A/N: This is officially the last chapter but there is one more that is kind of like an epilogue. I hope it will serve to answer any remaining questions. I want to thank all my wonderful readers, past and future, for joining me on this journey. This was my first fanfic and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it (even though I'm sure by this point enjoy isn't really the right word). One note for this chapter, if you would like a soundtrack I would recommend Could it be any Harder by The Calling as well as The Memory by Mayday Parade. Let me know what you think of the story! Thanks and enjoy!
Chapter 26
Leigh hadn't realized how far away the castle was from their first campsite. She had been unconscious the first time they made the trip. They weren't in a hurry to get there so it ended up being nearly evening when they stopped in front of the towering building. It looked even more eerie with the sun setting behind it.
When they dismounted, Leigh didn't bother grabbing anything except for the small lamp. She wasn't ashamed to reach for D's hand as they headed toward the towering doors. She wasn't sure if it was more to ease her fear or for the simple comfort she found in being able to touch him while she still could. The fact that he didn't say anything when their fingers entwined made Leigh smile up at his back. There was sadness in her eyes, but she wasn't about to break down.
Once he opened the doors he turned back to her. She could see the same look in his eyes that she knew was in hers, but she just gave him a quick hug before turning on the lamp and walking into the darkened entrance. Even though they traveled the same path as the last time, she didn't have any better luck keeping track of the way they went. She wasn't exactly trying to remember the way either. Her eyes were almost constantly on the hunter by her side. She had opened her shields to see if there were any other presences but had found nothing so far. Of course, that left her open to her companion's feelings as well. The fact that they mirrored her own made it hard for her to keep going, but she knew the outcome was inevitable.
They both stopped outside the room she had arrived in, the room where they had their first encounter with the being that had pulled her there. Neither of them looked at the other, just stood there staring at the door. Finally, Leigh reached out and pushed the door open.
She wasn't able to hold in the scream that left her lips when the open door revealed a pair of red glowing eyes. The déjà vu was so strong it was disorienting. D had already let go of her hand and was across the room to engage him. To both their surprise the man did nothing but dodge and jump out of range. D was already following him across the room when he paused at the man's voice. "Hold, I am not here to interfere. I merely wanted to congratulate you, both of you."
His words didn't soothe Leigh's fear. She had taken a couple of steps into the room and stood there staring at him, like a rabbit stares at a snake. D hadn't lowered his sword but didn't make any further move to attack. The silence stretched until Leigh worked up enough courage to speak. "Why would you congratulate us? What do you want?"
The look he gave her was complicated. There was an underlying sadness that he didn't bother hiding, but there was also something evaluating in the look he gave her. "You have managed what I could not." He turned to look back over at D before continuing. "Also, you have accomplished something rare."
Leigh was tired to death of listening to his cryptic responses. Her irritation was clear in her voice when she spoke. "Can you only talk in riddles? Do you have some sort of personal code that says you can't just speak straight?"
He turned a small, sad smile in her direction. "I see you are still unable to keep from defying me. I suppose that is what made this work though."
Leigh couldn't help the frustrated noise she made but she was silenced when the man turned to D once again. "I know you are aware of at least a part of why I am here. You may not have become all you were supposed to, but you have still done something extraordinary."
While the man had been speaking D had maneuvered so that he was now standing between Leigh and the older male. The man only shook his head slightly. "I will not attack her. I have no need to. Besides, you have a claim on her that even I could not undo."
Leigh couldn't see D's face, but she noticed his body stiffen at the man's words. She tried to peek around him to see if she could tell what was going on. Both men were masters of speaking in body language that was a mystery to everyone except themselves and without seeing them she felt more deaf than normal. When she saw D's profile she was surprised at the open shock she found. Her gaze was drawn back to the man as he spoke again. "I see you did not realize it was more than a blood bond. It isn't surprising, as it would not have been possible had she been completely human. Will that knowledge change anything though?"
All three people stood in silence after that. Leigh had an inkling of what the man had been talking about. It helped her to understand what had happened the day he had attacked her when she was alone. She was sure the outcome would remain the same though.
The man finally moved to turn his back on them both. D moved into a position to attack but the man disappeared before he could move. His parting words echoed around them. "I will leave you to say goodbye."
After he was gone they both stood still for several minutes. Leigh tried her best to see if she could feel anything around them since her eyes couldn't penetrate the darkness further in the room. She knew it was probably a lost cause. The man had proven several times that he could manipulate her perception of his emotions, even as far as hiding them from her completely. It didn't surprise her that he was capable of something like that.
Finally, D must have decided he was gone as well. He put his sword away before turning back to Leigh. She noticed his eyes were even more troubled than they had been. She couldn't stand to see him like that. The look was out of place on his normally stoic face. She wrapped her arms around him. "Don't let his words get to you." She had her face buried in his chest so didn't see as his gaze softened.
"I find that I don't want to let you go."
At his words Leigh's heart stopped beating momentarily before starting a race to beat out of her chest. She never expected to hear those words from him. Unfortunately, she also heard what he hadn't said. She loosened her grip enough to look up into his face. "I sense there is a but coming."
He gave her a sad smile. "I cannot keep you. Even if you think the same, we both know we have different paths to walk."
Leigh could feel the tears falling finally but she ignored them. She still managed to smile through them. "I told you from the beginning I understood that. I don't regret it at all. Having this…" She paused and put her hand on his chest. "Even if it was for a short time, it's worth it. I am privileged to have had the opportunity." She buried her face in his chest once again after that.
Together they stood there, unmoving. Neither of them wanted to break the silence, knowing what it would mean. In the silence, Leigh realized she could pinpoint the spot she needed to move into. Now that there was no one in the room terrifying her as a distraction and she knew what she was looking for, she realized the pull had been there from the beginning. It was just faint enough that the other times she had been in the room she hadn't noticed it passed the distractions.
With a sigh, she finally pulled away from D, still making sure to grab his hand. "The spot is over there." She pointed to a spot near the center of the room before tugging on his hand and moving toward it. She stopped right next to where she could feel the pull the strongest. "I… I wanted to thank you. If you hadn't been here, there is no telling what might have happened." She paused to swallow a few times to try and dislodge the knot that was forming. Finally, she was able to speak again. "I don't know how the rest of either of our lives will play out, but I can promise I'll never forget you."
At those words D moved to pull her into another embrace. She wanted to cling to him and never let go but she knew, no matter how hard it was, they couldn't stay like that forever. She let it linger for just a moment before pushing back again. When she looked up she gave him another tremulous smile. She ran her hands down his arms and grasped his hands tightly before pausing and slightly lifting his left. "I won't be able to forget you either. I wanted to thank you for making me smile, especially over the last several weeks. The two of you make a great team, so look after him please."
She hadn't bothered to try and look at D's palm. She knew Lefty would know she was talking to him. She couldn't help the choked laugh at his response. "Well, at least I managed to make one of you smile. Living with the sourpuss here, I despaired of ever seeing one again." She closed her eyes, focusing on holding the moment. She opened them and looked back down when the carbuncle spoke again. "You take care too. Make sure not to get yourself into trouble. I know it'll be hard, as you seem to be a magnet for it, but… well, I'm sure you'll be fine."
That time when she smiled down at D's companion, it wasn't forced. "I'll do my best."
She finally moved to where the feeling was the strongest. She could tell instantly she was in the right spot. There was a feeling in the back of her mind telling her, all she would have to do was let go and she would be back home. She wasn't quite ready yet. There was at least one more thing she wanted to say before she faded away from her lover forever.
She looked back up into his eyes but didn't get a chance to say anything. He had brought a hand up and cupped her cheek. The move was so tender it stole her breath for a moment. He caught her eyes before bending to brush his lips across hers. The pressure left her lips, but he only moved back far enough to speak. She felt his words breathed across her lips. "I love you." Instantly his lips were crushed against hers again.
When he finally pulled back she smiled up at him. "I know." She brushed her fingers across his lips, wearing the smile she would only ever have for him. "Please do something for me? I know you may feel like the darkness is consuming you but remember, no matter what else, you will always be my sunlight. Don't forget that, don't let that go." She wrapped her arms around him, her last words were choked but still clear to the hunter's ears. "I love you! I can't leave without letting you know."
D closed his eyes and held her close. He lifted her head to press his lips to her forehead, wiping away the tears as they soaked her face. They instantly drenched her cheeks again but neither paid attention. She reached up with both hands, holding his face, trying to memorize every angle and curve. She didn't look away even as his eyes turned red and his anguish washed over her, joining with her own as it threatened to wash her away. She still smiled only for him as she whispered. "Goodbye, my love." With those words she allowed the pulling to drag her away.
D watched as she faded away until he was holding nothing but air. She had never stopped smiling for him. He could still feel the warmth in his fingertips, her warmth that she had never held back from him. Her warmth that she had not only shared with him but made sure he had always known she felt just for him, even if she never said as much. That smile would always be his.
As those thoughts whirled fast in his head, a monstrous aura sprang forth from him, shaking the very building he was standing in. If he noticed it, he paid it no heed. He even ignored the voice of his companion. "D!? Come on now, you're going to bring the place down around our ears! It isn't the end of the world; you know she's safe at least!" A rumbling could be heard from all around them causing the carbuncle to really start to worry as D hadn't moved. "Let's move D. We can talk about this outside. Oh, move. Now! I don't want to die yet."
D hadn't bothered to make Lefty shut up. He hadn't moved at all. When Lefty noticed a large piece of the ceiling falling he truly felt panic creep in. He didn't get much of a chance for it to set in though as both he and the hunter he was attached to were forcefully thrown out of the way.
That finally served to break D from his distraction. He was on instant alert for what had tackled him out of the way. He froze when he looked over into a face like his own. What had him frozen wasn't the face that mirrored his own, but the eyes that did not. He was looking into eyes that looked so much like the ones he had just watched fade away. His eyes widened as the man spoke. "She would not have wanted this. Live and achieve your goals. That is all she ever wanted."
D didn't get a chance to respond before the man turned and ran away so fast he was gone before D could think to follow. The sight of the man had something stirring in D, causing him to move. He had barely made it outside when the building finally started falling apart, from the inside out. He paid it no heed as he headed back toward his horse. He had known, before she left that she was not going home alone, but he never expected what he had just seen.
When he mounted he realized he now had something additional to search for. He found that the thought didn't fill him with dread though. He had a very long life ahead of him and he planned on using it to find answers. He turned his horse toward the wastelands. If he heard the voice of his companion as they rode away, he didn't add anything. "Goodbye to you too. Hope you find happiness."
Leigh could feel that she was home, she felt something soft under her feet instead of the cold stone floor she had been standing on. Her gaze was still pointed up, her arms still up in the air, but she finally allowed the smile to fall from her lips. There was no longer someone there to share it with.
When she finally allowed her arms to fall, her whole body collapsed. She barely noted she was back on her own bed. She sat there on her knees, with her arms wrapped around herself tightly. The sobs wracked her body so hard she could feel the muscles in her torso and back straining, but she couldn't stop the tears. Eventually she fell to her side as the sobs subsided. Tears still came down, but she didn't have the energy to care.
It wasn't until the dawn broke through the crack in her curtains, brightly shining on her face, that she came back from the memories that continued to play through her minds eye. As she sat up and looked around the room that didn't seem to be changed at all, she finally remembered there were probably people that had missed her. She instantly thought of her father. She had to let him know she was home.
She crawled across the bed to the landline sitting on her bedside table. She didn't even have to think before her father's number was dialed. When she heard a gruff 'hello' after the second ring she found she hadn't cried out all her tears after all. It wasn't until she caught the worried tone in his voice as he called out her name for the third time that she was able to get herself under control enough to speak. "Dad! I'm back. I'm home! Oh dad…" She broke off again, not knowing how to even start telling him what had happened.
Richard could hear the note of hysteria in his daughter's voice. He had never heard her sound so broken and it instantly had him on alert. He tried to get her to calm down. "Sweetie just calm down and talk to me." When the only response he got was more sobbing he knew he was needed, probably more than he ever had been before. His daughter was the most independent woman he knew, even when she was younger. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared. "Ok, sweetie, listen. I'm on my way there right now. I'll be there as quick as I can."
He barely heard her confirmation that she had heard him before he hung up and headed out. Normally it would take him a little over two hours to get from his ranch to where she lived. That morning he made it in just over an hour.
He had a key to his daughter's house, but it was the first time he had ever used it. It was only the second time he had been in the building in the two years since she had been there, the first being when he helped her move in. That didn't stop him from knowing exactly where he would find her.
He headed straight for her room only to find her curled up and asleep on her bed. He might have been a little upset that he had rushed if it weren't for the rest of what he saw. She was wrapped up in a cloth cloak that didn't look like a prop. It was dusty and looked to be well used. Besides that, her face was still covered in the tracks of her tears and her nose was slightly red. He had never seen her like that, not since she had been small. She was stubborn and didn't like other people knowing what she was feeling.
He wasn't sure what happened, but he wasn't going to leave her there like that. If she had work, she was going to call in for a few days off. He picked her up gently and headed out. She woke up partially before he made it to his truck. She looked up at him and when he caught her eyes his breath caught at the broken look in them. He didn't ask questions though. He knew she would tell him when she was ready. For now, he had her in is truck and on the way back to the ranch. She was asleep again before they made it. When he put her on the bed of her room, he brushed the hair back off her face. All he could do was hope it was something he could help with. He hated to see that look in her eyes, but something told him it was a hurt he wasn't going to be able to chase away for her.