Forbidden: Leadership

Chapter 7

-VALERIE'S P.O.V-

    The kills just aren't the same. I've been doing nothing but clearing the dens. I can gladly say I have killed half the vampires in the world.
    But I mean, it's small work? I'm still in debates about going to hell but I'm thinking there might be a better way to get rid of my pains. I could go numb again, but it would be pointless. I went through so much shit to just feel this pain. I deserve it all.
     I turn invisible and make sure the link is still off before teleporting to Ninfa. Her beauty.. It's like no other..
    Though now I only see her cry a lot. Sometimes she can sense me. She's so beautiful... the belly bump. It's so adorable.
   I slow time and lightly kiss her belly. I stand and resume time. Her hand presses where I kissed.
"Please show yourself... Val."
    I slow time again and lightly kiss her forehead before backing away. I'm only killing myself. I'm only making my pain worse.
    I wipe her tears before resuming time.
"Please.."
     Her eyes show too much sadness. Only break me more... I have to leave..
     I do this... at least once while she's awake. Just to hear her voice. Then lay with her for a few minutes at night.
     My home is suppose to be in her arms... I feel so fucking lost.
     My wife is 7 months pregnant. Pleads for me to stay but I'm not. I don't. I don't stay for her sake. It's for her. She deserves so much better.
     It all hurts unbelievably. If I knew killing him would cause me to lose everything... I would have had him in hell. If I knew then... what I know now... I would have played it all so differently.
    I curl up on the bed. Just an hour or two. That's all. For now.
    
     As the day starts anew here, I know she sleeps at the island and I visit. She sleeps. So beautiful.
    I lay in the bed next to her and just watch her. She probably dreams of my mistakes and all the pain I have caused her.
"Why don't you stay?"
"It won't work." I whisper.
"How can you be so sure?"
"That's why I can't. If I stay.. what if she doesn't actually forgive me? And I can say I'm sorry all I want... But I am trying to make up for my mistakes.. this is all I know how to do."
"If you would stay, it would fix everything."
"I have doubts, my friend."
"I dare you."
    I laugh softly. "You can't be serious. I wouldn't anyway. But that was truly funny."
    The tiger sighs. "You two are stupid. She hates herself for pushing you away. She forgave you but now hates herself. You're doing whatever you're doing while also stalking her. You just need to get back together."
"She deserves better."
"She deserves the being that got her pregnant to suck it up and stay when she asks."
     The tiger does have a point. But it doesn't work like that. I can't just stay and that be it. There would be a long conversation that I'm just too tired for.
     She shifts and I quickly get up. I make myself unseen from her.
"Val?"
     She sighs heavily and gets up she runs to the bathroom. I've always ended up here for these too. But they're caused by me, so makes sense.
   I slow time and put her hair up. Taking towels and a wet rag, I set them next to her. As I resume time, she heaves. Her cries with it make me tear up.
    She sits back a moment later.
"If you take care of me. Are here for this. Why don't you show? Can you not see I need you?"
    I slow time again to speak. It's the only way I can answer without her hearing me. But it's easy to get it off my chest this way.
"I'm doing all of this for you, Nin. I swear to you. Your pain is not worse than my own. I killed Lucifer to save the world but lost the only thing I love."
    I resume time and she just sighs heavily.
"If you won't show because you think I don't forgive you, I do. I understand now. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to explain. I need you, Valerie. We need you."
    I slow time again and kiss her cheek. I lift her and return her to the bed.
"You deserve better, Nin."
    I allow time to resume. I want this so badly. But things won't be the same again.
    She sighs. "If you care. I love you, Valerie. And I would like it if you returned home."
    I stand at the foot of the bed. Just looking down. I lightly sigh.
    I leave before she can say anything else to add to this pain. It's like this is hell for me but I have to make sure she's okay.
    I take to another den. Listening into the shadows.
"When do we surface?"
"We need to lay low. Lucifer just died. His offspring is much stronger than he is if she could kill him and no one else couldn't."
    I shrug to his words. I did, yeah but it drained me.
"If she takes crown we all are going to die."
    Probably. Most likely. Yes. Definitely.
"Word has it she's mia. Not even her angel."
"Anyone work a way out to kill her?"
    My blood boils. I'm ready to kill.
"Nope. Plus she's pregnant. And no one can find her either."
"Maybe they ran away together."
     I wish. That would be so much easier than the heartache. It's worse then when I thought she was terrified of me. Though.. I guess it's been 2 months too. Eh.
"I don't know. I doubt it. That angel has been spotted working with witches."
    Why the fuck would Ninfa be messing with witches? And working with them? She's pregnant. I know she's invincible but still.
"Where did you hear that?"
"A witch in the west quarter. She's also been seen with some old guy. He looks like her grandpa or something."
    I almost want to laugh to the description of the Elder.
"When darkness falls, we are reborn. Our dream since the fall of man. We are reborn."
    I sneak in further and do a wide swing. It takes off both of their heads but it gather the attention of the others. They make it so easy. So easy, too easy to have fun with.
    Within a minute, I'm out and cloaking the den before taking the skies again. I sigh and breathe in deeply. A strange but familiar feeling comes over me.
    I'm being summoned. I hate this. It's like one way video. You can see where I am but I cannot with you.
    Taken by a cloud of smoke... I'm dropped into.. into.. this strange place. The lights are out. No noises or smells or anything.
    No one is here. Who summoned me to this place if I'm not going to be given a face of my caller?
    The lights flick on and I'm in a box? A room? No door or anything other than a speaker and bed in the corner. Like a jail cells, with the toilet and all.
"Who summoned me?"
"It was the only way." A muffled and electronically toned voice says.
     I try to teleport out but can't. Nothing can normally stop me? This place has high magic. I could break out but it would take too much energy and I don't want to use my energy to break my way out.
    I sigh heavily. "Why am I here? Why do you want me? Is there going to pain and torture in this? Can I look forward to you trying to kill me? Will I ever meet you, mysterious one?"
"Reasons. No torture. Not trying to kill. To contain."
"Yay." I say with fake joy and flop on the cot that was given.
    I want to get out of here so I can figure out why Ninfa was working with witches. But this is the 3rd summoning I've had in the pass 2 months. Demons and witches and other monsters have good timing. Like to kick you when you're down an then kick you when you get back up.
    What if she is working on deactivating the protection spell so she can harm herself? What if.. what if she wants to die.. because of me. All these things just rush into my head and I'm overthinking.
    I wish I could go to her. See her beautifulness again.
"Do you know why you're here?"
"Because I killed my father. You want to persuade me to be queen. Same stories for everyone."
"Not quite so. You did do those thing and we are thankful for that. There is something else that needs to be done."
   A white fog takes over the room choking me. The fog makes me....it's.. Quickly sending me to sleep.

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