Shadows

A New Path

I used one of the office like rooms downstairs to get changed. Not long now... not long until it all began. Until the war that would kill thousands... commenced. I glanced out of the window and sighed as I saw the sun beginning to rise. I still kept a silent hope, a hope that the twins were wrong... hoped that this prophecy was untrue.

Shaking my head I pulled my hair up into a tight ponytail then made my way out into the grounds. With my hands in my pockets, I slowly trudged along the stone path, each peaceful moment treasured in case it was my last. Who knew how long this fight would be. All I knew was that I had to Set Tatiana free, but I could only do so during the night. So fight during the day and flee for my life during the night... easier said than done. Restraining Dante, now that was a last resort and I prayed to god that it kept him restrained... it was for his own good. I couldn't loose the one thing that made this life make sense, that made me feel unconditionally loved, that.. made me feel whole. A tear slid down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away, there wasn't time for tears, there wasn't time for any emotion for that matter, that’s what Aurora had been trying to tell me, emotions made you weak and vulnerable and during battle, that's the worst thing to have exposed... she learnt the hard way with my father, the key. The one man who could have made sense of all of this. He knew better than all of us. I leaned against the castle walls and slid down, slumping into a small crouched ball before letting silent tears flow from my eyes, not bothering to wipe them away, but also not uttering a sound.

I was still only a child, and I had all of this responsibility placed on me, how fair was that? Not a soul was allowed to help me. Even Tatiana could not speak in my head to me until I remembered that I was Dhampir... this family was cursed all right. Doppelgänger child.. a child who's twin is internal, dark and menacing... the only way to save her is either to become a full-fledged and use the jewels.... lovely.

'You're not the one who has had to put up with your bloody depressive thinking, crying and snivelling when all you had to do was drink blood!' Tatiana snapped at me

'Excuse me! Not my fault remember!'

'Well.. ok.. ok.. just it makes you crazy being in here ya know.. I can't speak to a soul, other than you. Now that's not bad, but it's still lonely'

'You can swap if you want? With this jewel.. whatever you wish.. it happens, I want you to be free, but you can have this body if you want?'

'What about Dante?' She asked me. And to tell the truth, it would kill me.. but she's had eighteen years of being stuck in my head. 'I couldn't do that to you... you love him more than anything.. even your own life, I’ve read your thoughts you forget.. I Just find him annoying' I know she was trying to lighten the mood with that last remark.. but at that point I wanted to hold her, because I knew she almost felt the same as I did about him. I rose from the wall and returned my hands to my pockets before walking some more. Glancing over to the gate, I had an idea... what if I simply ran? The hunters would catch up to me no problem, but if it meant saving all of my family, his family and the love of my life, well there wasn't a choice.

'Do it' Tatiana whispered. And without warning, I simply ran.

The wind that smacked my face felt worse than ice, I had no idea how far I had ran, or at what speed for that matter, but I knew I was far beyond the castle gates now. Tree branches reached out and sliced at my skin but I simply kept going.. the wounds would heal in no time, so it was pointless to worry about them now. Remembering what happened last time, I stopped in front of the nearest tree, looked up at how high it was and began to climb, in the midst of all this I managed to smile, thinking how crazy this was, to just run... run from safety into pure danger, into the midst of a country that probably didn't speak a word of English. Once I was at the top, I gazed out at the sheer beauty that this country kept hidden, the area that we were in was shrouded in forest, but from this height.. I could see everything, and it made me feel strangely at peace. Then I did something really crazy, I let go. I was far from afraid, but more excited, holding out one hand I grabbed one of the branches that somehow managed to be within my grasp and pulled myself up on it. Diving forward I became a blur of sheer speed, landing on branch after branch, actually running along the tree tops.