“The blood moon is approaching,” Vincent said to Lucid who was reading a book. Lucid looked up to his king who was staring out the window and up to the night sky. “With the way the Moon Children have been acting lately we can not have anything go wrong.”
“He doesn’t know anything of the mating rituals of our kind,” Lucid said his voice showed off he was rather pissed off about keeping his Prince, future ruler in the dark. He had a bad feeling one day it would bite him in the ass. “He hasn’t even started picking a mate.”
“The women here… they are all so weak anymore. I’ve been around them more and more trying to find someone suitable for my son. Yet I knew they would all die in mating.” Lucid closed his book and put it on the table as he stood and walked closer to his King. “All of them so weak, some kind of disease came in a week ago, a lot of them got sick. I had the Blood Brigade get rid of a few; I can’t have it infecting Daylight Guardians… anyways the women are weakened.”
“But you don’t sound so disappointed.”
“I have a plan.”
“I have a bad feeling.”
~
Alana helped dry me off, I was shy about the entire thing but with my stomach healing it was hard to bend over, besides Alana said if I did it I would rip out the stitches and we’d have to start the healing all over again. So I shoved aside my pride and kept my eyes everywhere but the woman drying me with a light green towel.
After being dried by Alana she helped me into a dress of hers. Since she had taken the time to also shave my hairy legs my long legs actually looked feminine and felt smooth. The dress was a plain white dress that she helped slip over my head. I was surprised that it fit since she was so tiny, but I was very in shape so it didn’t look bad on me at all. “My, my aren’t you a pretty lass,” she said with a large grin. “Lets go all out.”
She sat me in a chair with out waiting for my response. I had a feeling she didn’t want the answer no, “why are you doing this?” I asked with humour ringing in my voice as she powdered down my face.
“Because the first time you are presented to the castle as a human woman you should look appropriate… that and you have a shiner.” I felt my eye it did feel… well bruised. She moved quickly but accurately humming a soft tune that made my heart ache. She begun messing with my hair but ended up leaving it down and just curling the ends into soft ringlets.
She handed me a mirror and went back to the closet, “no ansemble is finished with out shoes!” She shuffled through while I admired her work. I looked… like a girl. Not just a girl, a woman… a very pretty woman. “You know something Evanangelique, your name… is too long” she laughed, “but you look a lot like my sister.” She looked over her shoulder at me, “except your eyes.” She went back to rummaging in her hunt for shoes.
“Really?” I questioned, Alana didn’t look anything like me so I guess she and her sibling didn’t look alike, “do I know her at all?”
She looked over her shoulder at me, “I recon not, she had to have died before you were even conceived.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Psh, it happens, when your family is human and you live forever, those who you knew eventually all perish. Depressing, but she still saw me even as the monster I am, she still invited me to her home when she was fifty-six. Rather a long life for a woman.” She came out holding ballerina shoes, white ones, with thick laces. I felt like I had seen them before but as my mind grasped the memory was gone. “Aren’t these lovely?”
~
“Don’t kill her.”
“Why not?”
“Look at her.”
The two men studied the young woman with fierce green eyes, her blonde hair waved in the wind, her dress was torn, and matted from dirt since she had tried to run away. “She is kind of pretty in that ‘angry bitch’ kind of way.”
The other man smiled down at her, “she is a little bit of an angry bitch. Perhaps the Prince could put her in her place.”
“Your going to pay for this,” the woman said with an accent that neither man could place. “You will both die horrible, painful deaths.”
“Shut up,” O’Connell said, “she’s good enough to be a treat, drag her along.”
~
“Is the coffin finished?” Viktor asked Horace. Horace was a human that could build the most beautiful of things, his works decorated the castle, from the tables and chairs in the grand ballroom, frames of paintings, beds, and dressers. This time Viktor had asked him to perform a different task.
“Yes it is my Prince,” Horace responded bowing his head with respect.
“Have her body in it and waiting for us with the others at the end of the east wing hall.”
“As you wish,” Horace bowed once more and left.
“She wakes up to attend the funeral of her first love.”
“First love?”
Griever frowned, “for humans I hear the infants first love is their mothers, who hold them in the night to stop them from crying, who feed, provide, and take care of them.”
“I see,” Viktor said, but he didn’t. He didn’t have a mother, she had died so long ago. His father told him she died of a Moon Child attack, it made Viktor hate those wolves even more.
“Do you really think we should do this today.”
“The body is going into decomposition, we can’t have it laying around.”
Griever shrugged, he couldn’t argue that point so he let it be. They were waiting for Alana and Evanangelique to emerge from the bathroom, but had yet to do so. They were both standing awkwardly in Alana’s room that was over the top decorated with trinkets and shiny objects, it was highly likely that her favourite colour was green because the room was littered with it.
“Kind of wonder what it will be like now,” Viktor said, “he is a she.”
“It is strange,” Griever agreed, he thought both Viktor and he were in shock one day they would be angry about being deceived. Well maybe. Right now they were too happy about her just being alive. Male or female, Evan was the best friend of the Prince.
“What is taking them so long?” Viktor asked, he was always impatient, something Griever found humorous, after all when you live forever, you may want to take the time to learn some patience.
~
“You look absolutely stunning!” Alana said with a smile, “oh Riana…wops,” Alana looked embarrassed, “sorry Evanangelique.”
“Riana your sister’s name?”
Alana nodded her eyes looked distant as if remembering something from long ago as she nodded slowly, she suddenly broke from her trance. “Here,” she said before walking away and opening a tiny box, inside an emerald hung from a gold chain, she placed it around my neck, “I want you to have this.”
“I couldn’t possibly!”
“I need to learn to let go. A Night Child has a long life, if we hold on to everything and it weighs us down to insanity. So I ask of you Evanangelique Cross, take this token from my life, remember me, and that this once belonged to a beautiful girl named Riana who was kind and warm-hearted.”
I smiled at her and touched the cold stone, “I will, I promise. Thank you so much.”
Alana now seemed completely pleased, “alright,” she took me to the door and motioned for me to stay with a smirk she exited and shut the door behind her, I could hear her though, “Prince Viktor, Twilight Guardian Griever, I am pleased to introduce the fabulous Evanangelique Cross.” With that she opened the door.
“Holy shit!” Viktor said gawking at me, Griever looked pretty surprised himself. “I can’t believe I thought you were a guy. How the hell did you pull off looking like a guy?”
I blushed and looked down at myself, the white dress fit me perfectly, the shoes fit like a charm, the laces ran up my now smooth legs. My legs still had stitches in points where the wolves had bitten into my flesh and ripped muscle, scraped bone. Whatever the healers had done though made me feel weightless, like I hadn’t been injured in the first place.
“What can I say, you are so damn into yourself it wasn’t difficult,” I said with a smirk, and my voice lowered to my ‘mans’ voice.
“That is fucking creepy. Don’t ever do that again.” Viktor said looking slightly disturbed. Griever and Alana both laughed, whether the comment or Viktor’s reaction to it I wasn’t sure. It felt good to be with them, it was like we all fit together, like there hadn’t been a time where we hadn’t been together, this was how it should be.
“Evanangelique?” Griever said tentatively, he and Viktor shared a glance and a shadow came over the room. “We think it is time to say goodbye to your mother… are…are you ready?”
Suddenly the shadow engulfed me, but I stood tall like I was to march to battle, in all actuality I would rather have been going into battle than this. Anything would be better than this, since my words failed me I simply nodded.
I assumed Xavier wasn’t around because the night had fallen, and he had no ties with my mother, I was happy he wasn’t here. I didn’t know him, but still, I didn’t like him. We walked to the end of the east wing and there was a casket on the shoulders of six Night Children formally dressed. This wasn’t how things were done in their world. Viktor and Griever had done this for me. I seen it, and knew only Horace could have made such a wonder, carvings all over it, beautiful ones etched into the cherry wood. I took a breath but it came in sobs Viktor pulled me into his chest, and it was like it had always been that way. Whether I was Evan or Evanangelique, he had always been the one I shared everything with, who had comforted me, and I him. It didn’t change because I was a girl.
“Where are we going to do this sir?” There were two Night Children with shovels.
“I know the place,” I said now that my sobs had stopped for a moment. Viktor, Griever, and Alana followed me, the men with the casket behind them, as I lead them through the secret exit and out into the woods.
“The meadow?” Viktor asked before we had even arrived, I nodded, fireflies lit the way. I recalled a story that my mother had told me, how the fireflies lit the way for a little lost girl only to find out that everything she knew had been destroyed, but there were fireflies everywhere, it was what all the villagers had become when they died. Little lights to say goodbye to the girl who had lost everything. It seemed rather fitting.
As we came through Viktor stopped and bent down, “who the heck has been digging here?”
“I have,” I responded walking further into the meadow.
“Burying corpses?”
“The ones from your room,” I said turning to face him. “I wasn’t going to throw another human female into a mass grave. The Blood Brigade took them from their homes, killed their families. You-you took their last breaths. I was not going to have them also have the indecency of having their corpses disposed in such a discussing manner.”
“I’m sorry?”
“No you aren’t.”
“Well…”
“You don’t understand Viktor! You are immortal. I’m not! I could have been one of those girls Viktor! If the Blood Brigade had taken me later, I could have been locked in that dungeon! I could have been dragged up the stairs. I could have been just a ‘treat’ for you!” I cried out, “you will never understand how frail life is because to you it isn’t. Humans could loose their lives at any moment,” I lost it, became a sobbing wreck my weak legs failed me and Viktor caught me in his arms, I was too exhausted to fight. Instead I wept in his arms as the other men dug the hole that would hold my mother.
They buried her. I didn’t hold back, I wept, Viktor joked that I was getting snot on his shirt, I punched him which caused me more damage than him, but I smiled a little. Viktor, Griever, Alana and I walked back to the castle together, the dawn was coming, it would be a new day. A new life. I was scared and excited for what was to come.
We decided to relax in Viktor’s room, only he had a red haired vixen in his room in the most stunning, sultry dress I’d ever seen in my life. “Lady Arista, what a surprise,” Viktor said actually sounding surprised.
“How about you and I have a little chat,” she said her voice sounded like a Night Child’s when it was getting ready to attack it’s prey, something people couldn’t disobey.
“Sure,” Viktor dolled out the word as if he couldn’t help it.
“Viktor,” I said sternly grabbing his jacket, I wasn’t jealous. Really.
Okay a little.
“You can’t be with out your guardians.”
“I don’t have a choice,” he whispered, “all of you out.”
And to our prince, we had no choice but to obey.
Monday, 3 August 2009
Awaken
Viktor sat in the chair, his hand still over Evanangelique’s, she had been unsettlingly quiet for the past four hours, but Alana the Night Child healer, said it could take a good long while for her to awaken. At least in that state she wasn’t suffering, Viktor was impatient though and wanted her to awaken, he wanted his best friend to be alright. He needed it for his sanity.
Alana was washing medical supplies and hanging herbs to dry. She couldn’t keep herself busy enough, she couldn’t take the Prince staring at her, or the hard look his Twilight Guardian occasionally flashed at her. She had already washed the medical instruments twice but found herself doing it again just to keep her hands busy and her head down.
Griever was sick of the waiting. He couldn’t take the fact that he should have also been there protecting their prince, they were partners, brothers in arms… siblings in arms? Whatever. Point is he had to hide because of the damned sunlight. Evan had fought alone, and now look. Beaten, ripped apart. Yeah great partner he had been. He shifted his weight to his other foot and tried to keep a blank look on.
Xavier was walking down the hall a little nervous but kept his spine straight and his chin jutted in the air, he had been next in line after Evan and Nikolai to be the Daylight Guardian for the Prince. While it was an honour, those who were guarding him seemed to be dropping like flies these days. Garret, Nikolai both dead, and Evan in intensive care. Yeah, it was real encouraging. The light was starting to brim the sky as he entered the room, blood red eyes of two Night Children looked at him. Made him real nervous. A woman, a Night Child he was sure even though her eyes were unnaturally green for what she was looked at him and smiled. “Hello, I’m Xavier, your new Daylight Guardian,” he bowed quickly and looked back up.
Viktor stared at the new comer, he should have been expecting it, but he hadn’t. “Hello,” It had been a while since he had spoken. But far longer since he had fed, he was salivating at the sound of the new ones heartbeat. “This is my Twilight Guardian, Griever, and that is Evanangelique‘s healer Alana,” Viktor said, “Griever, could you go and get some food, I’m thinking our new ally is alive, which at this point is good enough for me.”
Griever just nodded and left the room.
“So Xavier, that’s a nice name, I like that name,” Alana said wiping her hands off on a towel, “might as well take a seat,” she indicated to the ones against the wall, “neither of them have moved much from their respective spots in hours.”
Xavier took a moment, “wait… Evanangelique?”
“You are as shocked as the rest of us,” Viktor retorted.
“He is a she!”
“Yup.”
“Are you sure?”
Viktor stared blankly at Xavier, Evan had breasts. Rather large ones too. “Yup.”
“Huh, I’ll be damned.”
Griever entered with a tray of ten goblets and set it down, “half of them are mine, stay off my half!” Griever’s voice was heavy, angry, and not the kind of voice Xavier expected a Guardian to use on the Prince. Viktor raised an eyebrow, “I mean it or your fleshlings are dead.”
“I guess I can deal with taking only my half then,” Viktor said picking up the first of the goblets cleaning it.
Xavier guessed he would have to get use to seeing Night Children chugging back blood daily now, he tried not to stare but there was nothing else going on in the room. “Why don’t you drink Alana?”
“Animal drinker,” she said, “if I drank from humans I wouldn’t be able to control myself when working on you Daylight Guardians when you are injured I would just take advantage of the weakened prey.”
“Oh,” Xavier went silent for a moment, “guess that makes… a twisted kind of sense.”
“You haven’t been around Night Children much have you?” Griever asked the last of his goblets in hand, Xavier noted that the blood eyes were gone and they were instead a black coal colour.
“No, mostly humans, a few Night Children came to help train us, but other than that… no.”
“You have a entire new world to get use to then,” Griever stated, it was non-threatening, conversational.
Evanangelique moved in her sleep, the room fell quiet and everyone stared. Xavier was a little shocked. She was pretty, he had trained with Evan before, but never noticed that he was really a she and that she was very good looking especially with nothing but a blanket overtop of her very fit body. Xavier looked to the prince who was glaring back, his eyes back to black, but still a glare was there, was he possessive of Evanangelique?
“So… you’ve known Evanangelique when?”
“Since the night after she was born.”
“Guess you two are pretty tight.”
“Yup.”
What little conversation they had died away. Xavier was kind of happy because Viktor was no longer glaring at him, instead his attention went to Evanangelique.
There was a small moan Viktor’s ears perked, he had been staring at her for a long time, but she was finally making a sound her eyes opened and she immediately found his. She swallowed, her eyes looked fearful. “Oww fucking hell,” she murmured as she sat up. Viktor looked over to Alana who just nodded, apparently this was a good thing.
~
I sat up the pain was defiantly there but a dull ache at best. I looked to Viktor, he was grinning like an idiot, I took that as a good sign, I turned my head to see Griever who gave me a slight nod, which I returned with a slight smile. Two more people were there that I didn’t know, I looked to Viktor with my eyebrow raised.
“That’s Alana, she’s one of the healers for you humans, and that fleshling is Xavier…” Viktor dropped off.
“Nice to meet you Evanangelique,” the man named Xavier said, he was tall, shaggy brown hair, nice blue eyes and a gentle smile, “Viktor’s new Daylight Guardian.”
And I automatically hated him.
My eyes narrowed but I was more worried about the fact I was holding up a sheet to cover my body and Viktor had decided to hug me tight. I pushed him off and he just grinned, “so this is why you never got laid.”
I grinned and spoke groggily, “you are such an idiot.” Yet I couldn’t really be mad, I had what I wanted, Viktor knew I was female and I wasn’t dead. Wait…my breath started to hitch to panic which caused my chest to hurt a lot, I could feel the stitches.
“Hey, calm down!” Viktor was more alarmed than calming, he took a moment and tried again, this time his voice came out smooth and calming, “hey Ev, calm down, just take a breath and calm down, it will be okay.” I listened only because I was too weak at that moment to ignore the command. His hand was on my bare back rubbing it, it was rather comforting but my panic would not be contained.
“Mom!”
Viktor looked away from me, and I knew his words could no longer command me his touch was no longer comforting. My mother was dead. She was really dead, in the afterlife that was but a dream to me now. He tried to sooth me with words, both he and Griever did. Alana at one point was even trying her voice. They gave up and let me cry.
Griever sat on the bed on my left side and touched my shoulder gently, Viktor sat on my other side his cheek against my other shoulder and his hand on my back, “your mother was an amazing person.”
“Vi-Viktor,” I sniffed, “mom… they didn’t… they didn’t…”
“They didn’t what?”
“Mass grave, noooo not mom!” My sobs were horrible, I couldn’t get enough breath, tears ran down my face my stomach ached.
“Her body is awaiting for what you wanted to do with it.”
I looked to Viktor, “but you should probably know about your father.”
“No!” I couldn’t take that.
“You insensitve idiot,” Griever growled.
“She had to find out,” Viktor defended with a snap.
“Dad… dad is de-”
“Well…” I raised an eyebrow to Viktor who had spoken, he continued, “he went to hunt the Moon Children on his own because of the news of his wife, and daughter.” His explanation didn’t make it better, if at all made it worse. “Hey lets get you dressed huh? A bath first, would you like that?” I scowled at him, “alright not yet, I understand.”
Viktor was just being Viktor, a bit self-centered but my best friend and he and Griever were there in the time when I needed the most.
“I stink” I said when the tears ran out.
Viktor laughed, “imagine how we feel with our sensitive noses.” I glared and he just grinned, “alright, bath. I’ll help.”
“Screw off.”
“I’ll help you Evanangelique,” Alana said wrapping the blanket around me and helping me off the bed. “Come on you brave woman, let us get you all cleaned up.”
In the bath I had time to think, what would happen to me now? I had no husband, no father or mother, apparently my position as Daylight Guardian was gone. Who was I now. I may be who I should be, female. But as a woman I had no identity. I hugged my injured legs to my quickly healing chest feeling dread wash over me as Alana washed out my long dark hair.
Somehow even with all that happened, I doubted that the worst was over.
Secret
The healers had to hold Evanangelique down as she convulsed, Viktor was there, still holding her hand, her cold as ice hand… like colder than him and he lacked a heart beat. Viktor was growing more and more worried, optimism was his sanity. To think of her plausible death was crushing, he felt his heart ache even though it failed to beat.
He looked over to his Twilight Guardian, Griever had stood like a statue for over an hour not even flinching as screams echoed in the room. Griever’s eyes flicked over to Viktor’s. They shared an understanding, neither wanted the girl to die, both were panicked, and neither knew what to do.
Viktor’s attention was demanded by the awful scream she let out, he had never heard something like it, and he had hunted a few times with the Blood Brigade. Her eyes opened, those metallic grey orbs captured him, so familiar, they weren’t focused though, he could tell that, they were flicking all over the room never stopping. Confused, hurt, fearful, not aware of the surroundings in the least though she had been there before.
“Evanangelique, calm down,” Viktor used his voice as a method to calm her tremors. It had been working for the better part of the half hour. It was the kind of voice he used on his prey, but now he was trying to use it to save her.
~
PAIN!
Oh heavens, the pain!
Unholy, unheard of pain.
Unfathomable.
If I thought pain like this could exist well… fuck living. Give me the beauty which is death. Honestly it wasn’t so bad. In fact I would happily choose it at the moment if I could.
My eyes open but I could see nothing. Nothing. Blackness, my eyes search I can hear them, the healers I assume. My body shakes, and I hear him. Viktor. My Prince, my Liege, why have they not killed me for the betrayal yet? What use could I be to them? Let me die. Let me rejoin my mother in the afterlife. In the beautiful meadow where the sun warms my skin, where the exotic flowers smell of Viktor, and I am free of pain, can dance, and be who I wish.
Yes the after-life would be much better.
“Evanangelique calm down.” His voice, oh his sweet voice. Hey! I do not want that voice used on me. He tried it once when we were in our pre-teen years, see if he could get a male to do things for him with his seductive voice. Luckily I had been trained by my father to fight the voices of the Night Children. Even if it was hard at times, especially since I really was female. Male Night Children’s voices work best on female humans.
I obeyed like I had no choice, the tremors stopped and I was thankful, I was sure they opened wounds the kind healers had already sewn shut. The pain over wrote everything, “your hair is so soft,” he murmured. There the pain was gone. Like some kind of intense drug just took effect, all I needed was for purple grass to start growing and glowing fish to start swimming in it. I couldn’t pay attention to the pain, his voice overwrote it with his words, my hair, all I could feel was him running his hands through my hair, touching the top of my head.
It was surprisingly relaxing, I let out a breath of relief which sounded more like a pleasurable moan. I’d have bothered being embarrassed if I could possibly forget about his hand resting on my good hand. There now I had done it. My good hand. That made me realize I had a bad hand.
And the pain was back.
OH SWEET HEAVENS THE PAIN.
I was happy to oblige to the darkness and slipped into unconsciousness
~
“We’ve done all we can Prince Viktor,” one of the healers said, a female Night Child with a overly frail looking body, long white blonde hair and green eyes. Viktor was a bit shocked by her eyes, so natural. He had heard of the animal drinkers, most healers had to be in order to deal with the human blood they were surrounded by. Such green eyes.
“Thank you… What is your name?”
“Alena, my liege,” she said with a deep bow. The other healers left the room, it was apparent that Alena was going to be the healer that would watch over her. Viktor decided it was best to get to know her. He wasn’t leaving Evanangelique’s side. “Would you like a chair?”
“Yes please.” She walked to the other side of the room to grab a chair, he watched her walk with little interest. He found that a little odd. He found himself interested in nearly every female Night Child, they were stunning and would stay that way forever. “Will she be okay?”
Alena shrugged her shoulders, “can’t tell for certain. We have done everything we can… its just whether she wants to fight or not.”
“She was born a fighter,” Viktor replied taking the chair from her and dragging it over, he never let go of her hand. He sat down, holding Evan…angelique’s hand in his. He was still having difficulty thinking of Evan as a girl. A very pretty human girl who had lied to him for her entire existence. He didn’t know if the lie was the most frustrating part, or the fact that he NEVER seen it. Like he spent every day since her birth with her… and he NEVER knew. Even though he wouldn’t admit it… he felt like an idiot.
“Prince Viktor,” Viktor turned his head to see a messenger at the door. “Your father requests you in his office.”
“Tell him I’ll take a rain check.”
“But my liege! The King is requesting your company immediately.”
“Re-quest-ing” he said sounding it out like he was trying to explain it to someone who was mentally deficient. “Not de-man-ding, now tell him I will come on my own damn time, and not a second before I feel like it and if he has a problem with it he can come and see me!”
“I can’t speak to King Vincent like that!”
Viktor’s eyes flashed from their starving red to black, to an unsettling blue laced with venomous green, “you disobey your Prince?”
The human messenger looked to be in shock, “n-n-n-no n-no sir, I’ll tell him… right away.”
“King Vincent isn’t going to take kindly to that message,” it was the first thing Griever had said in the past hour and a half.
Viktor looked up at him, “what’s he going to do? Kill me? He needs a heir, and I’m it.”
“Kill you, no… the messenger might just be toast though,” Viktor shrugged. Not his problem. He looked to Alena, “When is she going to come out of it?”
Alena shrugged, it was the best answer she could give, there was no telling. “she could wake today, tomorrow or a week from now… My Prince…” her voice cracked and she looked down with concern to Evanangelique, “she might not wake at all.”
Viktor looked down, as Evan he was a tough fighter, so what some wounds, nothing. Nothing stopped Evan. Evan was his best friend, he already lost Garrett, he couldn’t loose her too! But Evanangelique frail female human. Viktor found himself growling at the thought. How could he not notice. He was to protect Evan. Evan was to protect him. Even as Evanangelique she had done her part, but had he been fast enough to do his. He cursed the sunlight.
~
“Vincent do you think it wise?” Lucid asked as he stood at the side of the throne Vincent sat in.
Vincent was looking over the vast room. He could practically replay the night Evan had come into his life. When Marianne and John came in, holding the infant in there hands. How could a Girl be their savoir. Had they missed their chance at the true savoir when they were deceived? Was their another child out their in wait to fulfil it’s destiny? How could it be a girl? “To let John go? Yes… he would have went anyways, besides he’s taking the opponent down a peg.”
“Not what I meant, I mean Evan,” Lucid elaborated.
“What if we were wrong in our interpretation?”
Vincent asked a bit off topic, or at least Lucid thought so. “What do you mean?”
“Have you told Viktor about the Night Children’s mating process? About getting a heir?”
“No… It wasn’t time,” Lucid seemed off balance, should he have told the young prince.
“Good.” Apparently not. “Maybe our savoir was to be female.”
“I’m afraid I’m not following Vincent,” Lucid was rather confused.
“Don’t tell Viktor of the mating process. None of it.”
“Umm… okay.” Lucid was surprised, Vincent didn’t do much teaching of his son, mostly Vincent set up battle plans, lived a luxurious lifestyle and made sure the Night Children didn’t eat their Daylight Guardians, and kept the Blood Brigade under control. “I don’t understand my liege.”
“What is the one thing the female can do that a male on his own can not?”
“Oh,” Lucid had a very bad feeling, “are you sure… Viktor won’t like this. Not one bit.”
“Which is why we don’t tell him what he doesn’t need to know.” A messenger entered, “where is my son? Why is he not with you?”
“He said… he would come on his own time, not a second before, and if you don’t like it… you can come see him.” The humans voice was quiet it quivered in fear. Vincent was across the room in a second his hand through the mortals skull. “Damn, I just wanted him to learn a lesson… Lucid get someone to clean these skull fragments would you?”
“As you wish my liege.”
He looked over to his Twilight Guardian, Griever had stood like a statue for over an hour not even flinching as screams echoed in the room. Griever’s eyes flicked over to Viktor’s. They shared an understanding, neither wanted the girl to die, both were panicked, and neither knew what to do.
Viktor’s attention was demanded by the awful scream she let out, he had never heard something like it, and he had hunted a few times with the Blood Brigade. Her eyes opened, those metallic grey orbs captured him, so familiar, they weren’t focused though, he could tell that, they were flicking all over the room never stopping. Confused, hurt, fearful, not aware of the surroundings in the least though she had been there before.
“Evanangelique, calm down,” Viktor used his voice as a method to calm her tremors. It had been working for the better part of the half hour. It was the kind of voice he used on his prey, but now he was trying to use it to save her.
~
PAIN!
Oh heavens, the pain!
Unholy, unheard of pain.
Unfathomable.
If I thought pain like this could exist well… fuck living. Give me the beauty which is death. Honestly it wasn’t so bad. In fact I would happily choose it at the moment if I could.
My eyes open but I could see nothing. Nothing. Blackness, my eyes search I can hear them, the healers I assume. My body shakes, and I hear him. Viktor. My Prince, my Liege, why have they not killed me for the betrayal yet? What use could I be to them? Let me die. Let me rejoin my mother in the afterlife. In the beautiful meadow where the sun warms my skin, where the exotic flowers smell of Viktor, and I am free of pain, can dance, and be who I wish.
Yes the after-life would be much better.
“Evanangelique calm down.” His voice, oh his sweet voice. Hey! I do not want that voice used on me. He tried it once when we were in our pre-teen years, see if he could get a male to do things for him with his seductive voice. Luckily I had been trained by my father to fight the voices of the Night Children. Even if it was hard at times, especially since I really was female. Male Night Children’s voices work best on female humans.
I obeyed like I had no choice, the tremors stopped and I was thankful, I was sure they opened wounds the kind healers had already sewn shut. The pain over wrote everything, “your hair is so soft,” he murmured. There the pain was gone. Like some kind of intense drug just took effect, all I needed was for purple grass to start growing and glowing fish to start swimming in it. I couldn’t pay attention to the pain, his voice overwrote it with his words, my hair, all I could feel was him running his hands through my hair, touching the top of my head.
It was surprisingly relaxing, I let out a breath of relief which sounded more like a pleasurable moan. I’d have bothered being embarrassed if I could possibly forget about his hand resting on my good hand. There now I had done it. My good hand. That made me realize I had a bad hand.
And the pain was back.
OH SWEET HEAVENS THE PAIN.
I was happy to oblige to the darkness and slipped into unconsciousness
~
“We’ve done all we can Prince Viktor,” one of the healers said, a female Night Child with a overly frail looking body, long white blonde hair and green eyes. Viktor was a bit shocked by her eyes, so natural. He had heard of the animal drinkers, most healers had to be in order to deal with the human blood they were surrounded by. Such green eyes.
“Thank you… What is your name?”
“Alena, my liege,” she said with a deep bow. The other healers left the room, it was apparent that Alena was going to be the healer that would watch over her. Viktor decided it was best to get to know her. He wasn’t leaving Evanangelique’s side. “Would you like a chair?”
“Yes please.” She walked to the other side of the room to grab a chair, he watched her walk with little interest. He found that a little odd. He found himself interested in nearly every female Night Child, they were stunning and would stay that way forever. “Will she be okay?”
Alena shrugged her shoulders, “can’t tell for certain. We have done everything we can… its just whether she wants to fight or not.”
“She was born a fighter,” Viktor replied taking the chair from her and dragging it over, he never let go of her hand. He sat down, holding Evan…angelique’s hand in his. He was still having difficulty thinking of Evan as a girl. A very pretty human girl who had lied to him for her entire existence. He didn’t know if the lie was the most frustrating part, or the fact that he NEVER seen it. Like he spent every day since her birth with her… and he NEVER knew. Even though he wouldn’t admit it… he felt like an idiot.
“Prince Viktor,” Viktor turned his head to see a messenger at the door. “Your father requests you in his office.”
“Tell him I’ll take a rain check.”
“But my liege! The King is requesting your company immediately.”
“Re-quest-ing” he said sounding it out like he was trying to explain it to someone who was mentally deficient. “Not de-man-ding, now tell him I will come on my own damn time, and not a second before I feel like it and if he has a problem with it he can come and see me!”
“I can’t speak to King Vincent like that!”
Viktor’s eyes flashed from their starving red to black, to an unsettling blue laced with venomous green, “you disobey your Prince?”
The human messenger looked to be in shock, “n-n-n-no n-no sir, I’ll tell him… right away.”
“King Vincent isn’t going to take kindly to that message,” it was the first thing Griever had said in the past hour and a half.
Viktor looked up at him, “what’s he going to do? Kill me? He needs a heir, and I’m it.”
“Kill you, no… the messenger might just be toast though,” Viktor shrugged. Not his problem. He looked to Alena, “When is she going to come out of it?”
Alena shrugged, it was the best answer she could give, there was no telling. “she could wake today, tomorrow or a week from now… My Prince…” her voice cracked and she looked down with concern to Evanangelique, “she might not wake at all.”
Viktor looked down, as Evan he was a tough fighter, so what some wounds, nothing. Nothing stopped Evan. Evan was his best friend, he already lost Garrett, he couldn’t loose her too! But Evanangelique frail female human. Viktor found himself growling at the thought. How could he not notice. He was to protect Evan. Evan was to protect him. Even as Evanangelique she had done her part, but had he been fast enough to do his. He cursed the sunlight.
~
“Vincent do you think it wise?” Lucid asked as he stood at the side of the throne Vincent sat in.
Vincent was looking over the vast room. He could practically replay the night Evan had come into his life. When Marianne and John came in, holding the infant in there hands. How could a Girl be their savoir. Had they missed their chance at the true savoir when they were deceived? Was their another child out their in wait to fulfil it’s destiny? How could it be a girl? “To let John go? Yes… he would have went anyways, besides he’s taking the opponent down a peg.”
“Not what I meant, I mean Evan,” Lucid elaborated.
“What if we were wrong in our interpretation?”
Vincent asked a bit off topic, or at least Lucid thought so. “What do you mean?”
“Have you told Viktor about the Night Children’s mating process? About getting a heir?”
“No… It wasn’t time,” Lucid seemed off balance, should he have told the young prince.
“Good.” Apparently not. “Maybe our savoir was to be female.”
“I’m afraid I’m not following Vincent,” Lucid was rather confused.
“Don’t tell Viktor of the mating process. None of it.”
“Umm… okay.” Lucid was surprised, Vincent didn’t do much teaching of his son, mostly Vincent set up battle plans, lived a luxurious lifestyle and made sure the Night Children didn’t eat their Daylight Guardians, and kept the Blood Brigade under control. “I don’t understand my liege.”
“What is the one thing the female can do that a male on his own can not?”
“Oh,” Lucid had a very bad feeling, “are you sure… Viktor won’t like this. Not one bit.”
“Which is why we don’t tell him what he doesn’t need to know.” A messenger entered, “where is my son? Why is he not with you?”
“He said… he would come on his own time, not a second before, and if you don’t like it… you can come see him.” The humans voice was quiet it quivered in fear. Vincent was across the room in a second his hand through the mortals skull. “Damn, I just wanted him to learn a lesson… Lucid get someone to clean these skull fragments would you?”
“As you wish my liege.”
Limbo
“Evanangelique,” I turned to see my mother she had a light smile upon her face, she was wearing a sunny dress that looked too expensive for her to own, her hair- rather than being in the familiar bun she always wore it- was down, the long dark locks that I had inherited swayed in the gentle breeze. I found that I liked it here… wherever here was. Her make-up was done perfectly, it took the years of worry off her face.
She came toward me her walk like a dance, beautiful and graceful. She touched the side of my face and pushed back strands of my own hair. Mine was slightly shorter than hers, perhaps a few shades darker since I didn’t get out in the sun too much, I was surprised that it was worn down. I looked down my breasts were not wrapped down, but cleavage was showed of with the tight white dress I wore, it ran over my breasts, waist, and hips, I for the first time ever looked absolutely feminine.
I smiled and took a step back and twirled my feet were in ballerina styled shoes, thick white laces wrapped around my calves and tied into a bow. My hair twirled beautifully like it was dancing at its happiness of being finally freed from a ponytail. I stopped and looked at my mother she was smiling sweetly at me, as if she enjoyed just watching me have my fun, be free.
“Mom where are we?” I asked curiously, as I smelt the wildflowers their scent was exotic, special, but yet slightly familiar but I couldn’t place it.
“In the afterlife sweetheart,” she answered sitting down beside me patting a spot, I sat down too. There seemed to be whispers in the wind, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“You must explain,” Vincent said his voice laced in anger as he spoke to John. His Daylight Guardian, John, the one who he had protected and who had protected him. Very good friends, and yet, such a secret had been withheld, Vincent couldn’t help but shake in anger as he, John, Lucid, Griever, and Viktor stood there.
“Lucid saved us,” John said, “from the twins, brought us here, all said that our son would be the saviour of yours. We know what your kind did to all of our village. We feared for our lives, for the life of our unborn child! You say that the son, my Marianne was caring was important. How were we to react when she gave birth to a girl?”
“And in the past seventeen years, you couldn’t find a suitable time?” Vincent growled.
“And risk the life of my wife and so- daughter,” John had been covering up for so long it was hard to think of he as a she, son as a daughter, Evan as Evanangelique.
Griever looked into the room through the window, healers were around the fragile body, “Viktor… how come you never seen it… hell why didn’t I see it?”
“She’s a good actress?”
“Smart-ass, but seriously, she’s not as strong as a male fighter.”
“So she’s faster than most humans, really smart, good strategist in a fight.” Viktor was looking at the jewels on his hands.
“Your fucking callous,” Griever said as he looked at his prince, “she saved both our asses and you are staring at your rings!”
“We played in the meadow when we were younger,” Viktor’s voice was in a dream-like state, “she kept coming over to me with different things that were red, snake berries, various flowers, leaves- trying to match the colour of this jewel.”
“She gave me this one on my eighteenth birthday,” it was tiny compared to his other rings, it was the colour of the sun she had said, such a gift because she was the only one he ever told that he missed the sunlight.
Vincent was in a huff, he didn’t know what to do, he had been deceived. “What do we do now? I mean to kill you… after bestowing aristocrat status on you would put the others in a frenzy, the Daylight Guardians would riot. Probably assist the Moon Children.”
“Don’t harm my daughter, hasn’t she proved though she lied, she did no damage to your son, in fact she saved him. Fulfilled the prophecy.”
“I hate to say it John, I really do, but your daughter might not make it even with out any of mine harming her. You need to realize that the damage was extensive. She won’t survive.”
“She won’t?” Viktor asked, everyone turned to him, he looked panicked, “I always expected to loose him…her rather when she was old… not… not like this.”
“She could still survive,” Griever assured, “perhaps she was meant to survive.”
“Her purpose was to save the prince” Lucid spoke coolly, “her purpose here is finished, it is time for her to rest. And with the aristocrat thing… we could fix that.”
Vincent was listening, John tensed visibly. “An accident. Plain and simple. Died in battle, a hero.”
“No,” Viktor said sternly his eyes on the window watching the healers work their wonders. They could save him… her… they could save his best friend. They had to. He… she couldn’t have died for him.
Silvia came around the corner visibly upset, “sir John….”
John’s face paled considerably, “Silvia… what is it?”
“Oh John, I heard of your son being injured… I know it must be bad… but…” John’s eyes narrowed, his anger rising, why didn’t she just say it. He had his daughter to think about! “Marianne!” John’s eyes fell from anger to sadness, she didn’t have to say anything more. He just knew. “The Moon Children killed her!”
John straightened up and looked directly at Lucid, “I won’t beg for my life, but I ask for you to let me live. Let me kill as many of those sons a bitches of Moon Children as I can.”
Both Vincent and Lucid seemed happy with this, “let it be.”
John looked through the glass for a moment, then strode past Silvia leaving the hallway.
More hours passed, Vincent and Lucid had work to do and left Viktor and Griever waiting, sitting on supply crates as they watched the healers buzz around their friend. “What do you think are hi…her chances, surely you know human death better than I,” Viktor asked curiously.
“Her chances are bad.”
“How bad?”
“None existent… I’ve never seen a human male take that much damage and survive, much less that human be female and have previous injuries.” The two of them sat there in silence, in fear, and both of them silently trying to let go, begin grieving now so it wouldn’t be so hard on them later.
Griever stood and started pacing. Viktor had his eyes glued on the woman who had been his Daylight Guardian, he thought back to the first time they had met. When Lady Marianne had first placed the fragile new life in his arms. He had felt it then, that he… or rather she was to be his savoir, she was the true child of prophecy… it just didn’t turn out to be the way any of them expected.
“We are… dead,” my breath caught in my chest. Dead. I tried to remember my last moments, the Moon Children, Viktor discovering my most guarded secret, the blood, oh the blood, of course I died, no one could logically survive it. Still my heart ached, I was still young, I had lived my entire life as a man. I would never see the castle, never see Viktor. Viktor, that was what the flowers smelt like. They smelled of him.
“No sweetie we are not dead,” my eyebrows drew together in confusion. How could we be alive? I had seen the Moon Children enter our home. They had destroyed my body, besides the betrayal alone was enough for the death sentence. “It is not your time my beautiful daughter,” she said leaning in toward me pressing my shoulders down gently so that I was laying down flat, she touched my face gently I touched her hand begging for a few more seconds of my mothers touch. “You must go back.”
“No momma! I don’t want to leave you!” I hadn’t called her momma since I was four, yet I found myself desperate to be with her, somehow I just knew it wasn’t a dream, I was in limbo and my mother was trying to send me back to where I would probably be tortured for betrayal of the Night Children’s court. Besides the place was perfect, the sun danced through the leaves of the trees, the flowers grew tall and smelled of Viktor.
“Don’t worry my sweet daughter, I love you.”
“I love you too mom.”
A tortured scream came from the room, it caught both the Night Children by surprise. It was unexplainably female and it startled them, they still expected the rough vocals of Evan. Griever pushed the door open and stepped aside so Viktor could enter.
Viktor ran to Evan’s side… or Evanangelique’s side… his mind was all over the place, healers Night Child and Human alike were using herbs, cleaning out wounds, one was sewing her leg shut, he was glad he healed quickly. He never had to undergo anything of the sort. He didn’t know what to do now that he was beside her, but it seemed right. Griever was standing out of the way but watching.
The woman before them let out another scream of pain, feminine once more. Viktor was angered that he had never noticed. He knew her from the first day of her life and yet he never knew! He looked down, he had noticed when she was a child she had a rather cherubic face, a girly looking features. Pretty-boy they had called him for a long time. Her hair was long, that wasn’t unusual thought, her hair was barely longer than his own. Griever was one of the ones who kept a short do. He turned back to Evan…angelique. That was going to get some taking use to… or maybe not.
The wraps had kept her feminine body hidden but still, her eyes held kindness. He wanted to see those eyes again. The sarcastic eye roll of her metallic grey orbs as she told him he was a perverse asshole… thinking back of all the things he had done- in front of her. Murdered, raped, fed… and yet she still protected him. She could die because of it all.
Her eyes opened as she gasped sitting half the healers pushed her body back down and held her as her body convulsed. Her eyes closed tight blood spilled from her mouth, her eyes opened again wild, Viktor spoke, “Evan, calm down,” his voice was that of silk, he tried to make it comforting, “you will be okay, you were very brave, you are so strong… so hold on.” His hand brushed her hair back “hold on Evanangelique.”
“Vi-” she thrashed on the bed the healers fought against her trying to keep her down so she wouldn’t injure herself further.
“Shhh, shhh, I’m here,” he said holding her hand her body went still.
One of the healers touched her throat, “she’s still alive, get her sewn up.”
He touched her hair and kept his hand over hers. “Yes we will be the very best of friends,” he murmured the memory from so long ago crisp and clear in his never aging memory, she couldn’t die on him.. She just couldn’t!
She came toward me her walk like a dance, beautiful and graceful. She touched the side of my face and pushed back strands of my own hair. Mine was slightly shorter than hers, perhaps a few shades darker since I didn’t get out in the sun too much, I was surprised that it was worn down. I looked down my breasts were not wrapped down, but cleavage was showed of with the tight white dress I wore, it ran over my breasts, waist, and hips, I for the first time ever looked absolutely feminine.
I smiled and took a step back and twirled my feet were in ballerina styled shoes, thick white laces wrapped around my calves and tied into a bow. My hair twirled beautifully like it was dancing at its happiness of being finally freed from a ponytail. I stopped and looked at my mother she was smiling sweetly at me, as if she enjoyed just watching me have my fun, be free.
“Mom where are we?” I asked curiously, as I smelt the wildflowers their scent was exotic, special, but yet slightly familiar but I couldn’t place it.
“In the afterlife sweetheart,” she answered sitting down beside me patting a spot, I sat down too. There seemed to be whispers in the wind, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“You must explain,” Vincent said his voice laced in anger as he spoke to John. His Daylight Guardian, John, the one who he had protected and who had protected him. Very good friends, and yet, such a secret had been withheld, Vincent couldn’t help but shake in anger as he, John, Lucid, Griever, and Viktor stood there.
“Lucid saved us,” John said, “from the twins, brought us here, all said that our son would be the saviour of yours. We know what your kind did to all of our village. We feared for our lives, for the life of our unborn child! You say that the son, my Marianne was caring was important. How were we to react when she gave birth to a girl?”
“And in the past seventeen years, you couldn’t find a suitable time?” Vincent growled.
“And risk the life of my wife and so- daughter,” John had been covering up for so long it was hard to think of he as a she, son as a daughter, Evan as Evanangelique.
Griever looked into the room through the window, healers were around the fragile body, “Viktor… how come you never seen it… hell why didn’t I see it?”
“She’s a good actress?”
“Smart-ass, but seriously, she’s not as strong as a male fighter.”
“So she’s faster than most humans, really smart, good strategist in a fight.” Viktor was looking at the jewels on his hands.
“Your fucking callous,” Griever said as he looked at his prince, “she saved both our asses and you are staring at your rings!”
“We played in the meadow when we were younger,” Viktor’s voice was in a dream-like state, “she kept coming over to me with different things that were red, snake berries, various flowers, leaves- trying to match the colour of this jewel.”
“She gave me this one on my eighteenth birthday,” it was tiny compared to his other rings, it was the colour of the sun she had said, such a gift because she was the only one he ever told that he missed the sunlight.
Vincent was in a huff, he didn’t know what to do, he had been deceived. “What do we do now? I mean to kill you… after bestowing aristocrat status on you would put the others in a frenzy, the Daylight Guardians would riot. Probably assist the Moon Children.”
“Don’t harm my daughter, hasn’t she proved though she lied, she did no damage to your son, in fact she saved him. Fulfilled the prophecy.”
“I hate to say it John, I really do, but your daughter might not make it even with out any of mine harming her. You need to realize that the damage was extensive. She won’t survive.”
“She won’t?” Viktor asked, everyone turned to him, he looked panicked, “I always expected to loose him…her rather when she was old… not… not like this.”
“She could still survive,” Griever assured, “perhaps she was meant to survive.”
“Her purpose was to save the prince” Lucid spoke coolly, “her purpose here is finished, it is time for her to rest. And with the aristocrat thing… we could fix that.”
Vincent was listening, John tensed visibly. “An accident. Plain and simple. Died in battle, a hero.”
“No,” Viktor said sternly his eyes on the window watching the healers work their wonders. They could save him… her… they could save his best friend. They had to. He… she couldn’t have died for him.
Silvia came around the corner visibly upset, “sir John….”
John’s face paled considerably, “Silvia… what is it?”
“Oh John, I heard of your son being injured… I know it must be bad… but…” John’s eyes narrowed, his anger rising, why didn’t she just say it. He had his daughter to think about! “Marianne!” John’s eyes fell from anger to sadness, she didn’t have to say anything more. He just knew. “The Moon Children killed her!”
John straightened up and looked directly at Lucid, “I won’t beg for my life, but I ask for you to let me live. Let me kill as many of those sons a bitches of Moon Children as I can.”
Both Vincent and Lucid seemed happy with this, “let it be.”
John looked through the glass for a moment, then strode past Silvia leaving the hallway.
More hours passed, Vincent and Lucid had work to do and left Viktor and Griever waiting, sitting on supply crates as they watched the healers buzz around their friend. “What do you think are hi…her chances, surely you know human death better than I,” Viktor asked curiously.
“Her chances are bad.”
“How bad?”
“None existent… I’ve never seen a human male take that much damage and survive, much less that human be female and have previous injuries.” The two of them sat there in silence, in fear, and both of them silently trying to let go, begin grieving now so it wouldn’t be so hard on them later.
Griever stood and started pacing. Viktor had his eyes glued on the woman who had been his Daylight Guardian, he thought back to the first time they had met. When Lady Marianne had first placed the fragile new life in his arms. He had felt it then, that he… or rather she was to be his savoir, she was the true child of prophecy… it just didn’t turn out to be the way any of them expected.
“We are… dead,” my breath caught in my chest. Dead. I tried to remember my last moments, the Moon Children, Viktor discovering my most guarded secret, the blood, oh the blood, of course I died, no one could logically survive it. Still my heart ached, I was still young, I had lived my entire life as a man. I would never see the castle, never see Viktor. Viktor, that was what the flowers smelt like. They smelled of him.
“No sweetie we are not dead,” my eyebrows drew together in confusion. How could we be alive? I had seen the Moon Children enter our home. They had destroyed my body, besides the betrayal alone was enough for the death sentence. “It is not your time my beautiful daughter,” she said leaning in toward me pressing my shoulders down gently so that I was laying down flat, she touched my face gently I touched her hand begging for a few more seconds of my mothers touch. “You must go back.”
“No momma! I don’t want to leave you!” I hadn’t called her momma since I was four, yet I found myself desperate to be with her, somehow I just knew it wasn’t a dream, I was in limbo and my mother was trying to send me back to where I would probably be tortured for betrayal of the Night Children’s court. Besides the place was perfect, the sun danced through the leaves of the trees, the flowers grew tall and smelled of Viktor.
“Don’t worry my sweet daughter, I love you.”
“I love you too mom.”
A tortured scream came from the room, it caught both the Night Children by surprise. It was unexplainably female and it startled them, they still expected the rough vocals of Evan. Griever pushed the door open and stepped aside so Viktor could enter.
Viktor ran to Evan’s side… or Evanangelique’s side… his mind was all over the place, healers Night Child and Human alike were using herbs, cleaning out wounds, one was sewing her leg shut, he was glad he healed quickly. He never had to undergo anything of the sort. He didn’t know what to do now that he was beside her, but it seemed right. Griever was standing out of the way but watching.
The woman before them let out another scream of pain, feminine once more. Viktor was angered that he had never noticed. He knew her from the first day of her life and yet he never knew! He looked down, he had noticed when she was a child she had a rather cherubic face, a girly looking features. Pretty-boy they had called him for a long time. Her hair was long, that wasn’t unusual thought, her hair was barely longer than his own. Griever was one of the ones who kept a short do. He turned back to Evan…angelique. That was going to get some taking use to… or maybe not.
The wraps had kept her feminine body hidden but still, her eyes held kindness. He wanted to see those eyes again. The sarcastic eye roll of her metallic grey orbs as she told him he was a perverse asshole… thinking back of all the things he had done- in front of her. Murdered, raped, fed… and yet she still protected him. She could die because of it all.
Her eyes opened as she gasped sitting half the healers pushed her body back down and held her as her body convulsed. Her eyes closed tight blood spilled from her mouth, her eyes opened again wild, Viktor spoke, “Evan, calm down,” his voice was that of silk, he tried to make it comforting, “you will be okay, you were very brave, you are so strong… so hold on.” His hand brushed her hair back “hold on Evanangelique.”
“Vi-” she thrashed on the bed the healers fought against her trying to keep her down so she wouldn’t injure herself further.
“Shhh, shhh, I’m here,” he said holding her hand her body went still.
One of the healers touched her throat, “she’s still alive, get her sewn up.”
He touched her hair and kept his hand over hers. “Yes we will be the very best of friends,” he murmured the memory from so long ago crisp and clear in his never aging memory, she couldn’t die on him.. She just couldn’t!
Truth
The wolves were on all fours in front of us. A monochromatic group, from the white of snow to the black and three shades of grey. Their eyes a predatorily venomous yellow. Their teeth gleaming in the light of the torches that lit the room, the white one howled. I moved quickly grabbing a torch and swung it, the white wolf’s fir caught aflame it dropped to the stone floor and rolled but the flame spread and engulfed it I thrusted it toward one of the grey ones trying to keep them back, we were still out numbered two to one, Viktor didn’t count as a fighter.
Griever caught on to my tactic and grabbed a torch of his own off the wall, fire was lethal to him, but he held onto the end like he didn’t have a fear in this world.
I feared thought, it coursed through me like blood. My life-force driven by fear. I didn’t want to die, I still had to… needed to protect Viktor, to make sure I could keep up with Griever so he would fair better than Garrett did.
The two of us moved forward having an advantage of having imposable thumbs allowing us to hold the torches, the Moon Children jumped back a few snarled, one growled deeply and swatted, it missed the fire and ripped a piece out of my chain mail around my wrist. The torch fell from my hand I jumped back as it came forward I swung my sword at it and it clipped the tip of the wolf’s nose. It didn’t seem to like that very much.
With both Griever and I occupied by a wolf, two wolves in the case of Griever, the fourth one jumped for the window but I was pounced on the wood ripped off and sunlight came through, I heard Griever give a horrible streak. I stabbed the wolf that was on me and got to my feet quickly pushing Griever into the dark corner of the room. Three wolves left. “Go to the bathroom, I shouted at the two of them as I swung my sword downward slashing the throat of one of the grey wolves.
They didn’t have a choice but to do as I ordered, if one of the wolves was smart enough to move a mirror the sunlight could be reflected around the room, and while my nose wasn’t very sensitive, I could smell the burning flesh of Griever. I hoped that he wasn’t burnt to badly, but I had heard Viktor dragging Grievers severely weakened body. He wouldn’t be able to fight for a while. I swallowed, fear rippled like a pebble breaking the surface of the waters.
I dodged as one lunged another hit be from the back I dropped my weapon my hands out to cushion myself making sure my face didn’t smash into the stone walls. I turned two of them were going toward the bathroom door. I looked to the window, the sky… was darkening. I didn’t have to hold out for much longer and the Night Children would be at their full strength. Viktor would be able to fight, Griever would be able to heal faster, more help would come. I knew it.
I just had to hold them off a little longer. I kicked, my steel toed boots destroyed the jaw of the darkest grey wolf. It whimpered and took a few steps back, the lightest grey with the scratch on it’s nose, and the black wolf were still surrounding me. I pulled out my dagger and swung wildly trying to keep them at bay. The dagger scratched the black wolf’s eye. It howled at me.
Nikolai stalked in, I never thought I would be happy to see him, the darkness was almost there, we only needed to hold on for a little longer. The injured wolf walked slowly to Nikolai it’s head bowed as if in respect. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as Nikolai reached down and healed the jaw of the grey wolf.
I couldn’t process what was going on but the other wolves were just growling at my sides not attacking, the other grey one trotted over happily and stood in front of me, Nikolai stood beside me as well, with a sword, while I was left with a small dagger.
“What the fuck,” was all I could manage to say.
Nikolai smiled, “step aside, I want the prince.”
“No.”
“Is the light gone yet?” I heard Viktor, it sounded as he was right behind me, right pressed against the other side of the door that I had my back against.
“No.”
“Step aside you bastard!” Nikolai yelled angrily.
“Nikolai?”
“Stay in there!” I shouted at him.
“You would give your life for your prince?” Nikolai asked with a malicious grin that made my skin crawl much in the same way of when I was in the same room as O’Connell, I never knew anyone who caused me this much fear.
“Evan!” I smiled knowing the light was nearly all faded out, Viktor could handle them then.
“I would.”
Nikolai looked angry he trusted his sword, I dodged it got lodged in the wooden door, “holy shit! That was close!” Apparently Viktor really had been against the other side of the door.
Nikolai punched and it connected with my facial armour, there was a clang of bone smashing against metal he let out a howl, an inhuman one. How had he gotten in? How was it that he was part of this domain when he was with the Moon Children. What the hell was going on?
My mind didn’t have time to think over my questions, there were too many more important things, like holding them off until the daylight was gone. Till night set in and allowed the vampires full strength. I went to dodge but the black wolf bit into my leg, teeth sinking in to the bone. I went to stab it with the dagger but the other wolf lunged at my dagger hand and it’s teeth bit through to the bone as well, it knocked me off balance. On the floor my left side in the mouth of the wolves.
Nikolai smiled down at me as he reached for the bathroom door. I kicked up with my free leg and caught him in the chest the wolf with my arm pulled ripping my flesh in a long line I screamed out as my vision tunnelled. “EVAN!”
“You fucking bastard,” Nikolai spat as he bent down and ripped off my face mask, the third wolf grabbed onto my other leg with it’s teeth, my right hand was all that was free, he got right in my face and spoke with a rough voice “your going to die here.”
I smirked, the same smirk I learnt from Viktor. I had seen it on him many a times, like when I was five and he said we were going to get cookies before super, or when I was eight and we decided to go off on our own and play in the meadow with out any guards, or when I was eleven and we snuck off to play in the lake, or when I was fifteen and he was talking about getting laid. Anytime mischief or something we shouldn’t do, our own secret way of saying ‘fuck off’ to the world. A special smirk, the one on my face as I head butted him. My final ‘fuck you.’
He seemed stunned and when he looked back at me I was still smirking, I spat in his face, surprised slightly because it was blood. I cried out again as the wolves tore again. One with my left leg abandoned it for tearing into my chest plate with its massive paws.
That’s when I seen it. The light gone from the room all but the torches. Night had fallen. “Fuck you Nikolai,” I said as my vision was mostly blacked out but I could see movements of grey.
The door opened Viktor stood there, Griever who looked like he had seen better days lunged at Nikolai and bit right into his throat ripping it out. The wolves howled, the one with the injured nose, and the black one fled. Viktor held the heart of the grey ones in his hand, the corpse on the ground.
Griever sat rolled off of Nikolai his mouth coated in blood, he sat leaning against the bed, the blood made him look in better shape. “Viktor, I’m going to wait outside, his blood is making me ravenous.” Griever said stumbling on his feet shutting the door behind him.
Viktor fell to his knees beside me, “barely scratches,” he said reassuringly, as if he really spoke truth, then again to him, they were scratches, to human it was most likely to be… fatal.
I smiled up at him, my body was shredded, the blood loss was taking it’s toll my vision worsened, not only tunnelled but blurry as hell.
“You saved me,” Viktor said, “warded them off in the daylight where neither Griever nor I could fight. My savoir… I apologize for my hasted words earlier.” My breathing was difficult, I looked down lifting my head took much energy I didn’t have, Viktor helped me to sit up. Too fast! The chest plate was damaged, it pressed into my broken rips I’d have cried out if I’d had air. I begun scratching at it. He got the message and released it. He used his abnormally tough nails to rip through the chain mail. My breathing became slightly easier. “Evan,” he shook me lightly as my eyes rolled back in my head.
He came back into focus, “GRIEVER GET A MEDIC!” He yelled in a booming voice. He ripped my pants around the wounds, to get a better look at them, he seemed to be having a difficult time. I looked in his eyes. His red eyes. I hadn’t let him feed because he annoyed me. Now he could hardly resist devouring my blood. I was sweating I could tell, it matted my dark locks. He looked at the wound on my wrist main veins ripped blood was pooling everywhere. My blood. There were scratches on my chest lots of them. Oh no.
He ripped the buttons of my shirt I tried to fight him, “shhh, Evan, it’s okay, I’m just checking damage, your going to be okay.” This time it seemed even he didn’t believe his words.
With the shirt gone all that was left was the wrap that started at the top of my breasts and ended just below my navel. He looked puzzled but probably brushed it off as a human thing, he begun ripping through it I tried fighting with my only good hand, I tried pleading with my eyes, but he just kept murmuring that I would be alright.
He ripped through the final layer, and I felt outrageously exposed, I felt my cheeks get hot with a blush even though I didn’t think I should have any blood wasted there. My sight was fading. “What… the…fuck?” Apparently he seen my breast. “Evan?” He shook me again as my eyes rolled back.
“Evanangelique,” I responded blood spurted from my lips as I spoke, “Evanangelique Cross.”
There was betrayal in Viktor’s eyes.
I felt myself fading from the world. “I’ll always love you Viktor,” I gurgled on my blood “I’ll watch out for you forever.” My mind was clouded by fear, pain, death and love.
I looked into Viktor’s blood coloured eyes as darkness took away my sight, and pain faded to nothingness.
Griever caught on to my tactic and grabbed a torch of his own off the wall, fire was lethal to him, but he held onto the end like he didn’t have a fear in this world.
I feared thought, it coursed through me like blood. My life-force driven by fear. I didn’t want to die, I still had to… needed to protect Viktor, to make sure I could keep up with Griever so he would fair better than Garrett did.
The two of us moved forward having an advantage of having imposable thumbs allowing us to hold the torches, the Moon Children jumped back a few snarled, one growled deeply and swatted, it missed the fire and ripped a piece out of my chain mail around my wrist. The torch fell from my hand I jumped back as it came forward I swung my sword at it and it clipped the tip of the wolf’s nose. It didn’t seem to like that very much.
With both Griever and I occupied by a wolf, two wolves in the case of Griever, the fourth one jumped for the window but I was pounced on the wood ripped off and sunlight came through, I heard Griever give a horrible streak. I stabbed the wolf that was on me and got to my feet quickly pushing Griever into the dark corner of the room. Three wolves left. “Go to the bathroom, I shouted at the two of them as I swung my sword downward slashing the throat of one of the grey wolves.
They didn’t have a choice but to do as I ordered, if one of the wolves was smart enough to move a mirror the sunlight could be reflected around the room, and while my nose wasn’t very sensitive, I could smell the burning flesh of Griever. I hoped that he wasn’t burnt to badly, but I had heard Viktor dragging Grievers severely weakened body. He wouldn’t be able to fight for a while. I swallowed, fear rippled like a pebble breaking the surface of the waters.
I dodged as one lunged another hit be from the back I dropped my weapon my hands out to cushion myself making sure my face didn’t smash into the stone walls. I turned two of them were going toward the bathroom door. I looked to the window, the sky… was darkening. I didn’t have to hold out for much longer and the Night Children would be at their full strength. Viktor would be able to fight, Griever would be able to heal faster, more help would come. I knew it.
I just had to hold them off a little longer. I kicked, my steel toed boots destroyed the jaw of the darkest grey wolf. It whimpered and took a few steps back, the lightest grey with the scratch on it’s nose, and the black wolf were still surrounding me. I pulled out my dagger and swung wildly trying to keep them at bay. The dagger scratched the black wolf’s eye. It howled at me.
Nikolai stalked in, I never thought I would be happy to see him, the darkness was almost there, we only needed to hold on for a little longer. The injured wolf walked slowly to Nikolai it’s head bowed as if in respect. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as Nikolai reached down and healed the jaw of the grey wolf.
I couldn’t process what was going on but the other wolves were just growling at my sides not attacking, the other grey one trotted over happily and stood in front of me, Nikolai stood beside me as well, with a sword, while I was left with a small dagger.
“What the fuck,” was all I could manage to say.
Nikolai smiled, “step aside, I want the prince.”
“No.”
“Is the light gone yet?” I heard Viktor, it sounded as he was right behind me, right pressed against the other side of the door that I had my back against.
“No.”
“Step aside you bastard!” Nikolai yelled angrily.
“Nikolai?”
“Stay in there!” I shouted at him.
“You would give your life for your prince?” Nikolai asked with a malicious grin that made my skin crawl much in the same way of when I was in the same room as O’Connell, I never knew anyone who caused me this much fear.
“Evan!” I smiled knowing the light was nearly all faded out, Viktor could handle them then.
“I would.”
Nikolai looked angry he trusted his sword, I dodged it got lodged in the wooden door, “holy shit! That was close!” Apparently Viktor really had been against the other side of the door.
Nikolai punched and it connected with my facial armour, there was a clang of bone smashing against metal he let out a howl, an inhuman one. How had he gotten in? How was it that he was part of this domain when he was with the Moon Children. What the hell was going on?
My mind didn’t have time to think over my questions, there were too many more important things, like holding them off until the daylight was gone. Till night set in and allowed the vampires full strength. I went to dodge but the black wolf bit into my leg, teeth sinking in to the bone. I went to stab it with the dagger but the other wolf lunged at my dagger hand and it’s teeth bit through to the bone as well, it knocked me off balance. On the floor my left side in the mouth of the wolves.
Nikolai smiled down at me as he reached for the bathroom door. I kicked up with my free leg and caught him in the chest the wolf with my arm pulled ripping my flesh in a long line I screamed out as my vision tunnelled. “EVAN!”
“You fucking bastard,” Nikolai spat as he bent down and ripped off my face mask, the third wolf grabbed onto my other leg with it’s teeth, my right hand was all that was free, he got right in my face and spoke with a rough voice “your going to die here.”
I smirked, the same smirk I learnt from Viktor. I had seen it on him many a times, like when I was five and he said we were going to get cookies before super, or when I was eight and we decided to go off on our own and play in the meadow with out any guards, or when I was eleven and we snuck off to play in the lake, or when I was fifteen and he was talking about getting laid. Anytime mischief or something we shouldn’t do, our own secret way of saying ‘fuck off’ to the world. A special smirk, the one on my face as I head butted him. My final ‘fuck you.’
He seemed stunned and when he looked back at me I was still smirking, I spat in his face, surprised slightly because it was blood. I cried out again as the wolves tore again. One with my left leg abandoned it for tearing into my chest plate with its massive paws.
That’s when I seen it. The light gone from the room all but the torches. Night had fallen. “Fuck you Nikolai,” I said as my vision was mostly blacked out but I could see movements of grey.
The door opened Viktor stood there, Griever who looked like he had seen better days lunged at Nikolai and bit right into his throat ripping it out. The wolves howled, the one with the injured nose, and the black one fled. Viktor held the heart of the grey ones in his hand, the corpse on the ground.
Griever sat rolled off of Nikolai his mouth coated in blood, he sat leaning against the bed, the blood made him look in better shape. “Viktor, I’m going to wait outside, his blood is making me ravenous.” Griever said stumbling on his feet shutting the door behind him.
Viktor fell to his knees beside me, “barely scratches,” he said reassuringly, as if he really spoke truth, then again to him, they were scratches, to human it was most likely to be… fatal.
I smiled up at him, my body was shredded, the blood loss was taking it’s toll my vision worsened, not only tunnelled but blurry as hell.
“You saved me,” Viktor said, “warded them off in the daylight where neither Griever nor I could fight. My savoir… I apologize for my hasted words earlier.” My breathing was difficult, I looked down lifting my head took much energy I didn’t have, Viktor helped me to sit up. Too fast! The chest plate was damaged, it pressed into my broken rips I’d have cried out if I’d had air. I begun scratching at it. He got the message and released it. He used his abnormally tough nails to rip through the chain mail. My breathing became slightly easier. “Evan,” he shook me lightly as my eyes rolled back in my head.
He came back into focus, “GRIEVER GET A MEDIC!” He yelled in a booming voice. He ripped my pants around the wounds, to get a better look at them, he seemed to be having a difficult time. I looked in his eyes. His red eyes. I hadn’t let him feed because he annoyed me. Now he could hardly resist devouring my blood. I was sweating I could tell, it matted my dark locks. He looked at the wound on my wrist main veins ripped blood was pooling everywhere. My blood. There were scratches on my chest lots of them. Oh no.
He ripped the buttons of my shirt I tried to fight him, “shhh, Evan, it’s okay, I’m just checking damage, your going to be okay.” This time it seemed even he didn’t believe his words.
With the shirt gone all that was left was the wrap that started at the top of my breasts and ended just below my navel. He looked puzzled but probably brushed it off as a human thing, he begun ripping through it I tried fighting with my only good hand, I tried pleading with my eyes, but he just kept murmuring that I would be alright.
He ripped through the final layer, and I felt outrageously exposed, I felt my cheeks get hot with a blush even though I didn’t think I should have any blood wasted there. My sight was fading. “What… the…fuck?” Apparently he seen my breast. “Evan?” He shook me again as my eyes rolled back.
“Evanangelique,” I responded blood spurted from my lips as I spoke, “Evanangelique Cross.”
There was betrayal in Viktor’s eyes.
I felt myself fading from the world. “I’ll always love you Viktor,” I gurgled on my blood “I’ll watch out for you forever.” My mind was clouded by fear, pain, death and love.
I looked into Viktor’s blood coloured eyes as darkness took away my sight, and pain faded to nothingness.
Anger
I dressed in light clothing, the sun was hot, the air was dry and humid even inside the house. The black cotton t-shirt hid the dark wrap that was keepingmy breasts as flat as possible. I looked down at myself and frowned. It was uncomfortable and didn’t disguise me as much as it use to I removed the black shirt and wrapped my stomach over and over tillmy body looked even, flat and masculine. I put the shirt back on, it looked like I had gained a bit of weight but still not really noticeable…or so I hoped.
I grabbed my black pants from the dresser and pulled them on, my period finally over, my mother was working her magic on the herbs, in essence I would take them before my next period and it would make sure it didn’t happen. Of course if the herbs weren’t powerful enough it could just stall it, and make it come up with out warning, or my body might reject it all together.
I brushed my hair, it gleamed in the light of the new morning, I pulled it into a ponytail and walked out of my room, getting to the door my mother came out of her room as she typically did, “how are you feeling today Evan?”
“Fine,” I responded as I grabbed my left boot and pulled it on pulling the laces tight, mother stayed silent which was odd, I turned and looked at her, worry was in here eyes, her hands were fidgeting a nervous habit. “Mom what is wrong?”
“That… Nikolai” she spat his name like a curse word, “what if he gets the battle he wants? It is all I can think about, I couldn’t sleep last night.”
I pulled my other boot on with haste, and tied it quickly, I got to my feet my mother wouldn’t meet my eyes. “If Nikolai gets his battle, I will fight him for my rightful spot.”
“You don’t have to!” My mother started crying, “you can choose to just give up your spot with Viktor, come home!”
“I can’t… I won’t,” I responded staying away from my mother, I wished to comfort her but I lacked the knowledge of how, besides it would only make me upset, and I needed to get to Viktor’s side, I would already be late. “Don’t worry mother, it will all work out.”
I walked out into the early morning, my mother had never responded, she didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t either though, my mind was like my mothers, I too was worried of the battle that could be. I climbed the stairs before the castle. There were new people guarding the door, I frowned, so many had died in the attack. I went up the spiral stair case and walked the same way I had every other day of my life, directly to Viktor’s room.
Griever was the first I saw he was frowning, he looked at me then turned his attention to the prince silently answering my question of where he was, over in the corner of his room that was stocked full with books he and Nikolai started laughing. “That kid is very annoying.”
“So is the prince,” I said coolly, “they seem to be getting along well.
“He better not become his Daylight Guardian,” Griever said his eyes flickered from a cool black to a dark red, “I couldn’t take working with him and its rather hard to commit suicide as a Night Child.”
“He couldn’t be that bad.”
Griever raised an eyebrow, “you spend a day with him then, he hasn’t left the prince since you became sick… by the way feeling better?”
My teeth grinded together, Nikolai was really gunning for my spot, even making friends with the prince so quickly, “I am just wonderful.”
“Good, because the King made his decision last night… the castle has been buzzing.” I looked at him with curiosity, “he granted Nikolai his wish, you two battle tonight, at midnight.”
“Lovely.”
“Ah Evan!” Nikolai said a sadistic smile upon his face, “feeling better… rather weak to suddenly come down with something. Not very good. Can’t be trusted to be here at all times.” My nose wrinkled in disgust with having him even speak my name, calling me weak! How dare he. I would be more than happy to fight him tonight. He wasn’t difficult to hate. He laughed lightly, “pathetic.”
Viktor didn’t defend me, I was surprised that Griever did, “at least he fought in the last great battle with the Moon Children. You guarded petty humans, not even aristocrats! He guarded the Prince!”
“And had to be saved by the prince.”
“Took a few hits for the Prince,” Griever and Nikolai were in each others faces now, even though Griever was about a foot taller than Nikolai. “Fought with a broken arm for the Prince.”
“Heat of battle,” Nikolai said.
I was furious, the battle couldn’t wait, I reached out to grab his arm but Griever grabbed my wrist never taking his eyes of Nikolai, “I wouldn’t do that Evan, He will win the battle if you attack him before midnight, he is just trying to annoy you.” Griever dropped my wrist and my arm swung to my side.
“Well for today at least I am his Daylight Guardian, I see you unfit to be in the chambers of the Prince and ask for your immediate removal.”
I couldn’t touch Nikolai, but Griever could, when Nikolai didn’t move Griever grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him out the door throwing him out and shutting the door behind him. “Seriously my Liege, I don’t know why you didn’t step in.”
“You two at each others throats, so comical” Viktor said leaning back in his chair.
“Not what I meant,” Griever continued, “I mean about the battle, you could have forbid it. You could have made it so that Evan wouldn’t have to fight to defend his spot.”
“Evan will be fine, so will Nikolai, if I dismissed it he would go after him again and again. Its easier this way. Less paperwork,” he said with a cheeky smile, I wanted to smack him.
“Yeah the broken arm he got defending you is going to be a real good asset,” sarcasm coated the words.
“He’s right handed anyways.”
“You are an asshole!” I shouted angrily before covering my mouth surprised the outburst came from me. Viktor looked over his shoulder, his dark coal eyes were outlined in red, he was hungry. How did I know? I had been with him, I held him when he sobbed as his fangs took a full day to come in. I didn’t move. Didn’t go to the washroom, didn’t go to eat, didn’t go to training. Never left his side. His frown was full, it meant he was really upset, occasionally he only half frowned, that was when he was faking it and his half smile was a smirk filled with mischief. How did I know? I HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE WITH HIM. ALWAYS.
“Harsh.”
“Truth hurts,” I said callously. Griever sat in the corner, his eyes closed, his breathing steady. He was trying to calm himself down. I looked back to Viktor. “I just hope you can live with the consequences of your actions.”
“What do you mean! I can handle anything, I’m next to rule in case you’ve forgotten,” He shouted back standing up from his chair and crossing the room getting into my personal space, I glared up at him.
“You seem to get along well with Nikolai, what if this does become a heated death match. Can you handle it if he dies, what if my sword rips through your new friend?” I yelled at him, I hadn’t yelled at him so sternly since I told him when we were young to keep the Blood Brigade away from me, in my teen years he forgot the promise. “And what if I have not healed enough, and I can’t defend with my left as I use to? Hmm? How will you feel if his sword rips through my throat and I’m reduced to nothing but a damned bloody corpse?” I shoved him, he wasn’t expecting it, it was the only reason he took a single step back to regain his balance. His face was shocked, shocked into a silence. I turned away from him my voice softened to sadness, “will you throw my body into a mass grave too?”
I noticed Griever had taken his leave. I hadn’t even heard him- then again I had been much too busy yelling at my Prince. The one I had sworn to protect. “You are destined, born to be my savoir,” he said, “you won’t die, and Nikolai is a fighter, but if he is about to die he will surrender.”
“Whatever.” I responded callously walking away from him and to the other side of the room, “do you have any appointments to deal with today?”
“No.”
Silence fell upon the room, I felt a little twinge of guilt that I had yelled at him, I didn’t regret it though, after all my life could be over that very night. Life could be over, I nearly cried, I could die, never have lived as a woman, never seen much outside the walls. I took refuge in the thought they would just throw me in a mass grave, that way they would never know I was female. My parents could continue living never fretting about me, or the lie our lives had been since the night I was born.
I sat in the opposite corner of the room, Viktor sat in his corner with books, but looked at none of them, he was staring at me intently. I looked away from him. I had to be with him at all times, I didn’t have to like it, I didn’t have to be friendly, I didn’t have to make conversation. He shuffled his feet. I crossed my arms over my chest. He coughed, I shifted in my seat. “I’m hungry,” he said, I looked at him for the first time in over two hours, the red was crowding his black pupils.
“I don’t care,” I replied grumpily, “you can stay hungry for a while.”
“No I can’t,” he replied grumpily, “your human, I can’t stay hungry with a human.”
“Yes you can,” my voice was rough with anger, “you can damn-” my words were cut off as Viktor’s face was in mine, his teeth snapped twice, his arms on either side of me, dents in the stone wall. My adrenaline had kicked up, my hear beating ten times faster than it should my eyes bulging with surprise, after a few seconds of slowing my breathing, “you can damned well wait, cranky. You could be sending me to my death tonight so I do NOT give a damned if you have a bit of hunger pains.” He growled, a deep frightening noise that came from his throat. I flipped him off and he stalked over to his chair. I don’t know why he didn’t just leave, I would have to follow him. It was my duty.
“I’m not sending you to the guillotine,” he said after ten minutes of silence, “you won’t die.”
“I’m injured Viktor,” I said wearily, “and he is probably sleeping right now, getting rested, or practicing. I am here. I will be exhausted, I will not have warmed up-” A scream came from the yard inside the gate. “What the fuck?” I stood making sure that Viktor was in the darkest corner of the room I pulled on one of the planks that was on a hinge so I could look out occasionally. Moon Children were tearing the village apart. “Mom!” I shouted as one went into my home, my stomach tightened felt nauseous. I closed and locked the panel and opened the chest with the Daylight Guardian symbol on it, I was dressed and had the door to Viktor’s room boarded when I heard a rap on the door.
“Lemme in!” It was Griever. I took off the boards and locks as quickly as my trembling hands allowed. Griever slipped in and we quickly put back up all the locks. “This was unexpected!”
“They want to destroy us before I mate. If I am to have the heir then they are screwed and will be stuck waiting a many more years before they have a chance to screw with our hierarchy.” Viktor said, “this is bad.”
Last time we fought them was less than a month previous, they were relentless, last time four people had been protecting Viktor, and now there were two, the survivors of the previous time with still healing bodies. The village was under attack and I knew there was nothing I could do about my mother but pray she wasn’t home. The front door to the castle broke open, more blood to stain the floors.
“Hey Viktor,” I said slowly drawing out the words, my stomach clenched in fear as something bashed against the door.
“Yeah.”
“Sorry for everything.”
The door flew open.
I grabbed my black pants from the dresser and pulled them on, my period finally over, my mother was working her magic on the herbs, in essence I would take them before my next period and it would make sure it didn’t happen. Of course if the herbs weren’t powerful enough it could just stall it, and make it come up with out warning, or my body might reject it all together.
I brushed my hair, it gleamed in the light of the new morning, I pulled it into a ponytail and walked out of my room, getting to the door my mother came out of her room as she typically did, “how are you feeling today Evan?”
“Fine,” I responded as I grabbed my left boot and pulled it on pulling the laces tight, mother stayed silent which was odd, I turned and looked at her, worry was in here eyes, her hands were fidgeting a nervous habit. “Mom what is wrong?”
“That… Nikolai” she spat his name like a curse word, “what if he gets the battle he wants? It is all I can think about, I couldn’t sleep last night.”
I pulled my other boot on with haste, and tied it quickly, I got to my feet my mother wouldn’t meet my eyes. “If Nikolai gets his battle, I will fight him for my rightful spot.”
“You don’t have to!” My mother started crying, “you can choose to just give up your spot with Viktor, come home!”
“I can’t… I won’t,” I responded staying away from my mother, I wished to comfort her but I lacked the knowledge of how, besides it would only make me upset, and I needed to get to Viktor’s side, I would already be late. “Don’t worry mother, it will all work out.”
I walked out into the early morning, my mother had never responded, she didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t either though, my mind was like my mothers, I too was worried of the battle that could be. I climbed the stairs before the castle. There were new people guarding the door, I frowned, so many had died in the attack. I went up the spiral stair case and walked the same way I had every other day of my life, directly to Viktor’s room.
Griever was the first I saw he was frowning, he looked at me then turned his attention to the prince silently answering my question of where he was, over in the corner of his room that was stocked full with books he and Nikolai started laughing. “That kid is very annoying.”
“So is the prince,” I said coolly, “they seem to be getting along well.
“He better not become his Daylight Guardian,” Griever said his eyes flickered from a cool black to a dark red, “I couldn’t take working with him and its rather hard to commit suicide as a Night Child.”
“He couldn’t be that bad.”
Griever raised an eyebrow, “you spend a day with him then, he hasn’t left the prince since you became sick… by the way feeling better?”
My teeth grinded together, Nikolai was really gunning for my spot, even making friends with the prince so quickly, “I am just wonderful.”
“Good, because the King made his decision last night… the castle has been buzzing.” I looked at him with curiosity, “he granted Nikolai his wish, you two battle tonight, at midnight.”
“Lovely.”
“Ah Evan!” Nikolai said a sadistic smile upon his face, “feeling better… rather weak to suddenly come down with something. Not very good. Can’t be trusted to be here at all times.” My nose wrinkled in disgust with having him even speak my name, calling me weak! How dare he. I would be more than happy to fight him tonight. He wasn’t difficult to hate. He laughed lightly, “pathetic.”
Viktor didn’t defend me, I was surprised that Griever did, “at least he fought in the last great battle with the Moon Children. You guarded petty humans, not even aristocrats! He guarded the Prince!”
“And had to be saved by the prince.”
“Took a few hits for the Prince,” Griever and Nikolai were in each others faces now, even though Griever was about a foot taller than Nikolai. “Fought with a broken arm for the Prince.”
“Heat of battle,” Nikolai said.
I was furious, the battle couldn’t wait, I reached out to grab his arm but Griever grabbed my wrist never taking his eyes of Nikolai, “I wouldn’t do that Evan, He will win the battle if you attack him before midnight, he is just trying to annoy you.” Griever dropped my wrist and my arm swung to my side.
“Well for today at least I am his Daylight Guardian, I see you unfit to be in the chambers of the Prince and ask for your immediate removal.”
I couldn’t touch Nikolai, but Griever could, when Nikolai didn’t move Griever grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him out the door throwing him out and shutting the door behind him. “Seriously my Liege, I don’t know why you didn’t step in.”
“You two at each others throats, so comical” Viktor said leaning back in his chair.
“Not what I meant,” Griever continued, “I mean about the battle, you could have forbid it. You could have made it so that Evan wouldn’t have to fight to defend his spot.”
“Evan will be fine, so will Nikolai, if I dismissed it he would go after him again and again. Its easier this way. Less paperwork,” he said with a cheeky smile, I wanted to smack him.
“Yeah the broken arm he got defending you is going to be a real good asset,” sarcasm coated the words.
“He’s right handed anyways.”
“You are an asshole!” I shouted angrily before covering my mouth surprised the outburst came from me. Viktor looked over his shoulder, his dark coal eyes were outlined in red, he was hungry. How did I know? I had been with him, I held him when he sobbed as his fangs took a full day to come in. I didn’t move. Didn’t go to the washroom, didn’t go to eat, didn’t go to training. Never left his side. His frown was full, it meant he was really upset, occasionally he only half frowned, that was when he was faking it and his half smile was a smirk filled with mischief. How did I know? I HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE WITH HIM. ALWAYS.
“Harsh.”
“Truth hurts,” I said callously. Griever sat in the corner, his eyes closed, his breathing steady. He was trying to calm himself down. I looked back to Viktor. “I just hope you can live with the consequences of your actions.”
“What do you mean! I can handle anything, I’m next to rule in case you’ve forgotten,” He shouted back standing up from his chair and crossing the room getting into my personal space, I glared up at him.
“You seem to get along well with Nikolai, what if this does become a heated death match. Can you handle it if he dies, what if my sword rips through your new friend?” I yelled at him, I hadn’t yelled at him so sternly since I told him when we were young to keep the Blood Brigade away from me, in my teen years he forgot the promise. “And what if I have not healed enough, and I can’t defend with my left as I use to? Hmm? How will you feel if his sword rips through my throat and I’m reduced to nothing but a damned bloody corpse?” I shoved him, he wasn’t expecting it, it was the only reason he took a single step back to regain his balance. His face was shocked, shocked into a silence. I turned away from him my voice softened to sadness, “will you throw my body into a mass grave too?”
I noticed Griever had taken his leave. I hadn’t even heard him- then again I had been much too busy yelling at my Prince. The one I had sworn to protect. “You are destined, born to be my savoir,” he said, “you won’t die, and Nikolai is a fighter, but if he is about to die he will surrender.”
“Whatever.” I responded callously walking away from him and to the other side of the room, “do you have any appointments to deal with today?”
“No.”
Silence fell upon the room, I felt a little twinge of guilt that I had yelled at him, I didn’t regret it though, after all my life could be over that very night. Life could be over, I nearly cried, I could die, never have lived as a woman, never seen much outside the walls. I took refuge in the thought they would just throw me in a mass grave, that way they would never know I was female. My parents could continue living never fretting about me, or the lie our lives had been since the night I was born.
I sat in the opposite corner of the room, Viktor sat in his corner with books, but looked at none of them, he was staring at me intently. I looked away from him. I had to be with him at all times, I didn’t have to like it, I didn’t have to be friendly, I didn’t have to make conversation. He shuffled his feet. I crossed my arms over my chest. He coughed, I shifted in my seat. “I’m hungry,” he said, I looked at him for the first time in over two hours, the red was crowding his black pupils.
“I don’t care,” I replied grumpily, “you can stay hungry for a while.”
“No I can’t,” he replied grumpily, “your human, I can’t stay hungry with a human.”
“Yes you can,” my voice was rough with anger, “you can damn-” my words were cut off as Viktor’s face was in mine, his teeth snapped twice, his arms on either side of me, dents in the stone wall. My adrenaline had kicked up, my hear beating ten times faster than it should my eyes bulging with surprise, after a few seconds of slowing my breathing, “you can damned well wait, cranky. You could be sending me to my death tonight so I do NOT give a damned if you have a bit of hunger pains.” He growled, a deep frightening noise that came from his throat. I flipped him off and he stalked over to his chair. I don’t know why he didn’t just leave, I would have to follow him. It was my duty.
“I’m not sending you to the guillotine,” he said after ten minutes of silence, “you won’t die.”
“I’m injured Viktor,” I said wearily, “and he is probably sleeping right now, getting rested, or practicing. I am here. I will be exhausted, I will not have warmed up-” A scream came from the yard inside the gate. “What the fuck?” I stood making sure that Viktor was in the darkest corner of the room I pulled on one of the planks that was on a hinge so I could look out occasionally. Moon Children were tearing the village apart. “Mom!” I shouted as one went into my home, my stomach tightened felt nauseous. I closed and locked the panel and opened the chest with the Daylight Guardian symbol on it, I was dressed and had the door to Viktor’s room boarded when I heard a rap on the door.
“Lemme in!” It was Griever. I took off the boards and locks as quickly as my trembling hands allowed. Griever slipped in and we quickly put back up all the locks. “This was unexpected!”
“They want to destroy us before I mate. If I am to have the heir then they are screwed and will be stuck waiting a many more years before they have a chance to screw with our hierarchy.” Viktor said, “this is bad.”
Last time we fought them was less than a month previous, they were relentless, last time four people had been protecting Viktor, and now there were two, the survivors of the previous time with still healing bodies. The village was under attack and I knew there was nothing I could do about my mother but pray she wasn’t home. The front door to the castle broke open, more blood to stain the floors.
“Hey Viktor,” I said slowly drawing out the words, my stomach clenched in fear as something bashed against the door.
“Yeah.”
“Sorry for everything.”
The door flew open.
Doubt
The week went by slowly, I was relieved that no one came to check on me. I guess my father made it clear it wouldn’t be good for my recovery- the Night Children didn’t know any better so it worked.
I spent my days in pain, I wasted hours away reading my mothers romance novels- well had the intention of it, after the first one with it’s forbidden love, and a happily ever after I was envious of fictional characters and that put a entirely new twist to pathetic. I gave up on them and ended up helping my mother re-arrange furniture, sweeping, and dusting.
After that I started doodling with the art supplies that laid around the house. Which wasn’t much, some mostly burnt wood from the fire stove and some paper. I had enjoyed drawing when I was young but in my teen years all my extra time was spent training or sleeping. I sketched the vase that my mother had nice wildflowers in, then my mother who sat knitting in the rocking chair, then a forest from my dreams. While out of practice they turned out pretty reasonable. Besides I liked that I now had a picture of my mother.
My cramps started giving up the battle at about day four, the bleeding slowed considerably as well both made me a happy camper. I was getting a bit of cabin fever, I hated being stuck inside, knowing my duties were being done by another, I wondered if Arista was helping Viktor waste away his hours. I frowned, jealous. I knew deep down I liked Viktor more than I should, I blamed it on the fact we grew up together, I lived and breathed for him (sure that was suppose to mean I would protect him to the end) but... I couldn’t help feel envious of the other women he was with. I should get my chance to be in love, to be happy. But I had to be a boy. For now anyways- the more time past, the less chance I was to be who I truly am this bothered me.
I sat around on the couch bored stiff, my mind continued wandering, and no matter how hard I tried my thoughts returned to Viktor. This whole too much time thing sucked. Before I could deny my feelings for him. Ignore them since I was in my ‘male’ head -thinking, acting, speaking all like a guy would. Here with my first period, cramps, breasts tender from the wrapping, I was undeniably female.
"Evanangelique," my mother called, I enjoyed the sound of my feminine full name, it had been quite a while since I had heard it. I got up off the couch and entered the kitchen, "could you help me out?" My mother asked nodding toward the carrots that needed to be peeled and chopped.
"Of course," I responded picking up the knife peeling them before chopping them up for her.
"So how are things in the castle?" She asked.
"Wouldn’t know, haven’t been there in four days mom."
"Oh you know what I mean, before the attack, how were things going."
"Smoothly," I responded thinking back, "Viktor has been working on his lessons with Lucid, battle tactics, strategies, moves. He’s gotten a more..." I paused trying to find a word that fit, "bloody appetite."
"It is nice to see your arm healing so fast," my mother said nodding toward the splint, it kept it straight but I no longer had need for a cast.
"The Night Children used something on me," I replied my memories of the infirmary vague at best, "they need me back to being a soldier as soon as possible."
"Especially with there being a new Twilight Guardian with the prince."
My grip on the knife hardened, Garrett. He should still be here, he was a damned good fighter, a strong strategist, he knew what he was doing when he was fighting the Moon Children. He had fought them before, yet he was dead now. "Griever is a good fighter, protected the prince in the last fight, he was the last one standing, sustained less injuries than the rest of us... other than Prince Viktor of course."
"I’m not saying that he isn’t a good fighter, but didn’t he use to be a part of the... Blood Brigade?" My mother asked, she feared the Blood Brigade- they were the ones who came to the village she and my father lived in while she was pregnant with me. She feared them all.
I remembered when the Moon Child had bit my shoulder, Griever had saved me there. He was a good man, I knew, most wouldn’t give up the Blood Brigade badge, they were too addicted to blood, to the screams, to the chaos they created. Griever chose to become one of the Twilight Guardians. "That is true," I confirmed, " but he’s already saved me once, he isn’t a bad guy mom."
She seemed comforted by my defence of Griever, we continued cooking, she put the carrots in to the stew and stirred while I ripped a head of lettuce apart for a salad. We finished the meal and I grabbed the bread from the stove and put it into the bread basket and placed it on the table. The kitchen was filled with delicious scents my stomach rumbled.
We waited for my father, while we did we set the table with plates, bowls, forks, knives and spoons. When he still wasn’t there we put the food on the plates and poured a generous helping of stew into the bowls.
Still he didn’t come. My mother seemed outrageously worried, while I thought of the time I had been late when burying one of the girls. I was positive my father too had his own good reason for being late.
By the time my father was a hour late I was agitated, I was starving. Mom was getting more worried by the second her had wrapped in a dish towel, she continued fiddling with it as she stared out the window the night sky twinkling.
I ate a spoonful of stew when she wasn’t paying any attention to me. Hell I could have eaten the entire thing; she seemed to have forgotten I was even there. I fought with the idea of going to the castle to see what was taking him so long, but if I did that I should be protecting the prince. There was a reason I was here. And I was staying.
"He is fine you know," I said, my mother murmured acknowledging my words, "if there was an attack we would obviously know."
I did wonder why my father was late though, what was going on in the castle. What had I missed over the past four days?
My mother let out a sigh and exited through the door, apparently my father was on his way. Well about time! I was hungry. He came in looking worn out, my mother stared at him worriedly. "Hello father," I greeted.
"Good evening Evan," he responded removing his jacket and hanging it up sitting at the head of the table. My mother sat on the right side of the table and I on the opposite side of her.
"Why are you so late?" My mother questioned as my father begun eating.
If he started I could eat too, I scooped into my stew eating it hungrily. "Just working, that’s all."
My mother didn’t seem satisfied by the answer when he stayed silent eating and wasn’t elaborating. "Why are you so late?"
"Marianne!" My father bashed down his spoon and stood the chair screeching against the floor. I looked up from my meal startled, he never acted like this. "I’m the head of the Daylight Guardians, do you think I just sit around all day playing chess with King Vincent? I have important things to do, strategies, battle plans, we have to start work on the gate wall since there was so much damage in the last attack. I was working, alright," my fathers voice lowered, "I’ll be later than this for a while. Please Marianne, don’t bother me over it."
My mother looked startled, she stared at my father like she’d never seen him before. She found her composure, "fine," she responded and slipped into silence.
The meal became awkwardly silent other than silverware against dishes there was no noise. "Who has been guarding Prince Viktor while I’ve been away?" I questioned my father.
"Nikolai Vineale" My father responded after a moment he seemed weary. "And he is gunning for your spot as Daylight Guardian of Viktor."
"But I’m suppose to be the ‘child of prophecy’" I said snarling. How dare this man be going after my spot.
"It’s one of the reason’s I’m late, Nikolai wants the spot, and you can fight for it, it’s in the rules, someone could fight me if they wished to guard the king, but they have to beat me in combat. Many of these fights end in death." My father spoke and I felt the goose bumps on my skin. "He is taking it above my head to King Vincent."
"It won’t go through," I said confidently... but deep down I felt fear I was injured, I was a damned good swords person, but injured like this, I would be down before I started. "King Vincent is a firm believer of the Prophecy."
"He also believes in fate. You are to save Viktor, it doesn’t mean you have to be his Daylight Guardian, they just assumed that would be a good way to make sure. Also it isn’t saying you won’t just beat Nikolai. Kill him and get him out of your hair for good or he can keep bringing this back up."
"Kill him," I nearly choked on my salad, "he’s human."
"So what," my father responded, "him or you Evan."
I fell asleep that night with my fathers words in my head, ‘him or you Evan’ it kept playing over and over and over again. I had to hope King Vincent wouldn’t allow such a thing, and surely Viktor would be on my side, we had been together forever.
I awoke the next morning realizing the cramps were gone, so was the bloating, the bleeding was virtually none existent, my mother boiled water for me to bathe in and I sat in the tub of warm water. My arm was all fixed up, a little tender, but the bone had healed, there was a nasty scar around where the bone had pierced through the skin, it was bruised heavily as well. My face was back to it’s pale complection. As I washed I thought of fighting, Nikolai, I knew him from training sessions, he was fast but tended not to block he was an attacker not a defender.
I got out and dried off I helped my mother around the house for the rest of the day glad that I would be heading back to the castle the next morning.
I would see Viktor.
I would find out the decision about the fight.
And if need be, I would kill Nikolai.
My stomach tossed at that point... I could kill a human... couldn’t I? The more I thought of it the more it bothered me. The memories of the girls I had brought to Viktor haunted me, bothered me more than I’d care to admit. I could kill Nikolai to protect myself, so I could continue protecting Viktor. Couldn’t I.
My doubts ate away at me.
I spent my days in pain, I wasted hours away reading my mothers romance novels- well had the intention of it, after the first one with it’s forbidden love, and a happily ever after I was envious of fictional characters and that put a entirely new twist to pathetic. I gave up on them and ended up helping my mother re-arrange furniture, sweeping, and dusting.
After that I started doodling with the art supplies that laid around the house. Which wasn’t much, some mostly burnt wood from the fire stove and some paper. I had enjoyed drawing when I was young but in my teen years all my extra time was spent training or sleeping. I sketched the vase that my mother had nice wildflowers in, then my mother who sat knitting in the rocking chair, then a forest from my dreams. While out of practice they turned out pretty reasonable. Besides I liked that I now had a picture of my mother.
My cramps started giving up the battle at about day four, the bleeding slowed considerably as well both made me a happy camper. I was getting a bit of cabin fever, I hated being stuck inside, knowing my duties were being done by another, I wondered if Arista was helping Viktor waste away his hours. I frowned, jealous. I knew deep down I liked Viktor more than I should, I blamed it on the fact we grew up together, I lived and breathed for him (sure that was suppose to mean I would protect him to the end) but... I couldn’t help feel envious of the other women he was with. I should get my chance to be in love, to be happy. But I had to be a boy. For now anyways- the more time past, the less chance I was to be who I truly am this bothered me.
I sat around on the couch bored stiff, my mind continued wandering, and no matter how hard I tried my thoughts returned to Viktor. This whole too much time thing sucked. Before I could deny my feelings for him. Ignore them since I was in my ‘male’ head -thinking, acting, speaking all like a guy would. Here with my first period, cramps, breasts tender from the wrapping, I was undeniably female.
"Evanangelique," my mother called, I enjoyed the sound of my feminine full name, it had been quite a while since I had heard it. I got up off the couch and entered the kitchen, "could you help me out?" My mother asked nodding toward the carrots that needed to be peeled and chopped.
"Of course," I responded picking up the knife peeling them before chopping them up for her.
"So how are things in the castle?" She asked.
"Wouldn’t know, haven’t been there in four days mom."
"Oh you know what I mean, before the attack, how were things going."
"Smoothly," I responded thinking back, "Viktor has been working on his lessons with Lucid, battle tactics, strategies, moves. He’s gotten a more..." I paused trying to find a word that fit, "bloody appetite."
"It is nice to see your arm healing so fast," my mother said nodding toward the splint, it kept it straight but I no longer had need for a cast.
"The Night Children used something on me," I replied my memories of the infirmary vague at best, "they need me back to being a soldier as soon as possible."
"Especially with there being a new Twilight Guardian with the prince."
My grip on the knife hardened, Garrett. He should still be here, he was a damned good fighter, a strong strategist, he knew what he was doing when he was fighting the Moon Children. He had fought them before, yet he was dead now. "Griever is a good fighter, protected the prince in the last fight, he was the last one standing, sustained less injuries than the rest of us... other than Prince Viktor of course."
"I’m not saying that he isn’t a good fighter, but didn’t he use to be a part of the... Blood Brigade?" My mother asked, she feared the Blood Brigade- they were the ones who came to the village she and my father lived in while she was pregnant with me. She feared them all.
I remembered when the Moon Child had bit my shoulder, Griever had saved me there. He was a good man, I knew, most wouldn’t give up the Blood Brigade badge, they were too addicted to blood, to the screams, to the chaos they created. Griever chose to become one of the Twilight Guardians. "That is true," I confirmed, " but he’s already saved me once, he isn’t a bad guy mom."
She seemed comforted by my defence of Griever, we continued cooking, she put the carrots in to the stew and stirred while I ripped a head of lettuce apart for a salad. We finished the meal and I grabbed the bread from the stove and put it into the bread basket and placed it on the table. The kitchen was filled with delicious scents my stomach rumbled.
We waited for my father, while we did we set the table with plates, bowls, forks, knives and spoons. When he still wasn’t there we put the food on the plates and poured a generous helping of stew into the bowls.
Still he didn’t come. My mother seemed outrageously worried, while I thought of the time I had been late when burying one of the girls. I was positive my father too had his own good reason for being late.
By the time my father was a hour late I was agitated, I was starving. Mom was getting more worried by the second her had wrapped in a dish towel, she continued fiddling with it as she stared out the window the night sky twinkling.
I ate a spoonful of stew when she wasn’t paying any attention to me. Hell I could have eaten the entire thing; she seemed to have forgotten I was even there. I fought with the idea of going to the castle to see what was taking him so long, but if I did that I should be protecting the prince. There was a reason I was here. And I was staying.
"He is fine you know," I said, my mother murmured acknowledging my words, "if there was an attack we would obviously know."
I did wonder why my father was late though, what was going on in the castle. What had I missed over the past four days?
My mother let out a sigh and exited through the door, apparently my father was on his way. Well about time! I was hungry. He came in looking worn out, my mother stared at him worriedly. "Hello father," I greeted.
"Good evening Evan," he responded removing his jacket and hanging it up sitting at the head of the table. My mother sat on the right side of the table and I on the opposite side of her.
"Why are you so late?" My mother questioned as my father begun eating.
If he started I could eat too, I scooped into my stew eating it hungrily. "Just working, that’s all."
My mother didn’t seem satisfied by the answer when he stayed silent eating and wasn’t elaborating. "Why are you so late?"
"Marianne!" My father bashed down his spoon and stood the chair screeching against the floor. I looked up from my meal startled, he never acted like this. "I’m the head of the Daylight Guardians, do you think I just sit around all day playing chess with King Vincent? I have important things to do, strategies, battle plans, we have to start work on the gate wall since there was so much damage in the last attack. I was working, alright," my fathers voice lowered, "I’ll be later than this for a while. Please Marianne, don’t bother me over it."
My mother looked startled, she stared at my father like she’d never seen him before. She found her composure, "fine," she responded and slipped into silence.
The meal became awkwardly silent other than silverware against dishes there was no noise. "Who has been guarding Prince Viktor while I’ve been away?" I questioned my father.
"Nikolai Vineale" My father responded after a moment he seemed weary. "And he is gunning for your spot as Daylight Guardian of Viktor."
"But I’m suppose to be the ‘child of prophecy’" I said snarling. How dare this man be going after my spot.
"It’s one of the reason’s I’m late, Nikolai wants the spot, and you can fight for it, it’s in the rules, someone could fight me if they wished to guard the king, but they have to beat me in combat. Many of these fights end in death." My father spoke and I felt the goose bumps on my skin. "He is taking it above my head to King Vincent."
"It won’t go through," I said confidently... but deep down I felt fear I was injured, I was a damned good swords person, but injured like this, I would be down before I started. "King Vincent is a firm believer of the Prophecy."
"He also believes in fate. You are to save Viktor, it doesn’t mean you have to be his Daylight Guardian, they just assumed that would be a good way to make sure. Also it isn’t saying you won’t just beat Nikolai. Kill him and get him out of your hair for good or he can keep bringing this back up."
"Kill him," I nearly choked on my salad, "he’s human."
"So what," my father responded, "him or you Evan."
I fell asleep that night with my fathers words in my head, ‘him or you Evan’ it kept playing over and over and over again. I had to hope King Vincent wouldn’t allow such a thing, and surely Viktor would be on my side, we had been together forever.
I awoke the next morning realizing the cramps were gone, so was the bloating, the bleeding was virtually none existent, my mother boiled water for me to bathe in and I sat in the tub of warm water. My arm was all fixed up, a little tender, but the bone had healed, there was a nasty scar around where the bone had pierced through the skin, it was bruised heavily as well. My face was back to it’s pale complection. As I washed I thought of fighting, Nikolai, I knew him from training sessions, he was fast but tended not to block he was an attacker not a defender.
I got out and dried off I helped my mother around the house for the rest of the day glad that I would be heading back to the castle the next morning.
I would see Viktor.
I would find out the decision about the fight.
And if need be, I would kill Nikolai.
My stomach tossed at that point... I could kill a human... couldn’t I? The more I thought of it the more it bothered me. The memories of the girls I had brought to Viktor haunted me, bothered me more than I’d care to admit. I could kill Nikolai to protect myself, so I could continue protecting Viktor. Couldn’t I.
My doubts ate away at me.
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