Hellfire - The Awakening (Complete)

Chapter Twenty Two *

Despite my apparent, impending death, as I sprinted into the forest all I could think about was the poem and the meanings behind Carnelian's words. I had not yet uncovered the meaning behind the second verse but I had a vague theory that it was about deception and my gut instinct told me that I would understand more when I finally discovered who the rogue was.

I paused for a second and leaned against a tree, I was not yet being followed which was good in the fact that I had held up my end of the bargain which meant a higher chance for Masquerade's survival, but bad in the fact that should everything go wrong I was all alone.

I cast my mind back to the events which had occurred since my death, I remembered the agonising pain as I transitioned from a human into a vampire as clear as day. I remembered the nightmares I'd had, the terrifying visions, orchid symbol and...the twin attacks.

My palms began to sweat as I pictured the attacks in the forefront of my mind, I had excluded my first encounter with a rogue in the forest as that was my own fault, but what about the three attacks on the Schwarz manor? The first had succeeded Belladonna Perlito had been killed and the rogue had not been discovered, but what about the two other attacks?

My breathing quickened as realisation slapped me in the face. There had been an attack on Evangeline, a rogue had ambushed her from behind and attempted to deliver a fatal wound...but she had survived! I though about my birthday, there was the attack in the ballroom when a rogue had attempted to kill me, but was intercepted...

For the first time in my life and death, my ability to dwell had actually aided me as I had uncovered the next part of the poem; Twin plots will go forth, yet they shall be foiled.

My heart thumped wildly as I contemplated what to do, I couldn't go back and tell Cinder what I had learnt as I needed to save Masquerade, but at the same time uncovering the rest of the poem seemed vital to the Schwarz vampires' existence. I ran my hands through my hair, we'd been chasing time since the day of my death and the time it would take to return to the manor, alert the Schwarz coven of what I had discovered and save Masquerade would cost us her life; it was not a viable option.

I leapt from the tree, landing perfectly on the balls of the my feet, if the rest of the poem was anything to go by about light winning the battle but not the war I had to get to the meeting point and I needed to do it now.

I continued to run towards the end of the forest, the vast amount of trees were a hindrance, but my speed made up for that. As I wove through the shadows I caught sight of my destination, a small hut just outside of the Schwarz territory.

From what I could see there was no-one preparing to ambush me, but one could never be too cautious. I paused and mentally prepared myself for whatever horrors I was about to face.\

I never thought that I'd die as a teenager. Why would I?

I was an eighteen year old female, filled with vitality, hope and essence. I was transitioning from an awkward teenager into a mature adult; my life was finally beginning. Once I'd been a human. My life hadn't been perfect by a long shot, but I was relatively content, and like every other human being, I had hopes and dreams for the way I wanted my life to turn out.

I'd planned to study journalism at university then eventually become an author. Like most females, I dreamed of falling in love, of marrying and dying beside a lover of thirty years. I'd planned on living.

Naturally, not unlike most humans, I had always feared death. The fateful day when everything that makes us who we are is snuffed out, like a candle, as if we'd never existed in the first place.

I was never curious as to whether or not there was a light at the end of the tunnel, or if heaven and hell really existed. I never wondered who I would haunt, or thought about who I'd like to see in the afterlife. After all I just another young adult hoping to make an impression on the world. I was filled with that raw energy that each adult starts with before learning about the hardships of life. I was untouchable-or so I'd thought, but as I tightened my grip on my wolfsbane covered stake, reality hit me.

I was already dead...

I'd never get the chance to study at university, I wasn't going to get married, or have a family, or die an old woman with children and grandchildren, because my energy, my essence, was gone, and eventually the relationships which I so valued between my family and friends would dissolve as they slowly moved on without me.

I grimaced as I remembered the night it had all happened. The pain, the fear, the emptiness... I hadn't seen it coming and sweet mercy never presented itself to me. He took my life from me, he changed me into this monster, and I was about to face him for the first time since my attack. Without any intimation of dread, I tossed my mane of red hair, ran my tongue over my lengthened fangs and clenched my fist around my stake as I strode purposefully forward.

He was going to pay...