Once Love, Now Destruction

Nicole helped me up with a regretful expression on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Elizabeth,” she apologized.

“It’s… okay,” I winced holding my ribs.

I glanced around the room and blushed when I saw that everyone looking at me with multiple expressions on their faces – most of them were confused and disbelieved, but was what the oddest of them all were… hunger.

Everyone was dressed in fine clothing, some were Victorian styled and some were modern. But there were two people who stood out the most.

There was a woman with long beautiful black hair that flowed down to her waist. She was wearing an elegant lavender dress. She had a diamond crown placed on her head. She looked like

And there was a man – who I was assuming was her husband – stood next to her with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. He had hazel eyes and light brown hair that was neatly slicked back and had – like his wife – a crown on his head.

They both came up to us with broken yet guarded expressions on their faces.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” The woman asked looking fearfully at me.

“Your Majesties, I know-,” Nicole started but the woman cut her off.

“This girl is going to die, Nicole,” she explained, “Not tonight, but you and Tristan know that she is going to die, especially with that thing in the cell with her.”

“Die?” I asked not sure if I heard right.

“You didn’t tell her?” the man asked.

“No, I want to wait until this chaos calmed down,” she answered.

“She has to find out sometime,” the woman noted.

“I’ll tell her,” Nicole sighed and then faced me with a regretful expression on her face, “Elizabeth, welcome to the vampire kingdom.”

***

(Alistair P.O.V.)

I sighed as I watched the guests flow in and out of the ballroom. Most of them danced and twilled in tune with the music. I glared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the pain that erupted from my chest.

“Cheer up, Alistair,” Amy sighed, “It’s your birthday, you should be happy. And there are a lot of pretty girls out there.”

“Amy, don’t start this again,” I hissed at her.

“I just want you to be happy, and you won’t be happy just standing here, hating yourself over nothing,” she told me touching my shoulder lightly.

I shrugged her away, “I’m not hating myself over ‘nothing.’ Michelle is dead because of me, Amy. That is why I hate myself; I couldn’t protect her.”

“It’s not your fault, Alistair. What happened was an accident, you didn’t know,” she stated sadly.

“No,” I disagreed through clenched teeth, “What happened was murder.”

Amy said nothing.

I heard the doors of the ballroom open and one of the guards, Vernon, called out, “Introducing Miss Nicole Staten, Lord Christian Staten, and Miss Elizabeth Ford.”

Elizabeth Ford?

Confused I looked up and saw Christian and Nicole were looking at me warily as they glided down the stairs. Christian was blocking whoever was behind him. And then I heard it.

A heartbeat.

I growled as I approached them, they both knew the rule.

I looked behind Christian’s shoulder to see a girl, a human girl. Her head was down and her hair was pulled back. I could faintly see purple marks that were covered by foundation and some kind of powder.

“Move,” I bared my teeth at my best friend.

“Don’t do it Alistair,” he cautioned not moving.

“You know the rules Christian. Any living thing must be burned.”

“It was my fault Alistair,” Nicole said stepping forward.

“I should have known,” I snarled at her, “Give it up Nicole. She’s not coming back, she’s dead.”

“We don’t know that,” she told me.

“It’s been seven years, Nicole. Now move,” I ordered.

“No,” she crossed her arms not moving.

I growled and pushed past them and reached towards the girl who had not looked up since she came in the room, I almost laughed, she didn’t even know what was happening. Stupid human.

“Alistair no!” Nicole screamed trying to stop me, too late.

I pushed the girl intending for her to snap her skinny neck on the marble, but Nicole threw my aim off, and the girl hit her head. Oh well, that could be fixed.

I ran up the stairs after I threw Nicole to the ground, preventing her from delaying this any further.

I gripped the human’s chin forcing her to look at me; I wanted to see the fear, to taste it on my tongue. But I couldn’t see her eyes, only the salty tears that leaked from them.

“Who are you?” I sneered at the worthless human.

“M-my n-name is El-Elizabeth Scarlet F-Ford. I’m from S-Salem, Oregon. And I’m seventeen years old and will be eight-eighteen in December,” she stuttered quietly.

“Open your eyes,” I commanded her, she didn’t.

“Do it,” I snarled at her.

She did, smart girl.

I could see the fear that I was looking for, but also not. It was like she didn’t care if she died, but for something else. And then I noticed things, Michelle things.

She had Michelle’s face, Michelle’s hair, Michelle’s lips, and Michelle’s scent.

I pushed the images away, I wouldn’t break down.

I saw a sliver of green, a familiar green, out from under the brown of her eyes.

Contact lenses.

“Remove your contacts or I will take them out for you,” I threatened placing my other hand in front of her face.

She did and Nicole took them reluctantly.

Michelle’s eyes were staring back at me, fearfully.

I almost broke, the wall that was holding me back from holding her close, from breathing in her scent, from running my hands through her soft hair, that wall almost gave way. But one thought built it back up and made it stronger than ever.

Michelle was dead, this… thing was afake, was useless, wasn’t my Michelle.

My anger built up and I was so close to killing her, I could taste death on my lips, but I couldn’t do it.

But I knew who would.

“Alistair please, I’m begging you. Don’t kill her,” Nicole begged.

I wasn’t going to kill her, the dog would.

“She sleeps in the cell,” I declared as I opened the door, when I heard, ““La mulţi ani, Alistair (Happy birthday, Alistair),” from the girl’s lips.

I slammed the door behind me, the sound echoed throughout the corridors.

“Prince Alistair?” I heard a voice asked.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, “What is it Vernon?”

“I know you miss her, we all do. But please don’t take it out on the innocent child,” he told plead.

I didn’t answer, but I ran down the long narrow corridors, to my chambers.

I slammed my door shut and leaned against it letting the tears run freely as I clutched her locket that was hooked around my neck.

“I miss you, Michelle,” I confessed opening her locket and traced her beautiful face with the tip of my finger.

“And I promise, your death will be avenged,” I vowed, “Even if it kills me.”