Behind My Shadow - Book Three

64. I Love You Even At Your Darkest

In the distance -even despite the rain- I can see a mote of fire on the ledge overlooking the ocean. A massive gathering of people has flocked out here -heedless of the weather- and I crash into the thick tangles of the crowd with the force of a hailstorm. I wildly claw through the teeming bodies; everyone is straining to see around each other.

The echoing cry of a tormented Vampire suddenly cuts through the cacophonous around me and briefly makes me freeze in horror; tears run down my face as my heart stammers with disbelief. He's not Vyndren anymore, whatever they did to him has made him turn into the fearsome Blood Prince. I frantically resume forcing my way through the anxious and eager crowd pressing closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.

I break through with a gasp of shock and terror.

A wooden cross covered in briars of silver has been pitched on the bluff overlooking the ocean, and a mote of holy fire burns around it with seemingly no regards to the rain. Bound to the cross in paralyzing silver chains is the fully phased Blood Prince; the sight of him chained and tortured in front of seemingly all of Raetri briefly has me frozen in mind-blanking panic.

"NO!" I scream, sinking to my knees with crippling pain. More blood pours from my speared stomach but I hardly notice that pain, the only agony I'm aware of is my breaking heart that feels like it's imploding on itself with terror.

"Adara!" Cornelius is suddenly at my side and heaves me up to my feet. "Get her out of here!" He orders Quill, I hadn't even noticed he was right beside me.

"What the hell is this?!" Quill frantically demands as he holds onto me, we're both trembling as we stare up at the withering Vampire hanging from the cross. "You're killing him!"

"There's no other way to end this!" Dad shakes his head. "I'm sorry, son, but please, take Adara and get away from here!"

"No!" I thrash against them both as they try to haul me away. "Vyndren!" I strain to break free from their grasps. "Vyndren!" I sob hysterically as I watch the Blood Prince spasm with agony; his eerie, echoing cries instantly haunt me and I already feel like I'm looking at a ghost as I watch the Blood Prince's slow, grizzly execution. "NO!" I roar with unbridled fear, fury and desperation.

Two soldiers cautiously creep closer to the Blood Prince, they each wield torches and shakily offer them to the wooden cross to burn.

"No!" I savagely thrash again and am finally able to rip myself free from the White Knights.

"Adara, no!" They both dart forward but I'm too fast for either of them to catch me.

I summon air and blast the torches out of the card soldiers' hands, they are both sent flying off their feet as I leap over the fiery mote and shakily land on my hands and knees before the screaming, dying Vampire Blood Prince. I can feel the heat from the mote burning all around us, embers are dispiteously rising through the air in spite of the rain and a few stray sparks fall to the cross. A few flames dance to life on either side of the Blood Prince.

"Vyndren!" I cry as I force myself up to my feet once more. "My god, no!" I rush forward and throw myself against the cross beside him, frantically struggling to untie the chains clasped around his wrist. 

The chain loosens and the Vampire suddenly lashes out, his clawed hand slams into me violently enough to hurl me back to the ground with a veil of blood covering my face.

"Adara! Alice!" I only vaguely hear the cries of horror and alarm from the crowds separated from me by the drench of fire, the storm rages on savagely overhead. But everything else other than the Blood Prince is just a muffled distraction. I haul myself back up to my feet and throw myself at the cross again.

"I'm not going to let you die!" I vehemently promise as I desperately try to undo the chain digging into his throat. The Vampire's mordacious jaws crash together inches away from my ear as he thrashes more violently -more desperately- as his cross continues to catch more flames. My bloody fingers slip on the chain links and I stumble forward, the Vampire lashes out again and this time one of his wings crash into me. 

I'm thrown back down with blood briefly blinding me before the rain clears my vision.

I...I can't save him, I realize with horror. I can't get him untied before his cross goes up completely in flames. I anxiously glance over my shoulder at the White Knights struggling to fight their way through the undampened mote of holy fire. Nothing can make the flames wan but nevertheless, they still attempt to reach me despite the fire reaching out to lash them.

I numbly shake my head at them. I don't want to be saved if I can't save Vyndren. I shakily stare up at the Blood Prince roaring with rage and agony, the fire begins eating through his wings and already I can see his blackened bones crumbling to ash...

I might not be able to save the Vampire, but maybe I can change the Vampire.

With renewed passion and one last burst of strength, I heave myself to my feet and throw myself against the cross once more. Only this time I throw myself right against the Blood Prince and -blinded by his demons and pain- he savagely bites down on whatever is closest to his fangs. And this time that happens to be my neck.

I scream at the jarring, searing pain that shoots through my systems like fire. It feels like two knives have been plunged into my throat and already I can feel my life draining away from me as my blood is poured into the Vampire's burning body.

I don't see my entire life before my eyes as I die though, I only see Vyndren. Not how he is right now though, no... I only see him as my Dark Rider guide, the one who taught me about magic, the one who trained me how to fight, the one who made me fall in love with his devilish smile, his wiry wit, and the way it feels when his arms are around me...that feeling always felt like heaven to me.

I don't even feel pain anymore as my body goes so numb, I mind as well already be a corpse. The only thing holding me up anymore are the Blood Prince's dagger-like fangs buried in my throat.

"I...love you...Chief," I manage to whisper with my last breath.