Chastity frowned, pushing open the door to the old abandoned warehouse, a few miles outside of Vegas. She didn't really know why she'd agreed to meet Therina there, but she'd decided she might as well talk to her, to finally sort things out. A small shiver, like a premonition went through her.
She pushed it away and looked around for a light switch. She was surprised to see Seth standing in the middle of the barn. He looked confused. He wasn't the only one. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing a strand of blonde hair out her eyes.
Seth frowned. "I could ask you the same question."
Chastity felt awkward around him. Last time he'd seen her he'd been freaking out over the fact that he'd discovered she was a vampire. Now he was just looking at her. She made herself look at him. "Did Therina ask you to come here?" she asked, feeling a pit starting to grow in her stomach.
Seth stuck his hands in the pocket of his jeans. "Yeah. She asked you too?"
Chastity just nodded. They stood there in an awkward silence. She wanted to know if he could accept her for who she really was now. He was her soulmate, soulmates were supposed to be perfect for each other, they were supposed to stay together...
"You said you would - you - how do - can - " she couldn't quite form the question she wanted to ask.
He was looking at her, head tilted to one side, a hand reaching out to touch her features lightly. The touch as so wonderfully soft, so gentle. He could still bring himself to touch her, so maybe there was hope...
Finally, he smiled at her. "Yeah," he said again.
Relief soared through her, filling her, lifting her. And the next thing Chastity knew they were in each other's arms, kissing and kissing, the white light of their soulmate connection blooming, like fireworks streaming in the air.
Seth pulled back, an arm around her. "I'm guessing if Therina's involved in this, it can't be anything good."
Chastity nodded in agreement. "She's up to something. Let's get out of here before she gets here."
She and Seth turned to leave - only to find Therina Blackthorn blocking their exit, a scowl on her face, a large stake in her hand.
"You're not going anywhere," she hissed at them.
* * *
Chastity was annoyed. Everywhere she went it seemed Therina was determined to show up and ruin her life. She scowled furiously. "What's your problem?" she snapped. "Why can't you get a boyfriend of your own instead of stealing other people's?"
Therina's scowl matched hers. She smiled cruelly, toying with the stake in her hand. "I don't like you. You're the one who needs a lesson in not stealing boyfriends."
Seth was confused. "What's going on?"
Therina frowned. "Amadeo was *mine.* Only you were in the way."
Chastity stared at her. Amadeo had left her centuries ago. She had never really recovered from it. It had all been Therina's fault as well. She had intervened and he had left her all alone. Changed her and abandoned her. And now Therina was trying to take Seth from her too. "Amadeo left me years ago. He left me for *you*."
Therina just stared at her angrily. "Well, I don't care about that anymore. Night People and vermin can't be together. It's against the law." Her lip curled.
Seth was insulted. "Who're you calling vermin?" he snorted. "I'd rather have Chastity than you any day."
Therina sighed and shook her head. "If only you weren't so stupid, then things could have been different."
"What do you gain out of this anyway?" Chastity said, reasonably. Maybe she could try convincing Therina to let them go. It didn't seem likely that she would, but what else was there to do?
Therina's attention was momentarily distracted from Seth. "What?"
Chastity shrugged. Her head tilted to one side. "Well, for starters if you kill us, what do you get out if? You don't have Seth as your trophy, and you don't have me to make miserable."
Therina didn't say anything. She stood in silence for several minutes. Seth glanced over at Chastity. She could see in his eyes that there was a spark of hope that maybe they would win after all...
With a sudden cry, Therina raised the stake and lunged at Seth. Chastity didn't know what was happening. Therina as fast blur of motion. A wooden stake through the heart would kill Seth just as much as it would her.
"No!" she shrieked, and threw herself at Seth, knocking him out of the way of the stake. But she herself wasn't so lucky. The stake plunged into her. Therina stepped back, triumph shining out her eyes. Then the triumph changed to shock. Chastity smiled, watching as Therina's skin started turning leathery and stretching over her bones until there was nothing left of her but a mummified corpse.
Calista stood over her, pulling her own stake out of Therina's back. She and Seth knelt down by Chastity's side. The stake had actually just missed her heart, hence why she hadn't died instantly like Therina.
She smiled at Seth, admiring how handsome he was, her fingers ran over his features gently. His eyes were shining with wetly with unshed tears. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he whispered back.
"You don't have to die, we can get a healing woman..." Calista said in a choked voice. Her lips were wobbling and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Chastity shook her head sadly. "There won't be time." She looked over at Seth. "There was so much we could have done together..." She didn't want to leave him. They were soulmates...without her...But Calista was there. She'd make sure he was okay. "Take care of him for me, won't you?"
Calista nodded, sniffing. "We won't forget you."
Chastity smiled, feeling sleepy and tired. The pain had gone now, everything had a sort of silvery brightness to it. Her eyes closed for the final time, and all the darkness was gone.
* * *
Seth stood over the gravesite, staring down at the small bouquet of red roses he had laid down for her. It had been a week since Chastity had died and Circle Daybreak had had the funeral.
She had sacrificed herself to save his life. She would rather have her die them him. He had never known he was worth that type of sacrifice.
But still...without her, nothing would be the same. He would only seem half alive. He knew she would want him to go on and live his life. He would always remember her.
His love for her would burn like an eternal flame on a candle in the night.
THE END.
She pushed it away and looked around for a light switch. She was surprised to see Seth standing in the middle of the barn. He looked confused. He wasn't the only one. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing a strand of blonde hair out her eyes.
Seth frowned. "I could ask you the same question."
Chastity felt awkward around him. Last time he'd seen her he'd been freaking out over the fact that he'd discovered she was a vampire. Now he was just looking at her. She made herself look at him. "Did Therina ask you to come here?" she asked, feeling a pit starting to grow in her stomach.
Seth stuck his hands in the pocket of his jeans. "Yeah. She asked you too?"
Chastity just nodded. They stood there in an awkward silence. She wanted to know if he could accept her for who she really was now. He was her soulmate, soulmates were supposed to be perfect for each other, they were supposed to stay together...
"You said you would - you - how do - can - " she couldn't quite form the question she wanted to ask.
He was looking at her, head tilted to one side, a hand reaching out to touch her features lightly. The touch as so wonderfully soft, so gentle. He could still bring himself to touch her, so maybe there was hope...
Finally, he smiled at her. "Yeah," he said again.
Relief soared through her, filling her, lifting her. And the next thing Chastity knew they were in each other's arms, kissing and kissing, the white light of their soulmate connection blooming, like fireworks streaming in the air.
Seth pulled back, an arm around her. "I'm guessing if Therina's involved in this, it can't be anything good."
Chastity nodded in agreement. "She's up to something. Let's get out of here before she gets here."
She and Seth turned to leave - only to find Therina Blackthorn blocking their exit, a scowl on her face, a large stake in her hand.
"You're not going anywhere," she hissed at them.
* * *
Chastity was annoyed. Everywhere she went it seemed Therina was determined to show up and ruin her life. She scowled furiously. "What's your problem?" she snapped. "Why can't you get a boyfriend of your own instead of stealing other people's?"
Therina's scowl matched hers. She smiled cruelly, toying with the stake in her hand. "I don't like you. You're the one who needs a lesson in not stealing boyfriends."
Seth was confused. "What's going on?"
Therina frowned. "Amadeo was *mine.* Only you were in the way."
Chastity stared at her. Amadeo had left her centuries ago. She had never really recovered from it. It had all been Therina's fault as well. She had intervened and he had left her all alone. Changed her and abandoned her. And now Therina was trying to take Seth from her too. "Amadeo left me years ago. He left me for *you*."
Therina just stared at her angrily. "Well, I don't care about that anymore. Night People and vermin can't be together. It's against the law." Her lip curled.
Seth was insulted. "Who're you calling vermin?" he snorted. "I'd rather have Chastity than you any day."
Therina sighed and shook her head. "If only you weren't so stupid, then things could have been different."
"What do you gain out of this anyway?" Chastity said, reasonably. Maybe she could try convincing Therina to let them go. It didn't seem likely that she would, but what else was there to do?
Therina's attention was momentarily distracted from Seth. "What?"
Chastity shrugged. Her head tilted to one side. "Well, for starters if you kill us, what do you get out if? You don't have Seth as your trophy, and you don't have me to make miserable."
Therina didn't say anything. She stood in silence for several minutes. Seth glanced over at Chastity. She could see in his eyes that there was a spark of hope that maybe they would win after all...
With a sudden cry, Therina raised the stake and lunged at Seth. Chastity didn't know what was happening. Therina as fast blur of motion. A wooden stake through the heart would kill Seth just as much as it would her.
"No!" she shrieked, and threw herself at Seth, knocking him out of the way of the stake. But she herself wasn't so lucky. The stake plunged into her. Therina stepped back, triumph shining out her eyes. Then the triumph changed to shock. Chastity smiled, watching as Therina's skin started turning leathery and stretching over her bones until there was nothing left of her but a mummified corpse.
Calista stood over her, pulling her own stake out of Therina's back. She and Seth knelt down by Chastity's side. The stake had actually just missed her heart, hence why she hadn't died instantly like Therina.
She smiled at Seth, admiring how handsome he was, her fingers ran over his features gently. His eyes were shining with wetly with unshed tears. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he whispered back.
"You don't have to die, we can get a healing woman..." Calista said in a choked voice. Her lips were wobbling and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Chastity shook her head sadly. "There won't be time." She looked over at Seth. "There was so much we could have done together..." She didn't want to leave him. They were soulmates...without her...But Calista was there. She'd make sure he was okay. "Take care of him for me, won't you?"
Calista nodded, sniffing. "We won't forget you."
Chastity smiled, feeling sleepy and tired. The pain had gone now, everything had a sort of silvery brightness to it. Her eyes closed for the final time, and all the darkness was gone.
* * *
Seth stood over the gravesite, staring down at the small bouquet of red roses he had laid down for her. It had been a week since Chastity had died and Circle Daybreak had had the funeral.
She had sacrificed herself to save his life. She would rather have her die them him. He had never known he was worth that type of sacrifice.
But still...without her, nothing would be the same. He would only seem half alive. He knew she would want him to go on and live his life. He would always remember her.
His love for her would burn like an eternal flame on a candle in the night.
THE END.