Beyond the Prophecy

A familiar voice echoed throughout the grotto, and for the first time since we met I was relieved to hear it. Thank God, Chris is finally found me. I'd be able to get him to untie me and teleport us away from here before Aciago discovers anything, but the second I opened my eyes I knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

For the second time today I find myself in a new location, but this one was harder to classify. It was just in an empty space that sounded like a heartbeat in the wind, or a rope twirling rapidly. Water enveloped me while my body was protected by a light, plastic-type bubble. I could barely move, couldn't even speak. I felt so small and helpless.

Where the fuck am I now?

"Hello, Chris," the cambion said to him. Its voice sounded like it was coming from above me and muzzled by whatever room I was in. "What the hell took you so long to find me?"

"Aciago's new location is well hidden. Now keep your mouth shut so we can retreat without alerting him."

Chris's voice sounded as if it came from outside the room too. Am I being kept somewhere, locked away from everyone? How is that even possible? I'm still carrying the child. Why would he be able to communicate with it and not with me?

"What are you waiting for? Untie me."

Untie you? I'm the one that's tied up.

Not anymore, it said to me.

There was a pause…I wish I could see what was going on.

"Where's Natasha?"

"She's in front of you. Are you blind?" spat the cambion. "What are you doing?"

"Your eyes are darker, the tone of your voice has a deeper edge, your accent's muddled, and you haven't blinked once since I've arrived. Where is the real Natasha?"

It snickered. "I told you, she's in front of you."

"No. You're an imposter."

"Spiritually, yeah, but this is still her body. Her soul…is another story."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you everything, but you have to untie me."

"No. Tell me and then I'll untie you."

"Don't you want to free Natasha before Aciago comes? You have to untie me."

"I'll deal with him, so give me the information I seek. Only after you do will I consider releasing you."

"Untie me."

"Not yet."

"Un. Tie. Me. Now."

"I refuse."

"Untie me!"

Its voice became a lot deeper and more ominous, sending shivers down my spine, but Chris's vocal tone suggested that he was unfazed by it. I shook inside the protective bubble. What's causing that to happen?

"Tell me where she is. I won't repeat myself again."

"How about we trade information then? Unless you want to trade for something better," it said in a sensual tone.

It's flirting with him now? Oh, that's disgusting.

"There's no chance in hell that's going to happen."

"Maybe not with me, but definitely with Natasha, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know a lot. Things about her present as well as her past, and I know about yours too, Christian Frost. You're attracted to her, more than you care to admit. She has a suspicion about it, but I know it's a fact."

What? Is that true? Chris didn't respond to its comment, not with words anyway. I really wish I could've seen his reaction. I'd also love it if he can get me the hell out of here, but I can't move or speak.

"I also know things about you that Natasha might never know for herself. Were you ever going to tell her about your attraction, or at least how long both of you have really known each other?"

"That's none of your concern."

How long we've known each other? What's it talking about?

"There's even information I can provide about her, like the fact that she's attracted to you too."

Bullshit.

"But, I'm also aware of what she's forgotten. Her bandrui persona is slowly returning."

There's that word again. Remind me to look it up when I get the hell out of here.

"Because of that, she possesses certain abilities she was born with. She has control over the five elements, including one that happens to be my favorite."

I heard the faint sound of fire and something snapping off before whatever room I was in began to shake. The cambion gave a wild, guttural scream prior to the sound of running footsteps sloshing in water. Both it and Chris struggled with each other, though by the cries coming from the cambion I knew Chris was the dominant one. It didn't take long for the cambion to begin snickering again.

"Mmm, if you wanted to get on top of me, why didn't you say so?"

"Shut it. Where's Natasha? If you tell me now then I won't torture you for the information."

"Are you not listening? She's here. Her body's the one you're restraining, but her soul is…taking care of my body."

I'm what?

"Her soul and mine have been swapped. When the fetus is born, it'll be her soul that comes with it. When that happens it'll be too late to switch it back. Good luck finding out how."

Holy shit. That's where I am? You've got to be kidding me. I don't want to be stuck in this body, and there sure as hell no way I'll let that happen. But…I don't have the strength to fight against it.

Chris…I can't reach you or anyone else from here. I don't know what to do…

"What are you doing?" asked the cambion. "Don't close your eyes, keep them on me—"

"I've heard enough from you." Chris struck the cambion hard enough to silence it.

…sha.

Wait, what's that sound? It's so weak. Is it that little voice inside my head that goes along with my instincts? No, it can't be it because this particular voice sounds nothing like me.

Natasha.

Chris? Yeah, that's his voice. It has to be.

If you can hear me, respond.

His voice seems so distant…Still, I tried hard to answer.

I can barely hear you. Aciago is on his way here. I can hear it. I will handle him but you must dominate the fetus's soul and regain your own body before it's too late.

I can't. It's too strong…

If you really believe that then you're not the woman I thought you were. Don't behave like such a frail little girl. You're pathetic. I can't believe you allowed an infant to overpower you.

I didn't allow—

All those threats you made to me were empty. You're weak.

Chris stopped communicating with me when Aciago's voice reverberated in the grotto. He thinks I'm weak? When he gets an overnight pregnancy and has his soul shoved in the body of an infant, then we'll talk.

…Okay, I have to concentrate. Can't let the sound of their mill distract me. I have to fix all this before the little imp regains consciousness. With everything I could muster I reached out to its soul somehow. The fact that it was still passed out made it easier to do so. I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing but whatever it was, it was working. Before I knew it, I was back in my own body, but it took so much out of me that even sitting up required a big effort.

Natasha, came Chris's voice instantly, I kicked Aciago's staff beside the stone slab. Grab it before he has the opportunity to reclaim it.

My fatigue was like an invisible weight holding me down; I had to drag myself across the saturated islet in order to reach the staff.

"Stay away from it!" Aciago bellowed just before Chris dunked his head in the water.

"Burn it!" he shouted soon after.

"How? I don't have a lighter."

"Use your power."

Power…This is weird. I'm just a normal person but now I have powers all of a sudden? This is madness. "I don't know how."

When Aciago reached for the staff Chris slammed his head on the boulder hard enough to knock him out for a little while. "Setting the staff aflame," he began, "produces an oil that's said to purge the cambion completely. Fire is the only thing that excretes the oil from it. The best way to trigger you fire ability is to get angry."

With a deep sigh I used the stone for back support. "I don't think I have the strength to even try."

The staff would've rolled out of my hand if Chris hadn't caught it before it could slide into the water. He grabbed both of my hands with his; our left hands held the staff while our right hands hovered a foot below its tip. To assist me further he sat behind me and used his upper body to support mine.

"Concentrate," he said in my ear. "As outspoken as you are, I know you still hold a lot of anger inside of you. Now is your chance to unleash it uninhibitedly. Relive all the moments you've been hurt, all the trouble others have caused you, even everything Aciago has put you through. Channel all that rage into your hand."

My progression was slow. Fatigue was at the very top of my mind but once anger emerged it blurred my vision until red was all I could see. I've released my anger in so many ways, but never has it come out like this. At the peak of my fury a sweltering sensation traveled down my right arm and stopped at my hand. I wanted so desperately to stick my hand into the water surrounding us but Chris wouldn't let me move an inch. The heat that built up in my hand materialized into flames and levitated a few inches above the palm of my hand. All this time and I never knew I could do that. Everyone else did; why didn't I?

"Almost," Chris said.

I didn't know what he was talking about, but it became clear once I noticed a caramel colored liquid forming at the tip of the staff. It's working! The oil was so close to coming out completely, but it was the minute it was about to drop that I knew that time ran out.

My water broke. And if that wasn't bad enough, Aciago regained consciousness and assaulted Chris once more. Their swiftness was so sudden that it knocked the staff out of my hand and onto the stone slab, smearing the oil in the process. No…that was my one chance to get rid of the cambion…

I held my breath as soon as my contractions came. The pain was so intense that no matter what I did—shifting my position, clenching the hem of my shirt, grabbing the boulder—the sensation never went away. Menstrual cramps are nothing compared to this. Oh God, please…make it go away. I don't want to have this baby. I don't want to put my life in danger. I don't want to go through this anymore.

My cries echoed in the grotto; they, unfortunately, distracted Chris enough for Aciago to successfully land a punch on his stomach. I tried to crawl towards them but I could hardly move. Shit…I can't take this pain—

Wait. They're starting to go away. But, why? I searched for the answer until I saw it: the oil. The little oil the staff produced never left the boulder and when I grabbed it my pinky touched a little of it. Come to think of it, Chris mentioned that the oil would get rid of it but he never said how much of it was needed. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. Please God, I've never needed your help as much as I need it now.

A contraction so strong formed just when I was reaching for the oil. This has to work…it better work. My right hand slid across the oil, gathering as much of it as I could. Touching a little of it was one thing but taking in this much thrust me backwards and against the islet. I let out a silent scream; the oil caused the electricity I felt earlier to return, only this time it didn't last as long. I was afraid I'd slip into the cambion's body once again, but when the electricity die away I was still in my body, and to make matters better my belly and that damn demon was gone. I was still a little tired of course, but it was a tiredness I can handle. I felt like myself again.

"No!" shouted Aciago. "How could you!? You destroyed it!"

Chris had the incubus on his knees while he held the switchblade he always carries at Aciago's throat. I picked up his staff with a glare, keeping my eyes on him even as I slowly approached him. He cringed when I dragged the staff across the little isle. Once reaching him I bent down and stared at him straight in his eyes.

"You son of a bitch," I began. "Why the fuck did you do this to me?"

He smirked. "Have you forgotten already? You were the pawn and Chris was the king. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask him yourself."

I creased my eyebrows and looked up at Chris. "Did you plan this?"

"Of course not. If I wanted to torture you, I'd do so myself. Have you learned nothing from the first night you came to my home?"

He had a point. This staff in my hand was what caused the pregnancy in the first place, according to that book I read in the library. If I destroyed it then he'd never be able to cause harm on any other woman. Would he be able to recreate the staff though? Doesn't matter; I'm going to fuck him up so bad that he won't even be able to see straight.

"What are you doing?" asked Aciago as I stood. The tone of his voice said he knew exactly what I intended to do. "No… the staff!"

"Shut it! I've had as much as I can take from you."

I snapped off one end of the staff, but by the sound of his screams I knew that it was more of an emotional pain he was feeling. That's when I knew: any damage caused to the staff is automatically felt by him. The second piece I broke was accompanied by the sound of a bone breaking. His eyes watered along with it.

"Does it hurt?" I said in a calm voice. "Is it too much for you to bear? I hope so."

He chuckled. "I'm truly surprised. Chris has never gotten as far as you have to hurting me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't he tell you? This isn't our first encounter. He's tried to kill me before—" He yelped when Chris pressed the blade closer to his throat, but that didn't stop him from talking. "When I found out about you I knew that using you would be the best revenge on him. If only he had warn you about me before our dream encounter. All of this could have been avoided." He snickered, even when the knife at his neck scraped his skin and bled him a bit.

I looked up at Chris with my eyebrows creased, asking him with my eyes if what he said was true and demanding an answer at the same time. He stared back at me, his face empty and unreadable. Oh fuck no. One way or another, I'm going to get answers from him.

Aciago took the opportunity to grab Chris's wrist with one hand and elbow him in the face with his free arm before dashing away from him. Using his own staff, I swung it low and tripped him before he could get very far. Aciago slid towards the water surrounding us and I chased after him, dropping the staff along the way and grabbing his arm hard enough to turn him onto his back.

"You think you can get away that easily!?" I shouted before I began punching him. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

The rage I unleased when I needed to produce the fire in my hand was still on the surface, and my aggression towards Aciago fueled it and made it escalate to a whole new level. I felt a slightly painful and tingling sensation coursing through my body. It reminded me of the blaze that built up inside me earlier, only this time it felt more like an electrical energy. Even though it was hurting me I still tried to focus on Aciago, but the next blow I landed on his face came with sparks of electricity emanating from my fist. The water we were partially submerged in intensified the sparks and electrocuted him. I was so caught off guard by it all that Aciago, despite being fried, slipped out of my grasp and ran further into the water.

How…how did I do that? Why did it happen?

Aciago's shrieks filled the grotto and snapped me out of my momentary wonderment. Chris had snapped off another piece from his staff, stopping Aciago in his tracks. I shot him a glare and turned, marching right up to Chris and held my hand out. He placed the staff in my hand with a smirk and without hesitation. The sound of water sloshing behind me was soon replaced with a painful cry when I used my rage to engulf the staff in flames. Aciago screamed so loud that my forehead felt the pressure of its volume. He didn't catch fire but he certainly felt it. In less than a second he sprinted so far into the water that he was no longer visible. I don't know how deep the water was, but it was at least deep enough to completely submerge him.

I waited a few seconds but Aciago never resurfaced. He might have drowned or died from the flames to his staff, or he might still be alive down there. Either way, he wasn't coming back. I asked Chris to read his mind from here but he said he couldn't locate it. A dead mind can't communicate active thoughts, but neither can a mind that's far away from here. I just hope I never see him again in any way, shape or form.

"Take me home," I requested, and he did without hesitation.

He teleported us to my room where Leda wasted no time rushing towards me. I couldn't greet her back, though, because the teleportation made me too lightheaded. Guess it wasn't the booze that made the first time a dizzying experience.

A few things happened at once: I took a good look at myself and saw how filthy I was, I saw how much worse the old bruises got in addition to how bad the new ones already are and my stomach grumbled like an angry monster. Now, if I can figure out a way to take care of them all at once then I'd be set.

My eyes opened wide when Chris pulled out his switchblade. "What are you doing?"

"Taking care of your contusions."

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"They hurt like shit, but they'll get better. If you heal every little wound I get then I'll never be able to develop a tolerance for this kind of pain."

"Your lesions are not small. Should you walk in public with any of them exposed people would question them and become suspicious of you. Besides, your meeting with the record company is tomorrow. Do you honestly want their first impression of you to include the bruises?"

Bollocks. The meeting's tomorrow already? I didn't know all of this went on for that long. "I'll think of something. If not then I'll ask you to heal me, but for now I need to deal with it."

He sighed. "Very well. They need to at least be cleaned and dressed."

"I can do that after I shower."

"Not after, before. They need to be protected." He led me to the bathroom and had me sit at the edge of the bathtub before he took out the first-aid kit.

I'm surprised. Normally this would be the time he'd summon up one of the servants and have them take care of me, but he's actually going to do this himself. Could it be that he actually cares? Maybe, I mean he did come find me at the grotto and the cambion said he was attracted to me. Is it just a physical thing though?

"So, Chris, why did you come for me? I mean, why rescue me from the incubus if all I've done is inconvenience you?"

"To be perfectly frank, I'm not entirely sure. I thought it was because of the prophecy, but I've never made much of an effort when the prophecy is the reason behind my actions." Carefully, he cleaned the rope burns on my ankles with rubbing alcohol, causing me to flinch.

"Hold still."

"Did you come for the reason the cambion said?"

"Which is, what?"

"That you're attracted to me."

He smirked. "The cambion said many things, most of which irked me to my very core."

Figures. I knew that little shit was lying. "It called you Christian though."

"Yes. That is my full first name. I prefer not to be called by it for reasons that are too long an explanation to get into tonight." He moved onto the second ankle after wrapping the first one in an elastic bandage. "Do not forget, the cambion said the same about you."

"What do you mean?"

"It mentioned that you were attracted to me as well."

"It's not true." I rolled my eyes at his 'I don't believe you' look. "Fine, I'll admit it. You're sexy on the outside, but on the inside you're ugly as shit."

He smirked again. "I'm flattered, really."

I chuckled but winced when he started cleaning the wounds on my arms. For a brief moment he clenched his eyes and shook his head, but then his hand moved to his forehead as if he had a headache. Can vampires even get headaches?

"Are you all right, mate?"

"I'm fine. It's just…I haven't fed in over twenty-four hours. I'm growing weary from it."

"You're kidding. Why haven't you fed yet?"

"This whole incubus incident took up more time than I predicted."

Aw, man…I didn't realize just how much he had to do to save me from Aciago. "Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head. "Feeding from you is risky. You haven't eaten in a long time either so your nutrition isn't up to par. Once I'm done here I'll find my food."

"Speaking of food, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

I shot him a glare before he smiled. "Why aren't you going crazy at the sight or smell of my blood?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know. In stories and movies and stuff, you always see a vampire lose it over the tiniest drop of blood. Why isn't my blood making you insane?"

"Because I'm not a savage beast that's incapable of control. Vampires are not much different from a human in that sense. We were once human after all. Say, for example, you walk passed a restaurant in a stomach as empty as yours. Would you go on a rampage and eat out of a stranger's plate because of it? Does it cause you to steal food from any location?"

"Hell no."

"Exactly. You grow weaker from hunger, not feral."

I gave him a nod but I didn't really believe him, so I came up with a stupid way for him to convince me. "Prove it."

"Excuse me?"

"You say vampires don't go nuts when they see blood, so prove it. All the blood I have exposed right now is dry. If you are able to take a little bit of fresh blood without losing control then I'll believe you."

"You're insane. I refuse."

I shrugged. "Fine. Then I guess you'll be content with me not believing you." If he's as stubborn as me, then he won't be.

"You do believe me."

"A part of me does." His silence made me smirk. "It's a simple little demonstration. You have nothing to lose." Why am I pushing this?

He didn't move or speak for a while, and since he covered any of my injuries he could there was nothing else for him focus on. I held out my wrist and pointed to it with my head. His eyes glanced at it for a moment, the temptation of it showing in his eyes, but then he shook his head.

"If you want me to demonstrate, then I rather not use your wrist for it." He moved even closer to me, using one of his hands to lean against the edge of the tub for support. "The neck will hurt less," he said in my ear.

Breathing in deeply I whispered, "Okay."

I shut my eyes when I felt his lips and his breath glide across my skin. His other hand moved to the other side of my neck, probably to keep my head in place. The nervousness I felt the first time he tried to feed off of me returned but this time, his fangs actually managed to pierce my skin. I let out a short cry; you can't imagine how painful this felt. It was like a cross between two needles and small knives penetrated into your neck. Had he not kept my head in place I would've instinctively pulled away, which probably would've torn my skin and veins since his teeth were already imbedded in them. But even though it started off hurting, the pain faded and was replaced with an unshakable feeling, one I couldn't find the words to describe. It was like a different kind of endorphin; Endorphins just make you happy, but this just felt so good. Butterflies flapped in my stomach, I felt blissful, aroused, liberated, high …Any grand sensation I've ever felt in my life came to me all at once. But then, Chris stopped feeding. He pulled away a little but his face remained close to mine.

"No," I said lowly, "I want more."

"I know you do, and you're not alone," he whispered. "I can't, especially since you're malnourished."

As we spoke our heads remained only a few inches apart. The tiny distance he left between our lips suggested he was tempted to do more than take a little blood and to be honest, I felt tempted too. It's not the first time we were in this position, but the difference was that the word no was getting harder to say with every moment I spent with Chris. I'd be lying to myself if I said it now. My skin grew warm and my heart rate increased. We briefly gazed into each other's eyes before I shifted my glance to his lips, which were getting dangerously closer to mine. And right when I took in a deep breath, he kissed me.

That is, if you can count it as a kiss.

It didn't last more than a second. Literally. Not two seconds or three or even a full minute. Just, one second. Once it was over, he stood, blinked once and then walked out of the bathroom. What the hell?

"Wait," I called as I stood, before he could walk out of my quarters completely. "What was that for?"

He turned only enough to be able to look at me and said, "Just testing the water," before leaving my room.

Testing the water? Maybe he did it to see how I'd react to it. But if he's the one testing the water, then that means his reaction was the one he couldn't predict either. Right?

Accidently catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I saw the marks left behind by his bite. Anyone else would've stared at them, examined them, inspected them, but I didn't. My mind wanted to, but my heart…it made me stare at my mouth instead.

I could still feel his lips against mine even though the moment was short-lived. That with the combination of every joyful feeling that arose from his feeding was irresistible in so many ways. It was more than that though; my mind replayed everything that's happened since I've met him. I hated his guts so much that the thought of being near him nauseated me every time, but he's redeemed himself lately. He's been protecting me and healing me, even at the cost of his own health. And although I was practically forced to move here, I haven't felt like a prisoner. True, I'm physically attracted to him but my thoughts went beyond the corporeal. The more I thought of him, the warmer my skin grew until I came to a conclusion. The reason why I still had those warm feelings wasn't because they were left over from his bite. The reason they were still on the surface was because I was developing feelings for him.

Jaysus…
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Mill: Irish slang for brawl