Breaking the Veil

14 ~ The Corruption

I am in Ruse's arms when I wake up. He helps me sit up, and studies me carefully, his eyes wild and scared. "What ... what's wrong? What happened?"

Ruse sighs. "You don't remember, do you?"

Shaking my head, I inch closer to him. He takes my hand in his, kissing it softly. His fangs are visible as he does, and when his amber eyes meet mine, I see sadness and fear there.

"Ruse. What happened?"

He explains what I did. How I used my shadow magic to kill Demidicus, and as he's one of the Elders, I am likely doomed. But he also explains how the arrogant vamp had threatened Ruse, and I went feral in response.

"It's not unheard of, Lili. Vampires are known for going basically feral when their loved ones are hurt. And since Demidicus was strangling me, you lost control of yourself and your powers took over. I don't know what is going to happen, now, though.  I will do my best to protect you."

I look at him, sensing his fear. I can practically taste how scared he is. He doesn't know if he can protect me from the horrors that await beyond the walls of my room. Our room is a sanctuary, but the fact remains that beyond those walls, someone is likely going to be very pissed that I killed that vampire, no matter that it seems he started it.

Ruse looks at the door, and back to me. "I love you, Lilith. I will do my best to protect you."

"But you shouldn't have to," I say. "Demidicus was an Elder vampire, yes. But he was also a bastard. He tried to hurt you and I snapped. I'm sorry, but I.... I don't really regret doing that."

He opens his mouth, but there's a rough knock on the door to our room. He winces. "Lay down, I'll cover you up, just pretend you're asleep."

Nodding, I do as I'm told. He covers me up and I close my eyes, turning my back to the door. I try to even out my uneven breathing.

I hear Lycidas talking to Ruse. Lycidas is one of the Elders, and I know he is worse than anything that Demidicus could do. He is angrier, older, and more impulsive.

"What happened the other day, Agent?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're speaking of, sir," says Ruse, his tone flat.

"You know exactly what I am speaking about, Agent," he snaps.  Lycidas snarls.  "What happened back there?!"

"Didn't know you cared so much for Demidicus, sir."

Lycidas snarls once more, this sound more animal than anything. Ruse hisses as the vampire Elder undoubtedly stares him down.

"Answer the question, Agent Ruse."

Ruse snarls. "I refuse."

"Then you and your little girlfriend are going to be removed from the program," he snaps.

My heart lurches.

I hear the sneer in his voice as he says, "Didn't think she was really asleep."

Suddenly, a rough hand is on my shoulder. I react, whirling around and hissing, batting Lycidas's hand away. My shadows coil around my body, and he stumbles back, a dark look in those cold, blue eyes.

"You are a child," he says, rage clear in his face. "Playing with things you do not understand. You are nothing but a creature of blood and pain, desperate for any kind of agony you can inflict."

"You're not so rosy yourself," I snap. "Leave us, Lycidas."

"You do not give me orders," he growls. My shadows swirl around me, and I do my best to not release them.

Lycidas sneers at me. "Go ahead, let them go."

"No," I say. "You don't want that."

"Yes, I do," Lycidas says, nodding.

"No. No, you don't. I won't."

My shadows vanish into my body, and he sighs. Lycidas looks between me and Ruse. Then, an awful look crosses his face.

Before I can move, Lycidas has lashed out, and grabbed my lover by the throat, and impaled him on the claws that shoot out of his fingertips. Ruse cries out, and I cannot help it. My power surges to the surface of my skin, and I scream as it is torn from my body, tearing into Lycidas.

Lycidas roars, stumbling back, but he's still holding tight onto Ruse's neck. Ruse cries out as my shadows collide with his body, too. And as I am trying to pull it back, the power explodes out of my body in a dark starburst. A dark explosion of black shadows engulfs Lycidas and Ruse both.

Ruse screams as the power tears through his body, and I feel it. I feel everything as it happens to him. His body is torn apart, shredded from the inside out.

When the power at last fails me, and coils itself back into my very flesh, I collapse.

I scramble over to Ruse, who is barely alive when I reach him. I stare at his ruined body as I gently place his head in my lap, and hold his hand. Ruse gasps for breath, staring up at me with his amber eyes.... eyes that are now black instead of any white in them.

His skin is now gray, what is left of it. The rest of him .... he is slowly, painfully, turning to ash.

"Ruse!" I cry, tears falling down my face. "I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I .... I'm so ..... sorry ...."

He swallows and smiles as best he can with half of his face. "I love you Lilith. More than you'll ever know."

"Ruse, I can't lose you!" I cry.

He slowly brings his hand up to my cheek. "Don't.... you have something.... you need to tell me?"

I sob, my tears mixing with the ashes of his body. He coughs, splattering me with his blood and ashes. Ruse looks at me, the remnants of his amber eyes fading fast.

"You can't die, Ruse," I whisper. "Ruse. You're gonna be a father. You will be a father. Ruse, we're gonna be parents. I'm.... I'm pregnant!"

But then, just as a smile crosses his face, he .... turns to ash in my arms.