A Dream's End {15}

Chapter 15

Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments. I love you guys! Please be patient with the story. I’ve said this many times, but I will say it again. You guys will like the ending of it. Be patient. This story is only about half way through so the anticipated romance is coming.

This time, I did something different (if you haven’t noticed the complete hottie on the right). Lately, I’ve developed a somewhat scary and totally unhealthy obsession for this guy. A Danish model for Gucci and Calvin Klein who is really, really, really hot. He’s name is Matthias Lauridsen. Did I mention he is hot? He's what Eric should look like, except with lighter hair (Matthias Lauridsen's eyes are really blue. If you guys want, the next picture I'll post will be of him with his eyes looking right at you...oh, it's just unbelievably hot). okay I've got to stop my fangirl babbling. I’m totally fawning over him and I need to shut up so you guys can read the story. So enjoy (the story and this lovely, lovely image…) *sigh* he is sooooooo hot.

[Eric]

"Please take me," she begged. It was barely daylight, and she was already here in my room, "please, take me to wherever and whomever you are going to get help for Eric. I don’t want it to be too late. I want to see him alive and well again."

She was kneeling on the side of my bed, looking at me intently with her green eyes. They glistened like stars in the soft light of dawn. I’d always fantasized about waking up and seeing her as the very first thing I see in the morning, but that good feeling was obliterated once I remember for whose sake she came to see me for.

"Please, you promised," she was grasping onto my hand tightly. There was such humbleness in her eyes, such pleading that I felt sure that if I had demanded her to do the most despicable thing possible, she would have done it, all for the sake of Laurence. I was annoyed and touched all at once. Why can’t she show the same love for me? Why does it have to be him?

"Please…"

I pushed myself up from my bed and looked intently at her in the eyes. She did not flinch like she usually did. Her look toward me had somehow softened.

"Are you feeling alright this morning?" I asked.

"Yes," she whispered, looking at me inquiringly.

"Because you are being awfully civil toward me," I answered the question in her eyes.

She lowered her gaze bashfully and smiled. It was the first time that she smiled at me. It felt so wonderful to see that. Her soft rosy lips parted slightly, revealing her straight pearly teeth. Her green eyes glistened softly with a warm golden light through her thick and long layer of raven eyelashes. I felt my own heart skip a beat. I wanted to reach forward and kiss her lips…feel her kissing me back with equal passion…

"I have no reason to be rude and uncooperative when you have agreed to do such a big favor for me and Laurence. I’m not as ungrateful as you would think," she said quietly, as if hoping I would not be able to hear her.

I froze. Cold water splashed over my head, sluicing away the lovely picture I had painted in my mind. Reality is so damned harsh.

So it is all for Laurence again. Why must she pierce my heart over and over again like this? How much can I possibly take?

I mustered a smile. I was sure that it appeared as twisted and unnatural, "Fine. Leave me be so I can change."

She gave a grateful look and walked toward the door. She paused before she opened the door, "there is something else I want to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked, somewhat irritated. Why must I be irritated with her? Did I not vow to myself that she should be kept in the dark about my feelings for her? How am I supposed to expect any feelings in return? But I didn’t want to hear any more words from her mouth that conveyed her eternal love for Laurence. However, I did not expect to hear what she had to say next.

I couldn’t see her face but her voice was gentle when she spoke, "I want to thank you, Lord Asmo…Eric," she corrected herself. Eric…she called me Eric for the first time. And the way she said it…I don’t think my name could sound any better to my ears than if the muses sang it themselves.

"Thank you," she continued in that same voice, "for what you had done for me."

She opened the door and walked out, leaving me sitting there, completely stunned.

So she feels very grateful toward me. I smiled, somewhat bitterly, but otherwise quite happily. That’s something. That’s better than hate or spite. That’s better than what I could ever hope for.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

"So where are we going?" Talia asked, as a servant helped her up on the carriage.

"To Heaven," I told her. Her eyes lit up. I don’t think I have ever seen her so happy. Despite my previous annoyance, and my knowledge of what my action would bring to, a part of me was completely jubilant because I was the one who brought forth her happiness.

I can tell that she was very nervous despite her joy. Her hands kept on twisting themselves in her laps. She kept on tugging at her lovely black hair and gazing about blankly. At times, she bit her lips as if she was going to cry at any given moment because of her nervous agitation.

I looked at her with an excruciating pain in my heart. I can see myself in her. The love she has for Laurence is exactly like the love I have for her. Unconditional, unending and incomparable. I touched the chain that’s hidden underneath my shirt. I was the misfit, the extra person in a love triangle. She would never find a place in her heart to place me in. what good would my love do to her. I could never make her happy if I keep her at my side. Maybe it is best if I let her go completely. She doesn’t belong in my world. She belongs in his world…

"We are here already," the driver said, opening the carriage door.

"Thank you," I whispered. I looked over at Talia, "come with me."

She nodded without a word. Her face was as pale of a sheet. Her eyes were shooting out nervous streaks of light.

"There is nothing to worry about. I promise that I shall do all that’s within my powers to convince the angels to revive Laurence."

She nodded and wordlessly thanked me with a small smile.

I led her to the gates and knocked.

"It’s you again," the messenger angel said. He’s most likely one of the newcomers. He impudently looked over at Talia with great interest in his eyes, "and the girl—"

I glared at him. What idle creatures, those angels!

"Instead of prattling about some nonsense, why don’t you inform your master that Lord Asmodeus is here to discuss important matters concerning someone who is really dear to him?"

There was a look of surprise across his eyes.

"You mean—"

"Did I not tell you to stop talking? Get to work, will you?" I demanded exasperatedly. I looked over at Talia. She was too preoccupied with her own worries to register what is going on at the moment.

The messenger promptly hurried back, "This way," he was slightly out of breath, "Master want to see you right away."

Humph! That old fart!

I gently touched Talia’s arms. She looked up at me in surprise.

"It’s time for us to go in."

She nodded and followed me. She twisted her fingers into a painful position, but she did not notice at all. She was completely oblivious to her surrounding and simply followed me. At some point, she stopped in the middle of the road and just wringed her hand in anguish. I had to lead her by her sleeve to have her keep up.

"Sit down here while I go in and have a talk with the chief angel," I whispered to her. She automatically heeded my words.

I walked in and closed the door securely behind me.

The old man charged like a mad boar at me. His small beady eyes were flashing angrily, his scruffy gray hair standing furiously on top of his head, his ruddy face burning like a ripe tomato. If the situation weren’t so serious, I would have had a good laugh out of this ridiculous image.

"What do you want with me now?" Raphael cried, "and what have you done to Laurence?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

He fell silent. The red blotches on his wizened face began to fade.

I continued.

"What about Laurence…I thought he was your most prized General and your protégé. Why are you not doing anything about his death?"

"What do you care? You’ve always hated him."

"That’s not the point! I’m asking you the question. Quit trying to weasel out of it and put the blame on me."

That sly old fox pretended not have heard me and went on, "I should have known what your plan was…you wanted revenge for what happened two hundred years ago, didn’t you? Well you succeeded! He is now dead! I do not want to hear your falsities here. Be gone, you evil rodent!"

"It has never been my intentions," I said quietly, "I had no part in this. It was all Lady Lucifer’s doing. If you had any brains at all, you would know that it’s not I who did this. Why would I be reprimanding you if I had done it? I would be celebrating at home…"

He looked up at me in surprise.

"So it’s her," he whispered, "but why?"

I did not answer.

He was silent for a while. Then suddenly, he threw his hands up in the air and cried out in anguish.

"But he’s dead! Killed by a vampire while he’s a mortal! Oh!"

Raphael looked at me sadly. For a second, I almost pitied him.

"I wish there is something that I could do—"

"Of course there is something you can do," I interrupted exasperatedly, "you are the archangel of life healing and redemption. You have full power in deciding who lives and who dies."

"You overestimate my powers," he said with a somewhat meek voice, "I still have to follow rules—"

"Rules," I snarled in distaste. My pity for him had completely disappeared from that point on, "what about rules? They are made so that you can break them."

Raphael flinched as if I had uttered the most sinful blasphemy. He looked at me with a look of disbelief and said, "I would never, ever consider breaking the rules."

"That’s right," I muttered bitterly, "I have quite forgotten that you angels are cowards to the extremes."

"Now Lord Asmodeus…"

"Don’t even try to defend yourselves," I interrupted curtly, "you know full well that the right thing to do is to break the rules. He is your one and only protégé after all."

He shook his head like a bumbling fool.

I continued, "and yet you chose to do nothing but wait for someone else to rescue him for you…what do you ask for his life?"

Raphael looked relieved that I had stopped pestering him about his spinelessness, "a life for a life," he said, "that has been the rule for resurrection."

What? What does he take me for? A piece of property ready for trade?

"Are you asking me to give up my life?" I demanded. He cringed back slightly but maintained his composure. He is got to be joking!

"Not your life necessarily," he said quickly, "more like the rest of your soul…that way, you can become a true vampire lord just like everyone else…"

"You want to take the last piece of humanity from me? You think that’s better? Shall I remind you that it was he who has taken the most of my lost humanity?" I demanded.

And they call themselves the righteous and the pure hearted ones? Their hearts are no different than that of Lord Marcus Amon’s and Lady Lilith Lucifer.

"You don’t have to put it like that," he said softly.

"This is outrageous! He is your General! After all, I hate his guts."

"Then why are you pleading for his life? Shouldn’t you be glad that he’s gone?" he asked. What kind of monster is this fool dressed in a white bathrobe?

"You know very well I am glad he is finally gone! But you should know better than anyone the two reasons why I am pleading for his life."

"But you are unwilling to pay—"

So life is just a mere trade for angels…I had always known that their righteousness was all just a fraud…the most appalling kind of pretence. But this is not the time to argue. Talia might grow suspicious and listen in. She can’t take part in this. It would only turn out terribly wrong.

I took a deep breath and continued quite calmly, "Not under the conditions you laid out…I don’t want to become a full vampire…I had never wanted to become a vampire in the first place. I was here because of another despicable deal I made with you. I hope you remember that."

He backed away from me. At that moment, I was so angry that I was sure my face was a frightening sight to behold.

"I cannot agree to revive him under any other term."

"Then I will pay it."

Talia!

I looked at her in shock.

She had been listening at the door. I should have known! I shouldn’t have taken her here with me today!

"What are you doing here Talia?" I demanded, rushing to her side.

"Talia?" I can hear Raphael gasping in surprise upon hearing her name.

She did not notice. She was too lost in thought with the important agenda on her mind.

The nervous look on her face was gone. It was replaced by a look of quiet defiance and unmistakable determination. Her emerald eyes blazed fiercely as she advanced toward Raphael.

"I will pay the price with my soul," she whispered, "as long as you revive Laurence."

Raphael stared at her with recognition mingled with astonishment.

"Talia? What in the world? It can’t really be you, can it?" he stared at her fixedly, "but yes…that look, that face! I should have recognized you before…but…how in the world did you end up here? I thought you were on earth all these time! When did this happen? I don’t understand…how did you…"

He turned toward me to give me burning look. I avoided his gaze.

She gave him a puzzled look.

"NO!" I hollered at her menacingly.

She can’t do this. She has no idea what she is doing. Her infatuation with Laurence is getting to her head. I can’t let her—

She ignored me and walked confidently toward Raphael, who stared at her eyes with incredulity.

"Your eyes! The mark of vampire royalty!" I heard him speaking softly with a tone of disgust, "your face! You have the blood of vampires in you! You are no longer merely human! Oh! There’s no saving your soul!"

"Don’t do it," I grabbed hold of her arm, "don’t do this! You will regret it."

She turned around and looked at me, "Thank you for your warning," she whispered. Her voice contained a quiet and determined sense of finality, "but I have made up my mind."

Raphael continued to stare at her with mingled disbelief and repugnance. That old crone! I stared at him with hate. How dare he look at her like she is some slime off of his shoes!

With a fluid gesture, he conjured up one of his despicable contract. I spent enormous effort not to go up to him and tear the paper up to shreds.

He sighed quietly and muttered to him, "I guess that couldn’t be helped. The damage is already done. She already has vampire blood in her. It’s impossible to turn her back to her original form," he shook his head wretchedly, "what is heaven coming to these days. All these angels fallen from grace…"

"Shut up!" I turned and hissed at him before he could reveal anything else.

I looked at Talia. Luckily, she was so preoccupied with her chaotic thoughts that she did not hear him.

Raphael looked at me, and for once in his life, he obeyed my words without any complaints or hesitation.

"Sign here," he motioned to her. His voice brought her back to reality, "and I will revive Laurence."

She walked toward him and I blocked the way.

"Do you understand that once you sign it, you will become a vampire queen?" his eyes were grave.

"Yes," she whispered without looking at me in the eyes.

"Do you understand that you will have to kill humans, innocent or guilty, torture them until they are completely void of all hopes and emotions except for anguish, pain and despair?"

She looked up at me with a look of sadness horror in her eyes, but nodded.

"You are in pain," I whispered, "you don’t have to do this. It doesn’t have to be him, does it? Can’t you give him up?"

"Yes it does. He’s the only one I love, he’s the only one I could ever love," she said with fervent sincerity.

I sucked in fresh air, but that did not seem to have alleviated the heavy weight and pain on my chest.

"You will regret it," I repeated.

She simply smiled, "I will only regret it if I don’t try to save his life."

"But you may never be able to be with him…an angel and the demon queen can never be together…Never! And there is no going back once you’ve signed this contract."

There was a look of pain on her face, and a glimpse of indecision, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. When she spoke, her voice remained self-assured.

"Don’t worry, Lord Asmodeus," she said gently, "I’m willing to pay any price to see him alive again."

I stood rooted on the spot. Her words…so familiar to my ears. Yes, this is what I would have done for her. I could heart my heart snapping in two.

"Then let me take your place," I began involuntarily, without thinking over the consequences of my words.

She looked at me in utter astonishment. Then her eyes softened into a look of deepest gratitude and admiration, "no, Eric," she whispered. My heart melted at that moment, "no. I cannot ask you to do that for me. I love him. I think our love will lose value if you were to take my place to protect him when he is in need."

Her smile was melancholy. But I could not forget that look in her eyes. It was as if she no longer saw me as a vampire king. It was as if she finally sees me with her eyes unclouded by her past hate and prejudice. I almost felt a twinge of hope at her words. I could not forget for as long as I live that look of recognition and acceptance in her eyes. With that look, if my life were to end at that moment, I would feel that my life had not been a complete waste.

But I couldn’t stop her when she placed her fingers around the cold fountain pen. I couldn’t even move when she raised her hand and placed it on the paper. I tried to call out to her, but I couldn’t. All I could do was watching her sealing her terrible fate with every stroke of the pen. I know exactly how I feel. I know that at this moment, our feelings are mirrored. Why couldn’t we sacrifice for each other, and be with each other until the end? Why does it have to be him?

There were tears in her eyes when she looked up. They were tears of sadness merged with that of joy. She walked out of the room slowly, as if in a trance, without a backward glance.

At that moment, I don’t know whose heart hurt more, hers or mine. All I know is that I wish I could rip it out of my chest. Instead of experiencing such acute agony, I had rather not to feel anything at all.

"Where is his body?" Raphael brought me back to reality.

"I brought it with me," I clapped my hands once.

There was clattering sounds in the hall way and several servants brought the body in. Laurence was dressed in a fresh shirt and pants. His body has been washed thoroughly before being brought to here.

"Have you seen Talia?" I whispered to him, "Is she in the other room?"

"I have not seen her," he informed me.

She must be in so much pain at this moment. I worry…

"Find her quick and keep her safe! You must keep her from harming herself!" I ordered fervently. He was surprised with my sudden burst of emotions but nodded curtly and left, but not without giving a death glare and a sneer to Raphael, who pretended not to have noticed.

He gently lifted the body up from where it was lying as if it were made of feathers.

At that moment, Talia walked back into the room. Her face was grim. But when she saw Raphael’s glowing hand slowly removing the large and deadly wound from his chest, a delighted smile spread all over her face, from the corners of her lips all the way to her glowing eyes.

Her lips parted in astonishment as a warm golden glow enveloped his entire body.

A pair of large white wings unfolded from his back. I heard her whisper softly, "my angel!"

I felt my whole heart shattering into pieces…so he plans to take everything from me, even her illusions…so this is the end.

Laurence collapsed on the bed once more. A small, frightened cry escaped from her lips. She ran toward Laurence in great agitation but Raphael barred the way.

"In his angel’s state, he could not be touched by the future vampire queen," he said, "He would be stained forever with the impurity of your soul."

Talia looked as if she had been slapped across the face. She bit her lips to hold back her tears, but she was unsuccessful. A large drop escaped her eyes. She turned away and quickly wiped them away.

There was a look of pity in his eyes. I wanted to kill this two-faced old fool right here…he was the one who had brought this upon her and he dared to call her impure…but I thought better of it.

"Aaron," I motioned to the vampire standing in the shadows, "take Talia home."

He looked at her curiously, and in a semi-courteous voice, he said, "your majesty."

I don’t think she could hear anything at this point. She would have snarled at Aaron, telling him to get lost any other day, but today she didn’t. She simply stood there, staring blankly into space. The shock and the pain seemed to have paralyzed her senses. I motioned to Aaron to take her hand and without any resistance, he lead her out of the room.

There was a movement from the bed. Raphael let out a delighted cry.

The angel figure rose from the bed and spread out his somewhat wrinkled wing. He looked up at Raphael. The later bowed low in deep respect. Then his gaze landed on me.

"Hello, Laurence," I greeted him. I felt my insides freeze over as his familiar dark brown eyes peered intently into my dark blue one. I haven’t seen him face to face in so many years, and yet, I felt no desire to see him again, especially not now.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking as he looked at me. When he spoke, his voice seemed steady enough, "It’s been too long, my little brother," he said.

sorry if this chapter was really overwhelming as well. I didn’t really want to divide it into two chapters. The plot will be slowing down a little after this. I think after the last couple chapters, you guys need some time to breath :)

Also I really hoped you guys liked the picture of "Eric"! If you guys like it, then I will put a different picture of him in the story every time. I have so many good pictures saved but I just didn't know which one to pick. man, how can a guy be so hot.

PLEASE, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! THANKS