[Chapter 26]

Light tapping on the side of my cheek woke me up from crazed delirium, but I found myself back in the middle of my insane world again. I wondered for a short moment how I got here, before everything came back to me. For another moment, I wondered if everything had been a dream. Everything; starting from my dream about me burning my room on fire, and then using air. But how was it possible for me to have a dream within another dream?

“Come on, darling. You are at my den, awaiting your Guardians as well as my brother. Please, make yourself comfortable.” A familiar voice spoke beside me, a warm brush of breath on my ear, causing me to jerk in reflex.

The voice belonged to someone horrible. The voice belonged to someone who knew no mercy, to someone who laughed at my fear, someone who was going to kill me. The voice was of someone who had tortured me ever since I was here, the voice of someone of royalty –hearing how he had ordered his vampires around. While I had been here, I had seen his subjects, bowing down to him, attending to his every need.

“Oh right, you are tied there. I’m sorry.” He sounded the least bit apologetic, and I didn’t care anymore about his tone of voice. I just wanted to go. Why hadn’t he killed me yet? Why was he waiting for my Guardians? Did they not just want me? Why did they want Zane and Noel? Hadn’t Kenton made it clear that he wanted only me, and not the other constellation Faens?

“There, drink this. It will make you feel better.” I felt something on my parched lips, and I opened my mouth to the liquid in, swallowing quickly.

Then, on reflex, I gagged and choked on the metallic liquid, spitting it back out as I knocked the cup aside with my sudden jerky movement.

“Now, don’t be a bad girl. You’ve been drinking this regularly. Just a few more days, darling. Just hold on, and we’ll treat you the best.” The voice cooed, but I wouldn’t submit to drinking that disgusting thing again. I couldn’t remember drinking that thing, or anything about forcing it down my throat, but it didn’t matter, because I made up my mind to never drink it again.

“Look at me, dear Ashe. I don’t want to hurt you more than I had already done, but you have to listen to me. I don’t like when things get messy and dirty. Keep things in play for me, and I’ll make the play fun for you.” Fingers slid under my chin, brushing my bruise slightly as it did so. I felt my face get lifting up gently, and opened my eyes on reflex, staring back at red eyes that glared back at me against the firelight from the campfire.

“I know you hurt. I feel you, Ashe. Do you not think I feel no hurt when I do anything to you? When I’m in your head, I’m wrecked by your hurt. I’m trying my best to make this easy for you, darling. Don’t make it difficult for yourself.” His voice was pleading and innocent; almost convincing, if not for the fact that I had heard him promise horrible things when we first arrived.

He had been in a bad temper about me setting the place on fire, and my body had been the victim that night. The wound counter had topped up to ten on the first day, with cuts everywhere on top of the bite on my neck. Afterwards, the pain and injuries had taken a hike up the charts, till the point I didn’t bother to find out anymore.

“Isaiah, bring me another cup.” I heard his voice order someone, and watched as he turned to one of his subjects, who was stuck in a half bow all the while. The vampire subject straightened, keeping his eyes on the ground, and backed out quickly. We were in a cave of some sort, and I was pretty sure we were at the end of the tunnel. I had been half unconscious when I had been brought here, but I knew enough that escaping this place unscathed was impossible.

With half lidded eyes, I watched as the vampire subject came back quickly with another cup in his hands. Handing it respectfully over to the vampire prince with both hands, Treyon took a dagger from his holster around his waist and slit his forearm. Blood dripped from his pale white skin, forming patterns that weaved around on his forearm before dripping off the side into the cup. He dug in deeper before his wound healed, causing more blood to fall into the cup.

Silence held in the cave as Treyon set to his work, and when he was done, the retreat of the vampire subject Isaiah was also done in silence.

Taking the cup, Treyon walked back to me, a gentle smile on his lips.

“Come on, darling. Please, drink up. It will help you feel better. The best medicines are the ones that taste the worst.” He cooed again, placing the edge of the cup on my lips.

I didn’t think more past my thirst. My mind was in circles, and I couldn’t think straight beside the pain. Everything in me hurt, especially my neck. I needed food and drink, and I wanted nothing more than to rest. I had never been left to sit, even during the daylight when the vampires slept. I had been sleeping on my feet these few days, and I hurt. My wrists hurt from being tied to a pole, and my back hurt from being made to stand straight at the pole.

I drank the liquid hungrily, uncaring if it tasted horrible. The thick liquid slid down my throat slowly, but it lubricated my throat, so I had no complains in that area. In fact, it did so much to cure my thirst that I found myself licking the cup for more when it ran out quickly.

There was a delighted chuckle when the cup was lifted from my lips.

“That’s a good girl. Tell you what, Ashe. Tonight I’m not going to do anything bad, thanks to your cooperation. Close your eyes and sleep. We will continue tomorrow.” Treyon stroked my bruised cheek, fingers brushing over my wounds gently.

I was too glad to obey. I let go to the strength I had been holding on to, letting my head pitch to the front and my eyes close. I was ready to go back running and hiding to my world of craziness and darkness, but something stopped me. Something that tugged within me, screaming my name.

ASHE!

On reflex, I reached out to this connection, interested to finding something new. What was this; someone reaching me and calling me. Something that tugged me?

ASHE! Can you hear me? Where are you? We have been looking everywhere! Your grandma is here, Ashe! Tell us where you are!

My grandma? Who was my grandma? Who was this, wanting to know where I was? Why have they looked everywhere for me? Where was I anyway?

Have you forgotten me? I’m Noel! Your Guardian! Please, Ashe. Tell me where you are. We’ll come get you.

Noel. Noel… That name struck me. Noel Cypher. He was my Guardian. He was my lover. He was my boyfriend. Yes… this voice inside my head was Noel… He was coming to get me…

My darling princess is taking a break after her meal, Cypher. Leave her alone.

Another voice infiltrated my mind, and I recognized it as the voice who had spoken to me just moments ago.

YOU! Kenton, where are you keeping her?

There was laughter.

Kenton? You get me wrong, boy. I am not Kenton. Kenton would have captured and changed Ashe, but Kenton would never talk to you like this. My big brother has too much on his hands to even bother about you little bugs. I, on the other hand, have too much a free time. Besides, what better to crush constellation Faens like you guys while changing Ashe to our side?

There was short silence, and then my boyfriend’s gallant voice came back.

So you are Treyon. If I find if you have done anything horrible to Ashe, I will kill you. I will make you beg, and I will make you rue the day you were born. Zane and I will end you in the way most horrible, and you will wish that you have never had a body to suffer that torture. This I will promise both for you and your brother, as well as anyone who will ever think to land a hand on my Faen. Wait for me, Treyon. I will come, and I will take Ashe back.

Mocking laughter reverberated inside my head.

I will see you try, Noel Cypher. I will see.

Just like that, Treyon forced the mental connection between Noel and I close. I didn’t move physically, but I heard Treyon walk away from me, still laughing.

I fell into fitful sleep.

************************

I came back to reality with gentle tapping again, though this time; I remembered more than I had done before. I remembered Noel in my mind, Treyon in my mind, drinking the blood of the vampire.

Strange enough, I found myself lying on the ground; the first time my legs found reprieve. I shifted a little, finding my wrists and ankles tied firm. Not that I had any more energy to move even if I wanted to. I was exhausted, drained and entire lethargic. I couldn’t even scream for my life, much less run away to help myself. I didn’t even want saving anymore. Just let me die…

“Darling, that’s a horrible thought. I can’t let you die like this. Even if you must die, you should die an honorable death.” The familiar voice sounded again, so I plucked my eyelids open, waiting for my eyes to get used to the darkness, as well as the soft firelight.

“Open your eyes and look at me, cuteness. I promise everything will be alright. Just hold on a little more. I will make the world for you. I will show you a life you have never seen. I will let you be a real princess; a royal to the kingdom that my brother and I will hold.” He purred softly at me, kneeling down beside me with a hand placed gently on my shoulder while he looked into my eyes soulfully, as if I really meant something to him.

I stared up at him tiredly, unable to think of anything to do or say. This was disgraceful –the fact that I was giving up. But I didn’t care. I wanted to die. I wanted this over and done with.

“Rest well, my princess. The worst is going to be over soon.” He cooed gently, and I didn’t care that he was the one who had put me through this in the first place. I listen to him, and breathed a small sigh at his assurance. Just a little more to go, then I would be gone from this. Just a little more and I would be free.

I was ready to go back into my pain-filled, deranged sleep but loud footsteps that echoed in the cave took my attention. Treyon seemed expectant of the pair of footfalls, as he straightened, turning towards the entrance of the cave.

“I love you, my brother, but as soon as we are done here, we will leave.” A second voice, entirely similar to the first, came along with the figure of Treyon’s twin stepping in view.

“Kenton, how long have I been waiting for you? Please, take a seat while we chat.” Treyon stepped away from me, signaling to the vampire I knew as Isaiah.

Both twins stepped close to the firelight, taking seats across each other. Kenton’s eyes briefly brushed past me, taking in my bruised state before it went calmly back to his twin.

“Our success in this gives me great joy, Treyon, but isn’t your treatment a little over the top? Should she speak anything about this to Father, we will be caught with a noose over our neck.” Kenton asked as he accepted a cup of blood without looking at the servant, nodding to Treyon.

Treyon merely laughed politely. “No, my dear brother. Now, she thanks me for the reprieve I give her. The pain she goes through continues to torture her deranged mental state, and only by traversing over to our side will give her true reprieve. She will thank us, instead of rattle on us.”

Still, Kenton shook his head. “This is no good. We should not waste our chances like this. Take her gently, and turn her. Bring her to Father and bring back our rewards. That was the plan.”

“Then we have a change of plans, brother.” Treyon replied with no problems, not missing a single beat.

Kenton jumped to his feet in record time, and in the blur I watched passed my eyes, Kenton appeared standing over his calm brother, fists clenched.

“You never told me about this! What is the point of waiting? We have all that we aimed for. There is nothing more!”

Treyon, still calm, stood up slowly, placing the cup of blood gently on the ground. They were the same height, but as they stood facing each other, I saw Treyon as the scarier one of the two. Kenton… Kenton was just a vampire. Treyon was the vampire. Treyon was the vampire prince.

“Think about this, Kenton. No matter how far we bring her; no matter if we bring her back to Paris, her Guardians will hunt for her. We would have already turned her vampire, and while we have eliminated the one with Cynus’s spirit, who is to say that nature will not make another Faen the Prince or Princess of Darkness, the Faen’s child? We take precaution, brother. We end the constellation Faens of Krien and Cypher, and delay their taking the upper hand. Is that not what we want? Is that not what our parents want?”

Kenton shook his head furiously, taking a step back away from his brother’s hard look.

“This is not what Favian and Zephyra want, Treyon. Not anymore. It was Damien and Denize’s way, but not Father’s. Our grandparents were killed and overthrown by our parents for their differences in views. We swore to look upon the same views of our parents, Treyon. Their views have changed, and so need us.” Kenton said gravelly, shaking his head again.

“Bullshit! That’s what they say to the Faens, Kenton! War is fought with deception, and you are a victim of it! They are lying, saying they want peace. That’s just for the Faens’ ears. We are their secret weapon, Kenton. We are the secret weapons they use to eliminate our enemies’ strongest tool.”

“Tell that to Mother, Treyon. I know she thinks that I’m doing this alone. You didn’t tell her your part of the plan, and I understand that. But Mother stepped out. Mother stepped out of the kingdom, away from her vampires. Mother stepped away from Father’s side, risking Father turning the world apart to find her, just to tell Ashe to stop me. That alone speaks for a lot, brother. If that is not enough, would Mother take her wedding ring off; the one they would never remove –just to prove that she has met Ashe?”

This time, Treyon was the one who lost his cool. The vampire who captured me walked away from his brother, towards the entrance, away from the firelight.

“No. This cannot be. I refuse to believe it. The girl’s lying.”

“She cannot lie about a ring that she has never seen. She cannot lie about the appearance of a vampire queen who hasn’t been out of the kingdom walls without her vampire subjects.”

“She can deceive us. The Faens have met our parents; they know how our parents look like. They tell her; she tells us and deceives us. This war is a game, Kenton. A game of lying and cheating and reading a second meaning into everything.”

Kenton disappeared again, reappearing beside his brother at the entrance of the cave.

“Look at her, brother. How can she lie at this point? Read her mind. See mother talking to her. No human would hold on to such lie for so long. She is dying, and yet the memory of talking to Zephyra is clear as day. Mother isn’t waiting for us to stop the war, Treyon. Mother and Father are stopping the war.”

I watched through tired lids as Treyon looked up at his brother, conflict and hesitation in his eyes.

“But… we’ve gone so far. She’s already halfway gone… it’s too late to turn back now for us.”

Kenton shook his head, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder, giving it a pat. In that single movement, I saw the elder brother in Kenton. This was the Kenton who always gave in to his brother, who protected his brother with such fierceness that no one would know.

“It’s not too late for you. We change her, but we leave before her Guardians arrive. Pin the blame of turning her on me. Say that I went insane. I have no ounce of reasoning left in me. This is not war upon the two species. This is just the work of a deranged and exiled prince. Leave this to me. Return to our parents. Pretend we never planned this out. Pretend this never happened.” Kenton’s voice was soft and gentle, but it was to his brother that he was so kind to.

Treyon jerked once, shocked at his brother’s solution to the problem.

“No, I can’t… Mother offered you a place back in the kingdom, pardoned from everything… I can’t take that chance from you…”

“Listen to me, Treyon. In the court, I am always a prince with fault. When we were young, I was rebellious and spoke off my mouth. I spoke my free mind, and insulted many vampires. The Council thought that I was being especially brave and smart by doing the right thing, but save our parents and the Council, no one really liked me. The court was happy that I left, Treyon. They like you more. You listen, and you give your stern commands. You are different; you are accepted –both by the Council and the court. You cannot afford this black mark on your perfect record, brother. You are the perfect candidate for the crown. You cannot have this fault on you.”

“B-B-But your return to the court….”

“Even if I return to the court, the vampires will never listen to me. I have been out here for so long; I know the ugly side of the kingdom that you don’t know. The ones at the court hate the ugly side. They turn a blind eye on it, and since I’ve been comfortable with the guys at the ugly side, they will turn no eye on me.”

“But our parents… they will think they lost you…”

“If they wanted me back, they would have done so long ago. Years; I have gone out alone. Favian would have gotten me back if he regarded me his son. You are his perfect son, Treyon. Let’s keep it that way.”

“But…”

“No buts. I’m the elder brother. Listen to me; nothing will go wrong.”

Treyon took a long moment to find an answer, but when he did, he looked up at his brother reluctantly, like a kid who found out that he was in serious trouble.

“Okay… I’ll do it your way. We turn her… then leave. No Guardians. Nothing more.”

Kenton nodded and smiled.

“Good. We will be done soon. Prepare to leave. I’ll bring Ashe with me. When she is ready for her new life, I will send her to the kingdom. Then I run until someone hunts me down, and kills me. If you hear of my death, brother, don’t cry. Take my ashes, and keep me with you. All I ask is for you to remember a brother who once kept by your side.”

“Okay. Let me just… think about things.” Treyon walked out of sight before his brother could say anything more.

Kenton sighed, and walked back to me, as if finally trying to show me the attention that he had been neglecting me.

“Darling princess, are you alright?” He asked, gently pulling me up from the floor, resting me against the cave wall.

I didn’t even have any more energy left to tell him anything. Painfully, I dragged my eyes to him, just staring at him.

“I know it hurts. Treyon was always the ruthless one. He has been rough on you. You should have listened to him. Don’t reach for your Guardians. Don’t bring them here. I’m sorry for all that I’ve done, but Treyon is already halfway done. Once it’s all done, Ashe, I promise I’ll make it up to you. Thank you for showing me that my mother still loves me. I’ll do my best to make it all up to you. Everything you lost; I promise I’ll make it up somehow. Just let my brother go. He is innocent. He knows nothing.”

I blinked once, keeping exhausted eyes on him.

“I know you think we’ve always been working together. Please, Treyon is just misled by me. Let Treyon go. He is just misunderstood. He means no harm.”

It didn’t matter to me anyway. I just wanted the pain in my body to end. I didn’t care who was at fault. I just wanted to feel nothing, just wanted to be numb. Even after so long, I was still yet numb to the pain. I was so cold, so weak and so helpless. I just wanted to be rid of this feeling, this experience.

“It’s going to end soon, Ashe. I’m sorry, but this is a process you have to go through. Just hang on. Sleep. It will do you good. Just keep your mind away from the pain. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about wanting to end it; it will fade away to the back of your mind.” He advised, letting me rest back down on the floor, where I held on to no muscle that kept me upright.

I took his advice, praying that it would help me somehow.

I went back to sleep, trying my best to forget the pain.