The Curse of the Blood Moon: The Beginning of Darkness

Chapter Seventeen: Giving In

  The next morning, Avistus wakes to a still sleeping Victoria. He walks over to where she lays and calls to her. However, she simply rolls over and grumbles. After a few more failed attempts, the angel finally loses patience and picks her up. Victoria's eyes fly open and she jolts, almost falling from an embrace to the floor. Avistus dawns a shocked expression and holds her more firmly.

Her heart begins to thump, nervous at how tightly her chest is pressed against his. Avistus begins to feel overwhelmed with an intense emotion. His eyes soften and he becomes lost in his thoughts and feelings. He can feel her heart thumping against his chest, as if speaking to his own. Meanwhile, Victoria feels awkward, knowing that even though she has feelings for Avistus, he doesn't feel the same.

"Avistus, I'm awake now," she calls shyly to the dazed angel. His eyes stare into space and he doesn't seem to notice her speak. "Hey! I said-," before she can finish her words she is falling back onto the bed. Avistus had released his grip and as she falls, he follows quickly. He manages to catch her and floats with her, hovering above the bed. Victoria is confused and overwhelmed with emotions.

"Is something wrong with him?" As theories and questions fill her mind, Avistus tries to decipher his own emotions. "If I had let her land on the bed, if I had given in to my desires, how would she have responded?" Pulled by an overwhelming tug at his heart, Avistus presses his lips against hers softly. Victoria's eyes stare at him shocked, though he can't see because his eyes are closed. Feelings she has fought since back in Orde, break through her barrier.

She has wanted this for so long. To feel his strong arms wrap around her gentle frame in a way other than complacent. To feel his warm lips on hers as they send shock waves of emotion through her. She almost gets lost in his warmth as she kisses him back. However, Draven pops into her mind, and she pushes the angel back gently. Avistus was clearly reading her, because he seems to understand perfectly.

  His heart sinks and his stomach tightens, and he gently lets her go. "I waited too long. It's nothing for you to feel guilty about," he states with a slightly saddened tone. Thinking it was just a way for him to read her, she lets relief wash over her and is grateful that she doesn't have to explain. Victoria doesn't look back at Avistus as he hangs his head, watching her run to check on Draven.  As she rushes upstairs, her heart begins to thump heavily. Hoping with all of her might that Draven is okay, she reaches for the door knob. "Come in," Draven replies weakly before she's even touched the handle.

Victoria flings the door open, tears filling her eyes and threatening to spill over. There lies Draven. He is far paler than usual and his skin looks very dry and almost cracked.  Her stomach sickens at the sight of him. "Draven!? Are you okay?" She rushes to his side and grabs his hand. He feebly turns his head to look at her. She quickly places her wrist to his mouth and puts a hand on his forehead. Draven just looks at her and lets a single blood drop fall from his eye.

"What are you doing?! It's okay, just feed please!" Victoria begs him crying frantically. "I... can't.." He manages to force the words from his dry throat. "You can, I will help you." She uses magic to cut her wrist and starts to place it on his lips. He turns away, refusing her. "Draven what are you doing?!" "I.. don't want you... to think this is all you are.. to me." "It's okay, I know that now and I'm so sorry please, please you have to feed."

He looks at her for a minute or two and then drinks from her slowly. Just as the color and smoothness comes back to his face, he stops. Renewed, he stands up and hugs Victoria. "I can never do this again. This cannot happen again Victoria.." She looks up at his calm voice as he kisses her forehead. She closes her eyes, a warm sense of reassurance that Draven is okay washes over her.  She savors this feeling for a brief moment and starts to respond, but upon opening her eyes again, Draven is gone.

"Draven!?" Victoria calls out  into the silence and searches out of the window, nothing is seen. She goes inside of her mind to talk to him. "Draven please! Why have you left? This isn't your fault, I know it isn't my blood. Please come back to me!" After waiting for a full hour and repeating her calls, she gives up. She can't move, she just lays where Draven was laying. She can still smell him there, almost feel him as well. She closes her eyes and goes into a deep, calming sleep.

While Victoria was checking on Draven, Avistus went out to scout the area and make sure it was safe. Upon returning he grew concerned at the stillness of the house and went upstairs to check on Victoria. He opens the door to see her lying there. "Victoria?!" He rushes over to her, checking her pulse and breathing. She seems fine, but her breathing is extremely slow and shallow and her coloring is pasty.

"Victoria, wake up.." Avistus calls out to her thinking she is sleeping. When she doesn't respond to him, he decides to lay beside her and join her in her dreams. Soon the forest clearing appears and he can see Victoria floating on the pond asleep. "That's never happened before.." He walks into the water to gently wake her, but when he reaches out his hand to touch her, he is repelled.

"Victoria, what are you doing?!" For what seems like forever, he tries again and again to break the barrier placed around her. "She won't wake up Avistus.." A calm, motherly voice resounds throughout the forest. "Goddess?" "She has unknowingly cast a spell that causes her eternal sleep. A coma if you will." Avistus's eyes widen and begin to fill with tears. Confused by his emotions, he wipes his face and becomes angry. "Why would she do this to herself?!"

"All she ever wanted was love, and all she has ever received is pain.. even the strongest of hearts succumb to love, except for demons and angels. Demons cannot feel love or it's associated emotions for this very reason, Angels feel nothing but right, wrong and loyalty for the same reason." The angel looks at her and feels the tears slowly falling from his eyes. "Then why am I crying?" He asks angrily through gritted teeth. "You do not revel in the emotions opposite of love, so you could learn. Naturally however, you do not love," the Goddess explains this as if it is so simple and straightforward.

"How can I wake her?" "Did you not see the barrier? She will let nobody ever love her or hurt her again. It is time to find my other child and watch over her." Avistus stares angrily at Victoria and the Goddess. He refuses to forget her, or to start all over again. Summoning all of his strength he charges once more at the barrier. As he crashes into the invisible wall, he breaks many of his bones. "What on EARTH!?" He writhes in agony and anger as he waits for his injuries to heal.

Seeing the angry angel more subdued and therefore more likely to listen, the Goddess speaks to him once again. "Avistus..one could have stayed.. she could have kept one of you.. " After that, she disappears. Avistus stares at his reflection in the water and punches it, angry at himself. "All of this time, we could have had that.. nobody ever told me, why didn't anyone ever tell me?!"