Chapter Seven
https://youtu.be/yzTuBuRdAyA
My feet carried me purely based on directional instinct, taking me up the stairs and back towards Theo's room. If only I hadn't left the sanctuary in the first place I wouldn't have the images burning through my mind's eye on repeat. I had been insane to think it was okay to follow Theo without a direct order from him. No doubt it had been a test of his, to see if I was an idiot enough to put my nose where it didn't belong.
I found his room just as I had left it. I shut the door behind me, leaning against it dramatically. My breath had all but left me. My limbs were shaking excessively from adrenaline. I bolted from the door to Theo's bed, collapsing onto it completely. I closed my eyes, but the only things behind them were the images of the man being devoured by the family of vampires.
Something within me had been triggered by the sight. I felt a sick heat in my veins, like a fever of some sort. I pressed my face into the fabric of the bedsheets, clawing at the surface desperately. I felt as though I was fighting a battle within me; fighting for control of my own body. A part of me wanted to fling myself back to those vampires and offer myself to them. It was something else entirely that prevented me from doing so. If I had to describe it, it would be an animal inside of me versus me.
The door to the room opened slowly, but I quickly sat up and pushed myself to the other side of the bed in response. Theo stood in the frame once again, casting his dangerous eyes over me quietly. He was covered in blood, so much so that I knew it had to be a show of some kind. He never had appeared to me in such a state and facts whispered in my mind that vampires didn't go long without feeding. This wasn't his first; this was only the first time he had allowed me to witness a version of it.
He took a small step towards me. It was enough for me to freeze, the muscles within my body tightening as though the one step had electrified me. He didn't hold the allure the other vampires had, but that animalistic part of me still called for me to offer myself. It was desperate, but I didn't know why. What was the purpose in stepping so close to death? Shouldn't I aim to survive? I feared if I moved, I would present myself equivalent to a chicken seasoning itself before stepping into the oven obediently.
Theo made a satisfied noise in his throat.
"I thought that would bring you to your senses," He stated darkly, "Now you know what you're trying to cuddle with, Katia." His words were hard to hear much less understand. But I knew now he definitely meant for me to see the horror him and his family were capable of on whim. What he didn't know was the topic of the battle raging within me. He mistook my stunned state as a fear of what he was and because of this he was satisfied. I released the breath I had been holding, gearing myself for a response.
"I'm not afraid of you," I managed breathlessly, sounding more frightened than I meant to be. Theo's eyes narrowed, surrounded by the smeared blood of his victim. He smiled sarcastically, flashing his stained fangs ominously in further attempt to prove his murderous capabilities. The idea of having those fangs ripping into my flesh sent a dark chill through me.
"You stink of fear," He answered, watching my frozen form with contempt. He rolled his eyes away from me, officially bored of my presence, and left for the bathroom to no doubt rid himself of the blood that coated him. I was able to struggle with myself for several minutes after Theo left me alone.
I clung to the bedsheet as though it were a lifeline, his words echoing in my mind alongside the images of the feeding I had witnessed. You stink of fear. It was a challenge if ever I had heard one. Theo had a way of digging through my being for responses. He expected my fear; it was the most basic reaction of a human to have when witnessing a vicious murder. It was both my desire to contradict him and the pull of the animalistic part of me that caused me to step off of the bed.
I felt hypnotized as I moved towards the bathroom determinedly. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, but still it was as if it belonged to another person. The fever in my veins spiked painfully, as if excited by the notion of my actions. I feared the excitement and so I thought about how cruel it had been of Theo to trick me into witnessing such a situation. I maneuvered the excitement into a heated rage. I flung open the bathroom door forcefully, stomping towards the shower where I could see Theo's silhouette through the glass with one hand placed against the wall while the other ran through his hair.
It had to be insanity that drove me. I pulled open the shower door and stepped into the space between him and the wall, forcing him to acknowledge me. His eyes widened in surprise before narrowing suspiciously. I abruptly struck him across the face, my anger palpable.
"What do you think you're doing?" He growled darkly, virtually unimpressed with my attack. I couldn't feel the hot water cascading over the both of us. I didn't even care that he was completely nude in front of me, the water crimson below us from his recent victim. All I could feel was the unusual fever that was burning out within me.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said sharply, my words stronger than before. Theo shoved his other hand against the wall firmly, caging me within the shower dangerously. I breathed heavily, my body beginning to shiver unexplainably.
"How foolish of you," Theo finally mused after a long pause. He then leaned forward to clasp my lips with his. My senses were lost almost immediately. Something within me was raging, accepting the advance desperately. I leaned back my head, parting my lips invitingly against his to allow him to deepen his kiss which he did without hesitation.
I grasped for his body, tracing my hands over his chest and then his arms. I gripped his hands in mine, leading him to my own body. He ran the palm of his hands under my wet shirt, his touch caressing the flesh of my back and then my breasts, which he squeeze lightly. I pulled away from his kiss, gasping in surprise at the sensation of pleasure separate from what it was my body was looking for. Theo lowered his lips over my neck just below my earlobe, kissing my skin down to my shoulder slowly. A part of me recognized that if he wished, he could rip me to pieces as he had done countless others, but still I bared myself to him with abandon.
Theo abruptly pulled away from me, clasping my upper arms to prevent me from clinging to him. With his lips no longer on my flesh, it was as though a spell had been broken. The fever that had roared within me was dimming considerably. The part of me that craved the touch of the vampires recognized that I had given myself to the only one who didn't hold the bloodline my instinct desired. His touch, while heated on its own with desire and lust, was void of the ability to spark the supernatural luminescence within me. It was enough to drive away that craving that sickened my veins only moments before, but still I held a separate craving for Theo altogether.
"We're not good people," He stated, for once sounding uncertain. I watched him in a daze, wishing he'd allow me to seek his affection once more. "Not a single one of us. You must know how vampires are created..." I listened to his words, allowing myself to think about the subject he had brought up. The creation of vampires...
"You used to be a witch," I responded, my voice significantly weaker, but Theo still nodded darkly. I tried to think of more facts that my mind provided about vampires, but all I could think of was the feel of his lips on mine. When I didn't answer fast enough, Theo tightened his grip on my arm as if to wake me up.
"It's a curse," He told me sharply, "A witch only becomes a vampire once they've killed an innocent human. We were created to protect innocent life. To end it is the greatest sin. It transforms the sinner. It steals away their power and curses them with this; this bloodlust. This life void of anything more than blood, death, and petty attempts to gain our humanity back. We don't deserve what you offer, Katia."
I understood what it was Theo was trying to do. He had already revealed to me the vicious, murderous nature that cloaked his being and would do so for the rest of his existence. He meant to drive me away from him, from the rest of them, though I wasn't sure why.
"What do I offer?" I asked uncertainly.
"Your devotion. Your unconditional love. It's cruel; senseless. Here you will be nothing but a toy, something to toss between us as we see fit. A power to control, something addicting to feed off of... to seduce... You'll eventually become empty and broken. And then we'll smother the life from you. Or perhaps we'll rip you to nothing. It's only a game to us; a competition to see who can gain the most from you."
Theo suddenly had my face cupped in his cool hands. I reached for his grip softly, wanting to disagree with his entire speech. I wanted to give them everything, even if it meant my death. It was as if my entire existence was meant for them, therefore I couldn't understand how they didn't deserve me. If anything, I hadn't done anything to warrant the pleasurable warmth their touch gave me. But another newer part of me could recognize that this was my addiction speaking, giving into anything just to be in their grasp again. It was the animal part of me that wanted to be devoured; it was a dangerous part I needed to learn to fight against if I wanted to survive.
Whatever response I had planned was slipped from my mind when the last flicker of the fever within my veins finally faded, that dangerous part of my existence having given up hope at last and allowing me to be within my own mind. I blinked slowly, no longer shivering or cold. For once, I just felt nothing.
"Katia? You're freezing," Theo suddenly stated, the fact surprising coming from him who didn't typically notice the cold. Except for once I wasn't cold. I meant to relay the fact to him, but my voice had faded along with the fever. I felt as though I had reached a maximum limit on my exhaustion quite suddenly. I looked into Theo's eyes, my hands slipping from his, and fell into a familiar darkness. It was a darkness I had spent my days wishing to go back to. It was one I now wished to escape.
~...~
I couldn't wake up, not completely. Occasionally, I wouldn't be in the darkness. Instead, I'd be stuck in an empty body only vaguely aware of my surroundings. It was as though my entire existence had been dependent on a flame that flickered within me. Initially, it was a large flame fueled by purpose and unknown directive. Over time, the flame had begun to flicker and fade. I had only believed the world to get colder around me, but now it was clear that I had been the one who was growing colder.
Something about witnessing the feeding of the vampires I so craved had driven my flame to build itself up again, if only momentarily. But when it hadn't gained what it sought, the flame had died within me. And now I was empty; the only life being the memory of the warmth my existence had given me and the smoke it had left remaining.
Whatever was happening to me, Theo strived for me to survive. Occasionally, I was aware of his embrace around me, attempting to hand feed me as though the problem was in his lack of proper care. His words whispered around me, asking me to wake up, to speak to him, and to tell him what it was that kept me in such a state. He hadn't been human in so long; it was like expecting a child to know how to take care of an exotic pet after only vaguely watching their parents care for it years before. I wasn't able to tell him that this was no human illness.
I wasn't sure how long he attempted to save me himself before he finally came to his own conclusions. I fell back into the darkness and when I became aware again I was being carried through the halls of the mansion. I wanted to move, to struggle and gain control, but I only continued being held in my lethargic state within Theo's arms.
He carried me bridal style into a familiar room. When he reached the center table, a place in which many victims had been lost to the other vampires and him, he lowered me to the surface with utmost care. There was no need to capture my wrists in those cursed shackles. I was unresponsive, the only sign of life being the shallow breaths that escaped my lungs at an increasingly slower pace.
For a moment, nothing happened. Theo stood over me, his hands pressed against the table firmly as though trying to convince himself not to break things in frustration. I felt him brush a finger over my face, moving away a stray lock of hair that had fallen over my cheek.
"Another family dinner so soon?" A familiar voice suddenly questioned from the opposite side of the table. Miles had appeared curiously, looking over me slowly. "It looks dead already..."
"She's not," Theo responded darkly, obviously not enjoying that particular thought.
"That's the Genesis witch," Levi said, appearing beside his twin. He propped his arm against Miles, leaning forward to peer at my form as well. "What did you do to her? Seb said not to hurt her, you know." Theo didn't grace the question with an answer. He only stood silent, waiting.
"What's going on?" Oliver stepped into the room, moving beside Theo to see the situation for himself. His red hair was just as vibrant as the night I had met him. He narrowed his eyes when recognizing the unresponsive girl on top of the table.
"Theo killed the Genesis witch," Miles answered sarcastically, causing Levi to tap his shoulder in an attempt to silence him. Theo tightened his hands into fist, but didn't respond to the antagonism.
"What a waste," Oliver snapped, his tone dark and disappointed, "I found her. I should've been allowed to care for her. Theo couldn't take care of a rock, if given the chance." Theo threw him a sharp look, but still didn't say anything to defend himself.
"It was my turn to get the next one," Jax suddenly stated from my feet, hesitating when recognizing who it was on the table. With all but Sebastian surrounding me, I thought I would feel their addicting allure even in my empty state. But their presence held no response from me. It took everything I had not to slip back into the complete darkness. "Seb said not to kill the Genesis witch."
"Her name is Katia," Theo abruptly snarled, causing an eerie silence to follow.
"You named her," Levi finally stated in the silence. "But you don't have the same affect when you touch her, do you?"
"Perhaps it's all that incessant classical music they play up there," Miles sneered darkly, "He's seduced her with his violin bow, if you know what I mean. Did you display how good you were with your fingers, Teddy?" A low growled formed from Theo's throat, pleasing Miles to no end.
"I thought this would happen," Sebastian said from above my head, having appeared out of thin air while the others bickered. Theo looked up at him sharply. "I wanted to see if she truly was the last incantation."
"What did you do to her?" Theo's voice was black and furious.
"Nothing," Sebastian responded simply, frowning down at me, "And maybe it's better this way. She's the last connection to the Genesis coven. If she dies, they'll die with her."
"She's not going to die," Theo snapped before turning on Oliver, "Touch her." Sebastian suddenly tensed, glaring at Oliver as though he had been the one to suggest the idea. Oliver was looking at my hand curiously, no doubt recalling the warmth that came with the glow of his touch.
"My order stands. Nobody is to touch her except Theo," Sebastian said loudly, his voice firm and final. Theo turned his glare on the others, staring them down individually.
"Touch her," Theo demanded sharply. When none would offer their hand, his eyes targeted Sebastian once again. "You forced me to care for her. You had me name her. And now you'll let her die, for what? Because you fear her power?"
"I fear what she'll become," Sebastian responded quietly, "And you should, too."
"There is no need to fear her. She's never known anything outside of us. She'll be ours completely," Theo argued in frustration, looking down at me with hesitation, "We don't deserve her."
"He cares for her," Levi accused, his voice completely stunned and somewhat envious.
Theo ignored Levi, appealing to Sebastian completely now, "I'll do anything. Just let us keep her. If she becomes a problem, we can fix it later, but you must see the advantages if it works out for the best. Please, Seb. I've never asked you for anything." Sebastian didn't move, but he didn't deny Theo's request either. Instead, he only watched me in deep thought.
"Fine," Sebastian submitted quietly, causing a stir among the vampires. Before any could speak, Sebastian interjected with authority, "The rules still apply. If we're going to do this, we're doing it the right way."
"I want her first," Oliver immediately demanded. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him.
"Just because she's in your care won't mean you'll be allowed to slack off on your duties," Sebastian scolded with warning.
"Of course," Oliver raised his hands in surrender, "Do I look like a slacker to you?"
"Yes," Jax added simply. "Once you broke an artifact because you decided to go skydiving. From a cargo aircraft. Without a parachute."
"My point exactly; that took a lot of effort," Oliver smirked with satisfaction.
"Let's just do this," Miles stated, leaning forward eagerly, "What exactly are we doing, again?" Each of the vampires turned their faces to Sebastian expectantly. He reached forward carefully and gripped my face in his hands, moving my hair softly before looking at the others. His touch hadn't sparked the glowing words that typically would have appeared. It had done nothing more than make me somewhat more aware.
"It will take more than touching to bring her back," Sebastian predicted ominously, his gaze turning on Theo momentarily. "As I said before, the last incantation is a spell created by an extinct coven to preserve their magic, history, and future. She is nothing more than a vessel meant to survive until she's completed her purpose. The fault in the spell is that she's drawn to surviving Genesis witches, unable to tell that we are no longer witches. I've heard of the spell before, so I wasn't completely sure of the extent of the fault until now..."
Sebastian stroked my cheek as if trying to ignite that fire that had dimmed within me.
"She's imprinted on our touch. From now on, she won't be able to survive for an extended period of time without one of us to feed her. It may be to ensure the survival of the Genesis line by preventing her from abandoning those surviving already. I can't be sure of the spell's goal in this situation besides the obvious. She wants to recreate the bloodline through us," Sebastian's speech became darker, the thought obviously disturbing to him. He watched the other vampires dominantly, his warning clear in his tone.
"You must understand she has every last remaining power of the Genesis coven stored within her. It's obvious she hasn't yet tapped into it. We can't assume she will never become self-aware and when she does we can't assume her imprint on us will be enough to prevent her from trying to harm us. And you must understand the imprinting isn't one-sided. It's addicting. It is power and information being given to us just through touch. It's a gift not meant for us. We can accept it for now, but I can't guarantee that it won't come with a price. Are you, each of you, willing to accept this risk?"
"I accept," Oliver immediately responded, no thought given to the risks. The others weren't as quick to answer. Jax shifted uncertainly while Miles and Levi looked at each other curiously.
"I may regret it, but the imprint has already been done. I accept," Jax stated clearly.
"I don't see what the big deal is. I'm in," Miles added with a shrug.
"If Miles will take the risk, I'll do as well," Levi said simply. Sebastian turned his eyes on Theo quietly.
"My touch doesn't do anything for her. I don't think what I have to say matters," Theo growled, a bit of envy tracing his tone.
"You're a part of this just as much as we are, Theo. If we should end up bewitched and unable to kill her ourselves in the worse situation, you would be the only one able to finish it," Sebastian admitted, tilting his head, "What's your answer?" It was a different situation for Theo, being asked if he was willing to risk the lives of the other vampires for a girl he had only had in his care for a few weeks. Not long ago he had wanted me dead or gone, whichever was easiest.
After a lengthy pause, Theo finally took a half step back, looking away dangerously. He answered in a quiet but firm voice. "If the time should come, I'll kill her myself. I accept."
-------------------
Music: The Hills by The Weeknd
Picture of Katia up top. ^^
Does a warning of naughtiness count if I post it after the fact? >:) Bah, it was only a little light petting anyway. Thanks for reading! Next update will be coming in 3-5 days~
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: ZingTruyen.Xyz