Chapter Ten
Satine wrung her hands nervously, the familiar fear when she was around the duke frothing burningly in her stomach. *He's insane.* she realized horrifically, watching one of his eyes twitching as he glared at Christian. *Insane with jealousy.* Christian caught one of her hands underneath the table, squeezing it reassuringly, her skin feeling impossibly warm and smooth, like heated velvet. The duke stared at them, unable to tear his eyes away, brimming with anger. *How DARE they come here!* he raged inaudibly, *Just purely to TAUNT me?!* His fingers arched unconsciously into fists, the still sane part of himself trying to force the murderous thoughts away, but the attempts were fruitless. *I'll kill them BOTH!* Christian whispered something in Satine's ear, and she sighed and smiled fleetingly for a moment, a smile filled with warmth, compassion, love. That small action sent the duke over the edge. He gripped the gun in his pocket so hard his knuckles began to dissolve into white, the tendons in his fingers straining. Then, with a feral cry, the duke stood up, pointing the gun directly at the pair. At first, the other guests at the table stayed sitting in a hushed silence, then the duke, enraged, fired a bullet, thudding into the wall slightly above Christian's head. The people screamed, knocking into each other frantically, trying to get out the small door. Christian pushed Satine down, looking for another exit to the room as the major one was obviously clogged. The duke fired again, a goblet over Satine's arm shattering with a high tinkle of broken glass.
"Satine," Christian hissed, pointing towards the kitchen off the dining room, "Go over there. I'll find you."
"No, Christian-" Christian glanced up to see the duke threading his way through the crowd of people, the gun still pointed at the pair, but as the duke was unable to get a good shot he couldn't fire.
"GO!" Satine obligingly sprinted for the kitchen, her dress trailing out behind her like wisps a blue fog. The duke, seeing her run, changed his direction, moving now towards the kitchen. Christian glanced wildly around, searching for some kind of weapon. Strong arms encircled his neck, choking off his air supply. Christian tried to tilt his head, and saw that his attacker was the duke's manservant, Warner. The duke, seeing that Christian was decidedly out of the way, strode into the kitchen, the gun pointed outwards. Weakness flooded through Christian's body from the lack of oxygen, the pressure in his head building to intolerable amounts. His arms flailed, and his fingers hit something long, smooth, serrated. It was a steak knife from off the dining table. He grasped the handle tightly, and with the last of his remaining strength plunged it into Warner's face. The man's chokehold immediately loosened, and he fell to the floor, blood spurting out of his forehead in steady gushes. Christian massaged his neck, greedily sucking in air, before spotting Warner's gun on the floor. He picked it up, the metal chilly in his hands.
"CHRISTIAN!!!" His heart raced, hearing Satine scream from the area to the left of the dining room. Christian ran through the kitchen, past shining pots and pans, and into the living room, where the duke had grabbed Satine, one hand gripping her neck, the other pressing his gun against her temple. Satine was quietly sobbing, her hands over her face.
"You made me believe that you loved me." Choked out the duke, his fingers tightening on the trigger. One of the guns fired.
*Author's note* I know this chapter was horrible, but Omg, I'm sorry, I HAD to do that. Which one will die, the duke or Satine? Would I ever murder one of my characters? Find out soon!!!!!!!! ^_^
Satine wrung her hands nervously, the familiar fear when she was around the duke frothing burningly in her stomach. *He's insane.* she realized horrifically, watching one of his eyes twitching as he glared at Christian. *Insane with jealousy.* Christian caught one of her hands underneath the table, squeezing it reassuringly, her skin feeling impossibly warm and smooth, like heated velvet. The duke stared at them, unable to tear his eyes away, brimming with anger. *How DARE they come here!* he raged inaudibly, *Just purely to TAUNT me?!* His fingers arched unconsciously into fists, the still sane part of himself trying to force the murderous thoughts away, but the attempts were fruitless. *I'll kill them BOTH!* Christian whispered something in Satine's ear, and she sighed and smiled fleetingly for a moment, a smile filled with warmth, compassion, love. That small action sent the duke over the edge. He gripped the gun in his pocket so hard his knuckles began to dissolve into white, the tendons in his fingers straining. Then, with a feral cry, the duke stood up, pointing the gun directly at the pair. At first, the other guests at the table stayed sitting in a hushed silence, then the duke, enraged, fired a bullet, thudding into the wall slightly above Christian's head. The people screamed, knocking into each other frantically, trying to get out the small door. Christian pushed Satine down, looking for another exit to the room as the major one was obviously clogged. The duke fired again, a goblet over Satine's arm shattering with a high tinkle of broken glass.
"Satine," Christian hissed, pointing towards the kitchen off the dining room, "Go over there. I'll find you."
"No, Christian-" Christian glanced up to see the duke threading his way through the crowd of people, the gun still pointed at the pair, but as the duke was unable to get a good shot he couldn't fire.
"GO!" Satine obligingly sprinted for the kitchen, her dress trailing out behind her like wisps a blue fog. The duke, seeing her run, changed his direction, moving now towards the kitchen. Christian glanced wildly around, searching for some kind of weapon. Strong arms encircled his neck, choking off his air supply. Christian tried to tilt his head, and saw that his attacker was the duke's manservant, Warner. The duke, seeing that Christian was decidedly out of the way, strode into the kitchen, the gun pointed outwards. Weakness flooded through Christian's body from the lack of oxygen, the pressure in his head building to intolerable amounts. His arms flailed, and his fingers hit something long, smooth, serrated. It was a steak knife from off the dining table. He grasped the handle tightly, and with the last of his remaining strength plunged it into Warner's face. The man's chokehold immediately loosened, and he fell to the floor, blood spurting out of his forehead in steady gushes. Christian massaged his neck, greedily sucking in air, before spotting Warner's gun on the floor. He picked it up, the metal chilly in his hands.
"CHRISTIAN!!!" His heart raced, hearing Satine scream from the area to the left of the dining room. Christian ran through the kitchen, past shining pots and pans, and into the living room, where the duke had grabbed Satine, one hand gripping her neck, the other pressing his gun against her temple. Satine was quietly sobbing, her hands over her face.
"You made me believe that you loved me." Choked out the duke, his fingers tightening on the trigger. One of the guns fired.
*Author's note* I know this chapter was horrible, but Omg, I'm sorry, I HAD to do that. Which one will die, the duke or Satine? Would I ever murder one of my characters? Find out soon!!!!!!!! ^_^