I knew I should not argue my point. There was no reason to when James thought it would be so easy with the dagger and a spell. A dagger and a spell that Caroline and I desperately needed to devise a way of accessing and taking from him without him knowing. But none of them were thinking about collateral damage. Collateral damage. I could save so many with my blood as long as I was still alive to do so. Being close to the battle would certainly increase my chances of getting to Audrey. I had no idea what they had in store for me, however.
“You will defeat her, but what about the battle itself? I can help you!”
Marik made a disapproving, clicking sound with his tongue. “You will be well-hidden and far away from the battlegrounds. Do you think we would be so stupid as to risk having you seen when you’re exactly what Audrey wants?” he scolded me.
“Again, what is the point of this precious bloodline if I can’t protect those who would benefit from it? We need to prepare for…”
“You will remain hidden, Ariya. The only thing left to discuss now is our strategy on how to hasten this battle, and finish her off once and for all.” James’s voice echoed through the halls and I had to actually bite my tongue to restrain the fury I felt at hearing him push my feelings aside so effortlessly.
Glaring, I nodded at his acknowledgement and retreated to the back of the room with Caroline.
I looked at her steadily and she knew what I was thinking. We had to put a plan together, and very soon. Our time would be up at midnight tomorrow. If I had to be hidden away somewhere, it made things a whole lot more complicated.
James, Nick and a few others headed through Marik’s magically fixed door, going into the room he was using as his office. That left Caroline, Riley and me alone while the rest of the vampires that were present dispersed into their own worlds again.
“Care?” I started.
“I know. Come on, quickly.” She kept urging me to hurry as we walked towards where we were staying.
When we got into the room, we all split up. “Look for the dagger and try not to disturb anything too much,” she directed.
After some time of searching, Caroline found it. “It’s here, in his jacket. The problem is, he’s usually wearing this one.”
“Maybe we can use that to our advantage. We all have to discuss how to get close enough to Audrey to use this,” I said, the wheels of my mind starting to turn.
“What if we suggest that Care has the dagger until the very last minute. I’m sure we can convince James that Audrey will be on the lookout for him specifically. Knowing him, he wouldn’t let anyone else consider the job of destroying her. Audrey doesn’t know that we have any kind of weapon that could actually hurt her, but I’m sure she expects James to try and injure her, or take her, or do whatever he can,” Riley said.
“If Care has it, we can be sure that I would have access to it, but at the same time, we could make it seem like we’re plotting a trick against Audrey. That’s good,” I concluded. “Riley, you’re brilliant!”
“Told ya you would need me,” he grinned.
Caroline looked pensive before she spoke. “That could work! I’ll try to bring it up while we’re talking. Ariya, don’t say a word about it. If you mention anything, he’ll get suspicious,” she said.
I agreed. “Now, the next important thing,” I said as I glanced at Riley who sighed, knowing what was coming.
“Ah, yes, my dismissal,” he said.
“Riley,” I said as I shot a pleading look at him.
“James found a flight out of the area that can take you home, to your home, Riley. I can drop you off at the airport and make sure you get on the plane safely and we aren’t followed. Although, with everything coming to a head here, there’s really no more need for Audrey or the wolves to follow you. It’d be easier to get whatever they want now, than have to start over by taking you again,” Caroline commented.
“Okay, so that’s that?” he asked, sounding short with her.
“Yes,” she came over and hugged him close while he wrapped his arms around her in return. “We leave after dinner.”
“Wait, so soon?” I asked. I was suddenly scared at how quickly things were happening. I’d been waiting anxiously since my meeting with Ingrid for the time to come when I’d face off with Audrey, and now that things were falling right into place, I suddenly had the urge to freeze time and make it stand still.
Joining in on their hug, I burrowed my face into Riley’s side to hide the tears welling up in my eyes. This is the only way to keep him safe, I reminded myself. That thought crossed my mind countless times since this whole mess began.
We stood there, unmoving in each other’s embrace, as if it were forever, even though it felt like seconds. It could very well turn out to be one of the last times I saw Riley.
“I love you, you know,” I whispered.
He squeezed me harder before he pulled away from both Caroline and me to look me in the eyes. “I know. I’ll see you again… when this is over. I should get my stuff now,” he said as he walked out of the room, instead of going over to his one small bag.
“It’s for the best. I’m in complete agreement with you, Ariya,” Caroline reassured me.
Nick and James entered the room, coming back from their debriefing with Marik. I collapsed into James’s arms, now bearing the awful weight of not only the impending war, but also my need to say goodbye to everyone. Not to mention, the burden I continually carried in my effort to be brave when it came time to end it all.
He smiled at me when I looked at him. “Everything is going to be okay,” he soothed.
“I know,” I said. And I did know. When it came down to it, I wouldn’t fail my friends. I loved them fiercely and longed for the chance to save them. A chance I was finally getting, and one I wouldn’t fail to fulfill.
Dinner came far too quickly in the hours that followed. The vampires took Riley and me to a neighboring town on the way to the airport. They continuously ensured we weren’t being followed, but the constant fear of being tracked down now seemed far from their minds.
James told me that Audrey and the wolves wanted to make their stand and I knew she would have no doubt in her expected victory. What was the point of taking just me? In her mind, she could not only take out many other vampires and Protectors, but also have me in the end anyway.
James and Nick gave Riley man hugs when the time came. “Thank you for looking out for me.” He nodded at them. “And for protecting Ariya.”
“You’re family, bro.” Nick smiled and clasped his shoulder.
“We’re all family,” Caroline said, hugging Riley around his waist. Caroline and Nick intended to drive Riley to the airport, while James and I made our way back to Mineral Point.
I stood in front of Riley, not knowing what to say or where to start and took his hands in mine. “I’m sorry for getting you involved.”
“Ariya, stop! For the last time, none of this is your fault. If the world were suddenly ending and being overtaken by a psychotic madwoman, there’s no one else I’d rather be with than you and Care. I love you guys.”
“Find Helen,” I replied.
“Trust me, I’m not wasting anymore time there. Not after all we’ve been through,” he smiled. “I’ll try to remember some good details to tell you all about since you won’t be there to eavesdrop this time.” He nudged me under my chin until I looked up at him.
“Be safe.” I grasped onto him, not knowing what else to say. Certainly not goodbye. I started crying, unable to control myself as I clutched onto him for the last time.
“Always,” he whispered. “I guess this is it,” he added, leaving my embrace.
The three of them piled into the car and Riley turned back once more. “Listen to them, Ariya. Please. For once, just listen,” he urged me.
I nodded and my tears silently streamed down my face, but I was unable to speak.
James put his arm around me as we watched the car slowly disappear over the horizon. Riley would be
safe and away from all the danger now. I truly hoped he was heading off to start a new life filled with happiness and love. Something he desperately deserved.
“Are you ready to go back?” James asked after giving me some quiet time to process my thoughts.
I turned, taking his hand as we walked back to our car. He kissed my hand and opened the door for me.
We drove in silence for a bit longer. “What’s the great plan?” I finally asked, breaking the silence. “And how could you treat me like that in front of the others?” I added quietly.
“There’s a lot that will happen in the next day. We thought of a good plan,” his voice wavered.
“But?” I asked, sensing there was more he wasn’t saying.
“We have to insist that you remain locked up and guarded, staying behind. I intend to stand with Nick in the fight, alongside Marik.” He glanced at me from the corners of his eyes.
“So I’m to remain alone without any of you?” I said, shocked, but at the same time, grateful I wouldn’t have to try to escape under the watchful eyes of James and Nick in my quest to get Audrey.
“Since I’ll have the dagger, it makes sense that I should be the one in the charge of finding Audrey and taking her out. Ariya, this won’t take very long. I’ll get to her and end her life and come right back for you. I’m not sure why you’re so worried about everything going wrong. Or why you feel the need to say goodbye.” I froze at hearing his words. Of course, he sensed my fear, no matter how well I tried to hide it. “Don’t you trust me?” he asked.
James spoke as if he had absolutely no fears. He was confident, as I was, in his skills and abilities, but this was a supernatural war we were talking about.
“Aren’t you concerned about her power? What she could do to all of you before you even got to her? James, you know how I feel about this gift. Why can’t you just listen to me and let me be nearby if only to help?”
“Ariya, we’ve faced all kinds of dangers before. I would never be so naïve as to underestimate her. Nick, Marik and I have devised a good plan. There’s no part of it that you need to worry about. This is what we trained for. You simply need to stay safe.”
“Safe? Is it safe to create a plan with Marik now? Who will keep me safe if you all are killed and I'm not nearby to save you?” I asked, growing more furious at the obvious dismissal. Even in private, those were my feelings on the matter.
“Ariya, what good would a bloodline be at saving people if Audrey snatched you immediately upon seeing you? You’re the one who keeps reminding everyone of her awesome powers. Do you think she’d see you hovering nearby and simply let you be until she was finished with all of us? No! She’d take you first and then wipe everyone out. You being kept safe buys us enough time to use the dagger and destroy her forever! I told you that we thought this through. You must trust us!” He wasn’t quite yelling, but his voice had an angry edge to it I rarely heard whenever he spoke to me.
“I didn’t think about it that way,” I said meekly.
He softened. “And I’m not entirely sure about Marik. I have a hard time believing he’d betray us, but I’ve been wrong before. So yes, there is a danger in him knowing our plan, but there’s no other choice. Nick and I still have a few tricks, should we need them, though.” He grinned.
“I trust you,” I said before retreating into my thoughts, trying to decide on a move. James was right, when and if I could breakout from my required hiding place, I had to figure out a way to stay hidden from the wolves as well as Audrey. No one could know I was nearby. I didn’t even consider how Caroline intended to bring up her plan to the boys, while fulfilling her role in the current grand scheme.
We got back to headquarters and were immediately approached by Marik. “Ariya, may I have a moment?”
I was surprised, and looked at James for approval. There shouldn’t have been anything Marik needed from me at this point. James seemed curious too at first, but hid his emotion almost as quickly as it appeared before he nodded at me. He held onto my hand a moment longer and headed towards the stairs on the other side of the room.
I turned to go to Marik’s makeshift office, but instead, he touched my arm, stopping me. “Let’s take a short walk.”
Having no idea what it was about, I felt fearful for a moment, wondering why we would be going anywhere alone and away from the others. James knows where I am, I reminded myself. Marik would have to be awfully bold to do something now, especially when people saw me leave with him. The paranoia fluttered back and forth as I debated whether or not Marik was truly a traitor.
We walked out of the building and towards the entrance of the town, away from where the final battle would be held, which made me feel a little better.
“You’re nervous, Ariya. Why is that?” he asked, stopping and watching me for a moment.
“I don’t trust you,” I answered honestly.
He eyed me with a disapproving look on his face, perhaps waiting for me to say why but I just stood there.
“I want to tell you something that will perhaps soften your views of me. We cannot go into a battle like this without absolute trust between each other. I swore to your mother you would always be protected, as I have sworn to many others from your line. I don’t know how to earn your trust, other than by being honest with you,” Marik said.
He looked uncomfortable. Seeing how private Marik always was as a vampire, I couldn’t imagine him opening up to me. My mother must have seen this softer side though. Whatever he had done, or intended to do, in this moment, my gut insisted that I needed to be there with him. I had to listen and put my prejudice aside to hear exactly what he wanted to tell me.
I gave him a small nod, letting him know he had my full attention before we began walking together. I watched him compose himself before he began to speak.
“I was very young when we came to America from Germany. The only constant in my life at that time was Cianna. I believe you might have heard about her from James. She was the young girl who saved my father after the Great War. I intended to spend my life with her. She taught me my sense of duty. She retained such strong convictions despite being so young and having the responsibility of saving our line. I loved her fiercely and she loved me.” He watched me for a reaction, but I couldn’t act surprised. I felt in my heart that Marik treated James and me with more than just disdain at our neglect of duty.
“After what she endured, and knowing she would forever worry about choosing our love over duty, I made the choice for her. She was born to be a mother and I couldn’t take that away from her, nor could I risk what crossing our lines may have resulted in. We’ve always been taught that the line between the Protector and Protected could never be crossed. So I let her go and chose my duty, for both of us. I broke her heart to spare her from having to make such a difficult choice.
“She met and fell in love with another man much later in life, and I met Audrey. Audrey was completely different from Cianna, as well as from me. Where Cianna’s love was strong, along with her faith and selflessness, Audrey was cold. She always insisted on being the center of attention. I thought that having someone so different from Cianna might lessen the pain of losing her over time, but it never did. Audrey gave birth to James and I turned. Cianna gave birth to your grandmother but was never turned herself. She hoped to live her life out with her husband. He died of a heart attack and as she grew older, I realized she’d never turn, even without him.
“My grandfather was with Cianna, and I was with her daughter, but when her daughter grew up and became pregnant, she moved in with her mother. That left me free to go back home and help train James. But when I got home, I received a letter from Cianna saying she was sick and doubted she had much longer to live.
“I didn’t hesitate. I left to be by her side and keep an eye on her. I took over my father’s position in watching her; and her daughter and he, in turn, came home to train James. Cianna held her granddaughter only a few moments before getting too weak. I didn’t leave her
side once, and confessed everything about my love to her, promising that she’d always have it, but she already knew that. She also knew what I sacrificed for us, and yet she never changed her path or course in her duty. She loved me as much as I loved her. For the same reason that I couldn’t make her choose, she couldn’t force me to change my path either.”
I let out a breath I realized I’d been holding. Hearing Marik speak of their tragic love was so painful. And it felt so close to home. James and I never had to go through what Marik and Cianna did with the Great War, and needing to use their powers in order to protect each other. Now, it was looking like we could very well live through something close to it. At least, James would.
Marik was off in another world now. He continued to speak, but he wasn’t paying attention to my reactions any longer, so I simply watched as he continued.
“I have lived with the pain of losing her, and will continue to live with it for the rest of my life. She has had my heart for as long as I can remember, and she will always have it, even though she’s no longer here. Every choice I made, and every minute I had to be without her, even choosing duty over love cannot be changed now.” He finally turned, looking straight into my eyes and we stopped walking. “I wanted to prevent you and James from having to make those choices in the first place. That notion may have been misguided, and my intentions might have been misinformed or misinterpreted, but I assure you, they were done for the sole purposes of protecting my son, as well as protecting you.”
I don’t know what came over me in that moment, but I hugged Marik. He of course didn’t hug me back, but my heart hurt for the loss he must feel everyday. I couldn’t imagine if the roles were reversed and it was me and James. I had only known him a short time, Marik had known Cianna his whole life.
He cleared his throat in a very non-Marik way, perhaps to let me know that was enough. How could this man, who loved my line so fiercely, be our traitor?
Sacrificed Page 15
