Chapter Seventeen

"You failed to correctly hold back my actions." Zane smirked in satisfaction as he spoke.

"You didn't follow my orders." Ash's silver eyes looked angry. I spotted a tiny tint of red in them. The room was divided. We were in the meeting room, which was in a neutral cabin for different occasions. On one side, Ash sat with his crew, and on the other Zane sat with his.

"Of course I did. You said that I could not lead a rescue attempt. I didn't. Dax did," Zane retorted. Ash looked scary. His anger collapsed in the room. He was around six feet and four inches tall. He had deep brown hair that was slightly out of place.

"I shouldn't have to clarify when I don't want you to do something. You knew well enough I didn't want anyone to go at all. You've decided to test me." Ash's deep voice resonated through the small room. He was a grumpy gills. I smiled to myself thinking I was the funniest person ever.

"The guards at the court were easy anyways. They had no chance defeating us. Without us, their security is terrible. I would see no problem with sneaking in and killing off the princess. It wouldn't take much effort." Zane shrugged.

I was starting to feel a little warm. The poison felt like it was eating at me inside. Revenge held my hand while I sat right next to him. Our chairs touched. Trying to get me to release his hand was going to be difficult. Zane sat across from us at the rectangular table. Torture was sitting beside Zane. I made eye contact with Torture's silver eyes. I gave him a weak smile, and he frowned. He stared at me as if…he was worried? I slouched down in my seat, and my eyes were only half-open. I kept telling myself to stay awake.

I was starting to burn. Wincing from the sudden sharp pain, I squeezed Revenge's hand. I looked up at Zane who was busy saying something to Ash. Suddenly, his ice blue eyes snapped to me. He ceased talking. The room went quiet waiting for Zane to finish whatever it was he had paused in saying.

"Where is the doctor?" Zane rushed through the sentence as he smoothly got to his feet.

"Zane, we are not finished talking. If your group decides to put my village in trouble like you have, then you aren't welcome here." Ash was ignored.

"I am not in the mood right now, Ash," Zane spoke with anger and urgency. I think everyone realized he was telling the truth when his eyes flashed red. It was then I realized Zane could beat Ash in a fight. Zane wasn't scared of Ash at all. My insides were on fire. A groan of pain slipped through my dry lips. "Revenge, move," Zane's voice held authority. I squeezed Revenge's hand. Pain started to lace itself through my sore body. A sick feeling started to emerge. I thought I had gotten over being poisoned, yet it seemed like the poison was only starting to get serious now.

"No," his whisper fell into the silent room. Both of the crews didn't know what was happening.

"You don't get to say no, Rev. I am asking you one more time to let her go and move." Zane's calm voice didn't fool anyone. He was furious.

"I won't," Revenge said back to him. I glanced over at Revenge's pale face. His face was set with worry. His eyes were starting to change. Red crept up around the silver blue of his eyes. There were angry vampires everywhere. Everyone was on edge.

Sweat began to form on the surface of my skin. My insides turned with nausea. I wanted out of the chair, so I could lie down.

"She-" Revenge began but was cut off by Zane.

"Revenge. If I have to warn you again, you are going to get hurt." Revenge's hand only tightened on mine.

"It's okay," I whispered to Revenge only because I knew Zane was stronger and serious. A weird sensation of anger held on the peripherals of my emotions. It felt like a foreign emotion, it wasn't mine. It was Zane's. I closed my eyes and waited for Revenge to drop my hand. He didn't.

"I gave you a fair warning." Zane's cold voice woke me. Before Zane did something to Revenge, I spoke quickly.

"Revenge. Let go." My voice was so low I'm surprised he heard it. His hand loosened, and then suddenly tightened again. "Please," I voiced not wanting Zane picking a fight with Revenge over me. Revenge looked over at my pained face. I just didn't want Revenge to get hurt. Slowly, his hand began to relax. Revenge always listened to me, unlike Zane who always did what he pleased. Before he fully dropped it, Zane picked me up in his arms. My hand jerked away from Revenge's.

"Excuse me," Zane stated to the room that seemed stunned in silence.

"Doctor follow." His last demand came through, and the steady shuffle of doctor Barrett's footsteps followed somewhere behind us. The last words echoed in the quiet room before we disappeared.

"Why in the hell are they bonded, and why has no one told me?" If possible, Ash was angrier.

The morning breeze brushed against my sweating skin cooling it. The door slammed behind us.

"Doctor, what the hell is happening?" Zane carried me into a row of cabins. Very few people were out, and the ones who were didn't pause too much in what they were doing.

"The poison is starting to take dominance." Doctor Barrett's words were quiet. My stomach felt a dizziness I had never experienced before. It was like being carsick times ten.

"Why the hell did you tell me she was going to be okay?" Zane's voice was full of anger. I rested my dizzy head on his chest.

"The poison that I believe was injected into the girl has only been released days ago. It's something new the court created. I have seen people overcome it, and I have seen what has happened to her. It seemed she was getting better and then it strikes back. It's unpredictable. By the way she was acting earlier, I thought she was okay. She had survived through the first twenty minutes."

"What is the antidote?" Zane started to step up a couple of stairs, and I slightly opened my eyes. We were entering his cabin. The doctor didn't answer his question. The doctor shuffled inside. My vision started to become obscured. The light on the ceiling twisted in a warped way.

"There isn't one that we know of," Barrett finally answered. Zane's grip on me tightened.

"What do you know about it?" Zane asked as he sat me down on the couch.

"It acts similar to Ricin. It attacks the cell's proteins and eventually-" Barrett began to explain but was cut off by Zane's voice.

"I know how Ricin works. What about it do you know that I don't?" Zane asked almost in an annoyed manner.

"Please turn around," Zane added to him before Barrett had the chance to answer. Why did Zane want Barrett to turn around? I glimpsed up at Zane's eyes. They were dominated with red but blue still lingered. I frowned when I spotted a knife in his hand. I squirmed under his hands slightly confused. The knife came under the collar of my shirt. The blade pointed upward, and he ran the blade down the center toward the end of my shirt. The ripping of fabric entered my ears.

"Named Factor X. Symptoms… dizziness, sickness, weakness, confusion, loss of consciousness, or she could become energized and her mind might become altered in its way of thinking…the list goes on and on. And you do know that internal bleeding may-"

"I know," Zane replied with irritation. I looked down at my torn shirt agitated.

"Zane," I whispered his name to let him know I disapproved. Why in the world did he just rip my shirt in half? Oh. My. Goodness. I glanced at my exposed skin. Startled I tried to sit up and back away from Zane.

"My human, I am only trying to remove your clothing incase the poison came into contact with-"

"No," I cut him off and curled away from him. The room tilted with my sudden movements. I felt like I was going to throw up. Again.

"Blair." Startled with him calling my name, I glanced up at him. He solemnly called me by my name.

"Relax," he finished. There was no way I was going to relax. He was taking off my clothes.

"No," I groaned. My world didn't make any sense. Where in the world was I anyways? How did I get here? I searched the blurriness of the room. The brown walls blended. Hands brushed against my skin over my shoulder. He pulled my arm up and pulled my arm through the shirt. I tried to push him away in protest, but I just wasn't able to do any damaged. He pulled my other arm through. My muscles were weak and sore. I glanced down at my body. I was topless. My boring black bra was the only thing on the top half of my body.

Zane stared down at me. I only saw red in his dangerous eyes. Tingles ran through my limbs making me feel numb.

"Doctor, throw me a soapy towel. They are under the sink," Zane announced. Moments later the cold towel ran over my sweaty skin. I closed my eyes at the soothing feel. Chills collected on my body. I didn't know if it was from the coldness of the towel or Zane's touch. A blanket soon draped over my body.

"I am going to take your jeans off, but you have the blanket covering you." Zane didn't listen to my mumbling protests. I burned with heat inside of me. The poison showed no mercy to my fragile body. I clutched the thin blanket to keep my body covered.

"is burn." The words passed through my dry lips. A drop of water fell from my face. Confused I raised my hand to my cheek. I was crying. My body felt weighed down in pain.

"My human, look at me." Zane's voice almost sounded fragile. I slowly raised my eyes with warped images making my mind fuzzy. His figure was a blur. I saw red flow from his arm. Realization struck me.

"No! No blood!" I shook my head and turned away from him.

"What does she mean blood?" A distant voice announced in the room.

"Don't worry about it, doctor," Zane responded as I closed my eyes. I was going to throw up. I placed my protesting arms underneath me and slowly pushed up. A man came into my view. I related his image with doctor but couldn't figure out why. Wait. That's Doctor Barrett. How could I have forgotten?

"How many times have you exchanged blood?" The doctor's frantic voice didn't stop Zane.

"A few times, but I have not bitten her. There is no need to worry about her changing."

"But if you-"

"Leave. You have no use here." Zane's smooth voice didn't yell. He never yelled when he was angry. His cold collected composure was something to be weary of. I heard a door shut somewhere behind me.

"My human, you will listen to me." Zane's voice was starting to make no sense to me. My whole body was aching and burning. Liquid hit my lips. I coughed in surprise. The liquid coated my mouth and eased the burning. It was only when I realized what it was that I brought up my arms to try to push him away. I didn't even make contact with Zane. My coordination was so off, but he did pull away from me. My eyelids began to close.

"Burning," I faintly whispered. Zane must've heard because his hand pressed against my hot forehead. In a moment, I was wrapped in his arms with the blanket still covering me. Cold skin pressed against my burning skin. I sighed. He started to walk out of the cabin. A rumbling of the sky made me open my eyes. I looked up at the darkened clouds above us. It's going to rain. Zane is here, and if I could just get Revenge… then…then… I couldn't think. My thoughts jumbled together. Nothing made sense to me. Where in the world was I anyways? Why was I here?

I glimpsed up at the unfamiliar man who held me in his arms. Through the blurriness of my vision, I saw his sharp facial features exaggerated, and his blue eyes popped out in comparison to everything surrounding me. He was so pretty. Why was I in his arms? Where was he taking me? Fire felt like it was blazing inside of me. Dizziness swarmed around me.

"Stop…no…this is…who?" I tried to yell, but my voice was only a soft gasp.

"My human, calm down." His voice was so smooth and flawless. Tension gathered in me just because of his voice. It was then I realized that I had no reason to panic. He was mine.

"Mine," I whispered as I tried to touch his face with my palm. Instead, I missed and my hand landed somewhere on his chest. A slick smirk brought his lips into a smile.

"Let's have you say that when you are better," he replied as his smile grew. I saw a flash of white teeth. My stomach turned over and over again in dizziness. I felt like… I felt like I was going to…

"Throw up," I said urgently. I was set down, and my bare feet pressed against sand. I fell to my hands and knees and threw up right on the sand. The blanket collapsed on my back. A hand placed itself on my back. My hair was tugged back and disappeared away from my face. I heaved over and over again, even when my body couldn't give anything up.

An arm wrapped around my body and pulled me up. I let him help me stand. I cast my eyes over him. Zane. I thought with sudden realization. Confusion mixed in my emotions. The blanket fell away from my shoulders. I looked down at my black bra and black bikini underwear, and at the time, I just didn't care. I glanced up at Zane who stared at me without trying to hide it. I didn't understand why a faint glow of red was starting to mix into his eyes. He snapped his icy blue eyes away fast, and tightened his grip on me.

"It is going to be fine." He let me know as we paced the small beach. He held my weight as he helped me walk back and forth.

"Just keep walking, it will help." And so I walked. My burning and weak body paced back and forth stumbling every five steps. My shaky legs barley kept me up as the sickness nauseated my body.

"You are still warm," Zane said suddenly. One of his arms held me up as the other pulled at his T-shirt. I was back in his arms again. My pounding head lay against his bare chest. I closed my eyes, and only opened them when I heard a faint swishing sound. He was walking us into the lake.

The cold water brushed against my feet first. Relief from the burning washed over me. He waded in until I was neck deep. An electrical tingle past through me as soon as the fire subsided. I realize his bare skin was touching mine. My heart beat quickened. A slow dripping sound made me turn my head in wonder. Raindrops hit the surface of the lake. I glimpsed up at Zane. He was staring down at me with concerned blue eyes. His silver hair began to be weighed down by the steady raindrops.

"Thank you," I whispered so low I only hoped he heard me. My eyes shut, and soon the world around me dropped into a deep blackness.

:::

"If it came to world domination, I would be the perfect ruler. I'm just saying." Dax's voice always managed to be the one to wake me. I only pushed open my eyes a little. I couldn't feel Zane's presence. Anxiety filled my senses without me wanting it.

"You lost, Dax." War's voice held a hint of a smile.

"I did not. I quit," he answered. I opened my green eyes all the way to find his arms crossed over his chest. Dax's blond hair was ruffled, it seemed like he had run his hands through it a lot.

"Brazil attacking Peru," a light familiar voice said. Revenge.

"Your hair looks cute," I called to Dax who sat closest to me. My voice was so raspy I barely recognized it as my own. I tried to clear my throat.

"Why good morning, beautiful! I do think I heard a little sarcasm in your voice, but I'm still taking it as a compliment." Dax stood up as he spoke and stopped beside the bedside table. He picked up a glass of water and turned to me.

"You're going to have to sit up a little." My muscles ached with soreness. I carefully pushed myself up.

"Here you are." Dax handed me the glass. His silver eyes watched me closely. My slim fingers wrapped around the glass. I downed the glass of water within a minute. I felt the water slide down to my stomach and awaken my body.

"Medicine. You've got to stop getting injured." Dax handed me two white pills. I took them without questioning him.

"Now that I've taken care of you, how do you feel?" he asked as if he just provided me with some miracle potion that took away all my pain. I took stock of my feelings. I felt terrible. I wanted to brush my teeth extremely bad, and my muscles protested every time I moved. A small headache throbbed at the back of my head.

"Almost a hundred percent better. Thanks, Dax." My voice cleared up a little. I rolled my eyes after I spoke. His silver eyes seemed to brighten at me as he smirked.

"Take it easy with the sarcasm. You might hurt my feelings," he lightly replied as he smiled. He backed away and put the glass back on the table.

"Susan has been arguing with us for three days trying to get your unconscious body back to her house. She doesn't trust that we'll take proper care of you." I've been out for three days. I glanced beyond Dax. War was leaned back on a chair with his feet crossed in front of him and his arms folded at his chest. A small table was pushed in the corner of the cabin. Revenge sat on one side and Torture sat on the other. A board game took all of the room on the wooden table. I tried to see what the game was but failed.

"What game are you playing?" I asked as I glanced up to see everyone staring at me. I tried to run a hand through my brown-knotted hair. My hand became stuck, and I immediately gave up.

"Risk," Revenge answered as he gave me a relaxed smile. He didn't make eye contact with me. It confused me since he was intentionally avoiding it.

"And who's winning?" I asked with my eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"They're pretty much tied right now. They've been at it for five hours," Dax let me know as I sank back into the pillow.

"Revenge…can you come here so I can talk to you?" I forced the words through my lips feeling unusually shy.

"Alright everyone! That's our cue," Dax announced as he stood up again from his chair.

"You guys don't have to leave. I was just-" I began to protest.

"Don't worry about it, beautiful." Then quieter, "don't encourage them to continue their game that is going nowhere." I felt awkward as the room started to empty. Torture stopped beside my bed before he left.

"You still look terrible," he murmured which was as deep as Torture ever got with emotions. I liked to believe it was his way of telling me he was happy I was okay. I maturely stuck my tongue out at him. When everyone left the room, it was silent. Revenge still hadn't moved from his seat in the corner of the room. For a few minutes, I watched him stare at the game board.

"Revenge," I only said his name, but it was enough to make him glance up in my direction expectantly.

"Yes?" he answered in a small whisper.

"What's wrong?" My throat still felt sore, so I spoke lightly. He didn't answer. However, he did stand from his seat. He wore a nice pair of dark jeans and a navy blue sweater. He slowly paced across the room thinking, so I didn't interrupt. He stopped suddenly and faced me.

"I-I just…" He struggled to find the right words. His dark hair contrasted perfectly with his silver blue eyes.

"I don't think I can take care of you properly," he quickly answered as he bowed his head in what looked like shame. He sighed heavily as he sat down on the chair next to my bed Dax had previously been sitting on. My eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Revenge, what are you talking about?" I didn't want him being upset with himself. There was no reason for him to be.

"Zane just took you, and I didn't fight for you," he murmured, as he still didn't meet my eyes.

"I didn't want you to fight for me," I answered honestly. I didn't want him to get in the way of an angry Zane. I knew where this was leading.

"I couldn't help you when you were sentenced to death or trapped at The Court of Shadows…You're a carrier, and I just can't always ensure that I will be healthy enough-"

"Stop," I interrupted his little nervous tangent. He was fidgeting under my stare. He didn't seem to be able to bring himself to meet my gaze.

"None of the things that have happened are your fault." He stared down at his hands that were clasped together.

"Revenge, look at me." He gradually brought his silver blue eyes to me. They looked miserable and tense. I stared into his eyes.

"It isn't your fault, and you haven't done anything wrong," I told him. He glanced back at me.

"I feel…like I can't keep up with you." He added after a long pause. I let out a loud laugh.

"I don't think anyone can." And with that, I got a smile from Revenge. An hour later, I held a notebook in my hands. Revenge was still sitting beside me. I looked at the three by three boxes. I put an X in the corner. With a smile, I handed it back to Revenge. He scribbled an O. He won the game of tick-tack-toe once again. Revenge had won twenty times, I won twice, and we had a hand full of ties.

"That's it! You win!" I said frustrated as I threw the notebook at him. Of course, I missed.

"I have a secret plan for us when you are able to be stand on your feet again," Revenge told me as he picked the notebook off the floor.

"Hmmm…interesting," I answered as I thought of what that might mean.

"Human."

"Yes?" I asked as I shifted my weight. My whole body ached.

"Are you…How do you feel about Zane?" I froze. Nervousness collected in my stomach. I wasn't ready for this question. I just wasn't. I thought about Zane and how it hurt waking up without him there.

"I-I…" I stuttered unable to think coherently about what I was going to say. I had nothing to say. And saying anything about Zane in front of Revenge was nerve racking.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. You don't have to answer," Revenge said as he fidgeted in his seat. I thought for a moment more. I decided to give the best answer I could.

"Honestly, I don't know. But the bond isn't something I can ignore," I told him uneasily. Just thinking about seeing Zane filled me with hope. I didn't understand what it meant. I didn't understand how the bond related to my feelings. How much was me and how much was the bond? I just wasn't sure.

"Thank you," he whispered before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Revenge answered.

"See their clothes are still on!" Dax said knowingly to the two boys that trailed him. I grinned as I rolled my eyes. I glimpsed at Revenge to find him looking nervous from the comment. It only made my smile grow.

"Hey Dean, Allan," I greeted the werewolf boys.

"Hey," they answered almost in unison. Their striking blue eyes peered at me.

"Want to help us plan plots against Zane, Torture, and War?" Dax happily asked.

"I would love to! I couldn't think of anything more productive to do stuck in a bed all day anyways." I answered as I thought about the couple of days I'd probably be sulking around all lazy and achy.

"Oh, I definitely can." Dax winked at me. I picked up an extra pillow and threw it at him. It ended up being short and landed just before his feet.

:::

OH MY GOODNESS! So I was just looking at my plot folder... I think I have just three chapters left! I have a sequel to ICC in the plotting works! :D As always, I love to hear what you all are thinking about the story!

***THANKS TO ALL MY REVIEWERS/FAVORITES/ALERTS***

You guys already know you're the best : )

Katie0616- hello there! Yay! I'm happy to make you happy! Thank you so much for taking the time to review!

The Huntress of the Night- Hello :) Yeah, I can see what you mean. Zane's behavior is completely different from Revenge's. Haha no problem! Thank you for reviewing and reading!

Dire Heart- ahaha! If something didn't happen to Blair it would be boring :D Wow, there are more Zane fans than I thought! Interesting :) Thanks for reviewing!

Forever-Buckskin- Hello! Zane can really be a pain sometimes, and Revenge is a lot nicer than Zane! You had good points! I'm sure you're not the only one who gets annoyed with Zane! Haha thank you for reviewing!

DJShayShayxx- Hello there! :) I know right? It was nice to write Revenge back into the story! Ahaha! Torture did get a little smirk in there! :D I love Dax too. I don't know what I would do if I didn't create him as a part of this story. He makes everything so much better! I might have to check that show out when I get the time! Sounds interesting! Thank you for your awesome review!

LetsGetTragic- haha! Logging in is a little bit of a hassle sometimes! Another Zane fan! I'm just so surprised with how many people chose Zane :D haha thank you for taking the time to review! Logged in or out, I appreciate it! :D

ERB000- Hey there! Wow, that is defiant! Hmmm… I'll think about what you're suggesting! I kind of already have the last three chapters planned out! But anything is possible really :)Thank you for your review!

Arcadecat- awwww! Wow, I'm so happy to hear that! It really makes me want to do a happy dance or something haha. I'm glad this story draws emotion from you too! That is always a huge part of any story! Ugh. You're review made me so happy haha thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review!

District7TE- hello there! I'm glad that you've liked it so far! haha I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! :)

***I hope you all have a great rest of your Sunday!***

Oh! And here are the character votes (so interesting!)—people who distinctly said "I chose…over…"

Revenge: 1

Zane: 5

Torture: 1