Love Comes In Many Dangerous Forms

I sighed waking up feeling sore and tired. I felt better than I did last time, I was still hot, but it was tolerable. My neck was stiff like a board, and the annoying beep was louder than before.

I opened my eyes to see that I was in the infirmary? That was odd. Why would I be here?

I looked down, to see that I was in a blue hospital gown, and I had IV needles stuck in my arm.

There was this gray thing on my fore-figure, and was connected to a heart monitor. I frowned confused. I felt something blow around my mouth and nose, I took whatever it was, off. It was an oxygen mask. Why was I wearing an oxygen mask?

I looked to the door and saw Zach enter with a cup of blood in his hands.

“Cassiel!” he shouted, and ran over to me and set his glass on a nearby table.

I tried asking him why I was in here but no sound came out of my mouth.

“Hold on,” he told me and ran to the sink, and took a paper cup off of the counter and he turned the sink on and collected some water, and ran back to the bed I was laying in.

I tried to get up into a sitting position, but I felt drained of every ounce of energy Zach helped me up and gave me the small cup of water. I drank it immediately, loving how the cool water soothed my dry throat.

“What am I doing in here?” I asked him putting the emptied cup down, on the bedside table, next to Zach’s blood.

“You don’t remember?” he asked astonished.

“I just remember leaving on Aidan, and went out looking for Shane, did you find him?” I asked worriedly.

“Cassie, when you went out looking for Shane, you somehow lost Aidan, but we found him, and he is in the stables with Tessa,” he reassured, “But Shane bit you Cassie.”

“He what?” I asked confused.

“Shane bit you, and left you in the middle of the forest, to bleed to death. He came back to the castle and I smelled your blood on his breath. And he confessed to biting you, injecting venom into you, and leaving you out in the blizzard. Colton, Audrey, and I went out looking for you. It took us forever, but then I found you,” he looked pained saying this, “You were covered in snow, and your blood stained everything around you. And you were so blue, and I have never been so scared in my life.”

“It’s okay. I’m here now,” I told him taking his hand, “What happened to Shane?”

“Your parents found out. Your father was going to kill him, but your mother decided you could choose what his punishment was.”

“Where is he?” I asked.

“In the dungeon,” he answered looking at me.

“Can you please get him out of there?” I questioned, I hated it down there. All life that went down there was drained by the grey bricks.

“You have to talk to your parents first,” he told me.

“Alright,” I agreed and tried to get off of the hospital bed.

“What about the IVs?” he asked trying to help me.

“Where’s Vera? She can take them out.”

“Hold on,” he ran out of the room.

I had this feeling of unease, being alone, but it felt like someone was watching me. I looked around the infirmary, wondering if there was someone in here. I saw no one.

I bit my lip and looked out the window, and I was transfixed – like someone possessed my mind, clearing all of my thoughts and – just looked out the window. There was a slight glow around the sill, it glowed a dark menacing color. I stood up the window drawing me to whatever it was. I didn’t feel weak anymore, and I wasn’t in control of my body. The window started to open without anything near it; I could feel the cool breeze brush over my skin, and some snow flurries floated around the room. I was so close, so close to the window, it almost pained me to be away from it.

“Cassiel?!” I heard someone call.

Suddenly the window slammed shut and it felt like a ton of bricks came crashing down on me, knocking me to my knees painfully. But what hurt the most was that the IV that was inserted into my arm was yanked out letting the gash it left to flow blood freely.

“Damn it, Cassie,” Zach let out a frustrated groan and Vera fluttered behind him as he sat next to me.

“You didn’t see that?” I asked, confused.

“See what?” Vera asked looking around the room, trying to figure out what I was talking about.

“T-the window! It was glowing this blackish color! And it started opening by itself!” I exclaimed pointed to the now closed window.

They both gave me confused looks.

“Cassiel, I think it was all part of your imagination, dear. But then again, you do have some powerful painkillers in your blood,” she touched my shoulder lightly before tending to my newest wound.

I just bit my lip and nodded, it was probably the drugs she had given me. I felt something be wrapped around my left arm where the gash was and I saw her finishing putting a gauze around my arm.

She stood up and Zach helped me get to my feet and Vera helped me put on a robe. It felt nice.

Zach let me lean on him as we made our way down the hallway, but before we went through the door, I looked back at the window to see a small pile of snow inside. I ignored it not wanting them to worry about my mental health any more than they did.

I saw the door to my family’s throne room. Vera opened the door and let Zach and me pass and closed the door when she entered.

Zach assisted me as I sat down on the cool tiled floor, loving that my skin wasn’t as hot as before.

Zach and Vera bowed their heads and left the room silently.

“How are you feeling Cassiel?” my mother asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” I answered her.

“That’s good,” she smiled.

Okay, something was up with her. She used to not care about anything, not even me or Hillary, just herself. I wonder what was wrong with her, was she sick?

“Well, we need to discuss your matter of safety,” my father concluded.

I nodded signaling for him to continue.

“We have noticed that you go into town unprotected very often. And we know we gave you a knife and you can protect yourself, but we are worried about you,” he started, “So we have decided that you are not to go into town unless you have Prince Colton, Zach, or any of the guards with you.”

I guess that was fair.

“Alright,” I agreed.

“So have you figured out what you are going to do with the vampire in the dungeons?” my father asked.

“Not yet, but can I talk to him first?”

“Alright,” my father sighed.

“Thank you,” I told them, and struggled to get up.

I felt arms wrap around my waist steadying me.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Colton smiling at me. I gave a weak smile back.

“Thank you, Colton,” my mother grinned.

He helped me through the door and asked, “So where do you want to go?”

“My room, I want to change out of this stupid thing,” I answered.

“Um,” he looked around trying to figure out which way to go.

“Left,” I laughed under my breath.

“Thanks.”

We finally made it to my room and I saw Jimmy crying on my bed and Carly trying to comfort him.

“Jimmy.” I called worried.

“Cassie!” he ran over and hugged my leg tightly.

Colton let go of my waist as I bent down and sat on my knees. I brushed away Jimmy’s tears, and let him cry on my shoulder.

“What’s wrong Jimmy?” I asked running my fingers through his hair.

“I-I asked Au-Audrey w-where you w-w-were, and she said you were gone. And I ke-kept on w-wait-ting, but you never c-came. I-I th-though-t you le-left m-me,” he sobbed out.

“Jimmy look at me,” I told him softly, “I will never, ever leave you.”

“P-promise?” he asked through teary eyes.

“Promise,” I vowed, wiping his tears away.

I got up, and took Jimmy’s hand.

I walked to my closet, holding onto the wall for support, and picked out a random dress. I closed the door and changed into the dress and out of the stupid hospital gown. I tied my hair up into a ponytail, and walked back into the room.

I saw Jimmy as far away from Colton as possible, and when he saw me he ran and hid behind me.

“Did I do something?” Colton asked confused.

“No,” I smiled and touched Jimmy’s head, “Jimmy just doesn’t like strangers.”

“Oh.”

“Jimmy I have to go, but I will be right back,” I promised him, “Colton do you mind watching them for me.”

“Not at all,” he said and sat on my bed next to Carly.

I smiled and walked out the door.

I finally made it to the bottom of the dungeon. I sighed sadly, I hated going down here almost as much as I hate having anyone in here. I walked through the narrow hallways; the candles were my only guide. I approached the cells looking in some of them trying to find Shane when I saw a dark figure sitting in the back of the cell hissing.

“Shane?” I called out to the figure.

The hissing immediately stopped, and the figure came closer to the cell door.

“Cassiel?” I heard Shane ask confused.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologize, “I’ll take whatever punishment you give me.”

“I’m not going to punish you, but I want to know why you did it,” I told him

“Hillary told me that you were going to kill all of the immortals. And she gave me this note saying that you were going to kill Carly. I-I didn’t know what to and I barely know you, and I just wanted to protect Carly. And-,” He sounded stressed.

“I know how you feel,” I cut him off; “I would do anything for Jimmy, for all of you. Even give up my own life.”

“Yeah,” he tilted his head.

“Now let’s get you out of there,” I got up and looked around for the keys. I saw a stone that wasn’t set in the ground. I picked it up and there was a key lying beneath the stone cover in dirt. I picked it up and dusted it off before sliding it in the cell’s keyhole.

I heard a click echo throughout the lifeless halls. I threw the rusted key back on the ground and placed the stone over it again.

“How did you know where the key was?” he asked coming out of the cell.

“I went exploring down here a few months after we moved in. I searched under every hiding place you could think of. I actually found this really cool necklace dangling from one of the cells ceilings,” I told him.

“A necklace?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was this gothic cross type thing. And it had a blood red heart in the middle and an obelisk shaped diamond hanging down from it. But whenever I looked at it, it seemed like it was alive,” I explained.

“Cassiel do you still have that necklace?” he questioned eyes wide.

“No, it’s in between Jimmy’s parent’s graves. I felt like it belonged there.”

“Do you know who lived here before you did?”

“No, all we knew was that it was abandoned, why?”

“Cassiel, that was the demon’s royal family’s necklace.”