I Love You, I'll Kill You

I was positive my heart had stopped beating. I staggered for a breath, trying to remember how to breathe. Desmond's words had hit me like a ton of bricks. What did he mean? I tried to keep my eyes from bulging out of their sockets while he continued to drive around 100 MPH down the road, swerving through the turns with ease.

"Excuse me?" I somehow choked out. I was still trying to register what he had told me only a moment ago. I swallowed hard, letting the lump that was stuck in my throat slide down into my stomach.

"You heard me," he growled, a sound of displeasure perfectly visible in his voice. He never took his eyes away from the road as he spoke, a look of annoyance on his face. I knew that my eyes were big and scared at this moment.

"I did, but I don't understand. Are you kidnapping me?" It was one of the thoughts that had been bothering me since I had gotten in his car. I didn't think he would be the kind of person who would kidnap people, but then again, I had just met him. And then it hit me; I had no idea who or what this guy was.

I went to reach for the door of the car, pulling on handle. I didn't care if I didn't have a good chance of living if I jumped out of the car. Anything was better than being tortured for life. I felt my heart start again when I pulled on the handle, but nothing happened. The door was locked, with no ‘unlock’ button. I was stuck in the car with what could be a murderer.

"Let me out of the car!" I screamed; panic rushing through me like a crazy train. Desmond growled again and shut his eyes for a split second. Again, as he gritted his teeth, I saw the two sharper ones sticking out amongst the rest. I gasped and tried to sit as far away from him as possible, my back pressed against the cool glass of the window, keeping my distance.

"What are you?" I whispered, not knowing what to think. "And what do you want with me?" I almost stuttered over my own words. He finally took his eyes away from the road to glance at me from his peripheral vision.

"Like I said, you already know what we are...or what I am, at least," he said with an unwavering voice, unlike mine. I was shaking, scared for my life. I watched as he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again to stare in front of him while we continued to drive on through the dark woods.

"Grace, you still don't realize what kind of world you have come into. This world is nothing like yours and is very dangerous." As he was speaking, his hands continued to clench on the steering wheel. I was puzzled, completely lost by his words.

"Why do you keep speaking as though there are two worlds?" I asked with a cracking voice. He glanced to me again and gave me a strange look. It sent shivers up spine.

"I will tell you as soon as you slow yourself down," he said slowly, as though I were an idiot.

I glared at him slightly. "How can I calm myself down when I have no idea what is going to happen to me? I don't know who the hell you are, I feel like I am being kidnapped, and here you're telling me that I know what you are. How can I stay calm?" I asked through gritted teeth, trying to make sure that I keep myself from screaming. He sighed and suddenly put his foot on the break, skidding to a stop in the middle of the road. It was dark, rainy, and the perfect scene for a murder. I began to hyperventilate again.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" I whimpered, trying to open the locked door, but the handle wouldn't budge. Desmond snarled quietly, trying to hold himself back from doing something stupid. I gasped when he grabbed my shoulders, pulling me back away from the door with such speed and power; I wasn't sure if I even put up a fight at first.

"Grace, I am not going to kill you! Get a hold of yourself!" Desmond had lost his temper and could no longer hold it back. This was obviously not his night. I became frozen and remained still while he gripped my shoulders. I looked up from the seat of the car, tears begging to come to my eyes, and looked into the caramel color of Desmond's.

"Now, listen very carefully. This is not going to make a lot of sense to you, but try your best to keep up with me and to not ask questions," he began, looking into my eyes as he spoke. I slowly nodded my head, trying to slow myself down. He didn’t let go of my shoulders while he sighed and began to explain the whole story.

"You are not in the world you believe you are in. It's all been an illusion." My eyes got wide at his words. My heart had stopped again. Who was this lunatic?

"What?" I whispered with fright. He snarled again; he had warned me not to ask questions.

"Just listen. Ever since you have arrived to this place, you have been stuck in an illusion. Ever since you have arrived, all the people, all the places have been an illusion. Deloris is not real. Jeff was an illusion. His house was an illusion. The only things that have been real are the things you saw tonight, and Cain." I was completely lost. I had never been more confused in my life than now. His words didn't fit at all. But the look in his eyes convinced me that he was being serious about this and that it was the truth. I swallowed hard again, trying to remember how to breathe. I could feel that I was on the verge of tears.

"But...why?" I whispered, not believing any of the information I was receiving at all. Desmond shook his head, looking as though he was regretting to say the last part.

"I can't tell you everything. All I can tell you is that the boss has an interest in you," Desmond spoke with regret. He was feeling bad about something.

"Boss?" I asked in a weary voice. He slowly nodded his head, taking his eyes away from mine and back to the window. "Then—if this isn't the real world—than where am I? And what are you?" I asked in a cracking voice, a couple of tears falling down my face. I watched Desmond sigh and rub his eyelids, shaking his head slightly.

"You are in a world that is nothing like yours. Creatures that only exist in stories and legends in your world live here in this world. And just like in the stories and legends in your world, there is a war breaking between the different species." He was speaking as though it was all easy for me to understand. He looked away from the window and back to me as he leaned against the car seat.

I gulped loudly again, trying to think of something to say. "Am I in…an illusion now?" I hesitated to ask, afraid of what the answer would be. I was waiting for the moment I would wake up from this nightmare.

Desmond's eyes grew a bit lighter at my question, his voice quieter. "No, the illusion ended as soon as I took you out of the town.” He was probably feeling bad that tears were now falling freely down my face, shock taking its toll on me. Now, all I wanted was to go back home, to the home I knew was real and normal to me.

I sniffled a couple of time, trying to act like less of a child by trying to stop crying. "If I was in an illusion,” I had to take a second to get a staggering breath, “then how did I get in one?" I sobbed, unable to hold back my cracking and crying voice. I felt Desmond tense beside me, obviously nervous about my question.

He remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "You fell asleep on the bus, and that's when the boss decided to put the illusion on you." He was acting way too normal for this to all feel real. He was acting as if he had done this many times before, like he didn’t care.

I blinked a few times, letting a few more tears fall freely down my cheeks. "But...I didn't fall asleep on the bus. And if I did, why were you real, but no one else?" I asked quietly, trying to hide my cracking voice. It didn’t work.

Desmond didn't hesitate this time. "You did fall asleep on the bus, you just didn't realize it. And when you did fall asleep, one of the boss's minions took you from the bus and brought you to our world. There is now a replication of you taking over your place in the real world. You've already met a couple of the boss's minions." I kept gasping all the way through his short explanation.

How could any of this be? It couldn't be happening.

"Who is this...boss?" I faltered to ask again, now afraid that Desmond was going to have no choice to bring me to this 'boss'. Maybe he was one of his henchmen.

Desmond shook his head slightly, as though he had heard my thoughts. "I think you'll only need two guesses to figure out who the boss is. I've already given you many clues as to what I am. I think the fangs should be a good hint," he ended with a sigh. I gasped at his words again, jolting away from him in terror. The lump had fallen back into my throat, making it impossible to breathe. Though, instead of feeling like I wasn't breathing, I did the opposite and began to hyperventilate again. I grabbed onto the door handle again when I felt a shiver rush through me and begin to act like a person who was having a heart attack or seizure. I jolted away again when Desmond reached his hand toward me. I wasn't fast enough and didn't have the room to get away from his touch. I shivered when he rested his hand on my shoulder, trying to slow me down.

"Grace, I know this hard to bear, but please relax. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise..." Desmond spoke sincerely, but I wasn't sure what to believe any more. It could all be an act. His cold touch felt like fire on my shoulder, but it also felt nice. I exhaled, feeling a bit light headed from hyperventilating.

I gasped when he grabbed one of my hands that were resting on my lap and brought it into his. It wasn't cold anymore, unlike the last time. His thumb ran across the top of my hand, making my muscles slowly relax. I sighed, his touch so soft and gentle, and it was almost unreal. Maybe he wasn't real. Maybe this was all a bad dream. That's what I was waiting for; the dream to end.

"You want to know what I am?" he began in low voice, staring intently at my hand while he continued to run his thumb across the top of it, slowing me down. I nodded my head, letting the few tears that I still had fall down my face. He sighed again, just like he had ever since we got in the car.

"I am a being that is no longer living, but neither dead. A creature that stalks in the night for prey and sleeps during the day...well, that is what the legend says." For some reason, I wasn't frightened by his words. Maybe I had no way to be afraid anymore. Too much had already happened to me today that there was nothing more I could be afraid of. I knew what creature he was speaking of. I had always loved reading about them. They had always fascinated me, ever since I was a child.

"A vampire," I whispered, understanding what he had meant. He nodded his head and hummed a “yes”.

I finally looked to him and away from our connected hands. "If you say you are what you are, than why is it that you can walk in the sun? Or stay around me without being tempted to attack me and, well, you know?" I asked seriously, a plain face falling over my features. I could no longer hold emotion at the time.

He chuckled a bit, sending vibrations through our connected hands. "Well, I'm not sure about the tempted thing. You do smell very sweet. It is a bit of a struggle against my desires, but since I am who I am, I can control myself enough that I won't hurt you. But if you were to suddenly come extremely close to me, I might not be so sure of myself. And walking amongst the sun question; well, let's just say that I am well respected for my reputation in this world."

I lifted an eyebrow, having a sense that he was bragging about himself. "You mean you're well known because you're strong," I replied frankly. Desmond was obviously happy by my comment.

He smirked. "Yes, if you would like to put it that way. I am known for my power and strength," he replied in an overconfident manner. I nodded my head, suddenly feeling very safe by his words. I could feel his eyes on me while I looked away and out into the dark woods, looking for any creature that would attack us.

"And the boss?" I murmured. I already guessed who it was, but was afraid to say the name.

Desmond got the drift and nodded his head. "Yes, you already know him as the Lord of the Underworld," he said spitefully. I nodded my head again, looking away from him and to the dark road. I suddenly felt numb. Desmond finally released my hand and returned them back to the steering wheel, turning on the car, and driving off once more.

"Where are you taking me?" I spoke softly, knowing that Desmond could hear it after everything he had told me.

His eyes, once again, didn't leave the road as he pushed harder on the gas pedal. "I've got to get a few things from my house and tell my family what is going on," he said. I sighed and rested my head back against the car seat, thinking about his words and what was to happen to me.

*****

"Grace..." I heard an angelic voice whisper and feeling something shake me. I opened my eyes, blinking a few times, forgetting where I was for a moment. When my eyes finally adjusted, I saw Desmond on my side of the car with the door opened, a plain look on his face while he shook me awake. I blinked a few more times before groaning and lifting my legs out of the car. Desmond didn't do the gentlemanly thing by helping me out of the car, and instead waited for me to pick myself out of the car.

My legs were wobbly, as though I hadn't walked in months. I held onto the car, taking Desmond's warning he told me about earlier to mind. I finally looked up from the ground with lazy eyes and gasped when I saw what lay in front of me. We had parked in front of a mansion. It had to be at least 3 or more stories high.

"What is this place?" I asked, astonished, not believing the sight of the large house. It was dark. We were out in the middle of nowhere. It figured.

"My house," he replied before stalking past me with his hands in his pockets and towards the house. It took me a moment to catch my breath before I jogged to catch up to him. We both walked up the porch stairs and to the door of the house. Desmond grabbed the handle, but didn't turn it. Instead, he looked to me with a serious face and speculating eyes. I shied away, intimidated by his stare.

He shook his head a little and said, “Don't do anything too panicky. My brothers are very persuasive and are good at getting what they want."

"But they won't because you're with me, right?" I asked with a slim raised eyebrow. He smirked a bit, knowing that I was giving him a compliment. At that, he opened the door. There was barely any light in the house. He let me walk in before him, making sure to protect my back side if anything decided to attack me.

I glanced around the front room, staring at all the fancy things and objects that were in random places. In front of us was a large staircase, leading up to the second level. Desmond began to walk into the other room, motioning for me to follow. I shivered, feeling a cold chill run down my spine.

Someone from behind said, "Yo." I almost jumped a foot. I quickly turned around, gasping when I came face-to-face with a stranger. Once again, I found myself staring at a gorgeous creature. His hair was greasy and he looked very good looking. He didn’t look much older than Desmond, but he was much taller. His skin was almost as white as Desmond’s, only he had a slight color to his cheeks. I was sure my mouth was open. I gasped again when I felt Desmond drag me toward him.

The other young man smirked, making me turn red from his beauty. "Brought home dinner early, huh?" he asked. I tensed from his words, drawing myself closer to Desmond. I could hear Desmond growl quietly, and I knew he was glaring.

"Knock it off, Lucas. Don't even think about it," Desmond warned with a silent growl. Lucas smirked down at me, showing me his pearly white fangs. I twitched again, trying to bring myself closer to Desmond. I could feel him smirk from my reaction...again.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He just likes to scare people," Desmond reassured me.

Lucas took a step toward us. "Especially pretty girls," he added. I didn't try to shy away from him this time, feeling a bit more at ease around him already. Desmond disappeared from beside me, leaving me with dear Lucas. I wasn't sure if I should be tense or not.

Lucas smirked down at me. "It's okay. I am not going to hurt you. I've already eaten today," he joked. There was amusement in his voice, but I still twitched from surprise. "Just kidding," he added when he saw me shudder. "Grace Evans, huh? Looks like you are becoming pretty popular around here." My eyes widened when he spoke my name.

I turned to look up from the ground and to his pretty boy face. "You know who I am?" I asked, taking a large intake of breath right after. He chuckled a bit and took another step toward me. I struggled to keep myself from taking a step back, and succeeded.

"Of course—Desmond told me about you," he said with his kind smirk. I cocked my head to the side, not quite registering his words they way they should. Had Desmond planned on saving me? He had only seen me once before, and he hadn’t known my name then. Or had Jeff gone behind my back and told Desmond that his niece had a crush on him at first sight? None of it sounded probable. Jeff wasn’t real.

"Who's this?" I tensed for the hundredth time, feeling someone appear behind me. Again, it was another attractive boy voice. I turned around slowly, only to feel my legs buckle under me from surprise.

Damn it! What is it with beautiful boys around this area?! I screamed in my mind. This young man was just as pretty as the other two I had met. His hair was blonde and longer than Desmond’s or Lucas’s, and his face was more defined than Lucas’s. His shirt was tight against his body, and I could see all of the muscles on his stomach, distinct and beautiful. He was about Lucas’s height, so he was fairly tall; at least 5’9. He smirked down at me, making my red face turn even redder.

He spoke. “She's cute, I'll give Desmond that much." He sent a wider smile past me and to Lucas. I was stuck between two young looking vampires who were drop dead gorgeous...literally.

I nervously played with my blonde and copper hair and continued to tuck it behind my ear. "Are you both Desmond's brothers?" I asked, trying to spark up a conversation.

Lucas walked around from behind me, stood next to the other young man, and put his arm around him in a friendly gesture. "Yup, we sure are. This is Darien, the girl wooer, so you better be careful around him," he teased his brother. He didn’t blush or anything. Well, not that he could or anything. They were dead. My eyes shot to my left when I felt a cold glare on me. I took a step back from the image of an angel, her glare more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. Her arms were crossed over her chest when she walked over to me, sending shivers down my spine. It was the first time I had ever been afraid of a girl’s glare.

"Is she the one?" she rudely asked, obviously sounding like she detested me. I held myself from stepping away from her while she stalked right up to me. She was at least a head taller than me.

"Leave her alone, Aurelia. Your jealousy doesn't need to get in the middle this," I heard Desmond's voice come from the stairs behind the blonde and beautiful young woman. She quickly turned, sending Desmond a hateful glower. He returned it, gliding down the stairs and to my side. I watched in wonderment while the two pale angels stared each other down. She scoffed loudly before pushing past him, hitting him against the shoulder when she stalked past him. I was lost. What had just happened? Did she really hate me?

"Don't mind her. She's just jealous you're so popular," Lucas reassured me, walking up beside me with a small smile on his face. I wasn't sure what to think and could only find the power to nod my head. I looked back to Desmond and realized that three other and new people were standing behind him, small smiles on their faces. Two of them looked older. The woman and the man looked at least around their mid twenties or so. The woman had beautiful long, curling brown hair. Her eyes were almost identical to Desmond’s; a beautiful caramel. Her smile was contagious and comforting. She was the perfect mother figure, only the most beautiful mother I had ever seen. The man beside her had black hair that trailed down the side of his face, longer in the back. He was one of the few men I had encountered who looked good with longer hair. His eyes were a translucent green and blue, somewhat similar to mine. And just like the woman’s, his eyes were soft and kind. And then there was another young woman, her brown hair curling a bit, her green eyes piercing mine. She was smiling at me. All these people were beautiful and graceful. The girl walked past Desmond and to me, holding her hand out to me. I stared at her with wide eyes.

"You must be Grace. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Selene, Desmond's sister," she said with a much kinder voice than Aurelia's. I returned the smile with a shy one, reaching my hand out to shake hers. I tried not to jolt away from the coldness of her touch. When we released hands, Desmond grabbed mine and began to drag me toward the stairs. I sent a glance to the other two who I had yet to meet.

The woman next to the man said in a kind voice, "Desmond, please try to treat out guest with generosity." I watched them as I climbed the stairs with Desmond, unable to take my eyes off of them. The man beside the woman gave a slight smile as well, the same warmth as the woman's.

Desmond dragged me through the halls by my hand, twisting and turning through the halls until we finally stopped at a large door. He practically threw me into the room, making me have to catch myself from falling to the floor. He closed the door behind him after he walked in, a tense look on his face. I glanced around the room. It was big and had everything a prince would have. His bed was humongous, along with the sofa that sat in front of a large full screen T.V. I watched while Desmond began to pace back and forth, a look of pondering on his face.

"Your parents seem nice. Your entire family seems nice.” I lied when I said that. Aurelia was the opposite of nice. The look in her eyes when she had walked up to me was so threatening that I had thought for sure that she was going to hit me. He stopped as soon as I had spoken, turning to me with a plain expression. He sighed and closes his eyes for a moment, growling quietly.

"This is the only place they don't know how to find. You'll be safe here...for now." I didn't like the way he had said the last part. What was that supposed to mean?

My mouth dropped a little. "You mean I have to stay here with you?" I growled, a sudden nauseous feeling churning my stomach. He ignored me for the moment, walked over to his bed and fell onto his back, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." he said. My heart was racing. I almost felt like I was going to pass out from all the alarms of the day. And then, there was this last bit of information.

I was stuck in a house full of vampires.