Ashton's POV
I sat on the edge of the grassy bank looking down towards the rolling hills below me. I missed her already and I had only been gone a short time. The cold hugged me like a warm friend as I pulled my leather jacket tightly around me in my last attempt to block out the frigid air before getting up and moving back towards the summer house. A sharp pain cut a cross my back, 1,2,3 like whips raining down on me. I buckled to my knees and turned around only to see nothing was there, 4,5,6 lashes came pounding down against my skin and I curled into a ball as searing pain shot through my back. I stood up, what the hell was going on, just as the thought crossed my mind I knew the answer. Amanda. Our soul mate bond had connected us now and she was experiencing pain...they were...beating her. I broke into a sprint as I ran down the hill, wind blowing in my face as I raced towards the tunnels. I was not going to lose her. Even if my life depended on it. Quinn had betrayed me and now I was out for blood.
I entered the room full of halfbloods laughing a something in the middle of a seven point star. Not something. Someone...Amanda. Rage churned within as I felt my muscles tightening and my fangs coming out full force cutting into my lips with a tearing noise. I acted on instinct solely as I reached for the flaming candelabra and began torching the halfbloods surrounding her.
"Ashton what are you doing!" Masters booming voice cut through the air like a knife but I ignored it and kept moving, screams emanated from the rogues on fire but I kept going until I reached Amanda. The sight of her made a lump wedge in my throat. She was bloody and raw her back ripped to shreds, tears streaming down her face. The words Ashton escaped her lips several times along with the words I will not show fear. Anger, sadness and pain swept over me and finally guilt...I had left her unprotected. I had failed her.
"Seize him!" A voice sounded near me, I shot into action scooping Amanda into my arms, the scent of her blood infiltrated my nostrils but I didn't even flinch I moved onwards like a robot. Her warm naked body hugged close to my chest I turned towards the exit, she was unconscious the whole time which worried me greatly. the exit was blocked off, weapons trained on me but I didn't give a damn. I would do anything to save Amanda. Anything. I grabbed the candelabra trying to balance it one arm with the weight of Amanda in the other and started using it to torch more rogues. I hit the exit of the tunnel with lightning speed before turning around and throwing the candelabra into the centre of the room. Rogues shrieked and rushed towards the exit in an attempt to escape the flames that we're now spreading at the centre of the room. I sped towards the grate pushing it out of the way and heaving Amanda upwards with all my might into the open air before lugging myself out too. I grabbed her in my arms again but the sudden change in temperature had made her stir I moved towards the side alleyway as she struggled against me, pushing hard against my chest.
"Let me go she screamed."
"It's me, Ashton, your safe, I have you."I whispered urgently, sinking down to the floor in exhaustion.
"Ashton?"she said my name almost as if we're foreign to her.
"Yes," I said, "I'm so sorry Amanda."
"For what?" she choked
"Leaving you." I gulped trying to bite back all the emotions swelling within.
Tentatively she reached up towards me, her lips parting just as they melded with mine.
Tears streaked her face as the effort of movement had caused her a lot of pain.
I kissed her back urgently trying to pour out all my unspoken words into that one moment before sinking back against the brick wall, cradling her from the freezing cold against my chest. All the while whispering endlessly how much I loved her until I could gain the strength to move again.
Sarah's POV
"So how does it feel to be back?" I asked
"Great actually, the hospital bed was getting uncomfortable." he said stretching out on the sofa and then wincing at the pain.
"Here I think it's time for you burn medicine." I said pulling out a small tube of ointment for the red scars which now cover most of Ethan's back. He turned around so I had access to the damaged area. I popped off the cap on the tube and lifted up his shirt, my breath hitching in my throat at the sight of his scars and just how much he had gone through to protect me that day. I leaned in towards him, gently placing soft kisses on each scar before beginning to rub the cream into his back methodically. He gritted his teeth as it began to sting.
"So Erica and Benny...when did they become...um, soulmates?" he asked.
"When they were in the tunnels, don't ask me! I have no idea what happened there."
"Wow, I missed so much..." he said. I could tell he was finding it difficult to get back to normal and settle in with everything again. Sooo much had changed within such a short space of time even I was finding it difficult to keep up and I hadn't been knocked out in hospital for a few weeks.
" I think we are all done." I said pulling down his shirt and going to the sink to wash the excess cream of my hands. I marched upstairs to Ethan's room, Benny and Erica had been in there way too long. I burst through the door only to find them sucking face on Ethan's bed.
"Really guys!? Ethan has just got home and instead of his friends downstairs supporting him they are having a make out sesh on his bed!" I yelled, they tore apart almost instantly giving me that please don't bite our heads off...literally kind of look.
"Oops, I guess we lost track of time." Erica blushed.
"Mhmmmmm." I said raising my eyebrows ready to give them another round of verbal smack down when the door bell rang interrupting my thoughts.
"Guys you might wanna get down here...like now!" Ethan yelled up the stairs. We all exchanged nervous glances.
"Coming." Benny yelled before ushering us all out and down the stairs. The last thing I has expected to see was Amanda naked and draped in a rogues arms but nevertheless there she was in the hallway. A sharp snarl ricocheted around the room as Erica began to lunge but Ethan stopped her and Amanda began shouting.
"Don't trust him! He was there in the tunnels and, and..." Erica yelled.
"And he brought Amanda back." Ethan finished.
"Its a trick it has to be!"
"But he..."
Are you seriously going to defend..."
"STOP!" Amanda shrieked silencing the brewing argument and shattering our eardrums in the process. "He saved me and...and...he's my soulmate." she said quietly. Silence stretched between us putting everyone on edge. Erica's gaze softened a little, I guess she had experience with an expected soulmate bond since the little incident with Benny.
"How about we talk over tea or coffee or... something." I suggested trying to break the silence.
"Clothes would be nice." Amanda suggested trying to cover up as much as possible. My eyes widened as I realised she was standing in the hallway still naked. Erica slapped her hand over Benny's eyes as I scrambled for a blanket wrapping her in it to cover her up. Ashton smirked and Ethan turned red.
"I will take Amanda upstairs for some clothes, Ethan can you get the first aid kit please Amanda is...bleeding. Uh... Ashton how about you settle in we all have a lot to discuss." I said before escorting Amanda upstairs for clothes.
Minutes passed like hours as I carefully washed out each and every wound on Amanda's body trying to be as gentle as possible but she still winced. She sat on Mrs Morgans bed hunched over and quiet and I couldn't help feeling responsible, I should have protected her but I didn't and now she was broken, the light in her eyes had receded and she was quiet and reserved. "How did this...happen?" I asked softly.
"I was beaten." she whimpered. A fierce surge of anger burst through me at the thought of Amanda being hit. I stood up balling my hands into fists as I went to the cupboard, I felt bad looking through Mrs Morgans cupboard but she was away and Amanda needed clothes. I settled on an old white night gown pulling it off the hanger and passing it to Amanda. Slowly she pulled on the night gown, each movement slow and frail, she looked as if any more movement would shatter her into a million pieces.
"Come on, let's get you down stairs." I said wrapping my arms around her and bringing her to the door.
Ashton's POV
I sat on the sofa with Ethan on one side and Benny on the other like body guards. Amanda and Sarah came down the stairs, Amanda slipping herself into the seat next to me and Sarah sitting next to Erica on the sofa opposite.
"We have a hundred questions Ashton and we needed answers." Sarah said cutting to the point.
" Why do the rogues want Amanda?" Erica asked. This was one story I truly did not want to tell Amanda but it had to be done.
" A long time a go Amanda' s mother was one of the most powerful women of the Wiccan society, a leader of earth priestesses, seers, shapeshifter's and all sorts of supernatural creatures. She was a descendent of a pure blood line filled with magic in its purest form...she was the only descendent of a pure blood line. The other ancestors died fighting in the great supernatural war against my master hundreds of years a go never having a chance to have off spring and create descendants for their lines. Why only one blood line survived no one knows, most people think it was because that was the strongest blood line a line connected straight to Hecate god of magic but those are just rumours, no one knows for sure. My master...former master, he hated the way that vampires were treated, how they were in hiding of humans and had to be secret about what they were, he believed that vampires should be on top not at the bottom pretending to fit in with...humans. That is how the supernatural war began, he wanted everyone to rise up against humans but most people disagreed. He lost the war but did not lose hope because he had gone to a seer a long time ago who in fact gave him a prophecy saying that he would lead the great revolution for vampires putting them back in their rightful place. He always wanted power it was in his nature and this is what he had always wanted to do however there was a line in the prophecy that was as follows, the one who brings power to the cause will also let it fall, her blood is bound to its success, it is needed for it to work best, the vessel of magic in its purest form, with fiery eyes unleash power and scorn, broken by the one she loves, shall be claimed by the gods above. He knew he needed Amanda from when she was born but to build up power he sacrificed her mother first using her blood in the elixir in order to give the rogues more power, enough to destroy humans and regular vampires that were not supporting the cause. Her blood allowed more speed, strength, all sorts of improvements. The elixir however was running out which was how our master knew it was time to use Amanda. They would use her blood for more elixir and a ritual ceremony as part of a sacrifice, four orba thesselas would be used to capture her essence and from then on whatever blood they had of hers pumping through their system would be eternal if they fed from her again. They would be strong enough to take on humans and the orba thesselas would have gained their sacrifice in order to provide unlimited powers for the vampires to use."
" Hold up! What the heck is an orba thessela?" Benny asked.
"It's an orb kind of like a crystal ball, it can capture an essence or soul of anything as a sacrifice in order to provide power but it has to be a worthy powerful sacrifice...someone like Amanda. Their are four orbs in the world, earth, fire, water and air. The orbs also choose their owners. The ones who wield their power."
"Great so what I'm hearing is we need to protect Amanda at all costs and find these orb thingys before the rogues do." Erica said.
" You make it sound easy." I sighed. " The orbs could be anywhere in the world and also the owners they choose, luckily the orbs are usually near the people they wish to wield their power but it could take ages to find them."
" Then we must make arrangements quickly, we need a plan and fast. The rogues are not going to win this! We must fight." Sarah said.
" Yes so let's get this plan going then shall we?" I said. The night was filled with preparations for what was to come next. A war was coming...I could feel it with every fibre of my being. We had to be prepared to fight and win. I looked to Amanda and caught her soft brown gaze. She gave me the smallest of smiles, in that moment I knew I would fight for Amanda's sake or die trying.
Please, please, please review and tell me what you think. It would mean sooo much to me to at least get a few reviews this chapter because getting reviews is soooo encouraging for me! Thank you guys for reading I hoped you enjoyed it!