Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Kisses, nor any product that has come from it.
Chapter 14
Trevor's Point of view
"Raven…?" I glanced her way to see if she had even reacted to the sound of her name but she did nothing. Jagger assured me that it wouldn't last very long; Mathias only tried to soothe her. It worked but her expression remained broken. The words Jagger told me replayed into my head; you should help her snap out of the state she's in. No one should do it alone.
I was digesting everything I had discovered- Vampires were real! I never thought in my wildest dreams that the very person I had accused of being a vampire was really a vampire. But as it turns out, Alexander is definitely a vampire. Raven was in on it too, after everything she had said about him not being a part of those rumors, he ended up being her dream come true. Jagger was also a one of the undead and if he's a vampire then that means Luna is as well. [Although I had a nagging feeling about Jagger.] And then there's Mathias… Is it just me or has this small time town become infested with vampires? But now we have to storm in on Alexander doing god knows what, and somehow divert his plans to kill god knows who, and we have to start by finding him, god knows where, and make sure that he can't complete his evil scheme by god knows when and only god knows how the hell we're going to do that! And I don't think you should say 'god' and 'hell' in the same sentence… I'm going to hell… TT-TT;;
We were following Jagger's hearse back to, what Raven likes to call it, Dullsville. With one hand on the wheel I reached for Raven's hand and held it gently. She jumped slightly then settled back down. It was then that she slowly held my hand as well. I looked at her and she looked at me, eyes beginning to brim with unshed tears.
"Raven-" I started but she interrupted me.
"How can you be so nice to me? It's so different from what I'm used to from you. At first I thought it was another one of your pranks, an evil joke where I would be another punch line to you and all your friends. But you continued to act as if I really meant something to you, even to the point where I actually thought you cared. What am I to you…?"
I quickly averted my eyes back to the road, my heart beginning to quicken. Should I tell her now? I mean, it's only the secret I've been keeping for so many years. What's the worst that could happen? Hello! She's still in love with Alexander and before I know it they will work out this-this-this mess and be happy again… Whatever I could have with Raven would only happen in my dreams…
"Well, uhhh…"
She continued to look at me bewildered. I coughed and cleared me throat.
"Come on, Monster Girl! We're rivals to the very end. I just can't have a wannabe Trevor roaming around, wreaking havoc without my say-so. This is my town. " I gave her a seductive grin. She pulled her hand away and sat as close to the window as possible. My heart plummeted to the ground. I replaced that once warm hand back on the steering wheel and drove on in silence, void of Raven's sweet voice and any hope I had of having a place in her heart.
Raven's Point of View
I stared out the window fighting tears, No, I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry… A small, fragile tear rolled down my cheek. Damn it all to hell! Why am I crying? I should be happy that Trevor was unchanged by these turn of events. It's not like I was expecting Trevor to have a shred of humanity and tell me everything would be okay… That's Alexander's job. My heart twisted in two. Alexander. I shook my head. I haven't even given Alexander a chance to explain or even fend for himself. We've all done nothing but make him out to be an evil heartless person. I know him better than that. I may not know what he's done in his past but I do know him know and I know that the sweet Alexander I know could never harm anyone. As soon as we find him, I'll give him the chance to tell everybody that he's not how he was in the past, that he's changed. And I will tell him that I love him no matter what happens. One person's past does not label them forever. I smiled to myself. I'm sorry Alexander, I will not lose faith in you again, I promise.
Jagger's Point of View
"You know this will put them in a tight spot if we find him. You know exactly what he'll be doing when we do." I said to Mathias who had his arms crossed over his chest in mock concentration.
"Yes, I do know very well, little cousin, and yet it is not my problem at all. Therefore what comes of it will have no affect on me whatsoever."
I faced Mathias. "Then what was that whole glamour thing about? You didn't have to do it but you did. It makes me think that you have a soft spot for her."
Mathias' eyes dazed out as if he were remembering things that have long been forgotten to this world. I could tell he felt my eyes boring into his skull because he shifted in his seat and retorted, "Keep your bloody eyes on the blasted road".
Funny, I thought, when aggravated Mathias' accent reverts back to his Romanian roots with a hint of British slander learned through the years. If you heard this voice from him you knew you struck a nerve you shouldn't have.
Then, a very angry, very feminine voice roared from the back of the hearse, "Will you two stop arguing? It's driving me crazy! I'm trying to sleep and haven't been able to get at least a wink's worth with you both bickering at each other like a bunch of kids!" A disgruntled teenage girl with bright silver hair and hot pink streaks poked her head though the window dividing the front from the back, the rings under her eyes even more defined than usual.
A young boy also emerged yawning, "Funny, I slept just fine. You woke me up, Luna."
"Well then, allow me to put you back to sleep!" Luna was about to hit Valentine over the head with her porcelain doll when Mathias interrupted.
"Do you two know what has been underway?"
"Just about everything." Luna replied.
"Good." Mathias smiled.
I glanced sideways at him, "Something tells me I'm not going to like where this is going."
Narrator's Point of View
Both cars parked outside Dullsville's cemetery. It was either very late into the night or very early in the morning, Raven couldn't tell. All she knew was that it was really dark and from the looks of it they had two other guests. Jagger and Mathias came out of the hearse followed by a teenage girl and a young boy, both of whom Raven immediately recognized.
"What are you two doing here?" Raven asked the new arrivals.
"Jagger called us in Romania, we knew we had to come back. We can't leave you to handle this all by yourself, now can we? What kind of sister would I be?" Luna walked up to Raven, grasping her hand as if they had known each other for an eternity.
"Thank you…" Raven truly didn't know what to say to Luna. It was as if their encounters over the months have given them a fresh new start at an actual friendship. But she couldn't think about it all night, now could she? There was something they had to do.
"There is a likely chance that Alexander will be in this cemetery." Mathias informed them as they began walking to the entrance.
"Oh… My… Goth…" Raven exclaimed breathlessly.
Mathias and Jagger exchanged glances as Trevor took hold of Raven's hand. The cemetery gates were open revealing masses upon masses of children of the night. They walked slowly and cautiously through the crowd, "Stay close, mortals." Mathias scolded. He barred his fangs and the young vampires backed down, allowing a path that lead straight to Alexander's grandmother's monument.
Alexander's back was turned to the group as they approached, "I'm not sure if 'I'm glad you could make it' is the appropriate response, but I thank you for keeping Raven out of harm's way; although it was you who put her there in the first place… Mathias."
"Alexander." Mathias nodded in Alexander's direction, then to the vampire by his side, "Ditron." Ditron nodded in return.
Some of the vampires surrounding them inched closer, inhaling the air.
"Alexander…" Raven let go of Trevor's hand and outstretched it towards the man she's been so in love with.
"Raven, I'm so sorry that you have to bear witness to this." Alexander turned to face her, smiling that frail smile she knew so well.
Raven broke away from the group that formed a protective circle around her.
"Raven!" Trevor yelled and tried to catch her arm, but he couldn't reach her in time, "You can't!" Luna grabbed onto his arm to hold him back, A vampire broke from the ranks of the others, running passed Trevor and tried to snap his jaws around Raven's neck, narrowly missing, followed by Mathias' hand that came crashing around his skull, nails digging into his scalp. The vampire's eyes met Mathias'. Mathias growled low and deep, a terrible rumble to any young vampire. The young vampire whimpered and with a toss, Mathias threw him to the ground, "That bloody girl is going to get herself killed!"
Jagger rolled his eyes, "You get used to it."
Raven ran through the hordes of vampires and made it to Alexander's side, grasping onto him for dear life.
"Godammit, Raven!" Trevor yelled up at her. She ignored him and looked up at Alexander's face, "I know you better than anyone else. I know you would never do this willingly! You may have been whatever you were in the past but I know you're not like this now… Abandon all of this and prove to everyone that you're as good as I know you are!" Raven pleaded with her eyes. She wanted him to believe that he meant the world to her. "I love you, Alexander."
Alexander looked into her eyes, and saw that she was telling him the truth. He always knew that she loved him. "Raven, I'm sure that Mathias has indeed told you the truth."
"But I don't believe him!"
"You should, Raven." He smiled sweetly to her. "Once my plans are set into motion, this world will be reshaped. There will be new laws governing our existence, wouldn't you like that? You've always complained of how you hated how things were run. Now I can change this world into a place where you can be happy every day of your life."
"I am happy, Alexander. Everyday I spend with you I'm happy."
"Then wouldn't you love to be my dark queen? You'll rule this new world with me."
"We can't do that, Alexander. I may not like how this world is, but this world is filled with good people making a difference every single day!"
"And I can make a difference in the course of a week that no mortal can do."
"Alexander! That's not the normal way! What are you going to do? Kill people? Innocent people?"
"What on this planet is 'natural'? Even if deaths befall those who oppose me, it would have happened years from now. They are not innocent! Those bastards who did those cruel things to my family so long ago, are not innocent! The world would be a better place without them. It is only the inevitable."
"Alexander, this isn't you at all… What's happened to you?"
"Alexander," Ditron cut in, "the others are growing restless. The smell of their blood in the air has started taking a toll on some of the newly turned."
Alexander surveyed the sea of vampires, each face zoning out with hunger from time to time. With his expertise he knew that having Raven here would set them all off. There was only one thing for him to do…
Alexander looked from Ditron to Raven, and she knew instinctively that she had been wrong this entire time.
"I wish you loved me enough to stay by my side…" His eyes looked downward as he moved her away, "Leave…"
"What?" Raven's voice faltered.
Alexander turned his back towards her and Raven backed away as few vampires began to inch closer to her. She stumbled back and lost her footing, falling from top of the hill where the monument was. Jagger flitted behind her and caught her in mid air as the vampires closed in.
"We're no longer protected!" Jagger yelled at the group.
"Raven!" Trevor tried to run to Jagger who had Raven on his back.
"I've got her! Run!"
A vampire swooped down from the hill, his snarling fangs barred, ready to dig into Jagger's jugular. Mathias backhanded the vampire away as if it were a fly. "Move!" He yelled into Jagger's ear. Mathias ran to the front of the group clearing the way by tossing vampire after vampire into the air. Luna followed him giving swift right hooks to any vampire who would dare try to grab her, "I don't think we can make it out of here…" Luna whimpered. Valentine followed right after her using his psychic powers to make the vampires hallucinate, "We're getting out of here! And you can hit me all you want with your doll…" Luna smiled to her little brother. Trevor stayed by Jagger's side, not letting his eyes wander from Raven for more than a moment. "Raven! Stay with me…" Tears clouded Raven's eyes as she looked back to see one final glimpse of Alexander. Her vision went fuzzy… Then black.
"They're escaping." Dirton whispered to Alexander, whose back was still turned to the group.
"It's alright…" Alexander replied, just as low as Ditron's whisper, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
