“Saved her?” Catherine now spoke up, her eyes falling on Marion. “Someone like you is not worthy of being a mother, and you have no right to accuse my son of anything. He loves Ashleigh.”
“I love her too.” Marion tried to speak. “I—”
Anthony hissed, “You don’t love her. And Catherine’s right. You’re not worthy of being her mother.” He then pointed to the door. “Now, please leave. Your presence is not needed here.”
Marion scanned their accusing faces then turned to her daughter. Holding the handkerchief over her nose, she quickly left the house.
“I’m sorry about that.” Sighing, Anthony took a seat on the couch. He covered his eyes for a few seconds before finding the strength to speak to the others. “Although this is a subject I would love to continue, we don’t have the time. We must think of something to save Ashleigh.” He saw Ashleigh look at him, her tears now slowed. “You are my daughter, but you are also the woman spoken of in the prophecy.”
“The Countess.” Ashleigh’s voice was mouse-like as she held her father’s stare.
"Yes.” Anthony glanced at Lucas briefly. “We knew you were coming. We had hoped it was all just a fairytale, some wishful thinking on the Count’s part. But…” He glanced down at the floor. “We were wrong. And here you are, the Countess’ reincarnation. There is nothing we can do to change that. No matter how far you run, or how much you wish it, you will always belong to the Count.”
"She belongs with me. She loves me." Caleb's voice was firm. "She's having my baby, and she's going to be my wife. Don't you care about what me and Ash want? Don't we have a say in anything?"
"I'm staying with Caleb." Ashleigh buried her face deep into Caleb's chest. "I'm not going back."
Anthony took in Ashleigh's determined expression. This was the first time he had observed her so closely. Meeting his daughter under these circumstances was not only heartbreaking, but made him feel like a monster. "If I could choose, I would allow you to stay together, but I can't. The Count will not agree to it."
"Please." Catherine scooted forward a little and leaned her head so that she could look around Lucas to Anthony. "This is our grandchild, Master Vessling." She put a hand to her chest as she sniffled back her tears. There was a wetness to her desperate voice, "My grandchild. There has to be a way to stop this. Please…help them."
Anthony turned to his wife and then to Catherine. "I don't know where to begin. The Count claimed that he would wipe out the Morgan Sect if we didn't return her. I can't put all of us in danger because my…" He paused as he looked at Ashleigh then down at his knees. "Daughter wants to stay with Caleb. It's not rational, and I can't do it, despite the feelings I have." He turned to Caleb and Ashleigh. "I want nothing more than to let both of you stay together, but I can't. I can't help you."
"I have an idea," Ashleigh spoke. Her voice soft, as if she was afraid of her own words. "I want to make a deal with him."
"A deal?" Lucas shook his head. "What sort of deal?"
"He can make me immortal, right?" She glanced at Caleb then to Lucas. "If he lets me stay with Caleb now, when…" She paused again and gazed downward. "Caleb dies, then…I'll go back to him. He can make me young again, and I will stay with him forever, just like he wants."
She glanced back at Anthony. Tears infected her voice and danced on the surface of her light eyes. "I would do anything to stay with Caleb, even if it means selling my soul to the devil to have my time with him."
Caleb voice reflected his sadness, "Ashleigh…" He cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking her sticky skin. "I can't let you do that."
"I'd do anything for you. Forever is black without you." She stared into Caleb's ice blue eyes, reciting a few lines from Forever Black. "‘Like an endless sea of waves that crash upon me, so heavy they crush my every breath, and I’m forced to breathe in their salty poison. Without you, there is no happiness—no life. If I left this world and my body behind, there would be nothing left but my love for you—the love so deeply embedded in my soul that it is eternal and never ending’."
Caleb laughed softly, but it was a sad one. His fingers stroked her cheek lovingly as he spoke the next line, "‘And love is all that we will ever need’.” Before she could speak, he finished with, “‘Nothing will separate us…’” He lightly ran a finger over her lips as he licked his own. "‘Even death’."
"Oh, Caleb!" Ashleigh burst into tears. Her arms reached up to his neck, and she buried her face into the soft fabric of his T-shirt. Her voice was soft and broken as she sobbed, "I'm so scared."
"Please, Master Vessling." Catherine glanced over at the pair then back at Anthony. "There has to be something we can do."
"I will speak to the Count about Ashleigh's offer. That is all we can do right now." Anthony turned to Lucas. "I will try to prolong this as long as I can."
"So, you'll help us?" Caleb stroked Ashleigh's hair as she continued to cry.
"I will try my best." Anthony stood. A tired sigh escaped his lips. "But I warn you…" He held a single finger out to Caleb. His voice grew stronger and took on a fatherly tone, "He will not let you have her. He won't care if she's pregnant, so don't believe that will deter him from taking her back."
"He said he would let her go after a two months." Caleb gazed at Ashleigh when she peered up at him. He wiped away a few of her tears as he studied her expression for a few seconds before turning to Anthony. "If he won't agree to our first terms, maybe he'll honor the ones he made with Ashleigh."
"I will ask that as well," Anthony nodded. "But they may be null, now that you have broken the promise you made to him." His eyes settled on Ashleigh's. "I will try my best to convince him to let you stay, but for now, I suggest you take a vacation somewhere far from here. The Count is in town and is meeting with the Council tonight."
"Then, maybe I'll go to the meeting, too." Caleb’s voice was stern. He held onto Ashleigh possessively. "Ashleigh can stay with Robert and Nathan."
Lucas tried to protest, "I don't think that's—"
"If that's your wish, of course you can attend, Caleb. I just ask that you conduct yourself appropriately in front of his grace." Anthony went to Caleb and tapped him on the shoulder. "But I don't think it'll change anything." He motioned for his wife to come with him. "Lucas, come with me, and we will discuss our plan for tonight."
"Stay home, Caleb." Lucas sent his son a warning glare. "I mean it. You will regret it."
"Don't tell me what to do." Caleb released Ashleigh and pushed in front of her. He glared at his father. "I'm tired of you thinking I'm incapable of everything. Ashleigh's my fiancé. I love her. Do you think I'd be an idiot and risk losing all that? I'm not a kid. Stop treating me like it."
"Caleb…" Lucas took a step closer. "I think it would be best if you left Ashleigh with me. She's not safe here with you."
"What? No! I won't let her go with you." Caleb took a step forward, his face inches from his father. "She's my girl, and last time I checked, that was my responsibility. Stop butting in on my life. I can protect her."
The pair looked strange in this standoff—Caleb in his baggy jeans and T-shirt, his father towering over him like a sentinel. Though Caleb was clearly the smaller vampire, he stood firm as he challenged his father. The angry, tense stare that passed between them was one that had occurred many times.
Catherine immediately tried to stop the fight she knew was only going to escalate. "Stop, Lucas. Caleb's upset. Leave him alone." She put her arm around Ashleigh's shoulders.
"Stay out of this." Lucas' angry eyes didn't leave Caleb's as he spoke, "Caleb needs to understand he's wrong." He then turned to Catherine. "Take Ashleigh to the car, Catherine."
Caleb glanced back. "No, stay here, Ashleigh. Leave, Dad. I don’t want your help."
"Catherine. I said…" Lucas spoke to Catherine but continued to stare Caleb down. "Take Ashleigh to the car, right now."
Caleb glared backward, his angry eyes falling upon a very confused looking Ashleigh. "Stay, Ashl
eigh." He could see her shaking, and the large tears that singed her cheeks.
"I said now, Catherine!"
"I can't take any more of this! I'm Ashleigh Brown, not Ashleigh Vessling, or the Countess of Sallen!" Ashleigh shouted. Closing her eyes, she balled her hands into fists. "I wish you all would just leave me alone!" Pulling away from Catherine, she snatched her laptop bag laying near the door and ran up the stairs.
Caleb turned. "I'll go after—"
Catherine's voice was soft, "Let me." Her touch was light as her hand paused on his arm. Catherine sent him a fragile smile. "She's hurting right now—much more than you can understand. She needs to talk about this."
"She needs me." Caleb’s sad eyes gazed up the stairs. "But I can't help her. God!" He turned angrily to his mother. "Do you know how that feels? He's going to take her, and I can't do anything!"
"I don't know how it feels. But if you act like this, you won't save her. You need to use something other than strength. The Count is smart. He's the first of our kind, and he will never back down. You need to keep yourself together if you're going to beat him."
"What now?" In Caleb’s eyes, there was still that boyish innocence.
"We'll think of something." Catherine wrapped her arms around Caleb. She playfully shook him a little as she laid her head on his shoulder. "We will."
"She doesn't want to go. Why does he want to force her? He can't make her love him."
"Come, Lucas." Anthony tapped Lucas' arm and motioned for him to follow. "We have much to discuss. Caleb seems to have everything handled here." Lucas didn't speak, he just followed Anthony out the door.
"I'm going to check on Ashleigh." Caleb pushed his mother's arms off him. He jogged up the stairs then used his speed to disappear from their sight. He went to the attic. Shoving a few things out of the way near the entrance, he looked farther into the room.
Ashleigh's voice was soft, "A prince comes to the highest tower to save his princess from the evil king." Her knees were drawn up to her stomach, and her body curled into the ball. "I'm over here, Caleb."
"Hey." When he spotted her sitting on an old couch, he quickly went to her and sat down. "You all right?" His arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"No." Her answer was firm, and her angry eyes glared forward. "I'm tired of people trying to change me and force me into being someone I'm not." She quickly looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with fresh tears. "Why can't I just be Ashleigh Brown?"
"How about Ashleigh Mason?" Caleb pulled her tighter and let out a light laugh.
"Well…" His answer caught her slightly off guard. A small smile filled her lips at the thought. "That's all right."
"Stay here. I'll be right back." He quickly stood up and disappeared downstairs. When he returned, he had his black guitar in tow. She bit her lip as she shyly admired the man she loved. His smile was slightly sideways, but warm and friendly. There was a gentle sparkle in his eyes that comforted her.
"How ’bout some music?" Caleb sat next to her again. He moved his position so she could lie in his arms, and his hands were free to hold his guitar. "I know you love private shows." His eyebrows rose playfully as he strummed a few chords.
"I do." She giggled. Her hand reached up to her cheeks and wiped away a few tears.
He began to sing to her softly, his voice filling her ears and not one single, sour note leaving his lips. The music carried down the stairs because the door to the attic was open. Robert stood near it so no one would go past him. Catherine stood next to him.
It wasn't a song that Caleb would normally sing, it was softer and more personal. Through every soft, sweet word that left his lips, his love for Ashleigh poured out. They were both scared, and like defiant children, they hid in the attic and refused to go home.
"Caleb?" Ashleigh whispered. Her eyes met with his as he continued to hum. "I want to kill the Count."
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. He shook his head as he gazed down at the strings of his guitar. "Me, too."
"I'm serious." She frowned when she saw his smile. Changing her position, she sat up straighter. She whispered in his ear, a deep intent in her voice, "I'm going to kill him."
"How?"
Her lips brushed lightly against the surface of Caleb's skin. "I know his weakness, Caleb." She smiled when he set down his guitar. Rising up, she straddled his hips. "I'll make him trust me." Her voice grew deeper as a slight scowl set into her lips, "And then, I'll kill him."
Caleb's voice was soft, a deep hurt reflected in it that could also be seen in his lowered brow. "Babe…" His hands reached up to cradle her face. For a few seconds, his eyes darted over its surface as he paused. "You—"
"I'll do it." She put her hands over his. She wore a fragile smile as she moved closer to him. Her lips hovered over his as her breath deepened. "I have to."
"I have a better idea." Caleb's fingers ran through her straight, black hair. "Wanna hear it?"
She pushed a strand behind her ear. "Mmm hmm." Her arms encircled his neck, and she gazed into his face as she awaited his answer.
He stared at her lips. His voice trembled as he forced out the words, "I want you to leave. Take Nathan and get as far away from here as you can. I don't want to know where. Just get—"
Her face squished together in the middle as a flood of tears escaped her eyes. Her cheeks reddened as she began to sob. "No, Caleb…"
"It'll be okay." He squished her cheeks, his fingers tense. He stared into her fearful eyes with a firm gaze. "As soon as our son's born, we can—"
"No!" Ashleigh quickly jumped off his lap. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she balled her fists at her sides angrily. "No!" She grabbed his guitar and slammed it against the nearby wooden support near her several times. "I don't want to!" She was hysterical. "I'm tired of all this!"
"Ashleigh!" He cringed with each smash of his guitar against the pole. His hands were outstretched to her. "Stop!"
Her body bent over slightly as she screamed, "No!" Her words were so loud they echoed down the stairs. "I can't take any of this anymore!" She pulled at her hair, her mascara smeared as her face twisted in severe agony. Her voice was wet and coated by her tears, "I hate you, Caleb! I hate everybody! Why can't you all just leave me alone! Stop telling me what to do!"
"Hey…" Caleb tried to calm her down. His voice was soft as he held his hand out to her. "Stop this, Ash. Please…"
Her eyes squinted as she angrily grabbed her laptop bag. She closed her eyes as she took the bag by the strap and slammed it against the wooden support. She cried harder when she heard it break. With her laptop, her heart broke as well. "Damn all of you!" She kept hitting it repeatedly, and with each hit, she used more and more force. "Fuck my books! I hate ’em! I hate ’em all! I hate Drake! I hate you!"
Caleb went to grab for her, but she darted down the stairs. She whizzed past Robert and down the hallway. Caleb ran after her, slamming into his mother and shoving her against the wall as he chased after Ashleigh.
Ashleigh grabbed the keys Robert had laid on the table near the front door. Her feet were moving quicker than they ever had before. She wanted out, but in her current state, she wasn't rational. All she could feel was the intense pain of her whole world crashing down on her. She couldn’t breathe. Each breath was choked as she ran to the shiny black corvette in the driveway. She hopped inside and slammed on the gas, leaving Caleb standing in the dust.
"Damn it!" Caleb ran into the garage. He quickly jumped into his jeep and took off after her. Unfortunately, she had put a good distance between them. By the time Caleb got out of the driveway, he had no idea where she had gone. But that didn't stop him from searching.
Chapter Eleven
Her retreat lead her to a place she never expected—the edge. She was barely able to stand sideways on the ledge of the building. Her eyes glanced down at the dark alley below. Her world was blurry, her eyes so clouded with tears that she couldn't see.
The ledge was high, and the promise of an end loomed ri
ght below her. She could fall into this black abyss made by her tears, and it would all go away. Her hands gripped the railing behind her tighter. A loud sniffle escaped her nostrils as she struggled to choke down each breath of air.
Her words were thick with tears, choppy and wet, "Dear, sweet death—grant me your promise of sleep. Forever black, forever numbing. Take me in your arms, and clear my head. Blacken these eyes that no longer want to see." She closed her eyes. "Please, accept me. Take me away from this place. Take me away!"
"A feather as light as you would not make it to the bottom of an abyss."
She quickly turned to the voice. Her breath quickened as her eyes settled on the Count's cocky smile. His presence was fitting in this place, his body cloaked in a black suit, and his light hair shining under the lights. The devil had come for her, just as she had asked. Just like in her nightmares.
"I want to die." She sniffled. "So, leave me be."
His arms were crossed over his chest. "You want to forget." He wasn't making an attempt to pull her away from the edge and seemed to be studying her instead.
"How do you know what I want?"
"How do you know that I do not?" He appeared next to her. His lips rested near her ear as his next words hissed from his lips, "We have been here before, you and I. The ledge, you believe, will let you fly—the wings you think you have inside you coming out and giving you salvation."
She trembled at his closeness. She could sense his shape, but not feel him.
"Your heart is black, just as mine is. You cannot escape who you are. Fate is like the dark chariot of death—it will come for you, no matter how far you attempt to outrun it." His words softened, each one feeling like needle pricks against her delicate skin. His lips brushed against her ear as his hands took a firm hold of her shoulders. His fingers dug into her skin and made her sob louder.
"Drake, you said, my soul is like a flower that has wilted under your moonlight. I can die and never be free of the curse your love has placed on my soul. Forever is black with you, like the darkest night without a light. You have drained me of all that is good."
Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) Page 13
