Black Moon

Chapter 15: A Confession

In my sea of blackness, I couldn't really decipher anything that was going on. Sometimes there were snippets of voices, and sometimes there was pain. For the most part, though, I was numb in my vortex of darkness.

Was this death? Surely it couldn't have been... people said that there wouldn't be any pain after death, unless you were in hell.

Oh Goddess. Was I in hell?

One sentence that reached me in my pit was said by a deep, velvety voice, belonging to no other than Jagger. Who else would it be?

"She's going to be okay, right?" He asked. His usually smooth and arrogant voice was tight and weary.

A feminine voice replied, "We aren't... her wounds had... poison taken over... most likely... die." I could only make out a few words of what the woman was saying before I fell into the black again. From what I'd gathered, the vampire poison was in my system still and there was a chance that I would die.

Death sounded good right about now. I was definitely unconscious, probably in a coma, and I really didn't have anyone who cared about me. In fact, most people probably wanted me dead. I could make it easier for them. Actually, instead of a funeral, I think that maybe there would be a party. I'd caused King Daemon nothing but stress, it was possible that other people could die because of me, and with my luck, I myself would find a way to die in the immediate future. Honestly, it would be a better bet to just go now, quietly into the night before I formed any really close links and caused people pain.

As I seriously contemplated death, Jagger's voice broke through my fog. For some reason, I could clearly hear every word that he said, while I only caught several vague words of what anyone else was saying.

"I know you're in there, Caloua, and I know that you can hear me. Don't you dare die. I know you enough to believe that you might think you're horrible enough to die and make everyone happy, but right now, you need to think of the people that would be left behind: Kiera, Ivy and Rayn, and me..." At that he trailed off, and I could've sworn that I heard him growl, as if to attempt to scare off death. "So you listen to me, and listen closely. If you die, I won't forgive myself for sending you on that mission alone, without backup. I should've been prepared for any scenario, but I was so prideful that I put you in danger. I already hate myself, and after this is done, I highly doubt that I'll ever be able to order innocent people around without feeling guilty. Do. Not. Die," he growled one last time before his voice cut off and the sound of it faded into the black nether that was my mind.

I was filled with a new determination to live, and with that extra spark of energy, I finally started to fight the numbness as it slowly took over any shred of consciousness that was left.

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A small ray of light illuminated my cage of black. I couldn't help but wonder what the light was. Was I dying or waking up?

Suddenly, waves of pain racked my body. I wanted to scream in agony, but my lips were frozen. The little ray of light quickly exploded until it felt like there were trolls with pick axes chipping away at the inside of my skull. I wanted to plead with someone to make the pain stop, but the worst part was, I couldn't move. I was locked in my own body, with nothing but the screaming, red-hot pain ricocheting through my limbs to keep me company.

All of a sudden, the bright white light faded into the oddly familiar features of a man's face. I thought he was an angel because he was so perfect. His jaw was perfectly angular and his eyes... They were like miniature lighting storms. It was all so déjà vu-like. I knew his face from somewhere...