Sacrificed

by Anna Applegate

  “Not if I go with you,” I suggested.

  “Ah, yes, but we’ve been through all this before, dear. Nothing will be left for you to either return to or run from.”

  Nick and Caroline sped up and James turned to her, only to see the brief look she cast my way before lowering her eyes, almost in shame. James was furious and again, he began banging on the invisible barrier that separated us, while yelling.

  The fighting dwindled slowly around us. Whatever locked state of magic Audrey and I were behind drew the attention of everyone. The wolves were a bit confused, waiting for their next command. The Protectors and vampires seemed even more confused, however. They thought I was safely tucked away and hidden from all of this chaos.

  “I have to keep you safe. I have to keep all of you safe.” Tears welled up in my eyes and I knew that now was the time. My time. James watched, terrified, knowing exactly what I planned to do. Audrey was distracted by trying to keep them out while still holding onto me.

  I closed my eyes and remembered what Caroline told me –follow through hard, using all of my strength.

  “James, I love you,” I said, opening my eyes once more and shouting through the tears that could not be stopped.

  “Ariya! No! Ariya!” he kept shouting while trying to reach Audrey, and me.

  Audrey smirked, watching the pain contort her son’s face instead of mine. Now was my chance. I used my free hand to grab the dagger before I plunged it deeply into her side.

  She screamed, turning to me in anger and surprise, but I held on tight.

  “Reverse the time you stole on Earth,” I yelled. “Reverse the magic and the curse.”

  A bright light started as a pinpoint, originating from where the dagger lodged in her side and she let go of my wrist. I grabbed her, pulling her towards me while clutching the dagger in my hand, making sure not to release it.

  “What are you doing?” Audrey shouted. Her other hand fell, diminishing the invisible wall she erected around James and Nick. I heard growls, and wondered if Tristan would soon appear, but I was ready to rely on Caroline, James and Nick now.

  “Reveal the true self held within,” I gasped, trying to say the words loud and strong, when I felt a sharp pain in my side and I screamed.

  “You’ll never succeed. This will be your end, Ariya. Whatever you think this will do means nothing.” Audrey struggled against me and I screamed again, the horrible jabbing increased, and I dared not wonder what was happening to me.

  It felt so overwhelming, I thought I’d pass out. But I had to complete my mission. Audrey struggled harder as the light around us grew brighter until it was blinding.

  I closed my eyes and said the final line, “Return thy gifts to where they onest began!”

  Thrown backwards by an otherworldly force, I found myself moving away from Audrey despite how hard I tried to hold on. I pulled myself up onto my arms and looked towards where I was only seconds before. I heard loud screaming and moaning before an explosive light illuminated everything around us. Suddenly, the bright flash of light disappeared, leaving Audrey behind, lying in a heap. The dagger was still glowing in her side as she looked up weakly at me.

  “You won’t survive either,” she snarled, straining to make her way towards me. Then, as suddenly as she moved, she began to disintegrate. I watched her slowly dissolve into ash.

  “No!” she gasped, looking down at her rapidly fading limbs. “You!” She glared at me again with a hatred more powerful than anything I’d ever seen before. “This cannot be!”

  Clawing at the ground and moving in my direction, she began shrieking. I shielded my eyes as the sound of her final screams echoed through my ears. After an eerie silence, a cloud of smoke appeared before a small tornado swept up and carried all the dust away. The dagger fell to the ground where her body was only moments before.

  I collapsed and fell off my propped up arms, but at least, I was still breathing.

  I was alive!

  It didn’t make any sense. Somehow, I was still alive.

  Instinctively, I reached up to touch my side, which hurt so much. Something had definitely penetrated my own skin, but I wasn’t sure what. It felt tender and wet to the touch and my shirt was all ripped. I could hear echoes of voices, shouting and yelling, and commanding orders. No words rang out clearly enough to decipher amongst the jumbled mess. I took a shaky breath in, wondering why I could still do so. Ivan told me the bloodline ended here and now. Audrey was dead. She had to be unless the smoke and twister I just witnessed were an illusion created by my tattered mind.

  No. No! I knew in my heart she was dead.

  A sensation of everything being peaceful and quiet entered my head. The shouting hadn’t stopped, but everything became muffled.

  I cupped my hand over my side and winced. A tender swelling surrounded the area where Audrey injured me. I hadn’t looked at it closely yet, but she didn’t have any weapon, so how bad could it be?

  I raised my eyes towards where I last saw James, but he was no longer there. Tristan was though. He lay unmoving on the grass. Good riddance!

  “Ariya,” a voice broke through the garbled mess of muted yells and shouts.

  My eyes connected with the only person whom I cared about seeing at that moment. James.

  “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay. My stupid, brave, idiotic girl.” James crouched beside me, touching the hand that was holding my side gently.

  “James,” I murmured.

  My head was clearing, and I could begin to focus on everything around me. But for some reason, my body was delayed in its response to what I was telling it to do. I felt much heavier as I tried to hold myself up out there in the middle of the battlefield.

  “James!” someone else shouted and he stood up, at full attention, but still at my side. The shouting and jumbled noise of voices were moving closer now. Something was amiss.

  “James Rymer,” Marik’s voice thundered through the small group of vampires gathered around us now. “You’re under arrest… for the crime of treason.”

  That had to be the only thing in the world that could have snapped me out of my temporary daze.

  “What?” I reached out, seeking help so I could see and process what was going on. I collapsed, falling forward before I felt someone lifting me up, but I couldn’t see who it was.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded more insistently, now that I was on my own two feet.

  “Take him away so we can question him.” Marik ignored me and directed two Protectors who had James’s arms pulled back unevenly. Lukas was one of them, and the other face belonged to someone I hadn’t seen before.

  Nobody even dared to make a move when we all heard another snarling noise. I watched in horror as the Protectors around James refused to get out of his way when a wolf came lumbering towards them, aiming right at me. I tried scampering back, out of the wolf’s line of attack, but my movements were too strained and slow, despite the surge of adrenaline from Marik’s outburst. I turned my head away and saw James trying to lunge at the wolf, but when his body moved forward, Lukas and the other custodian never let go of his arms. James fought back against Lukas, but a fatal shift in his movement allowed the wolf to turn and bite James in the neck.

  The wolf was strong, but so were the Protectors. I didn’t know the reason why they didn’t react more quickly but one of them finally let go and tore the wolf off James and destroyed him.

  “No!” I screamed, forgetting everything and rushing to James’s side. “No! No! No! James!” I was reaching out to help him when Lukas yanked me back. “What are you doing? Get off me, he’s injured badly.”

  “Injured. Not dead,” Lukas replied stoically.

  Caroline and Nick finally arrived, but as they made their way towards us, they were grabbed by the others as well.

  “Stop!” I turned to find Marik. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “They failed and Audrey already had you, Ariya. We’ve been looking for the mole scurrying
around in our ranks and now it looks like we caught three. I warned you that this may be coming.”

  “They aren’t traitors!” I said, shoving him as I spoke. Too much was happening at once. James coughed and said my name. I snapped out of my anger and turned to find my way back to him. Lukas didn’t stop me this time.

  “James,” I said, cupping his face. His neck was bloody and messy, I had to do something. “I’ll give you my blood.”

  “I’m fine, Ariya. We will figure this out,” he said warmly, even with his injury.

  “That’s enough,” Lukas snapped, picking me up and holding me back again. “We are taking them all in for questioning.”

  Suddenly, James coughed again but this time, his eyes glazed over. “James!”

  “Lukas, let her heal him,” Marik demanded.

  I looked around, shocked at how calmly the others were dismissing James’s imminent death right in front of me. Nothing made any sense.

  I ran to him. Stroking his hair, I held my arm up to his mouth to let his fangs sink into my wrist so he could get the precious blood he needed so badly. This whole process was becoming eerily normal now. I doubt that anything could faze me again after today.

  “That’s plenty,” Marik said, again sounding completely unworried.

  “He’s not even awake yet. Marik, I need to make sure he is awake. I’m not leaving him. I’m not going anywhere without him.” James would never let me go alone with anyone besides himself, Nick or Caroline. There was still a real traitor lying in wait among us! I pushed myself up from the ground by James’s side, not moving as quickly or accurately as my mind directed my body to do. What was wrong with me?

  “Lukas take her…”

  My heart was breaking. What could I do to convince them James wasn’t the traitor? And that I had to stay with him? Marik was covering his own ass. He had to be the traitor.

  “Please, Marik,” I begged. “He needs more from me,” I shouted.

  “Ariya, he only needs a simple drop of your blood. He’ll be fine. The important thing is for you to get to safety. Now,” Marik curtly finished.

  Marik’s patience had worn thin and his face couldn’t hide the anger he was truly feeling. He was using James, Nick and Caroline as his scapegoats. The traitor had to be Marik. Why else would we be blamed? But how could we prove his involvement? We had no evidence and Audrey and Tristan were dead now, leaving him safe from all suspicion.

  “Where are you taking me?” Lukas grabbed me by my arm again and I dug my heels into the ground, trying to resist him.

  “There are stray wolves in the area and we have no idea what happened to Audrey. We need to get you away from here for your own safety.”

  I stared at him from over Lukas’s shoulder. “Audrey is dead, Marik. She’s gone! I need to stay here with James, I need to make sure…”

  “Enough! I am in charge here, Ariya. You have never and will never play that role. You must do as I say and remember at all times that you and your friends are under my personal command. Lukas, get her out of here. Take her somewhere safe. We don’t know if any wolves are willing to die in their desire to avenge Audrey.”

  Marik nodded towards the Protectors holding Caroline and Nick as they began dragging them away. More came in order to get them under control and to keep them moving. I continued to resist Lukas’s death grip on my arm.

  “Go, Lukas. Safehouse 2,” Marik barked the orders at Lukas who grabbed me by my waist and threw me over his shoulder.

  Lukas sped away fast. The last thing I saw was Marik hovering over James’s body. I thought I saw him sit up, but I couldn’t be sure. I didn’t want anyone but James; and I certainly didn’t trust Marik being left with him. Who knew what Lukas would do if Marik commanded him to do it?

  We were heading in the opposite direction from where Marik and the others were taking James, going even further into the woods. My heart was racing. I didn’t trust anyone, least of all, Lukas. What if Marik told Lukas to take me somewhere so Marik could kill James? I couldn’t save them if I wasn’t even with them!

  I was getting so tired and I just wanted to rest. The fight with Audrey took a lot out of me and my side was throbbing from the wound she inflicted. The previous rush of adrenaline from what happened with James was also wearing off. Lukas let me off his shoulder once we were far enough out of sight from the others. He probably assumed I wouldn’t run if there was nowhere for me to run to. As he set me down, the pain in my side flared again. I looked down.

  “Wh-wh-what is this?” I stopped walking and stared at the gaping wound in my side. I hadn’t inspected it until now. I looked up at Lukas, who turned slowly and stared at me, seemingly infuriated. I had no idea why there was so much hate flashing in his eyes.

  “We can’t just stop here!” Lukas’s voice trailed off as his gaze dropped down to my side. He must have seen what I saw. Black, spidery lines were coming out of two deep gashes Audrey scored with her bare hands. The lines, instead of being red, like a normal scratch or cut, were all black and darker than dried blood; and the blackness was spreading fast, like ink in a tattoo.

  “What happened?” Lukas demanded. His voice failed to mask the effort it took for him to sound smooth. His panic was evident.

  “Audrey must have gotten me with something toxic when I first stuck the dagger in her. She muttered something, but with all the shouting, I don’t know what she said. It’s really bothering me, Lukas,” I explained as I wobbled again.

  It couldn’t be good.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Lukas growled as he threw me over his shoulder again. The movement jostled me and I screamed when a jolt of pain erupted on my side.

  Moments later, we slowed to a stop and I felt Lukas kicking a solid object. My head went underneath a doorway before I was rudely thrown to the floor, more than a little roughed-up. I looked around the one-room, wooden frame house we entered. So much for a safe house.

  I watched Lukas slam the door before he turned to face me. His normally dark blue eyes were black and his teeth had elongated.

  “You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done!” He stalked towards me and I began retreating until I hit a wall and could go no further. There was nowhere for me to escape.

  “What is wrong with you? Stop it! You’re scaring me!” I shouted.

  “You took everything from me!” Lukas yelled back, grabbing me and lifting me up until I was pinned against the wall.

  “I-I-I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

  I didn’t do anything but help everyone by getting rid of Audrey. The war was all over.

  “You took her from me! I had to watch, while being helpless to do anything. You don’t know what that’s like.”

  “Took who? Audrey?” I asked Lukas, trying to piece something together that would make even a little sense.

  “Yes, you insolent, worthless girl! Audrey.” He promptly slammed me hard against the wall. My head ached from the unexpected contact.

  “Stop Lukas, you’re hurting me.” My voice quivered.

  “I don’t care if you’re hurt! You ruined my life.” Lukas snarled. “And who cares? You’re dying anyway.” He paused before letting me slide down and stand on my own feet. I was dying? The black marks must have meant something to him then.

  My searching eyes found the answer in Lukas’s cold glare. “Yes, that’s right. Dying. At least she got you good before she left us.”

  So Ivan was right! My end was just taking a bit more time than I expected.

  “We loved each other. I did everything for her and now she’s gone.” His grip tightened again around my arms, nearly cutting off the circulation.

  I screamed at his unrelenting grasp.

  Marik wasn’t the traitor.

  Lukas was!

  He jerked my shirt up and pointed to the blackness expanding around my side. “You see this? Poison. She poisoned you, somehow.”

  An eerie smile crept over Lukas’s face and he watched me trying to process what h
e was telling me. I would die here alone, far away from anyone I loved. And the truth would die with me. Lukas was the one who betrayed us but no one would ever know that now but me.

  “I’ll have to amp my little revenge plan up a bit, but at this point, I’ll take whatever I can get.” He grabbed my legs, yanking me down from the wall and straddled me, sitting on top of my thighs. He pressed my arms into the ground and pinned me there.

  I struggled, but it was no use. Lukas was obviously much stronger than me, even if I hadn’t been injured, and I was stuck.

  “Get off me! What are you going to do?” I shrieked.

  “I can’t have you dying, not just yet,” Lukas said through gritted teeth. “I’ll have to turn you to stop the poison. That way, you’ll live long enough to watch me kill and destroy your pathetic friends. I plan to start with Caroline, then I’ll move on to Nick and finally, James.”

  “No!” I knew the fear in my eyes was crystal clear. He couldn’t turn me. I didn’t want to be turned yet. If I did turn, I would only allow James to do it. It had to be him. I screamed and entered a fresh round of struggles as fiercely as I could. I was powerless, though. Tears filled my eyes. There wasn’t anything I could do.

  “There, there,” Lukas mocked me as I whimpered. “It will only hurt for a minute. You might even be able to fight me off a little when it’s over and make this more fun.”

  Smiling again, he seemed to get another thought. “It will kill James to know he didn’t save you. I get to inflict more pain on both of you by doing it this way. You’ll be the one to survive and have to live forever alone.”

  James was being held prisoner. He’d never get here in time. Not unless he escaped to find me.

  Lukas’s grip tightened and anger burned in my eyes. The pain from my wound ached. But everything slowly began to disappear, everything, that is, except for my outrage.

  “And what? You think she loved you! No, she loved the thought of power. She loved the thought of getting to rule everyone. She was incapable of love,” I spat at Lukas.

  “She was abandoned by Marik and her worthless, bloodline son. I was always there for her. Marik gave Audrey up! My beautiful, all-powerful love! He gave her up for some cheap, invaluable bloodline member. He never appreciated the goddess he had.”