With Sin, Condemn You

I paced the room slowly like a lost child for a few minutes, not knowing what to do now. Suddenly, I began replaying the events from earlier in my head. Then, it hit me. I burst through the door of the room I was in and bolted down the hall. Upon turning a corner, I smacked into Matt, who was talking to one of the Sinne Krigare generals.

“Alex? What are you doing?” he asked, catching me so I didn’t fall.

“Where’s…” I had to pause to catch my breath. “Where’s Valora? Is she okay?”

Matt’s face became grave. “She’s fine for the most part.” He let go of me when he figured I was able to stand on my own.

“For the most part?” My breathing began to quicken again. “What do you mean for the most part?!”

Matt turned to the Sinne Krigare general, sending him an apologetic look. The general nodded and walked away. Once he was gone, Matt turned back to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Alex, you need to calm down.”

I nodded and bit back the angry scream that was begging to be let out. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if two demons put themselves in danger to protect me.

Once content with my calmness, Matt stated, “I say for the most part because whatever Alden did really damaged her powers. They’re still there, just not near as effective as they used to be.”

I sighed softly, part out of relief, half out of guilt. “Can I see her?” I asked quietly.

With a nod, Matt led me down the endless hallways to a door on the second floor. He pushed the door open gently and peeked inside. After examining the room, he stepped inside, and I followed him in.

The room was identical to the rest of the rooms in the mansion. My eyes immediately snapped to the bed where I found the leader of the Sinne Krigare resting on it. I quickly made my way to the side of the bed. “Valora?”

Valora turned her head weakly, her usually bright, silver eyes now a dull gray. She smiled at me. “Your highness,” she greeted weakly. “I see you were successful. Now the kingdom will be at peace once again.”

I nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Alden’s gone.” A sudden wave of emotion swept over me, and I flung my arms around Valora in a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Valora returned the hug. When we let go, she asked in a hushed voice, “Will you and Jimmy be able to be together?”

Tears welled up in my eyes and my lower lip trembled. “No. He’s gone.”

Valora seemed shocked for a second, then angry. “Did that scoundrel get a hold of him?”

I shook my head, the tears sliding down my face. “He gave himself so I could live.”

“Oh, Alexandra. I’m so sorry.”

Valora began to get up but I immediately stopped her. “No, don’t move. You need your rest.”

With a reluctant nod, the Sinne Krigare relaxed again. “I’m sorry, your highness. I know how highly you thought of him.”

I wiped away the tears and nodded. “I should probably get going. You really need your rest, Valora.”

“Yes, I am rather tired,” Valora replied. I gave her one last smile before heading out the door with Matt on her heels.

We walked down the hall in silence until we reached the staircase. “Is there anything we can do to reverse the effects? Valora doesn’t deserve that.”

Matt shrugged slightly. “We’re looking into it. Valora’s powers are very useful, so we’re going to try and get them back to their full potential. Though, I have a feeling we won’t be able to do it until after you get the rest of your powers.”

“Okay,” I murmured, with a nod. “I think I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a long day.”

“That will probably be the best thing for you to do. The other guards and I can handle things.” With that, Matt turned and headed back for the main hall.

I quickly made my way to my floor. As I was about to open my door, I stopped myself and looked down the corridor to Jimmy’s room. My hand fell off the doorknob as if all the strength in it had just been sucked out of it. As if by themselves, my legs began retracing my steps down the hall, stopping in front of Jimmy’s door. My hand shook as it turned the knob. After releasing my pent up breath, I pushed the door open and stepped into the empty room.

A shiver ran up my spine as I scanned the room. It already felt like it had been through ages of disuse, when in reality it had only been hours.

I moved over to the bed and laid down on it. I allowed the tears to fall again as I remembered that if that bastard hadn’t decided to invade, Jimmy and I would have made love right here. Sadness suddenly transformed to anger again, and I had to bite my hand to prevent a yell.

After glaring at the ceiling for a while, I pushed myself up and looked around the room. As I examined the room, my eyes rested on a thick book lying on a desk across from the bed.

I got up and made my way over to the desk, my curiosity getting the better of me. The cover was oddly blank. I picked it up and took a look at the spine, finding it empty as well.

My brows knitted in frustration as I became impatient with not getting an answer. Just as I was about to return the nameless book to its place on the desk, I noticed a bookmark barely protruding from the top of it.

So Jimmy had been reading it…but why?

I quickly wrenched the book open, my eyes widening and tearing up as I read what was on the page. It was instructions on how to give yourself for another being, human or demon. Fat tears fell from my face, splattering the page below. So this whole thing…he had planned it all along if anything had happened to me. But why? I know he loved me but…could it also be that he maybe blamed himself for the fall of the kingdom in the first place?

I slammed the book shut and dashed off to my room with it tucked under my arm. I yanked the door closed behind me and leaned against it, staring down at the black, barren cover; the cause of all my sadness.

After I calmed down, I moved over to my bed and sat down cross-legged, leaning against the headboard. As I sat with the weight of the dreadful book in my lap, a thought occurred to me: could there be a way to bring Jimmy back in this book? I mean, it would make sense that there was a way to reverse it in there…

My hand shook as it went to pull the cover away. I began to open it, then stopped halfway. I slowly returned the cover to its original position and placed it on the bed beside me. I wasn’t in any state to look at something like that now, even if it was there. Plus, there was absolutely no way I could accomplish something like that without my full powers.

I sighed softly and gently slid the book under my bed. Once it was hidden, I laid back down and stared at the ceiling. As my eyes began to close from fatigue, I made a promise to myself. I was going to bring Jimmy back, one way or another. Even if I didn’t find it in that book, I would find it somewhere, no matter what it took.