No Greater Love {Completed}

Page 28

"Pain is when you're slowly dying inside and you're too weak to speak about it. So you keep silent and suffer, alone."
- Unknown

Jared's POV

"You look stunning," I said clearing my throat. Her dress was green with with gold lace designs. I wanted to pull her close by we stood at an awkward distance not sure of what to do.

"Thank you." She looked down at the floor avoiding my gaze. "Jared, I-" her voice cracked and tears began to form in her eyes, but she still refused to look at me.

"Princess Kylie would you do me the honor of having this dance?" I bowed and extended my hand. As I looked back up she stared at me wide eyed for a moment but then nodded and took my hand.

"I've missed you so much," she said into my shoulder. "They didn't do anything to hurt you did they?" She looked up at me with worry in her eyes.

I smiled and pulled her closer. "No I'm fine. The only problem is I don't know what's happening anymore, but there's one thing I know for sure."

"What's that?"

"I'll never stop loving you."

Shannon's POV

I looked around at the centennials, but I couldn't tell if Aviana was in one of them or not, and it wasn't until I saw her that I realized she didn't go through with the plan.

"What are you doing? I thought you were suppose to be in one of the centennials!" I whispered angrily as she approached.

"I know, but I thought of something different. I had Daemon sabotage the weapons and energy systems and drain the batteries. The should crash in a minute or two and once they do we have to move fast the queen will be onto us, and I want you to run with Jared and Kylie."

"No way. I'm not leaving you and that's final."

"Shannon please. I don't want you to get hurt. You aren't going to be safe-"

"Neither would you! You can't take on the queen by yourself!" I was moments away from breaking. I loved her and she wasn't about to risk her life for me. "I love you. I'm not going to let you do this alone."

Aviana opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a woman screaming.

I looked through the crowd see Kylie in the queen's grasp with a knife to her throat and Jared being held back by guards. I ran through the crowd stopped once I was close enough to speak with the queen.

"My queen, what are you doing?" I said with my hands in the air and the human servants were cowering behind me.

"I'm tired of dealing with you petty humans. Kill them all!" Her gripped tightened on the blade, and as quickly as I could, I threw a fireball at her face. She screamed in pain letting go of Kylie.

"Jared, run!" I threw another fireball at the guards holding him down. One of them caught fire and the other ran toward me.

"I need Shannon and Jared alive!" The queen's voice suddenly changed. It became a disgusting hiss. I looked at her and watched her body grow and transform. It was grotesque. Her arms and legs extended into sharp bonelike structures, her back grew out of proportion, and more eyes began to form on her face.

I stepped back as realized what was happening. She was becoming a spider. A giant half human/half spider thing. She looked at me with rage in her eyes as she moved closer to me.

"Don't you dare touch him!" Aviana moved in front of me trying to protect me. Her voice was different too. It was much deeper and echoed throughout the room like a threatening growl.

Her hands had turned into sharp talons with gold scales going up her arm. I backed away. I couldn't comprehend what was happening.

The queen hissed at Aviana charged at her. It was like something snapped inside of Aviana and large scaly wings broke through her back, and she began to transform into a dragon.

I couldn't move. I stood staring in both horror and fascination as I watched the woman that I loved turn into this dangerous yet beautiful creature.

"Shannon we need to get out of here!" Jared was pulling me by the sleeve, but I still couldn't move.

Aviana and the queen fought viciously. Aviana's mouth was dripping in black fluid, and one of the queen's spider like legs was injured.

"Shannon, lets go! This place is going to burn down! We have to leave!" Jared urged.

"I can't leave her, Jared!" I turned to look at him and pulled away. "Take Kylie and get out of here!"

I turned back to Aviana. She was pinned by the wings and was struggling to escape. I looked around something, anything to help Aviana. The dagger that the queen had was on the ground. I ran to pick it up and threw it at the queen. I was hoping it would have pierced her skin, but it hopelessly deflected off.

Her attention was turned to me. She hissed and lashed out quickly with one of her sharp spider legs piercing through my shoulder blade.

I screamed out from the unbearable pain. Not only did I feel the pain of being stabbed, but I felt like I was suddenly set on fire as the venom coursed through my veins.

Aviana bit into the bitch's shoulder and pulled her away from me. I couldn't think clearly after that. I was being pulled to my feet and dragged by someone. Centennials began to pour into the ballroom and ran straight to the queen to pull Aviana off.

They began to pin and tie her down. She was weak enough already and couldn't put up a good fight against them. I pulled against the person dragging me trying to get to her, but I could barely take two steps.

I watched hopelessly as the queen towered over Aviana and drove her bladed legs into her torso. She screamed. At first it sounded like a pained roar, but it slowly became more human.

"No!" I somehow found the strength to stand and tried running to her, but hands were pulling me back again.

"Shannon we have to go!" Jared was I front of me pushing me back. Tears were streaming down his face, as he gripped my shoulders forcing me to turn around, I turned back to look at the aftermath.

Aviana's body lay necked, limp, and lifeless on the ground, and my heart was with her. Everything that was inside of me had died with the woman I loved. I didn't fight anymore as Jared pulled me along with him and Kylie.

We ran. And ran some more. We didn't know where we were going, but we certainly couldn't stay. We had found our way outside of the palace and in some woods. We stopped for a while, and everything was quiet... And empty.