Lord Motte's Vampire Bride - Version 1

Deceit

Vince hits the ground with a tremendously terrifying growl. I can tell just by the sound of his fall that he landed on his feet without a problem.

Edward stands behind me as we watch the police emerge from their vehicles, guns already aimed.

"This has never happened before." Edward says, baffled beyond words.

"What?" I say in disbelief. 

"None of this has ever happened before." Edward walks up the edge with wide eyes, watching the chaotic scene below.

"Why are they here?" I ask him without thinking...though, in truth, I don't know why I'm talking to him at all. I don't feel much inclined to trust him any more than Vince, and I just impulsively threw him from a height that killed me.

He peers down and then looks around at me. "What did you do differently? You must have done something..." Edward trails off. "It must have been something that happened before I arrived. Everything has been exactly as it was since I got here besides this." He says quickly, grabbing both of my hands. "Tell me. Under which circumstances did you arrive here?"

"I-I followed some-" I stutter out.

"You followed someone?" Edward is immediately alarmed. "Who?"

"This girl, Jasmine. She came before me and Vince killed her. I walked in right after." I answer him.

He shakes his head. "It was different from the start and he never said anything." He clenches his jaw. "I just want to jump down there and confront the bastard...but there are more important things at hand."

I jerk myself away from him. "This is too much." I groan and turn my back to him. "I shouldn't have thrown him off of the balcony. Probably only succeeded in infuriating him." I cross my arms and start walking away when I finally understand. "Jasmine! Jasmine's father!"

"What?" Edward whips me around. "Were you in contact with him since you've been here?"

"Well, yes. Vince gave me the laptop."

"Yes, only to contact your mother so that she wouldn't search for you. Not to speak to anyone else...Cynthia, this is perfect." He says excitedly. "You've provided us with the perfect opportunity to escape. He has never had a distraction before!" He gestures to the wildly desperate police force fighting off the monster.

"That is oddly strange that I would have chosen to do that." I mumble to myself.

Am I really meant to run off with Edward, after all?

"You lied to me to convince me to come with you once. Why not do it again?" I scowl at him.

"I failed in courting you. I didn't know how else to convince you that you were meant to be with me." He weakly attempts to convince me.

"So you tell me that my husband is a deranged killer. Sounds like you might be trying that again." I challenge him, ripping myself away from him. "I don't know anything about you! Why would I put your word against Vince's?"

"He was a worthless husband to you. You were depressed and I was in love with you! I couldn't allow you to stay with him anymore! And besides, I wasn't entirely lying!" Edward says angrily. "He isn't innocent of anything! He would never hurt you, but that doesn't mean you should stay with him and remain unhappy when you could be with me!"

I nearly want to cover my ears. "Do you hear yourself? I can't believe a word you say!"

"What do you expect of me? You don't remember how we were together! You don't remember how unhappy you were with him! You will become just as unhappy if you stay again!" Edward insists as he struggles to stand in front of me while I consistently face away from him.

"Just because I don't stay with Vince, doesn't mean I am obligated to be with you automatically." I raise my eyebrow defiantly.

"You married the wrong brother. You'll see that soon enough." Edward remains unaffected by my words, suddenly changing into the calmest I have ever seen him.

I stare right back at him as it becomes immediately apparent that the gun shots we've been drowning out have all been silenced.

"Where is he?" Is all that Edward says next. He looks to the balcony in a panic.

I push past him and run to the balcony. I look down, coming eye to eye with a bloody mess of a man below.

Vince.

I look into his eyes, and melt for a moment. Why couldn't I believe him? If only there was any speck of proof at all that anyone is telling the truth this would be easier...

"Cynthia!" He shrieks angrily. Slowly but surely he points his finger at me.

At first, I'm not sure what he means. Until...I suddenly do know what he means.

I don't want to believe it. I can't.

I whip my head around and put my arms in front of me instinctively to protect myself.  I know it will be to no avail, but I have to try.

It only takes a matter of seconds for Edward to push me over the edge. I meet his eye for one split second.

No remorse. No guilt. No second thoughts.

Does he know Vince is at the bottom?

I scream desperately and grasp for the outside of the rail to keep me up. I hardly feel there's a point in pitifully hanging there to prolong my fall, but I am controlled by instinct and instinct alone.

"Edward!" I scream at him almost angrily, but part of me is pleading with him. "Why?"

Edward inhales as if satisfied to see me hanging there. "I've grown so terribly tired of this cycle, Cynthia." One side of his lips turns upwards. "Its impossible to even entertain the idea of even wishing to run away with you anymore." He trails his fingers over the top of the guard rail and nudges his toe closer to where I hang very dangerously by one measly hand. "I've seen you flip and flop between me and my brother only to die pitifully every single time." He continues darkly. "It escalated so terribly. I found myself coming here only to kill you myself. All you've ever needed was just a nudge every single time, you weakling. What did I ever see in you?" He laughs to himself. "You were once strong. You always are when you first come back before Vince weakens you and convinces you that you are a vampire just so you'll lose your spirit and stay with him." He shakes his head in amusement. "I just can't stand the sight of your pathetic, little face anymore." He smiles darkly and draws even closer to my tired fingers.

I only whimper. "I am a vampire this time." I can't possibly think of one reason to convince him to do anything but kill me. Still, I try. "Why did you still try to convince me to run with you?"

"Improvisation. I had to see where you stood on being with me...and once again, I saw in your puny, little eyes that you were choosing Vince once again! Again! After all this! After finally convincing you to lash out at him! You threw him off the balcony for goodness sakes! How did you still choose him! How did you still find yourself considering anything but fleeing with me?" His eyes were filled with vengeance and fire as he leaned forward to taunt me.

I look tearfully to the ground, searching for Vince...but he is nowhere in sight. "You still wanted me to choose you...and yet, you don't even want me. Why not just walk away? Why keep showing up?"

"It stopped being about your love a long time ago, doll. It became a competition for me, to beat my brother. To successfully convince his wife to come with me just once." He shakes his head erratically. "Still. Failed once again, thanks to you. But-" His toe stomps down on my fingers angrily, erupting a harsh squeal from my lips.

"Vince!" I yell for him. He's all that I want...he's all that I've ever wanted. Why have I been such an idiot to fall for anything but his eyes, the eyes I've always been able to trust. "Vince..." I whisper lastly, as his foot moves to release me, my stomped fingers now completely too numb to grab onto anything.

"Vince! Vince!" Edward mocks me with disgust. "Once again, once again." He mumbles angrily under his breath. "But this time. It will be different."

He removes his foot entirely, destroying any chance I had of staying above the hard ground below.

"This time I kill you both."