Black Star

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Arthur and I left the camp for relatives a few minutes after and he ordered the guards to lock me up in a cell.

- Wait! he exclaimed just before I left.

The guards let go of me and led me to Arthur.

He slid his knife along my cheek and I groaned. Black blood dripped from it and he let it go in a small flask.

- I needed that, he said.

The guards shoved me out and I got quite annoyed. But hey, I was going to die tomorrow and after that, it would be the end.

- Diana.

Somebody cried my name in a whisper. I sat up straight against the bars of the cell. I recognised that voice.

- Ian?

Relief flooded me. Ian. I felt this urge to kiss him until I die because I find it would be a better way to die.

He surges out of the darkness and his face is now visible. I notice guilty in his eyes. I hug him to make him feel better, but I stay careful for my stomach.

- I missed you a lot.

- Is it true? They are killing you on Mount Olympus?

Mount Olympus? So this camp was in Greece. I was going to die in Greece. Where it starts, it all ends.

- I think so.

He pulls off and looks at me.

- That won’t happen.

Ian had so much hope, it seemed adorable, but impossible. Like a tiny child saying that he would fly to you. Cute, but seems impossible.

- Ian, there is no hope. It’s for sure that it will be the end.

He shook his head and tears fell on his cheek.

- Diana, I don’t care about that stupid curse of mine. I care about you. I should have never bought you here in the first place. You should've stayed home and you would have been safe from all of this. You would still be alive.

But that would have never happened. I would never let him go alone.

- It doesn’t matter, Ian.

I lean against him and gently kiss him. It wasn’t the first time we kissed when Ian was teary. The first time we’d ever kissed, it was because Ian refused the fact that I would die. One of Menodora’s visions affirmed that my death was to be seen.

He pulled off gently tried to avoid eye contact with me. I wiped his tears off. He looked at my stomach.

- You know that it isn’t a boy, he says.

It wasn’t? Was Menodora wrong?

- Then what is it, Ian?

He put his hand on my stomach.

- Twins. A boy and a girl. Menodora said so. She didn’t want Arthur to know.

A boy and a girl. Twins.

- What will you name them, Diana?

- I will name the boy after my dad. The girl after Annie and after your mom.

Ian’s mom—Marguerita—died a long time ago. Ian was immortal, so he lived longer than the usual.

- Stefan Luneburg and Marguerita Annie Luneburg.

They were fine names. I liked them very much. Though it disappointed me that I would never get to see them.

I tried to imagine a girl with blue eyes and dark hair. A boy with striking grey eyes and sinister hair. Me and Ian had the same hair. A funny thought came over me and I tried to imagine Kyle and Cecelia having a baby. Blond hair, maybe Kyle’s burnt face. Red big lips like Cecelia. Greyish eyes like a Barbie doll. But the happy thoughts faded away thinking of what Arthur would do to my friends once I was dead.

Ian and Menodora talked about the babies. She was in the cell next to me. Me, my heart was pounding. Ian and my mentor were trying to find a solution. I was going to die in five hours. Cecelia and Kyle were in the cell face to me and I noticed that they looked very deeply at each other. They were in love, for sure. Ismania and Braden didn’t seem too different from theses two. Now everyone had someone to love. But the difference is that soon enough, the person who Ian loves will be dead. And that meant me. Arthur’s footsteps pounded in the corridor.

He leaned towards me and I looked at the wall in front of me. I didn’t want to look at him.

- Once you are gone, Diana, your friends will be taken captive in the camp.

I turn at that.

- Let them go. Leave them alone.

He shook.

- No can do. The people are eager to meet Ian.

Ian was listening to this. Everyone was.

- Why me?

- Because you had the babies with Diana.

No they weren’t… Hold it. Did Arthur just say babies in the plural?

- How do you know that there are babies?

Menodora shrieked at that. I could guess that it just blew their plan. Arthur wasn’t supposed to know.

- I know lots, Diana. I even know their names. Next time, when you talk with Ian, try to avoid the guards hearing you. You aren’t the only eavesdropper here.

He left and I got even more scared than I already was. What was going to happen? Nobody could ever be as hopeless as me.

I mentally count every second until eleven o clock. At eleven thirty, Arthur was going to bring me back to that infected camp and my friends—including Ian—will have to watch. I was upset by the fact that I didn’t come up with a plan. If I had, I could’ve escaped by now. Could’ve been safe from Arthur. But now, we already have an end. In this ending, I die and Arthur wins it all.

He came in the cell and led my friends to camp first. I watched them go and felt sorrow. This was all my fault. Because I lost hope in everything. If I was going to die, I wanted my friends to be free. I needed at least that to die in satisfaction. I wondered how I would die. I already knew that Arthur was going to make it slow and painful, but I would like to see how.

The guards opened the cell and I didn’t bother to escape or struggle. Arthur came to me.

- Do you want to be blindfolded? I personally would’ve done the choice, but Jennifer said that it should be yours.

I laughed at that. But before Arthur could say anything, I shook my head.

- I don’t want to. I want to be able to see Ian before I die. At least, I’d rather see him than a piece of thread.

Arthur sighed and led me to the gym. It would be the last time I would go to that gym. I wouldn’t visit it ever again. But I didn’t really care.

This gym was filled with bad memories. From when the crowd wanted me dead until when they discovered what I was. I partially regret killing Scarlett. It just gave Arthur another reason to blame me. On everything.

- You should be proud. You’ll go down in history.

I sarcastically laughed at Arthur’s comment.

- You're right, he said. That couldn’t be possible.

I was tired and I wanted to collapse on the ground and die right away. Adrenaline moving through my veins made me nauseous at the thought of the blood. Especially mine.

I watched as Arthur pronounced the words to open the portal. This time, I wasn’t as scared to go through.

I didn’t feel safe either, but that was another thing.

I entered the portal and closed my eyes for the last time.