Risika paced the dark road outside the forest. It's not like she had anywhere to go - she lived nowhere. Some vampires actually slept in coffins, choosing to keep the old horror movie image alive. Not Risika. She was a wanderer, with one purpose - get rid of Aubrey. But now she wasn't so sure.
Risika sat down next to the black rose bush, and for the first time in a long time, fell into a restless sort of sleep. She would be able to wake herself well enough before dawn to get in doors.
Risika's dreams were not pleasant. Ather was there - Ather always haunted her mind in some way or another. She was the closest thing to a mother Risika had ever had, but she had failed miserably in that duty. Yet in her dreams, Risika saw herself dying over and over by the hands of Ather. That's what frightened her the most - she saw her own mother hating what she had become.
A few hours after Risika had closed her eyes, she was startled into consciousness again by a binding arm around her shoulders, and a hand clamped over her mouth. She immediately felt Aubrey's aura. Would this be the moment he finally triumphed over her? The moment she had dreaded for so long?
"Good thinking, Risika," he said to her. It was always unnerving to know her thoughts were heard, and she twisted to get away. He put an arm around her waist, holding her tighter, decreasing her already slim chances of escape, or fighting back. "Now, the question is, do I make the kill?"
He leaned into her neck, brushing her black hair aside. "I gave you my blood, don't you think it's only fair I share in the experience?"
He pierced her skin with his teeth, but only tasted her, no more. When he pulled back, he let her go. Risika spun angrily on him. "You could have killed me! Why didn't you?"
"Why would I want to? I told you we should stop fighting." He glanced up briefly. "Come it's almost dawn."
Risika instantly found herself standing in what she guessed to be Aubrey's house. Surprisingly, it appeared well-kept. "Don't worry, Jessica and Caryn are gone," he said with a slight smile.
"Why did you bring me here?" Risika asked wearily. She was still too tired to fight him.
"For one, I believe you have something which belongs to me," and before she could stop him, he took back his knife. The Fenris carved on it shone brightly, even in the dimly lit room. "And two, I wanted to talk. I have a proposal to make to you."
Risika was trying to figure out a way to get to his knife, so she could make a move before he did. Unable to reach it, she sent him a mental blow, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. "I accept no proposals from enemies," she said coldly.
Sitting up, Aubrey grabbed her hand before she could leave, forcing her to turn around and face him again. "Risika, you know as well as I that I would have killed you by now if I wanted to. And I know plenty in my line who wouldn't mind seeing you dead either. But you would put up a great fight. So, what I was trying to say to you is -"
Risika was squeezing his hand and watching his face as he tried to hide the pain. Why wasn't he defending himself?
"- is, if we joined together, think how much stronger we could be. If we stopped fighting, and started helping each other, no vampire could stop us, and no prey would be unreachable."
"Do you mean blood-bonding?" Risika asked him, not trusting his enticing words.
"Perhaps, or at least just no more chasing each other all the time and never accomplishing anything."
While Risika still squeezed his hand, she could sense the pain she caused him. Reluctantly, she let go and backed away. "Like I said, I don't accept proposals from enemies." But she was less sure of herself this time.
In the second before she vanished, Risika heard Aubrey's voice in her mind, asking *Is that all we'll ever be?*
Risika sat down next to the black rose bush, and for the first time in a long time, fell into a restless sort of sleep. She would be able to wake herself well enough before dawn to get in doors.
Risika's dreams were not pleasant. Ather was there - Ather always haunted her mind in some way or another. She was the closest thing to a mother Risika had ever had, but she had failed miserably in that duty. Yet in her dreams, Risika saw herself dying over and over by the hands of Ather. That's what frightened her the most - she saw her own mother hating what she had become.
A few hours after Risika had closed her eyes, she was startled into consciousness again by a binding arm around her shoulders, and a hand clamped over her mouth. She immediately felt Aubrey's aura. Would this be the moment he finally triumphed over her? The moment she had dreaded for so long?
"Good thinking, Risika," he said to her. It was always unnerving to know her thoughts were heard, and she twisted to get away. He put an arm around her waist, holding her tighter, decreasing her already slim chances of escape, or fighting back. "Now, the question is, do I make the kill?"
He leaned into her neck, brushing her black hair aside. "I gave you my blood, don't you think it's only fair I share in the experience?"
He pierced her skin with his teeth, but only tasted her, no more. When he pulled back, he let her go. Risika spun angrily on him. "You could have killed me! Why didn't you?"
"Why would I want to? I told you we should stop fighting." He glanced up briefly. "Come it's almost dawn."
Risika instantly found herself standing in what she guessed to be Aubrey's house. Surprisingly, it appeared well-kept. "Don't worry, Jessica and Caryn are gone," he said with a slight smile.
"Why did you bring me here?" Risika asked wearily. She was still too tired to fight him.
"For one, I believe you have something which belongs to me," and before she could stop him, he took back his knife. The Fenris carved on it shone brightly, even in the dimly lit room. "And two, I wanted to talk. I have a proposal to make to you."
Risika was trying to figure out a way to get to his knife, so she could make a move before he did. Unable to reach it, she sent him a mental blow, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. "I accept no proposals from enemies," she said coldly.
Sitting up, Aubrey grabbed her hand before she could leave, forcing her to turn around and face him again. "Risika, you know as well as I that I would have killed you by now if I wanted to. And I know plenty in my line who wouldn't mind seeing you dead either. But you would put up a great fight. So, what I was trying to say to you is -"
Risika was squeezing his hand and watching his face as he tried to hide the pain. Why wasn't he defending himself?
"- is, if we joined together, think how much stronger we could be. If we stopped fighting, and started helping each other, no vampire could stop us, and no prey would be unreachable."
"Do you mean blood-bonding?" Risika asked him, not trusting his enticing words.
"Perhaps, or at least just no more chasing each other all the time and never accomplishing anything."
While Risika still squeezed his hand, she could sense the pain she caused him. Reluctantly, she let go and backed away. "Like I said, I don't accept proposals from enemies." But she was less sure of herself this time.
In the second before she vanished, Risika heard Aubrey's voice in her mind, asking *Is that all we'll ever be?*