A Blood Soaked Throne - Part Two

Nine - Damien

My determination to kill my father rises with each passing second. Every time I look into her eyes, see the terror he caused. Every time I think about how desperately I want to be with her. It's not even a possibility with him alive.

I used that uncontrollable power to get us out of that apartment building, and while I was able to hold back the intensity of it, the anger that it creates feels like a toxin that lingers in my blood. The only thing that brought me back was that unexpected feeling of her lips on mine. Nothing could have prepared me for how natural it felt, for the quiet noises that escaped her throat as I tilted her head back to deepen the kiss. I've spent so long craving that feeling.

Now with my arms wrapped around her I don't feel any of the anger that was bubbling up inside of me. She truly is my strength. I know that even if I have to plunge myself into darkness to rid this world of the plague that is my father, her light will bring me back. I know what I have to do.

"I'm going to kill my father," I say. My words are void of all emotion. I'll challenge him for the throne. If I win I'll be King, and she'll never have to live in fear again.

She looks up at me with worried eyes, her arms start to shake around me. I move my hands to rest on either side of her face and wipe away the tear that's fallen with my thumb.

"It's going to be okay. This new power is enough to stop him, I'm sure of it. This is our only chance." Even I don't believe all of what I'm saying, but there's no other way for me to make sure I remain by her side. I don't have a choice.

My gaze wanders to her mouth and she bites gently into her lower lip. Heat burns my cheeks at the sight and I can see the blush rising into hers as well.

"Would it be terrible of me to tell you how badly I want to kiss you right now?" Her eyes grow wide at the abruptness of my question, but I can't help the feelings that fill me when I look at her.

"Would it be terrible of me to tell you that I want the same thing?"

My only response is to press my lips tightly against hers. She grabs onto my shirt as we stumble back into the nearby wall and my arm pulls her waist closer to me. My other hand supports the back of her neck as my tongue slips gently between her teeth. A quiet moan reaches my ears and it takes everything I have to hold myself back. I've never heard such an intoxicating sound. Her hands move to tangle in my hair as she pushes herself up on her toes, her needs matching my own.

I force myself to pull back, both of us breathless by the time my willpower is strong enough to do so. I don't want to push this too far when she's still just barely being held together. My eyes can't seem to pull away from hers. Her hair is soaked from the rain, and soft streaks of sunlight filter in through the cracks in the ceiling to light up her face.

A quiet growl rumbles from my stomach and I am reminded of the fact that it's been quite some time since our last meal. She can't stop the small smile that grows on her face, until her stomach also begins to signal its need for food. Neither of us fights the laughter that bursts from our chests, something we haven't felt in such a long time. I bring my hand up to cover my mouth, muffling the noise from the guards hunting us outside.

I pull the bag off of my shoulder and kneel to the ground, pulling out dry clothes for each of us. The room doesn't provide any sense of privacy so instead we head to opposite ends and face away from each other while we peel off the soaked clothes that cling tightly to our skin. My body instantly warms up as I slide into a thick pair of black sweatpants and a dark gray knit sweater. I place my shoes underneath the fractured rays of sunlight, hoping that they dry before our next move.

When I turn back around I see that Alayah's small frame has been overtaken by clothes that are much too large for her. She's wearing a pair of pants that matches my own with the adjustable string pulled tightly around her waist, and one of my sweaters. The navy blue sleeves hang past her fingertips and the hem of the shirt lays loosely around the middle of her thighs, but she certainly looks warmer.

We move to the back wall of the basement and I pull two cans out from the backpack. It's not the most appetizing of meals, but I don't think either of us is going to be picky right now. I sit down with my back against the rough stones and she joins me, her head leaning against my left shoulder. It takes a minute for me to dig out the can opener and the silverware that must have shifted to the bottom of the bag during our escape.

Slowly the growling in our stomachs subsides. I begin to hear quiet and steady breaths as Alayah drifts to sleep beside me. I pull the sketchbook from the bag, my heavy eyes needing the distraction to keep me awake. The image that begins to form on the page isn't planned. My hand moves freely across the paper until something starts to take form. Hundreds of heavy raindrops fill the page, and hours pass as I etch detail into every inch of the paper. It isn't until I'm finished that I realize what I've been drawing.

The alleyway where she kissed me is clear in front of me. I really can't get her out of my head, I don't want to. I know that in her mind I'm always coming to her rescue, but she'a the one that saved me. I've never felt like my life has a purpose. It didn't matter how many people I tried to save, my father always won in the end. I was locked in a miserable and repetitive existence, a prisoner to my own weakness. It wasn't until I fell in love with her that I realized the power I really have. She's the reason I'm here.

I shove the book back into the bag and watch as the moonlight shifts across the cracks in the ceiling, focusing my mind on the path in front of me. Where do we go from here?