His to Save

Chapter Twenty-Five - The Wraith

"There's no way. This isn't possible, and what the fuck are you wearing?" I stammered as she took another confident step towards me.

There was a black spiked crown resting delicately on her head and her pitch-black corseted dress flowed behind her. Her fingers were extended into claws and her eyes watched me without any of the care or affection I vaguely remembered.

"Oh my dear naïve Lillian, there is so little you don't know. And as for this, this is what I've always worn, I mean you must have begun to wonder why there's a reason my mother didn't intervene when I was murdered."

"She hasn't agreed with my methods for some time, but then again, I blame her for raising me this way, or more like not raising me at all. I never wanted that for you, my beautiful talented and incredibly powerful little girls. And I must say, what beautiful creations you both are, what horrible, horrible things you have both done with your lives. At least I know I did something right" she laughed humourlessly as I stepped backwards, away from her.

"What the fuck are you on about?" I whispered as she ran her fingers lightly over the glowing orb, "I am dead Lillian, this is just an apparition, from the other side, where my mother has left me to pay for my crimes." She said rolling her eyes, as her claws pierced the light.

"But you my dear, what you can do for me, what you can do for us, it's just wonderful. You exceeded all my expectations, and that werewolf rampage, how delightful that was to watch, so many delicious souls passed through and finally gave me the upper hand on escaping this rotting cell" she said as she circled me and I felt sick to my stomach,

"No, no, no. How can you say that its delightful. Bethany is fucking dead. I don't even know what you're talking about or why the fuck your even here. I don't understand what the fuck is up with your outfit, or what the fuck you even want from me. What can I do for you? You are dead, I watched you die myself" I said as I turned to look at her, but she was gone,

"Yes my child, I heard about Bethany. Well she is certainly dead in a mortal kind of way, but you should know better than that Lillian, death isn't the end for people like us." she said as I twirled around lifting my knives to see her standing by the box,

"What are you talking about" I said as she tutted shaking her finger at me, "Always so impatient Lillian, you never could wait, even as a child" she scolded as I gritted my teeth,

"What have you planned for me? What is your affiliation with Brand? Is he your mate? I found your cute little letter" I hissed as she turned to me a mysterious expression on her face,

"Interesting, so you know more than you let on, well done. Of course he isn't my mate Lillian, that would be disgusting. I'm not interested in my daughter fornicating with my mate, whether I'm dead or alive and as for the incest implications, I may do some dark things but that is just sick." She said as I let out a little sigh of relief,

"I do believe that foolish red head was his mate, but he did what he had to do, for the great plan, for something much bigger than you or I" she said as I gasped a stabbing pain shooting through my chest as it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room,

"No, she killed Bethany. It can't be, that would mean he knew she was going to do it; he knew she would kill her and that means he planned it. He's been behind everything all along" I gasped as the room felt as if it was closing in on me,

My mother watched me carefully as I fought with the cascade of emotions writhing angrily within me.

"Of course Lillian, gods above your still as slow as you always was, now pull yourself together. You had to unleash your powers for us, for everything. It was one small thing for the greater good. You are destined for so much more than you could have done without your gift, but enough talking, you have a job to do" she said as her dress trailed around and she rested her fingers on the box, tapping her long nails on it lightly,