Deprived

Chapter 22 - When one life ends...

 Warning - Gore

Magic crackled heavily in the air, bouncing off of the empty walls and filling the small room with a heavy, ominous feeling. People were moving around outside, often looking into the room to check onto the person kneeling in the middle, breathing calmly.

Even though a barrage of heavy containment magic suppressed his own, the vampire stayed silent, focus pushed inwardly towards his source of power.

A vein pulsed on his forehead, fighting against the oppressive magic that curled around his body, twisting and turning to prevent him from leaving. But it only kept his physical body there...

Ever so slowly, a smirk curled on twisted lips as Draco opened his eyes, feeling Jesse slowly succumb to the pressure he was mentally forcing upon the Deprived. He was almost certain that, if he managed to guide Jesse and push him enough to go past the barrier around the Deprived, he could yank the boy towards him.

Better yet, Draco knew the drug was still nestled deep within Jesse's veins and he knew how Deprived grew to crave his specially concocted drug. They hated it, loathed it, but they wanted it for the temporarily bond it gave them with their departed Mate.

He smirked wickedly as he sensed Jesse leaving the building and gave him an additional push to aid to his speed. Draco even pushed a memory of James to the forefront, as he had glanced back over his shoulder with bored curiosity when his sister had disposed of the body.

Yes... you're mine now... He smirked, focusing all his energy to yank Jesse towards him. Afterwards, he'd be able to drain the Deprived and use his agony and magic to gather enough strength to whisk them both away from his cell.

But just as he prepared to do so, he felt his connection with Jesse waver, weakening because of that blasted Dryad that cradled him. Gritting his teeth, he focused on his magic, pushing more memories in Jesse and smirking with satisfaction when he felt the resulting agony feed into his powers.

A moment later, vibrant eyes flashed before his vision and he could clearly see the Dryad standing in front of him, there but not there at the same time. Her eyes blazing with pure hatred and malice as she glared at him with contempt.

"Be gone, foul beast." She sneered at him, hurling a blast of earth magic so powerful, it made the building where he was contained tremble on its very foundations. Alarmed voices sounded and the metal peephole slid open just as Draco snarled, awkwardly falling back from his kneeling position and cursing as blood dripped down from his nose and ears.

The magic hold he had over Jesse stuttered and disappeared, making him curse under his breath before that too was stolen from him.

He didn't really focus on the guards shouts as they worked on opening the door; Draco's chest felt like it was swelling, burning from the inside out. He snarled, groaning and moaning under the pain as he slowly pulled his shirt away, frowning when nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

His chest felt and looked perfectly normal, even if his heart was still racing as his skin slowly but surely heated up, as if someone was bringing a branding iron closer to his chest.

And yet, he could feel it. As if something out there now knew where he was. For the very first time in his life, a cool chill dashed down his spine, hairs prickling upright at the sudden bolt of unexplained fear that bit at his heart.

"No, leave hi- For fucks sake, Leave him!" The woman hissed at the younger guard, snatching him back out of the cell and shoving him to the door. "Didn't you hear the fucking call? You want to be here when that thing shows up?"