by A. C. Heller
“Hold on to it, Takeo.”
His voice comes out gruff and he makes no attempt to move. Takeo looks so defeated, like he just wants to give up and it breaks my heart.
“It's gone.”
No, No, it can't be! Climbing onto his massive body I straddle him and lean forward. I don't why but I'm suddenly consumed with the overwhelming urge to kiss him. I want to show him how I feel, I want him to feel it. Even after everything I love him, and if this is the last thing I can give to him, I want him to have it. Leaning forward I place both of my hands on his face and press my lips to his. The light around me pulses just as the shadow around him shifts. Takeo's lips work against mine, causing them to part, and his tongue slides in. Takeo knifes into a sitting position and wraps his arms around me. My arms wrap around his neck and my eyes snap open.
The light around me pulses so strongly that it takes my breath away. It continues to pulse in rapid succession, and the shadow that surrounds Takeo is starting to dissipate. Takeo rips his mouth from mine and for the first time I see a look of fear on his face. The blackness in his eyes is melting away, replaced with the beautiful jade green that I have grown to love. We continue to stare into each others eyes, both somehow aware that this is going to happen whether we want it to or not.
I watch in amazement as the shadow completely disappears and is replaced by a faint golden light. The light around me is almost completely gone, and I’m fighting the urge to pass out. Since I lost my breath I have not been able to take a new one. My head is spinning and I'm totally lax in Takeo's arms. He pulls me tighter to him and kisses my lips gently. As the darkness takes over me I swear I hear Takeo whisper the words I've wanted to hear for so long. 'I love you.'
Everything is blurry and I seem to be lying on a soft surface. It's like I can't get my eyes to focus on anything. There are swirls of light all around, some seem to be golden, and the others are dark. Trying to lift my hand to rub my eyes I find I can't move. I feel weak and tired, and I'm startled by the memory of what has happened. This is it, I must have passed on. I saved Takeo at the cost of my own life. My eyes well up with tears, but not because I'm sad, because I could give that to him.
An image comes to the forefront of my mind. It's the prophecy I read in Takeo's room. Only now, it isn't torn.
The Nephilim prophecy speaks of a daughter born among humans, unaware of her birthright. Just like the Angels that fell from heaven she was damned by her own blood to be a victim of her own abilities. Her hair as gold as the dawn, eyes like morning dew, she is grace in its purest form. In her life she will truly love only one, taking the dark from his soul, she will allow it to consume her. Sacrificing herself, her heart, and her soul. The warrior has a soul consumed by corruption, and will walk as one with the night. His love for only one will be his salvation. Giving unto each other, their souls will create a balance unlike any that has come before. In the end it will be her sacrifice, and hers alone, that will seal the fate of the new age.
As the image fades from my mind it is replaced by one of Takeo. He is sitting at his desk, carefully tearing the prophecy in half. There’s a knock at the door that causes him to jerk slightly, tearing the page more than he intended. This was meant to be, all of it. Takeo and I were meant to fall in love so I could sacrifice myself for him. And he knew it all along. The realization that I'll probably never see him again has my heart aching but I know that given the same choice I wouldn't change a thing. He's worth it. The light slowly fades and darkness once again begins to consume me. I'm so tired and I just want to let go, but there's something holding me here. I just don’t know what it is.
All of a sudden, as if someone flicked a switch, I can hear voices. Two male voices. Listening very carefully I can just make out what they're saying.
“You must let her go.”
“I can't do that. I won't.”
Takeo and Damiano...
“You must. You are keeping her from moving on.”
“I just found her, I can't lose her now.”
“Her choice was her own.”
Takeo sounds like his heart is breaking. He doesn't want to let me go and I don't want him to, but what kind of life would he live if he kept holding on to me. I want him to live his life, not mourn mine. There is silence for a few minutes, but the last thing I hear is what makes everything I have endured worth it.
“I love you, little one. You can let go now.”
His voice breaks as he says the words and it’s then I notice that there's wetness on my cheeks. I would never take back what I did for him, but I'd give anything to see Takeo again. Anything.
All at once the blackness starts to fade, my vision is clearing, and I blink a few times to try to speed up the process. Looking down at myself I can see that I am in a hospital bed, and something is crushing my hand. Takeo is holding my hand, well, crushing it in his, and I look up just in time to see Damiano exit the room. I didn't even get a chance to say anything to him. Resting my head back against the pillow I feel the sudden urge to cry. Not just cry but break down into hysterics. I don't know what brought me back here, but I'm not about to question it.
Takeo is asleep, I know this because I lift his hand all the way to my mouth and kiss his knuckles before I even get a reaction. His head shoots up and his eyes immediately come to mine. They're gray now, a beautiful intense shade of gray. I didn't think it was possible for him to be more beautiful then he was, but here he is, living proof.
His expression is one of concern, and he leans forward and presses his lips to mine.
“You came back to me.”
Hearing those words from him has tears forming in my eyes. I came back to him. I don’t know how and honestly I don’t even care. He’s staring at me expectantly but when I answer him my voice is tight with unshed tears.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
He leans forward and kisses me again. This time it's a real kiss. His tongue slides past my lips and softly caresses mine. He's gentle, and I can tell he's being careful not to hurt me. Aside from being tired, I actually feel fine. Takeo breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine.
“Your eyes are gray.”
He nods, his forehead still pressed to mine, and whispers softly to me.
“They are the same as yours.”
This causes my head to jerk back so I can stare at Takeo.
“My eyes have changed too?”
Takeo doesn't respond, he stands and walks over to the nurses’ station. Moments later he comes back with a hand mirror and offers it to me. My eyes are the exact shade of gray that his are. After handing him back the mirror, I shake my head and let out a soft chuckle.
“What's funny?”
“We were kind of a foregone conclusion, weren't we?”
Takeo smiles back at me and nods his head. The smile only stays in place for a moment before a frown takes its place.
“I'm sorry I kept pushing you away. I just... I didn't want this to happen to you.”
“Takeo, I'm fine.”
“You're not fine! You were pure, and because of me your soul is corrupted.”
Smiling I shake my head at him, and I swear I hear him growl at me.
“How could you possibly smile at that?”
“Simple. I'm alive, you're alive, and I got to see you again. That's all I asked for. I don't care that my soul is corrupted, because when it comes down to it if having you means this is the price I pay, then so be it.”
Takeo stares at me for a moment, and then he wraps his arms around my middle and picks me up out of the bed. I let out a surprised squeak and wrap my limbs around him.
“Takeo! What are you doing?!”
“Taking you to my bed.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm not making love to you for the first time in a hospital bed.”
Oh... Then, in the heat of the moment, I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“So that implies, you're
cool with making love to me in a hospital bed at some point.”
Takeo laughs and presses his smiling lips to mine. Like I said... Totally worth it.
Chapter Fourteen
Takeo
Rolling over onto my side I wrap my arms around Chasca's sleeping form. She really has no idea what she has given me. Half a clean slate is better then a full one, and I have no intentions of fucking it up this time. From the moment I first saw Chasca I knew we were going to be together, even if we hadn’t been the two from the prophecy. And that's not just because she's beautiful, or because my body responded to her immediately. There was just an undeniable connection.
Of all the demons that could corrupt a man there is one that will live with me until the day I die. At one point in my life the corruption became too much to take. I know, that sounds weak, but it's true. Once corrupted it truly consumes you, your actions are altered as well as your thought processes. Contemplating killing someone for cutting you off on the freeway isn't what I'd call a rational train of thought.
One night, many years ago, I was in a fight with a man at a local bar. Now, this isn't exactly a rare occurrence for me, but I do not usually take it as far as I chose to that night. The man pulled a knife from his coat and that sealed his fate. Quickly taking the knife from his hand I plunged it into his chest, but that’s when the unexpected happened.
A small female threw herself on my back and launched her assault against my shoulder. This annoyed me, so I turned and plucked her from me tossing her into the side of a nearby dumpster. What I hadn’t realized was that she was pregnant. Her moans of pain managed to pierce the rage induced fog I was in. I made an anonymous call to the police and followed them in the shadows to the hospital.
There is where I learned what I had done. Even though it was unintentional my actions caused the infant she was carrying to die. The woman lived but she would now be forced to live with losing a child. And for what? Because I decided to have a pissing contest with someone I knew couldn't possibly win. Unforgivable.
Chasca rolls into me burying her face against my chest, still sleeping peacefully. Placing my hand against the exposed surface of her cheek I gently glide my thumb over her bottom lip. She's so beautiful, and she was destined to be mine. I really do not deserve her, or the gift she's given me, but I am not foolish enough to question it.
When Chasca wakes the next morning she finds me already awake, or more accurately, still awake. She smiles up at me and crawls on to my chest draping her body over mine. I smile as I watch her do this. She's very small. If she curled up she would not look very different than her feline, who frequently sleeps on my chest.
Pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head I nudge her so she will look up at me. Her gorgeous gray eyes stare up at me expectantly and my heart clenches in my chest. Mine.
“Give me your hand, little one.”
With absolutely no hesitation she places her hand in mine. While keeping eye contact with her I watch as my hand is surrounded by a dim golden light. Chasca's eyes widen and she smiles up at me excitedly. Chasca closes her eyes and I know she's going to do the same thing. Only nothing happens. Her eyes pop open and she gives me a panicked look.
“It's not working. Why isn't it working?”
“I don't know, my love. But we will figure it out.”
We both climb out of bed and dress in our filthy clothes from the night before. There's only one person who could answer a question such as this. I can only hope that he is still around. Chasca and I enter the kitchen and there, leaning against the counter with his arms folded across his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, is Damiano. His eyes are closed, but I know better then to assume that he isn't already aware of our presence. Without even opening his eyes Damiano answers the question that has yet to leave our lips.
“No, the ability will not return.”
Chasca speaks up first, obviously slightly agitated with Damiano's approach.
“Seriously? Is there anything you don't know?”
“I know many things. One of which is that it is possible that there are things I do not know.”
She lets out an adorably exasperated sigh and crosses her arms over her chest, pouting. Damiano has always been a very evasive man so I learned many years ago to be as direct as possible. Especially when seeking knowledge.
“Why will her ability not return?”
“The choice was hers.”
“My what? I didn't....”
Chasca's eye's go wide and she stares at me with a shocked expression. Damiano has never been a patient man, so he doesn't wait for her to regain her composure.
“There must always be balance.”
Locking eyes with Chasca, I can only wonder what she has done. Glancing back at Damiano I can see that miraculously he is gone. Chasca looks up at me and I can see tears shimmering in her beautiful gray eyes but her lips are smiling.
“What did you do, little one?”
Her voice comes out as a whisper and she gives me a sheepish smile.
“I said I would give anything...”
“Your will to live was so strong that you sacrificed your ability?”
“No... I said I would give anything just to see you again.”
My body locks and it feels as though the wind has been knocked out of me. Never in my long life has anyone said or done anything for me like this small, incredible female has. Her words play through my mind, and I find myself wordlessly picking her up off the ground. She instantly wraps her arms and legs around me and snuggles into my chest. She is mine, and from this moment on, I will spend the rest of my life repaying and protecting her.
Once we reach my bed I set her down gently. Placing a knee between her legs I lower my mouth to hers. Her lips are soft, and each time her tongue caresses mine it sets my blood on fire. Aiden spoke once of a woman who was the other half of his soul. At the time I thought he was spending too much time reading his mother’s romance novels, but now... Now I completely understand.
My head jerks to the side as I hear something faint in the distance. Like wood splintering, a door perhaps? Chasca sits up, obviously alarmed by my actions, but before she can speak I place my hand over her mouth. She rolls her eyes at me but I'm too focused on listening to react to it. Another crash sounds in the compound, this one closer than the last.
Jumping to my feet I run to the door and throw it open. Something is very wrong. Suddenly there are gun shots and the sound of metal on metal that I've learned to recognize as sword play. A gust of wind rips down the hallway past me and I know immediately that Aiden is involved.
My brother. Running over to Chasca I kiss her forehead.
“Get under the bed and do not move. I'll come back for you when it's safe.”
Surprisingly, she doesn't argue with me. Once I see that she is under the bed and can't be seen from the door I leave the room, locking the door behind me. The noise is coming from the training room. The moment I round the corner into the room a dagger is imbedded in the wall beside my head. Growling deep in my throat I rip the dagger from the wall, heat it in my palm, and throw it at the Sapient fool that dispatched it. My aim is true, and it successfully slices through his jugular. As the man falls to the floor I take in the scene around me.
Aiden has three men cornered, and he seems to be effectively holding them against the wall. His ability to control the wind has always been very valuable, especially in situations like this. By the time I spot Angelo he is already covered in blood and by the look in his eyes I know he is not himself. Angelo's abilities are far more savage than Aiden's. Once Angelo spills a single drop of blood the rampage always follows. A Sapient foolishly charges Angelo, who simply drops to his knees falling below the man’s sword and plunging his own into his attacker’s abdomen. Angelo stands, yanking the blade upwards toward the man’s sternum before pulling it out and wiping it on his pant leg to remove the blood. To anyone else the smile on Angelo's face might seem psychotic, but I understand it all too well.
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In the center of the room stands Silas. He is taking in the scene around him in obvious amusement. Our eyes lock and we both begin walking towards one another. When we are face to face Silas's features fade until he is completely engulfed in a dense black mist, and when he speaks his voice even sounds corrupted, darker, more menacing.
“You know what I am here for. Just give her to me, and I will spare the rest of your men.”
“I'll die first.”
“As you wish, but first I must know. Is your beloved as sweet as the promise of her?”
Something flares inside me, oddly similar to the rage I often felt while corrupted, only now it isn’t savage, it’s predatory and protective. Mine. The adrenaline and fury coursing through me have me planting my feet and stiffening my body against his inevitable attack. Tilting my head to the side I allow a smile to cross my lips.
