."
Well, that succeeded in bringing out Devlyn and Airin's laugh. Funny, even in such a dire situation, Cy could always make them both feel better.
Airin sighed as Devlyn left through the door, the room already feeling much to empty for her liking. She hugged her arms, the urge to do something, anything, driving her insane. A distraction was what Airin needed to keep her mind off of Kieren along with any and all memories that name alone brought to mind.
ReplyDeleteShe turned towards Cyrus, finding that he was already causing trouble around one of the exercise machines. "Cyrus! Don't mess with that!"
He didn't even so much as glance her way. "What? I'm not doing anything. It's just Devlyn's stuff anyway."
"Exactly, Cy," Airin huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose when her brother turned on the treadmill. Still, annoying as it was, Airin found herself giggling as Cyrus attempted to jump onto the moving platform from the side and failing miserably each time. He struggled for a minute or so before turning the machine off in a sign of defeat. Even with a hand covering her mouth, Airin's smile was still prevalent on her face, which caused Cyrus to throw her a glare.
"Yea, well, I'd like to see you try it." He plopped himself down onto the track of the treadmill, determined to hide his pouting expression Airin was certain he was wearing. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing outright and instead trudged over to Cyrus as she took the space next to him to sit.
They sat in mutual silence and every once in a while Airin's eyes would dart at the tiniest of noises towards it's location, finding nothing in return. How long it had been since the hallucination Airin couldn't say, and the time lapse between now and then of uninterrupted peace had the young vampire on edge. She wasn't sure if Kieren's power could reach them where they were now but Airin remained cautious all the same. What was his reason for stepping back into her and Cyrus's life now, after so many years of silence from the demon?
"Airin?" The princess blinked as Cyrus's voice cut through her train of thought and she turned her attention to her twin brother. His eyes were averted and it almost seemed as though he refused to meet her gaze. Her brow drew together as she noticed how he chewed his bottom lip with a noticeable tint of red coloring his cheeks. Was he... embarrassed?
"So..." he finally said meekly, intertwining and untwining his fingers in his deliberation. "... You and Devlyn, huh?"
ReplyDeleteAirin immediately sat up straighter, heat flooding to her face. Cyrus had known about her and Devlyn since they were children but Airin knew her brother was alluding to more than just the obvious.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat, her voice suddenly deciding to crack in odd places as she spoke. "Y-yea, well... I mean, just..." Airin groaned, burying her face in her hands. "God, Cyrus, are we really going to talk about this?"
Cyrus shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt with uncanny focus. "Well, you know... no, but I guess... it's just... don't you find it a bit too... strange for this all to be a coincidence?"
Airin was going to get permanent wrinkles; she had never been more befuddled in her life. "What does that have to do with-?"
"Do you think... Kieren-" (the flinch associated with the demon's name didn't go unnoticed by Airin) "-... was waiting for you and Devlyn to... you know..." He trailed off, finally meeting Airin's eyes with a strong look of concern.
Airin's mouth suddenly went dry. "... Cyrus?"
The fellow vampire sighed in frustration, tilting his head skyward. "... Airin, were you and Devlyn careful?"
Airin wasn't sure when it happened, her thoughts were too numb, and everything at once just shifted to autopilot. Before she realized what she was doing, Airin was on her feet all too quickly and heading straight for the door in a handful of strides.
"Airin? What are you-?"
"Going for a walk," was the only thing Airin murmured as she turned the handle of the door and stepped out into the hallway. She caught herself holding her hand instinctively on her stomach and forced it back down to her side. Whatever Cyrus was alluding to, it wasn't the reason. It couldn't be.
*Don't you find it a bit too... strange for this all to be a coincidence?*
Airin scoffed and headed down the hallway, hoping a tour of the base would ease her mind, all the while resisting the urge to protectively encase her midriff in her arms. It couldn't be... it just couldn't.
The pounding in his head didn't get any better as Tristan finished briefing him on the situation. There hadn't been just one, but two bodies found. Both vampires, both young and around the age that Cyrus and Airin were. If that didn't give them a clear indication of Kieren's target, the picture of a blue rose and a red rose did.
ReplyDeleteShit. He had Draven working on tracking down the demons that sent them. If he could find them . . . perhaps he could interrogate them into telling him the Demon Prince's hide out. He very much doubted it though. Devlyn had been tracking him for a decade now, Kieren was good and wouldn't make stupid mistakes.
"Devlyn, I think we found something." Well, that caught his attention.
"What?" Draven pulled up the large screen to show him a map of the area.
"I found a abnormal large concentration of demons in the lower part of the downtown area." Draven zoomed in at the point of interest and indicated the location with a small red dot. Devlyn knew that place. . .
"That's where. . ."
"That's where Princess Airin and Prince Cyrus were taken when they were young." Draven finished for him. Silence stretched across the room as they all understood what this meant for him. What in the hell was Kieren doing exactly? Drawing him out? Pushing his buttons?
"Devlyn, that's not all." Tristan brought his attention to his phone. Devlyn cast him a confused look before taking the phone from him.
"Its Kieren.''
Well, speak of the devil.
"Draven-"
"Already on it, sir. Tracing the call now."
Devlyn nodded before taking the phone to his ear and answering.
"What do you want."
"Well, hello to you too sunshine." Kieren snickered.
Mother fucker. . . Devlyn thought to himself as the grip on the phone tightened. He hoped this phone was fucking indestructible, or else Tristan would have to buy a new one.
"What. Do. You. Want." He bit out ever sylabl as he tried to keep his emotions in check.
"How about lunch? I've been dying to see you. It's been too long don't you think?"
"What fucking game are you playing?"
"1221 North Vine st. Meet me there if you want your friend and you. . .lover, safe." The call ended.
The amount of adrenaline that now coursed through his system could possible kill a couple of men, Devlyn was sure of it. The amount of anger and rage? Could possible set an entire city on fire.
"Draven."
"The call ended too soon. He's good, he had me bouncing all over the place with different cell towers around the globe." Figrues. Devlyn had no choice but to play his game.
"I want Tris, Clare, and Nate on me. Draven you'll be our look out. I want you to hack any cameras in that facility. Tor and Jayce I want you on Airin and Cyrus. You are not to let them out of your sight until I return. Let's gear up."
Without another word they all set to work. Devlyn was checking his ear piece when he felt a soft touch on his arm.
"Devy?" His attention was immedietly drawn to a frightened Airin. He could literally feel the chills that ran through her body like his own.
ReplyDelete"What's going on? Where are you going?"
Two questions Devlyn wanted to avoid the most. He didn't want to worry her until he knew what exactly would happen. But that was not possible. For some reason, his instinct told him to tell you everything he knew so far. The truth was the route to go from this point, besides, he couldn't think of a single good lie.
"Kieren called. He sent me a location. He has threatened your life and that of Cyrus. I must go, Ri. I don't want you to worry." He motioned to the guards that now approached them with Cyrus. "They will protect you until I return. If you want, you can stay in the control room with Draven and monitor how we're doing. It might help ease your minds a bit and keep you distracted for the most part." He turned over to the ear pieces he had been calibrating and gave one to both of them.
"If something happens, that is the direct way to reach me. I won't have my phone with me." He took a deep breath, his eyes going from Cyrus and Airin.
"I don't want either of you to place yourselves in danger. If the compound is attacked, there is a tunnel leading out of the compound. They will show you the entrance." Gods, it was becoming increasingly hard to talk all of a sudden. Was he. . . actually. . . scared? If he was, Devlyn didn't know. He'd never really felt scared before. He hoped he wasn't, but as he met Airin's worried gaze, Devlyn couldn't help but feel a heavy weight on his heart. He drew her into his arms, letting the feel of her wash over him like a calming ocean breeze.
"I will be back for you, Airin. I won't let anything hurt you."
He felt her slender arms wrap around him tightly. Her body trembled slightly, but she kept her voice level. His brave Airin. . .
"I know,Devy, I'll be here. Just, don't do anything stupid? Ok?"
He pulled her back and tilted her chin up to met those beautiful steel eyes of hers, "Stupid? Never. Im always careful." A devilish grin played across his face as he winked at her and took her lips once again. Good Lord, he would never get enough of her.
"Devlyn. We have to go." He could have cursed Tristan for interrupting the moment but he was right, he had to go.
He let Tor and Jayce take them towards the center of the control room, only to stop Jayce just before he left.
"If something starts to go wrong I want you to take them to my office. I don't want them to get scared or worried understood? If you need an excuse, tell them that they need to contact their family to let them know they are ok. Promise me, Jayce. If I get in trouble, you won't let Ri know."
Please stay, thought Airin, her heart weighing heavy in her chest as she watched Devlyn depart. She closed her hand around the earpiece he'd given her, the object somehow feeling more dense than it probably was.
ReplyDeleteShe couldn't tell him. Not when there was so much ambiguity about the whole thing. Really, Airin didn't feel any different, even though she knew there wouldn't be immediate signs that she was in fact pregnant. The vampire princess shivered at the word and it rang in her mind like an echo in a large, empty room. The thought of being a mother was daunting; Airin had just gotten used to the idea of allowing herself to feel okay about being protective for and loved by the one person she cared for most.
Airin's focus was interrupted when the monitor came to life, showing four tiny yellow dots on a grid landscape. They move gradually along the map and it was as though staring at the screen would keep any hostiles away from them. It was a meaningless fear; Kieren himself reached out to Devlyn and if it was an ambush, it would make more sense to do it at the location where they were the farthest away from the base, right?
"You can sit down if you want," came a voice and Airin broke her gaze away from the monitor to the soldier she surmised to be Jayce. He stood adjacent to the briefing table situated in front of the monitor, wearing a headset and holding a remote pad in his hands. He gave her an small, empathetic smile and motioned to nearby chair with a jerk of his head.
Airin bowed her head in acknowledgement but otherwise remained standing. "... Won't Kieren try to launch an attack here at the base?"
The other soldier (Tor, was it?) spoke up in response. "Our base is well hidden and warded against anything that could come sniffing along. An ambush would be highly unlikely."
"It wouldn't stop Kieren from trying, would it?" Airin pressed.
"Don't worry, if he does attack this place, Tor and I will do everything in our power to protect you."
The young vampire bit her lip, worried her musings might come across as insulting. "It's just... He might be extra motivated to get here because..." Airin sighed; there was really no other way of saying it than doing it outright. She continued, "... I think Kieren believes I'm carrying Devlyn's child."
All the boy's heads snapped toward her direction, including Cyrus's, and Airin's cheeks burned under their scrutiny. Each of them were frozen in time, but Airin could especially see the wheels frantically turning in Tor and Jayce's heads. The silence was crushing, alarming Airin to the gravity of her statement. If it were true, it could change almost everything about the mission at hand.
Jayce finally found the will to speak up. "... Do you know for sure? I mean, if you are...?"
Airin shook her head dejectedly.
The soldier tapped his fingers in thought on the remote pad. "We can't leave you and your brother unprotected so only one of us will have to stay here while the other procures pregnancy tests. Tor?"
The fellow soldier snapped out of his bewildered daze and turned to his comrade. "Yes?"
"You stay here with them. I'm the quicker of the two of us so I'll be the one to get the items."
Tor nodded his approval and accepted the communications gear from Jayce as the latter headed out at a mad sprint.
Attempting to ignore the fact that they were down one man with every passing, precious second, Airin shifted her attention back to the monitor. One of the four dots had broken off from the group and situated itself in the dead center in the screen. She didn't need to be told who that lone dot represented.
Seeing as there was little else to do but pace uselessly, Airin took the chair next to Cyrus and buried her head in her arms. God, last night seemed like a century ago. Even the bleeding mirror felt like it occurred only yesterday. There was so much to take in and so little Airin could do about any of it.
ReplyDeleteShe turned her head to gaze at Cyrus, who had the strangest look of fatigue in his eyes. Airin leaned in closer towards his line of vision yet still he would not glance away to look at her.
"Cyrus?" Airin called softly, reaching for his shoulder with a delicate hand. He jumped at the contact, a tiny flicker of fear reflected in his eyes before noticing Airin.
"Huh?" he mumbled, rubbing his left eye lazily. "Sorry, m'just tired."
Airin smiled and ruffled his already disheveled hair. "See what happens when you sleep in too long?"
"Shut up."
The young princess giggled in amusement but otherwise they spent the remainder of their time in silence until Jayce returned. After setting up the security locks once more, the soldier approached Airin with a grocery bag laced around his arm and relinquished it to her. She took it eagerly, not even realizing how anxious she had been for this moment, and exchanged glances with either of their two protectors. "Umm-?"
"Bathroom's down the hall on the right," Tor instructed, giving Jayce his equipment back as he did so.
With a small "thank you," Airin headed down the hall and, on a whim, spared a glance back towards Cyrus. She couldn't see his expression from the angle she was at, but his shoulders looked oddly squared and pensive. It must just be the nerves, Airin reasoned and continued her trek towards the restroom.
Jayce had taken the annoying liberty of buying different brands of tests, which meant a different list of instructions and results for each. Although, after some deliberation, perhaps it was the best way to do it in case a particular product was defective. At least he had the decency to buy multiples of the same brand because Airin was having a difficult time messing up with almost every single one.
She finished her third successful one (out of seven in total) when something caught Airin's ear. She surveyed the bathroom first, that haunting feeling that she was going to receive another message at the forefront of her mind but none came. After several more seconds of listening, Airin realized the commotion was coming from outside the bathroom. And from the sounds of it, it wasn't a friendly little struggle. Creaking open the door enough to peek on through towards the briefing room, Airin's blood could not have gone any colder than right there at that moment.
"Tor!"
ReplyDeleteJayce ran towards the other soldier, who was lying on the ground, and attempted to drag him away from none other than Cyrus. The gasp Airin choked on drew the attention of every one of them in her general direction but her sights were focused solely on her brother. His expression wasn't malicious or wicked, but full of pure unadulterated terror as if his worst nightmares were coming true before his eyes. Which was only partially true, but something was definitely wrong with the way he normally handled it. The look he was wearing was wild yet dangerous. Cyrus was succumbing to his basic, vampiric instincts to survive.
The door was abruptly slammed shut, knocking Airin back against the sink in retaliation. She leapt forward and pounded against the door with her fists, even jiggled the handle for release, all to no avail. The pained murmur of a voice spoke directly against the door from the other side.
"Stay in there, Your Highness. You'll be safe."
"Jayce?" Airin replied, crouching down to the level of where she heard his voice the loudest. "What's happening? What's happened to Cyrus? Is Tor alright?"
Nothing. Airin punched the door and practically screeched in her attempt for some kind of response. She was only met with silence, however, and Airin finally forced herself to calm her nerves as best as she could. She couldn't get so easily stressed; she wasn't living for herself anymore. Airin peeked over at the sink, bearing the accursed pregnancy tests with their respective results.
She had never seen so many red crosses in her life as she did now.
Devlyn's breaths were steady as he snuck in from the side of the building. It was so old now. The wall's paint was stripped and the floor looked unstable. Devlyn was cautious as he stepped further within.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you you mother fucker. . .
His mind was completely focused on his surroundings, making him jump as his communication link began to come live.
"Hold. . . him. Wai-" The voices were chopped up but there was one thing he could hear clearly; screams of pure terror.
"Tor? Jayce? Come in. What the fuck is going on?"
No response. Only more struggling sounds and a screech that he identified as Cyrus. Shit, were the demons attacking the compound?
Devlyn's blood pumped through his veins like liquid fire as fear began to set in. Completely disregarding the need for stealth, Devlyn ran towards the exit while barking at his team to retreat.
He never saw it coming. Devlyn was knocked off his feet and slammed hard onto the ground. The floor beneath him gave way, causing to fall at least two stories before finally landing on the concrete below. Loud ringing in his ears prevented him from sensing movement around him, his sight was obscured by blood that seemed to be coming from a wound on his head.
Shit.
"Now, Devlyn. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" A menacing laugh rang out, echoing off the empty room's walls. It sounded like it was coming from all around him, making it impossible to know where the source was.
Get up, Devlyn! Get up! He forced his muscles to work, ignoring their protests as several injuries seemed to come alive all at once. Broken rib, wound on head, left arm, and along right leg calf. Devlyn made mental notes of all the injuries to ensure he would not expose the weaknesses during this battle. His opponent seemed to be waiting for Devlyn to regain his witts before attacking. . .that or he was fucking with him. The latter seemed more plausible.
"Come on, you're boring me. Get up you weak fuck. I want a fight."
Oh, and he'll get one. Devlyn was up on his feet in the next second, one of the swords sheathed on his back was launched from his hand and hit its target dead on. The demon screeched in pain as his hands flayed about him. Poor bastard didn't know whether to take the weapon out or leave it in.
"Not much of a fight for me." Devlyn called upon the power of his darkness to twist the sword until the demon fell lifeless onto the ground.
"I want him alive." The unexpected voice sounded from above, catching his attention. Kieren.
Devlyn's gaze snapped up to the source. His vision was obscured by the only light that shone above. Only a glimpse of a shadow passed above before all hell broke loose and demons began to swarm him. He dashed for the carcass of the demon with his blade. His body slid, narrowly missing the claw of a Necro demon, and caught the hilt of his sword. He jumped up to his feet, unsheathing the second sword from his back,ready for battle. His eyes scanned all around, seeing an endless sea of demons of all species growling and foaming at their chance to get to him.
ReplyDeleteTime ticked by, the pressure to get back began to grow in the back of his mind. He didn't know what was happening and no one would fucking answer him!
He charged at the first onslaught of demons, his swords met no resistance as they met with their flesh. He cut them all down, one by one, even when sometimes they seemed to overwhelm him. His power served well as it snaked around the bodies, killing demons as it went.
"Devlyn!" His voice was barely audible over the demons growls and cries. Devlyn almost didn't hear him at all as he dodged a blood hound's muzzle.
"Cant. . . talk!" He cursed as he felt the razor sharp teeth of one sink into his shoulder. The other demons took advantage, coming at him in all directions until he was on the ground, pinned underneath a fucking horde. He didn't let panic settle in now. Instead, he remained calm and still. Even as the pain began to claim the edge of his vision and his body nearly gave under it.
"No. Kill. Stop!" An in coherent command from one of the lesser demons rang through the group and one by one they moved away. Devlyn remained still until the very last demon left his side. Then, he struck. Quickly shifting into his wolf form, feeling the specially designed armor morph with him. He made little work of the remaining demons then. And just in time too, his team landed soundlessly in front of him, their gazes reflected no shock at all as they saw the piles of endless bodies around.
He shifted back, making sure to take deep breaths as his body protested again. The armor he wore snapped back to place, protecting him in this form. It was yet another day he was thankful for it.
"We have to get back. Something-"
"It's all right. Situation is under control. Cyrus apparently suffered a delusion caused by Kieren. He attacked Tor, but he should be fine."
Was that supposed to make him feel better?
"We're going."
Tristan gave him a look, but said nothings as Devlyn opened a portal and stepped through it.
Airin wasn't sure whether or not she was thankful that the door was especially imbued with durability to withstand even the strength of a vampire. What could she have done to stop Cyrus if she had been able to break out, pregnant or not? That fact never did quell Airin's desire to just be there, to do whatever she could no matter how fruitless it was. God, she had never felt so useless as she did now.
ReplyDeleteShe called for her brother as loud as she could whenever she heard his screams. Tears streamed down Airin's cheeks with every gut wrenching screech; it felt so wrong knowing how well she knew those cries of terror. Knowing that Kieren was just as responsible for those screams now as he was then made it all the more unbearable.
Then, quite abruptly, any and all sounds of a struggle ceased. The air grew thick and heavy in the proceeding silence and fear mixed viciously with relief the longer it dragged on. Airin pressed her ear close to the door, a deep sigh escaping her lips when she heard the soft mumbling of voices. Things had settled, though on what kind of note Airin couldn't be sure. There was still that echo of lingering fear of what state of condition the boys were in and the extent of the damage they had done. Whatever the case, the threat was over for the moment and the vampire refused to be kept in a "cage" any longer.
"Hello?" Airin called irritably, beating on the door with more resolve. "Is everything all right? Can someone let me out now?"
No response. She had half a mind to start a commotion to get their attention but that dissipated quickly when she heard louder voices occupy the briefing room. The weight in Airin's heart alleviated; did Devlyn's team make it back from their mission already? Although, was the brevity of their absence a good sign, Airin wondered.
Dammit, she refused to be left in the dark! "Hey!" Airin bellowed more adamantly. "Let me out!"
"Pathetic."
The whole room boomed at the intensity of the voice even though it's tone was calm yet patronizing. The air turned to ice, although that wasn't what made Airin shiver. She knew that voice. Heart hammering in her chest, Airin's gaze gradually turned away from the door towards the mirror. She didn't know what to expect, but she could've sworn she saw a pair of bright, yellow eyes blink at her before vanishing altogether. No... was that...?
The handle of the door shook alive and the door itself swung open soon after the lock was undone. The image of the predatory snake-like eyes left Airin's mind completely when she wheeled around to meet the eyes of a familiar ocean blue.
ReplyDelete"Devy!" Airin just stopped short of throwing her arms around Devlyn when she noticed the not-so-subtle injuries he was sporting, and instead encased his face in her delicate hands as she planted a soft kiss upon his lips. A noticeably relieved sigh escaped from Devlyn as he returned the kiss with much enthusiasm. They both would've been lost in the moment, with Devlyn's right arm wrapped around Airin's waist as her hands traveled up into his raven black hair, had not one of Devlyn's soldiers cleared their throat in a very non-subtle manner.
They broke away from the kiss with a shared, airy laugh, still encased in one another's arms. Airin noticed the absence of two specific people immediately.
"Where's-?"
"I took Tor and Cyrus to the infirmary," Jayce spoke up, helping one of the other soldiers remove their armor. "Your brother seemed pretty shaken up when he woke up from the delusion."
Airin would be surprised if Cyrus wasn't, but all the same she was glad he at least was okay. Well, technically speaking. She returned her gaze to Devlyn and felt an overwhelming urge to take advantage of this opportunity. "Devy, I need to tell you-"
"Sir, shouldn't you join Tor and the vampire in the infirmary to mend your wounds?" piped in a female soldier.
"They're not that bad; I can let them heal," replied Devlyn. Airin rolled her eyes; typical man. "What were you saying, Ri?"
She took a deep breath, feeling somehow the words were becoming much harder to convey. "I'm-"
"Devlyn, we really need to coordinate our next plan of attack in case Kieren makes a move again," approached another soldier.
"I'll meet you up later in the control room, right now I-"
"Devy, listen, I am-"
"We might also want to redesign the wards to prevent mind manipulation after today, sir."
"Then start researching, there might have been something we missed-"
"Devy, I'm pregnant."
That key word had the entire room reduced to silence. Maybe one day Airin would learn to not blurt out serious matters so indelicately, but apparently that day was not today.
And. . . time stopped. Suddenly those "Not-that-bad" wounds had his entire world spinning around him and his armor felt about ten thousand times heavier. Yet, despite everything, Devlyn's heart began to fill with just about every good emotion known to man.
ReplyDelete"Holy shit." Devlyn drew Airin into his arms, lifted her off her feet and kissed her over and over. Their laughter drowned out all the bad that threatened them. . . for a while anyway.
I beleive congratulations are in order,Devlyn. The dark voice in his mind drew him out of the moment as he realized what this truly meant now. Kieren was no longer just threatening the lives of Airin and Cyrus, but the life of his unborn child too.
He could barely contain the growl in the back of his throat. He gently placed Airin back on the ground. How could Kieren know? They had only slept together. . .yesterday? Had it been that short of a time? It seemed years ago to him now.
"Devy? You're making me nervous."
"Sorry."
He stepped away from Ri and turned his attention to his team. Their gazes met his as they shared his concern. They knew what was at stake now. Finally all the pieces started to make sense and it was far worse than they could have hoped.
"I need. . ." What did he need? For once, Devlyn was in a situation he didn't know how to handle. Instead, he took Airin by the hand and walked towards the infirmary. He knew that now was the time his team looked to him for guidance, but he just needed time to think.
Airin's grip tightened around his hand, drawing his attention to her smile.
"It'll be ok, Devy. I have faith in you." He smiled in return, nodding his agreement before receeding back into his thoughts.
"Devlyn. I am sorry, but you need to focus."
"Clare-"
"No, you need to focus on the mission in hand. They will be fine-"
Devlyn's anger got the best of him. He didn't need rebellion from Clarissa now. "They," He turned, his face inches away from hers as they locked gazes. "are my responsibility. And as far as your concerned, Airin is to be your queen. I will handle the situation for it is my family who is at stake not yours."
ReplyDeleteClare growled as she defiantly held his stare. Where was this coming from?
"She may or may not hold your child, Devlyn, but she will never be a queen of mine."
This is what he needed now. . .
Devlyn drew his sword and had Clare pinned on the wall in less than a second. He pressed his blade tightly on her throat as he bit out his words. "You shall never. Ever. Speak of her in that way, lest you answer to me."
"I do not believe you are clear of mind." She sneered, drawing his attention to the dagger she held right underneath his rib cage.
"Are you challenging my right, Clare?"
Her eyes flickered slightly, hiding the emotions that raged within her. They stood there for what seemed an eternity until she dropped her gaze and the weapon. "Of course not."
"I didn't think so. Tristan, please escort her off the base now. I think she needs to work off some steam." As Clare turned to leave, he couldn't miss the glare of pure hatred she gave to Airin. If Devlyn didn't feel so fucking tired, he would have slain her then. It was high treason in his eyes to ever question him. Sure, he let somethings slide. Afterall, they were hand selected by him. He knew each and everyone of them to the very minuscule detail and he knew Clare had a history with violence. But she had never let anger get the best of her when his command was involved.
He sent an apologetic look towards Airin for the stunt just pulled. Gods, what a day.
A sadistic laugh rang in Devlyn's skull as he felt Kieren's connection.
And it's far from over, dear Prince.