2050: A Time of Courage

Chapter 25: Dimitri/Lilian

Dimitri

"Did you do this? Did you poison her? Rosalie is only eight, how could you even think of doing something like this to her? I swear on my life, I will do this right now! I will kill you! You are a fiend, a monster, and I knew I could not trust you!" I am shaking as I shout at Alessa, the full force of my anger directed at her.

One, two, three glasses leave the table because of me, aimed in Alessa's vicinity. Despite being less agile, the girl somehow manages to avoid being harmed by the assault. She is screaming at me, though the sound is accompanied by no words. She sounds nearly animalistic, like a wild beast of some kind that has failed to get its way.

I scarcely notice what is going on behind me, that Theo is leaving the room with Rose. When he conveys this, I give him a noncommittal response, telling him that I will be right behind even though I know I will be here a while.

Alessa is going to pay.

She will pay for hurting Rosalie, for making Theo so upset, for bringing harm to yet another person I am close to.

I could not avenge Katerina's death, or my uncle's. Those, I've come to realize, were accidental.

This, what Alessa has done, was the farthest thing from an accident I have ever witnessed.

I begin gathering the utensils from the table, throwing one of the more menacing knives at Alessa.

This one meets its mark, sinking into her shoulder as she throws herself at me in a clumsy imitation of a common battle move.

She pulls the blade forcefully from her shoulder, slipping it into her pocket with a devilish glare.

"I will use this to stop anyone who gets in my way. Thank you for that, at least, but you will still pay for doing that!" she shrieks, somehow managing to tackle me, "I do not harm those who avoid harming me. Rosalie didn't listen to me, and you ... you have to face the consequences that come with trying to hurt me."

With one hand, Alessa catches both my wrists,effectively preventing me from releasing the knife I still hold. She pulls it from my fingers with the other hand, a sinister smirk playing across her face as she reaches for a pitcher on the edge of the table. She sets it down next to her as she sits on me.

Struggling proves feudal; while Alessa may have a disadvantage in the form of her limp, she weighs more than I do and she is not perturbed by any of my numerous kicks.

"So, poor Theodore has taken Shorty away." Alessa purrs, picking up the knife again with her free hand, "Maybe he can find the rest of your friends, convince Emilio to continue his trend of leaving us. Maybe they will find the apothecary in time. Maybe. Even if they do, you will never see them again. I will make sure of it."

Alessa brings the blade of the knife to my forehead, pressing it firmly against the skin until she manages to draw blood.

"This will be fun, won't it?"

She smiles at me, her gaze slightly unfocused as she makes another slash mark on my left cheek. A few seconds after this cut forms, the first one begins to heal.

Alessa glares at me, her face beginning to turn red.

"So you are one of those Superiors." she sighs, "That would be a nice power to have, I imagine. Healing yourself? How does that work if you take a knife to the brain? The chest? I bet you cannot heal from that. But, that would be a boring way to die, don't you think? I am a lot of things, but I am not boring."

"You have gone mad, Alessa." My voice is little more than a snarl as I glare at her.

"I have a plan for you." she continues, "But first-"