The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series) (38 page)

"Hello Love, it has been too long,"
Christian says and I want to hit him, for everything that he has done and
everything that he may yet do.

"Not long enough," I say. I am surprised
by how steady my voice sounds, even though I am terrified and trembling on the
inside. I cannot allow this fear to show though, for Christian will believe
that he has won for once.

"However despite the time and distance that we
have spent apart Love, you did make a promise to me and now you will do as I
say, or Victor's death will be over before you can deny your promise to me. Are
we clear Love?" Christian asks, and I stare at him in horror. I had made a
promise to him before we ever came here, before I chose Victor, and I thought
that that promise had been forgotten, I myself had forgotten it. However now
that I stand face to face with my enemy, I know that it was never forgotten,
and that he was only waiting for the right moment to use it.

"Anna, time is ticking. Victor does not have
much time left. Will you do as I say? A simple yes or no is required
Love," Christian says and I can see his impatience running beneath his
skin, his eyes becoming a harsh steel blue like ice. I want to turn to Kayden
and Shade to explain myself, but I know that I cannot. There is no time left,
there is only one option to save Victor to make sure that he is safe.

"Do you promise that he'll be safe? That you
won't kill him?" I ask and I know that now he can see my fear. That he can
see that I am trembling within my own skin. I can see the smirk growing on his
face, he holds out his hand for mine, and asks one more if I will do as he
says. I nod my head in agreement for I cannot even think the words. His smile
widens as I place my hand in his. I can hear the sharp intake of Kayden and
Shades breathing, what I have just done is treachery against the Vampire
Kingdom, and I cannot turn back now. I pray to whatever god would listen that
they would forgive me eventually.

"Bring him out!" Christian yells and two
Skin-walker men bring out Victor. He is bloody and bleeding, there is a large
gash upon his forehead, and I stare at him in horror. What has Christian done
to him?

"Thank you Andy, Max. You can leave him be, he
is of no danger to me," Christian says and the two Skin-walkers leave as
quickly as they had come. Kayden and Shade fall down to their knees next to
their friend and King. Kayden and Shade refuse to look at me, but Victor's eyes
have not left my face, and I know that he is remembering the same day that I
am. That he is remembering of this happening before, and what I told him of
what really happened. I know that he is remembering the consequences of his
actions, because of what had happened, and I can feel a tear slide down my
cheek in memory of Simon, whose life had been taken because of a lack of
communication.

"And so we are here once more, King Menédez. I
will be the Judge, jury and executioner tonight. You have been called here
before the jury for inflicting your soul upon another, and of brainwashing that
innocent soul to love you. Do you plead guilty of these crimes?" Christian
asks, and the three boys look at us with such loathing that I can feel goose
bumps rise on my own skin.

"Deus Damnaret Eam! Yes, I admit that my soul
is within Anna, but I have not brainwashed her to love me or vampires. That is
of her own choice!" Victor spits and even though he is barely here right
now, even though he is so close to unconsciousness, I know that he is fighting
with all of his might to be here in this moment. He refuses to meet my eyes
though and I can feel self-loathing creep throughout my body.

"So you admit it! That you have preformed black
magic on a human, whom before your offence had never been touched by black
magic," Christian sneers and by his words I realize that he is standing up
for me, for the offence that has been done against me, and I wonder what has
changed within Christian to make him do this for someone else. I wonder what
his motif is, what his ultimate goal is, or if he is doing this for his own
purposes.

"No! I never preformed black magic! It was
magic taught to me by an immortal," Victor says, trying to defend his
actions, and for some reason I'm disappointed. I thought that he would have
been stronger than this.

"The magic that Immortals posses can only be
used by immortals, or it is considered black magic, you know of this Victor
Menédez, and yet you did it anyway. Whatever your motif was, these crimes that
you have preformed have brought you face to face with death. However seeing as
I am merciful, there is a choice to be made on how this sentence will be
carried out, either at my own hands, which I will take great pleasure in doing,
or at the hands of dear Anna."

"And what is your motif to bring the punishment
of the immortals down on another citizen of the Underworld?" Victor asks,
his eyes focused on Christian, and I think I see a hint of pity in Victor's
eyes, and I wonder why he pities Christian, when Christian is about to kill
him.

"I am simply carrying out my Father's work, and
ending a family feud that has been carrying on for years," Christian says
and there is a note of something that I cannot quite identify.

"Then finish it Christian, do what you must to
slay the ghosts that haunt you. Let this war be over with. But know this, if
you kill me tonight, this world will be thrown into chaos, that Anna will never
forgive you, nor love you. The world will hate you, and the only people who
will stand by your side, is the people that you have acquired full control of.
You will be forever alone, and your crimes here tonight, carrying out the work
of the Immortals when you have no right to, will be punished, just like you are
punishing me," Victor says and he quietly says something to Shade and
Kayden, they refuse his request, and after Victor says it another time, they
leave, their hatred and loathing etched deeply into the lines of their faces.

"We are alone now, do it Christian and let it
be done with," Victor says. He turns to me and his eyes are full of love
and sorrow, and I feel my heart break for the man that I love, whom is ready to
die, and is willing to face death. I walk over to his side, and I kneel down
beside him. I take his face into my hands and I kiss him, gently on the lips.

"Anna, I will rise again. I cannot ask this of
you, but I hope that you will wait for me. I love you, please do not ever
forget that," Victor says as tears begin to slide down his cheeks.

"And I love you Victor, forever and
always," I whisper, kissing his lips once more. I am pushed away from
Victor, and I watch in loathing and horror as Christian stands above him, his
sword pointed at Victor's heart. I watch in silent horror as I watch the blade
cut into Victors heart, and I watch sorrowfully as the life flees Victor. I can
feel the tearing of my soul, and I scream out in agony, I claw at my chest
hoping to relieve the pain, but it does not do anything. It isn't until Victor
is completely gone, that the pain ebbs away and it becomes numb.

"Justice has been carried out tonight, and my
father's work is done," Christian says over Victor’s dead body, and I can
feel the tears sliding down my cheeks. Victor was right, I can never forgive
Christian for this, nor can I ever love him. Victor is gone because of him, and
that will never change. Christian walks over to me, and kneels beside me, he
takes my face in his hands, his dazzling blue eyes are wet with tears whether of
joy or sorrow, I have no idea.

"Anna, you are now my bride by default, and in
a few weeks you will be my wife. You will eventually learn to love me and you
will do everything that I say to do. If you diverge of the promise that you
have made to me, then your friends will one by one meet the same death as
Victor. Am I understood?" Christian says, I nod my head in silent
agreement.

I will not allow another to die for me, no matter
what I have to do for Christian. He leans in and kisses me on the lips. My eyes
do not close; I do not feel his lips on mine. I am numb with the pain, and
shock and horror of Victor's death and final moment. I know that death would be
a sweeter bliss than this.

However there is hope to tame the beast that
continues to kiss me, for I know that in this kiss alone he loves me, in his
own twisted way. Whatever it takes I will make sure that this world will not
fall into chaos, and that it will be released from the terror and reign that
Christian will bring, as Overlord of the Underworld. We will all burn through
the war that will continue on, but there is hope and with hope people will rise
up to fight. The war is not over yet, and I'll be damned if I go down without a
fight.

Miss Underworld

Melinoe had been abandon at birth,
for what reason she has never known, but she knows this, she isn't like
everybody else. Her eyes are a mismatched colour, one of pure black, the other
filmed white. She can see ghosts, and at times she is able to help them
crossover, she destroys everything in her path as well as any relationship she
has ever been in. Melinoe is sick of her depressing life, until one day she
meets Morpheus, and when she learns that he has a secret of his own, she'll do
just about anything to find out what it is.

Coming Soon to Amazon

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