I Love You, I'll Kill You

The cold fog of the night was beginning to fade, letting the morning mist take over in its place. The sun was just on the verge of rising, letting light just barely appear over the distant hills and mountains. It was a beautiful sunrise; the first for me, since I couldn't remember what the sun was like. Desmond was still carrying me when we reached his porch, which surprised me because I had been practically jumping in his arms due to his tickling. He had found within the first two minutes of the return home that I was very ticklish, especially around my torso.

He was smirking as he opened the door with one hand, which I found impressive because I wasn't that light, but your average weight seventeen-year-old. But as soon as the door opened the slightest bit, he tensed, and the happy smirk on his face faded and was replaced with something around the lines of disturbed, or perhaps upset.

I cocked my eyebrow at his sudden change in character. "Desmond?" I said his name in a quiet voice. He didn't reply, but stared into the house through the small crack in the door, acting like some robber was in his house. Maybe there was. I felt his body begin to turn away from the house, and just as he was to, the door swung open, revealing Dawn. Her face was unhappy, but her eyes were full of worry. I automatically tensed, feeling like something very wrong was about to happen.

"Desmond," she said in a slightly seething tone. "How nice of you to return home right before the sun rises."

I didn't understand why she was being so hostile when we had just returned, but as soon as I saw her eyes narrow at Desmond, I knew something was wrong. I looked to Desmond to find the answer, but saw nothing but a very blank face.

Ivan appeared behind Dawn with the same expression she had. "It's about time you showed up. Our guest has been very...impatient." He sounded like he was biting his tongue to try and say something nice. I tried to look around the two bodies that were blocking the entrance, but found it impossible to move in Desmond's tight hold, which was gradually getting tighter by the moment.

"Yes, Desmond, what could you have possibly been doing when dawn is so close at hand? I don't know many vampires who take such risks." A voice that felt like a cold winter storm spoke from behind Dawn and Ivan. His voice made me feel cold and small—and in more than one way—frightened. Goosebumps were beginning to form on my arms, and I wasn't surprised if I was shaking in Desmond's arms.

Dawn and Ivan moved from blocking the door, revealing the owner to the voice. He was sitting on the couch, the largest, with a wide smirk on his lips. As soon as my eyes locked on him, I felt the coldness and fear level go up a few notches. He looked like a young man, no more than 21, but I knew it was different as soon as my eyes laid on him. I clung tighter to Desmond's shirt, feeling as if he was my security blanket.

"Bryce," Desmond said with distaste, even though it was added with a slight nod of the head, a kind gesture. Bryce stood from his place on the couch and walked over to us, each step suffocating me more and more. His eyes were stuck on me, and something in his eyes told me his intentions were not kind, but held many promises. "What are you doing here?" Desmond asked. From the look on his face, he didn't like Bryce. I sure as hell didn't like him, and I hadn't even been introduced.

Bryce's gaze finally left me, and I felt as if I could breathe normally once more. His sinister smile stayed on his face while he walked closer to the rest of us. He gave a nonchalant shrug, not really answering Desmond's question. Desmond set me on the ground and pushed me behind him, sheltering me from Bryce. I peeked around his body to see Bryce stop less than a foot from him, still smiling.

"You—Desmond—should know exactly why I'm here," he said.

Desmond's whole body tensed and that one movement made me feel more frightened than before. "Explain yourself, Bryce," Desmond demanded in a harsh voice, probably hiding the fear or worry.

Bryce chuckled, and the sound made me begin to shake. "Cain asked me to come and check on his dear Grace. He has been thinking about his wife-to-be constantly, and has been wishing each day for her to be by his side...for all eternity," he said.

That pushed something inside me, something that forced all the feelings out so that anger could replace them all. I knew I had felt anger before, but not like this. I practically knocked Desmond over as I pushed him out of the way so that I could face Bryce, a glare now plastered on my face. I pointed a finger at him as I said, "Wait just a minute. I am no one's wife-to-be, and I sure as hell don't plan on changing that any time soon. I don't care if this person is Prince Charming, or has the face of a god. So you can go back and tell your dear Cain that he can forget about it and find himself someone else, 'cause I sure don't plan on marrying anyone I've never even met before, let alone anyone I do know right now."

Bryce's smirk was now replaced with both shock and confusion, but more confusion than anything. I think the shock was because I was standing up for myself when I had just been terrified of him seconds before.

I let out of gasp of surprise when Desmond's arm slid around my waist while his other covered my mouth, making sure my words were muffled. I tried to tell him to let go, but, of course, they were all just babble.

Bryce continued to stare at me with a slightly open jaw, his eyes wider than normal, looking like he was truly speechless. Maybe it wasn't very common for anyone other than Desmond to stand up for themselves when it came to Bryce.

Silence filled the room—one of those tense silences—and I hated it. Had I really just done something that surprising? Was Bryce more powerful than I thought? Or maybe I was just being gutsy. Anger always seemed to make people more confident, so maybe that's why I wasn't surprised at the moment.

Bryce knocked himself out of his shocked/confused state, and that devilish smirk returned. A light bulb must have flashed in his mind, because his smile only seemed to grow, and Desmond grew tense. Ivan and Dawn remained standing next to Desmond and me, showing that they would protect us if Bryce had anything funny up his sleeve.

Bryce let out a burst of laughter, and the sound made us all tense. He wiped invisible tears from his eyes as the laughter quieted, and his eyes moved back to Desmond. His eyes were full of amusement. "Desmond, you have done something to this girl, something that has changed her. What is it? Do tell." He was demanding more than insisting.

I heard Desmond gulp loudly. This was not good. We were in a bind either way. I had no idea who this Cain person was, and I didn't want to know, but I had a feeling that was not in my power since he obviously had some power if he had a scary servant like Bryce. And if I had met Cain before, had I liked him? Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. I shook that thought from my head. I knew that wasn't the case if he had people like Bryce working for him. If any of his other henchmen were like Bryce, I didn't want to ever encounter them.

Dawn and Ivan finally moved away from us, feeling Bryce was not going to attack or threaten us. They moved past Bryce, moving toward the living room, but making sure that their eyes never left his form. They both sat next to each other on the big, black leather couch, clasping their hands together in an unbreakable bond.

I couldn't stand lying any longer, and Desmond wasn't about to say anything from the looks of it, and I wanted Bryce to leave. "I fell on the concrete and got a concussion...I don't remember anything," I said quietly and quickly. Well, it wasn't the whole truth, but it was better than nothing. I glanced up to Desmond. His face was both confused with a hint of disapproval. I went to look at Bryce next—to see if he believed me—and surprisingly his face was blank, but I knew he was thinking. I crossed my fingers mentally that this idea of mine would work.

Bryce shook his head as he closed his eyes. He suddenly looked tired. When his gaze opened, he locked his eyes on Desmond. "This news is not going to please Cain, Desmond. You've been irresponsible and careless. Perhaps it is just as well if I take her with me now and make things easier for the both of us."

My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to take my words back. I didn't want to go with him, to go be this Cain's wife. I wanted to stay with him. I wanted to be with Desmond. I felt foolish thinking it, but when I did stop and wonder about it, Desmond really was something more than a security blanket. I felt safe and wanted around him, unlike anything I've ever felt before. My eyes widened when it hit me hard—harder than anything before. Was this... love? Was this how it felt? I opened my mouth to object, but Desmond beat me to it as he stepped in front of me once more, blocking me from Bryce.

"You can't take her," he said, voice suddenly strong.

Bryce raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said I'm not letting you take her," he repeated, his voice fierce.

Bryce's eyes narrowed. I'm not sure if it was because he was surprised or because he was mad, but either way he looked like he was thinking hard. All was silent once more, and the power in the room was suddenly thick.

I gasped as I felt the same thing I had felt at the werewolves' place, the same intense and invisible power. The goose bumps on my arms returned, and the sudden inability to breathe washed over me like unseen water. It was the exact same feeling I had felt when Desmond and Shayne had first encountered each other. It was that otherworldly power, and I believe they called it their aura.

The powers clashed together in an invisible hit, and I fell to the ground, on my knees. I took deep breaths, trying to feel less light-headed, but the power only built upon me like some great water, suffocating me more. I felt Desmond bend down beside me, but couldn't really feel him at the same time. I knew he was there, touching my shoulder, but I felt nothing, only the great power that was flowing over me. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I tried to push the power away from me. Again—like last time—it was trying to force its way inside my body.

Desmond knelt beside me, speaking mute words. His lips were moving, but I could hear nothing. My eyes kept going in and out of focus, threatening to close if I didn't do something soon. Another wave of the power hit me, stronger than ever before, and I was suddenly on my back, screaming. I didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to hold off the power, but I knew my power wasn't going to last much longer. I shut my eyes, hoping that it would help to rid of the invisible force. It didn't. It made it even more powerful.

I clutched onto the closest thing to me, and that was Desmond's hand. I squeezed it, begging for him to get rid of this great force. But even his hold didn't help. I let out another scream as the force hit me hard once more, and another voice screamed with me. I could no longer fight it off. It pushed itself into me, flowed into me and coursed through my whole body. The next thing I knew, I was still lying on my back, but all the others had joined me on the ground.

Desmond was lying on his back on one side of me, while Bryce was on the other. They were both breathing quickly. I sat up—feeling more energized than before—to see that Dawn and Ivan were also on the floor, breathing like they had just been suffocating.

"What the hell just happened?" Bryce asked in a raspy voice. He coughed as he tried to sit up, but fell down onto his back once again.

My hands were shaking, my body feeling full of such power that I thought I could never have. I knew my eyes were wide with a mix of adrenaline and fear.

Desmond coughed beside me. "I don't know," he said as he sat up. They all looked like they were in pain, but why? "Dawn, Ivan, are you okay?" His voice was just as weak sounding as Bryce's.

They both nodded their heads from their places on the wood floor. "We're alright, just really...tired," Ivan replied, but had to take a break to take a breath.

Desmond looked to me, his eyes weary, but full of worry. "Are you okay?" he asked me, his voice suddenly soft.

I didn't know how to answer because I didn't know if I was alright. I felt fine, but was a truly alright? I felt tears begin to build in my eyes as fear clutched me. My head dropped; I couldn't stand to stare at him, his eyes so full of worry and weariness. I had done this to him, and yet he was asking me if I was alright.

"Grace?" he asked, his voice getting softer. His hand lifted and reached out to touch me.

I jerked away from him, pushing myself as far away from him as possible. "Don't touch me," I whispered. "I don't want to hurt you more than I already have." I felt my back come in contact with the wall, and I had nowhere else to move since I was stuck between Bryce and Desmond.

Desmond stared at me with hurt eyes, and I felt my heart clench. I had never seen such a look on his face. I wanted to crawl back over to him and hold him in my arms, but I knew that I couldn't, not after what had just happened. His eyes stayed on me, and I couldn't handle to stare at him any longer.

I felt everyone around me, where they were, how they were feeling, and what they were. I stared with wide eyes as I looked to Dawn and Ivan and saw that they had almost invisible outlines of wings coming from their backs. My breath grew faster as they both sat on their knees, checking one another to make sure they were alright. I stuttered as I said, "T-they're angels." They both turned their attention to me when they heard my words. They both glanced to each other with lost looks, but soon returned to me for answers.

Bryce groaned on the floor as he started to pick himself up, catching my attention. I screamed and jolted away from him. His eyes were now very red and his fangs were glinting as he clenched his teeth while pulling himself up. "You're...you're a vampire, too." I couldn't believe my eyes. How had I not noticed all of these things before? Was I really so blind?

A hand rested on my shoulder, and I screamed. But before I could push away from the hand, an arm surrounded my waist and pulled me to a hard and cool chest, embracing me. I didn't fight the embrace, and began to cry instead.

"Everything is fine now, Grace," Desmond’s cool and kind voice whispered comfortingly in my ear while his hand stroked my hair. He spoke soft words that calmed me, erased the fear, and yet the tears continued to fall.

Bryce rose to his feet finally, finding enough power to get to his feet. "She has developed some very...unique powers, Desmond," he said, pausing to find the right word.

Desmond didn't say anything to him, but continued to comfort me while speaking soft, soothing words. "Everything is alright, Grace. I'm here for you. You're safe," he spoke. I wasn't the one who had been in danger, they were. I was the one who had done all of this, who had forced them all to their knees. What was I becoming?

"She can tell what we are, Desmond," Ivan said, sounding like he couldn't believe it himself. Desmond let out a loud sigh, but didn't reply.

Bryce took a step forward, and then took it back, looking like he couldn't decide what he wanted to do. I felt his eyes on my back, but ignored it and continued to hide my face in Desmond's shirt. "Her powers have finally shown...and yet I feel as if this should all go unsaid," he said.

I felt Desmond's head move to stare at Bryce. I was betting he was surprised by the vampire's words. I was. "Do you mean..." Desmond couldn't finish his sentence.

Bryce explained before he could say anything more. "It is not my job to inform Cain of her powers, it is yours. I shall leave it up to you to make the right decision...whichever that is…" his voice trailed off at the end, as if he couldn't believe his own words were coming from his mouth. Before he could say another world, or anyone else for that matter, smoke surrounded him, and like a magic, he was gone.

Dawn and Ivan were now up on their feet, holding each other for support. "Well, that was weird," Dawn commented, and that got a chuckle out of all of us. I wiped the tears from my face, trying to slow myself down. I took a few deep breaths, and that helped a lot. I was pulling myself together, which was always a good sign.

Desmond somehow lifted himself with me in arms, though I could tell he was struggling not to sway. "Thanks you two for closing the blinds for me. That was very considerate," he said, grateful.

Dawn and Ivan chuckled as they exchanged looks. "Like we had a choice; Bryce is no better with sun than you, if not less," Dawn said with a snigger.

"You two should get to bed. You two must be dragging after such a long night," Ivan said.

Desmond snorted. "You have no idea. I had to go deal with wolves, and then I found out that Grace practically tore her ankle off," he said, motioning for my ankle at the same time.

"I resent that. It's a sprain, not a break," I argued.

He rolled his eyes at me. "I'm sorry; I forgot that it was just a measly injury, and nothing more. Oh, and did I happen to mention that Shayne told me that you almost tore a ligament. That's worse than a break." He was daring me to argue. I didn't.

“Grace seems to be acting the same as ever. I'm glad this incident hasn't changed anything between the two of you," Dawn said with a smirk, winking at the two of us.

Desmond and I glanced at each other, and I felt heat immediately run to my face. I'm sure that if he could, he would have, too. We both turned our faces away nervously, and Dawn and Ivan laughed at our reactions.

"Have a nice snooze," Ivan joked when Desmond began to carry me up the stairs.

Desmond mumbled something under his breath. I think he said, I will, but I wasn't sure.

When we reached Desmond's room, he set me on the soft bed, and I automatically wanted to sink into the warm sheets, not caring if I had my shoes and day clothes on. He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, making quite a ruckus, until he returned with a few ointments and wraps for my ankle.

I shook my head, a smile on my face. "You know, my ankle isn't that injured. It really doesn't hurt that much," I said as I tried to convince him that I was fine.

He just rolled his eyes. "Why do you insist on making things harder for me?" he asked while knelt in front of the bed, undoing the wrap around my ankle.

The smile on my face grew when I thought of my answer. "Because it's my job," I said.

He laughed quietly, and that small sound sent shivers across my body. His laugh was very different from Bryce's, something that was both soothing and angelic. "How true," he commented while he took care of my ankle. The moment he touched it, I felt better.