Heir to the Seelie Throne

Heartache and Heartless...

Samia POV*

The club was clearing out slowly as the night got older. Bekah and Micah disappeared hours ago, to where, who knows? Keira had her head on Luka's lap while they sat in a booth as she dozed off.

Llyr and I were slow dancing when the barkeep yelled, 'last call'. My arms were hooked around Llyr's neck as I my head rested on his chest. His heart beat, a steady rhythm I found myself swaying side to side to. His hands were wrapped around my lower back, he was drawing small circles with his fingertips... teasing me relentlessly with such a soft caress, leaving me wanting more.

As the song ended, he pulled away slightly to look down at me. His grey eyes reminded me so much of my father's. They shined silver in the club's numerous spotlights that aimed randomly on the dance floor. He was so handsome, as if his face was carved by the god's themselves. Funny how I never pictured myself being romantically involved with him, yet now, I can't help but find myself completely drawn to him. An attraction I somehow only felt with one other person... Stephan.

I blinked and snapped out of the trance that held me prisoner to Llyr's gaze. I stepped away from him and cleared my throat.

"Are you alright love?" his deep voice, resounding in the now silent room. I could see Luka gently shaking Keira awake as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. I smiled to myself. As much as she complains about all of her petty arguments with Luka, I can see how much he cares for her, and she him. He helped her into his arms and carried her bridal style. He smiled and waved his goodbye before he disappeared into thin air with Keira still in his arms.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Llyr. I'm okay. Just a bit tired. I shouldn't have had that last glass of champagne. I feel kind of light headed now." I murmured.

He began to say something when his eyes suddenly glazed over, he was probably mind-linked with someone who was clearly giving him bad news considering his angry and now determined expression.

"I must go princess, your father has sensed a disruption in his protection spell on the castle. He is sending someone now to stay with you here. He wants to make sure it's safe before you return home." Llyr said as he waited for my new guard to appear. A breach in the castle? I suddenly had the worst feeling that this had somehow something to do with me...

With a shimmer, Aerys appeared before us. Seriously father? Of all people???

Llyr nodded in Aerys direction and looked back at me with a torn expression. "I will make sure to come back for you love. Stay safe and aware." In my mind he added, 'I had a wonderful time with you tonight, we must finish where we left off later'

I smiled as he took a hold of my hand and placed a kiss on my knuckles. "Be careful, Llyr..." I hope this intrusion is not too serious.

Llyr left us a second later. Telling from that sly smirk on Aerys face I couldn't help but think he had something else on his mind rather than keeping me safe at the moment.

"Well, well princess. Looks like I have you all to myself." Just as he was about to grab my wrist, I paused as I felt, rather than heard, a presence behind him. "Did you-"

With a loud thump!... Aerys suddenly falls to the ground, a man I had never seen before, was standing over his body, an evil smile lingering upon his lips. He was beautiful with haunting red eyes. His skin white as alabaster. His aura... black, death permeated my nostrils. He was vampire and...

It can't... no... I felt all the blood drain from my face as I realized what was dripping from his right hand. It was somehow still beating, as it lay outside of it's host.

I looked down at Aerys and confirmed my worst fears, there was a gaping hole in his chest... where his heart had been.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I felt myself fall backwards... right before I let the darkness swallow me, I heard the vampire whisper, "Finally, I found you sweet Samia"...

**************************************

Darkness. I awoke to... darkness.

It was cold, where I lay. Silk sheets wrapped around me with plush pillows cushioning my head.

Where was I?

The last thing I remember was... I gasped as I shot up from the bed with a loud shriek.

I frantically scrambled out of the bed, tears falling uncontrollably down my face as I remembered the expression on Aerys face as he laid on the ground before me, his life draining away. His intentions may have been bad but he was still one of our knights!

In my frantic rush to escape, my feet became tangled in the sheets and I found myself falling forwards towards the ground.

The door was yanked open and with a quickness I could barely register, a figure of a large man rushed towards me in a blur and caught me right before I fell face first.

I was breathing heavily from the close call. The man who saved me stared down at me... although he looked familiar, this was not the man who killed Aerys.

That's when I smelt him...lion. The drunken man from the bar. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I recalled that night. He had looked upon me as if he had known he would see me again.

I pushed him off of me with so much force, I hadn't realized I used my power with the shove and sent him flying to the wall as I fell to the ground.

"Umph!" the man let out a loud grunt as he attempted to pull himself from the rubble. There was a huge hole in the wall where his body was slammed into and I almost chuckled as pieces of drywall rained down on him.

"Who are you!" I yelled back at him. "Why am I here?" I charged at him again, not giving him any time to answer. "Why did he kill Aerys!?" I shrieked out while on my knees as bright blue fire manifested from my hands. Wind whipped my hair around as my power for revenge grew. The man looked startled at my display of force... and right before he shifted into his true lion form I saw a hint of fear in his eyes.

He stood up on two legs and let out a powerful roar as I felt him attempting to enter my head.

I had to remember, this was not Aerys murderer but my thirst for revenge was not heeding the part of my brain that knew this man before me did not kill him. I heard that voice whispering in my head again...

'Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill....' my hands began to lift, pointing the embers of flames towards the enemy crouched in the corner. Again, I felt the lion attempt to enter my mind to speak with me as he roared back at me.

I blinked back tears as I began to realize what a monster I was starting to become. This is not me...

I allowed the lion to speak, 'Princess Samia, let me explain everything. Please calm down.'

"Why should I believe a word you say!? Where is the vampire!?" I shouted back at him.

'He is not here, but he will be back soon. Please, let me help you before he comes back.' he spoke in my mind once again.

I let the flames fall from my palms as the wind died down around me.

I sagged in defeat as I felt the power leave me.

The lion shifted back to his human form and walked towards me hesitantly.

"Laurent, the vampire you seek, left to meet with someone. He ordered me to watch over you in his absence. But that does not mean I agree with what he is doing."

I waited till my breathing returned to normal before I responded. "Why has he taken me? Why did he kill my knight."

"He wants you for himself. I believe he is in league with a very powerful vampire. An original vampire which many of their kind fear. He wants to claim you as his so that he will become more powerful, I can see why now that I have witnessed just a small showing of it myself." He walked into the closet and brought out a blanket to wrap around me.

"What? That's absurd. He killed Aerys because he believes I will make him more powerful? He is sick with delusion!" I was appalled. Oh poor Aerys. He's dead because of me. I sniffled as tears built up in my eyes once again at the thought of never seeing him again. As much as I despised him, I couldn't help but feel loss from his death.

"I have heard only bits and pieces of his plans to take you. I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling it was you that night we first crossed paths. I could feel power emanating from you, but again, I was not certain."

"Why are you helping him? You are just to blame for all of this!" I stood from the ground as the blanket fell from my shoulders, my hands began to warm up again. He must of sensed my control slipping because he reached out and grabbed my hands in his. Surprisingly calming me in the process.

"I am not helping him Samia. But I must admit, he is my master. Always has been. He is master vampire of all in Avalon. When I was but a small babe, I was abandoned by my pride after my father believed someday I would overpower him and take over. So he left me to fend for myself. Laurent found me, he took me in. Said that if I let him feed from me occasionally, he would take care of me. He has been, ever since."

I felt bad for him. But that still didn't change the fact that he knew this would happen and did not warn me that night he found me. But then again, I guess he had his duty of loyalty to his master. I blew out a frustrated breath at my current situation.

"I will help you escape. But we must do so now as I can feel the Master approaching closer."

I let him take my hand as he led me through the corridors of the mansion. Occasionally we would pass a shocked human donor or maid dusting off statues or wiping the floors. I was so afraid the vampire would arrive before I had the chance to leave. As much as I wanted to avenge Aerys, I knew I would need help to do so.

"What is your name?" I asked as he opened a secret passageway hidden behind a book case in the large library we were now in.

He looked back at me with a kind smile, "Kol".

I smiled back at him as he added, "Follow this path, it leads to the forest. Unfortunately, Laurent injected you with a teleportation block. He did not want to take a chance of you escaping. It should wear off in a couple of days..."

"But, Kol. Will he not be angry with you for helping me?" I was suddenly worried for him.

He gave me a sad smile, "Don't worry about me princess, I will be fine." Somehow I couldn't help but feel that he was simply saying that to appease me. I gulped before I started to turn towards my freedom.

Before I took a step in the tunnel, I looked back at him and said, "Thank you, Kol. I will never forget you did this for me."

He nodded and shooed me with a wave to go on.

I ran. I ran and ran, my legs burned with every leap, and I still ran. Sweat dripped down my spine as my feet ached from all the cuts embedded in them from the broken branches I landed on during my sprint.

What seemed like hours later, I heard the steady flow of water from a stream close by. I followed the sounds and thanked the gods for small blessings. I paused and crouched as I scooped up some cold water and brought it to my mouth. The crisp fresh water slid down my dry throat and I all but moaned as I quenched my growing thirst. As I looked up at the moon and gulped down some more water, I heard a twig snap behind me.

I froze. My pulse quickening with fear. Slowly, I turned my head, praying to the gods that it was not Laurent... only to find a huge sandy brown wolf with hazel green eyes staring back at me...

Author's Note: I made an alternate chapter for those upset with my previous one... hope you enjoyed this version better ;)  I posted a pic of Kol on the side! Toodles!