flames will be so lovely."
"You gave me your word, Serina," Mathias snarled.
"I lied," she said, smiling. "I think I will let her watch you die, Mathias. Once you are gone, I believe her suffering will be wonderful to behold. And her blood will be so sweet."
Alfred tensed. I could see his struggle as understanding dawned in him. Serina was still going to take Mathias' life. He had handed Serina his free will for nothing. He had bound himself to this evil creature and she rejoiced in his suffering.
Chapter 8
Despite knowing it would be fruitless, I held my hands out to Alfred, begging him to see me. "Alfred, you have to do something," I cried.
"Alfred will do nothing, human," Serina said, caressing Alfred's cheek. "I made him. He has returned his allegiance to me and so he cannot disobey. Can you, darling?"
Alfred's jaw clenched. The sound of him grinding his iron-hard teeth was loud in the stone chamber. "I cannot."
Light filtered slowly into the room. The rising sun cast long, thin tendrils of itself along the floor from the high arrow slits. Every moment we delayed brought those tendrils closer to Mathias' unprotected flesh. My heart thundered in my chest. I had to find a way to help Alfred break the chains of servitude Serina had cast upon him.
"He is your immortal son, Alfred. Isn't that a stronger bond that the one Serina holds over you? You were willing to betray me and my family to save his life. You were willing to let him go if it meant he lived. How can you let her take his life now?"
Serina laughed. The sound sent chills down my spine. "Only a human would believe the bond of affection between two immortals would be stronger than the bond of a maker to her child. Nothing you say can break my hold on Alfred, or stop the sun." She glanced at the lengthening strips of sunlight stretching farther across the floor. "Best you say your goodbyes now, human."
Mathias strained against the chains which held him to the stone table in the center of the tower room. His feet were bare, something I realized I had never before seen. Without his heels on home soil, the sun would devour him as it had so many times in my nightmares. Of course, that was Serina's intention. At the peak of the tower a trapdoor had been thrown open to allow the mid-day sun to stream in uninterrupted when the sun reached its zenith. The tendrils of sun from the arrow slits would burn him, but not devour him. Only the mid day sun's strength would take him from me now. The silver chains binding his arms and legs to the table had sunk deep into his flesh, leaving raw edges. Even now I could see where his flesh had attempted to heal over the chains. Removing them would tear the flesh from his bones and leave horrific scars, but scars would mean he lived.
Mathias met my eyes, pulling against the chains, driving them deeper into his flesh. "Mairin, please, let me go." he implored. "I have lived far longer than God ever intended. I have had the gift of your love and I can happily leave this world. Flee while Serina will let you."
I stepped into the center of the circle of vampires who surrounded Mathias. None moved. They knew I wasn't strong enough to free him and that I was no threat to them or their mistress. I was nothing but a fragile and weak human. What could I do to stop the progress of the sun or the plans of their mistress?
"You are not going anywhere, Mathias. I need you." I said, caressing the twisted scar that encircled his neck. I wondered if it were as permanent as the one Alfred had shown me on his own neck. Would it be an eternal reminder of this time, of his servitude given in exchange for my life. Would he ever forgive me for that scar? For the others he was sure to have when we left this horrible tower? I prayed that he would one day forgive me for everything I was about to do.
"How touching," Serina sneered. "I shall be certain to preserve a bit of ash for you to take home, human. If I allow you to leave, of course."
Mathias
"You gave me your word, Serina," Mathias snarled.
"I lied," she said, smiling. "I think I will let her watch you die, Mathias. Once you are gone, I believe her suffering will be wonderful to behold. And her blood will be so sweet."
Alfred tensed. I could see his struggle as understanding dawned in him. Serina was still going to take Mathias' life. He had handed Serina his free will for nothing. He had bound himself to this evil creature and she rejoiced in his suffering.
Chapter 8
Despite knowing it would be fruitless, I held my hands out to Alfred, begging him to see me. "Alfred, you have to do something," I cried.
"Alfred will do nothing, human," Serina said, caressing Alfred's cheek. "I made him. He has returned his allegiance to me and so he cannot disobey. Can you, darling?"
Alfred's jaw clenched. The sound of him grinding his iron-hard teeth was loud in the stone chamber. "I cannot."
Light filtered slowly into the room. The rising sun cast long, thin tendrils of itself along the floor from the high arrow slits. Every moment we delayed brought those tendrils closer to Mathias' unprotected flesh. My heart thundered in my chest. I had to find a way to help Alfred break the chains of servitude Serina had cast upon him.
"He is your immortal son, Alfred. Isn't that a stronger bond that the one Serina holds over you? You were willing to betray me and my family to save his life. You were willing to let him go if it meant he lived. How can you let her take his life now?"
Serina laughed. The sound sent chills down my spine. "Only a human would believe the bond of affection between two immortals would be stronger than the bond of a maker to her child. Nothing you say can break my hold on Alfred, or stop the sun." She glanced at the lengthening strips of sunlight stretching farther across the floor. "Best you say your goodbyes now, human."
Mathias strained against the chains which held him to the stone table in the center of the tower room. His feet were bare, something I realized I had never before seen. Without his heels on home soil, the sun would devour him as it had so many times in my nightmares. Of course, that was Serina's intention. At the peak of the tower a trapdoor had been thrown open to allow the mid-day sun to stream in uninterrupted when the sun reached its zenith. The tendrils of sun from the arrow slits would burn him, but not devour him. Only the mid day sun's strength would take him from me now. The silver chains binding his arms and legs to the table had sunk deep into his flesh, leaving raw edges. Even now I could see where his flesh had attempted to heal over the chains. Removing them would tear the flesh from his bones and leave horrific scars, but scars would mean he lived.
Mathias met my eyes, pulling against the chains, driving them deeper into his flesh. "Mairin, please, let me go." he implored. "I have lived far longer than God ever intended. I have had the gift of your love and I can happily leave this world. Flee while Serina will let you."
I stepped into the center of the circle of vampires who surrounded Mathias. None moved. They knew I wasn't strong enough to free him and that I was no threat to them or their mistress. I was nothing but a fragile and weak human. What could I do to stop the progress of the sun or the plans of their mistress?
"You are not going anywhere, Mathias. I need you." I said, caressing the twisted scar that encircled his neck. I wondered if it were as permanent as the one Alfred had shown me on his own neck. Would it be an eternal reminder of this time, of his servitude given in exchange for my life. Would he ever forgive me for that scar? For the others he was sure to have when we left this horrible tower? I prayed that he would one day forgive me for everything I was about to do.
"How touching," Serina sneered. "I shall be certain to preserve a bit of ash for you to take home, human. If I allow you to leave, of course."
Mathias
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