Chapter 26

The river wound its way through the woods and already her presence there seemed to scream at him. Even when his mind was solely focused on the one thing in the world that mattered most to him his nature, the predator inside him, was noticing the damaged patterns of the forest, the broken twigs and crushed leaves, the sharp and sweet smell of the thorns that had scratched against her skin.

Her skin, his Mary-Lynnette, pricked and scarred by his own father, his own family. Blood…the thing that times him to a cruel monster and the one thing that sustained the life that kept him going. Yet at this moment it was the one thing that he truly feared of most in this world at the moment. For each fresh new stain and scent his heart seemed to skip another bet, his stomach coil in knots and a fresh new fear that gripped at him. Ash kept wondering about whether his nightmares were about to come true that day. But the cord inside him was still strong and vibrant, even though it hummed with warning and fear. The others he had left behind because everyone and everything around him seemed so slow and yet kept slipping out of his grasp. He felt that he couldn't take anymore with his emotions being torn apart to shreds, Ash knew his heart wasn't nearly as strong as the man who had lost his soulmate more then once and waited for each lifetime.

Ash felt he was getting closer to her, the cord tighten and humming quicker as he ran even faster. The water splash around his legs soaking into his jeans making them thicker and heavier, weighing him down preventing him from reaching her even faster.

It seemed forever before he burst out into a clearing, the small river that he had followed led him to this one, larger and more powerful. For the first time since the scream that ripped through his whole being he stopped unsure of his next move. He had hoped that by following the river she would find her, undamaged and unhurt. But the clues held no truth in that. Instead all he found was a vast space—

The cord hummed louder then it had in a long time, finally an arrow, clear and strong pointing the way toward the one thing that could make the world better and brighter for himself.

He gazed over in that direction, already beginning to sprint forward. The vise on his heart already beginning to loosen, instead it was fear. The words of Balthazar playing back in his head, he wasn't the only one that was seeking Mary-Lynnette. But who had gotten there first?

His answer came sooner then he would have thought possible as the slosh of water became louder and louder. A figure, weak and dirty, limped across the river. That look of determination and the look of something who was trying so hard to stay strong. So lost in determination and survival that she hadn't noticed him until he called out to her. "Mary-Lynnette!"

Ash watched the girl freeze, the stone that had formed around her already crumbling. A flash of disbelief crossing over her, she couldn't believe that he was there. The silver cord that attached them together sang out by the sear bliss of being near each other once again, the knowledge that there were going to be together and there would be a long time before they were separated again.

And suddenly they were running toward one another, Mare barely managing to stand before finally falling back into the river with a splash. But it didn't matter not even moments after she fell, sitting in the water did he wrap his arms around her, pulling her back into the safety of his arms vowing to himself that he would never let her out of his sight again.

Mary-Lynnette grabbed at his shirt, tugging at him, grasping at him to be closer by any means necessary and he embraced that complying with her until he stumbled backward himself, tripping over a branch or stone, or something. He didn't even know what; his thoughts were solely on the girl in front of him who seemed so fragile. They fell into the water, one arm barely managing to hold them up and the other wrapped around her. Ash was acutely aware of her face, buried in his neck and her breath warming his skin against the chilling breeze on his damp skin. He pulled her all the more closer, wanting to warp himself around her and never let go and she responded to him by pressing into him even more. For all the stress and tears, the fear and gripping pain, it was all worth it for this, for her.

"You came, you're here." She choked out, coughing and racking her body.

Ash pulled away to look at her, the wounds and cuts that savaged themselves over her body and saw the rust color that stood out against what had once been a white tank and shuddered, alarmed. "Mare, the blood! Where—who—what—"

"It's not mine." She cut him off and stared down at his shirt, her fingers tightening until even the blue in them disappeared, "It's not mine."

Again. The voice in his head hissed harsh and cruel, again she was forced to do something that killed another small part of her, which changed her. It was his fault.

Again she fought alone and he was useless. Sorry wasn't going to work this time, not for him and Ash didn't think that it would help nearly as much as it seemed to the last time. Even now he wondered if that sorry was only a Band-Aid that only covered up everything. But he said them anyway because that was all he could say, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." And pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin and held her tight until they fell, the small salty trails on her cheeks and the sounds that racked her body. He rocked her carefully of her as if she were glass; she was already so cracked and splintered at the moment he was terrified of what was going to happen to her. His fingers smoothed her hair, feeling the small shards of glass and the dirt and leaves, his angered flared up. As she sat their crying his mind was tormenting him with the reminders of her wounds and cuts. Her hair, immediately her hair barely brushed over his fingers tips as he cradled her neck and felt the sadness of it all welling up in him. The emotions were flaring up inside and fought with one another. He didn't know that it was even possible for this many feelings to well up and flare all at once. Happy that she was safe in his arms, terrified of what his own father would do next, the horror of everything she had been through, nervous…anxious…. upset. He didn't know that it was even possible to feel all this at once. His emotions were on overload.

Mary-Lynnette moved back slightly, his shirt still bundled up in her hands and stared up at him, "You really came." She whispered, "I felt you, it was because of you that I climbed out that window and ran. I wanted to find you."

His thumb brushed away her tears, his fingers curling over her cheeks and then pushing her hair behind her ears. "I would never stop looking for you. I'd search for you, for your soul until you were back with me. You understand that?"

She nodded and he choked out, "Your hair." Because he couldn't help but say it and because he didn't know what else to say to her; her beautiful hair that he had untangled with his fingers and that had been pinned up in such a breath taking way a life time ago was now hacked away leaving her neck bare and chilled against the air.

Ash felt her stiffen, her muscles tense and a look that came in her eyes. Her fingers brushed themselves almost absently against her neck and suddenly pushed herself back into his chest, her head back under his neck, "You're here." Was all she said.

The sound of splashing brought them out of their little world a voice sharp and alert cut out through it all, "Ash!" Rashel came hurry up, amazement etched into her face. "You found her!"

They both helped her up, Ash watching with a sick pit in his stomach as she swayed on her feet, leaning against him for support. With him there and the fact that she felt safe and secure she felt that her strength was already leaving her, her body shutting down wanting to sleep, to disappear, all as long as he was there with her.

"Ash, we have to get moving. We've already run into a few shifters and other vampires. If we don't leave soon we won't be able to at all." Rashel paused a moment looking down at the figure who was all but falling back down into the water and shed her jacket, wrapping it around the girl, "She's already crashing."

But Rashel didn't say the words, if Mary-Lynnette completely lost consciousness then she would be the liability that kept them all here and all trapped. Trapped by Hunter Redfern was something that Rashel would rather avoid. Ash gave a curt nod and picked Mary-Lynnette up before she could protest and started to back track to his car.

But neither Ash nor Rashel could over look the figure that bobbed a little away, the water around it turning to a light pink over that disappeared with the current. The only reason the creature didn't flow with the current and be carried off was the sharp branch that protruded from the upper torso was caught between stones and her blonde hair danced in the water. Rashel couldn't help but admired the girl who through everything had survived on her own while Ash gripped with himself about how much of her innocence had been killed just by being around him. It made him sick.

"Wait… we have to….we have to get… I promised him…. Balthazar…." She mumbled the words as they pushed through the woods, too tired to even stall them to listen.

"We found him, don't worry. James took him back to the car and called ahead to Lord Thierry."

Ash paused a moment, a frown on his face, "Why did you call Lord Thierry? He didn't even know—"

"There wasn't going to be enough room in your car Ash. We didn't plan on picking up an extra passenger let alone a dy—a wounded one." Rashel peered over at the girl, but she didn't seem to take any notice. The girl was already wrapped up in sleep.

Ash grimaced, he knew that he would have to deal with Lord Thierry when they had arrived back at the mansion; he was just hoping that it wouldn't be this soon. But Rashel was right, the vampire had already lost too much blood and the poison of the wood was already eating away at him, there wouldn't have been enough room for them all. In an area like this, it wasn't safe to leave anyone behind.

"So Quinn?"

Rashel was a little further up ahead, listening and waiting for anything to jump out at them. She was the only one with free hands at the moment; Ash was full with Mary-Lynnette in his arms. A big target, "Quinn's still here. He wouldn't leave and is already heading toward the new meeting point. I don't think we'll be there long. James made the call before he even started back with Balthazar to the car. As long as we get to the meeting point we should be fine." She looked over her shoulder and smiled, "then you can deal with Lord Thierry about this whole little adventure that you put us all through."

He shrugged through, looking down at the most amazing thing in this world, "It was worth it though."

"Yes it was." She said.

So did I keep my promise? Thank god I got to this point. I actually really loved writing out this scene, it's been playing in my head for so long and I was going crazy because I thought that before I could finish the chapter I would lose it all and never be able to write down what I really wanted!

But I did it and I hope that you like it! And this is not the end, not even close. There is so much more planned out, not only for Mary-Lynnette and Ash but for the others that fight for circle daybreak…

And even some that don't.

Anyway, till next time!

~Triss