A Shadowed Love

You're My Future

Courtney's quick footsteps were heard as she marched down the hall way, on a mission. 

To find Duncan. 

"Sebastian!" she said, the taller vampire slowly looked up from the book he was reading. 

"Yes?" he asked, Courtney walked over to him, she crossed her arms

"Where is Duncan?" she asked, looking around the room. Making sure she hadn't missed him on her march. Sebastian slowly scratched his chin

"I think I saw him head out to the garden," he answered. Courtney nodded her head once and walked towards the front door, she opened it and blinked when the cold air stung her eyes. She hugged her sweater close and walked around to the back of the Compound. She saw the gate to the garden was cracked open slightly, and she walked over, slipping her skinny frame through the crack. She looked at all the dead vines around her. They had died and turned a dark brown, for the winter. And they were just starting to come to life again, a few flowers were ready to bloom here and there. But not nearly as gorgeous as they would be during the actual Spring. 

Courtney walked down the cobble stone pathway, racking her eyes back and forth, looking for Duncan. 

When she turned the corner, she froze when she saw him standing with his back to her. He was standing in a large space filled with budding roses, she should have known. They were his favorite flower. 

"Courtney?" he asked, making her jump a little. He slowly turned around, and gave her a confused look "I thought you were showing Gwen her room?" 

Courtney slowly walked over to him, she cleared her throat a little.

"Gwen told me," she said slowly "About your tattoos. How they're the markings of the Council,"

She watched his teal eyes slowly widen, and his face paled. He opened his mouth, to speak, but shut it again. 

"When were you going to tell me, Duncan?" she continued. Slowly crossing her arms. 

Duncan slowly lifted his hands, and ran them through his hair. She caught a glimpse of the black scrolling on his skin from under his black sweater.

"I can't believe she told you..." He whispered to himself. Courtney narrowed her eyes at him

"So it's true. You're a member of the Council?" her voice had gained an angry note to it. 

"Courtney, please just listen-" Duncan started, but she wasn't having it. 

Courtney smacked him across the face. Hard. 

Duncan stumbled back a little, a hand flying to his red and sore cheek. He slowly raised his eyes to see her drop her hand back down to her side. Her beautiful onyx eyes were lining with tears. 

"Courtney," he growled. She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders

"Let me go! I don't even know who you are anymore!" she screamed at him, thrashing in his arms. Duncan held her tightly against him

"Shut up!" He yelled at her. Making her stiffen, she creased her thrashing. But she remained cold and stiff in his arms. Duncan pulled her over to the bench that was sitting in the rose section. He remembered spending many nights out here. Loving to watch the roses bloom. 

He made her face him. His heart ached to see her so cold towards him, seeing those tears in her eyes. 

"Please... Let me explain. There's more to this than you know," Duncan said, a desperate note to his voice now. She remained quiet, letting him speak. Duncan slowly blew out a long breath

"Yes. Okay. They are markings of the Council. She wasn't lying about that. But she also didn't tell you the whole story. Courtney, I used  to be a member of the Council. But I'm not anymore. I swear on my unbeating heart." Duncan said, looking into her eyes. 

"How do you just leave  the Council?" she asked, her voice breaking. Duncan slowly looked down, she watched his hands turn to fists, so tight his knuckles began turning white

"I used to be the one in charge of the Punishments. I used to be the one who would cut the heads off of vampires who break the law. But... I just... Couldn't do it anymore. The more time I spent in the Night World, the more I felt the executions. Every one would rip a piece out of me. I couldn't be the one who killed them. I didn't want that blood on my hands anymore. I was killing men, women, even children. God Courtney... It was horrible," his voice broke. She stayed silent, but she slowly reached over and grabbed his hand. 

"So I went to Able. I told him I couldn't do this anymore. I told him I was out. Leaving. That I wanted nothing to do with the Council ever again. But of course, Able wouldn't have it. He smacked me and told me that once I was a member of the High Council there was no leaving. I was trapped. So he made me kill an entire family, for no reason at all. He claimed they had broken a law, but I knew he was lying. He told me that if I didn't do it.... I'd be killed. Then he'd go after Gwen. I had no choice but to give in.." Duncan slowly stood up, he slowly paced around. Courtney caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes

"I still remember that night so fucking clearly... Hearing the Mother's screams as I slit her husband's throat. Then I staked her, in front of her kids... The kids.. I staked them too. Their blood had gotten all over me. Covering my hands and arms. And I didn't feel anything. I just felt so.. Cold. So numb."

Courtney had her hand to her mouth now, her own eyes filling with tears as she listened to Duncan explain his heartbreaking past. 

"After that, when I went back to the High Council's Chambers, Able stripped my cloak and my pin. He told me I was now free, that I didn't have to be a part of the Council anymore. But he knew.... He had destroyed me. That no matter how far I would run from them, they'd always be a part of me. That I'd always bear the marks of evil. That I'd always see that family when I close my eyes. I'd see them all lying on the ground in their own blood... He knew that I would never truly be free from them."

Duncan slowly brought a hand up to his eyes, rubbing away a few stray tears. 

"I left that night. I ran with Gwen. And we eventually found an apartment in the City. And you know how the story goes from there," Duncan looked at her slowly. Courtney swallowed hard and rose to her feet. She walked over to Duncan and laid her hands on his chest

"That's why Able hates you so much.." Courtney concluded, Duncan nodded. He held her close

"And it's why he looks at you the way he does. He hates you. Because he hates the fact that I'm happy in any way. And he knows you bring me the happiness he thought he had taken away," Duncan whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. 

"I'm so sorry I smacked you-"

"Don't be. You thought I was a traitor. It's completely explainable." Duncan shrugged it off. She nodded a little and slowly laid her head against his chest. She felt his hand slowly running up and down her back. Making her relax. 

And the two stood like that, among the budding roses. In each other's embrace, for a long while. 

She didn't care about his deadly past, didn't care about the blood on his hands. She didn't want to think about the past. Not now. And probably never. 

All she cared about was her future. 

And she was going to fight like hell to make sure Duncan was a part of it.