Sorry I took forever and a day to post and if you're still reading, thank you for your patience! Also thanks for the review! It totally motivated me.
"Open up Vivianna!" I shouted pounding on the cabin door. I had been doing this for about 10 minutes, but no matter how loud I knocked or yelled she refused to answer. "What? Are you afraid to face me? Afraid that I might be more powerful than you?"
At that, the door finally creaked open. I expected to see Vivianna's gloating face, but all that was before me was complete darkness. With an anxious breath, I stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind me.
Unable to see I momentarily froze in panic, but swallowing down my fear I shook myself out of it. Get Ben and get out of there, I repeated to myself as I began feeling around on the walls for a light switch. It didn't take long to realize there was none. All I could feel was the cold surface of what felt like concrete and I began to believe I had I idiotically stepped straight into one of Vivianna's chambers. My plan all depending on challenging her, but if she refused to show herself I wasn't sure there was a way out. Just as I was ready to give up and accept I was now her prisoner I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned there stood Vivianna, glowing and wearing poisonous pearl dress I had made with no sign of discomfort.
Just as I was ready to give up and accept I was now her prisoner I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned there stood Vivianna, glowing and wearing the poisonous dress I had made with no signs of discomfort.
"You should see your expression right now," she said gliding her way towards me. "What? You thought you were clever weaving hemlock and death camas into my dress? Sorry to disappoint, but I don't even feel even an itch. You should have figured this out by now, but I suppose you are a little soft in the head right now. I'm immortal, my dear."
Her honey scent smelled laced with fresh lemon —a scent I always had a weakness for— and it wrapped around me, enticing me to breath it in. Immediately, I felt myself weakening, yet I couldn't stop inhaling the fragrant air. For a moment, it was as though I forgot how to exhale until I felt my throat go dry, causing me to cough, but it did little good. Her poison was already within, coursing through my veins, and sucking the life out of me.
"You are a curious one, Emilia," she muttered walking around me, her luminescence following her like a starry mist. "Are you of my creating or are you perhaps a witch?"
"A witch? You're the witch," I sputtered.
Throwing her head back, she laughed. "Me? A witch? I think not. I'm much more powerful than that." She paused for a moment, taking me in as if trying to decide what to do with me, but I also saw what looked like a flicker of fear. It didn't last long. With a blink, she removed all traces of that emotion from her face and threw on her usual arrogant grin. "Hmm? Perhaps I let my powers get too carried away the day I cursed Benjamin. Yes. That must be it. I created you, so that means you're mine."
I knew what she said had less to do with her warped logic and more to do with provoking me, but I wasn't going to feed into it. "Where's Ben?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because he's my husband!" I shouted, shoving my hands into her shoulders, but my anger cost me. Even though I had avoided touching her dress I felt suddenly overcome with fatigue, as though I'd been poisoned. My stomach turned and my vision went spotty. Feeling as though the room was spinning I almost fell, but with a stumbling step backward I found the wall and leaned against it.
Get your shit together, I told myself as I closed my eyes in an attempt to regain my composure. Save your energy.
Vivianna was apparently unaffected by my sudden act of aggression and instead looked amused as she approached me. With her head tilted and an eerie glint in her eyes she asked. "Is he, though? You can hardly call him husband now since he's mine, can you?"
"What could he possibly be to you?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice calm. "You can't tell me someone like you is capable of loving anyone."
She shrugged. "I may not love him, but I do desperately need him. I've always needed men. Benjamin, however, is special. He's charming and intelligent and I want that part of him... and his years. Not only that, but you've made him more interesting. I've never had to put up a fight for a man, but I will in this case." Her smug grin returned. "I suppose it won't be much of a fight, but it will, at least, be an event to mark another era of my life. Honestly Emilia, do you enjoy being my little toy? Is that why you want to stay?"
"I won't let you toy with me anymore. I'm done," I choked out once again feeling her scent course through me, attempting to take me somewhere mind numbingly blissful.
"Is he really worth the trouble?" she questioned as she looked down at me with her sparkling golden glare. "Why would you want him now when his money is now mine and he wants nothing to do with you?"
"You can have his money. Just give him back to me. If I have to spend the rest of my life trying to win him back I will," I said digging my nails into my hands to keep myself from falling under the influences of her power. "I love him for more than what he's given me. I'd give up everything just to have him in my life again. I'd go through life criticized for marrying a poor, old man because I love him."
She rolled her eyes. "You say that, but you don't truly mean it. When it comes down to it mortals are weak creatures who eventually give into their desires."
"I do mean it," I said, daringly taking a step away from the wall. "And I want to challenge you for him."
One of her brows lifted in intrigue. "What sort of challenge?"
I swallowed. "I may not have your powers, but I have faith that Ben would know me even if he couldn't see me, so my challenge is if he can find me in the darkness then he's mine. We will leave here and you will never interfere with our lives again."
"Hmm?" She mused over this. "And if you lose, then what?"
"Then… I'm yours," I said wearily.
Her mouth twisted into a pleased grin, but she lifted her finger. "One more condition."
"What?"
Her eyes glittered with cruel anticipation. "You can not call out to him or even speak."
I opened my mouth to object, but quickly closed it, knowing that arguing could possibly end any negotiating. After an apprehensive moment, I forced a nod. "Fine, but neither can you."
"We have a deal," she hissed as she began to step away from me. With each step, the glow around her began to dim until I could no longer see her and the room, once again, became pitch black.
Minutes of silence passed and all I could hear was my pounding heart. Each waiting moment caused my stomach to tighten. The silence was unbearable and just as I began to believe I had been deceived I heard Ben's voice.
"Hello? Is anyone there."
I was surprised that Vivianna didn't break the conditions set and remained silent, but her allure was still there. The heady scent of sweet blossoms filled the air, the taste of warm honey rolled over my tongue, and the sensation of velvety warmness brushed against my right arm. I felt enticed to follow the trail it created but stopped myself knowing it was Vivianna invisible hand trying to control me.
Realizing that she could be doing the same with Ben, I almost forgot myself and called out to him, but quickly bit my tongue. Instead, I closed my eyes to concentrate and chanted in my mind, Ben, find me. Ben, I'm here.
"Vivianna," I heard him call out.
My heart sunk, but I wasn't about to be defeated. Closing my eyes tighter, biting into my lip, and balling my fist to my side I shouted in my mind, Ben! I'm here! Find me! Do you remember all our nights in the darkness and how you always found me? You know I'm here! Just reach out to me.
I almost gasped as I felt fingers come to rest on my shoulder. They fluttered up my neck and to my cheek, at first, unsure, but as they brushed over my features I could sense Ben's awareness. He knew who I was.
Weaving my fingers into his, I brought his hand to my lips and kissed his palm. The lights in the room flickered on and standing across from me was Ben, looking down at me with love and relief, but a sudden gust of heat drew our attention to our right.
Standing only a few paces away was Vivianna, her mouth stretched into a snarl and a golden fire not only in her eyes but also stretching up her hands and around the bottom of her dress.
"Benjamin!" she growled taking a step closer to us, her hair now streaked with blazing highlights. "Come to me!"
His pupils grew as he focussed in on her and his grasp on my hand began to loosen.
"No!" I shouted taking his face in my hands and forcing him to meet my gaze. "Ben, you know who I am, you know who you are, and you know who you truly love." As his eyes drifted between the two of us my voice grew frantic. "Don't look at her! Look at me. You know me."
"He won't hear you, dimwit," Vivianna cackled as the flames began to crawl up her arms. "He never loved you in the first place. You were simply a means to an end."
I ignored her and kept my eyes focussed on Ben repeating, "I love you unconditionally, I love you always, I love you..."
His brow began to furrow and his unnaturally large pupils began to shrink down to a normal size. As he began to see me again his mouth fell open and his hands lifted to my face. "Emilia," he breathed.
I threw my arms around his neck, forgetting that Vivianna was only an arms length away, and cried, "Yes, it's me!"
He said nothing as he gave me a crushing hug in return, but feeling the blazing heat next to us we remembered our surroundings and our moment abruptly came to an end.
"No!" Vivianna screamed reaching her fiery hand toward me. "He's mine!"
Ben quickly pulled me into his embrace and out of harms way, but Vivianna didn't stop her pursuit. Each stumbling step we took back she stalked forward. Her skin grew more luminescent and the pearl and sapphire dress gleamed and shimmered from the flames making her look like a star preparing to go supernova. I wasn't about to dismiss the possibility, but instead of focussing on the threat before me I found myself instead drawn to the dress that was supposed to be my final hope.
Remembering how I had to sacrifice my ring for that dress, my fear transformed into anger. Everything Ben and I had suffered rapidly resurfaced and I wanted nothing more than to punch Vivianna. For obvious reasons I couldn't, but I thought, if I had something in my hand I could throw at her maybe it would be enough of a distraction for us to make a run for it. And feeling my gnarled ring cut into my balled up fist I knew exactly what that something was.
"Get your hands off him or I'll burn both of you! I won't warn you again," she demanded through her teeth.
Anger fed my courage and I moved away from Ben as though I was ready to give up. He grabbed at my arms protectively trying to draw me back in, but I shook my head at him. I then turned to face Vivianna, narrowing my eyes at her.
She stared back with the same venom in her gaze, her mouth curled into a sinister grin, and she raised her fiery hand as if to slap me. I had planned to use that moment to throw my ring at her, but as her hand came towards me I felt Ben's grab at me and once his arms were around my waist he dragged me to the ground. Hitting the ground the ring flew from my hand and straight towards Vivianna. Shocked that her hand had missed my face Vivianna's mouth fell open and almost as if guided, in went the ring.
Grabbing her throat, her eyes went wide and her face went red. As she struggled to breathe she stumbling back and the flames began to crawl up her arms and over her body. She tried to fight the fire back, momentarily blocking it with her magic, but she was too weak to control it for long and it once again began to consume her. As the flames grew she shrunk away until all that we could see of her was her golden eyes still flickering with rage.
As sparks began launching out towards us we scrambled further away and watched in disbelief as the flame gradually died out until it was nothing more than a small smolder on the floor. There was no trace of Vivianna left or the fire, but still Ben made his way over to the smoldering ash and with a wild look in his eyes he stomped at it. He kept stomping long after the smoke was gone and with a heavy breath and slumped shoulders he finally ceased.
My reaction was no better. For a long moment remained on the ground, silently staring at the spot where Vivianna once stood. It was nothing more than a burnt black spot that began to shrink into a wood knot. Lifting my eyes, I began to notice the room was gradually changing. Windows materialized letting in light and shapes began to appear, transforming the space into what looked like the actual rustic interior of a cabin.
A knocking at the door pulled us from our stunned daze and we both turned our heads.
"Ben! Emilia!" I heard calling from the other side.
Ben quickly opened the door and there stood Alaina. She looked around bewildered as she stepped inside. "It's just as it was before," she muttered.
"What happened to you?" I barely got out, feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted.
"She caught me searching for the key," she quietly replied, but her eyes didn't meet mine. They darted around the room and finally settled on Ben. "Is she… is she gone?"
"Yes," he said taking his sister by the shoulders and staring at her in amazement. "Alaina, it's you. It's really you."
She began to cry and threw her arms around him. "And it's really you too!" After giving him a thorough hug, she moved away from him and looked around the room until she found me. "Oh thank God! Emilia, I've been so freaking worried," she said making her way over to me and wrapping her arms around me. "You did this! You saved us!"
"I couldn't have gotten this far without you," I said as I tried to stand, but my knees gave out before I could.
She caught me before I fell and helped me back into a sitting position with a look of concern. "You're dead on your feet," she said before turning to Ben. "We've got to get her out of here. She's hardly slept or ate in days."
He regarded me with a look of guilt before lifting me in his arms and walking us towards the door.
"I'm fine Ben. I'm sure I can walk to the car," I feebly argued.
"Please stop trying to play hero for a moment and let me carry you," he whispered as his hold on me tightened. "Besides, I don't want to let you go."
There was a tenderness in his eyes that quickly melted whatever willfulness I was holding onto, which wasn't much because honestly, I didn't want him to let me go either.
"Okay," I agreed, draping my arms weakly over his shoulders and burying my nose in the crook of his neck. "Let's get out of here. I never want to see this place again."