Sickly, Sweet - Book One

Ch. 26 - Metamorphosis

I'm sorry. To say I'm busy is an understatement.

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'I've seen that look in your eyes, It makes go blind.

Cut me deep, the secrets and lies, Storm in the quiet.

Feel the fury closing in, all resistance wearing thin.'
- Madness by Ruelle

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Third person POV

Valentine could swear that his heart beat at least once, even if it didn't, it certainly felt like it- one that feels like a hard and thunderous drum against his own chest. His face, pained at the sight of Saphira bleeding to death, also holds a substantial amount of shock as he watches his clone dance around his fallen mate with a dagger in his hand.

The false Valentine gives a sinister smile as the true vampire prince quickly tries to grasp the current situation. Imitation, of course, is a rare power and little do creatures know of its existence. Whoever this is that have concealed it well - an ability like that could not have been overlooked by the council or the people in it - otherwise it would have been known.

A feral growl escapes from his mouth but his opponent doesn't seem the least bit afraid. Valentine struts forward and the deceiving chameleon stays in his place, waiting, taunting. Eyes flick down toward the ground - Saphira doesn't have much time and they are wasting this precious time waltzing.

Valentine spots a spear not too far away and he grabs it without hesitation. If he's going to kill this vampire his head will be the newest ornament in this melancholy castle - a nice head on a stick.

"I'm pretty sure that whoever commissioned you to do this informed you that you won't be leaving alive, am I right?"

The morphing vampire only laughs. It's both a awe and a shock seeing his own body confront him and talk. "Fascinating, isn't it?" His false self speaks.

Valentine narrows his eyes before speeding over to his mirrored self, taking a jab at his body with the spear. The morpher's eyes quickly flashes a bright blue hue as he dodges the attack and his hair slowly turns a slick and clean blonde. The vampire has now turned into Astor, his dearest and oldest friend. Valentine almost chokes as he is taken aback. "Why, old friend, cat got your tongue?"

He growls. Astor would never. "Changing into someone else isn't going to get you out of this," Valentine angrily says.

The vampire smiles and paces, just like Astor. Valentine would have believed but his friend is nothing like this. Astor is like a brother, even closer to him than his own.

"Oh, yeah?" His eyes flash again, but this time a bright green. "How about now?"

Once again, the morpher changes. Valentine sees himself staring into the frigid eyes of the King. It's at that moment that everything stops, just enough for him to re-evaluate his plan. This definitely changes a lot of things.

Thinking he's so clever, the copycat bends down to examine Saphira's state. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I don't think she has much time." He even sounds like the people he's imitating and it is throwing Valentine into the deep end.

"Stay away from her," Valentine growls, ready to lunge at the imitator. With his powers though, he has an advantage. Not many people know what Valentine can really do, what he can do with his mind.

"If you want to save her you need to stop me first," he straightens his body and starts to dance in a fluid way, almost feminine. He twirls around the room and around Saphira, like a poised ballerina. First his cuffs and then his pants turns a vivid blue, the more the vampire spins and glides the more his body slims and shortens. Valentine's eyebrows crease together in confusion and frustration as the vampire slowly and gracefully turns into Amaryllis. "But how can you, when I can take upon any appearance I so please?"