Twisted Fate Chapter 16

Lavinia places her hand against the small of my back, leading me to the backyard. Xavier follows closely behind. “Enough of this slow motion life. It’s time to stretch our legs, be who we truly are.” Before we reach the tree line, Lavinia pauses. Xavier stands next to her, flashing a smile that until now I didn’t believe he was capable of.

In the center of the clearing is the cottage that had been my asylum mere days ago. I catch the scent of a human. More than one, I believe, though I cannot see them. I shoot a confused glance toward Lavinia as they both dart toward the cottage. They are halfway there before I make the decision to join them.

Lavinia and Xavier round the left side of the cottage. When I catch up with them, I see three middle-aged men sitting on the ground, facing each other. Their clothes are tattered and soiled; all three have unruly hair and scraggy beards. Tears stain their cheeks and fear is evident in their facial expressions. Despite the terror, they sit completely still, not making a sound.

Before I get a chance to ask, Lavinia says, “They are compelled. Xavier was kind enough to set this up for us while we were at the premiere.”

Xavier walks over to the men and says, “You are free to go.”

The men stand up, staggering as they attempt to find their footing. They must have been sitting here for hours. Lavinia snorts insolently. “They always remind me of sheep. The gate is open, yet they stand there, too dim-witted to move.” She inches toward them and shouts, “Run, you imbeciles!”

Lavinia cackles when the men finally get the hint and take off running. This is a game to them, a sick and twisted game of hide and seek. Lavinia sprints into the clearing, stopping in front of them. She crouches with her hands out and her fingers curled. An evil hiss sends the men scattering in different directions.

She returns and says, “As soon as they reach the woods.”

Xavier says, “I want the one on the left.”

“Fine,” Lavinia says calmly. “Damien can take the slow one.”

Hunting innocent people like animals is not my idea of fun. The gleam in their eyes tells me that they relish the event. It is a high for them. Xavier and Lavinia glare at each other. At first, it seems as if they are angry with one another. Then, I realize that I am witnessing the beginning of their transformation.

Demonic black eyes swim in a sea of red as their pupils dilate and blood vessels burst behind their eyes. Their veins and capillaries pulsate as their hearts pump venom throughout their bodies. The change in appearance, though subtle, is truly horrifying.

This is the first glimpse I have seen of the transformation. Months ago, when Lavinia attacked me, she shielded her face from view. She thrives on instilling fear into her victims, yet that evening in my office she made no mention of what she was intending to do. She held off, waiting for the waves of orgasmic pleasure to release throughout my body before sinking her teeth in. My calm, satisfied state of mind spared me a substantial amount of fear in my final human moments. Perhaps, it was a conscious decision on her part, a display of courtesy. Or perhaps a display of love.

Lavinia and Xavier sprint toward their victims. One of the men shrills, his heartbeat accelerates and he gasps for air as he continues to run deep into the woods. Xavier jumps high into the trees, rustling the branches and taunting him with an eerie howl.

Lavinia is prodding her victim, insulting his intelligence and complaining that he’s too damn slow. She stands at the edge of the meadow, crossing her arms impatiently. She glances in my direction. “What are you waiting for? Go on!”

I focus my attention on the man that I am to pursue. I listen to the sound of sticks cracking and his labored breath. I hear the other two men cry out in agony. The scent of iron rich blood beckons me; the metallic taste lingers on my sorbent tongue. Within seconds, the trees are out of focus and the field sways like the ocean. A hazy wave of blindness careens toward me until I am enveloped in blackness.

I drop to my knees beside my mother’s lifeless body. I can’t bear to look at her. What I’ve done is abhorrent. I can see Caleb’s feet as he approaches. I bury my head in my hands and try to scream, but nothing comes out.

Caleb hovers over us. “There was nothing you could’ve done to prevent this.”

He could have let me talk to her, call her, instead of hiding me away with no explanation as to why. Then she wouldn’t have come here. Then she would still be alive. That would have prevented this.

I stand up, my head filled with tremendous pressure from the tears that are incapable of falling. Caleb bends down. When he touches her, I erupt with rage. He steps back just before I lunge at him, throwing his hands up as he desists. A snarl is the only vocalization I can manage. I grab my mother’s body and rush to the burial cave. I set her down and claw furiously into the earth, digging her final resting place.

“Time to go,” Lavinia says. Her designer dress is stained red, as are her face and hands. She extends her hand and I reach for it, only to notice that my hands are also doused with blood. My suit is covered in it and I can only speculate that my face is as well. I glance down at the man. His clothes are torn to shreds and his chest has been viciously ripped apart. I don’t remember doing any of this.

“It’s good to see you diving in. I was beginning to worry about you.” Lavinia lifts my hand to her mouth, sucking on my blood soaked fingers. I stare at the man once more, attempting to recall even a brief moment. I just can’t believe I could commit such an atrocious act. “Leave him. We’ll take care of that later.”

All I can figure is that the blackouts are some sort of coping mechanism. My mind cannot bear to process the brutality, so it shuts itself down. It’s like I’m running on auto pilot, only to emerge oblivious. It is a plausible deniability of sorts, which would be quite effective if not for the revelation that comes when faced with the aftermath.

I refuse Lavinia’s invitation to shower at her place and take the tunnel home. The car can stay where it is. Xavier is still out on the prowl and I can’t stomach another second of Lavinia’s presence.

I enter the house, immediately tearing off my tainted clothes and tossing them into the fireplace. I grab the matchbox off of the mantle and strike match after match, flinging them feverishly until the flames take a firm hold. I lob the entire box onto the pile of clothing. Seconds later, the flames shoot up as the remaining matches catch fire. I bask in the warmth and the light, wishing I could purge my wrongdoings as easily.

When the flames subside, I jump into the shower. The crimson water flows toward my feet in what feels like an endless stream. Once the water runs clear, I turn off the shower and slip into bed, not even bothering to dry myself off.

I can’t stand living like this. I know there is a better way. Caleb has shown me that. If I continue to let Lavinia influence me, I will lose myself. I will lose Rachel. There has to be a way to get out from underneath Lavinia’s rule. There has to be.

Reviews

[EurasianFlavour]

I agree with Kate, less mooning over Rachel and more vampire action! I'm more curious about Lavinia's plan and Damien discovering more about his vampire powers. Rachel is a nice anchor for Damien's morality, though.

Interesting how his blackout turns into the memory of his mother. The rage in the memory is a nice connection

[easybreezy]

There's a tug of war between the brutal and the serene Damien. I hope I am balancing them well enough. I don't want a sappy love story or an outright bloodfest. Thanks for reading!

[Kate Whitaker]

ok, let me start with saying I love the blackouts as a coping mechanism to deal with being a vampire. It makes a lot of sense and adds to the drama.

As one writer to another... you're using them to keep from writing fight scenes aren't you? LMAO

Anyway, I really liked this chapter, and it progresses the plot nicely. A little less mooning over Rachel and little more monsters! Not that I don't like Rachel, but I am very curious as to the prophecy and the vampire society in general.

[easybreezy]

The blackouts are definitely convenient :) I think I see a fight scene brewing in the future, though. Stay tuned for more mooning. There will be fireworks ;)