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...I talk to God as much as I talk to Satan...

38.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Abrianna looked big-eyed at me. Disbelief colored her features. She wouldn't understand. I barely understood myself. I would never be able to remove Eric from my blood. I had nothing of my own blood left, I didn't know who I was. Even Abrianna wasn't my sister by blood anymore.

"I don't know. I need to think about it." I whispered and Alcide, ever loving, wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

"It's not something you need to think about now." He said softly.

"It's just so much happening in so little time." I said and shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Ashlyn. I didn't mean to rush you." Abrianna said and reached her hand out to me. I smiled and took it.

"I'm sorry I can't help you with your own condition, but…how could my blood have helped you?" I asked and Abrianna smiled sadly.

"Your poisonous blood, mixed with mine would kill and completely remove my…condition. That's all I know. It would kill what is in my blood and leave me completely human and normal. But let's not think about that now. What's done is done. Hadn't it been for that Eric guy you wouldn't be here at all and I would rather have you like this than not at all. I've waited for you for so long, searching to find my lost sister. I am happy, nonetheless." Abrianna smiled through tears and I had to swallow hard to keep from crying myself.

"A sister…in all but blood." I said and we all smiled happily. It would be okay.

Fangtasia

"Pam!" Eric roared the second he entered Fangtasia and Pam jolted, spinning around.

"Grab that Abrianna's stuff and toss it in the dungeon!" Eric's face was twisted in a mix of anger and power-lust. Pam knew better than to ask why, so she gestured to one of the girls and they hurried through the back door.

"Grab the girl and the black-eyed boy the second they walk through the doors." Eric told his two vampire doormen and they nodded silently and hurried to stand by the door.

Eric wandered back and forth, his hands clenched and unclenched and he almost gritted his teeth. This was the only way. The only. He told himself so, over and over. He knew what to do.

Thirty minutes later the door opened and there was a loud ruckus and fighting before Abrianna and Josef were gagged and dragged down to the dungeon beneath Fangtasia.

"Eric!" Eric spun around, seeing a furious Ashlyn coming towards him, fast. He hadn't expected her to return. Her fangs dropped, she roared and flew at him. He let her knock him over, though he knew perfectly well he would easily be able to knock her unconscious before she had had the time to drop fangs. He would let her do anything. She pinned his arms to the floor and pressed her knee in between his legs. It would be painful hadn't it been so fucking exhilarating.

"You let my sister go this minute, you piece of controlling shit!" Ashlyn screamed and her fangs were inches from his face.

"Where's the dog." Eric couldn't help himself, he smirked calmly. The answer came in the form of a stinging slap over his cheek. She laid all her strength behind it, but still it wasn't hard enough to knock him out. Though a mark it surely did leave.

"Bitch." He said, almost too calm.

"Bastard." She hissed and slapped him again.

"Child."

"Asshole." Another slap.

"Human." Ashlyn moved to slap him again but her hand stopped midair. Her eyes grew wider and grief cloaked her features.

"You love me." Eric said calmly and he felt her grip loosened.

"No…" She whispered, barely audible and she crawled off him, stumbling to her feet. Her back was turned and her shoulders hunched over.

"You…love me." Eric said gently and stood up. Ashlyn was quiet but her back revealed her. Her shoulders shivered lightly and her hands covered her face.

"You love me…" Eric whispered now, almost stunned by his own words. He knew now that she did.

"But you don't love me." He heard her whisper, more to herself than to him.

"Love…is a human emotion. I haven't been human in a thousand years." He said flatly. Ashlyn spun around and glared angrily at him though her eyes were red with tears.

"And there's your answer! I have been human and I always will be! Just because my maker is a cold-hearted bastard doesn't make me one! You are not able to feel love!" Her voice was shrilled and broken and Eric tried to search for those true, basic feelings. He didn't find any. Not in the degree she did.

"My lover, my daughter, my equal, my soul." Eric said with a steady voice and Ashlyn froze, staring at him. The air crackled with the power of an ancient ritual of release of the child. Ashlyn knew this by heart, by vampire instinct.

"I bind you to me. As lover, daughter, equal and soul. I bind you to me." Eric's words were the same as the ancient ritual, but twisted. Ashlyn gasped and thick tears pressed out of her eyes. She felt the heavy weight of the truth of it on her shoulders and if she was able to she would scream and fight him. Instead she stood bolted to the floor as Eric grabbed around her neck and yanked her closer, forcing her to look up at him.

"If you feel so fucking human, then let that sister of yours change you. But you will never be removed from me!" He said through clenched teeth. His face was twisted in anger, but Ashlyn saw that hint of grief in his eyes and she felt herself fall calm.

"I wish you would be able to feel what I feel. It makes life so much easier. It doesn't matter what you say, life is life. Love is love. Try and dig out those feelings in that cold, shriveled up heart of yours. Just try." She whispered and Eric threw her away, almost in disgust.

"Let my sister go. You are not winning me back by keeping my sister captive." Ashlyn said without looking at him. She knows she can't do any more. Not now. Silently she leaves Eric standing there. He is stunned by her strength. And her undying love.

"Let them out." Eric grumbled lowly and Pam, who had caught the end of the conversation and she stared surprised at him.

"Let them out!" Eric roared and Pam jumped and hurried out of the room. A table hit the wall and shattered in to a million pieces. He wasn't completely emotion-free. The anger rolled in him like fiery waves.

Ashlyn POV

The cool late night air soothed my temper. I dried away my tears and walked home. The streets were silent and empty, letting me cry without being noticed. I knew I never should have offered to walk Abrianna and Josef back to Fangtasia. And I most certainly shouldn't have convinced Alcide to meet me back home, that I would be fine alone. Instead of releasing me, Eric had bound me even tighter to him. After everything he has done he chose that. He sought to control me, not love me. I howled out my frustration and covered my face with my hands.

"Wruff!" I jumped as the gruffing of a dog sounded right next to me and I looked down at the huge wolf standing by me.

"Alcide…" I whispered and kneeled. I wrapped my arms around him and dug my fingers in to his thick, soft fur.

"Forgive me." I whispered and he pressed his head against me, licking my neck. He nudged me gently and I held on to his fur as we headed back home.

Fangtasia

"What the fuck is the meaning of this?" Abrianna was close to boiling over and she jerked at her arm, still held tightly by Pam. Abrianna glared at her.

"Let go of me you oversized Barbie!" She snapped and Pam raised an eyebrow at Eric.

"Let her go." Eric said with a sigh. The second Pam let her go, Abrianna marched over to Eric and waved an angry finger in his face.

"What have you done with Ashlyn!" She screamed and Eric's eyebrow rose.

"Ashlyn? I haven't done anything with her. She left." Eric said flatly and stared down at Abrianna, almost carelessly.

"I'm not surprised. It's obviously you've broken her." Abrianna glared angrily at him.

"You're typical vampire. Dead on the outside and the inside." She grumbled.

"Well, you can do something about that, now can't you? Yemanya, was it?" Eric grinned crookedly as all the color disappeared from Abrianna's face.

"How did you…" She stuttered. Josef grabbed her arm.

"He spied on us. It's just was a lowlife like him would do." He said. His voice was a low rumble in his throat.

"It paid off, didn't it?" Eric said flatly. His eyes sparkled coldly.

"No…no, I'm not changing you." Abrianna shook her head fiercely and backed up.

"Yes you are." Eric gritted his teeth. If he had to beat her to a pulp, she would do as he said. Sookie, Ashlyn and now Abrianna. He was so fucking tired of women who refused to obey him.

"No! I'm not! If you're planning on using this against me then we are leaving, right now!" Abrianna was almost screaming now.

"You can try." Eric said and cocked his head, clearly stating that leaving was no option whatsoever. Abrianna glanced over at the door, seeing the two massive bouncers and realized he was right.

"Then that goes for you too. You can try." She growled before spinning on her heel and marched out through the backdoor to the room she shared with Josef.

"That ignorant, power-craving, two-faced asshole!" Abrianna screamed and threw her bag, placed back on the chair by the door, hard in to the wall, knocking over a picture.

"Calm yourself, Abi. He's not going to hurt you." Josef said calmly and Abrianna spun around.

"How do you know!" She yelled, still fired up by Eric's extreme ways.

"Because he loves Ashlyn. Though he won't admit it. And if he hurts you he will only drive her further away. He won't risk that." Josef's calm voice worked wonders on Abrianna and she sunk down on the bed with a sigh.

"You've always been the smarter one of the two of us." She said and smiled tiredly at Josef.

"Well I am 700-something your elder. Anything else would have me worried." Josef sat down next to her and embraced her.

"Now look at it this way. We stay here so you'll be both close to Ashlyn and, I hate to admit it, but you're safer here than out there. Eric works as protection. Sort of. I know that sounds pretty hollow right now, but he is going to want to keep you hidden, so that only he knows of your powers. In the end that makes this place safe." Josef placed two fingers under her chin and gently forced her to look at him. His smile was gently and even though his eyes were pitch black they sparkled towards her.

"This is why I gave you life, Josef. You always have my back." Abrianna smiled and leaned her forehead against his.

"My heart..." Josef whispered and placed Abrianna's hand on his chest.

"Forever..." Abrianna whispered in reply and closed her eyes.

...cause I want to hear both sides...

Now everyone seems to be in a mess...Abrianna; captive of Eric. Eric; desperate to control (or love?) Ashlyn. Ashlyn; forced to be bound to Eric, yet her humanity and her love lies with Alcide. Or does it?