Melody of Blood and Night

Nine

Silence had fallen over the room, tormentingly loud as it closed in on her, growing and growing until all she could hear was the sound of blood rushing through her ears. She felt it scuttle over her skin like a spider, seeping into her blood, freezing her mind.

The silence was poison, killing her slowly, agonizingly. She felt herself standing on the edge of a cliff, where falling was only a shuddering breath away. She did not dare blink and risk initiating her incessant fall into the endless pit of despair that waited for her below.

"What?" Aedlyn stammered in a small voice. Maybe she had misinterpreted the meaning of Ghislaine's words.

"You need to die." The Vampyress repeated darkly. That was it. The final push. She felt the ground slip from underneath her as she fell. Her heart sank as the little ray of hope she had seen, began to fade.

"But I cannot let that happen." The Vampyress avowed. Everything stopped as soon as those words reached her ears. Her heart sped up as she reached out towards the beam of hope. She clung to it, like a child clings to his mother's bosom.

"Why?"

"You owe me a life debt. Your life is mine. Only I can take it or give it away-" Ghislaine answered firmly. Then, after a little pause, her face softened almost unnoticeably as she added, "-And you are my best assassin."

Aedlyn laughed despite herself, understanding the emotion behind the words as she asserted, "That I am."

A small smile still playing at her lips, she asked, "How do we begin?" Ghislaine's crimson eyes twinkled, the corner of her mouth lifting into a rare, half-smile as she replied, "With a potion."

Aedlyn scuffed up the stairs that led to her room, lost in her thoughts. She replayed their conversation in her head, mulling over the Vampyress' words and warnings. She fueled the hope that Ghislaine had ignited within her as she turned right, into the corridor leading to her room when an earnest voice called out to her. Caelan's voice.

She halted, unsure of how to react, before slowly turning to face him. She found herself gazing into the penetrating blue of those sky-colour eyes. Her heart sped up despite herself.

She schooled her face into a mask of impassivity, betraying none of the emotions that roiled beneath the surface. When he said nothing, she sighed and began to leave, but before she could walk away, Caelan grabbed her wrist, "Aedlyn please..."

She had every intention to free her hand from his grip and walk away, she had much, much more pressing matters to deal with at the moment but her feet wouldn't move, no matter how hard she willed them to, they were stuck to the spot as if someone had nailed them to the floor.

She swore inwardly with her back turned to him, "I'm sorry." He apologized.

"It's alright."

"Really?"

"Yes," Aedlyn spun around and assured him in a flat voice with a dead look in her eyes.

"Does that mean I can kiss you now?" Caelan said in a husky voice as he stepped closer, his sapphire eyes strayed to her full, rosy lips. Her heartbeat quickened as she blinked.

"No!" she chastised, both him and herself.

"What!? Why?" his face fell.

"Seriously?" Aedlyn scoffed in disbelief, as she stared him down with a scowl on her face.

"Well, we can talk when you have found the answer to that question."

"Aedlyn just...please...I know I hurt you and that I shouldn't have said the things I did...but I was...mad. I was mad that you didn't tell me. And that anger manifested into doubt and-" "