THERE IS A SEQUEL TO ICE CREAM CRAVINGS CALLED DARKNESS CRAVES ME! You can find it on my profile :)
Chapter Twenty
It was only after my tears stopped falling that I realized another problem.
"Zane," I said as I shook from the cold in his strong arms. My voice was a little raspy from inhaling the fire's smoke. We had been under the dock for another fifteen heart aching minutes.
"Yes?" he answered in a whisper. The rain still drummed on the surface of the water.
"If the princess is still here and heading toward the village-" I started piecing together what was going to happen.
"There aren't enough fighters. The princess will turn back once she sees the other guards running away and forfeiting." His low whisper was certain.
"How do you know that?" I asked faintly, a little angered he just jumped to that conclusion and hoped for the best.
"She is selfish. She will not risk her life in order to achieve whatever she is wishing to," Zane answered knowingly. It brought me back to The Court of Radiance and seeing the princess so happy with Zane.
"The princess was happy to see you when we were at court," I said suddenly.
"Yes," Zane agreed quietly.
"And why was that?" I went on to ask. My voice was soft and a little raspy.
"The princess was very fond of me at one point in time," he answered vaguely. I shifted in his arms and glimpsed into his blue eyes.
"And were you fond of her?" I asked as I watched his expression. He stared at me. His jaw clenched.
"I thought I was, but if this is what fondness feels like," he answered as he ran a hand down my wet face. "then me feeling that way about her wasn't possible," Zane finished. My heart still sunk.
"Zane," I said his name in a disappointed voice I couldn't help. He had been involved in a relationship with her. I didn't know how he could have touched her. She made me skin crawl just thinking about her.
"I cannot help who I am, my human. The princess kills and so do I. I thought we could understand each other. I had no idea that she was the kind of person that would betray our court. She was as close to happiness as I could get. Now, I know that I had no idea what happiness was." He ran his hand down my face, but I only backed away further.
"Zane, we should go check on the others. I need to make sure that the princess left them alone," I stated as my tired body tried shifting out of his arms. The rain pelted on the surface of the water.
"If I let you go right now you will drown. My human, you are not in the right health. You're exhausted." He fought my weak protesting body, and I failed at trying to get out of his arms. It only made him pull me closer, like a Chinese finger trap toy.
"Zane, just please," I whispered against his neck. His movements froze. I noticed the fragile moment we were in. We were close. I could easily look up and press my lips against his. A deep pull in me wanted to, but I suddenly thought of Revenge. Inside, I felt sick that I had slipped up with Zane. It wasn't like Revenge had asked me out, but for some reason I felt I was starting to be exclusive with Revenge. I shifted further away from him.
"We can go check on them, but if I feel we're risking too much we will leave," he said breaking the intimate moment. I nodded tiredly. I coughed, and my body shook with the effort.
"My human," Zane began.
"I'm fine," I announced stubbornly.
"Your eyes are red," he said unhappily. Indeed my eyes burned a little.
"I dyed them," I said seriously even though I knew there was no way he would believe me. It was always worth a try.
"I'm sure you did," Zane said as he started carrying me out from under the dock and into the pouring rain. I didn't dare look back at the water. I feared discovering the shape of the dead guard's body in the lake.
Zane pushed my dripping wet hair behind my shoulders. His finger traced next to the skin on my neck that was punctured from the Court of Shadows guard's knife scratching the surface my skin. Chills ran down my body when his fingers drifted across my bare skin. I hoped that he didn't see the bumps on my skin, but the way he suddenly smirked arrogantly down at me made me doubt that.
"What?" I said a little angry that he had caught my body reacting to his touch.
"You desire me," he stated with a happy smile on his face. I weakly punched his arms in protest of his words. He stopped walking as we reached a tree trunk that was a perfect make shift bench. He sat down, and I frowned in annoyance. I wanted to be in the village already. I watched in curious confusion when he stuck his pointer finger in his mouth and bit down on his own finger. I stared at him like he was crazy. I pushed myself a little away from him.
"You're damaged," he told me with irritation as he pulled his finger out of his mouth. He squeezed his pointer finger with his thumb. Blood welled to the surface of his skin.
"Zane, no!" I spoke softly in fear of alerting the enemy as I figured out what he was doing.
"It makes me angry when you have cuts on your skin," he murmured as he moved closer to me. I leaned away from him.
"My human, you have to stay still," he said annoyed as I moved myself away from his reach. He pressed me closer. I slapped his bloody finger away.
"Would you stop," I asked as I glanced at him seriously. He didn't understand.
"Why don't you want me to heal you?" Zane asked in irritation. I stared at him. Frustration bubbled up inside me.
"We don't have time for this," I whispered angrily as I tried standing up. Zane wouldn't let me stand alone. He rose with me. One of his arms wrapped around my waist, and the other grabbed my hand. He supported all of my weight.
"I need to heal you," Zane let me know as we took a few slow steps forward.
"It's just a small scratch on my neck. It's a price I have to pay," I countered as he swung me up and into his arms. I didn't protest since it would get us into the village faster.
"What are you implying? That you owe some sort of compensations for this?" his sturdy voice asked. I stayed silent for a few moments. We were getting closer to the village. I let his question hang in the air without a comment.
"Answer me," Zane commanded. "Is that really what you think?" I glanced up at him. The rain had to filter through the tall trees, so fewer drops hit us. Zane's silver hair was soaked and matted to his forehead. His blue eyes gleamed. He looked perfect. I let out a shaky breath.
"I can't just come out of things like this, Zane. It's not fair." My voice was soft but strong. I thought about how unfair all of this was.
"My human, you are constantly injured," he scoffed.
"I always manage to heal, and look at me. I barely have any scars," I said quietly with sorrow. It was true. I felt like I needed to be injured in order to be okay with what had happened. I didn't want to be the one that left the fight without a scratch. I had a tiny scar on my arm, and a small scar on my stomach from Sin. But people lost their lives, and I only had little scars. Crackling and soft cries reached my ears as we neared the village.
He set me down at the edge of the forest. In one smooth motion, Zane's suddenly bloody hand came up and grabbed my neck where my injury was. Instead of the little drop of blood from his finger, his whole hand was cut open and coated in blood. He had cut his hand significantly without me noticing. His blood seeped into my damaged skin.
"I do not like the placing of this cut. It is an inappropriate spot for a scar," he leaned over and whispered in my ear. I shoved his hand away from my neck thinking he was being over dramatic. I didn't think it would have scarred too badly. He moved his hand away with a small pleased smile on his face. Warm blood ran down my neck line. The small burn from the cut began to soothe. My neck was healing.
"You can't just…do that," I protested tiredly. It only brought a bigger smile onto his face.
"But I did," he said smugly. He was most assured in chaos. We were in his element. I took a weak step toward the demolished village. Zane was a few steps behind me.
"But you shouldn't," I demanded as I turned my head to the fogged village. Small cries echoed in the night like singing crickets. The cries were a background noise that went with the environment.
"The guards aren't here," Zane whispered into my ear from behind me. I touched a hand to my neck that was soaking in Zane's blood. I dropped to my knees. I was emotionally drained. Zane let me sit there and watch the rain scoff out the remaining flames. Smoke billowed into the air. I ran a bloodied hand over my swollen eyes. Soon, a hand lightly fell onto my shoulder. I needed to stand. I needed to help. I needed to figure out how to deal with the situation. I pressed my fingers to my temples as if that would ease my headache.
"Blair," Zane's soft voice made me pause in my thinking.
"Zane, I need to-"
"You don't need to do anything," he commented.
"Then I want to," I objected with my exhausted voice. I coughed.
"You may do some of what you wish after you get rest. You are not helping anyone by trying to help when you aren't in the right state of mind or health," Zane demanded. His hands wrapped around my limp body and lifted me from the ground. I wanted to stand on my feet and demand that he would leave me alone. I wanted to be physically prepared, but my body was failing from the previous events.
"Then, please, bring me to Dean," I whispered drained of energy. If I could at least do this then I would be satisfied before I fell asleep.
"Only if you promise not to do anything crazy," Zane said. I could hear the smile in his voice. I didn't speak. We walked around the edge of the village and stuck toward the tree line. Faint moans and cries elapsed over the crashing rain. I buried my head in Zane's chest. The need to walk into the village and help was overwhelming. I had to keep reminding myself that my lungs were shot, and I would only take a few steps before I would fall over in exhaustion. Dean needed me. That's what I kept reminding myself. That's what stopped me from trying to jump out of Zane's arms and into the crushed village.
"Zane!" someone shouted over the rain. It was a commanding voice. I could feel Zane's body stiffen as he held me in his arms. His fingers tightened around me.
"Ash," Zane greeted and didn't stop to talk with Ash. He walked past him.
"Zane, we need to talk about-"Ash began.
"Not right now," Zane answered quickly and with a sense of authority. Ash paused in the rain and gave him a certain look before he turned toward Maria. The rain sopped into my clothing. I felt heavy. Zane's blood he used to heal me was being washed off by the rain. It traveled down my neck and into the collar of my t-shirt. The cabin's flames were dying down. Smoke rose in the air as some of the wood turned to ashes.
"Dax!" Zane suddenly yelled. I lifted my head from his chest and scanned the area around us. Some of the cabins were half way burned and had fallen to the ground in piles of ash. Only a few remained intact. Embers gleamed in the cracks of wood.
"Thank God," Dax said as we made our way over to him. He looked relieved to see us.
"Where's Dean?" I asked softly as I scanned over Dax's face expression. If Dean was gone too, I didn't know if I could stand it. Dax's blond hair was wet and stuck to his face. His silver eyes looked wild.
"He won't leave them," Dax said sadly and glanced away from us. I followed his silver eyes and spotted a boy kneeling in the ground. The rain clouded my vision and the image of him was blurred in the distance. On the ground beside him, his mom and brother laid in death. People were walking around him in their own panic. A girl was standing and staring down at Dean a few feet away. The night started to become shadowed as the fire began dying out.
"Put me down," I whispered to Zane. He complied and walked with me over to Dean. Zane's arms wrapped around me and kept me from falling over. My feet dragged across the wet ground. I coughed as smoke caught in my lungs, but I pushed forward. When we got to Dean, my arm fell away from Zane as I slid onto the wet ground next to Dean. Mud seeped through my pants as I pressed my knees into the ground. I didn't speak as I glanced at the dead bodies of his family. I reached out and grabbed him. I wrapped my arm around Dean's thirteen year old body. I held him close to me. His arms stayed limp and at his sides. I closed my eyes and just held him.
Zane and Dax managed to get both of us in a car. I had Dean's hand captured in mine. I had to quickly let go of Dean's hand when the SUV's door opened. My wet clothes made a squashing sound as I was set down on the leather set. I immediately snatched Dean's hand back in mine when he was set down next to me. Water dripped from my hair and down my face. Dean's face looked as dead as his brother's did. It was as if Dean was floating around in his own world. His head rested on my shoulder as we sat side by side in the back seat. I brushed his wet black hair away from his eyes. Dax got into the back seat on the other side of Dean. The circulation to my left hand was suddenly cut off as the car started. My eyes shot down to Dean's hand holding mine. He squeezed my hand like it was his life line. I let my hand go numb, and I knew I was never going to let go.
:::
My body was free of mud and dirty water. Last night we checked into a small motel, and I showered quickly. Dean was also cleaned up and was sitting beside me in the car. We drove for a long time. I didn't pay attention to the clock. Zane had talked to Revenge and told him that the cabins were no longer occupied. Ash did have a backup plan. He had a place for the remaining people to live. The estimated death toll was twenty five percent, one out of every four people dead. It made me feel sick.
"My human, we are only a few minutes away," Zane announced. He didn't get a response from me. I was distraught. Somewhere inside of me, I felt like this whole thing was my fault. The prince had told me that I was what he was looking for. Was that the reason he tore apart the village? I couldn't think of any other reason. My brown hair was messy.
The two courts were in unrest. Something dangerous was brewing. A prince of The Court of Shadows was dead now, and it was because of us. I glanced around the car. Torture sat in the passenger seat while Zane drove. Dax sat on the other end seat and Dean was between us. Dean was still in his distant world. His wondrous blue eyes looked blank. War was driving in another car.
The car stopped. I glanced out of the window. We were in a drive way. The house sat alone, and in the far distance skyscrapers rose from the ground. I looked at the surroundings. The neighboring houses looked abandoned. I didn't ask any questions. I grabbed Dean's hand and opened the car door. We both stepped out. Ash's car was already pulled in the driveway.
"Well, this looks lovely," Dax said with sarcasm. Zane, Torture, Dax, everyone acted normally. I couldn't understand. Maybe it was because they had been through things like that many times before, or maybe it was because they were killers.
"I am assured that this is more than it appears to be," Zane said beside me. He was angled toward me in a way that looked like he was protecting me.
"Torture, go in first. Do a quick sweep and then alert us of the circumstance," Zane demanded. Torture stepped forward and walked toward the house's door. It was a two story house. The cement steps leading up to the front door were a little crooked and cracked. The house was a worn down brown color. Railings ran along the side of the house coated in chipped black paint. Torture got to the green door and knocked. Zane's arm slightly brushed against my arm sending my heart into a rash stutter. I glimpsed up at him and his blue eyes were watching the doorway.
Ash opened the door. He glanced around Torture's face and to the small group of us. He nodded upon hearing Torture speaking. Torture went inside. A few minutes later Torture came back out and waved us in. His hand formed a weird symbol and Zane nodded.
"It's safe," Zane said beside me. He pressed a hand on my lower back motioning me forward. I stiffened and threw a pointed look over my shoulder. His hand slowly fell away from me.
The house was significantly damaged inside. Judging by the burn marks on the wall it had been a fire. I moved closer to Dean to reassure him I was there. The floor creaked underneath my footfalls. We walked through the living room with rotting furniture. I wished I could blind fold Dean. I didn't want him to be reminded of the fire. We didn't go upstairs. Instead, Ash led us to a basement door. We all filed in after him. The stairs groaned when they had to hold our weight.
"I had this complex designed about ten years ago. It's been under construction ever since," Ash announced when we had all gathered in the basement. The basement was muggy and dark. A small squeaking sound echoed in the empty space. Suddenly, a hatch was opened on the floor. Ash handed Zane something and Zane handed it to me. It was a flash light. I clicked it on. Stairs led further into the ground and to a dark tunnel. I shined the light through it.
"This is where I have been preparing us to live." I looked up at Ash. He has a small smile on his face. He was proud of his work. The tunnel was long. I waved my flashlight around and found nothing but dirt walls. The line suddenly stopped. I looked forward and found a huge wooden door sat in our way. Keys clinked together. Ash entered a key into the door knob. The door clicked open. We stepped through. The space was huge.
"This is the dome. I like to think of it as a large living room," Ash said as he turned to face us. "This is where everyone can receive meals, talk to one another, and just seek entertainment." The dome was circular and was very open. I could envision a bunch of people gathering there in the future. A few people were already sitting at wooden tables that were set in the dome. They looked tired.
"There are eight different tunnels that branch off of the dome, and in each branch there are rooms," Ash went on to explain. I was stunned. We were going to live in an underground tunnel.
:::
My room was in branch two. Ash, Zane, and all the other guys in the assassin group were in branch one. I didn't have a problem with that. I actually enjoyed the space. It had been two days since we arrived. A small mattress was pushed up against one side of my small room. A thick blue blanket sat rumpled on top of it. I knew that it was going to take a long time for me to get used to sleeping underground. None of the rooms had doors. A long piece of cloth hung from the top of the ceiling standing as a door. Dean's room was across the hall from mine. He was originally placed in the werewolf branch, but I made them change his room. A small walkie-talkie sat on the small dresser beside my bed. Zane, Revenge, Torture, Dax, and War all had one too. It was for emergencies.
"My human," Zane's voice crept into my room from the hall way. "I am coming in," he announced. Revenge had come by hours before and asked if he could come in. I hadn't felt like talking to him so I asked if he could come back tomorrow.
"Zane, would you just please come back tomorrow?" I asked, but that didn't stop him. He walked into the small room.
"I prefer coming in now," he said as he stepped in front of me. I cried earlier that morning, so my eyes were puffy. It was the reason I was hiding out. I didn't want anyone to see I had been crying. Again. I wanted to be stronger. It was just…hard. I couldn't just give up my emotional side, but I could tame it. Taming it was proving hard. I didn't want people to see me weak. I just couldn't stand so much death any more.
"Zane," I spoke softly as I glanced away from him.
"Why are you so upset?" he asked. I gazed up at him. His blue eyes shined in the dim light. His eyes quickly flashed around and examined my body.
"I-I just can't help it. I feel like all of those people are gone because of me," I said ashamed.
"What has happened has happened, you did not kill any of those people," Zane took a step closer to me. I took a step backward and away from him.
"Why don't you care about it?" I asked a little angered at his calm demeanor.
"Because I am used to seeing death," he shrugged. He pushed his silver hair away from his blue eyes. What was it about Zane that made me drawn to him? I tried stripping away the bond. He was always sure of himself. If he said he was going to do something, he would do it. He was secure in the way he did things. He made me feel secure, like there was organization to the chaos. He was always there to drag me under a dock if I was in trouble. He was just… Zane.
"I'm leaving for a while," Zane said suddenly breaking my thoughts. I panicked.
"What?" I asked as my heart seemed to drop. He couldn't just leave. He had to… he just had to…be there for me. I immediately felt selfish.
"I am going to take a small trip," he repeated examining my frantic expression.
"Where are you going?" I immediately asked. A smile hit his lips. It transformed his whole face and dare I say he looked happy. Zane was happy.
"You seem distressed," Zane said seeming certain about his statement.
"I am not distressed. I just asked a simple question," I replied. He knew I lied.
"I am sure you aren't then," he said avoiding answering my question. Fine, I didn't care where he was going anyways.
"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" I glanced away from him as I spoke. I didn't want him to know I was upset about him leaving.
"No, I want to tell you more." His voice was so soft. I had to gaze up at him. He reached for my hand. I let him take it. Just the simple touch of his hand on mine sent smooth electricity over my skin. He turned my hand over in his so my palm faced the ceiling. His eyes never left mine as he pulled something out of his pocket. Beautiful silver gleamed in my dark room. He held the chain above my open palm and slowly dropped the diamond necklace in my palm. He closed my fingers around the necklace like he once closed them around a knife.
"I refused to give this to you at court. I was too stubborn," he said strongly. I could only stare down at my closed palm that held the necklace he had just given me. "I have had it since the second day I took you into The Court of Radiance. Now, I can give this to you and it will mean more than just my protection," he paused which made my green eyes turn up and look at his perfect face. His ice blue eyes observed me passionately. "It means that I love you," he finished. My heart felt light. I'm sure he was looking at a shocked expression on my face. My skin tingled as he ran his other hand down the side of my arm. I didn't know what to say. I was dumbstruck.
"Zane…" his name was the only word I could think to say. I looked down at my fisted hand and opened my fingers. The necklace was the letter Z. I flipped it over and looked for engraved letters. I wanted to know his real name. I ran my finger across the back of the diamond necklace but didn't find anything. Torture's and Revenge's mark had initials on them. I glanced up at him in confusion.
"This is a mark right?" I asked lightly.
"It is," he answered.
"What's your real name?" I said as I marveled at the necklace. It was pretty. I looked up at Zane. He smirked as he watched me.
"Zane," he replied simply. I wanted to laugh at myself. I smiled feeling foolish. Leave it to Zane to do something like that. I guessed it made sense in a way. Revenge and Torture had fake names that went with being a vampire I supposed. Zane was just a name with no relation to what he did. I didn't know why I thought he had a fake name as well.
"Well then what's your last name?" I was curious and couldn't help but asking.
"Let's save that for the wedding day," he retorted. I gave him a sharp look that only made the smirk on his face grow. I wanted to groan in annoyance but resisted.
"I know that you have taken a small liking to Revenge," Zane frowned slightly when he mentioned Revenge's name. I resisted telling him that it was more than just a small liking. I stayed quiet and waited to see what he had to say about the whole situation.
"I am going on a trip to find information about the courts and see what information they have about you. That doesn't mean that I am giving up on you or giving you away. I don't trust anyone as much as I trust myself, and I know I will receive vital information that will help us," Zane brushed a hair behind my ear. My heart beat quickened.
"I trust my group is dedicated to you and will keep you safe for the time being," Zane added.
"You bet they are. I think I even have Torture on a leash," I said and grinned widely.
"Is that so?" Zane had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"It is!" I confirmed.
"I'm sure you do," Zane said in a voice that clearly said 'you're dreaming Torture can't be tamed'.
"If you don't believe me, why don't we have a friendly bet?" I said determined on winning because I had a prize in mind that was making me giddy.
"And what would this bet consist of?" he asked. I glanced over at the walkie-talkie and a small plan formed.
"Okay. This is how it will work. I'm going to radio down to Torture. If he answers within ten seconds you owe me ice cream," I declared as I glanced at Zane. He gave me a warm smile.
"And if you lose?" he asked.
"Then you decide what I have to do for you," I responded. His all too happy smirk made me smack his arm. It was as if I could see beyond his blue eyes and into his thoughts.
"Get your mind out of the gutter!" I said astonished about how Zane was thinking. He grabbed my hand I had smacked his arm with and kissed the back of it. I gave him a fake disgusted look and wiped the back of my hand on my jeans. I grabbed the walkie-talkie off of my nightstand and pressed down the button.
"Torture, I need your help," I said in the most worried voice I could muster up. We waited a whole two seconds before the fuzz returned.
"What is your location, human?" Torture responded. I laughed loudly. I not only had a leash on Torture, but I had a choker chain.
"Ha!" I yelled triumphantly. He owed me ice cream! It serves Zane right since he was the one who made me spill my perfect ice cream all those months ago.
"Never mind, Torture, false alarm. It turns out I don't need help tying my shoe," I said. It was the first thing I could think to say. I wanted to slap my forehead. The things I say sometimes…
"Word?" Torture's voice fuzzed from the walkie-talkie. I had forgotten about that. We had come up with a safe word that truly meant we were okay. We didn't want one of us to be captured and then have the capturer tell us to tell everyone we were okay when we weren't.
"Giraffe," I said quickly into the small device. Yup, I came up with that word. I glimpsed up at Zane's lean form with a huge winning grin on my face. I loved winning.
"I win," I said.
"I counted a lot faster," Zane argued as he took a vampire quick step toward me and slowly started running his left hand down my side. I would have rolled my eyes if his touch wasn't distracting me so much.
"And what is it that you think I have to do for you?" I wasn't actually going to do what he said. I just wanted to see what in the world Zane could have possibly wanted from me. The way he looked at me made the moment feel private. He ducked his head down and whispered against my ear.
"While I am gone, think of me." That was his answer. That is what he wanted me to do for him. It made my heart ache with an odd twist. Without a warning, he turned his head and his lips were suddenly on mine. Zane's hand that was once leisurely sliding down my side was now on my lower back bringing me closer to him. Electricity shot through me. For a moment, I was lost. The world around me dropped away and it was only Zane. Everything was Zane. My mind gave me an agitated signal, and that was the only thing that helped me find my way. I shoved against Zane's chest, successfully detaching him from me. He only moved a few inches away from my lips.
"Zane…" I warned, but he only gave me a secret smile.
"I just wanted to say goodbye for now," Zane explained as if that made everything okay. I sighed.
"There may be a day where he won't be here. Know that I'll be waiting for you, and I will always be here for you," he spoke softly. Then I understood what Zane was talking about. He wasn't talking about a goodbye kiss just because he was leaving for a few weeks. This was goodbye as in he was letting me decide who to choose and he was letting me know that if I chose Revenge, Zane wasn't going anywhere. He was saying that if I chose Revenge he would keep his distance, but he would always be close. And if something were to happen to Revenge, he would be waiting to fill his spot. With one last brush of his hand against my cheek, Zane turned to leave.
I grabbed his hand. He stopped. His ice blue eyes peered at me with interest.
"I…I love you," I said as if that would make him feel any better about me choosing Revenge. A wild smirk transformed Zane's face. It made my heart flutter.
"I know. I have been able to read that emotion from you for a while," Zane answered with a cocky curve to his lips. I rolled my eyes.
"Well then leave already," I said playfully. I couldn't believe how much better Zane had made me feel in the time he had with me. I stood there for a moment and realized the reason he hadn't turned to leave again was because I was still gripping his hand. Hard. I smiled shyly. He slowly raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of my hand once again. My hand tingled. He dropped my hand and turned away.
:::
I woke up the next morning feeling slightly empty. I knew that he was gone. A small pull made my heart ache. The mark he had given me yesterday sat on the nightstand beside my bed. I carefully picked up the necklace. I pressed the Z shape of it between my thumb and pointer finger. It was a cursive Z and beautifully designed. I unclasped it and decided to wear it.
I stared at myself in the mirror as I got ready. I looked older; I thought with a surprised looked on my face. There was something about how my cheeks had narrowed. I ran a hand over my face and sighed. I didn't know what was going to happen in the coming months or what I was going to fight for. Apparently, Ash thought it was vital that I stayed with his group. He thought I was going to be a strong hold in a war that was undoubtedly coming. I wasn't so sure. He said that I generated hope for people, and when I turned into a full blooded vampire it would shift power in their direction. I still couldn't get the images of the humans in cages out of my head. It stung my heart, and I knew that I had a lot to figure out.
The memorial for the lost lives was held in the Dome. I stayed away from Dax, Torture, War, and Revenge. I wanted time to reflect and just breathe. The ache from Zane's absence was getting worse the longer the day went on. I tried ignoring it. I really did. I had a feeling the relief would be amazing when Zane came back. The service was nice. Susan sat on my right, and Dean sat on my left. I held his hand tightly in mine. I didn't know the others that died very well. A picture of Allan and their mother hung on the dome's wall along with the others that had lost their lives.
When Dean started crying my heart felt like it was splitting down the center. A few people went up and spoke some kind words about the people lost to us.
"Why don't we get some fresh air?" I asked Dean as I saw him trying to hide his tears. His nodded his head in agreement. We stood and started walking away from the people mourning together. As we walked past the small group of my assassins, I grabbed Torture's hand and quickly let go. He started following behind us like I wanted him to. We opened the huge wooden door and walked down the long tunnel that would lead us to above ground.
It was dark and the only sound that echoed off the walls was Dean's frequent sniffling. I used a flash light to help lead the way. When we got to the steps that would lead into the house's basement, Torture went ahead of us. He opened the hatch. I waited until he checked if it was safe. A couple minutes later, he came back and said it was okay.
We moved above ground. I hurried through the damaged house. When we opened the door to outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air. It filled my lungs with peace. I sat down on the concrete steps leading up to the front door, and Dean sat beside me.
"Why don't you tell me a story about your brother?" I asked Dean gently. It only made the tears flow more freely down his thirteen year old face. The area around his blue eyes was swollen and upset. Spring was in full bloom. The sun beat down on the waking day. A bird chirped somewhere nearby.
"I can't," Dean replied with a sniffle.
"Of course you can," I countered and put a hand reassuringly on his back.
"I can't because this is all my fault," he spoke with anger and a sort of relief like he was glad he was getting it off his chest.
"Dean, none of this-"
"Don't, Blair. I'm his older brother. I am supposed to be there for him. He looks up to me. My mom…I am supposed to take care of her! I am the man of the house. I just…I just couldn't protect them. I tried, Blair. I got split up from them, and I failed," he finished his small story and buried his head in his hands. I imagined that was how my older brother, Jason, felt.
"Oh gosh, Dean, you didn't fail," I said as I wrapped an arm around him.
"Then why aren't they still here?"
"Because some terrible people took their lives, and that has nothing to do with you. Just live each day for them, Dean. It's probably what they would have wanted." We sat there for a few more minutes.
"You know, I've been thinking that we should plan an attack on Dax soon. His ego is getting a little too big," I said after a while of silence. Dean looked up and gave me a delicate smile. I knew that he had to start over, and it was going to be hard. But I would be there for him.
Susan took Dean to eat when we got back. The memorial was finished. A few people still lingered. Revenge smiled shyly at me when I walked up to him. His hands were shoved into his nice black pants. He was dressed nicely for the memorial.
"Why you look handsome!" I said happily as I watched him smirk timidly.
"Hello, Blair," he greeted me. His eyes darted down to my neckline. His beautiful gray blue eyes stared at Zane's mark. He reached out a hand and picked the necklace up with his fingers. He stared at it in wonder. I grabbed his pale hand and got on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Revenge's ring was also on my finger still, just as it always was.
"I missed you," Revenge said coyly as he glanced down at our intertwined hands. Revenge felt right. I didn't need to tell him that I loved him. We could exchange our feelings in a brief glance. He knew, and I knew. It was simple. His complexion was paler than it was when I saw him last. It worried me, but I didn't say anything. He was probably sick of people treating him like he was going to drop dead at any moment.
"I missed you too! The only thing I didn't miss was losing every game I ever play with you," I admitted with a happy grin. He ran a hand over his dark hair.
"Are you interested in playing a game or two of war?" Revenge asked as he held up a new pack of cards. I laughed.
:::
I was sitting in the dome talking to War about elephants and flamingos. I picked at the wood on the wooden table.
"Flamingos are such a pretty pink color, but elephants have the whole tight knit family," I had asked a would-you-rather question. It was a topic I had to debate on too.
"I would rather be an elephant because they are stronger and don't have many predators after them," War answered my question.
"What about you, Torture?" I asked interested in what he would say.
"I wouldn't be either," he answered being all boring and Torture like.
"Fine, Torture, be silly like that," I said as I rolled my eyes.
"I have a delivery for you!" Dax's loud voice echoed through the dome. I turned my head in his direction. Dax looked so energetic and happy it made me smile even though somewhere inside of me I felt empty.
"Zane wouldn't leave me alone about this," Dax commented with both of his hands behind his back. I glanced at him in wonder.
"What is it a knife or something?" I asked trying to peek behind Dax's back. Torture sat uninterested, but I saw War lean forward curiously. His hands slowly moved forward. I jumped up from my feet. In his hands, he held a beautiful carton of something I had been craving ever since I had been taken from my home.
"Ice cream!" I shouted and ran at Dax. I snatched the carton of chocolate ice cream from his hands. It was about time Zane paid up. He had been gone for a week and a half. He owed me that ice cream. I thought about him for a moment. The bond ripped at me when he wasn't here. It hurt. I missed him, but I was happy with Revenge. Every time I saw Revenge, I unintentionally smiled. He made me feel warm. Dax brought me out of my thoughts.
"Whoa, beautiful, if I had known you loved it this much I would have gotten it earlier," said Dax as he held a spoon up in air intentionally too high. I couldn't reach it.
"Dax, please!" I begged as I stood on my tip-toes and stretched for it. I almost tumbled into Dax. The spoon was plucked from Dax's hand, and I looked over at a now present Revenge. His white teeth gleamed as he smiled at me.
"My savior!" I yelled as I shoved Dax out of my way and stopped in front of Revenge. His dark hair was feather like and brushed a little into his gray blue eyes.
"Only for you," Revenge said as he held the silver shinning spoon out to me. The dome was a little dark, but a few torches were settled on a nearby wall. Ash was trying to work out a way to get electricity running.
"Ah, thank you," I said as I gave him a quick hug. I peeled the lid to the ice cream back and stuck my spoon into the rich texture. I saw it melt a little against the metal of the spoon. I pivoted on my heels and turned towards the table I had been sitting at for the past hour. Dax was in my peripheral vision, which probably explained why I couldn't see him coming.
The sound of raspy air released into the dome and echoed. I froze and turned my head toward the source. Dax was armed. A can of whipped cream was placed in his hands and pointed in my direction. I knew I was going to get hit. My defense was down. The only way I would win the battle is if I had some weapon of my own. The only thing I had in my hand was my ice cream.
I knew how wrong it was. I knew I wanted to eat that ice cream. I wanted it badly. All I could think about was countering Dax's attack. I debated and decided to make my ice cream plan B. Whipped cream was soon coating my body. I let out a little scream as it was sprayed in my face. I ran behind Torture, initiating plan A, with the ice cream carton still in my hands.
"Human," Torture grunted as he vanished quickly and was no longer my shield. Plan A had failed.
"Ah!" I gave one last scream before the advantage shifted to me. The whipped cream suddenly seized its attack. I wiped some from my green eyes and found Revenge trying to rip the can out of Dax's hand. I took the spoon out of the carton of ice cream. It clattered to the ground.
"I don't care if you're sick! I will hurt you!" Dax cried out, yet he didn't make any brutal moves toward Revenge. I was now on the offense. I'm sure I had an evil grin.
I dug my hand into the freezing chocolate ice cream that would have fulfilled my craving, and threw it at Dax. I heard a satisfying noise when it connected with Dax that made me giggle. I ran back around the table to Dax's and Revenge's side. I threw a few more handfuls at Dax. He looked like a crazy forest man. Revenge struggled and Dax broke free. I let out a loud laugh. And so the battle began. I would have to say we all came out in quite a mess. Melted chocolate ice cream dripped from our bodies and soaked into our clothes. War's right sleeve was ripped. I had painted a smiley face on Revenge's forehead. My hair was tangled and Revenge's was sticking up in odd directions. My ice cream was lost to me, a sacrifice I had to make. The good news? We all survived the chaos.
The End
THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH! : ) This is the first story I have ever finished. Although the story line isn't completed yet, (There will be a sequel called Darkness Craves Me) I feel quite accomplished. This is the LONGEST chapter I have ever written btw : )
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you all would be kind enough to give me feedback as this is the first ending I have ever written. Let me know if I didn't answer a question and know that things regarding the Courts will be resolved in the sequel. You can find the sequel POSTED ON MY PROFILE NOW :D
I have the sequel up as of now called Darkness Craves me and I'm also going to post a companion story called Left in the Rain.
*oh my goodness. I have to post this now and I'm afraid that you all won't like this ending! I suppose you should all think of it as the beginning of the end since there's another story with it : )
***FEEL FREE TO PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS***
SO anyways… I can think of one more pressing matter- review responses!
I LOVE ALL OF MY AMAZING REVIEWERS!
Guest-Hello there! I felt really bad about ending this story with Zane leaving and Blair staying with Revenge- I would have felt bad either way though haha. But it all came down to what Blair would do, and Blair would not be able to let Revenge go. Thank you for commenting, and I hope you continue on to the sequel!
shovelgirlERB000- Hello there! :D Well I'm happy that you've enjoyed the Blair/Zane development! It was a relief to finally get them to connect, and right as they do Zane leaves. As I mentioned to a few people, Blair couldn't leave Revenge though. It wasn't in her heart because of how Revenge's life is going. He is so kind to her, and he is super sweet and deserving of her attention. Believe me, I didn't pick who she would end up with... Blair chose for me. Thanks for letting me know about the name change! I get so confused sometimes when people don't tell me! haha thank you for your review, and I hope you continue onto the sequel!
District7TE- Hi :D I had a great time writing about Zane and Blair in the past few chapters, so I'm happy that you've enjoyed them too! Ah! I'm excited and nervous about the sequel... I originally started a companion story (Left in the Rain) but then I decided to post a direct sequel instead. I'm still going to put them both up since I already have eight chapters of the companion story... but I'm going to focus on the direct sequel. Sorry if that was confusing haha :D Anyway! Thank you for reviewing!
Selene- haha! It's nice to hear that you loved the last chapter so much! I hope I didn't disappoint you too much with the outcome to ICC and Blair choosing Revenge. I hope you move onto the sequel though! :D You never know what surprises may await you! haha thank you for your review!
blargablargameh- Thank goodness. I finally have a Revenge fan here! haha I'm sure you enjoyed the ending to the story! :D I completely understand what you mean too. Zane is a pushy. Thank you for your review! I hope you continue my writing journey and go on to the sequel! :)
vampiresrule- Hey there! YAY! I'm happy that you loved the last chapter so much! Ah! I'm excited that you're excited for the sequel! I have been working with the sequel's plot and it's been hard! I hope you understand why Blair ended up choosing Revenge! Some of the Revenge/Zane drama will continue on with the sequel though! Thank you for reviewing!
team zane- haha :D I love your name there! Even though you're a Zane fan, I'm glad you still like Revenge in some way. I hope you can understand why Blair chose Revenge, and some of that will be explained in the sequel! Yay! haha thank you for your review!
AlexandraSterling41- AH! I know, the whole loving thing was an intense part to drop in the last chapter! Thank you for your review!
cattie13 - Hello! So from your last review, I think you will understand why Blair had to chose Revenge. He is such a sweetie that there was no way that Blair would break his heart and let him down. It's just who she is! haha thank you for reviewing, and I hope you continue on to the sequel!
LetsGetTragic - awww :) You think it's good enough to be a movie? That just made my whole month! lol. I'm so happy you think that highly of it! Thank you so much for reviewing!
Emae- Well you're making me blush! haha. I hope that I didn't disappoint you with this chapter, even if you're a Zane fan. I encourage you to move onto the sequel, where explanations of why she chose Revenge are shared. Some Zane/Revenge drama continues on too! Thank you for reviewing! :)
DJShayShayxx- Hello there! Before I reply, I just wanted to thank you for reviewing on every single chapter and always sticking with me! I really appreciate your support! I'm glad you warmed up to Zane a little bit. Haha, I knowww I love Dax so much. Don't tell anyone, but I think he might be my favorite character in this story XD I'm just so proud of creating him. Thank you for reviewing! I hope to hear from you during the sequel!
Minelis D' Salvatore-Haha! Well I'm honored to receive a small dance for the last chapter XD haha It felt good to let Zane lose control. He's usually so stiff. Awww :D I'm so glad to have a loyal fan! Pshhh no, thank you for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me! I hope you continue on to the sequel!
***Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this story! There's a lot of you out there, and I am very grateful for that! I hope everyone is having a great day! See you over at Darkness Craves Me? ;)
-Cupcake : )