Hellfire

Chapter Twenty-Three

I woke with a jolt, sucking in the air and finding myself inhaling snow. I spat it out viciously and scrabbled onto my knees, the snow melting about me from the heat emitting from my torn skin.

I rose awkwardly, too hot and full of flames to feel the cold surrounding me, and my silver eyes flashed. I knew where I was by those paintings glowering down at me; the sitting room. It was full of snow however, the windows and doors splayed open to let in a drift, the wind howling beyond so savagely it rattled the glass and walls, and icicles dangling from the rafters above instead of bats. Everything had a slight distortion to it, as if the walls and style was changing every time I looked; modern to 40's or older.

Anger spat, boiling up in me so tightly fire erupted from my mouth. I recognised where I was, I'd been here many times before when I suffered my night-terrors. I was in Lucius' dreamscape. Which meant he was here. The man who ruined my cure. The man who refused to end me. The man who was addicted to me.

'Lucius!' I roared as I rose, flames puffing from my skin like smoke and melting to snow surrounding me despite it attempt to swallow me up. 'Where are you?'

Anger was choking me, drowning me and preventing me from thinking of anything but burning, my fire flowing from me through the gashes in my skin. My body was splitting in half, belching smoke and ash and embers, boiling heat ripping from me. I needed it out of me. All my rage and fire.

And it was Lucius I was focused on. Only him.

Movement snagged my attention, and I turned sharply to find Lucius stepping through the snow filling the living room. He wasn't like the last I saw him, shirtless, dishevelled, and worn down. Instead, he was fully dressed, a dark, scarlet shirt beneath a pitch-black waistcoat, his hair swept back immaculately, and those eyes solid blue rather than flecked with gold. Authority rolled from him, rippled within his taut frame, and glowed within that gaze that slid over me icily. I felt his strength here. This was his dream, his mind, and he had a powerful hold over it.

I snapped my teeth, cracking out hot sparks, a shiver of defiance sliding into my stomach. He was going to fight me, to control and make me bend to what he decided was best for me, all the while hiding from what I really needed and refusing to listen. I wouldn't bend. I'd do what I felt was right for me, and killing my emotions was it.

'What did you do?' I snarled.

'I'm containing you.' Lucius said lazily as he came to a stop, still as ice and his teeth beginning to swell. 'Your fire is out of control, eating you from the inside out, and threatening to detonate after you decided to kill off every bit of emotion in you. I intend to keep you here until the danger passes.'

'Fuck you!' I bellowed, smoke and embers rushing from my mouth as I began to pace, prowling about like a caged bear and leaving behind blackened scores over the carpet. 'I had it under control!'

'You had nothing under control.' Lucius said dangerously, his eyes flashing darkly. 'That poison was ruining you, destroying even the core of your emotions. You were practically soulless, Susan. Gone. You didn't react to anyone anymore.'

'That was the intention.' I snapped out. 'Kill my emotions or kill everyone else.'

Lucius' teeth thickened, and the ice in the room began to edge closer, threatening to swell over me. 'That wasn't a choice you needed to make.'

'I did. I nearly detonated twice! And I tried to talk to you about it but you kept blocking me out!'

'There was nothing to talk about. I told you what was going to happen. You just needed to trust me.'