Chapter 15: Torniquet
AN: (pant pant) I didn't expect for so many people to review in such a short time. What, d'ya think I'm some sort of writer person? Some sort of miracle writer? (laughing) I feel sooooooo loved, so again, at least 10 reviews…or else. And trust me, you…well, you'll see. (evil laughter now)
(does hurricane dance, singing off-key to the tune of 'rain rain go away') Hurricane, Hurricane/ Come come come on Sunday/ Little Insanity want to play/ And not go to school on Monday. ; not a great wish I know, but if you're up to your eyeballs in schoolwork and projects…yeah. And if it does come and I don't update soon, it's cause I lost power, not cause I've forgotten you guys.
This is my first ever songfic, so please, don't be too harsh if I screwed it up okay? Italics are the lyrics (song is Tourniquet, by Evanescence)
Kay, I'm not one for shout outs and such but just this once, since some people had specific questions:
Morriquinne Dracula: thanks tons for the pic. You were right, I loved it.
melamin venea: don't worry, this is PVE (Pre Velkan Era)
and for anyone who was confused in the last chapter about the whole pregnancy thing, Destiny didn't know yet, but she knew something was wrong and would have figured it out within a few days. As for the vampires, I added an explanation in this chappie.
Again, 10 reviews…or else (foreboding music)
The moon was rising above the mountains, shedding pale shafts of light streaming through the cloud cover. The cold beauty of it all was lost upon me as I stared dully through the window.
For two days I had neither eaten nor slept. Many things made sense now. Why I had felt nauseous, why I experienced lingering cramps, among other things. And now I carried life inside of me.
I tried to kill the pain
But only brought more
Four, to be exact. As soon as their hearts had developed enough to start beating, Verona had told me. Four monstrosities to be unleashed upon the world, fours pawns for evil forces to use at their will.
I rose and drifted towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Verona had kept me in sight for two days straight, forbidding me to fly, restricting me indoors lest I fall ill. I was being treated like a piece of glass, like I might shatter at any moment.
I lay dying
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal
And I wasn't sure I could stand it much longer.
Without turning, I said, "I'm going to get something to eat." I sensed Verona's smile.
"Finally. In another day I would have had to force you to. You would waste away otherwise." For once, she did not follow. Well, that made things a bit easier.
I actually did eat something, but that was not my main purpose for leaving. That could be found on any of the weapon racks that decorated the fortress. Picking up a slim dagger, I decided that it would serve adequately enough and stole away to the lesser library, as I called it.
"No matter what my feelings," I whispered, holding the keen silver edge of the blade lightly against the material of my gown. "I cannot let them live. It is my duty."
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved
One pearly tear slipped down my cheek as I gripped the dagger with both hands and held it facing my stomach. But I could not find the strength to force it in. I stood there for what seemed like hours, unable to carry out my task, but unable to relinquish it either. There had to be another way.
Am I too lost?
The dagger clattered to the floor and my gaze turned to the shelves of books lining the walls. If the answer were to be found, I would find it here.
For hours, I poured over heavy tombs, musty and covered in dust. I'd never imagined there to be so many curses available in the world. And then when those yielded no results, I turned to demons. There had to be something, there just had to be.
My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
An hour before dawn, all of the books save one were put back on the shelves, and I was having a hard time concentrating on the page before me. I realized after a few minutes that I'd been reading the same sentence over and over again. All I managed to do was close the book before my eyelids drooped and I fell asleep with one cheek resting in the book's cover.
I awoke, to the total darkness only achieved by a coffin, lying content and relaxed in the circle of Dracula's arms with one of his cold hands resting on my stomach. As usual, I was torn between several emotions, as always happened when we were together.
Do you remember me
Lost for so long
Irritation at his possessiveness.
Guilt that this relationship occurred in the first place.
But there was undoubtedly fondness there too, and gratitude that I was still alive. It was a strange situation, taxing, conflicting, confusing, but I did feel cared for. I turned towards him, sighing, torn about what I was planning to do. There was so much that could go wrong. I would only get one chance at this.
Will you be on the other side
Or will you forget me
It was a few hours before sunset when I was able to slip away into the library again and find the book I'd been reading. Scanning the conjuring ritual, I double-checked the ingredients that I had brought with me. Even the rarer ones hadn't been too hard to find. You never knew what you'd stumble across in a vampire's "pantry".
Nightshade, check. Black volcanic ash, check. Wormwood, one red candle, bearog claw, all assembled for the task.
Preparing the ritual to summon the demon was slow going. I kept jumping at every noise I heard from the hall outside. Noise, stop, wait, start, noise, stop, wait, etc. By the time I was nearly done, the false alarms and the fear of discovery had frazzled my nerves beyond belief.
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved
I'd considered just asking Aleera to bit me, which she'd probably have been all too happy to do, but there was too much risk involved. Being Aleera, she might have refused just to deny me something I wanted.
Or told Dracula.
Or not taken enough blood.
Am I too lost?
Yes, Aleera was too dangerous to try, and it wasn't even worth asking Verona or Marishka. This was safer.
The final stage required blood to be dripped onto the candle. This particular brand of demon, like vampires, drained its victim of blood, so you needed the blood of the intended to lure it to you.
My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
A bit of an inconvenience for normal vengeance summoning, but easy enough now. I had picked it because it always injected its venom into the victim first, causing them to go into a comatose state.
It wouldn't hurt…much.
My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
As red blood mixed with flame and red wax, I felt a brief moment of panic, during which time I almost abandoned my act. But after a second or two, it was too late because the blood had been absorbed. Now all there was left to do was to wait.
My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries for deliverance
Thirty seconds later, black smoke filled the room and materialized into a wraith-like demon with claws, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and red eyes. It paused at the sight of me standing in right in front it, not running away, not screaming or pleading for my life. Maybe I confused it, not making it have to hunt for its victim.
Will I be denied Christ
"What issss it you ssssseeek, mortal?" it hissed, fixing its ember-like eyes on me. I spread my hands and closed my eyes, willing myself for the hundredth time not to lose my nerve. My voice, when I spoke, was surprisingly calm and even.
"What you do best, demon. Death."
Tourniquet
Apparently satisfied that I wasn't going to run or be difficult, it flew forward and clamped its venomous fangs down on my arm in a vise-like bite. My eyes opened, but the room had grown dark. Strangely at peace with myself, I closed them again and let the dark fog overtake me, allowing myself to sink down into the final sleep.
My suicide.
"……………."