The Demon's Pa

That night I couldn’t sleep.

Falling asleep as a vampire was already hard enough by itself, but combined with the worry of the coming battle and the fate of the world, it was near impossible to find enough peace within myself to fall asleep.

I was very aware of Zaiden pacing outside my room and the patter of his footfalls wasn’t making me feel any calmer.

I was about eight in the morning when I could no longer stand the silence that was starting to suffocate me in my sleepless state. I marched to my bedroom door and threw it open.

Zaiden, who had been sitting against the opposite wall for quite a while, flew up and stared at me in shock, “Is everything alright?” He questioned cautiously after a moment in which I did nothing but stare at him.

I relaxed a little at the sound of his voice, “I’m scared.” I was surprised by the words that came out of my mouth, but I didn’t say anything to take them back. It was true, I was scared. Scared for myself, scared for everyone I knew and scared of what I was going to do with Alexander if he didn’t get any better. If we somehow learned ow to vanquish demons, I knew that I would have no choice but to kill Alexander as well.

I swallowed.

I was going to have to kill him before he killed me.

Zaiden gave me a weak smile, “Let’s… take a walk.”

I scrunched up my nose, “I’m not going out in this sun.”

“This place is huge Ash, these hallways are endless, I don’t think we need to go outside.”

I nodded slowly, “Okay.”

He held out him arm to me, “Milady?”

I couldn’t help but smile a little as I linked our arms and allowed him to lead me down the hall. We were both silent, but it was a good silent, the kind of silence that forced the worries out of my head for a little while.

“You know,” Zaiden said, “this isn’t the first battle with the demons that I’m going to be in.”

I was surprised, “Oh?”

A sad look entered his eyes, “The first time they killed Clades there was a massive fight between us and the demons as well. It was only the seven royals and their nobles.”

I bit my lip in thought, “How bad was it?”

Zaiden shrugged, “Alex only lost four nobles in the fight, the other royals lost more.”

“So you’re saying that there’s a good chance a lot of us are going to die?”

“Yes, without a doubt, there will be a lot of casualties.” He stopped walking to look at me, “But you already knew that.” I looked away from him, “It’s alright for you to be afraid Ash, but you should know what you are going to be the one responsible for those deaths, you are the one leading us.”

“That really doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“It wasn’t supposed to,” Zaiden said as he continued walking and gently pulling me along. “Those are the facts Ash. I know you think you can’t handle this, but you can. There’s a reason you’re Alex’s Promise angel, there is a reason you are our royal.”

I sighed, “Is there? Isn’t this all just some messed up random thing? I mean really, out of all the people in the world, am I really the best person to lead my own army?”

That made Zaiden laugh, “Hell no, you’re not cut out for war.” He looked at me intently, “You’re too kind and pretty.”

I frowned and looked down. “You really aren’t the inspiring type are you?” I muttered under my breath.

I could almost feel him grinning, “No, no, not really.” His voice turned serious once more, “Look, you aren’t cut for this, but that’s why you have me to help you, that’s why you have all your nobles. We are here to help you Ash.”

I sighed again.

“You have something that sets you aside from the other Promise angels, you’re strong and you can unite.”

I laughed, “I’m pretty sure Tabitha is a lot stronger than me.”

“I don’t mean physically Ash, your heart is stronger than hers. Not even she will ever be able to handle what you’ve been through lately. She will never be able to do what you’re going to need to do.”

“What am I going to need to do?” I asked with a shaky voice.

“You’re going to lead your own army of vampire and humans into a battle against the most fearsome creatures to ever exist. An alliance that everyone thought was impossible but one that you made possible.” Zaiden said proudly. “You might think you can’t do this, but I know you can.”

I weighed the ways I could respond and ended up sighing again.

“If you sigh one more time I will stuff a sock in your mouth.” Zaiden threatened with a smile, “You don’t have to be sighing Ash, you know what to do and I’ll be right next to you every step of the way.”

“Thanks.” I said with my mouth pulling a little upwards. My smile faltered again after a while, “But I’m still afraid.”

Zaiden made a thoughtful sound, “A wise vampire once said that fear is only something you feel because you want to live without losing anything and that because of that you have to use it as motivation to keep on fighting.”

I held my head a little higher, “All right, I’ll listen to Alexander’s advice and use my fear to keep on fighting.”

I winked at Zaiden and his eyes widened, “How did you know it was him I was referring to?”

I smiled, “It’s awful and corny, that’s how I knew.”

He chucked heartily, “Fair enough.”

By this time we’d nearly walked down every hall in Victor’s home and I knew we were reaching the end of our little stroll.

As we passed the kitchen I came to a stop when I heard someone call out my name. I let go of Zaiden as I entered the kitchen to find my human family making breakfast.

“Good morning Ash.” Janessa said cheerfully from the table where she was cutting up mushrooms.

“Hey Ash.” Lucy said as well and I realised that she and Tabitha were also here.

“Morning all.” I greeted then with a wide grin.

More hellos greeted me happily.

I covered my nose with my hand when a wave of food smells hit me, “That smells awful.”

Zaiden coughed lightly and I turned to see a strange expression on his face, almost like he was about to sneeze. “Really bad, I don’t know how humans can eat this stuff.”

“Must be a vampire thing.” Paul said, “because to me this smells great.”

I made a gagging sound, “I think I’ll just stop breathing for a little while thank you very much.”

I made myself at home at the opposite side of the table from where Tabitha was crying over the onions she was cutting and Janessa had finished the mushrooms. Zaiden sat down next to me.

It took the humans another twenty minutes to prepare their massive brunch and to join us at the table with steaming plates of food.

The meal was rather silent as everyone got lost in their own thoughts. The silence was only broken when Paul cleared his throat and all attention turned to him, “Ash… we’ve been talking.”

I raised an eyebrow, “About what?”

“About the war.”

“Okay?” I said slowly but it came out as more of a question.

“What he means,” Janessa helped Paul along, “Is that we’ve been thinking about the war and how we fit into it.”

Images flashed across my mind’s eye, images of visions I’d had a long time ago. My family dead at Alexander’s feet while he was kissing Theresa. I frowned deeply, had those been visions or mere dreams? I wasn’t completely sure. Anything was possible these days.

“Oh that’s easy,” I answered, “You’ll all be here, nice and far away from danger. Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you all.” I swallowed hard to keep my voice from trembling. I wasn’t going to let them go anywhere near the fighting, not after Zaiden had just told me that a lot of people are going to die.

“I thought as much,” Janessa said, “But we want to fight, we want to help. I’m not going to let my little sister go out there without me.”

My hands were shaking under the table. I wasn’t a fragile human anymore, they were all human, the chances that they were going to survive were even less than my own and I knew I was going to die at Alexander’s hand. “No. This isn’t even open for debate, I won’t let you all go die on a battlefield.”

“But you would let the other humans go sacrifice themselves for your cause?” Caleb asked.

“Yes.” The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it, “I mean no. They have some fighting experience, you have nothing.” It was true.

“We could learn.” Janessa pointed out.

“No.” I stated firmly and my eyes snapped towards Zaiden when he took hold of my shaking hand.

He watched me carefully, his eyes guarded, hesitant, “Fear Ash, remember what Alex said.”

“This is different.”

“Not really.”

“I have to go, you said so yourself,” I countered, “they don’t need to go, so why should I let them?”

“They only want to support you Ash.”

“Then they can support me from right here. I’ not letting them go head to head or toe to toe or whatever with demons.”

Paul stood up, “Please Ash, we-“

“No,” I said again, “I can’t lose anyone else.”

“And we can’t lose you again,” Paul said. “The first time was hard enough. For months we thought you were dead! It was hell, Ash, hell. We can’t go through that again.”

I laughed, “And you think you can protect me? From demons? From Alexander?”

Paul, Janessa and Caleb looked at one another but it was my sister who spoke, “Maybe not as humans, but we will fight for you as vampires. We will protect you.”

The world around me slowed and I stared at them disbelievingly, “What?” Before anyone could answer I stood up abruptly and the chair screeched as I pushed it backwards. “What you’re all saying is insane.”

“Why is it insane?” Caleb asked, “You just recently became a vampire, so why can’t we?”

Zaiden was still tightly holding onto my hand and looking at the humans with narrowed eyes. I felt when his eyes turned to me and I gave him a wordless look. I was about to rant about just how crazy I thought they sounded when Zaiden’s hand was ripped from my own in a cold rush of air.

Papers that had been lying on the table flew around me and the table rattled on the uneven floor. I took me a moment to realise that it hadn’t been a passing breeze that came from the half open window but something a lot stronger.

Both of Alexander’s hands were around Zaiden’s throat and Zaiden was struggling to get loose. I needed to look twice to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Alexander? Here? How did he-

I didn’t leave room for any more thoughts as I took a step forward to free my noble for the clutches of the demon. Alexander’s head snapped towards me and with two simple words I was bound, “Don’t move.” He growled. “And if anyone screams I’ll kill you all right here right now.”

I couldn’t bloody move.

Alexander knew. He knew he had control over me and all the vampires he’d created. We were all screwed.

The humans were rooted to where they had been before he suddenly appeared and staring at him with horrified expressions.

Zaiden! Alexander was going to kill Zaiden!

Alexander gave me a measured look, “You may speak my little Promise angel.”

A strange sound came from the back of my throat, “Don’t hurt Zaiden, please Alexander.”

Alexander didn’t even turn to look at me, but he said something to Zaiden so quietly that I couldn’t hear it. Zaiden’s eyes widened as he gaped at Alexander, “What are you saying? What do you-“

Alexander growled, “Silence, you don’t speak of what I just told you.” He looked at me, an almost sad look in his eyes, “Just do what I told you.”

“I can’t do that!” Zaiden exclaimed, “Ash is-“

“Enough!” The demon roared and Zaiden didn’t speak again. Alexander’s grip on Zaiden loosened. “Now go sit quietly till I leave.”

Zaiden looked at me with wide eyes and walked to the nearest kitchen chair in what could only be described as a zombie state. He sat down and faced me.

“Zaiden,” I said his name softly. What did Alexander say to him?

“You.” Alexander said as he looked right at me and my heart dropped at his intense gaze on me. “The other day you seemed so sure that I wasn’t going to kill you then, but at a later stage. How did you know?”

I gaped at him wordlessly. What was he getting at?

“Answer me.”

The words flew out of my mouth instantaneously, “I had a vision, even before I met you I had a vision of you tearing me to shreds on the battlefield.”

He regarded me silently as he came closer, his eyes were dark, “I tear you apart?”

I swallowed hard, “Yes.”

He gently placed his arms around me, resting his forehead against my own while I regarded him with wide eyes. His eyes were closed and he stayed unmoving for a moment, then he let out a deep sigh and pulled away from me with his one arm still around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

He watched the humans who had only minutes before been so eager to join the fight. “Maybe now you’ll understand why she doesn’t want you there.” He said, “She doesn’t want you to see me tear her apart, because that is what is going to happen.” He looked at me for only a brief moment before his challenging eyes met theirs again, “Promise Angels’ visions are never wrong, and the future can’t be changed. So honestly it won’t matter if you’re there or not, you won’t be able to stop her fate.”

The weight of my fate seemed so much harsher when coming from Alexander’s mouth and my heart shrivelled in fear. He really was going to tear me apart.

“So stop pestering her about it.” Alexander added and I knew that if I was able to move I would have thrown my hands into the air screaming in shock. Since when did this demon care about my family pestering me to become vampires?

Alexander turned to face me again, his eyes burning right through me, “I’ll see you on the battlefield kitten.” After a moment he smiled and poked my forehead lightly, “Don’t look so terrified, you know what’s going to happen so what do you have to fear? From what I’ve heard, you and I had a great run, but that’s over now, we’re reaching the end of our story.”

I tried to keep my voice as stable as possible, “I suppose that’s true.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, “Stop that.”

“What?” I asked.

Suddenly and without warning he pulled me right into is arms and flush against him. “Stop looking at me like that, it makes me want to kiss you.”

I let out a startled sound and a wave of sadness washed over me when I realised I couldn’t hug him back. This demon who was going to kill me, I loved him more than ever and I knew I would never stop, even when he was puling me limb from limb.

“Alex, we have to go, Viktor just went to check on you.” A female voice came from the door and I felt my stomach turn.

“I’m coming.” Alexander said and he pushed me away from him, “You may move again kitten.”

I felt my limbs loosen and I turned to look at the female who’d spoken. “Brittany?” I asked disbelievingly. “You set him free?”

My noble watched me with sorry eyes, “I ran into him while I was in Timbuktu, he ordered me to come to his aid, I can’t stop myself Ash he-“

“Silence.” And with one word from Alexander she was silenced. “Didn’t I tell you that those closest to you will betray you first?” he asked me and I was left speechless. He did say that. He flashed me one last grin, “Goodbye kitten, see you soon.”

And then Alexander and my noble were gone. I didn’t blame Brittany, there was no resisting Alexander’s words, but I felt utterly betrayed.

I didn’t even think of going after Alexander, I knew there was no stopping him this time.

I sank back down into one of the chairs and held my head in my hands, “Why is this so terribly screwed up?” I asked no one in particular. “Why?”

“You knew that you were going to die all this time?” Paul asked softly and I couldn’t even force myself to look at him and give him the answer to that question.

“He seemed different than before.” Janessa said and I slowly nodded, Alexander did seem different.

I lifted my head to look at Zaiden where he was still silently sitting, “What did he tell you?” Zaiden opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out and I nodded in understanding, “I see. Why does it feel like he’s planning something?”

“He probably is planning something,” Zaiden said, “Alex always has some elaborate plan forming in his head.”

Everyone looked at Viktor with little surprise when he was suddenly standing in the doorway a few moments later with wide and furious eyes, “Alex is gone.”

Caleb snorted, “Tell us something we don’t know.”

“There’s a bottle of his blood in his cell.”

I frowned, admittedly that was a bit odd.