Chapter One
Ash
She ran into his arms and continued to sob. The sound of great heaving cries filled the hall. While Derek did nothing but let her cry out to her hearts content. I felt like an intruder witnessing an event I was not supposed to know. Eventually she cried herself to sleep. "Get the first aid kit from the shelf and meet me in my bedroom." It was only when Derek asked to that, did I realize there were cuts and bruises covering her arms and legs. By that time Derek had already left the room. I shook my head and ran to get the first aid kit. "Just what had happened Astral?" So her name was Astral. Strange name I thought to myself, I knocked on the door before letting myself in. Derek glanced up and took the first aid kit from my outstretched hands and began treating her wounds. She was wearing a light blue frock that stopped just above her knees. She was very thin almost sickly, she looked as if she was starved. I waited for Derek to say something. But soon realized he was not going to, not tonight anyway. "I'll be going then." I left with my mind full of questions. I sighed to myself. It looks like I won't be getting much sleep tonight.
Derek
I continued to gaze upon her sleeping form. Just what in the world happened to her? I thought back to the last time I saw her. She was us usual being stubborn trying her level best to accept the screwed up mess that our life had become, just for once in her life couldn't they leave her alone? "Hey will you miss me?" I said trying to break the tension. But to my shock she grabbed me and buried her head and said "Why? Why is it always me or someone who is important to me?" and she let lose the tidal wave of tears she had been holding back all this time. Great loud heaving sobs racked my frame not like the way she cried when she ran into my arms earlier tonight. Those were the only two times in my life that I've ever seen her lose her composure like that and let lose her true emotions considering the fact she was someone who didn't let her feelings known easily. Leya was right when she said power was not always a gift. Power would sometimes drag you to the fiery pits of hell and back before greed released power from its clutches.
"You idiot promise me you'll never give in to them." "Huh, that's an odd thing to ask cause I know you'll come even the farthest corner in the world to kick my sorry ass if I ever gave up." "Damn right I will, but just in case promise me Derek you'll never give or lose yourself to darkness." "I promise upon my honor never give myself to the darkness not even when I breathe my dying breath." I said kissing her hair lightly knowing this would be the last time I would be seeing her in a long time. "You don't have to get so dramatic you know." "I know." I said, chuckling beneath my breath. Trust her to say something like this while the world around us fell into ruin. "I'm gonna miss this place. But out of everything the person I'll miss the most would be you." "Even all the bruises, cruses, and beatings I give you." "Yep "I replied with a grin. "You're really masochistic you know that. I'm sorry for dragging you into all this in the first place." She said weakly. "Hey I let myself be dragged into all this. You gave the option to walk away but I was the one who decided to stick around and I never regretted my decision. Besides you gave a reason to smile for the first time in a long time." I said tilting her tear ravaged face upwards so that I could gaze into her eyes. Then all too soon i knew I had to release her. "One day we'll meet again." "I'll be waiting then." She said smiling through her tears. That was the last time I ever saw her it must have nearly two years since that cursed day. Her breathing turned uneven and her expression began to change. I quickly rose from the chair in which I was sitting and lifted her into an embrace and rubbed soothing circles on her back slowly her breathing returned to its normal pace and her face became clear again just as I was about to lay her back on the bed she opened her eyes and stared at through her long confused brown eyes. "Derek?"