One Shot – Sydrian
Plot – Set somewhere between Bloodlines and the Golden Lily a few months after the strigoi attack, Sydney suffers from horrible nightmares, remembering the details of the attack in a slightly more haunted way.
I wrote this just now, I hope that you enjoyed it. Sorry if there are any mistakes.
Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns all her characters, I just own my plot.
Sydney writhed in her sleep, her blonde hair sprawled across the beige pillows and her sheets were a tangled mess. Her hands gripped both sides of the small mattress as the nightmares plagued her sleep. Without a moment's notice she shot up out of her bed panting, her chest heavy with an overwhelming fear. Her now pale hands were shaking and she didn't know what to do. It was the same dream again. Every night, it's always the same dream. She looked over at the bed next to her, worried that she woke up Jill, but the girl lay there sound asleep.
Slowly she swung her legs to the side of her bed and put on her slippers before trudging off to the bathroom. She turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face and looked up at the mirror staring at someone she didn't recognise. Her hair was crinkled and fuzzy; her cheeks stained a light pink, but her lips. Her lips were a blood red and there were fangs protruding from her upper lip. She grabbed more water from the basin and sprayed it all over her face again, rubbing at her lips desperately trying to get the unholy scarlet out. She looked back up again and it was gone, like it was never there to begin win. Heart pounding, she feared that her dreams were coming true. Slowly she walked out of the bathroom and figured she might go for a walk and some fresh air. Sneaking out of the bedroom was the easy part; it was getting past Ms Weathers downstairs that was troubling. As Sydney walked down the hall, she reached the main lounge area with the front doors when the fluorescent lights started to flicker before they went out completely.
Her instincts were telling her that something was clearly wrong here. She turned around ready to make her way back to her room when she suddenly felt a nip at the side of her neck. Flustered and confused she brought her nimble fingers up to her neck where she felt the pain, only to feel a warm sticky substance and when inspected she saw it to be droplets of her blood smudged on her forefingers. Her heart was literally in her throat at this point. To make things worse she felt the ground shift beneath her feet and before she could realise what was going on she was no longer in the school lounge she was back in Keith's old apartment and she wasn't alone.
The two strigoi that had attacked them that night stood before her. She screamed trying to run in the opposite direction, but her feet were pretty much glued to the wooden floors. She felt two large hands grab her at the waist, pushing her down the floor and dragging her down the hall of the apartment by her foot as she screamed and thrashed around trying to get away, her fingernails clawing against the wooden boards; giving her one too many splinters. She heard a door open and she was dragged in and thrown against a wall. She landed against the wall with a thud, her body drained of all energy after being thrown around. None of the strigoi said a word, and when she tried to open her mouth even to scream no sound came out. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was sure if they didn't kill her that she would die of a cardiac arrest. What felt like years later, one of the rogue vampires's dragged in another person, who was also trying to fight them. Adrian. Sydney's whole world just froze. The strigoi moved behind breaking his arm, causing him to scream out. She tried to yell at them, scream, anything but she couldn't move, she couldn't speak she was a prisoner in her own body at this point and they had disregarded her presence as well. It was torture. It's like they knew her blood was bad and because of this they were going to take it out on Adrian. The male strigoi held up Adrian in his arms, draining him of his blood. Savouring every sip that came out of his veins and then proceeded to snap his neck. The tears started pouring out of her eyes like a waterfall as she saw his limp body sprawled out on the floor. She screamed again, this time the sound piercing through loud enough for her to finally hear. The strigoi moved onto her, stalking forward—
Sydney's eyes flew wide open; she was breathing hard and found that she was still screaming. Her heavy breaths were coming in and out as fast as her body could replace the air. That's when she first noticed the state of the room. Her blankets and pillows were spread out all over the floor and the room lights were on, Jill was standing in front of Sydney shaking her shoulders and trying to bring her out of her haze.
"Sydney. Sydney. It was just a dream." Jill said, shaking the girl. Beads of sweat trickled down Sydney's forehead and the only thing she could think of was Adrian. Adrian dead. Adrian lying on the floor his body limp. Adrian drained of blood. Adrian her Adrian gone.
"Sydney, you need to snap out of it." Jill repeated worried sick and she then proceeded to slap Sydney in the face, finally getting her full attention.
"Adrian, I need to. I-I…" and Sydney didn't bother finishing before she moved around Jill, grabbing her car keys from the side table and running out of the building and to her car. She shoved the keys in the ignition, turning it as fast as she could and speeding most of the way. Whilst she was driving towards Adrian's house in a clearly panicked state, Jill called Adrian to inform him that an unstable Sydney was coming his way, and she was basically stranded at the school unable to help her, but he promised he would take care of her and through the bond Jill watched over them to make sure everything as okay.
Sydney swerved her car to the side, doing a crappy job of parking Latte, before locking it as she ran up the steps towards Adrian's apartment. She had to save Adrian from the strigoi. Her mind was racing and she couldn't focus on anything, it was all a blur. Eventually she made it to his apartment, banging on the front door, ready to kick it down. Adrian opened the door, and froze seeing her sudden crazed state. Her aura was everywhere with bright purples, blue, yellow and red's fighting for dominance. She launched herself at him, grabbing onto him tight, holding onto him as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears falling through her lashes.
"You're alive." She mumbled through his shirt.
"Of course I'm alive sage." He said, prying her away from him, as she looked at him through bloodshot eyes, he brought her over to the couch where they both sat down and he made her a cup of hot chocolate as she re-told the nightmares that plagued her sleep for countless nights, she told him about how she saw him die, all the blood drained from his body and she told him of her fear that she would become a monster.
"I couldn't tell the different between my dreams and reality, I-I thought you were dead." She explained to him, why she well rushed over here and practically attacked him with hugs and tears.
"It's alright Sydney. You should have told me earlier, I could have helped with the dreams and all you know." He said, chuckling at the end, getting a small smile out of her.
"I know, but I just. I didn't to bother you." Sydney admitted sheepishly, before taking the final sip of her hot chocolate and placing it on the coffee table in front of them and leaning back on the couch.
"Oh crap. Jill." Sydney said, her eyes flying wide open, she just ran out of there, screaming after a terrifying nightmare and didn't mention anything.
"Don't worry she knows your safe… the whole bond thing remember." Adrian said, absentmindedly drawing circles on Sydney's bare thigh. Her pyjama shorts being the kind of lack of clothing he was into. Sydney swatted his hand away, the spot of her skin searing where he touched it.
"Yeah, I did kind of just leave abruptly." She muttered, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
"You know Sage, I'm very flattered at your concern for me." Adrian smirked, earning him a punch in the arm, before her face went serious once again.
"I really thought you died." Sydney whispered softly, staring at his green eyes. He moved forward kissing her on the cheek.
"It'll take more than that to get rid of me Sage." He said with a small smile.
"Come on, it's late now you should go to sleep. You are staying over." Adrian said, and before she could protest he put a finger to her lips. "No buts, Jill can take care of any issues in the morning with the school, you're in no condition to go back and I won't let you." He said adamantly before scooping her up in his arms, causing her to blush and put her arms around his neck, holding her in place. He put her down on the bed gently, changing into some Sydney approved appropriate sleep wear and jumping into the bed next to her.
"I'm scared the nightmares will come back." Sydney whispered in the now dark room, curling her fingers around the blanket draped over her fragile form.
"I'll protect you." Adrian promised kissing her on the forehead and wrapping his arms around her, keeping the nightmares away and her dreams full of what would make anyone happy and relaxed. Him.