DUGAN POV
I watched the child flip this way and that, clawing at herself as Renuka pulsed through her veins. I had come up with the name Renuka for my lethal creation. Renuka is the Hindu goddess of death and destruction. The name seemed fitting.
Renuka was a genius combination of rare chemicals. Its true power was to change a vampire back into a human, something that immortals have strived for for centuries. But I mixed a deadly poison into the doses I gave Faith and Alec, and it caused them to go through excruciating pain. They would first turn back into their human selves, and then die slowly.
The only way to fix this is for another vampire to suck the poison out. But since the poison can take affect when it is in either the circulatory or digestive system, then they will begin to die. I imagine Destiny has already found Alec, and is sucking the poison out of him at this very moment. Then he will be a mortal, and he will have to decide if he wants to stay that way or change back into a vampire.
I hadn't lied to Destiny when I told her she wouldn't be able to save the little girl. She won't be able to, and it will crush her. And then she will slowly turn human herself, as she slowly dies.
With an angry growl, I slammed my fist against the steel wall beside me. Why am I doing this to her? What good is this doing me? I am in love with her, yet I am hurting her. What kind of vile creature am I?
If I could have one wish in this world, it would be to have Destiny as my wife; to let her see me as she sees Alec. I adore her, I adore everything about her, but I continue to shred her life apart. And now I am killing her. I am senselessly murdering the girl I am in love with.
"You said you would protect me forever, mommy. Why aren't you helping me? You said I was your little princess, daddy. Why are you letting this happen to me?" Faith pants out. She grimaces and then adds, "If I die, just know that I love you mommy and daddy." And then, she lies still and her heart stops.
Suddenly, I hear her weightless footsteps speeding towards me. With a sigh I run off. I can't bear to watch the devastation on her face when she sees her dead child.
DESTINY POV
It had taken all my willpower to pull back from Alec's neck. I had taken a little more than intended though, and he was unconscious. I carry him in my arms now as I search for Faith.
"You said you would protect me forever, mommy. Why aren't you helping me? You said I was your little princess, daddy. Why are you letting this happen to me?... If I die, just know that I love you mommy and daddy.." I heard a gentle voice whimper out. I gasp as I round the corner and see Faithie sprawled helplessly on the cold cement floor. She looks exactly like she did when I first saw her, human. Soft, tender, frail, cold. But this time, she is dead.
I feel like crying. This is so scary. I rush to the blond angel's side, and immediately shove my teeth into her throat. I suck until I can no longer taste that disgusting sour tinge of the poison. Nothing happens though. She is gone.
I had promised her I would protect her from everything, and now here I am, moments too late to save her from death. I grab her, holding her to me. I hear Alec moan, and look over to see his eyes flutter open.
"Des?" He whispers. I had never heard anything but his magical silky voice. His human voice is rougher, hoarser, yet still sexy.
"I'm here, we're going to be okay," I said with a small fake smile. He pushed himself up with the palms of his hands.
"Oh my god," He said, staring at Faith.
"I was too late, Alec. I can't save her," I cried. He looked nearly as distraught as I am, but he held on to his composure for my sake.
"You saved me." He said more clearly, smiling. I nodded, tears still clouding my vision.
"You're still human though," I reminded him, rubbing Faith's back as if she is a baby I am putting to sleep.
"Its amazing," He sighed happily. That took me by surprise.. Wait.. Does Alec want to remain human? The thought made me cringe. This is worse than Bella and Edward's predicament had been. This time, a human and vampire are married, and the human doesn't want to turn. He wants to remain fragile.
"You want to be human?" I asked sadly. He shifted his blue eyes downward.
"Don't we all?" He whispered. My heart sank.
"You would rather be human than be with me?" I barely gotten that out before a horrible pain set my insides on fire. A blood-curdling scream rippled past my lips.
"Destiny!" Alec yelled, grabbing my shoulders.
A beating that sounds like a native drum echoes in my head. It took me a moment to realize it was my own heartbeat. It felt like I released another piercing scream, but I didn't hear it.
I felt like I was being jerked around, like people were shaking me. But I didn't hear them. Didn't see them. All I could focus on was the fire blazing inside of me, and my racing heart.
DUGAN POV
I could hear her. Every scream was like having a sledgehammer thrown at my heart. I had to help her. I must save her.
In a rush, I find where Dragon, Devlin, Roxy-Anne, Atlantis, and all my other 'minions' are sitting.
"You will all allow the Volturi to leave peacefully. You will NOT drink from them. You will give them the rest of the human elixir that has NOT been laced with poison. None of you will drink ANY of the human elixir without the Volturi's permission." I used my mind manipulation on them. They nodded, their eyes glazed over. With that taken care of, I run off to save my love.
I find Alec huddled over Destiny's crumpled form, unable to do anything to save her. Faith's lifeless body is laying next to Des. I shove them both out of the way.
"Get away from her!" Alec yells, using his feeble mortal strength to try to push me away.
"If you care at all for you wife, you will back away from me." I glared at him. He glared back for a second, until relenting and backing off.
With absolutely no hesitation, I slide my teeth into her neck. I drink until I can no longer taste the sour tinge to the Renuka. And then I scoot back, and wait for her to wake up.
"You really are in love with her too," Alec said, staring at me incredulously.
"She is to die for," I said with a mocking smile to hide how true his words are. I don't need him to feel the satisfaction of knowing we were both competing in the same game, and he won by a long shot.
Destiny awakens sluggishly. She slowly looks around with her pale green human eyes. Her hair is shorter, and a more white-blond than gold blond. It is also pin-straight, no little spirals at the end. She isn't quite as pale, but still very pale for a human. Her lips aren't quite as full, and more pink than red. Somehow, her little mortal imperfections make her more perfect in my eyes.
"Dugan.. You saved me.." She whispered. I smile adoringly at her.
"I love you, Destiny. And I always will. I won't ever forget you, no matter what happens after this life. You're what I have spent the past 5,000 years searching for, and I'm so very glad I got to spend some time with my soul mate before my time to go comes. And please, don't forget me. I'm sorry for all that has happened recently. I never want to hurt you again. I'm going to miss you so much. Goodbye, love." I said calmly, then placed a delicate kiss on her warm lips just as the fire began to rapidly consume me.
DESTINY POV
Dugan kissed me gingerly with his icy lips, causing a blissful warmth to spread through my entire body, just before he cried out, then collapsed on the ground.
"No!" I screamed. I lunged at him, holding him to me as he writhed in pain. He was strong. He didn't cry or scream. He suffered in silence. It seemed to take an eternity before his torture stopped. And then he just lie there, motionless. I sobbed, and for the first time in quite a while, real tears spilled out and stained the black fabric of Dugan's shirt.
I slowly lifted back his eyelid. A grayish blue orb stared blankly above me. Had he been the one to make me know his true eye color? Or had I somehow known myself?
"Don't leave me," I cried into his chest. Now I'm losing both my daughter and my love in a single day. What else could possibly go wrong?
Warm, gentle hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me back. I didn't want to be pulled away, but I couldn't hurt Alec by rejecting his comforting embrace.
After a long time of Alec holding me while I cried onto his shoulder, I composed myself. Its done, I told myself. There is no way to change Dugan's fate.
I then remember the young girl at my side. I scoot away from Alec, and pick her up.
"I'm so sorry, Faithie. I tried so hard. I love you more than life itself, I hope you knew that. You meant the world for me, and if I could, I would give my life to bring you back. I'm going to miss you," I whispered with a sob, placing a tender kiss on her clammy forehead.
Faith gave me faith. She gave me faith that eternity didn't have to be dull, that things could be bright and exciting. She gave me faith in the fact that immortal children can be tamed. She gave me faith that I am capable of being a mother. She gave me faith with her beautiful smile and sweet little blond curls.
I was her destiny. If I hadn't found her that day on the streets, she would have died with her mother probably that very night. Faith was destined to become a vampire. She was destined to become a princess. She was destined to become my faith.
Faith was a deadly faith. She was a faith that is now causing me more sorrow and grief than I can bear.
I was a disastrous destiny. I had lead her to a horribly painful death that I will for all eternity regret.
A Deadly Faith & A Disastrous Destiny.
Alec nudged me out of my thinking. "Come on, Des. Lets go home."
THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!