Chapter Nine
"Why?"
Saphira blinked, snapping out of her thoughts, and turned her attention to Ciel, who's question was directed to Madam Red.
"Why?" the woman in red repeated. "You're asking me now? How do you expect me to answer? You and I, have become 'guard dog' and 'sinner'." She unsheathed a knife. "If you weren't a guard dog of this place, and became a hunted one instead... THEN THERE WOULD ONLY BE ONE PATH FOR YOU!" She lunged forward, swinging the knife.
Saphira quickly moved in front of Ciel, taking the blow herself. The knife sliced through her side, leaving behind a a rather long cut, though it wasn't anything Saphira couldn't handle. Madam Red scowled at her while Ciel's eyes widened with shock and worry. He hadn't thought that his aunt would actually try to kill him. Saphira glared at Madam Red, moving Ciel behind her protectively.
"You won't hurt him." she hissed fiercely, one hand clutching her bleeding side. "That I promise you."
The woman in red snarled and dashed forward and Saphira managed to shove Ciel away before Madam Red was on her, a hand around her neck.
"He... he... He should not have been born!" the woman yelled in her face, eyes wild as she brought up the knife.
Saphira's own hand shot up and she grabbed the woman's wrist, twisting it enough that the other woman dropped it from the pain, and glared darkly at her. She had spotted the hurt that had flashed through Ciel's eyes. "I don't care who the fuck you are, but say something like that again and I'll rip your fucking heart out with my bare hands. Understand?"
Madam Red sneered at her and tightened her hand around Saphira's neck, though that didn't seem to phase the fae. Madam Red scowled and wrapped her other hand around the blue eyed female's neck, glaring heatedly.
She met Madam Red's eyes, ignoring the hands around her throat. "How could you want to kill your own nephew? Your sister's son?" she asked the woman quietly, voice a bit breathless.
"Stop it! Sebastian!" Ciel yelled, eyes wide with panic and fear and worry. "Don't kill her!"
Sebastian halted, his hand mere inches from Madam Red's head. His eyes were dark with fury, his muscles tense. Saphira locked gazes with him and smiled reassuringly as Ciel sprinted to them. The young lord took in Sebastian's wounded arm with surprise.
"Sebastian?"
"Heh. Sebas-chan's endurance is pretty good. His arm was already useless, but he had to go help Saph-chan."Grell turned to Madam Red. "Compared to that, what do you have to say for yourself? Madam Red! Kill that little brat already!"
But Madam Red was staring at Ciel with tears in her eyes. "Can't... I... can't kill this child..." She gazed at Saphira, flinching when she realized that her hands were still around her throat, though her grip was significantly looser. "So- I'm so sorry..."
Grell huffed with annoyance. "You're saying this now? After killing so many women! If you don't kill that little brat, it'll be your turn to be killed! And you have a death god helping you too!"
"But, this child is my-!"
Knowing what happened next, Saphira shoved Madam Red to the side, letting out a sharp cry of pain as the chainsaw sliced through her right shoulder and upper back. Grell's eyes widened in surprise, having not expected the fae to push Ciel's aunt out of harm's way, while Madam Red stared at her with shock. Sebastian caught her as she fell, eyes filled with fury at Grell and concern for Saphira. Then the memories came.
Saphira scowled down at the pink ball gown she had been forced into by her mother, poking one of the bows. It clashed horribly with her hair. At least she thought it did. Her mother, however, had a different opinion. And her father had been no help at all, though even he thought the dress was a bit ridiculous.
"Oh, for gods sake, Saphira, stop figiting!" her mother finally cracked. "You look fine!"
Saphira shot her a glare. "I could have chosen my own dress! Why in the hell do I have to wear this pink monstrosity?!"
Her mother returned the glare. "Watch your tongue, Saphira. You may be one of the Elite, but you're still a noblewoman. And I honestly don't understand what you have against pink."
"It is a horrid color."
"Horrid it may be, but it does nothing to diminish your beauty."
Saphira jumped and whirled around, a grin forming on her face. "Vikas! What are you doing here? I thought you were guarding Queen Anzia tonight."
Vikas, a handsome man with inky black hair and stunning violet eyes, smiled gently at her. "I am, though she allowed me to have one dance. So," he held his hand out to Saphira, who's eyes widened in shock. "May I have this dance?"
/*
"One more push, Lady Dashkov."
Saphira let out a yell as she obeyed the healer, pushing with everything she had as she grasped Vikas's hand tightly. A gasp released her when she felt her daughter leave her womb completely and she collapsed, panting, as crying filled the air. Vikas kissed her forehead, eyes glittering with pride and happiness.
"You did great, my love." he whispered to her as the healer cleaned their daughter.
She smiled up at him before looking at the bundle in his other arm. Her son. She had givin birth to twins. A boy and a girl.
"Lady Dashkov," the healer approached her, a purple bundle in her arms, "Would you like to hold your daughter?"
Saphira immediately held her arms out, grinning when her daughter was placed in them. She gazed down at the little girl, warmth blooming in her chest. "Hello, little one." she said softly.
"What are you going to name them?"
"This little man willl be Nikolai." Vikas answered first, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
"And our little girl will be Theadora."
Vikas turned to his wife. "I love you, Ira."
She smiled at him. "I love you too, Vi."
/*
Saphira smiled fondly as her husband played with their children, swinging them around in his arms and tickling their sides until their faces were red from laughter. She loved them, her family. They were the reason why she got up everyday, why she continued to live with love in her heart despite the horrors she had seen. She'd do anything to keep them safe, to keep the smiles on their faces.
"I've got an idea!" Nikolai, who was 10 now, spoke up with mischeif in his eyes before he whispered something into his father's ear.
An evil grin formed on Vikas's lips and and he began to approach Saphira, who tensed. That grin always meant trouble for her.
"Vikas, what are yo-" She squealed as he suddenly tackled her and started tickling her sides, Theadora and Nikolai cheering him on. "Vi-vikas, stop!" More laughter left her lips as she squirmed, trying to get away.
He stopped, grinning down at her. "Hey beautiful."
She rolled her eyes. "Jerk." she tried to push him off her, but her grabbed her wrists and pulled her into a kiss. She melted at his touch and pouted when he pulled away. "You're lucky I love you."
He laughed and pulled her into another kiss.
/*
Saphira flew as fast as she could, tears streaming down her cheeks as foreboding, panic, and fear coiled in the pit of her stomach. Seeing smoke in the distance, she flew toward it. She came to an arupt stop at the sight that welcomed her. The entire kingdom was in flames. Bodies lay on the streets and screams filled the air. Taking of in the direction of Dashkov Mansion, she barely kept herself upright when she saw the destruction it had become.
A whoosh sound came from behind her and she instinctively dropped into a roll, turning to see 9 werewolves, all cover in blood with twisted and malicious grins on their faces. Saphira didn't hesitate to attack. She grasped her sword tightly as she swung, slicing theclosest one's head clean off. The other 8 snarled and lunged at her. She did her best to fight them off, but they were stronger and overpowered her. A woman with feral eyes was about to rip out her throat when an arrow sunk deeply into her right eye, killing her instantly. Saphira kicked the body off her as two more werewolves went down via arrow in the head.
Quickly finishing off the remaining two, Saphira turned to she her daughter, who looked like a female version of Vikas. "Theadora!"
Theadora smiled at her, relief in her eyes. "Mom!" she ran into her mother's arms, tears falling from her eyes. She pulled away after a moment and grabbed her mother's arm, dragging her towards the center of the kingdom. "Come quick! Dad and Nik are in trouble!"
"What? You mean, they're alive?" Hope burned through Saphira.
Theadora nodded. "Dad got us out just before our home collapsed."
Saphira nodded, glad that her family was alive. But that relief, that hope, was short lived. When Saphira and Theadora arrived in the center of the kingdom, it was just in time to see Nikolai get ripped apart by two werewolves.
"Nikolai!"
Red filled Saphira vision as rage took over and she shot lightning bolts at the two werewolves, holding them until they were nothing more than burnt crisps.
"Mom! Look out!"
Saphira jerked at her daughters voice, cursing when claws suddenly tore through her back. She whirled around, ready to shove a fireball down the bastard's throat, only to blink in shock when the werewolf collapsed, a dagger in the base of it's skull. She looked up to see her husband.
"Vikas."
He took her into his arms, embracing her tightly. "Saphira,"
"Nik, they killed Nik." she sobed into his shoulder.
"Sh, sh, I know, I know." his voice was full of pain and anger.
"I'll kill them. I'll kill them all."
/*
"No, I can't lose you too." Saphira cried as she clung to her husband, who's chest had been sliced open due to an elf who was particularly skilled with daggers. Her chest felt heavy and pain and anger and grief washed through her. It was too late ad he was dying in her arms. She knew that, she honestly did, but some small part of her refused to accept it. Refused to accept that she was losing yet another person she loved.
Vikas coughed and smiled shakily at her, his eyes glistening with the love and affection he held for her. "I love you , Ira." he whispered, cupping her cheek gently.
She sniffled, pain in her eyes as she stared at the dying man in her arms. The man that she loved. "I love you too, Vi." she told him.
"Promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise that you'll love again."
Saphira's eyes widened, her heart stopping and her blood going cold, and she frantically shook her head. "No, Vikas, I can't- I can't do that. You can't ask me-"
"Saphira." His voice was weak, but firm, and she immediately quieted. "I don't want you to be alone. Please. Don't lock your heart up."
Saphira shook her head again. "I won't be alone. Theadora-"
"You know that's not what I mean."
Tears fell down her face and she finally nodded. "I-I won't lock my heart up. I promise."
He smiled at her, blood trickling out from the corner of his mouth. "Good. I want you to be happy." he told her, using the last bit of his strength to kiss her. A kiss full of love and passion. A kiss of goodbye.
An agonized scream, almost that of a wounded animal, left Saphira as the love of her life slipped into Death's hold.
/*
Ice and fire shot from Sahpira's palms as she fought viciously against the elves, her eyes cold and merciless. Bodies fell at her feet left and right as her hate for elves rushed through her. When the battle ended, she felt nothing but satisfaction. She hated, despised, only two things. Elves and werewolves. None who crossed her path was safe from her fury, the death of her husband still fresh and the memory of Nikolai forever haunting her.
"Saphira,"
Saphira turned to see Cadmus, her second in command and her daughter's lover. Dread filled her stomach when she saw the look in his eyes. "No. Please, tell me she isn't." she pleaded, her blood going cold.
Cadmus turned away, eyes squeezed closed. "I'm so sorry, Saphira. I couldn't get to her in time. It's all my fault."
She shook her head and hugged him, her chest tight as she held in the sobs that wanted to escape. "No, it's not. It's the elves'." she told him softly.
He clung to her and released the tears, breaking down into her arms.
Saphira didn't show it, but she was breaking too. And this time, there was no one to put her together again.
/*
Pain was something Saphira had become very familiar with. First, it was the emotional pain caused by the murders of her family, though lately she's been feeling empty when it comes to matters of the heart. At the moment, all she feels is the agony her body was in. Torture was something she was beginning to get used to. Everyday for the past week, Dalek would have someone whip her, beat her, burn her, and inject her with vervain. Not for the first time, she wished he'd just kill her. At least then she'd be free from the pain, both emotional and physical. Free from the nightmares and memories.
/*
"W-what did... you put in that tea?!" she gasped out, falling from the chair as her body spasmed.
Dalek kneeled in front of her, grabbing her chin to lift her head up. The smile on his face wasn't at all pleasant "A simple aphrodisiac does wonders to the body, doesn't it?"
Horror filled her at the implications.
"I do want you willing, after all."
/*
"You're pregnent."
Saphira stared blankly at the healer for a moment before breaking down, sobs wracking her body as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.
The healer shifted anxiously. "Um, we could dispose of it, if you-"
"No! It's not the baby's fault! I couldn't live with myself if I got rid of it. Dalek's the worst kind of scum, but this baby, he or she is innocent. I won't end their life before its even started. I'd never forgive myself."
/*
All she could register at the moment was the blade in her stomach. A blade where her son or daughter was growing. A blade that just ruined her chance at happiness. Reality came back to her and she looked up at Dalek with empty, lifeless eyes. Her hand, covered in flames, suddenly shot out and imbedded itself in his chest, grabbing a hold of his heart. She leaned toward him.
"I was pregnent. Just thought you should know."
Then she yanked her hand free, taking his burned heart with it.
/*
...So... that was some emotional stuff. I actually cried while writing some of Saphira's memories because I could literaly see them playing in my head while writing it. I had considered killing Madam Red, but as I continued writing, I found myself leaning more towards keeping her alive. Besides, her reaction to the whole Sebastian/Saphira/Ciel situation will be amusing ;) Besides, Saphira completely understands why Madam Red went crazy after the loss of both her husband and unborn child