Our Lost Souls
Okay before I do anything else, I'd like to apologize for those who have been kept waiting with immense and antagonizing anticipation for this captivating chapter. -cough cough gag- Okay, I'll stop with the pig-headed dramatics, but come on, you know you wanted this chapter!
With all the fluffy goodness a female cannot resist does Howl get back into Sophie's good favor. More Mood swings and murderous rampages along the way!
Katiesquilts: Sorry about that! I thought putting "the end" would be funny lol.
SerenaMoonRose: They can walk around in the sun because they aren't bound by the Vampire myth of being allergic to the sun. However, they do have their limits, they're skin is very sensitive, and cannot be completely exposed to sun for more than a few hours, save for somewhat cloudy weather.
Koimiko: Yes the outburst was actually really…interesting to put together.
Pnkrockninja101: I love youse too my loverly! And of course there weren't any mistakes, I'm the great FaythlessAngel lol!
VIII: Blood Betrayal
"Hey Sophie I'm – whoa! Hey!" Lettie shut up abruptly as she walked in on Howl and Sophie's make-out session. "Not in my house!"
The two pull apart quickly, Sophie turning her embarrassed face away from her sister. Lettie sighed and shook her head. "Do what you want however – NO BABY MAKING."
"Oh no, this room is too small for me." Howl said, grinning like an idiot, earning a smack from the sisters. "Hey! I was being honest and I get slapped!"
Sophie huffed and turned away from him, crossing her arms. "Keep that up and you'll be sleeping on the couch."
"So does that mean you're keeping me?" He asked, his eyes hopeful. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
Lettie cleared her throat. Sophie looked up at her sister. "Yeah?"
"I'm going to spend the night at Azuka's so like I said before, no baby-making, alright?" Ignoring Howl's muttering about love depravation, Sophie nodded and hugged her sister. "Alright, love you."
"Love you too."
After Lettie had left the room, Howl wrapped his arms around Sophie's waist and drew her back down onto the bed. "What I would give to have you say that to me." He murmured in her ear. She blushed as she sank into the warmth of his embrace, inhaling the deep, intoxicating scent of his cologne.
'Relax Howl.'
'I'm relaxed, I'm completely comfortable, trust me.'
He pressed against her, earning a gasp when she felt a rather…stiff body part against her bum. "Howl, I seriously doubt that's relaxed."
He chuckled, brushing her hair back and kissing her neck. "Oh trust me, you'd know if it wasn't."
"Don't make me hurt you." She hissed as he nipped at her neck.
"Sophie…Sophie…I'm saving it for when you're ready, don't get your panties in a bunch." He continued kissing her neck and up her jaw line, which was rewarded with her turning around in his arms and kissing him back. When they pulled apart, he rolled over and pulled her onto his chest.
"I love you Sophie."
"Goodnight Howl."
He sighed at the nonchalant response, then smiled to himself when she snuggled herself further into his embrace and murmured his name softly as her eyes closed.
Butterflies flitted in her stomach as she gazed on the large mahogany doors before her. When they opened, the steps she would take would change her life forever. Straightening her posture, she swept back the long train of her gown, adorned with the purest of white swan feathers. She inhaled deeply and gripped the bouquet in her hands tighter as the doors opened and a warm light kissed her face.
Greeted by warm smiling faces and slow piano, she took one step onto the velvet carpet, then another, and began her slow glide towards the priest and her love, black clad in his tuxedo. Her heart skipped as he slowly turned around, and stopped dead when their eyes met. Seconds later a searing pain ripped through her neck, a warm, thick liquid running down her neck, crimson blood clashing with creamy white skin.
"Wh-why?" She croaked out hoarsely as she looked up in shock at his face…a face with red eyes and a cynical grin, her fresh blood dripping from his mouth, fangs bared obscenely.
"You will never have him! You will never have the happiness you both long for so much! You will not be left to live! You will suffer!" A cynical woman's voice ripped through her mind, laughing and taunting her.
Sophie shot up, shaking, and covered in a cold sweat. "What the hell was that…" She murmured, cradling her face in her hands. Sudden movement next to her caused her to shoot out of her bed and onto the floor.
"Mmm…Sophie?" Howl groaned, peering over the edge of the bed at her retreating form. "Sophie?" He reached out to her, but she just shook her head feverishly and scooted back away from him even further, eyes wide with fear. A frown spread across his face as he climbed out of her bed and made his way slowly towards her. Again her reaction was to scoot even farther away from him, terror writ across her face. Finally he just rushed up and knelt in front of her, and she scooted again. Her back hit the door and she screamed and pointed past his head. "Kill it! Kill it! KILL IT!"
He whipped around to look where she was pointing. He was met with a grotesque, twisted and disfigured shadow form. He leapt up snarling and circled, fangs bared. "Kill it kill it KILL IT!" Sophie screamed again. Just as it turned its attention towards her, Howl lashed out at the creature with newly formed claws. Sophie's eyes widened as Howl's body grew dark and menacing, raven feathers protruding from him like a bird. He clawed at it again, reaching his mark, and with a terrible scream, the thing vanished.
Howl crouched down on all fours, a feral growl ripping through his chest as he tried to calm down. The feathers began to recede, inducing groans of pain from him. Sophie hurried over to his pain wracked form, enveloping him into her arms protectively. "H-Howl? Is there anything I can do?" She asked worriedly.
He gave her a weak smile. "I will be fine…just…give me a moment." Sophie looked helplessly down at the man in her arms. She wanted so desperately to help ease his pain as she watched the tears roll down the corners of his eyes, his breathing labored. He turned and buried his pace in her stomach when she reached down to touch his face. Her only response was to hold him closer and bury her face in his hair, inhaling his scent deeply.
"Sophie…are you okay?"
She pulled back and looked down at him incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me? Howl you're the one in pain here, not me."
"Awe the language my love."
"Oh Howl…" She murmured, "Shut the fuck up and kiss me."
"I can't argue with that." He murmured, bringing his lips to hers.
Howl sat, back leaning against the tallest tree in the park, Sophie's head lying in his lap. He brushed her hair off the forehead off her face and continued to pet her hair. They sat under the old oak tree overlooking the lake which reflected the cloudless sky. Sophie had her eyes closed, leaning in to Howl's gentle touch. She hadn't been sleeping well as a result from recurring nightmares over several nights on end, and it was beginning to worry him, her nerves have been strained and he wasn't too sure just how much more she could take. But she wouldn't tell him anything. "Not a damn thing." He growled under his breath, gritting his teeth.
Sophie's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. "What's wrong baby?" She asked softly. He leaned over and rubbed his nose on hers and kissed her forehead. "I'm trying to figure out why you are having these nightmares, but I want to know why I can't see them, even through our link. Are you blocking me out?"
She sighed heavily. "Howl please do not worry about me, they're just dreams, and I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."
"Sophie, when you have a link with your mate, those dreams do mean something-be it premonitions, warnings, or someone messing with you and I will have to kill them, the perfect example being the darkling in your room last night." He said, gently caressing her face. "Furthermore, if I don't know what is going on, then I can't protect you, who's to say if those things show up again, and they take you from me? I need to know Sophie, I love you, please work with me."
"Howl they are just nightmares! And I told you I resent the mate notion, we aren't feral animals."
"Pardon me for telling my soul mate that she is such, thus putting her in the same category as a monster such as I." He huffed, eyes flashing a brief moment of anger and hurt.
"I didn't refer to you as a monster, Howl," she started, rising from his lap to face him, "I think you are overreacting about my dreams."
"My love if I cannot see them then trust me there is something very wrong, and it will deteriorate your health if you do not get any sleep, there are circles under your beautiful hazel eyes, which have also become lackluster." He said hoarsely, kissing the tender areas under her eyes. She knew he was right, she noticed them this morning in the mirror when she was brushing her hair. She sighed and nestled her face in his neck, kissing it tenderly. Howl sighed, he knew full well how Sophie was and that she wouldn't tell him no matter what, she was just so damn independent. But he needed to know, and then an idea hit him. He threaded his fingers through her hair and turned her head to face him gently and gave her a light kiss on the corner of her soft mouth.
"Sophie I need you to come to the castle with me."
"Why?" She asked, looking at his handsome face curiously.
"I want you to at least let Calcifer to see what's going on, please, for me, please Sophie. I might not have seen these dreams but love I just don't like this." He pleaded. She sighed. He wouldn't give up, he would annoy her to no end until she gave him at least some leeway.
"Fine Howl, just this once." She conceded.
So happy he couldn't think of anything else to say, he just grabbed her face and kissed her senseless.
No matter how many times she had seen the castle, it still took her breath away. "I love this place!" She squealed with delight as she ran out into the garden. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her cheek softly. "It's yours, if you so please, anything you want, I'll get it for you." With nothing but a blush for a response, Howl took her by the hand and led her into the study where Calcifer was waiting patiently for them.
"Master Howl, Mistress Sophie." He said, rising and bowing. Sophie side-glanced Howl who in turn maneuvered her to the silk parlor chair and sat her down. Calcifer kneeled down next to her and looked at her uncertainly.
"What?"
He sighed. "This might be awkward, so please bear with me."
She only nodded and he placed his forehead on hers, and closed his eyes. He sought out her nightmares and found the one he believed had relayed the greatest impact on her soul.
'It's nothing yet Master…it's your wedding at first…give me a moment master…'
'Take your time Calcifer, I just want to find out what's causing my woman trouble.'
He searched farther, moving through the ceremony…
"You will never have him! You will never have the happiness you both long for so much! You will not be left to live! You will suffer!" A cynical woman's voice ripped through her mind, laughing and taunting her.
Calcifer's eyes snapped open and he shot out of his kneeling position onto to all fours hissing wildly, his emerald eyes shifting red with anger. Sophie shrieked and jumped back as his fangs and nails grew, obscenely deadly and sharp, his demon form taking shape, a blaze cloaking his body.
Howl jumped between his general and Sophie, shielding her from the blaze erupting from Calcifer as feral sounds ripped through his chest. "Calcifer! Calcifer! Calm down here! Please calm down!"
"What the…what the fuck…" Sophie whispered hoarsely, passing out. Howl whipped around and caught her and laid her back onto the parlor chair, smoothing the hair out of her face. Turning back to face Calcifer, he found his general crouched, flames dissipating, his flaming hair falling back to his shoulders.
"Calcifer?"
The demon looked up, then away, ashamed to meet his master's eyes. "Calcifer, what was it, tell me, I demand you tell me!"
"It was…it was…" He trailed off, anger welling up in him once more. Howl grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK YOU SAW!" He roared.
"It was…Reika."
Howl dropped his hold on Calcifer and hissed. "THAT FUCKING BITCH!"
Poor Sophie woke up to find her lover turning into a large, feral beast, his fangs, claws and feathers changing him into something terrible she had never laid eyes upon before.
"H-Howl…" She whispered hoarsely, silent tears making their way down her cheeks, she knew the pain he would endure after he changed back.
"FUCKING BLOOD BETRAYING BITCH!"
Dundundun…. I finally finished that chapter! Whoosh! R&R please!
-FaythlessAngel