Blackstar

I hadn’t slept once since Alexi and King Bartholomew left. Even though Vera and Queen Vittoria insisted, my stomach would twist and my mind would fall into nightmares. The thought of what they could possibly be going through right now made me physically ill.

I decided to start sewing. I wasn’t sure what I was making but it at least got my mind off of everything for a few hours. Vera and the Queen would join me in the room, Vera reading and the Queen knitting. Even though they wanted me to sleep, I knew they hadn’t either.

The week finally came to an end and we gathered in the kitchen, refusing the food servants kept offering us. As the sun set and they still hadn’t returned, my eyes began to water with tears. Suddenly, there was a crashing and running footsteps. We heard men yelling and horses whinnying. The door slammed open and the three of us jumped back.

“Alexi!” I screamed and threw my hands into his waiting arms. I didn’t bother hiding my tears as Vera joined me. “Oh, thank the heavens!”

Vittoria was gripping her husband as if afraid he would fly away. I stepped back.

“You’re both bleeding,” I said, swiping at my tears. “Come, we have to clean your wounds and….”

My voice trailed off when I saw the man who had come in behind him. He was staring at me with his mouth agape. For some reason, he looked so familiar, as if I had seen him before. He walked towards me slowly, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

“Trinity?” he whispered and touched my cheek. “Is it truly you?”

The royal family had all backed up and Alexi had a small smile on his face.

“Who are you?” I asked and tears ran down his cheeks.

“They were telling the truth. You don’t remember me.” I was confused as he looked me up and down. “You’ve grown so beautiful, my dear sister.”

“Sister?” I repeated.

He wiped his tears away.

“My name, my true name, is Joseph,” he said. “Prince Alexi said you don’t remember your past.”

“Wait,” I said, my eyes wide. “Wait a minute.”

Thunder crashed overhead. I was running as fast as my small legs would let me. My mother was gripping my hand tightly.

“Hurry,” she cried. “Please, hurry. They’ll catch up soon.”

“Mommy, you’re bleeding!”

“Never mind, Trinity,” she said, covering her neck. “Come. They’ll find us.”

Beside me, my father and older brother were running just as fast. My father’s neck was bleeding profusely as well. We managed to reach the woods and my parents paused, gripping their necks.

“Listen to me,” my mother said, kneeling on the forest floor. She opened her arms and we both hugged her. “Stay together no matter what. Don’t let them take you.”

“We’re not leaving you!” my brother yelled, crying and yanking on her arms.

She smiled and caressed his cheek. “Take care of your sister, Joseph.”

Suddenly, a black mist surrounded us and my mother screamed as it enveloped her.

“Go!” my father yelled and Joseph, sobbing, grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

“Don’t look back, Trinity!” he cried as we tripped over roots.

“I’m scared!”

Two cold hands closed over my throat and I screamed.

“No!” Joseph yelled and tackled whoever was grabbing me. “Leave her alone!”

I spun around and screamed again. A man was pinning Joseph to the ground, grinning. His mouth was dripping with blood. With a wicked grin at me, he plunged his teeth into Joseph’s throat.

“Go, Trinity,” he gasped, his face streaked with dirt and tears.

I stumbled back a few paces and fell down a cliff. I rolled down the ground, too stunned to cry out, until I hit a tree. My head rebounded and everything went black.

“Joseph,” I whimpered and hugged him tightly.

“Oh, Trinity,” he cried and sobbed into my shoulder. “I never thought I’d see you again!”

-Alexi’s POV-

I took my family’s arms and pushed them out of the kitchen, leaving Raven alone with her brother.

“What is going on?” my sister demanded. “And why are you bleeding!?”

“We’ll explain soon,” my father assured her. “Let’s get somewhere that we can clean up.”

Servants led us up to the bathroom across from my parent’s room. My father and I took our shirts off, revealing long gashes and the servant quickly put them in a bag.

“Burn them,” I said bitterly and she nodded, bowing out to do as I asked.

As the nurse was dabbing a solution on the wounds, the door opened and Raven walked in Joseph. She helped him sit down and take his shirt off where he, too, was sporting wounds.

“I think it’s time you answered our questions,” my mother said in a shaking voice.

“We almost didn’t make it,” I sighed, wincing as they wrapped a bandage around my torso tightly. “Blackmoon – well, Joseph – managed to make up a story. Since he was the only thrall there, he got to leave once in a while to gather food. He talked them in to letting us go with him, to see how it’s done. We got out to the cave entrance when someone overheard us talking about the quickest way home.”

“But don’t worry,” my father said quickly at the stricken look on Vera’s face. “No one is left.”

I looked down at the floor, my eyes watering. I swallowed thickly and cleared my throat.

“You have a lot of catching up to do,” I said to Raven and Joseph.

“I need to rest,” Joseph said. “The poison,” he added and Raven’s eyes widened.

“Poison?”

“I’ll explain,” I offered and Joseph smiled graciously.

A servant led him out and I grabbed Raven’s hand, leading her to my bedroom. When the door was shut, I pulled her in a hug and held her tightly. I never thought I’d get the chance to do it again. We stood there for a while. I closed my eyes and kissed the top of her head.

“I was scared,” she whispered.

“So was I,” I admitted.

“Sit down,” she said when my legs started to shake. She held my hand and took me to the armchair by the fire. She pulled the over chair over so she our knees were touching. “There’s more to it.”

“There was a fail safe,” I said, looking down. “At the entrance to the coven,” I added. “If Joseph escaped, the door would release a blast of flames. He rigged it, though, to where he was able to get the flames caught on the other side of the door.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I could hear them, Raven. There were children.” She grabbed my hand and kissed it. I cleared my throat and continued. “Vampires were constantly on guard outside of the entrance. They attacked. We were almost bitten a couple times.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered and I couldn’t help it.

I put my elbows on my knees and covered my face, my tears escaping in a flood. I sobbed openly and she climbed onto my lap, letting me cry into her chest. I had killed innocent lives. Children who had never chosen their fate were now dead. The guilt ate through my chest.

I don’t know how long I cried. When I finally calmed down, the front of her dress was soaked and there was even some snot on it. I groaned, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said and I looked up.

She smiled and kissed my forehead.

“I think I’m going to get some sleep,” I said and she stood up. She helped me into bed and was about to leave. “Will you stay with me?” I asked, turning red.

She blushed but nodded anyway, drying off her gown before she slid in next to me.

-Raven’s POV-

He fell asleep quickly, resting his head on my shoulder. I smiled a little as he started to snore. I was glad to have him back but, at the same time, I was utterly confused about the man just down the hall.

Joseph had promised to sit with me and catch up as soon as he had rested from the ordeal. I did know, however, that he was dying. My bite mark had been stinging while they were gone but only recently had it stopped. Did that mean the man attacking me was gone?

No sooner had I thought that than the room went black.

“Oh no,” I gasped and sat up, startling Alexi.

“What’s wrong?” he asked and did a double take when he noticed all the smoke. He pushed be to the farthest wall and stood in front of me. “Go away!”

“You’re foolish to think you’d be rid of me that quickly,” the voice echoed through the room and I shook, gripping Alexi’s arm tightly. “I should have known when you first walked in. But no worries. Soon I will have Blackstar and this poison will be cleaned from my body. As for Blackmoon… he can die on his own. Don’t think you’ve evaded me yet. You’re safe now, my dear Blackstar,” he said darkly. “But I will be back.”

The smoke disappeared and Alexi turned, his eyes wide.

“I am so sorry,” he breathed, pulling me into a hug. “I thought it was….”

“What are we going to do now?” I asked, shaking.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “But we’ll figure it out.”