Chapter Forty-one
She wasn't quite strong, or quick enough.
Joshua held Alison's wrist in her hand, applying pressure until she dropped the weapon to the ground. She began to cry, all hope was lost, until she heard a familiar voice call out.
Rafe screamed, his voice full of pain, "No! Alison. NO!" He started towards her and was halfway there when it happened. It was just like he had imagined in his dreams. His legs were stone still. He was paralyzed.
Rafe looked on helplessly as Joshua held Alison in his slimy grip. He watched as Joshua pulled her towards him, and ran his finger down her neck. "Rafe." Alison whispered, her eyes pleading to him.
"Alison, my dear - I warned you. Life could have been so wonderful, I would have given you everything you ever wanted but you are just too willful and stubborn. I can't allow you to defy me. You dared to challenge me. You've made a deadly mistake."
Alison bucked against Joshua, bringing her foot up, digging the heel of her shoe into his calf. He winced in pain, but tightened his hold on her.
His voice hissed, the feel of his breath on her ear making her cringe. "You disobedient little witch."
Rafe continued to struggle, fighting with all he had to move. "Joshua. I'm warning you. Let her go." He demanded. His voice was deadly, rage lighting his eyes.
"Surely you jest, slayer." His fingers dug into Alison's arm, pinching her flesh, causing her to cry out. Rafe strained to help her, his legs still locked by some invisible force. "Perhaps you have not noticed that you can't move an inch. The show is just beginning and I want you to have a front row seat. Sorry to ruin the ending for you, but the finale will be your torturous death. Each method I employ will be your personal hell and my, well, little slice of heaven."
Joshua looked over at Rafe, pleased to see the anguish in his face as he continued to struggle. Though this was not playing out as well as he had planned, it was certainly entertaining. His evil grin revealed his ultimate intention.
"But first.Act I."
Joshua's attention focused on Alison once more. He twisted her neck, exposing her flesh and fisting his hand in her hair to keep her still. He began to speak.
"Turning you - my, how I've looked forward to this moment. But before, I was going to give you a gift, a wedding present from your devoted husband. Now, I as I sink my teeth into your delicate skin, I will drain you of every drop of your blood."
Laughing wickedly, grinning like the madman he was, he continued to taunt them both.
"And you slayer, you have no option but to simply watch as I do. There is one thing I do know for certain, you've been so weakened by your love for her that you'll begin to die as you see her life ending, making my job with you so much easier."
Alison couldn't believe it. The very thing she had been trying to avoid was actually happening. She would be killed and Rafe would be tortured and left to die after he watched Joshua take her life.
Joshua opened his mouth widely and bared his fangs. Alison sensed the end was near, looking into Rafe's eyes - she began to sob.
"Alison." Rafe cried, his voice desperate. He still couldn't move. His worst nightmare was coming true before his eyes. Alison was in danger - and he couldn't save her.
He was inches away from sinking his teeth into her throat, she could feel his breath hot on her skin as she sobbed and pleaded for Rafe to save her. She shut her eyes tight, not wanting to see what was in store for her, not wanting to see the look on Rafe's face when Joshua destroyed her. The pain she knew she'd see there would be worse than what she'd feel herself.
A noise could be heard from behind Joshua, causing enough of a distraction for him to pull back slightly.
Rafe couldn't believe it was true. Caleb was doing his job. He was keeping his end of the bargain.
Rafe finally heard Caleb speak. "Joshua, let her go."
"Caleb. What an unhappy surprise." Joshua turned toward the sound of his voice, keeping tight hold on Alison.
Rafe looked on in frustration. If only he could move. He'd be able to take Joshua now.
Caleb continued to taunt Joshua, his words mocking him. "Not exactly the ceremony you'd dreamed of is it? Most brides give you a ring after you say your vows, not a fatal wound. I guess she's non-traditional."
"Caleb. You have no business here."
"Oh, no. I'm sorry Joshua. I beg to differ. There's the little business of your wearing my ring - my family legacy."
"You should keep better hold of your heirlooms. Trusting their care and safe keeping to Livvie was not a smart idea."
"Leave Olivia out of this. I told you once, let Alison go. I'm not going to tell you again."
"Why are you suddenly concerned about her? And why should I listen to you?" Joshua asked his voice laced with hatred and more than a little fear.
"Because, there is a slayer five feet away from you itching to end your life."
"I've made sure he can't get near me."
"With a few words from me - he'll be free of you hold and you'll be reduced to nothing. Oh wait. Make that less than nothing - since you are nothing already."
"You can't. You don't have any power anymore. I made sure of that."
"That's where you're wrong."
Caleb disappeared before Joshua's eyes and reappeared from behind him. He quickly pulled Joshua away, freeing Alison from his hold. He placed his hand over Joshua's - over the ring that he was here to reclaim. He twisted the face of the ring and as if there was some kind of miracle, Rafe was suddenly released from the invisible hold he was under. Caleb backed away slightly as Rafe raced towards Joshua, plunging the stake into his chest, killing him instantly.
Smoke swirled as they all watched Joshua fall to the ground - disappearing to dust.
As he did, Rafe watched in horror as Alison collapsed where she stood.
Livvie ran from the cover of the woods, joining Caleb as he clawed the earth where Joshua had fallen, searching for the ring Joshua had worn. It was nowhere to be found.
"Someone else has it." Caleb turned to Livvie.
"Who?" she asked. She looked over at Rafe and Alison. Rafe was holding Alison in his arms, pleading for her to hear him.
Livvie turned back to Caleb who read her thoughts.
"No. The ring holds no power for a slayer. Besides, Rafe has only one thing on his mind at the moment. I don't know who has it, but whoever does is a vampire. I won't rest until I find the one who holds it now."
"What do we do?"
"We tear this town apart. And we start with those who Joshua turned."
"Frank." Livvie said, her voice a whisper.
Caleb nodded. "That'd be my first guess."
Without a second thought, he took Livvie's hand. The raced into the woods to begin their quest to regain what was rightfully theirs.
She wasn't quite strong, or quick enough.
Joshua held Alison's wrist in her hand, applying pressure until she dropped the weapon to the ground. She began to cry, all hope was lost, until she heard a familiar voice call out.
Rafe screamed, his voice full of pain, "No! Alison. NO!" He started towards her and was halfway there when it happened. It was just like he had imagined in his dreams. His legs were stone still. He was paralyzed.
Rafe looked on helplessly as Joshua held Alison in his slimy grip. He watched as Joshua pulled her towards him, and ran his finger down her neck. "Rafe." Alison whispered, her eyes pleading to him.
"Alison, my dear - I warned you. Life could have been so wonderful, I would have given you everything you ever wanted but you are just too willful and stubborn. I can't allow you to defy me. You dared to challenge me. You've made a deadly mistake."
Alison bucked against Joshua, bringing her foot up, digging the heel of her shoe into his calf. He winced in pain, but tightened his hold on her.
His voice hissed, the feel of his breath on her ear making her cringe. "You disobedient little witch."
Rafe continued to struggle, fighting with all he had to move. "Joshua. I'm warning you. Let her go." He demanded. His voice was deadly, rage lighting his eyes.
"Surely you jest, slayer." His fingers dug into Alison's arm, pinching her flesh, causing her to cry out. Rafe strained to help her, his legs still locked by some invisible force. "Perhaps you have not noticed that you can't move an inch. The show is just beginning and I want you to have a front row seat. Sorry to ruin the ending for you, but the finale will be your torturous death. Each method I employ will be your personal hell and my, well, little slice of heaven."
Joshua looked over at Rafe, pleased to see the anguish in his face as he continued to struggle. Though this was not playing out as well as he had planned, it was certainly entertaining. His evil grin revealed his ultimate intention.
"But first.Act I."
Joshua's attention focused on Alison once more. He twisted her neck, exposing her flesh and fisting his hand in her hair to keep her still. He began to speak.
"Turning you - my, how I've looked forward to this moment. But before, I was going to give you a gift, a wedding present from your devoted husband. Now, I as I sink my teeth into your delicate skin, I will drain you of every drop of your blood."
Laughing wickedly, grinning like the madman he was, he continued to taunt them both.
"And you slayer, you have no option but to simply watch as I do. There is one thing I do know for certain, you've been so weakened by your love for her that you'll begin to die as you see her life ending, making my job with you so much easier."
Alison couldn't believe it. The very thing she had been trying to avoid was actually happening. She would be killed and Rafe would be tortured and left to die after he watched Joshua take her life.
Joshua opened his mouth widely and bared his fangs. Alison sensed the end was near, looking into Rafe's eyes - she began to sob.
"Alison." Rafe cried, his voice desperate. He still couldn't move. His worst nightmare was coming true before his eyes. Alison was in danger - and he couldn't save her.
He was inches away from sinking his teeth into her throat, she could feel his breath hot on her skin as she sobbed and pleaded for Rafe to save her. She shut her eyes tight, not wanting to see what was in store for her, not wanting to see the look on Rafe's face when Joshua destroyed her. The pain she knew she'd see there would be worse than what she'd feel herself.
A noise could be heard from behind Joshua, causing enough of a distraction for him to pull back slightly.
Rafe couldn't believe it was true. Caleb was doing his job. He was keeping his end of the bargain.
Rafe finally heard Caleb speak. "Joshua, let her go."
"Caleb. What an unhappy surprise." Joshua turned toward the sound of his voice, keeping tight hold on Alison.
Rafe looked on in frustration. If only he could move. He'd be able to take Joshua now.
Caleb continued to taunt Joshua, his words mocking him. "Not exactly the ceremony you'd dreamed of is it? Most brides give you a ring after you say your vows, not a fatal wound. I guess she's non-traditional."
"Caleb. You have no business here."
"Oh, no. I'm sorry Joshua. I beg to differ. There's the little business of your wearing my ring - my family legacy."
"You should keep better hold of your heirlooms. Trusting their care and safe keeping to Livvie was not a smart idea."
"Leave Olivia out of this. I told you once, let Alison go. I'm not going to tell you again."
"Why are you suddenly concerned about her? And why should I listen to you?" Joshua asked his voice laced with hatred and more than a little fear.
"Because, there is a slayer five feet away from you itching to end your life."
"I've made sure he can't get near me."
"With a few words from me - he'll be free of you hold and you'll be reduced to nothing. Oh wait. Make that less than nothing - since you are nothing already."
"You can't. You don't have any power anymore. I made sure of that."
"That's where you're wrong."
Caleb disappeared before Joshua's eyes and reappeared from behind him. He quickly pulled Joshua away, freeing Alison from his hold. He placed his hand over Joshua's - over the ring that he was here to reclaim. He twisted the face of the ring and as if there was some kind of miracle, Rafe was suddenly released from the invisible hold he was under. Caleb backed away slightly as Rafe raced towards Joshua, plunging the stake into his chest, killing him instantly.
Smoke swirled as they all watched Joshua fall to the ground - disappearing to dust.
As he did, Rafe watched in horror as Alison collapsed where she stood.
Livvie ran from the cover of the woods, joining Caleb as he clawed the earth where Joshua had fallen, searching for the ring Joshua had worn. It was nowhere to be found.
"Someone else has it." Caleb turned to Livvie.
"Who?" she asked. She looked over at Rafe and Alison. Rafe was holding Alison in his arms, pleading for her to hear him.
Livvie turned back to Caleb who read her thoughts.
"No. The ring holds no power for a slayer. Besides, Rafe has only one thing on his mind at the moment. I don't know who has it, but whoever does is a vampire. I won't rest until I find the one who holds it now."
"What do we do?"
"We tear this town apart. And we start with those who Joshua turned."
"Frank." Livvie said, her voice a whisper.
Caleb nodded. "That'd be my first guess."
Without a second thought, he took Livvie's hand. The raced into the woods to begin their quest to regain what was rightfully theirs.