rocktheroxie - Thank you for being the only one ONCE AGAIN to review to every chapter I posted. (it's easier for me if you just reply to the last chapter btw)

Chapter 26 - Captured

Several days went by and visions of my past life continued to haunt my dreams. Some of them were nightmares of Seth's torture. I would wake screaming and crying, unable to fight my way out of the tangled blankets, just go back to sleep picking up where the vision left off.

Two of them were of Elizabeth's love affair with Lucian. I could only watch as his hands expertly massaged her flesh. It was maddening how efficiently his tongue ran over her skin, teasing her body into climax. It was even more maddening that I could feel his every caress, and taste him as if it were my own mouth that ravaged his body. I would wake up with a burning need, aching between my legs that left me breathless.

"You know, we can move into the new house tomorrow," Lucian said. We were lying in each other's arms in bed. I had hunted him down in his office after the second dream, almost forcing him right there on the floor, but Lucian managed to whisk us to the bedroom.

"I kind of like it here," I replied, dreamily.

"I'm sure Lucifer would like his privacy," Lucian countered.

"After the baby is born, I expect he'll be visiting often."

"Most likely, he's always wanted a grandchild." Lucian kissed my brow.

"But he doesn't have any children," I said bewildered.

Lucian laughed, "He is our creator."

"What about the other creatures he created? Don't others have kids?"

"Yes, but none of his other creations are close like family as we are."

"Good point," I smiled, "If this child takes after either one of us, then he's going to wish he never had us."

Lucian laughed and pulled me into his chest. I now felt at peace while sleeping with Lucian's arms wrapped around me. His strong muscles flexed to keep me close every time I moved. The heat from his body bled into my skin, warming me to the core.

It wasn't anything like it was before. I didn't feel any of the fear that I had felt when he first kidnapped me and forced me into his embrace. It wasn't even how it was before he kidnapped me. I no longer felt empty, like there was a giant void. I felt full, like a cookie jar filled with freshly baked cookies.

As I thought of cookies my stomach gave a prodding rumble. It hadn't been that long since I had eaten, but the hormones running through my veins increased my appetite. Cookies sounded like a good snack at the moment, but my body was too tired to so much as move. I slowly fell into my dreams with double fudge chocolate chip cookies on my mind.

I sat in a rocking chair near a stone hearth. A roaring fire was protected by a wrought iron screen. Pink yarn sat in links upon my lap in the beginnings of a blanket. Its excess traveled to the floor, wound in a tight ball. Resting upon my slightly rounded belly was the part that I was working on, a crocheting needle held firmly in my hand.

Lucian sat on a brown leather couch opposite me. His dark hair hung in waves slightly past his shoulders. His nearly black eyes glanced up at me every now and then while a provocative smirk played at his lips. He wore a red-wine colored sweater that enhanced his muscular frame. In his lap sat a young boy, about two years of age.

Our son.

He had wavy dark hair that hung around his face, like his father. His eyes were crystal blue that seemed to look deep into the object of his focus; my eyes. He was giggling at a popup book that Lucian was reading to him. It was about dinosaurs. Our child was laughing as Lucian made the paper reptile growl and rawer while wiggling it with his fingers.

Lucian looked up at me once again with that sly grin on his face. I smiled back, knowing it was going to be wonderful when we have another child. It was going to be a girl judging by the pink yarn.

There was only one thing that was odd about this picture of perfection; I wasn't a vampire, and neither was our son. Maybe my mind couldn't comprehend how it would feel to be a vampire, so it resorted to my current state. But the detail on our son was so vivid, so sure. Is this how my subconscious depicts him? Why wouldn't my mind give him my hair and Lucian's eyes? I suppose that would be plausible, but my mind is right, his hair and my eyes would look best.

I woke early the next morning to meet Elaine for her training. She was quickly getting better now that she had confidence. Before she even showed up, I ran for the toilet and threw up my breakfast.

I felt light-headed, and slightly disoriented. My body felt as if bricks were tied to my wrists and ankles. Breathing was slightly difficult as if I were wearing a corset. The last thing I remembered was the floor coming closer and the soft thump as my body hit the mat.

I opened my eyes probably several minutes later to see Lucian's face hovering above mine. His brows were creased with worry as his pale fingers skimmed my face. He looked like a dark angel minus the wings. I bet if he was an angel instead of a vampire, he would out shine any creature of heaven.

"What happened," he asked gently, but I could hear the worry in his voice.

"I don't know," I answered still dazed, I was lying on the padded floor of the sparring room. "I don't really feel up to fighting."

"I wouldn't have let you anyway, but I'm glad there won't be an argument," he spoke, "Are you hungry?"

"No. Come on, Elaine."

"What," Lucian spoke, confused.

"Seth will have no sympathy for my weakened state. I need to learn how to fight in one, and use it to my advantage," I protested.

"Not with my child in your belly," he countered.

"Lu, I need to be able to protect the child, if I don't learn in a safe environment, then I won't know how in a dangerous one. We'll lose the baby for sure."

Lucian reluctantly agreed, on the terms that when he said enough, it was done. So, I fought with Elaine in my weakened state. Though she tried to take it easy on me, she had a hard time getting the weapon out of my grasp, causing her to use as much strength as she dared. She still managed to best me, but barely. A regretful look crossed her face as she pointed the staff at my throat.

"Elaine, don't regret winning. Seth and Blake will have no remorse for you. Fight with all your strength," I lectured.

"But I don't want to hurt your baby," she said.

"The only thing you did was make me hungry," I laughed.

Lucian made us cut our session short, noticing that I was getting really tired. He wanted to call my midwife, but I convinced him that the reason why I passed out was because I had just thrown up. What I needed was sustenance since I had lost it when I puked.

After a long brunch, we all piled into a car and went to see Lucian's and my new mansion. Lucian wanted to make sure it was suitable for our needs before we moved in. We had decided to wait another week so the rooms could air out from the paint fumes. Even Lucifer came along.

It was a long cramped ride, even in a limo. It took even longer because we had to pull over several times for me to purge my stomach, as well as stop for food so I could regain the nutrients I had lost. We were finally almost there when the car suddenly pulled over. Before I or anyone could ask the driver what was going on, the door I was leaning on opened and I fell out of the car onto the ground.

Thick hands grabbed me by my hair as my body was dragged away. I tried to fight the entity, but whatever the creature was that I hit, didn't react. I was lifted to my feet by the hand that still grasped my hair. My eyes watered as the skin was pulled away from my skull. Blake's light brown eyes glared at me in menace while his lips formed a sinister grin.

He hit me with a blunt object on my head. I involuntarily cried out in pain while blood immediately started trickling down my face. My vision blurred, but my ears picked up Blake's mumblings about being hard headed. Before I could recover from the first blow, I was hit again, this time rendered unconscious.

****Lucian****

The drive to Evie's and my new home was long to begin with. We had to set it far away from Lucifer's castle for safety reasons. The location was kept secret even from the driver of the car until now. The long drive was made even longer due to Evie's vomiting. It wasn't normal to be sick like this; I don't care what she thought. It was unhealthy to be so sick. When we get back, she will see the doctor even if I have to tranquilize her.

While I was lost in thought, the car suddenly pulled over. I didn't remember hearing Evie requesting for another stop, I would have been brought to attention the second she spoke. I was about to ask what was going on, when Evie's door opened and she disappeared. Several vampires and demons met me as I rushed to her rescue.

The vampires grinned, revealing their sharpened canines as they stood several paces away. They were clothed in black pants and black sweater shirts that were nearly identical to the ones I liked to wear. The demons flanked the higher creatures. I could tell that they all were of lesser rank, grunts sent from a more powerful source.

Marcus dove out of the car to stand beside me, while Lucifer emerged from the other side. Though the prince of darkness's demeanor was calm, I could feel the anger emanating from his aura. I could see the panic hidden deep behind his reddish-black eyes. He studied our enemies for several seconds that felt like minutes, while I didn't know what had happened to Evie.

Without indication, the eight creatures launched at us. Four of the vampires ganged up on me, while Lucifer and Marcus faced the rest. They knew I was the most dangerous being here. They had Evie. She was the only thing that made my life worth living. Everybody knows that the being that has nothing to lose is the most dangerous, for they will stop at nothing to gain what they had lost, or die trying.

I wish I could say that we fought the good fight, that we killed these creatures and rescued Evie before any harm came to her or the baby. I wish I could say that, but reality doesn't work that way.

One vampire would have been a breeze; two and I would have maybe broken a sweat. I was faced with four. Four vampires attacking me at once, all set on killing me. Lucifer and Marcus easily vanquished their opponents, but not before I took a few wounds that were slow to heal.

Just as the last creature was rendered into ash, Blake decided to show his ugly pasty face. I shook off Marcus's supporting arm as Blake appeared. I didn't need him seeing that I was in a weakened state.

"Poor Lucian, I already gave your precious Evie to Seth. How history does repeat it's self," Blake mocked.

Before anybody could stop me, I launched myself at him. My still unhealed injuries made it difficult to move causing me to be slow and clumsy in a vampire's eyes. They must have used some sort of poison to make my wounds heal slowly.

Blake again took advantage of my hate as he did a century ago. In one quick motion he stabbed me in the stomach with a dark serrated knife. He grinned at me maliciously and disappeared before Marcus or Lucifer could retaliate. The mortal wound would have killed a human, but I was a vampire. It was a mere scratch to me.

I could feel the same poison from all those years ago spread through my body, seeping into my muscles. They tensed as I began to seize. I hit the ground hard as my body shook uncontrollably. Not again. I couldn't lose her again. Lucifer lifted my now limp body and took off in flight. Everything went black.

***Evie****

I woke up hanging in a dungeon, my feet barely holding my weight on the floor. My wrists were shackled above me, the cold metal digging into my skin. The old stone walls were barely visible in the flickering fire light that came from a torch on the wall. The smell of death and decay was overpowering. It was the same dungeon from my dreams, down to the drip on my right.

"Are you going to be as stubborn as her," a voice asked. I remembered it from my visions. It was deep and malicious. It was Seth.

"No," I replied slowly, it felt as if a cloud filled my head. My whole body throbbed to the beat of my heart.

"Good," he released my wrists from the chains.

I landed on the floor with a soft clatter that seemed to echo off the walls. My whole body ached and throbbed. Testing the strength in my limbs, I slowly stood upright.

"You didn't let me finish," I spoke quietly. "I'm going to be much, much worse."

I struck, hitting him in the temple with my fist. Though my hand burned from the blow, it didn't seem to faze the fallen angel. His reddish-sapphire eyes looked at me in amusement. A grin twisted his face. In the blink of an eye I was slammed against the wall, a strong hand wrapped around my neck.

"So you like to play," Seth cooed, "Beth wasn't like that, she wasn't prepared. Oh, she tried alright, but she didn't know the moves."

I was so sick of being compared to her, first with Lucian now with his enemy. I may be her reincarnation, but I wasn't her. "I'm not Beth," I growled.

I struck at him again, but he grabbed my arm with his free hand, twisting it painfully above my head. "Enough screwing around," he spoke dangerously, forcing my other hand easily above my head. Fitting both wrists in to cuffs that were attached to the wall, he left me shackled and exited the room. That was fast, I was just getting warmed up.

****Lucian****

As I slowly came to, my eyes opened to a bright white light. The walls were white painted cement, while the floors were plain white tile. The bed I lay in was fitted with white linen sheets and a white comforter. All this white along with the high intensity lights blinded my eyes, making me feel even more disoriented.

I wondered what had happened. Why did my stomach feel on fire? Was Marcus alright? Where was Evie? What was with all this damn white? The questions raced through my mind lightning fast. I barely got done asking myself one, when the next pushed the other out of my conscience.

I opened my heavy lids to see Marcus hovering over me. His rough fingers gently checked my pulse. Yes, Vampires have a pulse. How else would our bodies carry nutrients around to our organs? Marcus's amber-green eyes looked down at me in concern. They were our mother's eyes. Hers were a brighter green, reminding me of amber melted over an emerald stone.

I had our father's eyes; so dark brown that they were as black as my own heart. Or so my enemies would say. My friends might even agree. But my brother, my lover, my lord and master, knew otherwise. As icy cruel my heart may seem; that is only the outer layer. I have love inside of me. I have love for a woman, for my brother, for my lord. But one part of that is missing. It is the most important part, the part that I would rather be dead than not have.

Evie; why wasn't it her icy blue eyes that looked at me in concern? Why weren't her soft, gentle hands checking my pulse? Why wasn't she here next to me, perfectly safe? Was she injured as well?

"Where is she," I demanded from Marcus, sitting up on the blinding white sheets.

He looked upset. It must have been hard for him to see me like this, whether or not he wanted to admit it. "He took her," Marcus replied sympathetically.

"Not again," I cried, "I can't lose her again."

I threw myself from the bed in a sad attempt to get up. My legs collapsed under my weight and I would have fallen to the floor if Marcus wasn't there to catch me. That's what brothers were for, right? To catch the other before they fell. It seemed to me that I was doing too much falling and not enough picking up. First it was Elizabeth, and now Evie. When was it going to be Marcus's turn to fall in love?

None of that really mattered at the moment. What did matter was that my Evie was in Seth's hands just like in her past life as Elizabeth. I had to get her back, but there was no way I could gain the strength before he kills her. It is ironic how history repeats it's self.