Sorry for not updating soon but here it is chapter 10! ALMOST DONE!
I needed to go back to New Mayhem not only to see what I needed to do about Julia but to also quench that desire to see Aubrey once more. I was falling back into the abyss that had clouded my judgement long ago and made me push those that I loved away from me. I wondered why I was risking my safety and trust from Sahaid just to see Aubrey again, why I was risking to be caught and endangering Asper and Asryn along with me. If ever anything went wrong, the punishment would not just be mine.
Feelings that had laid dormant before for many years had begun to burn again with the same fire as of those days in Suniria where I lived as a mortal. All I needed to give more fuel to that fire was to know that Aubrey still cared for me, even if it would only be useless in the end. I wanted so much to know how it was to feel alive with the power of passion that Aubrey had given me. I wanted to know love again.
I had taken the liberty of arranging everything in Ardid so that I could not be disturbed while I visited New Mayhem. Asper was to take charge and busy all the ladies in my household with idle things such as cleaning and tending to trivial matters. They were all to think that I was indisposed and that I needed my rest from them, with only Asryn tending to me. This would not seem rare to them since there was always days when I needed time away from the activity of the household and would always find solace in Asryn. Zora, had the nerve to say that I might have been with child but it was impossible. I had been declared barren long ago and for me not to have a child in more than a two thousand years was proof enough.
Asper came in the small room where he, Asryn, and I had met many times before during his stay. I looked at him and noticed that his expression was one of doubt. He knew that my only interest in traveling to New Mayhem was not for Silver.. I looked away, my eyes wandering around from the small satin pillows that glowed with the candle light and then to the high golden ceiling that held carvings of ancient spells in Arabic. Everything was gold.
"I am not here to judge or condemn you as others would but hear me well." Asper spoke to me and when I noticed that his voice had lost its teasing tone, I knew that it was something I should not ignore. "I know that you have other reasons to go to New Mayhem but do remember that Sahaid will not accept deception." he said to me softly, not wanting to offend me with his words. I wanted to so much to stop everything and just live my life in Ardid, peacefully as I had done for the past centuries. The problem was that a desire to see Aubrey was now consuming me, as if Aubrey had laid a spell upon me since I last saw him. I wanted to risk everything again, I wanted to risk everything for the forbidden once more.
I sighed, "You do not have to worry about me. I am sure that I can care for myself and if I need you, I will call." I smiled at him and his face seemed to relax a bit but his eyes still held worry. He gave me the small hourglass that would count down the time until it was time to return to Ardid once again. If I stayed longer than the hourglass could give me, I would be in danger of being discovered. It was small with golden sand that lay at the bottom of it. I would have to turn it over so that I could leave for New Mayhem. He lit one of the candles and then chanted an ancient incantation, different from what Sahaid had done the last time and less time consuming. I placed my hand before the flame, yet not burning my hand. I felt the flame's warmth lick my skin but I did not wince at the small pain that they gave me for it was a small cost to pay. My heart beat with anticipation and all I could hear was the faint voice of Asper, the sound of fire burning, and the soft heartbeat of Asryn as she stood near me. She, at least, was confident that whatever I planned to do, would not be dangerous. Finally, I turned over the small hourglass.
I was drawn aback by the buildings and the whole city. It was a strange contrast from the lighted fires and darkness of Ardid. Music blasted from the nearby building which I recognized as Las Noches and a couple staggered out of its doors and into the shadows. I hid the hourglass in a concealed pocket on my green dress. I felt the small weight of it against my thigh. I walked around, familiarizing myself with its grounds once again, feeling to cold hard ground under my sandals and not the soft desert sand. I made my way over to the small pond that was surrounded by a few bushes of roses. Black roses. I marveled at their beauty and slowly plucked one out from its nest of thorns and wondered at its black velvet beauty. So black, so beautiful. Slowly, I ran my right thumb over the silkiness of its midnight petals but as my thumb traveled farther down, I was pricked by the thorns. Still holding the rose, I licked the blood of the small cut which had already healed and then crushed the flowers petals in my fist, crushing the life from it. As I opened my palm, all the petals that were once intact cascaded onto the dark ground and were followed by the green stem. Scattered they lay, like tiny black pools with the stem being the only color among them. One of the stem's thorns still glistened with my fresh blood against the power of the moon. I craved for pure human blood again and not the blood of those in Ardid whose blood was not pure like the humans. I wanted blood not touched by magic.
I kneeled to take a look at myself in the dark waters of the pond which rippled with the slight disturbance that my long dress has caused as I kneeled.. I saw what I had always seen when I looked at any mirror, the unchanging reflection of a sixteen year old with cascading soft waves of black hair and the emerald eyes that my brothers had always teased me about.
"Back again I see." I recognized Aubrey's voice, though I could no longer know what he was thinking by listening to the sound of his voice. I wanted so much to throw away all the bitterness and cynicism and tell him how I felt, lay my heart out for the taking. Yet, my human insecurity needed to know his feelings first so that I would not make a fool of myself. I wanted needed to see if he was still my Aubrey under all those mind games. We were all so different, time had done this. I met his black eyes and defied them with mine. Why had I ever truly come again? My reason was to settle a truce between Jessica and me but inside I knew that it was only to see Aubrey again. I could not deny that.
"I came here to start over." I managed to say. At least part of that was true. If I wanted to help Silver, I knew that I would have to make peace with Jessica. Aubrey looked at me, amusement in his eyes that made him look like the Aubrey he once was but only for a moment.
"Start over on what?" he asked, not wanting to be kept waiting. His tone only irritated me but I could not lose my temper.
"With everything of course! Silver is of upmost importance to me and I want to help him. I need to be at peace with you and Jessica." I sighed finally. I was going to go up against Sahaid and not leave Silver without my trust. All I wanted was to be trusted. I walked around the rose bush for a few moments and then settled back in to where I once was. Aubrey just smirked and then looked at me once again. Was it really a good idea to come after all?
I could feel Aubrey look at me, I could see that he saw something terribly wrong and yet I saw no flaw in me that could cause that expression on his face. "Do you need to feed...?" he asked me, obviously changing the subject. Great avoid the subject! I thought to myself.
I was surprised by his remark and thought about what could be that was giving it away. Had he seen me lick me cut and yearn for the human taste of blood. Was it the pallor in my face that everyone else saw except me? Was it that bad? I would hear vague comments about how pale I was and how it wasn't even normal for a vampire but when I saw myself in a mirror, all I saw was me with the natural paleness that a vampire should have. One thing was for sure, I needed to feed on the human blood. I needed to taste that wonderful elixir that would give me life and power.
"I could take you to my hunting grounds so that you have your strength and then you can talk to Ash about you truce. Who knows you might need it. She's quite strong you know." he said as he walked towards the dark forest expecting me to follow. A truce with Jessica. I wanted so much to get along with her but jealousy kept clouding my mind. I held my tongue when it came to Jessica's power and tried to remember that I was there for peace and not war. Yet I became quite apprehensive since Aubrey's comment made me aware that Jessica might not be good at truces.
In the end, I followed Aubrey, clutching at the large veil that covered all of my long black hair, a custom that I had never left from even Suniria. I could hear the faint jingling of jewels and gold that I wore as I walked, mixed with the soft sounds of the night. I walked a few steps behind of Aubrey, why we chose to walk rather than use the powers gifted to us by immortality, I did not know.
I looked at Aubrey, the Aubrey that was feared and hated by many. How arrogant he was, how he carried himself knowing full well that he could have the world at his feet with his grand charm. He wore all black this time, his hair tousled and matching the night. As for me, I was dressed plainly in a dark shade of green to match the necklace that Sahaid had given me with the emeralds. I had many more but the emerald necklace was my favorite since they were so much like my eyes. I looked away from Aubrey, scolding myself for looking at the strong broadness of his back, knowing full well that he must have sensed my stare. Eyes could be quite powerful, human or immortal.
We walked in absolute silence, and I did not know how long it had taken us. I took out the hourglass and saw that it was barely reaching halfway, I had enough time. We reached a small town with narrowing alleys and dark wet corners where many had been mugged before by street thugs. My stomach churned at the smell of the modern city where it was being polluted and slowly dying. Cities were always foul smelling, even in the old days, but not as foul smelling as that of factories and cars. What was the world coming to? I managed to withstand all of that and kept on walking, not losing sight of Aubrey. Would he be cruel enough to leave me stranded alone in a city, a place where I would lose my mind?
"This way." Aubrey said to me, interrupting my thoughts, as we made a left into a dark alley. I could already hear the heartbeats of the two humans that were there, resting. Two lost souls who had been in poverty for quite a long while and would live in misery. They were innocents but to me they were just food for I craved blood more than anything. Aubrey took the one that was awake, the one that was restless and quickly drained his life away, all of it without mercy or compassion.
I didn't understand why his kind had to drain their victims completely until they were dead every time they feed as if one full victim was not enough for at least a month.. Such gluttony! After he was done, wiping away the small droplets of blood on his lips like a cat, we made our way farther until we reached the other lost soul that I would take.
She was asleep, sleeping as an angel even though she lived in a hell hole in the streets. Her brown hair was dirty and her face held an innocence that could only be in a child. I walked towards her while Aubrey stood there and watched me be the predator that I could be. I kneeled beside her and placed the point of my teeth to her neck while my hands held her head in place. I pierced her skin and I could hear a soft gasp emanate from her but she was still asleep thanks to my mind control. I saw images of her life, of how she was once a young girl in a happy family. I saw her throw her life away to the life of the streets, drugs, prostitution. How could someone with a life as hers look so innocent. I felt energy flow through me, I felt alive, the only effect that only human blood could give. I drank more, unable to stop myself yet not wanting to. I could leave her alive but I knew that it would only prolong her misery in the streets. I drank, fervently, seeing more images of her life. She did not whimper, she did not even move as I drained from her the last remaining drops and then I lay her back down. I was content with the blood but I knew that I had just killed a life. I had not killed in a long time. I sighed and with one flick of my wrist, her body and the body of Aubrey's victim were both set aflame. Let the human authorities deal with the rest.
I sighed and once again walked beside Aubrey as we made our way out of the dark alley. It was all so silent, so awkward.
Aubrey was the first to speak, "Well, I can see that you are not so pale anymore." he looked at me and even though his gaze was unrelenting I knew, I could feel, that the mortal Aubrey was still there, buried deep inside the ice inside him. I wanted to have him with me, to share my new life with him forever. I didn't know what to do rather than just stand there and look at him look at me. Suddenly, it just felt right and so I kissed him. The fresh kill had clouded my mind.
I don't know what came through my mind at that moment except the thought about how I had missed all of it. I had forgotten what it was to kiss and feel happiness at the same time. I had caught him off guard but I knew he enjoyed having me once again, like the old days. For that moment at least, Aubrey, the old Aubrey was back. I could feel his hand caress my face and his fingers curl into my hair under the veil which slowly fell to my shoulders. Of course, Sahaid came to my mind and the fear of danger clouded my thoughts.
Flash!
"Betrayal is something I loathe." Sahaid said to me in a tone that chilled me. I stopped brushing my hair as I saw his arm grip my left shoulder firmly through the large mirror that faced me and him. "I want to keep you forever with me, my dearest. I don't know what I would do if you would ever deceive me..."
I look at Sahaid and smiled uneasily yet I avoided his eyes but knew my answer well, "Never... You are my only one...you who has cared for me all this time, you who gave me a new life and saved me from a lonely death."
Sahaid grinned and kneeled beside me, forcing me to meet his eyes. They held something dark and cold, something that I had never seen in him before. Locking his gaze to mine he whispered a confession, but it sounded more like a threat to me, "The last one who betrayed me, was killed according to the laws of Ardid. You betray me, you betray Ardid..."
Flash!
The memory of that night where Sahaid had entered my chamber a few months ago bothered me and I pulled away from Aubrey's kiss, which was growing in intensity by every moment. I knew that what I was doing was wrong and I did not want to cause a scandal since Sahaid was powerful. I was causing enough trouble with Silver and I would not throw Aubrey in too. I thought that with helping Silver rid himself of the enemy, I could help Ardid also. If Julia wanted to conquer their world, she would conquer mine when she knew of it. No doubt Aubrey could defend himself from Sahaid, but if his feelings were no longer there for me, then it would be useless to create a fight. Damn Sahaid! I knew that I had hurt Aubrey's pride and that was a dangerous thing to do. The sudden fire that burned in his eyes was replaced by the ice from before. At least I knew that he still cared for me enough to respond to my kiss as he would have before we were separated. He backed away from me as if I was something repugnant that should be avoided and killed the rest of our time together when he brought up Jessica.