Blood of the Pure (Gaea) Page 6

  “Don’t worry. I’ll eat afterwards, while you’re in class. Right now I simply wouldn’t be able to,” I confessed and she placed a friendly hand on my shoulder.

  “OK then. See you at four?” I nodded and she kissed me on the cheek. “Good luck,” she whispered and turned to go back to the others. “You’ll have to tell me everything afterwards!” she added over the noise coming from the cafeteria and went back to where Joanne kept her place in line.

  I watched them for moment as they talked together, easily belonging to a world where I had to try so hard to fit in, and then turned away and ran in the opposite direction, avoiding the groups of students walking towards the cafeteria. I’d made a decision and postponing it further would only make things harder. I ran up the stairs and down the corridor and stopped when I opened a door to an empty classroom. I was certain that thinking too much about it would shatter my weak courage, and so I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath.

  “Are you here?” I called out, but even so my voice sounded weak and frail, scratching my suddenly dry throat. “You’re here, aren’t you?” I insisted, as my will waned away, but nothing happened.

  The tension I’d unconsciously accumulated started leaving my body. Somewhere in my mind, the thought I was being foolish made me smile. I certainly sounded like a crazy person, talking to the empty chairs in an empty classroom.

  The deep sound of his chuckle froze my bones, sending my thoughts over a dark precipice. My stomach turned upside down and I knew I’d done the right thing by not eating. I clenched my teeth hard to stop them from clattering since my whole body was trembling uncontrollably. And I knew that if I still wasn’t crazy, I was definitely half way there. For an instant the idea even sounded good. Everyone said that crazy people didn’t know they were crazy. And maybe I’d be able to face all these things fearlessly, free from the terror that threatened to swallow me whole.

  “Hmm. This is rather interesting. In a second you’re so terrified you can hardly speak. And next you’re standing here, calling for me,” I heard his voice in that cold but amused tone and forced myself to take a deep breath.

  Breathe ... stay calm ... think. The worst thing that can happen ... yes ... it’s he killing me. And not even that can be that bad. Nothing can be worse than this.

  Once more I managed to free myself from the panic that swallowed my thoughts and turned my head towards him, to face him as strongly as I could. His intense presence filled the air all around us, in waves that promised to devour me, and I immediately fell back to my new self-control technique — slowly breathing.

  Between rhythmic inspirations I noticed he stood on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall between two windows. Like all Human Beings, he had two legs, two arms and one head. His hair was completely black, falling straight and silky below his waist and over his forehead in rebellious strands. He kept his arms folded over his chest like if he was waiting for something, and the skin I could see, like his face, was so white it almost looked bluish. He looked young and his features were simply perfect, as if he were a statue carved from pure white marble. His lips were thin but colorless. The only color in his face came from the eyes that looked at me; violet eyes that appeared almost crystal liquid. I recalled seeing red reflections in his eyes earlier, but either that had been something I’d imagined due to my frightened state or it had simply disappeared.

  “So?” he asked with that same velvet voice, and I couldn’t help staring in disbelief at the way his lips moved. Irrationally, I had almost come to believe they would never part as if they really belonged to some statue. Watching him speak had left me as perplexed as I would surely be should I’d seen Michelangelo’s David smile at me. “You called for me. Here I am.”

  But he still hadn’t moved, I noted, and I was internally thankful for that. I was sure I’d be unable to keep my thoughts rational if he were to approach me. My ribs still hurt, reminding me of the overwhelming strength he used to push me against the wall, justifying my fear of his proximity.

  “Are you really ... for real?” I asked, my voice no more than a whisper I was certain he wouldn’t be able to hear. That was the key question; the one that would definitely cut off all my possible escape routes. And I wished he really hadn’t heard it so I could keep that last ray of hope.

  His purple eyes kept staring at me during those brief moments of silence when he went back to being that perfect statue. And then his lips distended into a terrifying smile, making me step back against the door, my hand flying for the knob as I readied myself to run as fast as my trembling legs would take me.

  “You think I’m some kind of hallucination?” he asked me, slightly bending his head. “Want me to prove just how real I am?”

  I shook my head vehemently, my hand squeezing the doorknob so tightly that my fingers hurt. I made myself breathe to regain some of my rationality and reminded myself that, hallucination or not, it was no use running away. Besides, calling him there had been own my choice.

  “What are you?” I tried again and he laughed, startling me as usual.

  “Stupid questions,” he spat in spite and turned his head towards the blackboard, as if it were much more interesting than me. “You don’t know? Or are you looking for a confirmation?”

  I kept silent. In my mind I was amazed at myself for being able to just stand there, in his presence, and I wondered how much more I could take before completely falling apart. I’d already exceeded my own limits and, in flashes of madness, I started wishing he would simply kill me and put an end to that terrifying feeling of being hunted by deadly monster spawn from some unknown abyss.

  “Aren’t you going to ... kill me?” I managed to ask, part of me wishing he would say yes, and he looked at me through the corner of his eye, as if to avoid unnecessary movements.

  “Is that what you want?” he retorted. For an instant I dreaded to think he might have read my mind. I thought he might really do it and I wished to live! “If it is, I am really sorry. Sure, that was my initial idea. But, as I’ve told you, I changed plans.”

  I felt heat spreading through my body, as the shadow of the anger I’d felt during class returned, and released the doorknob, clenching my fists to gain courage.

  “This Contract, I won’t accept it!” I stated, raising my voice, and he looked surprised. “I ...” My voice cracked as the small courage I’d been able to gather slipped away like water between my fingers, and I forced myself to go on. “A Contract is invalid if not accepted by both parties ... and I ...”

  The red glow that took over his eyes silenced what was left of my voice. Against everything my crazed mind thought possible, a light frown marked his forehead.

  “Won’t accept!” His voice, in that ice-cold whisper, was pure anger and I thought my heart would stop. However, in the next second, his expression went back to one of a renaissance statue and a brief smile touched his lips. “This is something you can’t refuse,” he stated as if that was the conclusion he had reached in those brief seconds. “Your Soul is rightfully mine, which goes much beyond your insignificant life. You may not understand exactly what I’m saying within your limited human understanding. But everything about you belongs to me. In fact, accepting this Contract is the only way you have to save yourself. It’s the only way to limit my actions and make them bend to your will,” he informed me and I tried as hard as I could to understand what he meant. “As you can see, I’m even being nice,” he added with a sarcasm that made me tremble. “Besides, wasn’t it to see your pathetic wish fulfilled that you went through the ritual?”

  Yes, that was something quite clear to me. The origin of that huge mess had been nothing else but my egoistical wish.

  “You mean that ... if I won’t accept ...”

  “If you refuse to accept, I’ll claim my rights over what’s mine,” he confirmed calmly as a shiver ran down my spine. “Your eternity will belong to me. And you’ll cease to exist in all times, all spaces and every dimension.”


  I felt myself falling and only woke up from my numbness when I hit the ground. Controlling my heavy breath, I clenched my hands together to make sure I remained conscious.

  “And ... if I accept?”

  “If you accept I’ll simply do my part. You’ll get the love you so much desire in exchange for one night, your first night!” he clarified, lowering his voice. My stomach cramped once again.

  “And then?”

  “Then I’ll disappear and you’ll go on with your pathetic life.”

  “You’ll disappear?” I asked, my mind half blocked by fear.

  “Yes. As if I’d never existed. You’ll even forget all about me. You’ll never see me again. The choice is yours.” I felt defeated, trying to fight a war that had already been lost. I couldn’t breathe and wanted to scream, but knew my voice would never obey me. And, even if it did, what good would it do? He’d told me the choice was mine, but in truth there wasn’t much to choose from.

  “Oh, that’s him, isn’t it? Your Human.” His voice brought me back from the desperate swirl of my thoughts and I saw him look out the window.

  It was only then that I noticed his dark wings had disappeared, but told myself this wasn’t the time or the place to worry about that. I jumped up, forgetting my aching legs or how much they trembled, and followed his gaze from a distance. From where I stood I could see Michael and his friends talking outside, like every other day. His eyes glistened slightly and the smile that tugged at his perfect lips left me with a terrifying certainty.

  “Interesting,” he hissed and, right before my disbelieving eyes, he disappeared within a small rain of black glitter, as if his presence in that room had been no more than an illusion.

  My heart raced and my sweaty hands opened the door so hard it slammed against the wall. I ran desperately through the corridor and down the stairs, the sound of my steps echoing in my ears, and pushed open the heavy glass door that lead outside. The cold wind that greeted me made me stop, and it was only then that I noticed how my chest burnt and how my breath left my lips in heavy white clouds. With urgency burning through my chest I looked for Michael, passing over all those unknown faces, until I found him.

  And there, the creature was, too, just a few steps away from Michael’s group, standing with his back against a tree, watching them just like I did. I simply stood there, not knowing what to do. I recalled that Steph hadn’t been able to see him, but, even so, seeing him so close to Michael left me terrified. That same dark smile touched his lips, confirming my fear, and his purple eyes glowed with a crimson light. I watched as he raised his head to look at the treetop and, panicking, watched as a thick heavy-looking branch start shaking, almost like someone was jumping on it. And I knew immediately what he was up to.

  I ran again, not even thinking about what I was about to do, and bumped with all my might against Michael, pushing him out from harm’s way just in time; the heavy branch falling with a loud thump right where he’d stood a second ago.

  For a moment everything was quite and all I could hear was my own breath. But then worried voices started filling the air.

  “Michael! You OK?”

  “How in hell did this thing fall?” asked another boy, kicking the branch that was so heavy it didn’t even budge.

  “Hey, Michael! You’re bleeding!”

  I looked at him in alarm and noticed the thin thread of blood trickling down one of his cheeks. He swiftly cleaned it away making it easier to see the small cut on his skin.

  “It’s nothing,” he answered and looked back at me, smiling gently. “Hmm, thanks. You’ve probably saved my life.”

  A wave of warm blood ran through my body. I hadn’t thought of doing something as heroic as that. In fact, I really hadn’t thought of anything at all.

  “Ah ... it was nothing,” I murmured. “I was just walking by when I noticed ... I acted without thinking,” I confessed, feeling too embarrassed for being the center of attention.

  “Michael! You better go and disinfect that,” one of his friends advised. “You say it’s nothing, but it won’t stop bleeding. Stop acting the hero and come with me to the infirmary!” he practically commanded, holding him by an arm and helping him up to his feet, dragging him towards the north building. Michael laughed, filling me with that warm happiness that made my heart soar, and followed his friend obediently.

  “See you later,” he told me at the last moment, peering over his shoulder to wave at me, and I raised a hand, trying to respond but too entranced to do it properly.

  “Were you hurt?” asked a boy, who had been present during my shameful moment the day before.

  I blinked returning from my dream world. “Um, no, thank you,” I answered in an almost inaudible voice, standing up.

  He smiled politely. “Good. Well, I’ll see you later.”

  “Ok,” I answered once again, not knowing what else to say as he, too, walked away.

  The sound of a low laughter quickly erased all the feelings of warmth from my body. However, my anger spoke louder, overthrowing my fear, and I clenched my fists turning to face him.

  “What in hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, probably too loudly, since everyone that looked at me would see me arguing with a tree, and his laughter was replaced by an amused smile.

  “Really, really interesting.”

  “Didn’t you say we had a Contract? You tried to kill him!” I accused him, furiously. That he would kill me, I could accept. But someone else getting hurt because of me was simply inadmissible.

  “Oh well, so much drama,” he complained with a tedious sigh. “Let’s be real, shall we? If I wanted him dead he’d be dead,” he claimed with complete conviction. “I only wanted to see what kind of Human he is. On the other hand, as you so well put it, there is no Contract until you’ve accepted its terms.” He released the full intensity of his presence over me and, once more, I felt like I was being crushed to death. “But really. A Human like that ... you have quite the bad taste in men. Can’t see why any woman would want a man like that. However, it makes everything all that easier. Too easy, even.”

  I lowered my gaze, truthfully depressed, the memory of what had happened the day before still very much alive in my head, and sighed. “What’s the use? No one can do anything about it.”

  “If it’s him that you want, it’s him you shall have,” he asserted with that sarcastic smile.

  “And what can something like you do? Will you make him see things that aren’t really there every time he looks at me? Or will you make him think that he wants me, even when he doesn’t? In the end, he will never love me. It’ll all be a big illusion,” I contested, speaking from the pain that still lived in my heart and heard him take a deep breath.

  “It is true that any of those options would be faster and much more effective in solving your little problem,” he agreed in an almost condescending voice. “But, unfortunately, at the time, I don’t have what is needed to make any of those things possible.” I raised my head to look at him, trying to understand what he meant, and was inevitably caught in his violet gaze.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Both options you’ve mentioned imply the manipulation of one’s being. Be it your being or his being. And it’s not that I’m not able to do it,” he noted with a certain pride.

  “Then?”

  He smiled, balancing his body forward and pulled away from the tree. My whole body shook uncontrollably and I gave three steps back, even though he hadn’t taken a single one towards me.

  “Something like that won’t even be necessary. All that is needed are a few pushes.”

  “Why? You can claim my Soul if, like you said, I belong to you. Why?”

  “That’s none of your concern,” he replied coldly. “Worry only about deciding.” His cruel tone of voice made an invisible knot squeeze my throat.

  “Deciding? What’s there to decide?” I asked. He smiled cynically and I frowned calling upon the small remains of courage I still had. “If that�
�s how it’s going to be, then there are some terms I want to add!” I stated and he tilted his head, his dark hair sliding over his white shoulders like liquid. I was sure he was going to refuse, or that he’d get angry with my audacity, but a slight expression of curiosity took over his face. “And these are non-negotiable!” I added, my heart beating like crazy.

  “I’m listening.”

  I swallowed hard, fearing I was interpreting his disposition wrongly, but either way it was already too late.

  “I want you to guarantee me that you won’t harm any of the people around me!” I demanded and waited fearfully for his reaction.

  He stood silent, for a moment, his expression undisturbed, looking like a statue once again until he finally stood straight.

  “Is that it?” he asked, as if he’d been expecting more, and I felt lost. Was that it? His question made me desperately look for more conditions I might add, but I couldn’t remember anything else, although I knew there was bound to be other ways to help me control that creature. “If that’s all, I’m fine with it,” he added with a sigh, looking completely indifferent, and his soft voice broke my thoughts, robbing me of any possible argument.

  “That’s it ... then,” I whispered with the feeling I’d just condemned myself to hell, too tired to even be afraid any longer, and he smiled.

  “Not yet,” he retorted and I watched terrified as he lifted an arm, his index finger pointing towards me. For a moment I thought he was going to shoot some kind of magic lightning to strike me down and reduce me to ashes. “That mark on your wrist is proof that I’m obliged to fulfill this Contract.” He informed me calmly and the burn on my wrist stung as if the simple mention of its existence was enough to make it hurt, and he looked amused. “Come here,” he commanded, beckoning me with his long and white finger. Still I found myself unable to obey.

  I thought now that I’d made a decision, there was nothing to be done about it. For the time being, I really had no other choice. Maybe afterwards, maybe I could find a way to Seal him in that book again, or even destroy him forever. I was going to keep those thoughts as my last source of hope. Because there and then, that was the only way to go.