by Harold Wall
Storm growled as two other of Jonathan's pawns wrestled him down, stabbing him a couple times in the process.
Emerald glowered at her father. "What do you want?" she hissed. "I've given you everything I can. It's not fair to them."
Jonathan smiled. "Haven't you heard? Life isn't fair, sweetie." he retorted.
Carter whimpered as Anthony boxed her in.
"You know," he was saying, "I really didn't actually want to break up with you." He reached up to stroke her cheek. "I think you're a wonderful girl." he whispered.
Carter shook her head. "You're a monster! You ddisgust me." she stuttered bravely.
Anthony grabbed a fistful of Carter's copper curls and she yelped, tears spilling from her eyes.
Emerald had had enough. With the hand that wasn't being held back she threw her fist out hitting Jonathan square in the jaw, twisting her hips and using that energy to put more
force behind the punch.
Jonathan fell to the ground and Emerald ran forward forcing her way between Carter and Anthony. His eyes glowed silver, his fangs elongated and ready to pierce flesh.
"Move it," Anthony snarled bringing his hand up, preparing to strike.
"Wait," Jonathan's voice commanded stopping Anthony midswing. Anthony glared down at Emerald before stepping back his face molding back into the dashing soccer player from
school.
Jonathan had stood up, his lip was bleeding. He chuckled walking up to Emerald.
"That was quite a punch there," he commented wiping away the blood. "Come on, show me what you've got." He stepped back and waved her forward.
Emerald looked at Jonathan warily.
"Go ahead, hit me with your best shot."
Emerald stepped forward and threw two punches quick as lightning. Jonathan easily dodged them. She glared at her father who wore a smirk. She tried a roundhouse kick to the
head but Jonathan ducked. Emerald quickly repositioned herself and tried to land a kick to his chest, but he jumped back.
She let out a frustrated growl before lunging forward her arm outstretched, trying to get at least one hit. Jonathan sidestepped and grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward.
"You're mother was weakling. Watching you. Spying on you and she still couldn't beat you in a fight." Jonathan scoffed in Emerald's ear right before ramming his knee into the
sensitive spot right beneath the sternum, knocking all the breath from her lungs. Jonathan let go of her wrist and she struggled to catch her breath and not collapse. That had been
painful. Really, really painful.
Emerald called him a name when she realized he had zapped her with his telepathic Power when his knee had made contact. That was why it'd been so much more painful than she
was used to.
"I haven't seen you once since you escaped and I can easily beat you." Jonathan gloated, backhanding and zapping Emerald, who fell to the floor noisily.
"Emerald!" Carter and Storm shouted simultaneously.
"I'm all right." Emerald mumbled attempting to stand up again. Jonathan disagreed however, and backhanded her once more. Emerald let out a yelp and rolled onto her back.
Jonathan's eyes grew wider with hunger. A demonic smile appeared on his face. He straddled her waist and leaned down, his face stopping inches from hers.
"You fight like a girl." Jonathan whispered.
"I am a girl." Emerald groaned. "What do you want from me?"
"All in good time, my dearest daughter. All in good time." Jonathan answered bringing his head down and swiftly sinking his canines into Emerald's neck. Emerald's eyes shut tightly
as she tried to fight the connection that was made every time she was bitten. It didn't seem right. Why did vampires have to connect with anyone they bit? How horrible that would
be, seeing the mind, feeling the mind of your attacker surrounding you before you died.
Even with a sound mind and strong soul, Emerald couldn't fight the power pulsing in her father. Within moments her mind was engulfed into his. It was dark and cold. Desolate and
barren. It sucked the life right out of her.
I swear it, Emerald thought pulling away from him as much as she could. Trying not to let any part of him become a permanent part of her. I swear that one of these will pay for what you did to me. That you'll die at my hand.
Jonathan chuckled. Ladies first, he threw back.
When Jonathan pulled back, Emerald realized that she felt breathless and tired, lethargic.
"You… took too… much." she accused breathlessly.
Jonathan merely smiled and laughed as he pulled up the sleeve of his shirt. "I know." he finally said before biting his own wrist. The blood flowed. Emerald realized what he was
doing and pressed her lips together, turning her head away. "Now don't be that way. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't taste bad." Emerald refused to give in. "You're saying you'd rather die
than be turned into a vampire? Tsk, tsk," Jonathan shook his head disapprovingly. "I'm disappointed. What about Storm? How would he feel if you died, hm?"
"He's right, Emerald." Storm said quietly. Emerald felt like the air had just been sucked right out from her lungs. No, it couldn't have been true, Storm hadn't just said that. He
hadn't just agreed with her father!
"I said no." Emerald repeated her voice shaking.
"Emerald—" Storm started to object.
"Shut him up!" Jonathan snarled standing up. "If she wants to die, than let her die. It's time to go. We have other business to attend to."
He walked out followed by Anthony and the two other vampires. The door slammed shut echoing through the room. Carter was curled up in a ball on one of the cots, sleeping.
Storm limped up to Emerald who had managed to push herself into a sitting position.
"Don't talk to me." Emerald told him bitterly as he came closer.
"Emerald, please, just listen to me, okay?" Storm tried to reason. She turned away from him. He pulled her into his lap. She tried to push him away but Jonathan had taken so much blood she barely had any strength left. Storm looked down at her with soft, loving eyes. "I know you don't want to be a vampire," he started. "But imagining life without you
is… unbearable." Storm's throat tightened. "I'd never be able to live without you. You… you are everything to me now." Tears started to form in his eyes and his voice became a
whisper. "If I were to lose you… I just—I just don't know what I'd do."
"But… I can't—I don't," Emerald whispered weakly, her eyes almost closing fully.
Storm tightened his arms around her. "I promise, I will do everything in my power to prevent you from becoming a vampire. But your father took a lot of your blood and
die. Just for now, to heal you, drink from me."
Emerald looked up at him reading all the emotions passing through Storm's sparkling blue eyes.
"Okay," she finally said.
Storm relaxed and pulled the collar of his shirt back with one of his free hands before making a relatively long cut at the base of his throat. Then he carefully guided Emerald to his
open cut. Their minds instantly intertwined and Emerald became hyperaware of Storm's arms embracing her, holding her to him. Storm became hyperaware of one of Emerald's
hands resting on his neck, the other on his shoulder; her hair tickling his neck; her warm, soft lips pressed up against the base of his throat.
I love you. Emerald told him.
As I love you. Storm replied.
"You didn't have to do that, Emerald!" Carter shouted angrily. "I was fine!"
Emerald shook her head. "No, you were not fine. You were scared. And that's okay—"
"I wasn't scared! Stop saying that! Why do you always treat me like a child? I can stand up for myself!" Carter interrupted.
"You're not a child. I never said that. But you are not strong enough to deal with the mental torture of being bitten." Emerald tried to explain.
"Oh, so no
w I'm weak." Carter crossed her arms and glared at her friend. "I would like to tell you that I handled learning about the Night World just fine, thank you." she said stiffly.
"Learning about it and actually experiencing it are two totally different things. I'm not going to let you go through that. No one should ever go through that." Emerald tried to reason.
"But I'm not a little kid! I'm not weak! I'm stronger than you give me credit for! I had Anthony covered. I had lured him away from you in the first place." Carter stumbled. "II… I'll
admit: I did get scared seeing his… true form. But I was doing it for you!" she finished quickly so Emerald couldn't comment. "I was being brave to keep you safe. You don't always
have to take the hits."
"You don't understand!" Emerald burst her eyes filling with tears. "I only take all the hits because I don't want you getting hurt. If you got hurt… if you were killed because of me—
because of the life I chose—I would never be able to forgive myself."
"You can't keep taking all this upon yourself, Emerald! You are going to kill yourself if you keep this up."
"As long as you're safe—" Emerald started quietly.
"Stop staying that! Sometimes it's good to be selfish and let other people take the fall."
"You just don't get it do you?" Emerald asked. Before Carter could respond, she took a step back and pulled her shirt off. She balled up into one hand and pulled all her hair over
one shoulder before turning around to show Carter the long, jagged scars running down her back. "You don't want this." Emerald explained quietly, looking over her shoulder
through her peripherals at Carter.
Carter looked pale, one hand covering her mouth, the other halfway outstretched toward Emerald, like she wanted to touch the scars, make sure they were real.
"Oh God," Carter whispered. "What happened?"
Emerald turned back to face Carter and pointed to the door. "They did. My father did. I'm not going to let that happen to you. You are too innocent for this. Too pure for this. I'm not
going to let them take that away from you."
The door sounded, Emerald and Carter shied away from the white light, shielding their sensitive eyes. (Things would've been more awkward because Emerald was only her bra, but
in a situation like this, nothing felt awkward anymore.) Storm was thrown in and the door was pulled closed again, leaving them in darkness. Emerald's eyes adjusted quickly. She
saw Storm's state and cussed before putting her shirt back on and rushing over to him.
He was halfconscious, bloodied, bruised, cut, possibly stabbed. From what Emerald could tell his cheek and lip were busted open and he had a black eye.
Without a word Emerald quickly went over to the cot, took the sheet and ripped a long ribbon off.
"Go get that wet with cold water, please." she asked Carter, handing the ribbon to her. Carter nodded and headed into the bathroom. Emerald turned back to Storm.
"Can you stand? No broken bones or anything." Emerald questioned.
"Yes, no," Storm croaked, answering both questions.
Emerald rolled her eyes but quickly threw one of his arms over her shoulders and pulled him to his feet.
"Okay, that hurt." Storm complained as they stumbled over to one of the cots. Emerald unraveled his arm from her shoulders and set him down on the bed as gently as she could.
Carter came out then with the wet cloth. After handing it over to Emerald she sat down at the foot of the bed. Emerald was concerned that she had scarred Carter more than
Anthony would, but she couldn't deal with that. Not now. It'd have to wait (as horrible as that sounded).
"Ow, ow, ow, that hurts." Storm pulled away with every "ow", seemingly more awake now.
"Hold still, I need to clean this." Emerald hissed frustrated.
"It'll heal by itself. I'm fine. I'm not susceptible to any kind of human disease, remember? So you don't have to clean my wounds. Besides my open lip has already healed." Storm
argued gently, reaching up to push Emerald's hand down and away from his face.
"Wimp," Carter called from her spot at the foot of the bed. This comforted Emerald a little. At least now she was talking. She was even joking.
Storm rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "I wish people would stop calling me that." he groaned.
"We wouldn't call you a wimp if you just stoped acting like wimp, wimp." Emerald told him before briskly standing up and going into the bathroom to throw away the folded up
ribbon of the bed sheet.
Emerald threw the cloth into a small bin that looked like it hadn't been used in years. She turned to exit but almost crashed into Storm. She jumped and veered back.
"II didn't see you there." she mumbled.
Storm didn't say anything; instead he stepped in, closing the door as he did so, before promptly crushing his lips to Emerald's. She didn't respond at first because she was so
shocked by his gesture. Now really wasn't the time to make out in the bathroom. But Emerald melted under his touch, her lips molding perfectly with his. Carter's words rung in her
head, Some times it's good to be selfish.
So in that moment she was selfish. She pretended like they weren't being held by her cruel father. She pretended that her friend and dearest loved one wasn't in any mortal danger.
She pretended that she had never killed in her entire life, that she had lived a normal life as a girl growing up with a pair of loving parents and had met this boy who was part of
the Night World, something she'd never heard of before until he came along.
Storm walked back, pushing Emerald up against the wall, one of his hands on her waist, the other in her hair. The kiss became heated, farther than Emerald had thought they'd
gone before. It gave her this odd feeling. Butterflies filled her stomach causing millions of tornados all over the country.
However, when Storm slipped his hand underneath her shirt she felt it had gone a little far. She wasn't ready for… that, and, besides, now was not the time.
Emerald pulled back and looked up at Storm putting one of her hands over his, stopping him from making any more advances.
"Storm," she warned.
His eyes burned into hers. Emerald's breath caught, the hand holding Storm's dropped limply to her side.
Storm's hand moved upward, but the look in his eyes didn't say anything like that. Emerald's confusion cleared when he gently touched the scar on her back and traced it with the
tips of his fingers.
Emerald turned her head away ashamed. "You knew." It wasn't an accusation, just more of a statement.
"I got a glimpse when I was thrown in." Storm murmured removing his hand and letting it rest at his side. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"It's not important!" Emerald exclaimed blinking, tears rolling down her face as a result. "It didn't matter! It doesn't matter."
Storm wiped away Emerald's tears and rested his forehead against hers. "Shh, shh," he whispered comfortingly. "It's okay, it's all right. I'm sorry if I upset you—"
"No, no, it's not your fault. It's just—" Emerald broke off and a sob escaped her lips. "It's just—" She tried again, but all that emotion was washing over her, drowning out anything
else. She couldn't control her amount of tears and she couldn't keep back the small wails that escaped her lips. "Just hold me." she cried, breaking down into full blown, bodyracking
sobs.
"Are you okay?" Storm asked quietly sitting up on his cot. He watched Emerald pace back and forth, waiting quietly for her answer.
"No." she finally answered curtly before continuing her pacing. Storm sighed and stood up, walking over to her. "I'm thinking." she elaborated.
"About…?" Storm prodded.
"We need to get out." Emerald said flatly, still pacing, not meeting his gaze. "I'm trying to think of a way to get out."
"What if he's got this place bugged?" St
orm whispered.
"Have you noticed any other people from the Night World working for Jonathan?" Emerald asked, totally ignoring Storm.
"Emerald, I really think—" Storm tried, nervously looking at the corners of the room.
Emerald stopped her pacing for a moment to glare at him. "Just answer the question." she snapped.
"Uh, yeah, the two that attacked me yesterday were shapeshifters, why is that important?" Storm answered quickly before asking his own question.
"Do you think they're all shapeshifters? What's the possibility that he only uses shapeshifters and werewolves?" Emerald continued still ignoring Storm. "I mean aside from the fact
that he used vampires when he'd kidnapped me…. I haven't seen any since. Which would make sense because—"
"Emerald!" Storm hissed, stepping in front of her to stop her pacing. "We can't—"
Before Storm could finish his sentence, the door sounded. White light flooded through and a figure was shoved inside. Storm and Emerald froze watching the door. It closed again.
Emerald's eyes adjusted quickly as she analyzed the situation. Storm was at her side, just as tense.
The figure stood up unsteadily. This person was wearing a dark blue button down, with the sleeves rolled up, black slacks, and black Armani tennis shoes.
"Male." Emerald observed.
"Nineteen, maybe twenty." Storm said quietly.
"Shapeshifter." They said in sync.
"One of theirs turned?" Storm asked.
Emerald narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't look like it." She took a step forward, arms crossed. "Who are you?" she asked.
The figure stepped forward, he looked disgruntled and annoyed, but stood tall and entitled.
"Sky," he answered. "Sky Masterson." He eyed Storm and Emerald. "Vampire." he acknowledged slightly distastefully, giving Storm a nod.
"Shifter." Storm replied just as cold.
Sky turned attention to Emerald. "And… human?" he asked, his eyebrows quirking up a fraction of an inch.
Emerald was about to answer when Carter's groggy voice sounded.
"What's going on? Is everything okay?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and hopping off the bed.
Emerald turned toward Carter, stopping her from getting any closer to Sky. Because who knew why he was here.
