so... nothing much to say
except for sorry about the shorty before this.
Once again, all of you've been an amazing influence on my writing; hearing your approval and feedback on my work is probably the best part of writing this story!
Enjoy.
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Chapter 22: The Worst Kind of Freedom
The countryside of France is quite pleasant at most times; but that night it stormed. The rain pounded and the wind tightened its grasp on the chateau as if the gusts intended to crush it.
Inside of the walls, Dracula felt like his mind might be crushed if Terra tried to repress him even more.
Semi-conscious, she had seen his face, and all of her memories had come flooded back. Her 'bonding' to Eleric had still been when he wore an illusion of the Count.
She thought he'd raped her.
Still unable to move from her ordeal, she preesed sheer mind power onto him, keeping him locked in place in the chair; though he easily could have broken the bonds. He needed Terra to trust him.
It was best if he didn't destroy the fragile chains binding him in place while she was in such a delirious state. She would only think he was going to attack her again.
Dracula's eyes were sapphire without a hint of black, laced with agony as he watched her grow weaker right in front of him, just from trying to give herself the tiniest feeling of safety.
As the storm waged harder, he realized that he had to break the bonds. Sitting here would just kill Terra by draining her strength.
A blast of thunder shook the window as a dark form stood from the chair, towering over the sleeping girl on the bed.
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Terra felt her power over Dracula weakening, then break as he stood. She tried again to open her eyes but found it useless as her body refused to heed her commands. Great. She was going to be someone else's plaything again.
That thought stopped her, and she drew further inside herself, shielding her mind as she felt a sudden tendril of strength push against her mind.
She'd only just managed to repress the other, Eleric's, blackness in her soul. She didn't need more.
No - leave me alone!
Her barrier threatened to cave, bowing inward with the force of the invading attack.
Then, in a single, shattering moment, it did. Her mind was laid bare.
She allowed herself to let out one terrified scream, then settled to die. Killed in her own mind.
I hope you're proud of yourself Count.
His response was startlingly deep, calm and caressing. There was no aggressiveness in his words.
Terra, I won't hurt you. Please- listen to me. It wasn't me. Eleric- well, you probably don't know him very well... but he was the one who did all this to you..not me.
Terra pulled back, but his strength was around her, keeping her close to him so she would listen. Let me go! You already got what you wanted for so long- what use am I to you?
The next instant, he was gone; her mind was empty and cold and she staggered. Almost - lost.
Tentatively, she stretched out a command to her arm, and to her surprise, it obeyed. A moment later her eyes opened, greeting the sight of a black-eyed figure hovering directly above her.
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Dracula waited as shock registered in Terra's face, then terrible anger as her arm lashed out, and he crashed into the opposite wall. The crack that responded made him grimace, but he stood and walked back to the bed, determined to clear his name.
Terra's mouth opened to speak, but it seemed she hadn't fully mastered that muscle control yet as a garbled howl passed her lips. Her eyes betrayed her frustration and she struggled to prop herself up enough to fight back.
He chuckled as he ran a hand over the edge of the bed. "I told you I wouldn't hurt you- so how come you seem so intent on hurting me?"
Liar, she snarled at him - which he caught. His face fell and sorrow weighed heavily on him.
"Terra," his voice serious now as he walked closer, palms spread. She clutched the matress as she shifted away from his presence. He stopped, directly opposite her now.
"Terra. Please, trust me."
"Trust?" So she was able to talk. That gave him some ammount of relief. "You? Your mind must be bent sideways. Why the hell should I trust you? You- you did this to me. I know it. I don't care if you weren't the one before -even if it did look like you- I know what you want. You want a stupid little whore, fawning over you. Well guess what? I heard what that woman said. I have every right to -"
He had grown tired of her tirade. He knew what she was about to ask for. Whether she meant it or not, he would be bound to fulfill her request of freedom. And he doubted their blood would mesh again if it came to that.
So, he'd done the best thing he could to silence her. Leaping too fast for even her immortal eyes to see, he folded her in his arms on the bed, pressing his cold cheek against her throat.
Terra's breath left her instantly. She might have loved contact like this before- but her preception of him was distorted. Even though he told the truth, she'd seen his mind, the trust she'd felt before was gone.
Forcing herself to overcome the sudden terror and longing, she cleared her mind. She knew what she had to do.
"No matter, what you do," Terra choked out, pushing Dracula away- gently- to the opposite side of the bed," I can't stay here. I'm needed elsewhere. I can't- I'm no one's bride. If you really loved me, really- wanted me... to not be a zombie bride... you would understand that."
So that was her choice. She wanted to leave him. He felt his heart break as their eyes met.
"I do understand," he said, colder than he'd wanted to be. "I want you to be happy." He said softly.
Terra's face lit up, but she still didn't believe him completely. "Then prove it," she demanded. "Free me."
Those words rammed home and his eyes grew black- he fought the demonic urge to bend her will.
If you really loved me...
Free me.
"Alright."
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Some choices are the biggest mistakes we could never imagine.
Sorry guys.
Hadasah
