Broken Beginnings

Chapter Five

Chapter Five- The Return

Panic flitted through me, and I closed my eyes trying to feel for any power in the room. There was none aside from Ashered and I wouldn't take his. My heart raced and I wrapped my hands around my belly protectively. Ashered grasped the neck of the vampire who had charged at us and held its neck, fiery flames eating away at it. From behind, one of the female nurses grabbed ahold of my hair yanking me backwards. I yelped, my back crashing into hers. She raised her blade to my stomach, and I gasped in horror. I thrust my head backwards, my skull knocking against hers. I grasped the counter before I could collapse and nearly vomited at the woman's body behind the desk. She was laying on the floor, choking, sputtering on her blood.

The woman who I hit grabbed my shoulder spinning me around. Her nose was cracked and bloodied. She raised her fist and as I reached for a bedpan to hit her, Ashered intervened. He snapped her neck, her body thudding against the tile. It was stained red and I grasped ahold of my stomach in agony, groaning in pain. "Hope, love, breathe." Ashered instructed walking beside me and lifting me into his arms. I curled into his arms, stabbing pains shooting through, the red on the ground blurring together. So much death. I couldn't handle this, I looked away, instead facing forward. Again we were stopped, except this time by royal guards. I could tell by the distinctive crisp armor they wore, gold singed sleeves, signifying their duty to GoldMoon. 

"This way, your majesty." Ashered made no move to correct them and neither did I. Several of the men stayed behind holding off as more of the dead emerged from the ground. My eyes widened in shock as I realized what had been done. They had changed them into monsters. As we rounded the corner I saw Melvin. It was like a moment frozen in time, Frost appeared beside him. He was smiling, his lips were white as snow, eyes as bleak as death. My heart beat slowly. 

The murders stood less than fifty feet away from me. I ignored any sort of pain and lunged. Ashereds grip was wrapped tight around me. He grunted from the effort I exerted. "You murdered them!" I screamed. I made it halfway out of Ashereds grip, shaking from angry. I dug my nails into his hands. "Let go of me." He looked at me heartbroken, his eyes only turning murderous when he saw them. "You killed my mother. You killed my friend. I'll kill you." 

Melvins voice carried through the chaos. He didn't smile, nor flinch as he spoke. "Careful, I may add another life to the count." Frost laughed manically, Melvin blank faced beside him, void of any humanity. 

I froze in my tracks and in my falter, I was drug away. 

I yelled louder, fought harder but as the door was opened and I was pushed through, Ashered let go. My knees collapsed to the ground and Ashered kneeled beside me, holding my upright. I looked at the grass I now sat upon and up at the castle. It was shrouded in rain, dark clouds thundering down on it. "Hope, we need to get inside. You could get sick." He slightly tugged on my arm, but I ripped it away from him, a fiery rage filling me. I didn't care that I was wet. "I could have killed him, you should have let me go!" I snapped. Ashered was taken aback before he glared at me and stood up abruptly. 
"Have you no brain?" 

I scoffed at him, getting myself up from the soaked earth. The thunder raged on around us and I shook with anger.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I seethed. 

"You are pregnant, creator above, Hope you could have hurt yourself and the baby." 

I turned away from him, trying to hide the tears that began to slip down my cheeks. 

"Hope." He said apologetically. 

I took both of my hands and brushed back the hair from my face. He took hold of my hand and with a hand on my back gently led me under the gazebo in the back garden. 

I sat on the bench there, silent, while he leaned against one of the pillars. He watched me, waiting  until I finally spoke. "I just want them back..." There was a long pause as a sob broke through me. "They killed so many people I loved- Why-." My voice broke into snippets as I placed my face in my hands, shaking. Ashered leaned down in front of me, taking me into his chest. I cried, clutching his shirt. "I can't do this. I can't. I can't have a baby and I can't lose you again. I can't lose another person." Ashered gently shushed me and placed a kiss on my lips. I could taste the salt of my tear on our mouth. "I love you, Hope. You are so brave and you can do this. I will be right beside you. I promise." I nodded and held him close, hissing as another bout of pain scratched at me. Ashered pulled back, placing a hand over mine on my stomach. The slight bump showed somewhat and it throbbed. Ashered looked up at me worriedly. I sucked in a breath and placed my hand against his cheek, the rain slowly began to die down. "Its okay, I probably just need to rest." I assured, although fear crept up my spine. 

Ashered kissed my forehead and nodded. "I know and that is why we are back here." I looked at the castle grounds behind him, sighing. "Let's get you inside." I clenched tightly on his hand, halting his movement. "What if he hurts her." I whispered. Ashered turned back at me. "I would put my life down for either of you." My heart dropped as I remembered him lying lifeless on the ground. My eyes flickered to his back, his shirt politely hiding the wounds. Ashereds jaw clenched, and I looked down at my shoes. They were caked in mud and began to crust with dirt around my ankles. Ashered lifted my chin to him. 

"I will keep you safe." He said softly. I felt my eyes soften. " I ran my hand through his hair. " I know." I said hoarsely. Ashered smiled sadly at me and in an effort to break the tension asked, "So, a girl huh?" I laughed at him, trying to hide my red cheeks. "Its just a feeling." I said sheepishly. "I don't care what the gender of the baby is, as long as I have the both of you." He said sweetly. I blushed and he laughed. "After all this time and you still blush?" I snorted, rolling my eyes. " I do not." Ashered rolled his eyes at me. " On a more serious note, you need to be seen by the palace doctor." 

I sighed, nodding begrudgingly and with him to lean on, that is where we headed.