Bite Me Forever

CHAPTER 35: Former Lovers

Did I just... What was that?? My hands radiated light. My palms were hot. Dario screamed. Was it me? Did I cause this? I looked at him and his face... half of it was gone! A huge hole replaced where his eye and cheek should have been. The skin around the hole had been burned black, the flesh fused and melted, the bone was smooth underneath.

I pushed him off me, crawling away in terror. He fell to the floor. I looked at my hands. The light was gone now but I could still feel it. The heat and the power. I looked over to where Dario was splayed out on the floor. He was dead. He was dead, and I killed him.

Was I really that strong? The sound of his screams filled me with a feeling of power, something I had never experienced before. It was... exhilarating! He had been trying to hurt me, but I put an end to it. Me alone. That's what I did.

I approached the bed and grabbed my clothes. I tried my best to step around Dario and what was left of him. There was no reason for me to be here any longer. I was free of that horrible man.

I needed to find Raoul. I remembered the way Dario defeated him and how injured he was. I had to see if he was still alive; I didn't know what I would do if something terrible happened to Raoul. He was one of Viktor's closest friends. Even if he left us here alone and I was still angered by that, I should make sure nothing happened to Raoul. I rushed away and found Raoul in the hallway where he fell. He was still unconscious but I could hear him breathe weak puffs of air. He was still alive.

Relief washed over me. I knelt down and gently shook him, whispering his name. He slowly opened his eyes, looking at me with confusion and pain in his gaze.

"Lucy? What happened? Dario-" he started to say but I quickly interrupted him.

"I killed him," I said calmly, my voice barely a whisper as the words escaped my mouth. Raoul studied me for a few seconds before he let out a loud laugh and hugged me tightly. He pulled away and looked into my eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You did it! You actually did it! You defeated Dario all by yourself! I'm so proud of you Lucy!" he exclaimed with joy mixed with awe in his voice.

I smiled shyly, looking away from him as heat rose to my cheeks.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more useful," he said, sounding disappointed in himself.

"Don't be ridiculous," I replied, helping him to sit up. "You've been my rock all along."

Raoul smiled weakly at me and I helped him to stand up. We made our way to room 12, where Dario's corpse still remained, and I helped Raoul to lie down on the bed. He looked exhausted, but his injuries were not fatal. Being a vampire, he would soon recover.

"Get some rest," I told him. "I'll come back for you later."

He nodded and closed his eyes, and I quietly closed the door behind me as I left the room. I took one last look at Raoul before heading back into the hallway, ready to continue on with our mission to rescue James.

James...

We came to rescue James, even if he didn't deserve my compassion. I took a breath. I tucked my unruly blonde hair behind my ears and straightened out my torn dress. This was the first time James would see me after he abandoned me. I wanted to look perfect.

I was frustrated with myself for being so anxious... I hated to admit that I wanted my ex-fiance to see how pretty I was now. Why was it that I wanted him to acknowledge me? He was a piece of shit who left me for someone else.

I didn't know why I cared so much. Sure, he was the first man I ever loved... but I didn't love him anymore. I had Viktor. James tore my heart to pieces. A lot had changed since that fateful day, since he ran away with another woman. I was no longer the naive and oblivious girl who was taken for granted. I needed him to see what he could have had and what he missed out on.