Chapter 28: Now That I'm Back…
AN: Well, for once I didn't have writer's block and now I know how to re-direct the story, so be happy. And THANKS YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! 3 Thanks to you guys, I reached my goal of 300 reviews and that's so awesome. Yay! (I'm really happy right now) As promised, I'll post a bonus chapter for you, I just am not sure when since I haven't had any really good ideas. If you have something you'd particularly like to see in it, let me know. I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks again!
With a yelp, I shot up from the seat, stumbled over it, and backed up until I was clutching one of the bedposts, on the other side of the room of course. Dracula merely watched in amusement.
"Stay away from me," I warned, pointing a trembling finger at him.
"What makes you think that you can stop me?" he asked. I opened my mouth to reply, then, for lack of retort, closed it. He had a point. Along with my disguise, all my daggers had been taken, and he knew it. I sighed.
"Why are you here? Isn't it enough that you've caught me? Do you have to come and rub it in as well?" Dracula seemed genuinely surprised by the question.
"Is that why you think I'm here?" I nodded miserably. "Rest assured that that's not my intent. I merely wanted to check on you, since you've finally awoken." As he spoke, Dracula was walking towards me. I was too confused by his words to move farther away.
"Why aren't you in a towering rage, threatening me and such? That's what you've done in the past. That's how you were last time we saw each other."
He tipped my chin up and I suppressed my instinct to flinch. For a moment we just looked at each other, blue eyes locked with black, unblinking.
"Yes I do have a few wounds to thank you for, don't I?" he said softly. I couldn't quite suppress the shudder that ran down my spine. Memories of his threats of torture were still fresh in my mind. I averted my eyes and closed them, biting my lip as I did so.
Bracing myself, I met his gaze once more, drawing strength from the depths of my being. What would come would come, whether I liked it or not. There was no sense in cowering or displaying weakness. What I did not realize was that I was glowing slightly, but this time it was not from anger.
"How you can find inner peace in your position…" I opened my eyes to see Dracula shaking his head. "I have seen braver men than you cry before me."
Without thinking, I retorted, "Braver men than me haven't had to live with you, now have they?" I smiled wryly. The door to the room opened again to admit Verona.
"So she's up." She smiled, cat-like as always. "It is good to have you back here." I noticed she only said 'here', not 'with us'. She probably hadn't forgiven me yet for running away. Dracula looked over at his Bride.
"Verona, stay here with Destiny. I have other things to attend to." He left, leaving me alone with my surrogate mother, as I used to think of her. Now I wasn't sure is the role applied anymore.
"Really Verona, I'm fine by myself." For now. Or, I amended, at least until Aleera got a hold of me. Verona walked over to me, shaking her head.
"Until we get back to Castle Dracula you are not spending one moment alone." She seemed genuinely apologetic, and I relaxed slightly. I sat down on the bed with a sigh of relief as the weight was taken off of my ankles. Four kids, even unborn, aren't exactly featherweights.
"Destiny, why did you run away?" Verona's voice carried a hint of sad curiosity. She had seated herself at the vanity and was gazing at me solemnly. I looked at the floor, feeling for all the world like a disobedient child who has disappointed her parent.
"I didn't want my children to be used for an evil purpose," I mumbled. "And I was afraid of the effects of his influence on them." Verona was shaking her head once more.
"Destiny, when will you stop trying to fight what already is? It is futile to fight Fate." The corners of her mouth turned upwards in a smile. "You shouldn't worry about his threats my dear. He is too relieved to have you back to risk hurting you more." I looked at her dubiously, but inside I latched onto belief in the truth of that statement.
"Well, Aleera ought to know that she nearly did kill me. That should please her." I gave a small laugh, remembering the fight.
"You two are going to have to work something out if you are going to be living together for as long as you both live." Not if I had any say in the matter. But discussion on that topic was useless. "Now come. Marishka wants to see you too."
I followed obediently, but inside I groaned. Before I ran away, Marishka, being so happy to not be the youngest anymore, had treated me like her baby doll. It was not a role that I particular like, nor wanted to assume again. Again, that's if I had any say in the matter. None of the hallways we walked through had any windows, much to my dismay. I would have at least liked to know where I was, even if I couldn't escape, yet. As it was, I decided not to ask Verona.
She led me to a room furnished in typical Bride style: lots of things in the colors that they wore, each Bride having her own little section of the room which was her personal space. Marishka rose, not quite as gracefully as Verona, when we walked in the room. I heard Verona lock the door behind us and my heart dropped. Now I was stuck in here.
"Destiny," Marishka cooed. Obviously she'd forgiven me for snapping her neck. Either that or forgotten about it. That would be typical of her. I turned my head to the side and looked down as she hugged me, neither accepting nor rejecting her embrace. I was more like a statue than a person. If Marishka didn't notice, I'm sure Verona did, though she said nothing. Verona was like that.
They drew me over to their areas and sat down. Marishka immediately began to plait my hair. Just another thing I had to put up with as her doll/person. Since she couldn't arrange Verona or Aleera's hair, she always had to do it to me. Why me? I thought miserably. What did I ever do to her?
"Hello angel," said a voice in a tone I knew all too well. Aleera locked the door once again.
"I see I failed to kill you," she said scornfully.
"Don't worry, you almost did," I shot back. "But you weren't quite good enough."
"One of these days little angel…" Aleera said threateningly. Marishka rolled her eyes at our sniping.
"Will you two stop?" she asked. "Your bickering is annoying me."
"She started it," I pointed out accusingly.
"Well, someone stop it. Preferably now." And she returned to plaiting my hair. I know not how long I remained in there with them. It seemed like an eternity to me before Dracula returned to collect me. I followed him in resigned silence, not really caring where we were going. I didn't even know what time of day, or night, it was and that bothered me.
"Silence does not become you Destiny," he said. I made a face at his back but remained silent.
"So stubborn." Dracula shook his head.
"And why shouldn't I be?" I snapped.
"There's no need to get angry," he responded calmly as we reached the room that was our destination. His room.
"Well if I'm angry, it's your fault!" I stalked into the room. "I don't particularly want to be here."
"You're the one who ran away, then got yourself caught again," he reminded me.
It was true. I had been extremely stupid and now I was paying for it. A wave of sadness washed over me and I sagged against one of the stone walls, trying to stop the tears from coming to my eyes. I wasn't entirely successful and the next thing I knew Dracula was there with his arms around my shoulders.
I had forgotten how good it felt to be in his embrace and, taking full advantage of it, cried into his chest.
"There there my angel," he said soothingly. "I do not like to see you cry."
"Sorry," I said softly, and dried my tears.
"Come. You are over-wearied by all that has happened and the sun is rising anyways." I did not protest as he led me to the coffin that stood alone in the center of the room and helped me in before climbing in himself and closing the lid.
AN: Well, there's some Drac/Dest fluff for ya. for once, no cliffy. Some of you wre begging me not to do that, as the suspense was killing you. And I'll try to think of something extra nice for the prize chapter. Review please : D