Love What Is Lost

By: The Cask of Amontillado

Second Story in the Love and Death Series

Based on the Blood Singer Series by Cat Adams

Flashback:

I burst through the double doors of the abandoned power center. In the background you can hear Ivy's screams of pain. I was crying so I couldn't see very far in front of me, but I knew what a light switch looked like. I ran up and down the hallway trying to find it while one of the evil witches' goons tailed me. I finally found it and yanked it just before the goon tackled me in mid air. He looked at me on the floor and laughed maniacally. "Silly child. The Isis Collar can't be turned off by some simple light switch. Your sisters gone, you failed her. Now it's your turn." I looked at him teary eyed and cried "but I don't have any magical powers." He looked at me with eyes of fire while picking me up off the floor, whispering in my ear "Well we'll see about that won't we?"

Modern Time:

I awoke next to John in a cold sweat. I walked to the bathroom and looked at my scar in the mirror. During that night they had used my blood to boost the powers on the Isis Collar so that it not only drained its victim's powers; it also drained their life source. When used on the person whose blood was used, it takes a matter of days to drain it all. When used on the wrong person it takes a matter of minutes.

I stared at the scar with eyes of determination. Every time I saw it I told myself, I will catch the people who did this to me and my sister. John came bursting in and exclaimed "There's a problem at Miller and Creed, we need a new employee because something big came up. Would you be willing to come?"

I stared at him with amazement. That's the best job I have ever been offered. John had taken over Miller and Creed when his partner Miller was murdered. He had been running it alone for about a year.

I said excitedly "Of course I will! That's the best job I've ever been offered!" and he strolled off. I went back to looking at my scar. I can't believe that it's almost a week, till the fifteenth year anniversary, of when me and Ivy were kidnapped and almost killed.

Every time I think of that day I shiver. That was the worst day of my life and every year on that day something happens that changes my life completely. Last year on May 17th, the day of the incident, I was bitten by a vampire that almost killed me. John peered back in and asked worriedly, "You ok ceil?" and I exclaimed depressed "its almost the anniversary of when Ivy died."

He looked at me lovingly and hugged me. He looked into my eyes and said "I will do everything in my power to make sure your safe. We don't want something like that to happen again." He pointed at my teeth. We both chuckled and ran off to put on are work cloths.

When we arrived at Miller and Creed everyone was waiting for us outside. When we got out of the car they all rushed over to greet me, then led me away from John to show me around. They led me to the top floor, which had two doors. One said 'John Creed' and the other said 'Celia Creed'.

They led me through the door with my name on it. As I walked into the enormous office, my heart skipped a beat. The office was the size of my beach house with windows all around and a perfect view of the ocean. I stared wide eyed at the desk. It was the size of two jumbo surf boards put together!

I heard a knock at the door and turned around, finding John standing directly behind me. Apparently everyone had left do I could be alone in my office.

I looked into John's wide green, almost laughing eyes and kissed him. His lips slowly moved in sequence with mine, as the sun shined through the windows at just the right angle to catch us perfectly. Are silhouettes bounced from wall to wall as the sun rose into the sky. My body tingled with excitement but I knew we couldn't do anymore than kiss.

We pulled back from are magnificent kiss and stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. He broke the silence by saying "I guess that means you like the office?" I hit him playfully and exclaimed "You ruined the moment." And he looked into my eyes "Sorry but we really need to get to work." And we both ran off to the vault room.

When we got to the vault room, the vault was open and being guarded by employees waiting for our arrival. John pulled me closer but I refused to. On the top shelf, labeled new find, there it was. The Isis Collar.

He walked up to me and asked "Celia what's wrong?" and I pulled back more. I demanded "Get that thing away from me. I can feel its magic from here. It's pulling me in." John looked into my eyes curiously. He exclaimed "What the necklace?" and he glanced at it. "Yeah it has a pull but it doesn't feel deadly."

I looked at him dumbfounded. "That's not just any magical pull, that's my blood coursing through it. That's also not just any necklace. That's the Isis Collar. It killed my sister and it almost killed me. I want nothing to do with it. If you need me I'll be in my office." I walked off. John tried to grab my arm but I shook him off and ran to the elevator.

When the doors closed I thought to myself. Not again! Not a week before the anniversary! Not again! And burst into tears. The elevator stopped on my floor and I ran into my office, slamming the door behind me. I ran to my desk and grabbed my picture of Ivy. The picture started to blur as hot tears streamed down my face.

I heard a knock at the door. John called "Celia? You ok?" I shouted back "Go away! I'm too depressed!" He was persistent "Please open the door baby. I have a proposition for what to do with the necklace if you let me in."

I opened the door and walked to a chair in my office. I stared at John as he walked over to the chair to join me. "Ok, how about instead of you guarding the necklace, how about I do that and you stay up here, then tomorrow we take the whole day off?" I looked at him with puppy dog eyes and said "Fine just stay safe ok?" and he kissed my cheek and said "of course, when haven't I?"

I looked at him with a confused look and exclaimed "Um lets see, you opened a portal to the demon world, you risked your life to save mine from necromancer magic, and oh yeah you found the ISIS COLLAR!" He stared at me with eyes of determination and walked out of the room shouting behind him "Well this time I'll try." And I laughed.

I awoke at 12:00 AM when I heard a noise from the vault room. I ran down to see what it was and found John unconscious. I turned around and saw the eyes I prayed I'd never see again. The eyes of the man who kidnapped me.

I stared at them for a long moment before drawing my dagger. It was one of the daggers Bruno made me before he died. They could kill anything.

I flung it into him and pushed it. It didn't even make him flinch. I took him out and stabbed him again. The last thing I remembered before blacking out was his hand grabbing my arm and laughing maniacally.

I woke up when I found John shaking me. The first thing I saw was his worried bright green eyes. When I fully regained consciousness I stammered "Wha- Wha- what happened?" I sat up from the floor and rubbed my head where I fell.

He replied out of breath "someone came in a knocked me out and I woke up when I heard you scream. I saw some guy and I chased him. I guess I didn't run fast enough because he got away and when I came back the necklace was gone and you had a concussion."

My eyes widened and I cried "CRAP! Not again! The necklace is gone! I knew, I knew when I saw that guy something was up, but not again!" I pushed myself up against the wall and banged my head against it. It didn't show on my face but that really hurt.

John stood me up and walked off. When I stood I had the same feeling of when I was poisoned, but this time it was stronger. John looked at me and asked "um Celia. Are you ok? Ceil? CEIL!" and I collapsed. Unconscious again.

I awoke in the back of John's Mustang which was beautiful if you would look at it. John on the other hand was driving like a maniac. I stared at him and asked "Ok, what is happening and why are you driving like a mad man?" John looked at me as a tear streamed down his face "Celia, your orea is way off and last time that happened, well last time you almost died. I promised you that I would protect you, whatever means necessary. And I will keep that promise." I looked at him with eyes of pain as a blast of pain came through my brain. I screamed and blacked out. Little did I know that it might be the last sleep I ever would have when I'd also be alive.

Johns POV:

The last thing I remember before crashing was Celia's blood curling scream.

I woke up in a hospital bed next to Celia's. I got up and ran to her side. Her eyes were closed but she still had a pulse. It was very weak though. The doctor walks in to give the diagnosis. I' fine, but Celia's a different story. "I'm sorry Mr. Creed but it seems your wife's life source is being drained to a remote power plant off the San Francisco Valley. Do you have any idea why?" I looked at her puzzled as I tried to remember Celia's past. Then it hit me. "Yeah, Celia was taken there when she was twelve. Her kidnapper murdered her sister by draining her powers."

The doctor looked startled. "If that be the case, you must go over there as soon as possible. If not your wife may not survive the night."

I looked at the doctor dumbstruck. I looked over my shoulder at the clock. 9:00 PM. "What date is it?" I asked the doctor, who seemed very interested why. "May 16th. Why?" I looked at her as my eyes lit up like a fire. I had three hours until Celia was supposed to die.

"I have to go now!" I screamed. The doctor stood, as did I. She walked up to me and whispered "If it has anything to do with her condition, I need to know." I looked at her and exclaimed in my most serious, almost growled voice. "Her sister died at 12:00 AM on May 17th. Celia would have died at 11:57 PM on May 16th if it hadn't been for me and her recently dead friend Bruno De Luca. I have to go now!"

I ran to the closet where Celia's cloths were and grabbed her one shot holy water gun; her 7mm filled with her experimental, magical bullets; and both of Bruno's knives.

I arrived at the power plant at 10:00 PM on the dot. I slowly and quietly made my way to the nearest window and looked in. Inside was Celia's kidnapper, watching the Isis Collar glow more and more every second with amusement.

I snuck around to the back to find a door, and no one guarding it. I mouthed 'Thank you!' and walked through. I snuck up on him and pointed the gun at the back of his head and yelled "Get up and hand me the necklace or I blow your brains out!" He got up as fast as a cheetah and grabbed the 7mm from my hand. He looked at me and said while throwing the gun off to the side. "I'm sorry but to get this necklace, you will have to pry it out of my cold, dead, hands. Which your wife will have in about an hour." That did it, my ears steamed and my eyes changed the color of a fiery inferno. I tackled him with a sudden strength and stabbed him in the back with one of the daggers. I jumped back to see his reaction when he took the dagger out of his back and tossed it in my direction. It hit me in the chest with such force that I was thrown up against the wall. I was frozen in place as I looked down to find the handle of the dagger sticking out of my skin.

I feel to my knees as the man I was fighting turned around to look at the necklace. "Don't worry, you and your wife will be reunited. Soon you both will be dead." I felt a sudden burst of energy and rage go through me. I heard Bruno's voice in my head. John you can't give up! Celia need you. Do it for Celia! And it left as quickly as it came. I rose slowly to my feet as I picked up my dropped gun. One shot, right in his back as he spun around I whispered "That was for me." Second shot, right in the chest "That was for Ivy." Third shot, right in the head "That was for Celia."I grabbed the necklace and ran out the door.

I reached the hall where Celia was just as the clock stroked 12:00 AM. I took off for the door at full speed.

First strike.

Second strike.

Third strike.

Forth strike.

Fifth strike.

Sixth strike.

Seventh strike.

Eighth strike.

Ninth strike.

Tenth strike.

I reached the door on the eleventh strike. I trusted the necklace onto Celia just as the twelfth strike rang.

Celia's POV:

A flutter of energy filled my body as my eyes snapped open. I saw Johns eyes shed a tear as he whispered "I thought I lost you." And we kissed. Are lips pressed together for the best kiss we had ever had. I looked into his eyes and whispered "Let's go home."