The Angel
Chapter 4 Was It Only A Dream?
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.
(A/N: Enjoy this chapter of The Angel! Sorry this took so long. I was updating my other stories and I was at a sleepover with my friends.)
The next morning…
Bella/Adriana's POV
I woke up with a start, hitting my head on the headboard. Groaning, I slowly untangled myself from the blankets and stood up from the bed. Last night, I dreamt about Damon and I, and it all seemed so real but I couldn't be sure.
After I was dressed up and ready, I went down to the living room to see Stefan and Damon glaring at each other. "Hey boys, what's up?" I asked, entering the room. They didn't take notice of me and continued their glaring contest.
"Well, are you going to do that for the rest of eternity and ignore me or what?" I asked again, irritated by their insensitiveness.
"Why don't you ask Damon, Adriana? I am sure he'd be glad to explain it all to you." Stefan finally said, looking at me. I looked at Damon and our eyes met, but he was indifferent. Each second that passed made me feel like maybe what happened last night was really just a dream.
"She doesn't need to know anything, brother." he spat scornfully at Stefan. I was hurt, but I did not let it show and hid my feelings under a cold mask. Summoning all my courage, I said coldly, "If that's what you want, Damon. But I really thought we were more than this."
Squaring my shoulders, I turned around and was gone in a flash. It was raining, just like what I felt inside. It was a mistake to be careless and let myself fall for him. I shouldn't have been too close to him, knowing all men are the same.
I dropped to my knees on the forest floor and cried my heart out, until I heard leaves rustling behind me. Suddenly, there was a hand choking me, blocking my airways. My feet were lifted off the ground and I saw a hooded figure in front of me.
I clawed at the cold hand and struggled against my attacker's grip, but I was having a hard time considering that his grip only became tighter. I concentrated in trying to stare right at him to compel him to let go of me, but he was holding vervain.
He touched the vervain to my face and I screamed in pain, or tried to, wishing for all the pain to stop. I felt a needle touch my skin and I sputtered before finally fainting in the arms of my attacker.
Moments before…
Damon's POV
I woke up early, so I decided to lie down on the couch to wait for Addie to wake up. I heard footsteps behind me, but I knew it wasn't her. "Up so early, little brother?" I asked without looking at him.
"I cannot see the problem in waking up early, Damon. What I can see as a problem is you playing with Bella's heart." he replied, sitting opposite me. I glared at him. How could he say that?
"First of all, you don't have the right to say that because you're only my little brother. Second, you don't know anything." I said coldly, standing up from my seat to get away from this place.
"You know she is only new. Not even a year old in this life. Her feelings are still quite confusing for her at this stage. And the pain from her past life adds to that. Are you really that bad, Damon?" he asked, stopping me.
"Who knows? Maybe I am. Maybe I really don't care enough about her to save her from death." I said sarcastically, facing him.
"I don't know your reason for saving her, but I don't think it is charity. I know you, Damon." he warned, and we had a glaring contest until Bella came into view.
"Hey boys, what's up?" she asked, looking at the both of us. I didn't look at her for fear of getting judged immediately without even hearing me out. Stefan didn't look at her either, and she became irritated.
"Well, are you going to do that for the rest of eternity and ignore me or what?" she asked, completely irritated.
"Why don't you ask Damon, Adriana? I am sure he'd be glad to explain it all to you." Stefan finally said, but I would have liked him better if he had kept his big fat mouth shut.
"She doesn't need to know anything, brother." I spat scornfully at Stefan. I could feel her growing cold, and I would understand if she was angry with me. "If that's what you want, Damon, but I really thought we were more than this." she said coldly before turning around. She was gone in a flash before I could even blink.
"Thanks a lot, Stefan." I said, getting out of the boarding house. I thought of places where she might have gone to, but couldn't think of anything. She could have anywhere, and it could take me days to find her. She was a sneaky little thing, like a narcissus in Greek Mythology—a sweet looking flower with deadly potential.
I don't think she even knew how powerful she is, even as a vampire. She was very fast, faster than lightning. Her strength was, even for a human blood drinker, quite impressive. She as graceful as a hunting lion, but I would never tell her any of these things.
Finally, I decided to look in the dark forest, even though it was raining. Rain meant little to me. The important thing is that I find her and apologize for the things I had said.
I tried using my Power to search for her, to no avail. There was something I stepped on and I looked down to see what it is. It was a necklace. Not just any necklace, but her lapis lazuli necklace. Picking it up, I looked around and called out for her to answer me, but there was no one around. Not even a single animal could be seen.
There was no trace of her anywhere, and I was afraid of what might have happened to her. What if somebody took her? Or worse, somebody killed her? It was my entire fault, and the guilt wouldn't stop bugging me. I need to find her immediately, before it's too late.
Meanwhile…
Adriana's POV
I was slowly regaining consciousness. I didn't know where I was or how long I have been wherever I was. I just knew I had to get out of this place. I tried to lift my head, but it took so much effort for me I just gave up.
My hands and feet were tied with vervain ropes. They cut through my skin and the wounds didn't heal. A few minutes later, my vision became clearer and I saw bright lights above me. Maybe I couldn't move properly, but I could still roll over.
I discovered that I was on a huge bed with beautiful red and gold sheets and soft pillows. My body was weak and I knew if it came down to a fight that I would never win in this state. Stupid vervain syringe. The Cold Ones must know our weaknesses already, and that was a bad thing.
The door at the end of the room opened and a short girl with blonde hair and crimson eyes. I recognized her immediately as Jane, Aro's favorite among his guard because she has the ability to inflict pain upon those who dare cross her and her master.
"What do you want?" I spat, mustering all the strength left in my body. She looked pissed with my show of disrespect, but didn't act on it. "You should know that you are not in the position to cross me. What can you do with vervain in your system?" she asked, smiling evilly.
"Whatever you want, you will never going to get it unless you kill me first." I said, glaring at her.
"If that is my decision, I will do it as slowly and painfully as I could. But since I am not in power, that decision lies with my master. He ordered me not to hurt you, just bring you to him. Don't worry, he will just ask you a few questions. Hopefully, when he's done with you, he'll give you to me as a present." she said, smirking while cutting the ropes that bound my feet.
She stood at the foot of the bed and dragged me outside until we reached a wooden door. She held it open for me and once we were inside, she let go of me and I saw the three legendary vampires—Aro, Caius, and Marcus, but there were other vampires, too, which includes the guards and most especially…the people who completed and destroyed my life at the same time—the Cullens. Edward had a girl about sixteen years old clutching on his arm. I guess he found a mate, after all.
But I wasn't affected by that fact. I don't care even if they recognize me. I just want to get this over with. Facing the three vampire leaders with my head held high, I waited for them to say something. Aro stood up from his throne and spread his arms wide as if welcoming me.
"Ah. It is so nice to have you here, young one. May I ask what your name is?" he asked, like the perfect gentleman. I, of course, knew that he was just sugar coating his words so that I will fall for his trap.
"Stop the sugar coating, Aro. I know what you want and you're not getting it." I said, staring at him. He sighed quietly, but still didn't lose his cheery façade.
"This I promise you, young one. We will set you free after you cooperate with us. We will just ask you a couple of questions and then you are free to go." he replied, walking towards me.
"If you think I'd believe that, then you must be really stupid." I replied, smirking. I know what I'm doing is crazy, but I couldn't care less. Jane looked really pissed and I smirked right at her face, making her growl.
"Master asks for your name. You answer properly!" she barked, crouching low to the ground. I knew, thanks to Carlisle, that she wasn't that good in combat if she didn't have her talent.
"You want to know my name? My name…is Adriana. And that's all you're getting out of me." I said, my eyes turning into slits.
"Well, Adriana…a beautiful name for such a gorgeous young woman. You came from Mystic Falls, correct?" he asked, circling me.
"I live in Mystic Falls and it is my home. But I wasn't born there or anything. Why do you care anyway? You don't even know me." I replied, feeling his every move. He stopped in front of me, lifting my chin up.
I turned my head on the side and spat at him, glaring with hatred at the people who are trying to take down and hurt the people I now consider as family. The entire guard growled and crouched low and only the Cullens and the young girl remained calm.
"I may not know you, but I know that you live with the Salvatores, and your answers to our questions might affect our decision in being civil to them. This might come down to a fight if you don't answer properly." he warned in that sickly sweet voice of his.
The veins around my eyes protruded and I couldn't contain my anger any longer. I was able to free myself from my bonds and I felt my fangs grow longer. There was a huge male guard with big bulging muscles, just like Emmett, that attacked me from behind. He was probably my attacker from before.
He placed me in a chokehold, so I quickly untangled myself from him and kicked his chest. His head hit the wall and it left a huge crack on the marble. "That's for the vervain that you injected in my system." I spat, my instincts guiding me.
Aro raised a hand and all went back to their normal posture, but there was still a slight trace of savageness in their faces. Felix stood up and bared his teeth, hissing at me. I raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him, but Aro gave him a pointed look.
"I must apologize, dear Adriana, for the uncomfortable situation we put you in before. We were only ensuring our security here seeing that you are very…powerful." he said, calculating his words.
"I am damned if you count that as uncomfortable." I muttered, looking at the floor. He ignored my remark as if he heard nothing.
"But you must know that you are playing with fire here, and that is dangerous." he warned, changing the subject.
"Then I'll take my chances." I replied, running out of the room towards the door and knocking down all that stood in my way. I managed to get a few meters head start and thanks to my speed, the distance between me and my pursuers grew farther. I was doing just fine until I was hit by sunlight which burned my skin.
I found out that my lapis lazuli necklace, my talisman from the glare of the sun, was missing. "Damn it. Of all the times I could have lost it, why now? I could hear the Cold Ones getting closer, and I had no time to think of any other option.
Closing my eyes, I mustered all my strength and started using my inhuman speed to the fullest, staying out of view, until I reached a dark place. It was crazy, and I was sore all over, like I was being burned alive. It didn't smell so good either, and I'll bet that will leave trails.
I felt weak now, really weak. But I had to leave this place because it wasn't safe for me to be here. As far as I know, a trip from Volterra to Virginia is approximately eight to nine hours. But thanks to vampire speed, I could reduce that to half.
My wounds were all nearly healed. Only a few left on my arms which were most exposed to the sun. I figured I needed human blood to fuel me, but I don't think I have time to look for a hospital. There was young boy about fifteen standing near my location, and his blood was just so inviting I couldn't resist any longer.
My fangs grew longer and I compelled him before attacking after checking that no one was around. I drank his blood, but I made sure I only took enough to leave him alive and somewhat healthy. Wiping my mouth with my hand, I looked straight into those blue eyes and erased his memory.
I left him on the ground and ran for a couple of hours until I reached Spain. I remained hidden in the shadows, careful not to step anywhere where there is even a small hint of sunlight. There, I boarded a jet plane which I rented using my credit card that will land at Virginia in about a couple of hours. Having a lot of money sure has its benefits. Having the ability to compel humans is useful, too.
The dazed pilot said that we will be there at nightfall. I could only nod weakly from exhaustion and the pain of going under the sun. It was cloudy now. Thank God for the weather. I couldn't fall asleep on my seat. I was sore everywhere, even if all my wounds are healed.
I kept on forgetting my purpose of going to Virginia. There were times during my flight that I even forgot my own name. I just knew I had to get there. Finally, after a few hours, we landed on a huge clearing that I somehow recognized as a place near the graveyard.
I got off the plane and ran, letting my instincts guide me towards my destination. The only thing that kept me going was that someone was waiting for me. After I had run as far as my weak legs could take me, I was in front of a boarding house that seemed really significant to me.
The door opened and out came a dark haired man in a black leather jacket and pants. My knees gave out and he caught me before I crashed face first on the floor. "Damon." I gasped, looking at his eyes before finally losing consciousness. I didn't know how I came to know the name. I just did.
Damon's POV
I heard footsteps on the front porch and I quickly opened the door to see who it was, hoping it was Addie. My wish was fulfilled but from the moment I saw her, I knew she wasn't in the best shape. Her knees gave out and I caught her before she totally fell.
She looked at me with those warm eyes of hers and she opened her mouth to speak. "Damon." she gasped before fainting in my arms. I shook her small frame, worried about what might have happened to her when she was away.
"Stefan! Elena!" I shouted, carrying her small body in my arms. They came running down the stairs and looked horrified when they saw Addie unconscious in my arms. "What happened to her?" Elena asked first, placing a hand on her pale cheek.
"I don't know. Somebody get supplies from the basement. She will need a lot of them." I barked, running at inhuman speed to my room. I lay her down on the bed and took her shoes off.
"Here, Damon." Stefan said, handing me an armful of blood pouches. His eyes were dark but he ignored it and stayed by Addie's side. Elena entered the room with a pile of clean clothes in one hand and a basin with water in the other.
"I thought might need this." she said quietly, sitting beside Stefan. I knew he wasn't going to last in a room full of human blood. "Just get out of here, Stefan." I said, sending him out. He was smart and got out in an instant. I opened the first pouch and placed it on Adriana's lips.
"You don't need to see this, Elena. And I don't know if she'll be savage when she wakes up." I said without looking at her. She shook her head and stayed her ground. I should have known she was more stubborn than my brother.
"She's my friend, Damon. She needs me now. And I know that she'll never hurt me." Elena said in a justified voice. I glared at her dangerously but she was indifferent.
"If you don't get out now, it will just be much harder for me to pay attention to what I'm doing! So if you want her to get well, you'd better go with Stefan now." I hissed angrily. She couldn't say anything after that and just went out of the room silently.
But before she got out of the door, she faced me and said, "You'd better take care of her, Damon. I swear I'll find a way to get to you if something bad happens to her. Or if you even so much as try to hurt her." she warned, closing the door behind her.
"I will." I replied, even if Elena couldn't hear. Staring at Adriana's pale face, I gently stroked her smooth skin. "That's right, sweetheart. Drink up so that you'll get stronger." I urged, her chest rising in an unsteady rhythm.
"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that." I apologized, not knowing if she could hear. After she finished all the pouches of blood that Stefan got for her, I lay down beside her and wrapped my arms around her body, hoping she'd be okay.
Bella's POV
I was dreaming. Horrifying images ran through my mind—images of a bronze haired man leaving me in the forest, a woman with fiery red hair advancing towards me and ready for the kill, and a dark haired man saying words that I couldn't comprehend but had hurt me so much. The latter hurt me the most and I could feel tears sliding down my cheeks.
My eyes flashed open when I felt something cold touch my cheek, just like ice and I was a little disoriented. I was in a dark place and lying on a soft…something. How did I get here?
There was movement beside me and I recoiled, thinking that whatever or whoever it was near me would hurt me. "Addie? Can you hear me? Are you alright now?" The man asked, and he looked slightly familiar. I must have known him from somewhere, but I couldn't remember clearly.
And he called me…Addie? What is an Addie anyway? He took my face in his hands and tried to turn it to the side. "Do you recognize me?" he asked, looking at me with those piercing dark eyes.
Some fragments of memories ran through my mind but nothing that even made any sense. "You…you…you're…" I kept mumbling, clutching my head. Suddenly, one significant memory made me remember him—the memory of him when he was saving me from a Cold One. His name sounded in my ears and I said clearly, "You're Damon."
His handsome face lit up and he hugged me tightly. "I thought you wouldn't remember me. I'm very, very sorry, Addie." he said, kissing my forehead.
"What is an Addie?" I wondered out loud, looking at him. He looked shocked and was taken aback. "You…you don't know who you are?" he asked skeptically. I shook my head at him and he frowned. "But you remember me. What did they do to you?" he asked angrily.
I whimpered and there was a flood of memories coming back to me this time. I still couldn't remember everything, but I can connect the dots. "I ran to the forest and it was raining but I don't know why I was crying. I fell to the ground and sobbed there until I heard someone approaching. He…he choked me and stabbed me with a needle. I can't remember everything. It was all…blurry." I said, gasping.
He rubbed my shoulders and kissed the top of my head then my cheek. "It's okay. You're going to be okay. I won't leave you." he said, hushing me. And somehow, I was comforted by his words.
Slowly, he cupped my face and pressed his lips softly to mine. Everything came back to me and my eyes flew open. I didn't fight him, but I didn't respond either. Then he stopped kissing me and stared at my face. "I remember everything now." I said quietly, staring back at him.
"You do?" he asked, eyes wide. I nodded and blinked back tears. I think it was better if I just didn't remember. The pain…all of it will go away. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things and told you what we were fighting about." he said apologetically. "Who took you and what did they do to you?" he asked, furious.
I looked away and said, "Felix took me. He brought me to Volterra and I fought my way out. I went out of the castle and was hit by sunlight. I drank from a young boy and ran all the way to Spain, sticking in the shadows. I rented a jet plane there and it landed near the graveyard. Then I think I ran all the way here and you found me."
He surprised me by hugging me to his chest and saying, "Curse me. I don't even know what I put you through. Just because I was too much of a coward." he said under his breath.
"I never thought I'd hear that from you of all people." I said, hiding a smile. He sighed and muttered under his breath. "I don't what it is with you. You make me do crazy things." he breathed, holding me close.
"Sure, sure, blame it all on me." I said, rolling my eyes. He suddenly looked serious and pushed me back a little. His were like liquid fire. "Why are you so serious all of a sudden?" I asked, laughing nervously.
"Addie…I need to tell you something." he said slowly. I nodded for him to continue and he took a deep breath. I have never seen him like this before, so what he was going to say must be really important. "I know you and I haven't known each other for a long time, but when I saw you nearly dead in the hands of the bloodsucker, I just felt the need to save you." he said, swallowing hard.
"And…?" I asked before he loses his courage to say what he wanted to say. "And…I think I know now why I needed to save you that day." he said, more confident this time. I pressed his hand softly to give him courage. "I did it because…even if we haven't met, somehow, I already loved you." he finished before crushing his lips to mine.
Knotting my fingers on his silky smooth hair, I pulled him closer and poured out all my heart's contents into the kiss. I didn't know which was better, my dream or this? After a long while, we pulled away from each other but never lost contact. "Why are you doing this to me?" I asked and my distress showed.
"What do you mean?" he whispered, touching his forehead with mine. "You're only making this harder for the both of us. Do you know how hard it is to control my feelings when I'm around you? I will never be good enough for you and you know it. We'll both just end getting hurt. So why still continue when we can stop now?" I asked, looking serious.
"Because I don't want to stop. We have a chance to be happy now, and you want to waste it? I already know you're crazy, but not this much. You're unbelievable." he said, shaking his head. He convinced me with those words and I curled up into a ball beside him.
"You know, last night or maybe the other night, I had a dream. And it was about you. We were fighting in your room and you had me pinned on the ground then you inched closer and kissed me." I stated, looking at him. I was surprised to see him smirking, and I questioned him about it.
"What are you smirking at?" I asked, irritated. "You really can't stop thinking about me for a minute, can you?" he teased, wagging his eyebrows. I threw a pillow at him and was about to punch his ribs when he caught my hand.
"I was just joking. But really, who said it was a dream?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "So…it wasn't?" I asked, shocked.
"Nah, I don't think so." he said seductively, our face inches apart. "Good. Don't let me go." I said, pulling him on top of me. We stayed like that for the rest of the night until I finally fell asleep in his arms once again.
Maybe I'm truly out of my mind to put my heart on the line, but I am not passing this chance up. If we are really meant to be, we will stay together for the rest of forever. And I do hope that it will end that way.
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