Dwelling in the Dusk Chapter 25: As I Shed My Skin, a twilight fanfic

Chapter Twenty-Five: As I Shed My Skin
Sarah-Isabelle Black's POV
31st of December

My terrified scream echoed throughout the darkness as I was aggressively dragged through the snow by a man in a long, black coat. His hands clutched my forearms, his fingernails digging into my paled skin.

"Let me go!" I screeched, desperately trying to wrench out of the strong man's grip. "Let us go right now!" Adrenaline made my voice louder and my words feistier. "Dad!" I cried at the top of my lungs, hauling myself to the side, trying to stretch my voice back to the raving party. "Jacob Black! Dusk, please? Help us, someone!"

"Sarah?" A small, frightened voice whispered from behind me and there I saw Kally cowering into my side as we were both shoved deeper into the bleak, lifeless forest. Her thick tears cascaded down her pinks cheeks as she clutched my waist, gazing up at me in horror. "What is this man going to do to us?" The fear in her voice left chills on my skin.

Kally was being lugged by the side of her dress, the mysterious man clutching the delicate fabric in his hand, agitatedly hauling her forward in pace with our swift steps. I tried to send her an encouraging smile, yet only a tear escaped as I imagined the horrible things this man was actually capable of doing to us. Whatever he did, I wasn't prepared to let Kally go through the pain of watching or experiencing.

I'd send her out of the captive's arms alive.

"He's not going to touch you," I replied sternly, yet my voice wavered and the dismay in my eyes indicated how vulnerable we actually were. My tone dropped, only barely audible, "Just promise me that you'll run, no matter what you see or hear. Keep running, Kally, and get help. You need to be brave for your mum and Ben and-"

Her tears thickened after the man made a swift motion to throw me to the ground and I cringed at the forceful impact, leaving my frosty world spinning. The man continued to heave Kally forward, her screaming rising as he seized her arms and lifted her off the ground, leaving their faces level and her feet dangling. Her scream faded as she looked into the eyes of our captive and only terror pulsated through her expression.

The fall I took snatched my breath away and I was barely able to choke out Kally's name. The snowy floor was lined against my cheek and I felt the right half of my body gradually go numb in the bitter atmosphere. My temples ached and I found the world enclosing, my vision becoming narrow and my hearing tapering. I tried to muster my strength, yet gravity wouldn't budge against my frail figure.

I watched Kally helplessly, seeing her squirm and continuously scream my name, which I couldn't hear anymore. Kally stared at me in horror, screeching as the man dropped her carelessly and she scrambled towards me, the snow staining her long dress. Her trembling fingers clasped my face and I saw her lips mouthing my name. Clasping my shoulders, she shook me feverishly, crying for me to awaken.

Before the darkness snatched away the consciousness I had left, my hearing returned and I found Kally screeching, rocking me back and forth. "Wake-up, Sarah, get up! Please, Sarah, don't close your eyes! Don't leave me, Sar-"

Kally's meek pleas were cut off by a sharp, familiar voice from behind us: "Silence the human before anybody hears her!"

With that, the man with the long coat rotated with a pleased expression. His eyes narrowed as his fist effortlessly smashed into the side of Kally's head. Panic was the last emotion that shot through me as I saw her eyes roll into the back of her head. Slow-motion made the scene agonising as I watched little Kally collide into the snow with silenced lips.

All I saw was Kally feebly sprawled over a soft bed of delicate snow before the darkness engulfed me – leaving her emotionless face as my only petrified memory. Yet, while Kally imprinted my thoughts, my eyes still met a recognisable pair of emerald orbs that were watching me in cruel satisfactory.

Dusk Malveya's POV
31st of December – 11:42pm

"I've been waiting for you a very, very long time," Jacob's smile grew slightly and he placed a soft kiss on my forehead, leaving energy spreading wherever his lips met my skin. His obeying eyes had me dazed and I diverted my gaze, feeling flustered by his clear will to please me. Having someone handling my happiness so fragilely was unusual and I treasured the feeling.

"How long...is long?" I queried innocently, meeting his intense gaze.

Sighing sadly, his eyes flashed weakness as he looked in the remoteness, where I thought a distant memory was playing right in front of him. My hold on him tightened, as if I wanted to rid any negative currents in the ocean I knew as Jacob Black's eyes. "Since she left..."

Confusion struck me and I thoughtlessly blurted out, "Sarah's mother?"

His eyes met mine with a frown. "Lyra? Oh, no...not Lyra."

She finally has a name, I thought. Lyra was Jacob's lover, yet his tone showed no romantic reminiscence or longing for the mysterious woman. "You didn't love Sarah's mother, Jacob?" I whispered solemnly.

"She gave birth to my daughter...and, for that, I am eternally grateful."

"What was she like?" I murmured with a tilt of my head. "If you don't mind me asking."

Jacob chuckled at my naivety, his fingers grazing my cheeks, leaving tingles of heat on my skin. "You can ask me anything, Dusk." The way he said my name made me shiver, how did he do that? It sent a smile sweeping into my lips – a smile I didn't give many people. To be honest, this smile seemed to blossom its most when Jacob looked into my eyes. I nodded wordlessly and Jacob duly replied with a sigh, "Lyra was normal..."

"Normal isn't your type?" I smirked with a raised eyebrow.

Jacob let out a deep, husky laugh. "No, normal's fine...I guess. I just don't find any depth in normal, you know? Normal isn't challenging. I mean, would you consider your soul-mate normal or something cosmically amazing?"

"I don't know what it feels to experience cosmic love...because I don't have soul-mate," I replied immediately and the look in Jacob's eyes made me want to swallow back my words. Though, the hurt in his eyes was replaced with a pleasant half-smile and my nerves evened out once I realised he'd brushed off my response.

"When I was with Lyra, I knew I didn't, either...and that's what poisoned our romance. I knew where we'd end up: it'd be a dark and gloomy place because she wasn't made for me. There was someone else out there and I could feel her calling me. The spark of love is unprepared when it swoops down and pulls you in. Wouldn't a scripted romance bore you, Dusk?"

"A scripted romance makes some people feel secure," I murmured and felt something in me start to glisten and shimmer as Jacob searched my soulful eyes. I didn't know what I was exposing him to, though I knew my heart was hovering under my eyelashes, peering up into those dark irises.

The contented expression his eyes remained in place and he gazed down into mine for a long moment, as if he knew my every thought. I couldn't look away and something in my chest began to ache to hear his voice again. "Do you want to feel secure?" He whispered, barely audible to my weak ears.

"Love can be a wild, crazy rollercoaster...but it can still make you feel secure and wanted by someone you believe is close to your heart," I licked my dry lips.

"Someone you believe is close to your heart?"

"Well, if you don't believe that person is genuinely close to you...that wild, crazy rollercoaster won't seem so secure, will it? If you believe that person will catch you when you fall from the most dangerous part of the ride, you can take the sacrifice of giving in your ticket and accepting such a risk."

"Would you take the risk?" He questioned, clasping my hands in his.

"For who?" I mumbled uneasily.

"For me, Dusk," His voice was serious and blunt, yet I saw the doubt behind his tough exterior.

I froze, staring deep into his cavernous eyes. For a moment, every movement around us stood still and I was left with the feel of my pounding chest. Nothing in this world could've replaced the heaviness his question lay on my shoulders. If someone else had asked me that question before, I would imagine myself stammering and fumbling with my answer.

Yet, it all seemed clear as I stared into those dark and doubtful eyes.

This question was asked by my answer and I didn't feel the need to voice my response, though I opened my mouth to reply all the same. Though, before I could react, something cold latched onto my forearms, tearing me away from Jacob's side. I cringed as the icy chains dug into my skin and I instinctively tried to wrench out of the cold one's grip. "Hey, let me go!" I panicked.

Jacob looked into the face of the person who was holding me and growled fiercely, protective emotions shooting through his midnight black eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, his hand outstretching towards me.

Though, in a flash of motion, I was thrown behind the person's back, out of Jacob's reach. Fright seized me in its claws and I took a long step backwards, only to find myself crushing into another cold chest. I looked into a pair of sadistic, hazel eyes that were menacingly roaming my figure. "Hello," He purred with a small, intimidating smile as his arms hooked around my waist.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but Miss Malveya is needed in another part of the venue," The man in front of me stated rigidly.

"Must you be so aggressive with her?" Jacob snarled, gesturing towards the hazel-eyed man, whose arms were trapping me against his bricklike body.

"Miss Sarah-Isabelle and Kallista have requested her immediate presence, Mr Black. If you've forgotten, it is nearly midnight," The man in front motioned towards the clock above the stage – 11:54pm.

"Sarah-Isabelle?" For a moment, Jacob looked entirely puzzled by the name, which I found a little dazing to hear myself as well. "Who's sh-?"

The flashes of familiar faces entered my conscience and I gasped as the impulse of finding her slapped me into a sensible reality. "Sarah!" I screamed, thrashing in the man's unbreakable grip, my instinct to find her lashing out. "Oh my God! Jacob...we lost them. Kally and your daughter! Where are they?"

Realisation dawned in Jacob's eyes and he seemed to awaken from a strange daydream. Immediately, his expression hardened and the emotion from his face vanished. As usual, I could only fall in-sync with him by reading the thoughts in his eyes because his face held no emotion at all. "You said you'd keep them close, Dusk!" He exclaimed accusingly, glaring into my eyes. "How did you let them out of your sight?"

I gaped at his rage, feeling my verbal shields against him shoot up automatically. I was used to the swings Jacob would throw at me, though it seemed I wasn't quick enough with my resilience and I felt a pang of weak hurt seep through. "Hey, don't you dare blame this on me!" I bit back. "If you hadn't ditched us to be with your precious Imogene Brooklyn, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"I wasn't with Imogene!" He roared back lividly. "I was with...I was with-"

"Me! You were with me," I shouted in disbelief, baffled by my own words. "This is your fault because-"

"Miss Sarah and Miss Kallista are in safe hands, Miss Malveya," The man in front of me assured us with a lifeless smile. He turned to me with a pair of mucky-brown eyes and shaggy, auburn hair. "And we're more than willing to take you to them, Mr Black."

"Why can't you bring them here?" Jacob asked with raised eyebrows. "I don't even know you. How did you get your hands on our kids?"

"Patrick and I, Dylan Reaves, are the hired bodyguards of this venue, Sir. Miss Brooklyn odered we keep our eyes on the children attending this festivity."

"Imogene?" My eyebrow rose and the familiar spike of mistrust nipped at my thoughts. Patrick's grip on me tightened as a chilly breeze picked up, blowing my hair away from my shoulders and forearms, exposing Patrick's skin to my own. As soon as my coat of locks fell back down my back, I felt the sting of a vampire's skin on my own and I gasped.

Flashback: Flames of Evermore

"Yes, I'll be okay," I immediately brushed off his considerate worry. Outstretching my hand, I smiled. "But thank-you again for catching us."

With a wider smile, he clasped me hand. "No harm done, sweetheart," He replied polity.

Though, my smile vanished as soon as his touch met mine. Red orbs and icy, marble skin came into contact with me and I desperately tried to choke back a scream. As soon as his touch came into contact with mine, and his vampiric features leapt out at me, a few other people around us also appeared to look like deadly blood-suckers. Bright red eyes and fickle smiles were replaced with human features.

Dropping my hand from his, I protectively pushed Kally behind me and clutched her shoulder, making sure no one could snatch her away as I stared into the man's eyes. Expectedly, the man's good-looks returned and his normality shone loud and clear. My breaths hitched and I tried to mask my horror with another tight smile. "Enjoy the party," I choked out.

His smile remained the whole time, though his eyes became sharp and watchful. Before he replied, he shot someone a knowing glance. "I will now," He winked at me in a flirtatious manner before ascending up the path, where party music was blaring.

Kally looked up at me in concern. "Dusk...what's wrong? It looks like you've seen a ghost."

Her words snapped me out of my terrified daze. I met Kally's worried stare and hugged her tightly, muttering, "I've seen something very close to one. Now, I know why Imogene invited so many more guests than usual," I couldn't say it aloud but my thoughts screamed it piercingly. She did it so she could sneak in lots of vampires and, presumably, let them attack drunken guests. No! I had seen countless Doveblood-drinking vampires after I shook that man's hand.

How many vampires did she slip into the guest-list? One hundred? Two hundred?

End of Flashback

Vampire, my thoughts alerted in terror as my eyes skimmed over the many blood-red orbs in the groups of humans. I swiftly realised, touching only one Doveblood-drinking vampire revealed all in my perimeter. Couldn't anyone sense the vampiric vibes coming from these blood-suckers? Was it actually true? Can a Doveblood only reveal a vampire who drinks from her kind? Was Doveblood strong enough to conceal a vampire from anything?

If what I feared was true, Imogene had smuggled nearly one to two hundred vampires into this party!

It seemed, as Patrick's marble touch grazed my shivering skin, the red-eyed were all sharing the same hungry glance with their kind. Were they preparing to devour the human guests? Was this the beginning of a bloodbath? If so, I'd have no choice but to inform Jacob, no matter how crazy he might think I am. It was my duty to tell him what was about to occur. I had never seen so many vampires spotted around the one place.

Even bartenders were vampires!

This led me to my next doubt: were Sarah and Kally truly in these men's' hands? If they were...then, they surely weren't safe and I desperately needed to save them. Though, Patrick and Dylan may only be trying to deceive us into thinking our girls were in danger, which would lead us into an isolated situation. Either way, once again, I found myself in a dead-end with no air to breathe.

"Where are they now?" Jacob asked with an angry spark in his eyes.

I tried to keep my demeanour soft and oblivious, as if I didn't know these two men were blood-suckers. Giving them a weak smile, I looked into Jacob's eyes as Dylan turned around to look at Jacob, also. Though, while Patrick kept me captive, his concentration lay on Jacob, giving me a moment to subtly distract Jacob and motion for him to leave. Jacob's his eyes met mine for a moment, yet he seemed to understand my signal of keeping the attention off me.

"They're in a secure location, Sir," Dylan assured.

"Where is secure?" Jacob interrogated. "I want them back now."

"Miss Brooklyn requests girls to stay a little longer than midnight."

"Request denied! I'm taking them home, right now in fact. Give me back my girls. And get your hands off Dusk," Jacob's eyes narrowed at Patrick, who began to bruise my skin with his strength. I cringed at the loss of feeling in my fingers as the circulation stopped in my forearms.

As soon as I cringed, Jacob's reaction to my agony was immediate and he took a long stride forward, protectively outstretching his hand towards me. Playfully smirking, Patrick swung me away from his reach again, pinning me behind his back.

"Stop this!" I hissed, angrily pounding my fists against the bodyguard's cast-iron back. I tried to pull away, but Patrick's grip on my waist only tightened and I felt my bottom ribs ache.

Jacob's eyes narrowed, darkening with intense rage as he began to shake vigorously. Patrick's tense grip pushed the oxygen out of me and the sensation of choking hit me with a lightheaded pang. "Let her go right now," Jacob's hands clenched. "What's wrong with you?"

My eyes closed as I tried to concentrate merely on my breathing and the plan of escape from these vampires. My fast heartbeats were all I heard before the sound of a gushing wind billowed into my face and a loud crashing in the distance followed the slap of air. My eyes sprung open from surprise and, suddenly, I wished I'd kept them closed.

"Pat, you should learn to play nicely with your food," Dylan's voice echoed throughout the atmosphere as I stared at Jacob.

My injured Jacob...who I couldn't reach.

He had landed on the other side of the dance-floor, the blow of a vampire's fist heaving him across the large amount of space, leaving him unconscious from the unexpected impact. Sprawled over the ground, not one person took notice of him; they merely stepped over the limp body and began to listen to an announcer's voice on the stage.

Before I could control myself, rage boiled to the top of my lips, and out poured a list of obscenities as I thrashed and kicked in the vampire's arms. "You bastards, let me go! Get your bloody, damned hands off me!"

"Who knew a creature of God would be so feisty, Dyl," Patrick mused with a nauseating smile as they began to drag me away. Keeping his arms tight around my waist, I screeched, desperately trying to grip somebody's attention. Yet, everyone was so enthralled by the host. It was as if they were all hypnotised! "I thought Dovebloods were the descendants of angels."

Breathing rapidly, I glimpsed a young woman barely in my reach. With a fisted hand, I punched her shoulder as hard as I could, abruptly drawing her attention away from the host. For a moment, the blonde scowled at me and gave the two bodyguards an intrigued once-over. "Wow, look at you, honey. You get to take two home instead of one! Lucky you," Smirking, she winked at the vampires and gave me an impressed nod.

Disgust made me choke on my words and I found it hard to respond. "Wh-what? No! Wait, please, these men are dangerous. Please, you need to help me! They knocked out a man and-"

The blonde gave Patrick a hard look, assessing his threatening hold on me. She opened her mouth to reply, though another man's voice replaced her sentence: "Yeah, right, sweetheart. Have another drink, ay?" Turning, the blonde smiled at a man I instantly recognised.

"You're...you're the one who helped me up when I fell this evening!" I panicked, meeting his blood-red eyes, which every other human seemed unaware of.

The blonde frowned as the red-eyed monster hooked his arm around her waist possessively. "Keith, do you know this woman?"

"Di, I only know she's crazy and drunk as Hell," Keith gave me a repulsed look and drew his partner/dinner away from the three of us. "Come on, babe, the countdown's about to begin."

Di and Keith began to walk away with their backs facing me. "He's a vampire!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, earning a few disturbed glances. "They're all vampires! Please, someone, believe me!" I cried helplessly.

Di met my frantic stare and sighed sympathetically, whispering into the vampire's ear, "I wonder how those weirdoes get onto the guest-list. I mean, come on, there should be a limit for everybody's safety."

"I totally agree," Keith smirked with an expression only I could read knowingly.

My screaming proceeded to fight through my lungs as Patrick and Dylan continued to lug me away from the party. As my kicking legs and screaming pleas for help began to weaken, a sober guest looked at me in antipathy and demanded, "I hope you're going to remove that crazy from the premises. She's ruining the party! Someone should call the police and get her picked up."

"We're about to remove the intoxicated guest and return her home safely, sir," Dylan replied civilly, nodding. "Thank-you for your concern."

My screaming and thrashing stopped and I purely glared at the middle-aged oblivion. "I am not crazy!" I seethed. "How dare you accuse me of being crazy when you have no idea of the events that are about to occur! These men will do more harm than good!"

"So you can talk. Idiot," He merely huffed and walked away, ignoring me with his head held high.

"Some of these humans actually do have senses of humour," Patrick pondered as Dylan motioned for Patrick to follow him.

As Patrick duly followed his friend, we began to near the edge of the large venue, where I saw something horrific. They were all gathering, hordes of vampires were circling the edge of the venue, where the floorboards met the snowy earth. They ringed around the whole area with their red-eyes glowing in dark anticipation. I couldn't find one gap as they lined up, side-by-side, like rigid statues that were poised and ready with their eyes focused on a particular human – one I presumed would be their first meal.

A sickening nausea hit me and I fell weak, barely able to hold myself up. I looked at Dylan as he openly smiled at the gathering vampires, who returned his acknowledgment with a respectful nod. I felt their red orbs, hotter than the sun, gluing onto me with intrigue and thirst. Some licked their lips as their eyes met mine, others remained focused on the task ahead.

"You're all going to attack the humans," I realised aloud and found a stir in the air as they shared worried glances.

Dylan snarled at me after I stated this and raised his hand in reassurance. "Do not fear, brothers and sisters, this particular human is of supernatural stock. Only touch can reveal us to her kind. Without Patrick's skin on hers, she would think you all normal people."

"Is she still drinkable?" One asked curiously, staring at me in lust. "Her scent is irresistible."

My nausea heightened, forcing me to realise how trapped I truly was, and I began to squirm in Patrick's hold.

"Another trick to fool you, brother," Dylan nodded sympathetically. "This Doveblood bares a potent bond with a protector. Killing her would only bring your brutal death. We have come to place her as far away from the venue as possible, so her protector is drawn to her and ignores all around him."

"Will it work?" Another blood-sucker demanded.

"If the Alpha is loyal to his lover, he will follow undoubtedly."

Shooting the vampire an irrigated glare, I hissed, "I don't have a protector or a lover...and no Alpha will follow me. Your actions are worthless, Dylan! Wouldn't you rather stay here and enjoy the mighty feast?" I never played dirty, though I was desperate now, and my smile indicated my fearless nature – something vampires were drawn to, I realised.

Low chuckles erupted from the horde of vampires as I stared straight into those deadly, burgundy orbs. "She has good common sense, brother," Patrick remarked with an impressed smile.

"Or dirty tactics," Dylan added with narrowed eyes, his stare challenging my own.

"Her scent is irresistible, Dyl," Feeling Patrick's icy lips skim along my jaw; I flinched and fought the tears threatening to overflow. My breaths hitched as his lips slightly parted after they reached my neck, pulsating with my blood. "One bite wouldn't really hurt the pathetic mutt, right?"

Mutt? I thought, trying to distance myself from the fact that a vampire's fangs were delicately grazing my skin.

"Letting a Doveblood–the only regal descendants of angels–become a vampire is an abomination," Dylan snapped, shoving his friend away from my body, freeing me from his clawing grip. For the first moment this evening, a man wasn't holding me close, and the rush of oxygen filled my weak lungs. This was my chance to escape. "She's either sucked dry or left juicy."

Patrick let out a low, threatening hiss and glared into Dylan's ruby eyes. My heartbeats skipped as Patrick flashed forward and threw Dylan to the ground, aggressively pinning him down by the neck. Dylan merely rolled his eyes, effortlessly pushing his friend towards an old oak. The impact Patrick took in was tough, yet it still seemed minor to their kind, because no one was intervening.

Though, as they threw hostile battle tricks back and forth, I realised my only chance to escape was when they were distracted. The squabble was taking place a few metres away from me, in the darkness of the woods, where no human could see them. As they vigorously fought, I held my breath and took the slightest step backwards.

Finding myself alive was relieving but it was the words of the host, who stood towards the front of the venue, which urged me to triple my pace. "Ladies & Gentlemen, it is now three to midnight! In three minutes, we will begin our grand countdown! As midnight strikes, the big finale will begin and everyone will be in for a mighty surprise." The host's words chilled me to the bone and I wondered whether she was a vampire as well...or whether I was getting too paranoid!

180 seconds–

That was all the time I had to find Jacob and save Kally and Sarah.

I couldn't break my promise to Jo; I vowed to return them home in one piece and I needed to keep that promise to myself more than anyone. It's now or never, Dusk, a voice in my head announced solemnly. Closing my eyes–I prayed for a miracle–and spun around, sprinting back into the crowd of cheering people with a roaring heartbeat and heaving breaths.

"She's getting away!" A vampire exclaimed in agitation and I heard the menacing laughter from behind, as if they couldn't believe I was even attempting an escape.

My body wasn't as agile for the fact that I was still exhausted and famished from eating nothing all day. Adrenaline added to my speed and swift reactions to movement. My eyes shot from place to place as I bounded through the mass of people, who silently watched the three minute countdown. Around me, time slowed as I bustled and shoved through the crowd, feeling suffocated by the tight space I was trying to move through.

I felt the presence of my captives behind me, ordering for people to move, and my pace quickened.

"Jacob?" I shouted breathlessly after the lights were dimmed, preparing everyone for the fireworks following midnight. Darkness engulfed me, yet the glowing light from the ticking clock on the stage slightly illuminated the faces of people I didn't need to see.

Suddenly, my eyes fell onto a face I was grateful to glimpse and I screamed in relief, "Ben!"

Ben's eyes shot up to meet mine and he outstretched his arms towards me. "Dusk?"

120 seconds–

Fear pulsed through me as Ben's hands gripped my shoulders and hauled me through the crowd, throwing me behind him as he saw the two attacking vampires. Backing away from the growling and hissing trio, I nearly tripped over something hard on the ground. Spinning around, I peered down to see Jacob's body slumped over a striking redhead's lap.

"Who are you?" I demanded, dropping to my knees as my fingers ran over Jacob's unusually pale skin. Seeing his peaceful expression breathed hope into my soul. "Why isn't he conscious?"

"My name's Anastasia Orion. I noticed Ben calling through the crowd while I was enjoying the party...and then I saw Mr Black lying on the ground, unconscious. I'm a doctor's nurse and I figured I could help somehow. He seems to be in bad condition, he took quite a hit in the left temple. I can see the pressure in his forehead and, strangely, he's still alive. A blow like that would usually kill a person and-Wait, who are you?"

"I'm Dusk," I breathed.

"Are you his wife?" She frowned.

Somehow, that question made me retract my fingers from Jacob's soft skin. I shot Ben a glance and saw he'd miraculously ward-off the two vampires, which left me relieved and terrified and puzzled. Yet, again...Ben's managed to scare off vampires, I realised. Friction pierced his brilliant brown eyes and his posture was vigilant and protective as he stood over Jacob, Nurse Anastasia and I.

I shook my head, trying to demolish this surfacing curiosity when my Sarah's life could be on the line.

"Dusk, you need to find Sarah and Kally," Ben interrupted with a hard expression. "Right...like, right now! They could be in grave danger and I need to take Mr Black into a safer environment. I can't keep chasing off the va-I mean, mafia bodyguards forever. Eventually, they're gonna want a fight...and my combat skills aren't as good as they were fifty years ago."

The redhead's eyes struck of horror after he mentioned that sarcastic remark of fifty year combat training. "Those men were from the mafia?" Anastasia gasped in aghast and I gave her a sceptical look before I realised neither of these people knew of the immortal realm. "Benjamin, do you know who they work for in particular?"

Ben shook his head and I could see his urge to be somewhat closer to Nurse Anastasia. He tore his eyes away from her unusually silver eyes and looked deep into my own, clasping my hands and pulling me to my feet. Drawing my face inches from his, he minimised the space between us so his low voice couldn't be heard by anyone except me.

"Dusk, I know where Sarah is...but I can't help her because that'll only give them another hostage to tie up...like Jo and Kally. They capture anyone who tries to interfere with the girls' abduction. When Jo recognised Kally's screaming from the house, she immediately went to save her...and Imogene's bodyguards tied her up next to an unconscious Kally. I barely got a glimpse before Imogene put up some...weird, magical, visual walls that made it seem like nothing was happening around them from afar."

A tornado of panic ripped through me. Jo – sweet, fairylike Jo was being dragged into the world of the damned? That was something intolerable! She lives a hard life amongst humans; I couldn't bear trapping her into this maze of immortals. "She brought Jo into this-"

"I bet–if you're closer to the scene–you'll be able to reveal what's really going on."

"Where are they? Tell me where they are!" I cried frantically, adrenaline readying me for the dash of my life.

"There," Ben pointed to a small gap in the forming wall of vampires around the tight venue. "The bodyguards are forming a massive circle around the venue, blocking out exits and entrances. The whole place is sealed off with the wall they're making around us. People don't realise we're trapped."

Peering over a few heads on my tiptoes, I gasped as I saw the long strip of vampires around the whole venue. They each wore black, a wall of dark shadows, and an eerie sense radiated from the trap they held us in. "We are trapped," I realised with a gulp.

"That gap has been open for a while. I'm not sure if they're leaving it open for a particular reason. I do know that the fireworks will begin around that area of forest. So, if you run, beware of your footing – you could lose your life while running through a field of fireworks," There was a dramatic pause in his voice before he gravely continued, "Whatever the threat, I know that gap is your target, Dusk...but you know it won't be for long."

35 seconds–

Standing over Jacob, I realised how vulnerable he really was in this crowd. Somehow, even with his eyes closed and his voice silenced, I could still feel his urge to protect Sarah. Bending down, I silently glided my sweaty fingers along his jaw and whispered with a sad smile, "To finally answer your question: yes, I would take that risk for you because...because I-I love you, Jacob. I love you so, so much...and it's a shame you can't finally hear it from my lips. I'll tell you...Jacob, I'll tell you everything if you promise to open your eyes when I get back."

Leaning over his motionless body, I placed the softest kiss over his lips, as if that would somehow wake him up. Though, my life was far from a fairytale and the sky was too stormy to find any stars to wish upon. Standing to my feet again, I looked at Ben stoically and ordered, "Now, get Jacob to safe ground while I save the girls."

Ben nodded immediately, gulping. "Dusk...you know we may never see you ag-"

"Don't," I snapped with a hard expression. "I-I need to do this. Its time I face Imogene for what we really are."

30 seconds–

Suddenly, the countdown began and I knew it was time to run for my life. The voices of everyone else were clustered in my ears as they chanted the countdown with the winding clock. Though, my blaring heartbeat blocked out the pressuring chaos.

Benjamin hugged me with all the strength he could muster and I felt the tension build between us.

Tears clouded my vision as I pulled away from him and pushed him towards Jacob, desperately wanting to get them away from this madhouse. I ached to feel Jacob's warm skin under my touch one last time but I knew I couldn't be so selfish. He'd want me to do this without any stalling, I thought sadly.

All I could whisper to his unconscious frame was: "Come back to me, Jacob."

Closing my eyes, I whispered, "I need to do this." When my eyes fluttered open, all I saw was that gap in the wall of vampires. Suddenly, I wasn't the weak, cowering girl, confused and puzzled by all around me. No: I was sprinting through the crowd, shoving people out of my precious way.

Could I do this? The build up of emotions was sending me mad and I couldn't fight the fear in my heart as I began to near the gap, leading into the pitch-black forest.

I saw other vampires watching me and the build up of fear intensified, though my speed never faltered.

Suddenly, my vision caught onto a tall, bulky vampire approaching the gap with a livid expression. His eyes locked with mine and his fingers clawed, as if he was ready to slice me into pieces.

My heart thundered and, suddenly, I felt as if I was on fire. Something inside of me was burning as bright as the sun. The intake of this feeling was empowering, though racing a vampire was nearly as terrifying as the growing sensation in my body.

As the vampire took his place in the gap with his arms firmly crossed over his chest, his eyes zeroed in on me, and I outstretched my hands in front of my face, readying myself for the impact I was about to take in by smashing into its marble surface.

Before I can even perceive what's happening around me, my body crushes into the bricklike vampire and the burning feeling in my body goes wild at the vampire's touch. With my hands in front of me, I shield myself from the vampire's body as I crash into him and astoundingly find he is thrown backwards by our colliding.

For a split second, I am completely still, staring up at the screaming vampire who is flying through the air. Yet, before he reaches the ground from my–seemingly impossible–shove, he disintegrates into mere dust! I gape in total aghast, watching as flakes of the vampire fall gracefully to the ground, blending in with the white snow around me.

My hands face me for a moment and panic chokes me when I see that familiar golden light is fading from my hands, draining from my fingertips and into the veins of my wrists, descending back into its hiding place...which I now realised was within my bloodstream.

As amazed as I was, thoughts of Sarah and Kally hit me and I desperately tuned back into reality, blocking out the previous few seconds. Glancing around, I see vampires near the edge of the forest are staring at me in terror, probably fearing their lives after witnessing what I had just done to the blood-sucker who was blocking my pathway. This leaves me slightly satisfied, fuelling my much needed confidence before I start sprinting again.

Now I am past the gap, it is time for me to completely rely on my instincts. Breathing unsteadily, I looked around, barely able to see the winter trees in front of me. As soon as I'm off the dance floor's sturdy ground, I find myself blindly treading into mounds of snow. My heartbeats quicken, but I'm relieved to finally be free of that crazy jungle of a party.

Taking a few steps forward, I close my eyes and try to zero-in on Sarah.

My mother once told me that, if you loved someone enough, you can tell where they are by closing our eyes and trying to feel their heartbeat next to yours. "Follow the heartbeat's direction and, soon, you will be led to that special person." I never knew if that was a mere proverb or something to convince me to believe me in the powers of love...but I was desperate. I truly loved Sarah and I'd give anything to find her again. Please, I begged the ancestors who gifted me with these so-called powers. Please, give me a path to follow!

Amazingly, when I open my eyes again, I suddenly feel as if I am following a set track on a racecourse.

If I was going to die, at least I had told my boss that I was in love with him and gained my first, suitable kiss from the man who shows me the most challenging respect.

I'd miraculously killed a vampire and found that I am stronger than I ever truly believed.

Though, with this discovery, also came realisations: I was a Doveblood and it was time to slay the Dragon.

Hello, lovely reviewers, I'm so sorry I've been slow to update. I hope this chapter was worth it...

These constant dramas in DITD are draining it all outta me and I'm beginning to slow down with my writing.

I guess this chapter was a biggie, though it's only going to get more intense and dramatic.

Here's hoping: I can write what I'm actually imagining in my head!

Anyway, I'll try and update soon! Love you all:D