Forgotten Monsters

Chapter 33: Interwoven p2

For once in his life, Cain saw everything with absolute, bitter clarity. He saw the beginnings of wrinkles around the Queen's mouth, the desperation in her eyes. He'd had it all mixed up. For the past six miserable years of his life, Cain had thought she'd wanted to control him, but he was wrong. She wanted him to love her.

Tearing his eyes away from his aunt, he looked at Tessa. She looked shocked, could she have really not understood how he felt about her? Still staring at Tessa he asked the one question he should have asked years ago.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You haven't been obeying my commands." The words rushed out of his aunt's mouth in a panic. Hastily, she took a deep breath and brushed a wayward strand of pale hair back into her elaborate updo.

"That's a lie. Why do you need me? There are plenty of capable soldiers who wouldn't resist your influence." Tessa looked away from him and he turned to the Queen. "So why did you choose me? My kingdom was already yours."

Gradually he saw her crumble, her lower lip began to tremble and her hands gripped at her skirts.

"Because you're my nephew, you're supposed to love me. My sister was supposed to love me." She began to sob, ugly, earsplitting cries. "She left me alone with this horrible, cold country."

"Did you ever consider that I might have forgiven you if you had just explained?" Cain said softly, but he didn't feel sympathy for her, she had molded herself into the monster she had become.

The Queen pulled herself together, wiping her face with her sleeve. A deranged gleam entered her eyes. "Too late! I meant what I said; stop fighting or I'll kill her." She poked a finger at Tessa and in response the girl arched her back and screamed in pain.

"Stop! I'll do it." Tessa collapsed and Cain rushed to her, catching her face in his hands. "I just want one thing in return."

"You don't have anything to bargain with!" Serena shouted, stepping forward hastily.

Cain shook his head and glanced up at his aunt. "I can't stop you from taking control of my mind, but I can determine the way it happens. You want my acceptance; I'll give it to you in exchange for something else."

The Queen froze, she stared into space, her features torn between horror and anguish. She snapped out of it, turning, crazed with longing towards her nephew. "What do you want in return?" Cain turned his dark eyes on Tessa's cool blue ones.

"I want you to give Tessa back her heart." Tessa shook her head, curls flying everywhere.

"I don't want you to do this. If I hadn't..." He smiled sadly.

"It was inevitable, nothing you could have done would have changed this." And it was true. For the past six years he had only been postponing this moment. There was no possible outcome where he walked away free, that had been a shout into the void. But he would never lose to Serena, because as long as he could save even one person, he would be victorious, and she could not destroy him.

"Yes! Yes I agree.." The Queen reached into her chest and withdrew a single, glowing heart. It beat softly in her hand before being shoved quickly into Tessa's chest. She inhaled sharply before a look of utter bliss descended on her features. She stared at Cain in astonishment before reaching forward and hugging him tightly.

"When I release you you're going to let go aren't you." Cain nodded slowly into her shoulder, his own arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "Then I'll never let go."

"You have to." He whispered. She shook her head violently.

"I need more time!"

"We have now. That has to be enough." Cain closed his eyes and tried to hold the moment still, but no matter how hard he tried, time went on. So he just tried to remember every part of their embrace. From the sweet smell of Tessa's hair to the soft feel of her cheek against his. At that moment all their differences were vividly clear. His hair was like pitch against her icy curls. Their skin contrasted sharply, even their clothes were black against white. If she was the angel, he was the seraphim, fallen from the grace of God.

"Cain!" his aunt's frenzied voice cut their time short. 

"It's time to let go." Slowly she let him slip away, finger by finger and hair by hair they disentangled. Her eyes met his in the brief second that the life faded out of his. Tessa watched in horror as he transformed into the creature without mercy, and without love.

"My Queen." He said, stepping off the ground into a low bow.

Serena exhaled in relief. "Nephew! You came back to me. The Queen tilted his head up and smiled triumphantly down at him. He stared at her, expressionless.

And Tessa was left wondering: what was the point of heart if it had no one to beat for.

WHY DID I DO THAT??? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I'm so emotionally unstable right now over killing my second favorite character.

Did you think I would do it? How do you feel about this horrible turn of event?

Please vote and comment!