by E. L. Davis
He had his arms around her like hers were around the book. Nothing compared to the feeling of when he was holding her. Nothing could compare to the utter depression and heartache he had felt when the curtains were closed over the window, blocking his view of her. He had thought he had lost her, and he was ready to plunge one of his vials down his own throat and end himself. When he had held her in his arms after Cheri had saved her, he wanted to cry and scream with joy. He would never let her out of his sight again; nothing like that would ever happen again.
Roman and Cheri were sitting on the couch together, his arm around her, and he would lightly kiss her forehead. Their battle on the front lawn had clearly woken something up between them. Roman had constantly been worried about her and she had the same feeling. It was clear that there were still some unspoken words that needed to be said between them, but now was not the time. Ellie usually would have felt like a fifth wheel, but she didn’t care. She was focused on the joy that they were all alive.
After two hours of sitting in silence, Demetri’s stomach broke the quiet with a loud grumble. Ellie giggled and looked over at Demetri. An embarrassed smile took over his face and he started to laugh, too. Soon they were all laughing at Demetri’s loud stomach. It had been something so simple that broke the sense of disappointment and depression.
“I think that’s my cue to start making some breakfast.” Throwing Alexia over his shoulder, Demetri headed to the kitchen and plopped her down on the stainless-steel counter. He looked deep into her eyes for a long time, taking in every little detail and every single shade of blue. She did the same, remembering how easily she used to get lost in his eyes before she knew that she was Immortal. It wasn’t exactly something she missed, since at the time it had made her feel stupid and embarrassed, but now it reminded her of how simple things were then.
“You scared me this morning.” Demetri’s eyes were filling with tears.
“I scared me too. I think I know why the overuse of my powers can lead to my downfall. I was feeling so confident as person after person did what I wanted; at my command, they knelt and opened their mouths and I killed them. It was easy and then as soon as I didn’t have you guys around and I was alone with Amar and Ahaz, I forgot to use my defenses. I didn’t even think to make him let me go. I could have done it, I just didn’t think to do it.”
“Well, you don’t need to worry about not being around us. I am never leaving your side again. For the safety of all of us, we need to be around you, so we can’t be summoned by Amarantos.” Alexia didn’t even have to tell them what had happened in the house while they were locked outside; Roman had been listening intensely the whole time.
“I wouldn’t leave you alone anyways.” The other three joined them in the kitchen now, Ellie leading the pack. “We were all so freaked when you were in there by yourself. I never want to go through that again.” Ellie tossed a knife on the table beside Alexia. It was the knife that Amar had used to threaten Ellie’s life. He had said it was soaked in the death potion.
“Wait a second.” Alexia picked the knife up carefully. It was small with unusual designs etched on the handle. “He said this was soaked in the potion that can kill us, but do you think it’s permanently soaked? Or do you think it would only be good for one use?”
They all turned to Roman, as he was the smart one on these kinds of things. He carefully took the knife from her and inspected it. “I can’t tell what kind of metal it is, but there are some metals that soak up what it’s dipped in and seals it in. We would have to take it to a professional, and have it checked out. It would be amazing if it really was permanently embedded into the blade.”
“So, what you’re saying,” Alexia said excitedly, “is if we can find that kind of metal we can make our own weapons that have Wither, Tera blood, and Immortal blood embedded into it. We wouldn’t have to mess around with all the vials anymore.”
“It’s not that easy,” Demetri began. “First of all, we don’t have enough potion left to make one weapon, let alone four. We don’t even know if that dagger is what we think it is.”
“Well, I guess we have to find out then,” Cheri said, a smile creeping across her face. “Do you know somebody who could tell us about this knife?”
“Yeah, of course, I do.”
“I am sensing some excitement here,” Ellie said to Cheri. “I am also sensing…” she closed her eyes dramatically, and then said, “Road trip.”
“More like portal trip,” Roman and Demetri said together.
∞
Alexia was standing on a balcony that extended from a grand bedroom that nobody used. She was watching the clouds coast slowly by, lazily moving across the sky. All the snow was gone now, as it didn’t last long in their town. There was a light breeze that lifted her blonde hair around her head. It was the first time since the battle with Amarantos and his followers that Demetri had left her side. Being with Demetri was the best feeling in the world, but always being watched by Demetri was not nearly as glamorous.
Alone with her thoughts many things hit her at once. She was a Warrior. The lives of all supernatural beings were in her hands, it was her responsibility to save them from Amar. Until just a few weeks ago she hadn’t known that vampires, werewolves or Immortals even existed and now she was expected to save them all?
“Alexia? Alexia, where did you go?!”
She sighed and turned back inside the house. She found him standing in the hallway, pale as a ghost.
“You said you would stay right here,” Demetri said accusingly. “I was so worried. I didn’t know what happened to you and…”
She cut him off. “Demetri!” He looked hurt by her tone, so she walked to him and let him take her in his arms. He kissed her cheek and ran his finger through her hair. “You can’t get like this,” she continued. “You can’t be afraid to leave me long enough to use the bathroom or to shower. I understand that you want to protect me, but I am capable of protecting myself, too.” She kissed his lips, apologizing for using the hurtful tone toward him.
It was the first time they had kissed since the attack and Alexia could feel Demetri’s intense desire for her and for her safety pulsing through his body. He trembled as she ran her fingers up his shirt and over his body. She knew by now that this drove him wild. Picking her up in his arms like a baby, he slowly carried her into their room and laid her on the bed.
“That’s not right,” Alexia said playfully between soft kisses.
“What do you mean?” Demetri sat up, looking nervous.
“I like when you’re fast, and when you kiss me hard. Stop acting like I am so delicate, because I’m not. Now kiss me like I know you want to.” She didn’t use her defense on him to make him kiss her harder. He did it because he wanted to, and Alexia liked that a lot better than making him do it.
“I love you so much,” he said, kissing her neck and holding her close to his body. She hadn’t even realized that he had taken off his shirt. “I love you so much it hurts.”
“I love you more.” She pulled his face down to hers, so she could kiss him and prove to him how much she loved him. They were competing now, trying to prove who loved one another more. The harder she kissed him, the harder he held on to her.
“When all of this is over,” she said breathing heavily, “we will have all the time in the world to do this.”
“It will be over soon, I promise.” Demetri kissed her like it would be his last chance.
“I’ll love you to the end of the world,” Alexia panted. “You know that, right?”
“Of course."
She let him kiss her hard. There was so much love flowing between them, and it reminded Alexia who this person was she was kissing. How could she possibly be upset with him for being protective over her? He had turned against his own brother and chased her around for three hundred and fifty years, always being heartbroken by her death or by her choice to be with Roman.
She knew nothing about her past lives, and maybe after this was a
ll over she would explore them, but for now, all her focus was on her destiny, killing Amarantos, and keeping peace between the many creatures that she had yet to meet.
Authors Note
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