My mind becomes blank as Silas paces back and forth talking about stripping her of magic. He talks about how he lost his own magic, and how he blames her mother for doing nothing for him. He becomes more and more animated. Has he just now lost his connection to reality, or did it happen a long time ago and I never knew him as anything other than delusional?
There’s a buzzing in my ears as he reveals all of his plans and successes. All of the ways I had defended him all this time against her speaking out against him. She tried to tell me, and yet I found it so inconceivable. Here he’s giving all of his truths, and for the second time tonight I’m worried about what it means. Why would he tell us all of this if something dreadful isn’t quickly approaching?
Silas bends down to whisper in her ear, and I strain to try and hear the one thing he wants to hide from me. I don’t catch the words and fear floods me. My worries are proven correct when Silas moves to grab his knife. A cold sweat cools my skin when he turns toward Cecily again. She begins to fight once more, and my only hope is for her to be successful.
The chair tips back and Silas can’t help but mock her some more. “Tut tut, princess, that won’t save you. There’s no escaping me. Hmmm... you know what, on second thought... Marcellus, come over here and take this knife.” What? No! No, no, no.
Fight it! Fight the command. You can’t do this. She’s your love, your mate. The one you should be protecting with your life. Turn the knife on yourself. You can do it!
Cecily turns her head and spills the contents of her stomach onto the floor beside her. All color has left her face and she appears whiter than the full moon. She’s still heaving as my hand accepts the knife from Silas, and I kneel on the ground beside her. My mind is shouting at my arms to listen to me.
I lean over her, and see the accusation of betrayal flame to life in her eyes. My hand won’t turn the knife on myself, nor will it allow me to throw it away from us, but I’m able to run a hand along her cheek. Please don’t believe I actually want to do this, Darling.Bending down, I place a kiss on her forehead wishing she’ll believe the truth in these two actions, instead of all my others. I should’ve told her I love her. Now I’ve lost my chance.
My actions feel so disjointed from my body. The blade presses a kiss on her neck and she flinches. A jerk of my hand gives me a brief moment of hope, maybe I can stop this! Out of the corner of my eye I see Silas with the bowl again. He swallows down the remaining blood and my hand steadies. All hope drains from my body. I want to take her place. If I could be anywhere but here, I would be.
Tears stream down her face. Why is he making me do this? The only choice left is to make sure the cut is clean and as painless as possible. The knife slides through her skin with no hesitation, and it makes me sick with how easy it is. I watch as the skin splits open and red drops of blood quickly multiplies. My own sob makes an appearance, Silas having overlooked blocking my ability to show any emotion.
I’m frozen in place, watching her trying to be strong as the blood pumps from her neck. “Don’t waste it, boy! Use this bowl to collect her blood. Don’t want to waste any of that magic.” His words are punctuated with a smack to the back of my head. The bowl is in my hand, and then pressed to the side of her neck.
She’s fading right in front of me, and thankfully I feel my strength fading with her. Maybe our lives are tied together, and I won’t have to live a moment without her.
Chapter 29
Cecily
Present
My heart is racing and tears stream down my face. A dream... it was just a dream, Cecily. You used to have those all the time. Sure, you haven’t had one since entering soul form, but you were bound to have one eventually. Just because it was about the last night you spent in this castle doesn’t mean anything. Right?
Why out of all the rooms did they pick this one for us to sleep in? Derrick and Klaus are still asleep on either side of me, while Marcus and Alex sleep out in the other room. None of them were willing to leave me last night. The sleeping arrangements had created an argument for the first time ever. I’m assuming it’s because we’re all stressed out. They see Silas with fresh eyes and discovered a whole new side to him, now they know it’s possible for one of our kind to possess opposing beliefs. Which in this day and age really surprises me.
I mean, to be oblivious five hundred years ago... yeah, okay. Butnow? Not so much. Fuck. I bet he’s using magic somehow to keep people from suspecting him, because clearly he’s even more unhinged than ever before.
Why can’t I stop thinking about Silas and how fucked up he is?I’m angry with myself for not being able to get him out of my head. What’s wrong with me?
I’m shaking, and just like the last time I felt this way, it takes me way too long to realize it’s happening. I want Marcus. Like...
Right. Fucking. Now.
I can’t breathe, and I need his arms to feel protected. Some rocking would be an added bonus. I untangle my feet from the sheets trapping me in this bed, and hold a hand over my mouth to muffle the sobs I can’t stop. My eyes are too blurry to make out the features of the room, but I’ve re-lived this room so many times, I don’t need to see to be able to navigate myself into the other room.
The moment I cross the threshold into the other room, Marcus is scooping me up into his arms. “Shhh, baby. It’s okay, I’ve got you. Shhh.” Just as I was hoping, he begins to rock me. My arms go around his neck and I hold myself as tight as I can to him. I let it all out. My shaking sobs rock us both more than his soothing motions.
His hand holds the back of my head, and he keeps murmuring what I assume are soothing words. I can’t hear them over my hiccupping and gasping breaths between sobs. When I calm down, and my cries turn into sniffles, he finally pulls back from me to wipe my tears. “Bad dream?” I nod my head, not trusting my voice to work properly. “Was it about what happened last time you were here?”
His question makes me pause. Yeah, he could just be really good at reading the situation and guessing, but his face is ghostly white, and he was at the door to swoop me into his hold awfully fast. Is it possible he had the same dream as me? “Fuck, baby, I was really hoping we didn’t have the same dream. It was bad enough for me to see it and I wasn’t there, but for you to be forced into reliving it…”
He pulls me in for a hard kiss to the forehead. I’m sure he didn’t even realize how hard of a kiss it is. I like the possessiveness of it though. He pulls me back into his chest and continues to comfort me, and himself I suppose.
Marcus had carried me over to the couch I assume he had been sleeping on, and now he lays back, pulling me on top of him so I can use his chest as a pillow. His hand keeps up a soothing motion on my back, while the other brushes my hair out of my face. “I know it’ll be hard, but you should go back to sleep. I’ll be here to protect you no matter what.”
His words are a comfort, they are... but I’m wide awake, unable to stop replaying the dream in my mind. The motions of trying to comfort me into sleep, actually work on him instead. The soft inhale and exhale of his breathing can be heard along with the steady thud of his heartbeat. It plays a constant rhythm underneath my ear. The sounds keep me grounded when my eyes don’t see the room around me, instead they see the dungeon surrounding me.
I should go down to the dungeon... there’s no way it looks the same. It’s the perfect solution to putting my mind at ease. Maybe I’ll be able to sort through some of my storming thoughts. Yes, I need to face my fears and move on from Marcellus’ betrayal.
Closure. I need closure.
Placing my hand on the edge of the couch, I try to gently lift myself off of Marcus, doing my best to make sure I don’t wake him up. My movements are slow so he doesn’t realize a sudden weight missing from on top of him. It takes forever, but finally I’ve successfully stood up. Now I just need to get out of these pajamas and into some clothes appropriate for others to see me in, just in case I run into anyone.
