09-09-2015, 01:02 PM
Mathias awoke in the Ancient's Temple, he stood from the smooth floor to look upon Eva. His head was still pounding, but he put aside all notions that Mihail had caused his sudden sickness. Eva must of forced him to the temple, which in turn was against his will. He fought back causing both her and he to fight a battle, one that ultimately Eva would win.
"Why have you brought me here, milady?" Mathias asked the pale woman.
"Kailin can wait no longer, she does not have the time left it would take you to use human transportations." Eva said walking towards the alter, Mathias kept close behind.
"What other way is there?"
The temple would only send him back from whence he came, so he didn't understand why she had pulled him here.
"We have decided to open a portal for you, just this once. It will take most of our energy, and I have precious little as it is. Once you are there, you must immediately enter Kailin's mind. She must admit to herself that she is not Caitlyn Bramwell anymore." Eva told him, as she walked up the stairs the other Ancients came to stand beside her.
"How can I convince her, milady?" Mathias asked standing on the third stair from the top.
Eva smiled, "Anyway you can, Mathias. You will think of something, you always do."
Pulling the stone from his pocket, he held it up to her. "I don't know how to use it."
"You know the name and you have the stone, it is as simple as breathing once was to you." Adon's dark demented voice spoke inside his mind.
"Simple as breathing? I don't understand."
"You will." Eva smiled, "Kneel down before us."
Mathias looked between the three Ancients, he didn't understand what they meant. Knowing that they were all wise, he kneeled down, and felt their hands on his back and head. After a moment, nothing had happened, and he looked up to ask Eva what they were doing. When he did, he found himself in Kailin's bedroom.
Nathaniel had his head down on the bed next to his wife, her hand in his own. Mathias tapped his shoulder, and the fresh looked up at him with a smile.
"Mathias, you've returned." Nathaniel stood up, "That was quick."
He nodded his head, "There isn't much time, Eva has grown weak from protecting Kailin."
Nathaniel stepped aside to allow Mathias the wooden chair. "I'll go fetch the others, just in case something goes wrong."
"Yes, please hurry."
He watched him leave the room, then turned his eyes back to Kailin. The stone was still in his hand. Taking Kailin's hand in his own, he looked down at the stone and sighed. "Well, what now, Dalagos? Simple as breathing." He looked back at Kailin, "I don't know what to do, Kailin."
There was a moment of silence as he looked between Kailin and then stone, before his eyes rested on the hand holding her own. The stone had always been in some sort of wrapping, and never touched skin to skin. Perhaps, that was the answered. He shook his head, but then how did Mihail get close enough to the Ancients. His head dropped, he would need to try anyway.
Taking Kailin's hand into his own, the stone touched both of their skin. Nothing happened. "Dalagos, I…"
Mathias stood in a hallway and saw no end in either direction, doors lined the hall. Something had clawed at the hallways doors, and there was blood on the ground. It looked like a battle had already taken place. His head jerked around trying to decide which way to go, then he heard the sounds of Kailin's voice. She was screaming for someone to help her.
"Kailin!" He yelled out.
Her cries stopped, and suddenly she was before him. Running towards him, she threw herself into his arms. "Please, help me, milord."
Mathias was shocked to see her in a torn dress, there were blood stains on it, and Kailin was injured. Her bottom lip was bleeding, as well as her knees and elbows.
"Kailin, are you alright?" He asked, holding onto her shoulders, and pushing her back to look at her.
"Caitlyn, milord, do I know you?"
Her tight curls were a mess atop of her head, he had never seen Kailin so disheveled before. "Are you alright?"
She shook her head, "No, I've been lost in here for what seems like ages. There is this thing, a creature, following me. Please, help me, milord. If you got in here, then you must know a way out. We must flee!"
"Kailin!" He shook her gentle, "We can't run away! You need to fight it. It's your only chance to come back."
"My name is Caitlyn, I have said that before!" Kailin's eyes began to water.
"No!" Mathias grabbed her face with both his hands, and again shook her. Kailin's hands reached up and grabbed his wrists. "You are Kailin Drake, Caitlyn is dead. Let the human soul go, Kailin!"
The sound of the beast roaring was getting closer, and Mathias knew that it would soon be upon them. He couldn't fight the creature, this wasn't his battle.
"I don't know what you are talking about." She tried to fight out of his grasp, but he kept a tight hold. As the sound of the beast grew closer, the fear grew in her eyes. "You are going to get us both killed! We must flee!"
"What is my name, Kailin?"
She glared at him, "I don't know you."
"What is my name?" He asked again, shaking her slightly.
She began to cry, "I told you I don't know."
"Kailin, I can't help you unless you know who I am." He knew that if she admitted to knowing him, then she would also had to admit to herself that she was Kailin Drake, a vampire.
"I don't know!" She screamed.
"Yes, you do!" He looked up when he heard a loud crash, the beast still growing nearer. "Who am I, Kailin? You know my name, I know you do." He looked at her frightened eyes, the last time he had seen her that way, she was in the woods and he had fought off the wolves. "You knew me well enough to run to me when you saw me. You knew that I will protect you. Then you must know my name, Kailin, so tell me what it is."
The human soul was fused so tightly to her aura that Kailin was too weak to fight Marekio. It also was refusing to allow Kailin's aura to answer him, but for a moment, he thought he saw Kailin flash within the eyes of the scared woman in front of him.
"You are Kailin, and I am…" He looked down at her, still holding tightly onto her head.
She was shaking her head for a moment, but her eyes popped open wider with fear when the beast roared again.
"He's coming, Kailin. I'm not letting you run from him anymore. You either admit that you are Kailin Drake, and tell me who I am, or we both die."
He felt her knees give, but he kept her standing. "You are insane!" Kailin yelled, and tried to swat at him, but her attacks were feeble.
Shaking her again, he made her look into his eyes, "Let go of Caitlyn, she needs to be with Leila now. Kailin needs to be in control, she needs to fight this demon. Caitlyn, you aren't needed anymore. You can rest now."
Her eyes rested for a moment, then all of a sudden went blank. "Mathias?" She looked around, and pulled her head from his hands. "Where… where are we?" She had both his hands in her own for a moment, before dropping them.
Mathias felt the weight lift off his shoulders, as he watched the wounds on Kailin's body heal. "In your mind, Kailin."
"In my mind?"
He nodded, "You need to fight Marekio for control, prove that your aura is stronger then he is."
Kailin heard the roar as it grew closer, "Fight him with what?" She turned her eyes to him, then down at her ripped dress.
"I don't know, you'll think of something. This is your mind after all, you can do what you please with it."
"You can't help me, can you?"
He shook his head, "No, but I am not sure how to get out of here either."
"It's my mind, I can do what I please with it." She said.
With those words, Mathias lifted his head off the bed. His eyes wandered around the room to all the elders watching him.
"Is she alright?" Lucas asked.
He nodded, "She is going to fight him now, prepare yourselves." Mathias said as he stood up, "Marekio might be the one returning to us."
Kailin looked around the hall for a moment, "I need a weapon." She thought to herself, and felt a hard object in her hand. Looking down, she found a short sword had been placed in her grip. "My mind, huh?"
The hallways around her began to lift up, she didn't need them anymore to protect herself from Marekio. After all, her human soul had been using them for the last couple centuries to hide itself away from other vampires and her demon soul. It was gone now, Kailin could feel the human presence had finally let her go. She never had a name for the melancholy that she had always felt, but now she understood.
In the distance stood the large dark red skinned demon, his eyes glowing red, and his long horns black. He came to stand in front of her, showing no fear of the coming battle.
"Good, I grew tired of this game." His demonic voice said, before a smile played on his face. "Seems the human has left the body, a shame, you were much easier control with it."
Kailin frowned, "Only one of us can control this body, we decide who now!" She snapped, and then attacked.
Marekio large hand slammed into her, and she flew several feet away from him. Landing hard on the ground, she felt the surge of pain fill her body. When she looked up the demon was charging her, and she had to scramble out of the way.
He laughed, "Even without your soul, you are weak!"
Again, Kailin charged him, and once more she was sent flying across the darkness of her mind. Slowly she came to stand on her feet, keeping her eyes on the enemy.
"A demon soul is the power of battle for a vampire, you can not defeat him." Eva was suddenly standing beside her.
Marekio roared, "Leave now, pathetic being! You have no place here!" He said and began his charge.
"What to you mean?" Kailin asked her.
"This is not a battle you can win by force, you must prove your superiority." Eva told her, seeming unafraid of the charging demon.
"How do I do that?" She asked the Ancient, who disappeared as Marekio's hand slammed once again into Kailin.
Kailin stood immediately, and tried to understand Eva's words. How could she prove to Marekio that she was superior to him. Before she was able to think anymore on the subject, she felt a hand cover her head. Marekio began to squeeze, his grip sending pain through her body.
Kailin cried out, and tried to kick at him, but he was behind her. She felt the bones in her head begin to crack, "Stop!" She screamed, and Marekio stopped applying pressure. "Let go of me!" She cried, and Marekio stepped back.
Dropping to her knees, she grabbed her head to recuperate for a moment. Her eyes turned to Marekio who was standing silently behind her.
"Marekio?" She asked, standing up to face him.
His eyes glared evilly upon her, but he did not move. "Damn that vampire! Damn her intervention!" Marekio snarled.
She understood now. All she had to do was tell him what to do, and he would do as he was ordered. The Higher Being created Halloweds to have control over their demons. "This is my body, my mind, and you are my soul. You do as I ask of you!" She yelled hoping that she was right.
"Yes, mistress." Marekio snarled, and fell to one knee before her.
Had it really been that simple? Kailin had thought to herself. Had she been running all this time, and only needed to tell Marekio that she was in control and not him.
"You have no control here!" She snapped.
Kailin moaned, and her head began to turn to the side. Her eyes shut tightly, before she finally opened them. All the elders, Nathaniel, Lucas, Kristian, and Alanna were standing around the bed waiting. Lucas had tried to get Alanna to leave the room in case Marekio opened the eyes, but she had refused to leave him.
Kailin looked at everyone staring at her, as she brought her hand to her head. Her head was throbbing, and she felt sick to her stomach. She immediately noticed that the skin on her arm had gone pale, and she wondered how long she had been gone.
"I don't care." She finally said. "And I don't want to care."
Everyone looked between each other wondering what she was talking about.
"That's what I said. All I wanted was to be left alone, just me and Gabrielle. Just living our lives the way that we wanted to. Not part of any plans, but our own." Kailin slowly sat up still holding onto her head, she propped herself up against the headboard.
Mathias grinned, as did Khaldun and Lycorisa.
"Couldn't leave me the hell alone, could you? Just had to keep pushing me and tricking me into doing things that I didn't want to do." She sighed, "Now, look what you have done."
There was silence as everyone who was guilty dropped their heads in shame, those who weren't still felt as if some part of this was their fault.
"Kailin, I…" Tzion began.
"I have a headache, be silent." Kailin told him, as she raised her other hand to stop him. "Leave me alone, all of you."
"Even me?" Nathaniel asked.
"You are part of the all in this room, aren't you?"
The room began to empty, except for Mathias who stood at the end of the bed. When everyone had left, he shut the door behind them, and came to sit next to her bed.
"How'd you know I wanted you to stay?" Kailin asked.
He shrugged, "I didn't, I just wanted to. You feeling alright?"
She shook her head, "Headache, and I think I need to feed."
"Yeah, it's been a while. We tried to keep your strength up by giving you some of the fresh vampire's blood. There is only so much we could drop down your throat."
"Is that what that bad taste in my mouth is?"
Mathias laughed, "On a good note, I got to visit Italy and England again. Been a while since I was able to leave America."
She dropped her hand from her face, and smiled. "Went on vacation while I was fighting for my life, did you?"
"Hardly a vacation."
Kailin giggled, "Ah, business not pleasure, huh?"
Mathias smiled back, and reached out to take her hand. "You would not believe what I had to go through to get you back."
Kailin rose her eyebrow, "I'm willing to try and believe." She said, as she entwined her fingers with his own.
"Well, I was in the library about a month ago…"
Two days had past since Kailin had awoken, and she had begun her training with the other elders. Learning to control her newfound abilities. Mathias had asked Lycorisa and Jareth to look through the prophecies to find anything that might be useful in the times ahead.
Lycorisa was sitting in the small library with Jareth near the fireplace, both reading tomes that Tzion had told them to not touch. The library's walls were lined with book shelves, there was two sofa chairs by the fire place, and a small circular table with wooden chairs in the center of the room. Brushing back her hair from her face she sighed loudly, before looking over to Jareth.
"I don't know what Mathias wants us to find in these things." Lycorisa told him.
Jareth looked up at her and shrugged.
"You think Tzion could of made these anymore boring?" She smiled before looking back down at the tome.
"Mine has the chosen one as a man." Jareth told her, and Lycorisa laughed before walking over to look at it.
She leaned over his chair, and read a couple of paragraphs. "And Mathias said to read this one?"
He nodded, "Seems outdated, but he said there might be information in the older prophecies too." Reaching out, he brushed some hair out of her face and behind her ear.
She felt uncomfortable with his touch, but tried not to react. Standing up, Lycorisa walked back over to the table, and began to read her own tome again. She heard Jareth shut his book, before standing up and walking over to her.
"Lycorisa?"
She sighed, "You love me, I know. Let's get back to work."
"After this is over, I think we should split up. I'll be fine on my own." He said, and Lycorisa looked up at him rather shocked. "All this has made me realize that even as vampires time is precious. I'm not going to hold you hostage anymore."
"Hold me hostage?"
He gave a sharp nod, "I'm tired of feeling like no matter what I do, your eyes will always be on Mathias or the next man that gives you any attention. I don't want to be jealous anymore, and you've made it clear. You want nothing to do with me." He was silent for a moment before speaking again, "This is all my fault. You should of married that slave, and be dead by now. I'm sorry, I punished you for my own mistakes."
With that he turned his back to her and began towards the door, Lycorisa shot up out of her chair. "Wait, Jareth."
He turned to face her, she seemed so far away from him.
"I… I'm the one that should be sorry." Lycorisa choked on them.
The words shocked him, and he wasn't quite certain why she would say such a thing.
"I've been angry with you all this time. You took me away from everything that I knew, forced me to become your personal slave, and got me turned into a vampire. The more I read the prophecies the more that I understand that it was going to happen. We would be together anyway if none of that happened, we were meant to become vampires. Just like the other elders who are part of this. We had no choice in the matter." She swallowed, "I can't blame you for this, it's not your fault. I understand that now."
Jareth nodded his head, "It is good to know that you hate me no longer. Still, I should of let it be your choice to stay with me, and not my own."
"It was my choice, Jareth. You could of survived without me, I knew that. Eventually, you would of started to talk on your own. I… I wanted to stay with you, because you were my friend, even though I hated you for what had happened." Lycorisa's eyes fell to the floor as she folded her hands in front of her.
"You wanted to stay with me?" He questioned, "How can you hate me, and want to stay around me?"
"Jareth, we were meant to be together. Don't you understand that? Look at our abilities, they compliment each other so well." She looked back up at him, "So, please, don't think you are keeping me hostage, I've chosen to stay. Everyday for the past thirteen hundred years, it's been my choice."
"So, we are together to survive?" He asked, this whole conversation had come on so suddenly. He hadn't expected Lycorisa to want him to stay.
She shook her head, "All these years, Jareth, I did those things to Mathias and the others just to make you jealous. To make you as mad at me as I was at you."
"You are saying you aren't in love with Mathias?"
Lycorisa chuckled, "I may have a slight lust for him, it has come over the time spent with him because of Kailin. But, no, I don't love him."
"Why would you do this?"
Lycorisa shrugged, "Like I said just to make you angry with me, because I was angry with you. I hated that you were always alright with whatever I did, and that I hated you for everything. But it's not your fault, Jareth. I know this now, I'm sorry."
He nodded his head, "Do we stay together then? You don't want me to leave you be?"
Her eyes looked down to the floor beneath her, she seemed uncertain as to what she wanted to say. All these years she had lied to herself, and now it felt alien to speak the words that she had suppressed. Her eyes shot off the floor and into his own, "You are right, time is precious even for us vampires. We may live forever if we run from every battle, but that is not an option for us."
"So, we stay together?"
Lycorisa nodded, "I love you, Jareth, I don't want you to ever leave me."
Jareth stood in shock, he didn't know what to say. All his life he had dreamt of those words coming from her, and now they seemed wrong. In his mind's eyes they were the perfect words that he had always needed to hear from her. He shook his head, "No, you don't. I've forced myself into your life for too long, and you only think you do."
She watched him turn his back to her, beginning to walk away, she knew she had to decide now on what she would do. She was certain that she would see him again, he wasn't leaving now, but if he left now, what would that say to him? Without another moment's thought, she ran towards him. Grabbing his upper arm, she turned him to face her. "Yes, I do! Don't you tell me what I feel and what I don't, Jareth! I have loved you since we were children!"
He wasn't sure what to make of her words, or if they were to be believed.
Lycorisa could see the uncertainty in his eyes, and before he could say another word, she took his face into both her hands. Propping herself up on her toes, her lips rushed his own. Jareth stood in front of her, unmoving. His eyes wide open, he was having trouble understanding all that had occurred between them in such a short time. He wanted to step away, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Lycorisa ignored that he was standing dumbfounded and continued to kiss his lips. She knew this man well, and he would eventually give into her demands, as he always did. After a few moments, his eyes closed and she felt his arms wrap around her. Lycorisa tried not to smile throughout the kiss, but it became too much for her. When she smiled, Jareth kissed her teeth, and then smiled in return.
"Sorry." She said, looking up at him.
He gave a nod, "I love you."
"Ahem." Was heard from the doorway, and they both looked at Tzion. "Are those the tomes I told you not to read?" He snapped, entering the room, and grabbing the tome from the table and the chair.
"Mathias told us to check…" Lycorisa began stepping out of Jareth's arms.
"I don't care, who told you to do it. I told you not to!" Tzion slammed the tomes back onto the bookcase, "Get out! I will not have this! Get out!"
Lycorisa giggled, and looked at Jareth, who smiled at her in return. They both left the library to go in search of Mathias, and tell them that Tzion had thrown them out.
"Why have you brought me here, milady?" Mathias asked the pale woman.
"Kailin can wait no longer, she does not have the time left it would take you to use human transportations." Eva said walking towards the alter, Mathias kept close behind.
"What other way is there?"
The temple would only send him back from whence he came, so he didn't understand why she had pulled him here.
"We have decided to open a portal for you, just this once. It will take most of our energy, and I have precious little as it is. Once you are there, you must immediately enter Kailin's mind. She must admit to herself that she is not Caitlyn Bramwell anymore." Eva told him, as she walked up the stairs the other Ancients came to stand beside her.
"How can I convince her, milady?" Mathias asked standing on the third stair from the top.
Eva smiled, "Anyway you can, Mathias. You will think of something, you always do."
Pulling the stone from his pocket, he held it up to her. "I don't know how to use it."
"You know the name and you have the stone, it is as simple as breathing once was to you." Adon's dark demented voice spoke inside his mind.
"Simple as breathing? I don't understand."
"You will." Eva smiled, "Kneel down before us."
Mathias looked between the three Ancients, he didn't understand what they meant. Knowing that they were all wise, he kneeled down, and felt their hands on his back and head. After a moment, nothing had happened, and he looked up to ask Eva what they were doing. When he did, he found himself in Kailin's bedroom.
Nathaniel had his head down on the bed next to his wife, her hand in his own. Mathias tapped his shoulder, and the fresh looked up at him with a smile.
"Mathias, you've returned." Nathaniel stood up, "That was quick."
He nodded his head, "There isn't much time, Eva has grown weak from protecting Kailin."
Nathaniel stepped aside to allow Mathias the wooden chair. "I'll go fetch the others, just in case something goes wrong."
"Yes, please hurry."
He watched him leave the room, then turned his eyes back to Kailin. The stone was still in his hand. Taking Kailin's hand in his own, he looked down at the stone and sighed. "Well, what now, Dalagos? Simple as breathing." He looked back at Kailin, "I don't know what to do, Kailin."
There was a moment of silence as he looked between Kailin and then stone, before his eyes rested on the hand holding her own. The stone had always been in some sort of wrapping, and never touched skin to skin. Perhaps, that was the answered. He shook his head, but then how did Mihail get close enough to the Ancients. His head dropped, he would need to try anyway.
Taking Kailin's hand into his own, the stone touched both of their skin. Nothing happened. "Dalagos, I…"
---***---
Mathias stood in a hallway and saw no end in either direction, doors lined the hall. Something had clawed at the hallways doors, and there was blood on the ground. It looked like a battle had already taken place. His head jerked around trying to decide which way to go, then he heard the sounds of Kailin's voice. She was screaming for someone to help her.
"Kailin!" He yelled out.
Her cries stopped, and suddenly she was before him. Running towards him, she threw herself into his arms. "Please, help me, milord."
Mathias was shocked to see her in a torn dress, there were blood stains on it, and Kailin was injured. Her bottom lip was bleeding, as well as her knees and elbows.
"Kailin, are you alright?" He asked, holding onto her shoulders, and pushing her back to look at her.
"Caitlyn, milord, do I know you?"
Her tight curls were a mess atop of her head, he had never seen Kailin so disheveled before. "Are you alright?"
She shook her head, "No, I've been lost in here for what seems like ages. There is this thing, a creature, following me. Please, help me, milord. If you got in here, then you must know a way out. We must flee!"
"Kailin!" He shook her gentle, "We can't run away! You need to fight it. It's your only chance to come back."
"My name is Caitlyn, I have said that before!" Kailin's eyes began to water.
"No!" Mathias grabbed her face with both his hands, and again shook her. Kailin's hands reached up and grabbed his wrists. "You are Kailin Drake, Caitlyn is dead. Let the human soul go, Kailin!"
The sound of the beast roaring was getting closer, and Mathias knew that it would soon be upon them. He couldn't fight the creature, this wasn't his battle.
"I don't know what you are talking about." She tried to fight out of his grasp, but he kept a tight hold. As the sound of the beast grew closer, the fear grew in her eyes. "You are going to get us both killed! We must flee!"
"What is my name, Kailin?"
She glared at him, "I don't know you."
"What is my name?" He asked again, shaking her slightly.
She began to cry, "I told you I don't know."
"Kailin, I can't help you unless you know who I am." He knew that if she admitted to knowing him, then she would also had to admit to herself that she was Kailin Drake, a vampire.
"I don't know!" She screamed.
"Yes, you do!" He looked up when he heard a loud crash, the beast still growing nearer. "Who am I, Kailin? You know my name, I know you do." He looked at her frightened eyes, the last time he had seen her that way, she was in the woods and he had fought off the wolves. "You knew me well enough to run to me when you saw me. You knew that I will protect you. Then you must know my name, Kailin, so tell me what it is."
The human soul was fused so tightly to her aura that Kailin was too weak to fight Marekio. It also was refusing to allow Kailin's aura to answer him, but for a moment, he thought he saw Kailin flash within the eyes of the scared woman in front of him.
"You are Kailin, and I am…" He looked down at her, still holding tightly onto her head.
She was shaking her head for a moment, but her eyes popped open wider with fear when the beast roared again.
"He's coming, Kailin. I'm not letting you run from him anymore. You either admit that you are Kailin Drake, and tell me who I am, or we both die."
He felt her knees give, but he kept her standing. "You are insane!" Kailin yelled, and tried to swat at him, but her attacks were feeble.
Shaking her again, he made her look into his eyes, "Let go of Caitlyn, she needs to be with Leila now. Kailin needs to be in control, she needs to fight this demon. Caitlyn, you aren't needed anymore. You can rest now."
Her eyes rested for a moment, then all of a sudden went blank. "Mathias?" She looked around, and pulled her head from his hands. "Where… where are we?" She had both his hands in her own for a moment, before dropping them.
Mathias felt the weight lift off his shoulders, as he watched the wounds on Kailin's body heal. "In your mind, Kailin."
"In my mind?"
He nodded, "You need to fight Marekio for control, prove that your aura is stronger then he is."
Kailin heard the roar as it grew closer, "Fight him with what?" She turned her eyes to him, then down at her ripped dress.
"I don't know, you'll think of something. This is your mind after all, you can do what you please with it."
"You can't help me, can you?"
He shook his head, "No, but I am not sure how to get out of here either."
"It's my mind, I can do what I please with it." She said.
With those words, Mathias lifted his head off the bed. His eyes wandered around the room to all the elders watching him.
"Is she alright?" Lucas asked.
He nodded, "She is going to fight him now, prepare yourselves." Mathias said as he stood up, "Marekio might be the one returning to us."
---***---
Kailin looked around the hall for a moment, "I need a weapon." She thought to herself, and felt a hard object in her hand. Looking down, she found a short sword had been placed in her grip. "My mind, huh?"
The hallways around her began to lift up, she didn't need them anymore to protect herself from Marekio. After all, her human soul had been using them for the last couple centuries to hide itself away from other vampires and her demon soul. It was gone now, Kailin could feel the human presence had finally let her go. She never had a name for the melancholy that she had always felt, but now she understood.
In the distance stood the large dark red skinned demon, his eyes glowing red, and his long horns black. He came to stand in front of her, showing no fear of the coming battle.
"Good, I grew tired of this game." His demonic voice said, before a smile played on his face. "Seems the human has left the body, a shame, you were much easier control with it."
Kailin frowned, "Only one of us can control this body, we decide who now!" She snapped, and then attacked.
Marekio large hand slammed into her, and she flew several feet away from him. Landing hard on the ground, she felt the surge of pain fill her body. When she looked up the demon was charging her, and she had to scramble out of the way.
He laughed, "Even without your soul, you are weak!"
Again, Kailin charged him, and once more she was sent flying across the darkness of her mind. Slowly she came to stand on her feet, keeping her eyes on the enemy.
"A demon soul is the power of battle for a vampire, you can not defeat him." Eva was suddenly standing beside her.
Marekio roared, "Leave now, pathetic being! You have no place here!" He said and began his charge.
"What to you mean?" Kailin asked her.
"This is not a battle you can win by force, you must prove your superiority." Eva told her, seeming unafraid of the charging demon.
"How do I do that?" She asked the Ancient, who disappeared as Marekio's hand slammed once again into Kailin.
Kailin stood immediately, and tried to understand Eva's words. How could she prove to Marekio that she was superior to him. Before she was able to think anymore on the subject, she felt a hand cover her head. Marekio began to squeeze, his grip sending pain through her body.
Kailin cried out, and tried to kick at him, but he was behind her. She felt the bones in her head begin to crack, "Stop!" She screamed, and Marekio stopped applying pressure. "Let go of me!" She cried, and Marekio stepped back.
Dropping to her knees, she grabbed her head to recuperate for a moment. Her eyes turned to Marekio who was standing silently behind her.
"Marekio?" She asked, standing up to face him.
His eyes glared evilly upon her, but he did not move. "Damn that vampire! Damn her intervention!" Marekio snarled.
She understood now. All she had to do was tell him what to do, and he would do as he was ordered. The Higher Being created Halloweds to have control over their demons. "This is my body, my mind, and you are my soul. You do as I ask of you!" She yelled hoping that she was right.
"Yes, mistress." Marekio snarled, and fell to one knee before her.
Had it really been that simple? Kailin had thought to herself. Had she been running all this time, and only needed to tell Marekio that she was in control and not him.
"You have no control here!" She snapped.
---***---
Kailin moaned, and her head began to turn to the side. Her eyes shut tightly, before she finally opened them. All the elders, Nathaniel, Lucas, Kristian, and Alanna were standing around the bed waiting. Lucas had tried to get Alanna to leave the room in case Marekio opened the eyes, but she had refused to leave him.
Kailin looked at everyone staring at her, as she brought her hand to her head. Her head was throbbing, and she felt sick to her stomach. She immediately noticed that the skin on her arm had gone pale, and she wondered how long she had been gone.
"I don't care." She finally said. "And I don't want to care."
Everyone looked between each other wondering what she was talking about.
"That's what I said. All I wanted was to be left alone, just me and Gabrielle. Just living our lives the way that we wanted to. Not part of any plans, but our own." Kailin slowly sat up still holding onto her head, she propped herself up against the headboard.
Mathias grinned, as did Khaldun and Lycorisa.
"Couldn't leave me the hell alone, could you? Just had to keep pushing me and tricking me into doing things that I didn't want to do." She sighed, "Now, look what you have done."
There was silence as everyone who was guilty dropped their heads in shame, those who weren't still felt as if some part of this was their fault.
"Kailin, I…" Tzion began.
"I have a headache, be silent." Kailin told him, as she raised her other hand to stop him. "Leave me alone, all of you."
"Even me?" Nathaniel asked.
"You are part of the all in this room, aren't you?"
The room began to empty, except for Mathias who stood at the end of the bed. When everyone had left, he shut the door behind them, and came to sit next to her bed.
"How'd you know I wanted you to stay?" Kailin asked.
He shrugged, "I didn't, I just wanted to. You feeling alright?"
She shook her head, "Headache, and I think I need to feed."
"Yeah, it's been a while. We tried to keep your strength up by giving you some of the fresh vampire's blood. There is only so much we could drop down your throat."
"Is that what that bad taste in my mouth is?"
Mathias laughed, "On a good note, I got to visit Italy and England again. Been a while since I was able to leave America."
She dropped her hand from her face, and smiled. "Went on vacation while I was fighting for my life, did you?"
"Hardly a vacation."
Kailin giggled, "Ah, business not pleasure, huh?"
Mathias smiled back, and reached out to take her hand. "You would not believe what I had to go through to get you back."
Kailin rose her eyebrow, "I'm willing to try and believe." She said, as she entwined her fingers with his own.
"Well, I was in the library about a month ago…"
---***---
Two days had past since Kailin had awoken, and she had begun her training with the other elders. Learning to control her newfound abilities. Mathias had asked Lycorisa and Jareth to look through the prophecies to find anything that might be useful in the times ahead.
Lycorisa was sitting in the small library with Jareth near the fireplace, both reading tomes that Tzion had told them to not touch. The library's walls were lined with book shelves, there was two sofa chairs by the fire place, and a small circular table with wooden chairs in the center of the room. Brushing back her hair from her face she sighed loudly, before looking over to Jareth.
"I don't know what Mathias wants us to find in these things." Lycorisa told him.
Jareth looked up at her and shrugged.
"You think Tzion could of made these anymore boring?" She smiled before looking back down at the tome.
"Mine has the chosen one as a man." Jareth told her, and Lycorisa laughed before walking over to look at it.
She leaned over his chair, and read a couple of paragraphs. "And Mathias said to read this one?"
He nodded, "Seems outdated, but he said there might be information in the older prophecies too." Reaching out, he brushed some hair out of her face and behind her ear.
She felt uncomfortable with his touch, but tried not to react. Standing up, Lycorisa walked back over to the table, and began to read her own tome again. She heard Jareth shut his book, before standing up and walking over to her.
"Lycorisa?"
She sighed, "You love me, I know. Let's get back to work."
"After this is over, I think we should split up. I'll be fine on my own." He said, and Lycorisa looked up at him rather shocked. "All this has made me realize that even as vampires time is precious. I'm not going to hold you hostage anymore."
"Hold me hostage?"
He gave a sharp nod, "I'm tired of feeling like no matter what I do, your eyes will always be on Mathias or the next man that gives you any attention. I don't want to be jealous anymore, and you've made it clear. You want nothing to do with me." He was silent for a moment before speaking again, "This is all my fault. You should of married that slave, and be dead by now. I'm sorry, I punished you for my own mistakes."
With that he turned his back to her and began towards the door, Lycorisa shot up out of her chair. "Wait, Jareth."
He turned to face her, she seemed so far away from him.
"I… I'm the one that should be sorry." Lycorisa choked on them.
The words shocked him, and he wasn't quite certain why she would say such a thing.
"I've been angry with you all this time. You took me away from everything that I knew, forced me to become your personal slave, and got me turned into a vampire. The more I read the prophecies the more that I understand that it was going to happen. We would be together anyway if none of that happened, we were meant to become vampires. Just like the other elders who are part of this. We had no choice in the matter." She swallowed, "I can't blame you for this, it's not your fault. I understand that now."
Jareth nodded his head, "It is good to know that you hate me no longer. Still, I should of let it be your choice to stay with me, and not my own."
"It was my choice, Jareth. You could of survived without me, I knew that. Eventually, you would of started to talk on your own. I… I wanted to stay with you, because you were my friend, even though I hated you for what had happened." Lycorisa's eyes fell to the floor as she folded her hands in front of her.
"You wanted to stay with me?" He questioned, "How can you hate me, and want to stay around me?"
"Jareth, we were meant to be together. Don't you understand that? Look at our abilities, they compliment each other so well." She looked back up at him, "So, please, don't think you are keeping me hostage, I've chosen to stay. Everyday for the past thirteen hundred years, it's been my choice."
"So, we are together to survive?" He asked, this whole conversation had come on so suddenly. He hadn't expected Lycorisa to want him to stay.
She shook her head, "All these years, Jareth, I did those things to Mathias and the others just to make you jealous. To make you as mad at me as I was at you."
"You are saying you aren't in love with Mathias?"
Lycorisa chuckled, "I may have a slight lust for him, it has come over the time spent with him because of Kailin. But, no, I don't love him."
"Why would you do this?"
Lycorisa shrugged, "Like I said just to make you angry with me, because I was angry with you. I hated that you were always alright with whatever I did, and that I hated you for everything. But it's not your fault, Jareth. I know this now, I'm sorry."
He nodded his head, "Do we stay together then? You don't want me to leave you be?"
Her eyes looked down to the floor beneath her, she seemed uncertain as to what she wanted to say. All these years she had lied to herself, and now it felt alien to speak the words that she had suppressed. Her eyes shot off the floor and into his own, "You are right, time is precious even for us vampires. We may live forever if we run from every battle, but that is not an option for us."
"So, we stay together?"
Lycorisa nodded, "I love you, Jareth, I don't want you to ever leave me."
Jareth stood in shock, he didn't know what to say. All his life he had dreamt of those words coming from her, and now they seemed wrong. In his mind's eyes they were the perfect words that he had always needed to hear from her. He shook his head, "No, you don't. I've forced myself into your life for too long, and you only think you do."
She watched him turn his back to her, beginning to walk away, she knew she had to decide now on what she would do. She was certain that she would see him again, he wasn't leaving now, but if he left now, what would that say to him? Without another moment's thought, she ran towards him. Grabbing his upper arm, she turned him to face her. "Yes, I do! Don't you tell me what I feel and what I don't, Jareth! I have loved you since we were children!"
He wasn't sure what to make of her words, or if they were to be believed.
Lycorisa could see the uncertainty in his eyes, and before he could say another word, she took his face into both her hands. Propping herself up on her toes, her lips rushed his own. Jareth stood in front of her, unmoving. His eyes wide open, he was having trouble understanding all that had occurred between them in such a short time. He wanted to step away, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Lycorisa ignored that he was standing dumbfounded and continued to kiss his lips. She knew this man well, and he would eventually give into her demands, as he always did. After a few moments, his eyes closed and she felt his arms wrap around her. Lycorisa tried not to smile throughout the kiss, but it became too much for her. When she smiled, Jareth kissed her teeth, and then smiled in return.
"Sorry." She said, looking up at him.
He gave a nod, "I love you."
"Ahem." Was heard from the doorway, and they both looked at Tzion. "Are those the tomes I told you not to read?" He snapped, entering the room, and grabbing the tome from the table and the chair.
"Mathias told us to check…" Lycorisa began stepping out of Jareth's arms.
"I don't care, who told you to do it. I told you not to!" Tzion slammed the tomes back onto the bookcase, "Get out! I will not have this! Get out!"
Lycorisa giggled, and looked at Jareth, who smiled at her in return. They both left the library to go in search of Mathias, and tell them that Tzion had thrown them out.