Part 38 (2/2)

”Now speak and I will end your misery!”

”YES...yes, yes any......thing....anything.” It came out in a mangled mess of words due to the lack of lips that were now mostly on the floor. He didn't even have teeth, as now he was just a melting face full of deep empty b.l.o.o.d.y holes.

”I want a name!” He barked out and this time he received his answer almost immediately.

”Gal...izur, Galizur was the one who hired me to get to the girl.” Draven grabbed his head back so that he could stare into the deep pits of his eyes and said in a breathless fury, ”And who is Galizur contracted by?”

”Lucius.... my Lord!” He sputtered out and Draven dropped him at the sound of the name.

”HA! Now I am your Lord. When your life hangs in my control of the balance, you fool! You know that if you had come to me with this information you would have been rewarded but instead you turn your back on me and your faith! And for what! What price has Lucius put on her head?” When he didn't answer straight away he received a prompting kick that sent him rolling up through the air and landing close to the car I was sat in.

”P...P...ower...Power of the spear. He has the spear of Longinus.” Draven whipped his head round in disbelief.

”The Holy Spear!” He started to shake his head before continuing, ”The one you speak of is not in his possession. You have been deceived old, foolish Demon. Indeed but you are!” He said this last part shaking his head as if sorry for a moment. Agnomen at hearing this started to shake his head saying, ”No, No, it can't be.” Over and over but Draven wasn't listening. He had ignited his body into purple fire and held his hands out to his sides. His wings shook and the energy started to ripple through his powerful chest and beat down his immense arms. It flowed down and out of his body through his wrists and hands. It kept seeping out from him until it formed two, solid blades that touched the ground. They too were on fire as the flames curled round and licked at the air that fueled them.

He walked to a dry patch but the mangled van was in his way, so with what looked like very little effort he kicked the van and it slid to the other side of the road creating track lines on the ground before coming to a stop by toppling over onto its side. The sound of the back door gla.s.s smas.h.i.+ng made me jump as little shards of it rained down on Draven's car roof.

He then started to scratch the ground with the tips of his blades causing little sparks to dance along the ground. It looked as if he was writing something or drawing some kind of pattern that was being scorched right into the cement.

Once finished, he motioned for Leivic to bring his prisoner to him and he did it without question. It was only when he bent down that his eyes burned into mine. He knew then that I had witnessed the whole thing. He closed them briefly as though sad at the idea. Then he opened them and shook his head at me before lifting Agnomen off the ground with one clawed paw. He carried him over to Draven and let him go on top of the marked ground.

Unbelievably he was still muttering about Lucius still having the spear and Draven started to laugh as though he had finally lost it.

”As I said before, you are foolish to think I would ever allow something like that to fall in the hands of power driven madness.” He leaned over him and flipped him face up so as he could get close to his face. He grabbed a handful of his jacket he was wearing and lifted him the last couple of inches.

”How do I know...?” Draven asked wearing a s.a.d.i.s.tic grin that didn't fit those perfect lips.

”Of course, I have the Holy Spear!”

With that the Demon cried out and Draven let go. He flopped back down and continued to cry out cursing Lucius' name back to h.e.l.l.

”Don't worry fool, you will be seeing him soon enough!” And with that Draven flew up in the air above him and turned full circle, letting the tips of his lengthy swords make the same circle on the ground around the symbol and its captured Demon. Once each side met, the whole thing erupted into the deep, red flames of h.e.l.l itself and Draven came down from above with both his blades aimed at Agnomen's chest. The impact made not only him cry out but me also. It was horrific to watch but I couldn't stop. It was like the last hold over me was to see it through to the end with my once brief captor.

The two bodies were both now engulfed in the fire and only when the screaming stopped did the heavens open again and flood the earth with its waters. The flames died and Draven was left standing there alone back to his human form. His wet hair hung down over his face as he continued to look at the spot Agnomen's body had disappeared to. I could just make out his lips moving through the rain smeared gla.s.s and then I could see him cross himself.

He had been praying....

Praying for the dammed soul he just sent back, Back to be condemned.

Chapter 41.

My Pretty Little Bounty Head When Draven had finished, he looked up to find my face. I wanted to run out of this locked car and into his arms to comfort him. He looked so sad, so drained of energy that I touched the window. He turned to Leivic and was giving him instructions of some kind. I couldn't hear as the rain had picked up even more and the sound it made hitting the roof was deafening all other noises out.

The gap in the window was now allowing the water to spray inwards and soon my arm was wet through. Draven was pointing towards the mangled van and then back to the only body still lying on the ground. Then, when Leivic bowed his head in respect, Draven put his hand on one shoulder and shook his head. Leivic looked upset despite what looked like Draven's rea.s.surance.

I felt so bad that I was the cause of so much destruction that I couldn't hold back the deep sob that broke free. I cried out with so much emotion that I was shaking. I covered my head in my hands but it wouldn't stop my need to shake it back and forth, repeating silently ”Why me?”.

I should have been issued with a warning when I was born! Come too close and you will walk in my footsteps of the demolished road that I leave behind me. I know my mind was being dramatic but I felt cursed. I felt consumed by a guilt I couldn't get away from. Almost as if I could feel a sticky layer of it clinging to my skin for me to carry around for the rest of my days. But my biggest fear...would Draven get sick of it all? Would he realise for himself first hand, just how it is, that some love is not worth losing your sanity over! I would have done anything for Draven's love but just how far would he go to keep mine?

I was still crying out into my palms, when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. It was Draven's hand. I knew that, as soon as he made contact with me. Like our blood was somehow connected causing a reaction in me whenever he was near. He tried to pull me round to him but I was resisting.

”Keira, please don't be frightened of me, I won't hurt you my love.” He spoke so softly as though anything above a whisper would have me cringing away like a frightened fawn. I pulled back with such force that it shocked him.

”I'm not frightened of you hurting me! I'm frightened of the hurt I cause you! Don't you see? Don't you see that it's me that causes this! All of this destruction is because of ME! I...can't...I can't....do this.” That was all I could manage until I lost all control. I was sobbing until I couldn't breathe. Somehow I was in Draven's arms and he was holding me so tight as though he would never let me go. He was smoothing back my hair and whispering words in another language that were having a strange effect over me. It was these words that were seeping through my mind and making it cloudy. I tried to hold onto what little control I had left but it was exhausting.

”Let go, just let go.” Draven whispered directly into my ear and it was hard not to obey. I wanted to get up and run away just for the s.p.a.ce to think but when I started to struggle Draven increased the pressure around me.

”Stop fighting me Keira, just let it all go.” I lay my head into his shoulder and could feel the wet leather jacket slide on my cheek. I wanted to be free of all the guilty feelings I had weighing me down but what right did I have when others suffered. One of his hands was moving up and down my back making it harder not to close my eyes and let myself drift to another state of mind. He knew I was losing the battle and started speaking to me softly in that other language that he'd been using.

”That's it, good girl. You're safe now, you're safe....” And this was the last thing I heard before the warmth of his words consumed me. I felt my body go limp and the feeling of being lifted before blackness filled my vision and sleep overwhelmed my senses.

I woke to the sound of voices that were irate. It was like when my parents used to argue but do it quietly so as that 'the kids' wouldn't hear...of course we always did. They tried to keep it low but every now and again a word said sharply could be made out. My mind was still groggy but those overwhelmed senses were slowly returning back to me. I didn't open my eyes but I turned my head slowly to free my ear to hear better.

”You are wrong Sophia, what the girl needs is my protection and mine only!” That was most definitely Draven's voice and the added authoritative tone made it clear that he so wasn't happy.

”Yes, but keeping her locked away isn't the answer... She isn't some princess you can hide away in a tower, she needs to live her life Dom!” Sophia spoke carefully but not carefully enough. Draven's growl could be heard even if it came out deep and low.

”Dominic, Sophia is right, don't let your love for the girl blind you into rash decisions. You can't just take her away against her will and we all know Keira enough by now to know that it will be against her will! She is almost as stubborn as you brother...but you know this.” Vincent was trying to make Draven see sense and for a moment I took his silence as confirmation that it had sunk in. But I was wrong.

”She will do what is good for her. She may fight me on it but she will come around. I will take her somewhere safe so that no bounty hunter will find her. I will NOT allow what happened today to happen again! She was so close to breaking, so fragile that I fear the damage done is beyond repair. I am going to lose her if she keeps seeing this side of me...the fear in her eyes, brother...” At this I did open my eyes only to see Draven sat down with his head in his hands. I wanted to shout out to him but I knew there was more for me to hear.

”Dom, the girl loves you and that fear, you mistake for fear of loss. She will not leave you, if anything I think she fears you leaving her.” Vincent must have gained a great deal of information from my mind, more than Draven had, rather that or he was a h.e.l.l of a guesser!

” I never would, not unless it was to save her life! I tried to leave her alone in the beginning and look where that got me! I became a sh.e.l.l of myself and only when I have her do I become whole! I can't let her go, I won't!” He was working himself up and it was almost unbearable to hear.

I couldn't stand to have Draven feeling so desperate, so lost in feelings that he wasn't alone in. I, too, felt like I would lose him if my situation didn't get better. I almost wished that he could have taken me away...away from anyone that wanted to hurt me, anyone that wanted to separate us. But I couldn't do it...his siblings were right, I still had a life of my own to live. I couldn't just walk away from it all...not again. I had Libby and Frank, I had a little niece or nephew on the way that I didn't want to miss out on. NO, I would have to stay and fight! I would have to rise up above it all and take each knock as it came...I would get back up and stand up for what I believed in. And hopefully I would have Draven by my side to catch me.

”What am I to do if I can't even protect her here in my home? They were so close to taking her...too close. If Leivic hadn't seen her leaving, then she might have been lost. It would have been too late!”

”What was she thinking, going outside by herself? Was she being controlled?” Sophia asked, but Vincent was the one to answer her.

”Why don't you ask her yourself...I believe she has been awake now for some time?” His voice held amus.e.m.e.nt and when I knew I had been busted I opened my eyes fully to see everyone staring at me. I was on Draven's bed wrapped up in a warm blanket with my wet clothes now missing. They had been replaced by soft cotton pyjamas in navy blue. I had never seen them before. My hair had been plaited to one side, I guess thanks to Sophia's nimble hands, and her smile told me I had guessed right.

Draven stood up and pushed the hair back that had fallen forward from looking down at his hands. Vincent was standing amused, with arms folded and Sophia stood in between them making her tiny frame look even smaller next to her brother's larger ones. The staring silence was starting to make me feel uncomfortable, so I s.h.i.+fted in the bed into a sitting up position. This was Draven's cue to step towards me.

”I think Keira and I need some time alone.” I don't know why, but the way he said this made me gulp. The other two left without saying a word. Draven came to the bedside very slowly, almost like he was expecting me to scream at any sudden movements.

”It's alright, I'm not going to freak out.” I tried to give him a genuine smile but I'm not sure it fully made it.

”I would not blame you if you did.” He sounded like his voice would crack, being pushed to breaking point. He knelt down on one of the steps next to the bed and leaned forward so that our faces were level. It reminded me of how you would usually approach a child.

”Well, I'm not going to, I think I did enough of that earlier.” Draven didn't look convinced with my brave little act and was still waiting for me to crumble next to him.

”Keira.” He said my name edged with doubt and riddled with worry.

<script>