Alright people! New chapter! Thank you for the great reviews and thnx to Anna Helt for her great ideas! Read and Review and Enjoy;)
CASSIDY'S POINT OF VIEW:
"Ok, sweetie, just lie down on your stomach…that's it…" I cooed softly, helping Thomas onto his bed. It had taken us about 30 minutes to get to his room on the second floor. Groaning all the way, we got to his door finally and I helped him onto the bed. He kept whimpering my name over and over. Guilt ridden tears cursed my cold cheeks as he slowly edged down onto his stomach. I smiled and pushed back some of his chestnut hair behind his ear. "Cass…" He murmured painfully into the pillow. I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my tears away with the edge of my palm. "Thomas…I'll be right back…" I whispered. "No, Cass…don't leave me…" he said, sounding so scared. "I won't…I just want to make sure you'll be ok, just hold on and I'll get something to help you…" I managed to say before running out of the room, clasping my hand to my mouth as I ignored his pleads for me to come back.
I ran to the kitchen and began to mindlessly pull out drawers and empty out cupboards, looking for the certain medicine I needed. I felt liquid seeping deeper into my dress. I glanced down and frowned curiously at the bloodstains that disgraced my clothing. Thomas's blood. "Well, you certainly made a mess of your dress, Cassidy." I slowly turned towards the voice, already knowing who it was. "Octavian, can I help you with something?" I replied harshly. He raised an amused eyebrow and stepped closer to me. "No." He said. "Then leave me be, I'm in a hurry." I snapped. I turned back to what I was doing, completely oblivious to the fact that Octavian was inching seductively closer to me.
All of a sudden, his arms crawled around my small waist and I gasped as he pulled me tightly to his hips. I cringed with disgust as lips found their way to my ear. "Cassidy, to say that I want you would be quite an understatement. Tell me you want me too." He whispered reverently into my ear. I moved my head away from his and glared at him. "But, Octavian, why would you want to hear such a lie?" I said in a cold whisper. He sneered and spun me around to face him, still clutching possessively to my waist. "Such harsh words, my dear." He said before pushing his lips to mine. I grunted with protest, but he held fast. My eyes wide and opened they fell just on the main thing I was looking for. Getting an idea, I kneed Octavian right where the sun don't shine and grabbed the small glass bottle off the floor. I heard him groan in pain as I fled from the room.
I burst through Thomas's door and my shoulders slumped with a gasp. That thing could have manipulated me! I shuddered with disgust and immediately directed my attention to the poor whipped boy in front of me. My sweet Thomas. "Thomas? I'm back." I said softly as I walked to his side. He turned his head to me with a grunt and I smiled. "Hey…" I said. He smiled at me and raised his hand to my cheek. "Hey…" He whispered back. I leaned into his hand and raised my hand to his. Lowering our hands, still together, I stood up and pulled out the small bottle with my other hand. He reluctantly let go of my hand as I began to tear thin strips of my dress off. I grabbed a bowl and poured some of the liquid inside the bottle into it. I gently placed the strips of cloth into the bowl and let them soak. "Alright, Thomas, I'm going to have to get that shirt off of you." I said. He thought a moment before giving me a cheeky boy smile and said, "Straight to business, aren't we Cass?" I tilted my head and gave him a mock glare.
He chuckled softly and turned his head and nodded. I then began to carefully remove the torn bloody clothing away from his sticky back. The blood had become gooey and I saw him wince with pain as I slowly peeled the sticky pieces of cloth away from the cuts. As I tear the last piece away, I choked on a sob at how terrible his back had been whipped. At least eleven long, deep slits adorned his back. "That bad?" He suddenly asked, obviously catching my stare. I didn't reply and I grabbed the strips from the bowl and began to place them over his cuts. He gasped in pain and he grabbed my other hand. I squeezed it comfortingly and placed another strip onto his back. His hand would tighten and his body would stiffen beside me and I would murmur comforting words to him so he would calm down.
Soon after I finished, he was asleep. I watched over him awhile, not really wanting to leave him alone. Part of me also felt that if I did leave, Octavian would just be on the other side of the door waiting for me. I smiled at Thomas's little innocent sleeping form as I sat beside him. I closed my eyes and remembered us a long time ago…
The lightning streaked the sky and the thunder rattled the Earth. I snuggled into my covers even more, hoping to block out all the harsh light of the stormy sky. All of a sudden, my door burst open and in ran young Thomas. I was 11 and he was 15.
"Thomas? Are you scared?" I asked, sitting up in bed. He shook his head, but as the thunder crashed again, he was instantly beside me, under the covers. "Thomas?" I laughed as I tried to find him under the blankets.
"Cass? Can I stay here tonight? Please?" He asked softly, looking up at me with his doe brown eyes. I smiled and nodded my head. "You can stay here whenever you want, Thomas." I replied warmly. He smiled and I nestled back into my covers. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close as the storm continued…
I smiled to myself as my flashback came to an end. "Oh, Thomas…what am I going to do with you?" "Indeed." I whirled my head around to see Dracula. I jumped out of my seat and stepped away from him. "What do you want? Why are you here?" I asked, my eyes wide. He smiled gently and took a step towards me. "Cassidy, love, it is my castle. I can wander freely." He pointed out softly. "Right. Why did you come here? Did you need to finish your job?" I snapped harshly, pointing to Thomas helplessly. He frowned and disappeared.
I gasped and took a cautious step back, only to collide into his cold, hard chest. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his head into the crook of my neck. I just could not help but lean into his icy touch. "Cass…Say it…please…say it…" He pleaded into my neck; placing small kisses there as well. "What? I don't understand…" I whispered, my eyes closed. "My name…say it, my love, say it…" he commanded. "Vladislaus…" I breathed dreamily. He growled in his throat and when I opened my eyes, I wasn't in Thomas's room anymore. I gasped and jumped out of his arms. I was in his room. I turned to him in disbelief. "What? What did you do?" I yelled. He merely smirked and shrugged. I gave him a good cold glare before running to his doors, but right before I could grab the handle…the doors disappeared.
I curiously scanned the walls with my hands furiously, silently urging the doors to reappear. "What the…" I muttered under my breath. I felt Dracula's breath on my neck and I froze. "You did this…you did this on purpose…" I accused softly. He kissed my neck and I felt him nod into my hair. "That I did, darling. That I did." He replied smoothly. "Why? I need to help…" "My Brides are taking care of your precious Thomas, my love." My shoulders sagged at the thought. "That really does not make me feel any better, Count." I said curtly. He sighed and pulled away from me. "Stop with formalities. I liked it much better when you said my name…my real name…" I sighed and pushed a stray brown curl back behind my ear.
All of a sudden, Dracula was behind me and my hair was pulled out of its bun. I felt him run his fingers run through my hair as it cascaded down my shoulders. He then inhaled my scent and ran his cold hands down my shoulders. "Your hair is so gorgeous unbound, my dear. You should wear it down more often." He insisted seductively. "I need to go. Please…" I pleaded into his touch, not really wanting to go. "I want you to stay…you, obviously, want to stay and I don't want to take another chance of Octavian touching you." He replied firmly. I widened my eyes and tensed in his touch. He knew? "Of course I know. I can smell him all over you." He said, bringing my out of my thoughts. "Now, what would you like to do during your stay?" He asked, motioning to around his cold, dark room. "Just how long am I staying here?" I asked after a moment, fear rising up in my chest. He simply smiled and took my hands into his. He led me to the back of his dismal room and moved some black curtains aside. My eyes lingered on his before they landed on what was before me. His coffin.
Well, there's chapter 24 for ya! Hope you liked it! Thank you all so so much for the reviews:)