by T. S. Ryder
"Don't cry," Adrielle gasped. She wrapped her arms around Clarissa and held her as tightly as she could. "Clarissa, you are not weak. You are perfect and compassionate. That is nothing to be ashamed of. He wants you to think that your kindness and your good heart is a weakness. It's not. It's strength. It's what makes you stronger than him. You are so much stronger than he will ever be. We love you. I love you. Thomas loves you."
"Get away from her," Samuel snarled. "Get away from her this instant!"
Adrielle kissed the little girl's forehead. Tears streaked her own face. "Don't listen to him. Don't listen to anything he says. He just wants to destroy your light. But you're stronger than that!"
Samuel growled. Adrielle tried to give Clarissa another kiss, but the demon was on her. He wrapped his arms around her throat and waist, yanking her back. His grip was so tight it choked her. Clarissa screamed as he dragged Adrielle out of the room. In the corridor again, he threw her against the wall again.
Red eyes flashed, his handsome face distorting as his teeth sharpened and his skin paled to the color of a corpse.
"Stay out of this, little girl," he hissed. "I did you a favor by granting you immortality. Don't make me take it away again."
Adrielle struggled against his hands. A new sort of rage gave her strength and she broke out of his grip. It wasn't the same rage that she had been fighting before. That had been a blank, mindless anger that lashed out at any thought, any perceived slight. This was focused. Not on Samuel for changing her or even his attempts to gaslight her. Rather, it was a rage that rose with her determination to protect Clarissa.
"I'll never stop!" she seethed back at him. "Never. I know what it's like to be abused, to be treated like I'm nothing. I know what you're doing. You're trying to break her down so that she doesn't know her own strength. You want to control her."
Samuel's red eyes deepened. He snarled. "She is my daughter and she exists to serve me."
"No! You are not her father!"
Samuel snarled. His hand struck soundly across her face. Adrielle cried out as he threw her to the floor and kicked her twice in the stomach.
"If I can't break you, then you're no use to me." He kicked her again. "But before you die, let's see how you do against the hunger when it's driving you insane. I think your precious Thomas deserves to see you as a beast, don't you? Oh, how he'll beg me to save you… But in the end, he'll kill you himself."
He kicked her again and laughed.
Chapter Fifteen – Thomas
The sword he'd claimed when he fought his first battle against the demons had served him well in all his years in the underworld, and this fight was no exception. The sharp blade sliced cleanly through the demon's flesh, leaving it reeling and howling as it fell to be trampled to death. With a quick stroke, he removed the head of another. The heavy, rotten scent of sulfur and blood filled his nostrils.
Thomas whipped around his sword, skewering a demon that came at him from behind. Another one came at him and he ducked under its long arms and kicked out its knees before snapping its neck. Beside him, Richard retrieved the sword and threw it to the king before turning against another wave. Madrid roared, plowing through the demon forces in a half-shifted state. The rest of his forces clashed with the demons in a chaotic mix of screams and shouts.
Samuel's fortress was within reach. The demon forces thickened before them, trying to stop the vampires, but they were determined. This would end once and for all. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to take down Samuel by himself, but with the whole might of the vampires behind him? It might just work.
With another shout, Thomas drove himself into the heart of a nearby demon throng. His sword flashed with their blood as he moved in a circle, stabbing and parrying. A large troll-like creature jumped at him from behind, but he slipped out of its arms and let its blow take down two of its comrades before he spun behind it and stabbed upwards.
Madrid howled, her muzzle lifting to the roof of the darkness. Two demons attempted to take her down, but she ripped one in half while snapping the other in her jaws. It left an opening just big enough for Thomas to slip through.
He pushed through the final demons, taking out four more, and then he was past the walls and into Samuel's fortress. The grounds were brightly lit – almost painfully bright. They had the illusion of gracefully rolling hills and a large fairy-tale castle surrounded by a moat with a lake nearby that had swans swimming on it.
Thomas stood panting, uncertain. The demons he'd broken through didn't even turn to pursue him, and there was no resistance here. He turned back, knowing he needed help to take down Samuel.
Adrielle's scream echoed across the ground.
Thomas abandoned any thoughts of getting help. He raced for the castle, her name on his lips. The wind rushed in his ears, his grip tight on his sword. Just inside the castle doors were two small demons that Thomas displaced quickly. Her scream cut out only to start again seconds later. Thomas followed it, panic crawling up his throat. If something happened to her…
He found Adrielle collapsed on the floor. A blade was thrust through her stomach, the sharp end piercing her back. Thomas shouted in grief and rage, rushing to her. He gathered her into his arms and was surprised to see her chest still moving. He heard no heartbeat. Tears burned his eyes.
"Adrielle," he gasped. "Adrielle, I'm so sorry."
Her eyes roved the hallway before focusing on him. Her fingers brushed his lips. He kissed her hard, withdrawing the sword from her as he did so. She cried out, her head falling back. For a moment he was certain she was dead, but then she lifted her head again. He gripped her tightly. How long did she have? If only he had been there a little sooner…
"Thomas…" She pressed her face into his neck. "Thomas, I need…"
"Adrielle, I'm so sorry. I should never have—"
Something stabbed his neck. Thomas gasped as Adrielle's teeth clamped down on him. Two sharp points, a semicircle of blunt tips. Her fingers dug into his skin and a snarling noise rose from her. She threw her weight over him, pinning him to the ground. A slurping noise; a tight pull in his core. A vampire.
Thomas grasped her arms and tried to pull her off him. No. This was worse than death. Without Erela to bless her, she'd lose her mind and no longer be Adrielle.
"So good," she panted, pulling back. His blood dripped thick from her lips and a smile lit up her face. "Now we have sex, right?"
She reached for the buckles on his armor, then shuddered. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed. Thomas caught her and moved so she was on the floor. He knelt over her, checking where she had been stabbed. The skin was closed up with only a thin red line indicating she had been hurt.
But she wasn't herself anymore. He vaguely remembered the days before Erela had given back his mind. If he could, he would have killed himself before going through that. The mindless hunger, the burning hate. He couldn't let Adrielle suffer that.
"Adrielle," Thomas whispered. "I'm so, so sorry. I love you. I wish I hadn't been such an idiot. I wish I had been able to see that earlier."
He retrieved his sword, placing it against Adrielle's throat. It would be quick and painless now that she was unconscious. And she wouldn’t have to suffer from slowly losing her mind, the hunger overtaking her. A sob ripped from him.
"Papa!"
His head jerked up. Clarissa stood at the end of the corridor. Her blue eyes were wide, mouth slightly open. She shook her head, tears coursing down her cheeks. Beside her, Samuel stood with a hand on her shoulder. Triumph lit his eyes.
"There. You see?" The demon looked down at the little girl. "This is what Thomas really is. A monster who would kill the only person who ever really loved you."
"You turned her into a vampire," Thomas hissed. "She wouldn't want—"
"Don't worry, my precious little angel." Samuel stroked Clarissa's hair. "I'll save her."
The demon charged down the hall. Thomas leaped to his feet and rose his sword, but the demon eas
ily swatted it aside. His fists drove into Thomas' chest and stomach. The vampire stumbled back. He regained his footing long enough to block another blow and to land one of his own on the demon's chin. With a shout, he rammed into Samuel, knocking them both to the floor. He punched his enemy in his throat, cutting off a harsh laugh.
Even with these small victories, Thomas knew he wasn't going to win. He grabbed his sword and sliced across Samuel's chest, then dashed for Clarissa. He dropped to his knees before her and grasped her hands in his. They didn't have much time, but there were things he needed to say.
"I love you."
"Papa . . ." Clarissa sobbed.
Thomas wiped her tears away. "I love you, Clarissa. You have always been my daughter. The most precious thing that I was ever blessed to have in my life. I love you more than anything else in this world. And I'm so, so very sorry that I wasn't strong enough. Please, please remember that I love you."
"I love you, too, Papa." Clarissa moved to embrace him, but Samuel grabbed him by the back of his clothes and dragged him away.
The demon's glittering red eyes glared down at him. He shook his head, a look of disgust coming over his face. "You were going to be my morning star. My greatest achievement. I perfected the vampire in you, and Erela stole that from me. Oh, well. I've gotten my revenge on her at last. And now, Thomas, since we can't be friends…"
Samuel threw him to the ground, then lifted a silver sword. Clarissa screamed and all Thomas wanted to do was shield her eyes as the blade came down. It pierced through his heart. A killing blow. He gasped as the pain flooded his system. Bright white light enveloped him.
The light burned. The sword withdrew with a jerk, but the pain wouldn't stop. It stabbed through his eyes, seeping into his skin. It flooded his blood, bringing it to a sizzling boil. His back bowed as the light tore through him, ripping him in half. A scream burst from him, and he wasn't the only one. He heard Adrielle's voice screaming with him.
"No!" Samuel shouted.
Clarissa strode forward. The light enveloped her. Her golden hair flew about her head, her eyes like blazing fires. There was no anger in her face, no condemnation, no fear. She no longer looked like his little girl. She looked… She looked the way Erela did that first day she came to him. Like something immense and powerful – something far beyond human. His chest ached as if he'd been kicked and a rapid pounding filled his ears.
"You're not going to hurt anybody else," Clarissa whispered as she reached for Samuel.
All it took was a single touch. Samuel shouted something incoherent, and then he was gone. His form disintegrated, not even leaving dust behind. Something lifted off of Thomas and a feeling of relief washing over him. His eyes drifted closed.
"Papa." A small hand pressed against his chest. "Papa!"
Clarissa. Thomas' eyes snapped open. He had to tell her to leave before he died. He didn't want her to see him die, didn't… But the pain in his chest was gone. It was replaced by an off feeling of being too full. With a gasp, he sat upright. Clarissa knelt beside him. With a soft cry, she wrapped her arms around him and began to sob into his shoulder.
Adrielle sat on her haunches nearby. The madness of the vampire wasn't in her eyes, and when his gaze met hers, she smiled. He smiled back uncertainly, rubbing Clarissa's back. Adrielle moved closer and took his hand. She felt… cold. So unlike her normal warmth. He couldn't smell her chai tea scent.
"What happened?" he asked, and as he did so, he noticed something else that was strange. He ran his tongue over his teeth. They were all short and blunt. His eyes widened.
"I don't know how," Adrielle whispered. "But I'm… I'm human again."
Clarissa pulled back and wiped her eyes. "That's because I changed you back. I could taste his evil holding you, and I broke it."
Her little hand pressed against Thomas's chest. His heart thumped. It thumped again. Tears filled his eyes and a smile burst across his face. He was human again.
"Clarissa…" He choked as he hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Finally, he was human again.
Chapter Sixteen – Adrielle
"No, Papa, not like that. Like this."
Adrielle smiled from where she lounged on her beach towel, watching Thomas and Clarissa trying to build a sandcastle. It was a bright, sunny day. Almost too hot, but she wouldn't trade it away for anything. It was the first time in over a thousand years that Thomas had seen the sun, and for Adrielle, it was like experiencing it for the first time herself. Thomas’s eyes sparkled as he eagerly packed moist sand into a bucket. Clarissa carefully tapped it out and patted some sand that had come loose back into place.
"We're going to need some more sunscreen soon," Adrielle called to them. "We don't want to get burned."
"Burned. Bah!" Thomas gave her a wide smile. "I used to get so badly burned that blisters would stand up on my back and my skin would peel off. But I only had one bad burn per summer. Why else do you think I stayed so tanned as a vampire?"
Adrielle wagged a finger at him. "Sunscreen. I am not going to let you get skin cancer."
It turned out that Clarissa's powers were stronger than any of them had thought. She was able to reverse the vampire disease on the whole population underground, including the mindless. They were taking a small break from the intensive work they'd been doing, capturing the mindless and bringing them to the palace for Clarissa to return their humanity to them. While some of the vampires had volunteered to stay that way until all the others were restored, most of them were begging to have the curse removed from them so they could go back to the surface.
The reintegration process was lengthy but worth it. Adrielle hadn't realized how many people had been trapped below the surface by Samuel's actions. There were thousands of them down there. Even Madrid was able to be gifted with more control over her abilities so there were no accidental half-shifts.
They played on the beach for hours until it was starting to get dark. Adrielle called for them to go home. Neither Clarissa nor Thomas wanted to go, but after spending all their hours in the sun, they were pretty exhausted. They returned to the cave that led to the underworld kingdom and were driven back to the palace by Richard and a few other vampire guards.
"I'll tuck Clarissa into bed tonight," Thomas told her once they arrived and sent Clarissa to take a bath. "A new bunch of restored humans is being taken to the surface tonight… and I've decided to send William with them."
Adrielle repressed a shiver. She wrapped her arms around her middle and shook her head. It wasn't a refusal, just an indication of her own tormented emotions. William had been so cruel to her for so many years. Just the thought of looking at him made her break out into a cold sweat. Part of her wanted to confront him, but more of her wanted to run away and hide in the darkest hole where she'd never have to see his face again.
"I can go with you if you want."
With a gulp, Adrielle shook her head again. "No. I mean, I'd like that but… I think I'm ready to face him on my own."
Thomas had been with her when they had both signed the divorce papers, officially freeing her from him. She'd nearly thrown up even though Thomas remained between the two of them and William said nothing. She shivered as Thomas wrapped his arms around her, but she was ready. At least, she thought she was. Just a little while longer in her king's arms…
When she went to see William, her first thought was that he was so insignificant. Looking at him, she couldn't understand why he had been able to draw her in so much that she'd allowed him to have so much power over her. But she had been young and inexperienced, and by the time she realized what he was… She had felt like she had no other options. Running had been the best thing she could have done, and it had gotten her sold at auction to the highest bidder.
"Adrielle." He kept his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched as he looked at her. The years had not been kind to him.
"William."
He sighed, not looking at her. "I know it doesn't mean anything, b
ut I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I'm in therapy. A program. It's helping. I just wanted to tell you that… you're my biggest regret."
Adrielle shrugged. "And you're mine. That doesn't mean I can forgive you."
"I know. And I promise I will never be in your life again. I wish you only the best in the future."
"Thank you. I hope that you can heal from your past, William. And I hope that you can see yourself clearly enough to never do that again."
She had nothing more to say to him, so she turned and walked away. As she did so, she let out a deep, shuddering breath. Though she still shook, she felt loads lighter. This only highlighted the differences between William and Thomas. Even at his angriest, Thomas would never lay a finger on her. Not only that, but they were able to talk afterward. Not him apologizing profusely and swearing it would never happen again, making excuses that had her apologizing for things she hadn't even done. It had been that way with William, but Thomas owned up to his mistakes without trying to justify them or heap on the self-hate until Adrielle was the one comforting him because he had hurt her.
Thomas saw that he had been wrong in not listening to her. He hadn't offered any excuses even though she knew he was coming from a point of pain. For their first major fight, it had been a doozy. But if they were able to get through that, they were able to get through anything.
By the time she got to their room and showered, Thomas had returned. Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you," Adrielle whispered. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too." Thomas kissed the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. Really good, actually." Adrielle laughed and looked up at him. "I feel free. I feel safe. I feel loved."
Thomas brushed his mouth against hers. "Good enough to talk about your novel?"
"My—" Adrielle laughed. She had finished writing up the story –their story – and had printed it off for Thomas to read. "Do I still write sex scenes like a virgin?"
