Fallen Chapter Twenty-Eight

 

        Chapter Twenty-Eight    

 

 Cooper was still as amazingly beautiful as the first time I saw him, only this time he had no expression on his gorgeous face.

 “Cooper?” I asked quietly, inching towards him.

 “Hello Kennley.” His voice was low and threatening, I took a step back immediately. 

 “I thought you were dead.” Not the truth but I was so afraid of him of what he was going to do to me.

 I knew Cooper would never hurt me intentionally. He loved me more than anything in this world but with Nicolai’s influence and his missing soul there was no telling what he would do. I could not even sense his soul like I had with Nicolai.

 “Oh I’m quite alive, well in a way.” He looked at the floor and laughed wickedly.

 He started moving towards me, laughing that wicked laugh. I backed away from him, not wanting to attack but I also did not want him to attack me. I looked around for some kind of shield but there was nothing for me to use except for the couch cushions.

 “What is wrong, are you afraid of me? You used to want me to touch you, to hold you.” Almost on top of me now, he stared in to my eyes. His eyes, once so deep and beautiful, were now nothing but a mockery of what they once were. His eyes had no color left to them; there was no light shining back at me.

 “That was the old you, the one that loved me and would never do anything to hurt me.” I could feel the traitor tears beginning to fall. I wiped them away as fast as I could.

 “Well honey this is the new me, the better me.”

 “No, you are no longer the one that I love, the one I am supposed to be with forever.” More tears began to fall and this time in earnest. I could not find a way to stop them.

 Cooper was almost directly in front of me now, raising his hands. He gave me one wicked smile and clapped.

 “Cooper NO!” I screamed as I ducked out of the way, landing behind the chair. The bolt he had clapped was bigger than the one Marcus had clapped towards Nicolai.

 I felt the chair shudder when the bolt hit, sending chair innards everywhere. I heard Cooper laugh maniacally. I peeked around to see where he was standing but he was gone.

 “Peek-a-Boo I see you.” Cooper was standing in front of me again. I whipped my head around to see his face a few inches away from mine.

 “W-Why are you doing this?” I stuttered.

 “Because when my parents needed saving no one was there for them. The others just let Nicolai kill them, I had no one.” He spit the words in to my face, sneering.

 “That is not true. I-I am sure Colby did everything she could.” I did not know if that was the truth but it just had to be. She had come to save me or maybe she has come to kill me.

 “Colby? She does not care about anybody else. She came here to kill you, did you know that?” He cocked his head to the side, daring me to argue with him.

 A movement out of the corner of my eyes caught my attention. I looked away from Cooper’s penetrating stare and looked at it. I could not believe what I was seeing. Cooper, well Cooper’s soul was standing behind his body, staring at me. I looked deep with in the soul’s milky eyes, seeing what I must do to save him.

 “You must Kennley, there is no other way. Use your powers to kill me. Strike me with all the power you have. I cannot enter any other way.” Cooper’s soul spoke in whispers, as if he was speaking with the sick. It was eerie to hear his voice come out of the transparent soul.

 “I cannot. I cannot kill you, I won’t.” I spoke in my head knowing he could hear me.

 “You must.” Was all he said before Cooper, his body, picked me up by the throat; I stumbled backwards as he pushed me to the center of the room.

 I squirmed in his grip, he was not quite choking me but it was uncomfortable knowing that all he had to do was squeeze.

 “Now, what should we do? Nicolai said to kill you but I do not think that would be wise. The boss is not always the smartest. He is too rash in his decisions. I think you can be persuaded to join us.” He looked me up and down as if I was a piece of meat.

 “Ugh!” I looked away from him and stared at his soul.

 “You do not think so?” He cocked his head to the side again, waiting for my answer.

 “No and I do not think you would have joined Nicolai willingly either. I would rather be dead.” I said the truth as boldly as I could muster but my voice shook.

 “Fine.” He stepped away from me, turning his back to me.  

 I looked at Cooper’s soul for guidance. I did not want to do this but if it could save Cooper than I would do what I had to.

 He still had his back turned from me, I raised my hands slowly, they were shaking so hard I did not think I would be able to clap hard enough.

 “I’m so sorry.” I whispered as I brought my hands together.

 Cooper turned slowly around hearing my apology. I saw his eyes grow three times bigger, almost popping out of his head as he watched me clap. I turned my head away; I did not want to watch the bolt slam in to his chest.

 I felt the energy, the heat of the bolt run down my arms and in to my hands. It was the most powerful feeling I have ever felt, I knew it was going to be enough. Maybe too much?

 I heard Cooper grunt in pain and then a loud crash. He had landed on the lamp and side table, extinguishing the little light there was in the small space. When I could no longer hear the sound of debris landing, I opened my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the dark. I clapped in another light, one of those industrial ones that light up anywhere.

 I could see his feet dangled over the arm of the chair, what was left of the chair. I ran to him tripping over the debris that littered the floor.

 “Cooper!” I screamed, “Cooper!”  Tears were flowing down my cheeks, stinging my eyes.

 When I finally reached him, I broke down in to sobs. Kneeling next to him, I could see where the bolt had connected, the burn mark was smoldering. I sobbed harder as I saw some blood staining his once white shirt. I picked up his head gently, trying not to disturb him to much.

 “Cooper, I’m so sorry. Cooper!” I bent my head to hear if he was breathing. He was not.

 “NO! Cooper, you said! You said this is what I had to do! You promised!” I buried my head in his hair, stroking his cheek with my hand.

 “Cooper please. I need you!” I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe.

 I sat up and heaved in my breathes, trying to find Cooper’s soul. I was surprised that the others surrounded me. Marcus was inching towards me, his hand out stretched towards me. I guessed he was trying to get me to stand up but I would not release Cooper.

 He had promised. He said that I had to or he could never come back. I was suddenly very angry with Cooper. It was illogical and fleeting but how could he do this to me. Was it all a lie, did he just want me to be safe? Safe from what his body would do to me. Did he die to save my life?

 I looked around at the other Star’s faces. Dixon and Cassidy seem to be the more desolate about Cooper’s death. Marcus was not even looking at Cooper but at me. He seemed to be having an inner war with himself, his face kept flickering from sad to somewhat happy. Of course, he would be happy that Cooper was dead; he thinks this clears the way for him.

 I saw Alorha and Toshia near the back of the group hugging each other. Their sobs were silent but I could see the wet stains on Toshia’s shirt.  

 “Alorha! Please try to help him, you just have to try.” I yelled at the poor girl but at the time, I did not care.

 “Kennley, I,” She started to say but Colby hushed her and pushed her forward.

 “Okay Kenn, I will try.” She gently knelt next to Cooper’s head, holding her hand over his chest. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath.

 A bright light filled our space; it filled me with warmth and contentment. I felt light, breezy. Finally, the light disappeared and Alorha blew out the breath she was holding. She looked first at her hands and then at me. Fresh tears rolling down her perfect face.  Looking in to her dark eyes, I knew that she could do nothing for him.

 “No.” I sobbed, touching my forehead to Cooper’s forehead.

 “Please Cooper don’t be dead. I love, I need you but I can’t love you if you are dead.” I repeated the words he used that day when the assassin had almost killed me on the train.

 Cooper’s chest began to rise. I yelped and looked again but it had stopped. I had thought I had imagined it but then his chest rose and fell again, this time visibly.

 “Cooper?” I stroked his cheek, feeling warm tears fall down them.

 “Kennley.” His voice was weak and it broke but it was his voice, his sweet breath coming out of his mouth.

 “Oh Cooper!” I grabbed his face in both of my hands and kissed him with all of my might.

 I had forgotten what his kisses felt like. I felt the comfortable hot fire race down my body, making me shiver in pleasure.

 “Impossible.” I could hear the other Star’s talking, gasping at the impossible now possible.

 “How could this be? He was dead.”  Albert was the most surprised. He had his hand at his throat, as if something was about to choke him.

 “What happened?” Cooper croaked.

 “It does not matter now.” Colby had recovered from her brief surprise and was organizing the group.

 I realized then that Nicolai must be dead if they were all here.

 “What happened to Nicolai?” I asked as I helped Cooper to his feet. Marcus had to come help him; he was still weak from being dead.  

 “Nicolai disappeared, we came this way searching for him but we found you instead.” Marcus was staring at the ground, I could feel the pain radiating off him. He was having mixed feelings about Cooper being alive.

 “He’s not dead? Then where are we going?” I was shocked to hear that the others had not destroyed Nicolai.

 “He just disappeared, kind of like you did. I mean one minute you were there and then you weren’t. Where did you go?” Marcus eyed me suspiciously.

 “Oh, I have a new power. I can transport. Is that not okay?” I was worried they would come to the same conclusion as Nicolai had, about me being both light and dark.

 “It is cool that’s for sure but for it to be okay I cannot say. We thought that only the Light could transport.” He looked just as worried as I felt.

 “We must hurry everyone. Now that we have Kennley and Cooper we must leave before som,” Colby did not get to finish her sentence as something hit her in the chest. She fell where she stood, her chest smoldering as Cooper’s had.  

 We all ducked and dove out of the way. Colby lay on the ground motionless. I could hear Dixon wrestling with someone, probably Cassidy. He must be trying to get to his sister.

 “COLBY!” Cassidy screamed from the darkness just as another bolt whirled towards Dixon and Cassidy.

 “Sshh, we must be quiet.” Marcus had his hand over my mouth, I was about to scream for Cassidy.

 “Come out, come out where ever you are. I tire of this game of cat and mouse. Just give up and die with dignity.” Nicolai’s voice was full of rage. He was no longer playing around.

   Marcus slid Cooper out from under his arm, pushing us away.

 “No, Marcus what are you doing?” I whispered as low as I could but Nicolai still heard. I felt the heat of the bolt that whizzed next to where Cooper and I laid.

 “Sshh.”

 I could see the outline of Marcus as he rose to his feet, shuffling farther away from us. He was inching towards Nicolai, positioning himself to get a good shot. 

Reviews

[Xfaerie corpseX]

OMG AGAIN!!! DOOD!!! twenty nine!