Shivers ran down Login's spine as a deathly chill screamed through the air. It froze his heart and mind as the events unfolded around him. A muffled string of sobs filled the darkness as irregular gasps of pain harshly accompanied the cries. The figure of Login's mother huddled over that of his father, their curled forms so distant yet eliciting an intense and eery grief to the frivolous beat of the young vampire's heart. A deep void ate away in his stomach; the ground was light beneath his feet and his limbs were numb and nonexistent. He was absent from the world... and somehow the subtle and graceful movements of another silhouette did not escape his notice.
Login's golden eyes darted towards the movement of long, raven black hair. Blood red eyes shined out through the dark and cold and they were trained resolutely on the scene of Login's parents. Something akin to rage arose within Login, but it's severity was masked by something more incredulous. For some reason he found himself grinning, if only slightly. It was insane; his father was dying in his mother's arms and Login was smiling. He couldn't deny, however, this pull, this surge of energy booming in his veins.
He was no fool; he knew who this was. Stepping deeper into the darkness, away from the light and away from his family, Login cautiously approached the woman. Her crimson eyes flashed to him upon his first step and it was only then the vampire prince faltered. They burned with a fire terrifying and immeasurable; her gaze alone could make empires fall and crumble. His smile wavered, the pounding of his heart thundered in his ears, but he quickly gathered his composure. What Login was hoping to accomplish eluded even him; whatever it was, he was determined to see it through.
"Why are you here?" Login called, swallowing back the excitement that made his skin crawl. "What do you want?"
Confusion quickly entered her mind as she turned to see the young vampire prince's golden gaze set upon her. His captivating eyes held a mixture of excitement and uncertainty as he waited her response. But how could he see her? Nahia had cloaked herself to infiltrate the Queens castle, she had to see her plan unfold and the fruits of her labor ring through her ears. Maybe he wasn't talking to her. She turned away from him, returning her attention back to the Queens screams as her mate lay dying in her arms. Servants ran around her, bringing towels to clean the blood of their dying king from the floor. She grinned, burn Ski... Burn as I have.
ReplyDelete"I said, what do you want?" The proximity of the harsh voice made Nahia jump only slightly as she realized the prince had moved closer to her. He reached as if to grab her but Nahia quickly evaded him. So, he could see her. Damn shame, he was going to give her away.
"Shoo." She waved dismissively but the determination in the boy seemed to grow. Fuck... She had no choice, she took one last glance at the Queens agonized face before slipping away into the castles hallways.
"Hey!" The prince called after her, his voice echoing off the empty hall.
"Leave pest, I have no quarrel with you-" she found herself nearly pinned against the wall. A bit surprised, she straightened as she met the boys gaze. So, he's not so helpless, is he? Interesting...
Login stood his ground, his eyes never wavering from the woman's. Her gaze reflected monumental power purring within and the air around her was dense and hard to breathe. The vampire prince lowered his head as he fought back a smile; the adrenaline was practically intoxicating.
ReplyDelete"Don't think you're getting away that easily," Login huffed, squaring his shoulders and his feet.
The fallen merely smirked. "You're out of your depth, boy. Crawl on back to daddy while he's still alive."
"You know, I never did like being told what to do," replied Login as he swiftly lurched forward and grabbed her forearm. She gasped and jerked her arm but the vampire's hold was steadfast. Her other arm struck downward with the speed of a viper; Login managed to recoil fast enough to avoid his wrist being sliced off. His mind instantly reeled as it already started calculating her next probable move; his eyes locked firmly with hers for any hint of a proceeding action.
"Login?"
He averted his gaze for just a moment, toward the sudden sound of his mother's call, and when he returned his sights to the fallen she was gone.
"Shit," he mumbled and, without regard to his mother's frantic calls nor the reason why he would bother to pursue the fallen, Login began to sprint down the hallway.
"Login? Login! Where are you going?!" Dusk cried, the crack in her voice making the vampire prince hesitate and stop in his tracks.
"Mother, I'm sorry-" Login pleaded, already motioning to take off once more.
"This is no time for your insubordination! Your father is dying and you're-"
"Handling the situation; I'm going after the fallen."
"No!" Dusk exclaimed, her hand poised to take his but Login turned away and ran towards the outline of a dark figure off in the distance. "Login, it's too dangerous! Login!"
He didn't look back; he couldn't. The air whipping past his face and the hard floor beneath his feet was more welcoming than the cold darkness that surrounded and awaited the death of his father. Whatever this woman could offer him, be it revenge for his father or something slightly less honorable, Login wasn't about to let the fallen angel out of his grasp quite yet.
Just as Nahia thought she had gotten ridden of the young prince, she heard the distant sound of movement behind her. He was relentless, Nahia found her hand being forced. There was only one way to get the Roseland to back off for good. She led him away, further into the dark depths of his own castle, feigning her escape. She waited for her moment to strike, allowing him to get close... lulling him into the false sense that he had the upper hand. But the prince was quick.
ReplyDeleteShe dashed towards him, her clawed hands poised to strike. Login's gasp of surprise was short lived as his hand caught her wrist and used her own momentum to fling her away from him. She landed easily on her feet, her body tensing as she crouched defensively.
"Leave now, vampire, and I shall let you live."
But once again, her warning elicited a different response from him. Login smiled with even more eagerness than before.
"There is nothing you can do to deter me fallen, I need you. My father's life depends on it." But even as the words left the young princes mouth, she could tell there was a deeper reason for his chase. The gleam in his dashing eyes were enough to tell her so. Even he didn't believe his lies.
"Very well." She said as her crimson wings unfurled behind her. "The blood of two Evensins will flow tonight."
"Nahia Knight!" rang the booming voice of the commander, who was flanked on either side by lesser artillery knights. Login's own heartbeat thundered loudly in his ears but there was no mistaking their presence with the sound of clanging armor. "By the authority bestowed upon me, you are hereby sentenced to death for your crimes against the royal family!"
ReplyDeleteThe vampire did not sever his eyes away from Nahia as he addressed the royal guard. "Stop! Do not interfere!"
"But Your Majesty, we have orders-"
"You have just received new orders to not interfere from your prince!" Login hissed, shuffling slightly to put himself between the guards and Nahia. It did not go unnoticed by the fallen.
"Are you sure that's wise, 'Your Majesty'? Your people are losing their king... I would hate for them to lose their prince, too." Nahia cackled and flashed a wicked smile and the world spiraled into chaos.
Login's gaze traveled amongst the crowd of guards, watching as one slowly armed his crossbow with an enchanted bolt. He turned back to Nahia; she was still there, but not for long. Utilizing a god-like speed, the fallen angel vanished into thin air but this did not deter the rebellious knight. Login remained still, his eyes trained on the spot she would most likely appear. The right thing to do would be to let them assault her, to assist them in taking down the woman who poisoned his father and tormented his mother...
The moment Nahia could be seen again by the naked eye, Login moved. His advance deterred Nahia; she feigned off target and struck the next guard within proximity, who fell lamely to the floor in a pool of his own blood. The vampire prince cursed under his breath as the rest of the guard readied for action because this was the last thing he needed. His mother always had to impede him, didn't she?
As a foreign sensation of rage overcame him, Login found himself dispatching the guards in a less than gentle manner. Confusion riddled the knights, leaving them all open to the wrath of both the fallen and their vampire prince. One by one they fell as their cries echoed within the dark and hollow halls but those screams of mercy fell upon deaf ears. The darkness was closing in, drowning out any sound occurring around Login, and nothing felt more thrilling in his life.
When the vampire's eyes found those of Nahia's once more, Login could see the confusion toiling in the fallen angel's red glare. His eyes lingered upon her for one second too long; by then, it was too late to avoid the sharp stinging and burning that now radiated throughout Login's left shoulder.
He looked down at the head end of a bolt sticking out through his chest and when he turned, the fire of his golden eyes met that of the foolish knight who had armed himself earlier. The lowlife's mouth now hung open, his eyes wide and his hands trembling so violently they dropped the crossbow onto the floor. He didn't even have the time to construe a sentence before Login was upon him and slashed his neck. The knight sank to his knees, utter disbelief clouding his eyes before they were replaced with the swift curtain of death and he fell with a loud clang.
Login stopped to breathe and it was then he remembered the bolt. He raised his hand to take it out but he paused. He stared at the blood soaking his fingers. He felt his stomach begin to sink and his heart-rate spike, but he closed his eyes and briskly pulled out the bolt as he let the pain overwhelm the panic.
"Well, well..." cooed Nahia, her wicked cackle resounding thickly in Login's skull. "Aren't you full of surprises, little prince?"