Chapter 21

It was the girls crying that brought me to, this time.

''It's OK,' I told them, sleepily. 'I'm OK, everything is fine.''

Of course it wasn't, but they didn't need to know that.

Sitting up, I rubbed my temples in an effort to stop the pain.

It didn't work.

''Patience, what's going to happen to us?'' Rani asked, fearfully.

'I dunno kid...' I thought, honestly. It was true, I didn't know, either Semaizas would return and kill us, or Gabriel would come and save us. Right now the first option looked more likely.

''My friend will come. He'll save us.'' I replied, instead.

''Is he your boyfriend?'' Hannah asked. Such an innocent question, yet made my chest tighten painfully. Was he? He had looked hurt when I had shouted at him, and he had looked after me since the accident. Even if everything he had told me had been a lie, I didn't think the way he looked at me had been anything but the truth.

''No he's not. Gabriel...he's so much more than that.'' I answered.

''Do you love him?'' Rani asked. Something told me, they were only asking to try and keep their minds of the situation we were in.

Did I love him?

I felt something for him, but I didn't know if it was love. I trusted him, and the only other person I had trusted in years was Susie. I was also terrified, that when he came he would get hurt. Or worse, killed.

Trying to imagine what exactly I would feel if something happened to him, I found me answer.

I was in love with him.

What if something did happen to one of us, and I never got the chance to tell him?

'Gabriel! Please be careful!' I pleaded, desperately.

Oh God...

''Patience?'' Hannah said.

I mentally shook myself, ''Sorry. Um...yeah, yeah I do.''

They both aww'ed, as if we weren't in life threatening danger. A smile passed over my face, for the first time since my parents died...I felt hope.

GPOV

They kicked and punched me until I could barely stand.

I didn't fight back, as least if they were here with me, Semiazas wasn't hurting Patience.

''Had enough yet?'' Vernin asked, viciously. I put a block around my mind, barring Semiazas from what I was thinking.

''I had enough, eight kicks ago.'' I gasped, through the pain. It was worth it, to keep them away from her. Telling them I had, had enough would ensure they stayed a while longer.

''Good.'' Vernin said.

I used the shadows to heal me a little, that way they could keep beating me and I wouldn't lose consciousness.

They would get bored soon, but until they did leave it was the best I could do.

I knew what I had to do.

Either way I would lose her, but at least I wouldn't have to leave her.

Nothing and nobody, could make me leave her.

Semiazas hit me in the jaw. Again. Stars erupted in front of my eyes, as my head snapped back and collided with the dirty ground.

''You couldn't just walk away, could you?'' He snarled.

''Why would I? Huh, why should you get everything you want?''

Semiazas smiled at me, ''You have come a long way, from the early days. I remember when you first crossed my path, you were pathetic, weak,' He sneered, 'broken. I took you in, taught you everything I knew, and this is how you repay me? By stealing from me!''

'And I hate myself everyday, for listening to you...' I thought, bitterly.

''I stole nothing.'' I said. His face twisted with hate.

''You stole her from me.''

Patience. Everything came back to her. It wasn't her fault two men were in love with her...

I had done the one thing I had thought myself incapable of.

I had fallen in love with her.

''She was never yours!'' I yelled, in frustration. He didn't own her, he didn't!

''She will be, as soon your dead. You see, in getting close to her you sealed her fate. She is in love with you, so much so, it will destroy her, when I kill you. Her soul will shatter, and she will come, begging me, to take her pain away. Which being the gentleman I am, I will gladly do.''

I didn't even hear half of that, my mind had blanked after, 'She is in love with you'. Was he right? No...he couldn't be, could he?

I had to get to her. 'Gabriel! Be careful!' Her voice rang through my head.

Vernin tried to kick me again, but this time I caught his foot and twisted, sending him flying into the wall.

Semaizas came at me, but I had already called the full force of the shadows to me.

My vision turned red, the cuts and bruises healing, my strength returning in full.

He hit me in the jaw - much like Patience had done - but he pulled it back and cradled it in against his chest, howling in pain.

I didn't feel a thing.

''You. Stay. Away. From. Her.'' I warned him, menacingly.

''She is mine! I will have her!'' He shouted at me.

I grabbed the front of his shirt, hauling him up and slamming him against the same wall as Vernin.

''Enough. Come near her, or me, again and I will kill you. Understand?'' I said, venomously.

He glared at me, blood trickled down the side of his face, from his hairline.

I shook him hard, ''Do you understand?''

''Yes!''

Letting the walls around my mind fall, I let the full force of my anger hit him.

His eyes rolled back into his head, as his body sagged towards the floor.

''I warned you...''

Vernin was lying in a pool of blood, out cold. He wouldn't be bothering us anytime soon, even he wasn't that stupid.

'Goodbye brother...' I whispered, before melting into the shadows.

A/N: Hey! Thank you for reading :) Some pretty big revelations in this chapter...what did you think? Too much? Not enough? Let me know by - yes you guessed it - REVIEWING! (please...) Next chapter will be up soon... =D

~Abbey