The Hand That Holds The Fire

Prologue

“Please, Seraphina, stop! I know I was wrong, but I didn't know! You mean too much to me, so please listen to me before you do something you’ll regret.” He begs through the phone, but I am past caring. How can he? The tears overflowed from my eyes as betrayal stung my heart.

“I trusted you! I trusted you with everything I had, and now…” I cried back through the phone, and the tears blurred my vision, reducing the cars zooming past me as blurry images. I am doing a hundred and twenty down the highway, and I know it is dangerous, even for someone like me. I could die if I crashed. There were too many things around me that could impale me through my chest.

“I know, it’s my entire fault! I’m really sorry, Seraphina. Please just come back. I swear I’ll make it up to you somehow…” He replies so pitifully that my heart skips a beat, torn between wanting to tear him apart, and forgiving him to stop his pained tone of voice through the phone.

“How can you? I lost my father! You can’t get him back! It’s your entire fault!” I scream, but there were even more tears following that hysterical cry. Honks blared as I flew past them, almost scratching a thousand doors with my side view mirror.

“Let me take care of you! I swear to God that I will take care of you for the rest of your life. I’ll help you succeed your father’s role. I’ll make my parents help you!”

I shake my head, as if he can see me right here, refusing him.

“You know it’s not as easy as that. It’s not just my father that’s gone. It’s my kingdom. My family!”

“Dante and Kelsey are safe, Seraphina. They are not in good emotional status now, but they are fine at my place now. They need you to tell you that everything is going to be okay. I need you.” The insistence at which he said those words got through to my heart. Much as I hated him for making the wrong decision in my stead, much as I hated him for causing my father’s death… he was still my lover.

Much as my father had died, Daddy had told me that it wasn’t his fault. Daddy said it was all the fault of the Dragos. It was them who put the sword through his chest. It was them who ruined everything that Dad worked for.

“Everything’s not going to be okay! Dad’s gone, everything’s gone. Dragos… they have everything…” I cried as I swerved away from an oncoming car, ignoring blaring horns.

“No they don’t! They don’t have you, the princess and heir to the throne! They don’t have Dante and Kelsey. They don’t have your blood, your powers. They don’t have your love and your blood. They don’t have your words. You still have a piece of your father in you; you still have me.”

Damn him, I thought. Damn him and his ability to have my attention and ears. He was just like that, always so convincing. Even if I wanted to hate him; I couldn’t. Even if I wanted to put the blame of Daddy’s death on him, I couldn’t. How could it be possible that someone like him could be so perfect for me? How could it be possible that he loved me so deeply?

‘I…” I hesitated. Running away had seemed like a good idea, but I am not even sure where I was going or trying to go. All I had known was that I needed to get away, that I hated him, and that my beloved Daddy and Kingdom were dead and gone.

I thought of Dante and Kelsey, my lovely little brother and sister. Dante was younger than me by a century, and hadn’t fully matured in thoughts and body yet. Kelsey, two centuries younger than Dante, was still a child at her second hundredth year, and she was off no age to be putting her hands into what our father had already done for the past two millennia. I might only be five hundred years old at the moment, but at least I knew enough to be trusted by Daddy to be able to lead.

“Please come back to me, Seraphina… I love you, and I’ll make things work! Even if I have to turn my back on my parents and Kingdom to help you, I will. Please come back.” He begs again, and my heart turned to mush.

He would stand with me…… he really would.

“O-Okay……” I began to say, but I was cut off back into reality at the deafening sound of horns. I blinked; I tried to see, but I’m blinded by the light from the two white eyes of an approaching truck.

Instincts flashed, and I jerked on the steering wheel of the car so hard that it broke from its support. The car lurched to the side, and the front bumper of the truck barely grazed past the door. The car veered out at hundred and twenty miles per hour, and I screamed at the sight of a large tree coming towards me.

I slammed hard on the brakes, but my foot slammed so hard that the brake pump broke beneath my heel, which broke too. I screamed a second time, the longer one of the two, as my car made a beeline towards the tree without disturbances from any cars. Distantly, I heard him calling my name through the phone.

The impact made could be felt even in the marrow of my bones. The front bumper was crushed totally, and my seat was brought so close to the tree that only flattened metal came between the wood and me. My head slammed against the dashboard, and something hit it from behind.

I blacked out even before anything more could be registered.

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She’s stuck! Get the door out of the way, Gabriel.

A voice drifted through the darkness of unconsciousness, and I was slowly hauled back into reality with extreme pain flaring in my head, and my lower body. I registered painfully that I was in an uncomfortable position, and that something was sandwiching my legs, pressing against my limbs tightly.

Now remove the roof. We don’t want to hurt her more than she is already.

The voice came again; a reprieve in the darkness where I could see or hear nothing except feel the pain. That voice was like a rope for me, which I clung on desperately, holding on to my strand and sliver of unconsciousness.

But it would be better if we were to move the car back first, Master Kain.

A respectful voice replied the first, but was replied by a snort.

Don’t be stupid. Removing the car will suggest to the human police that terrorists were after this. Besides, no one should be able to move this wreckage without the strength that we have. Now do as I ask.

The first voice said, and there was no more asking. I felt a soft breeze caressing my back as the screeching of metal filled my ears. Someone pulled away the thing that was pressing against my back, and I felt my body drop sideward, down with gravity. I could feel and hear, but there was nothing I could do, not even stir or make a moan. My throat felt on fire.

Her leg’s stuck, Master Kain. Do we still proceed?

Let me. I will retrieve her.

Soft hands of gentle warmth touched my arms and back, and I felt one of those hand travels down the length of my thighs, right till where my legs were sandwiched. There was soft mumbling beside my ear, and the material pressing and numbing my legs were removed in an instant, freeing my most definitely bleeding legs.

Arms circled around my back, and I felt myself lifted from the coldness. I was pressed to a body of joyful warmth, and I reveled in it silently as the arms held me territorially, protectively.

Look at her, so pitiful. I only want what is best for her. I only want to love her.

The voice was now sad, and I felt sad along with it too. I didn’t know who it was holding me so tightly and lovingly, but I knew I meant a lot to him.

Master, we have better be going, before they arrive. The respectful second voice replied, and arms tightened around me even more, pressing me against a hard, strong chest to envelop me in safety and warmth. I hurt all over, especially my head, but I knew I was safe with this person holding me.

I guess we have to. You go and inform the others. I will take her to my place.

As you wish, Master.

The silence that followed after that sentence didn’t last for long as sirens began to fade into hearing. There was a sigh from the person holding me, then soft footsteps through grass.

Hot, smooth lips touched my splitting head. I smelt a strong mixture of roan and parsley from him.

Princess, you don’t know how much I love you. Your father might be dead, but I will have you. I will have you as mine, and I will have your broken Kingdom. Even if I have to be hated by you and everyone, I will have you, and I will love you.

I let go of my consciousness with a quite sigh. I don’t know who he is calling princess. I feel sad for this ‘princess’ whose father is dead and have lost her kingdom.

But even if those words aren’t addressed to me, I feel safe. Because I somehow know that this man will take care of me.