My Immortal (3 page)

My blood thunders in my ears and I try to
keep it together but my emotions are all over the place.

Please, don't let this twisted, creepy
thing
be what is left of Shadow.

"Shh--Shadow?" I ask weakly, my throat
thick.

"If I said yes, would you free me?" the deep
voice returns, still finding my eyes somehow in the darkness.

"I…don't know…"

He laughs and it sounds so evil.

This breaks my heart.

I am too late.

I dare to crawl closer, then with my hands
out in front of me, I touch the cold, metal bars but his eyes never
leave mine as I slowly stand.

I inhale shakily as my legs tremble beneath
me. I wonder if my eyes are playing tricks on me or if it's just my
imagination but they seem to be drifting closer. When cold hands
slip over mine I gasp at the contact, not realizing how close he
really was.

Now that I am face to face with, whatever
this is, I realize that it's not the same red eyes that I remember
so well. These are achingly unfamiliar.

They are not as large and the shape is a lot
harsher. Shadow's eyes are a beautiful red color, the color of
glistening blood, and they draw me in. But the red color of these
eyes is scary and harsh. There is no love or lust them, just malice
and evil.

"Ah, well now you know," he rumbles.

"L-let go of me!"

He tisk tisks me.

"I wouldn't expect a pretty thing like you to
understand," he says, "but I wasn't always this mean and ugly…" he
rubs my hand with his cold one.

His eyes flicker down to what I imagine would
be my neck….my pulse.

"You're a…vampire," I say, nervously.

"So I am."

"Please, let me go," my voice breaks, making
me look weaker than I want.

"It seems we both want the same thing."

I open my mouth to tell him that I will free
him if he doesn't hurt me, but then I realize that I have the upper
hand.

I have to find a way to bend him to
my
will if I want to save Shadow.

If he kills me then he has no chance of
getting out whatsoever.

With new resolve, I realize that I need to
become a monster to deal with a monster.

Alright, No more misses nice girl.

"Look, …uh..." I wait on him to tell me his
name.

"Bastien."

"Okay,
Bastien.
If you tell me where
Shadow is, and how to get him out of here, then I will free you in
return. It's that or nothing. And don't underestimate me, because
without me, I know that you're not getting out of your little
cell."

I grit my teeth.

He doesn't speak for a long moment. The only
thing between us is our stare and our breaths (well, and the metal
bars). It's a battle of wills and I refuse to look away first.

"I have never heard of
Shadow
," he
emphasizes the name, mockingly.

"Well," I smile menacingly, "I guess you're
out of luck then."

I turn to leave because I have wasted too
much time already, but he squeezes my hands to the bars. I clench
my jaw, refusing to cry out in pain.

"No you don't, angel. Look, I will tell you
what I know of the half-breed so long as you let me go
,
first
."

I whip my head back around to those red eyes
in shock.

So he
has
heard of Shadow,
the liar!

And he knows something!

"How do I know that you'll come through with
your side of the deal?" I ask.

"I'm a vampire. Once I give my word I cannot
go back on it. Besides, I think the little half-ling has suffered
enough."

This shocks me and I falter for a second,
wondering what all he has suffered. Bastien suddenly glances
towards the way I came with an intent expression in his eyes.

"They're coming…" his deep voice grates.

"Who? I don't hear anything…" I whisper,
nervously.

"Quick, there is a keypad on the ceiling…you
can reach it. Each key has a bump on it, like brail. I need you to
find the key with four bumps and press it twice, then press the one
with two bumps once! Hurry!"

He releases my hands and I reach up high
feeling for a keypad. I hear the voices as I fumble over the rough,
dirt ceiling.

I can also see the flicker of a light around
the corner in the distance of the tunnel.

"Back up some," he urges in a whisper. "Keep
going…okay, to your left a little…"

My fingers are desperately searching along
the ceiling looking for this keypad, and dust and dirt is falling
in my eyes. My fingers are getting nicked and raw.

"I can't find it!" I panic, the light and
voices are getting extremely close and the voices from the other
prisoners are growing loud and angry.

"There! There, you're right next to it!
Hurry," he hisses.

My fingers run across the cold metal keys
with buttons and I close my eyes to feel for the different number
of bumps on the keys, as if that will help.

"Wh-which one did you say first?"

"Four bumps! Hit it twice, then find
the--"

"The one with two, got it!"

I am pressing the buttons frantically and
then a metal clang sounds causing me to jump. I really hope that I
opened the right cell and that he doesn't hurt me.

I look around for him, not seeing any red
eyes as the loud voices bombard me again. I turn circles, hastily
trying to find him before he sneaks up on me and drains me dry.

I smell him before I see him, though.

The undeniable smell of rotten blood seeps
into my nose and the hairs on my arms stand on end. Suddenly he is
right in front of my face and I swear I can feel his breath on
me.

Bastien grabs my hand and pulls me down the
dark tunnel before I can think about the blood smell and why he was
so close to my face. He pulls me along and holds onto me tightly as
I trip over roots and other things, keeping me from falling.

My legs are burning and screaming for me to
stop and rest. My lungs feel like they are going to explode at this
fast pace. If I was in doubt before, now I am certain that he is
genetically altered. Way, way faster than imaginable.

"I-I have to…stop," I wheeze.

"Can't." That's all he says, and with no
remorse.

"Just…leave me then," I gasp frantically for
air and my legs give out.

He seems to consider this for a second.

"Damn vampire morale…" he mutters."I gave my
word!" he grits out, madly.

He sweeps me up in his strong arms and
carries me through a maze of tunnels with his unimaginable speed. I
can only hope he's taking me to Shadow. Maybe he'll help me rescue
him.

He moans. It sounds kind of scary.

"Wh…what?" I ask hesitantly.

"Your knees are bleeding. It's not that I
mind but after all, I drink blood and not as much as I would like
being held prisoner and all…"

"O-oh. Sorry…"

Gods, please don't let him suck my blood.
Not when I'm this close.

"Mmmphh," is his non-committal grunt.

"Where is Shadow?"

"Almost there."

Wow, it's a really long way away from where I
was, and in the dark I would probably have never found his cell.
Maybe the gods are finally on my side.

We stop and he sets me down on trembling
legs. I can't see anything, but I hear some noises from a keypad
and then the familiar metal clang of a cell door opening.

The red eyes are back in front of me and
Bastien grabs my shoulders.

I don't jump this time but my heart rate does
pick up some serious speed.

He looks at me intently. "This is your
half-ling's cell. Or it was the last time that I saw him. I haven't
heard or seen him in a while. I can't say how long because there is
no way to tell time in a dark cell."

I look at him, eyes wide. I'm scared and
nervous.

"Be careful little angel. He's a dangerous
one, crazed and starved, beaten and raped. They have experimented
on him with things that would normally kill any other kind. He is
without a doubt, not the same boy that you once knew."

My throat closes on me when I try to swallow
and my tongue seems thicker than it's ever been.

"W-will you help me get him out of here?"

I only dare to hope.

He laughs a deep, mocking laugh.

"I have no wish to die and he would surely
kill me for even entering his cell. Now go in and get him, there's
not much time before the authorities reach you. Good luck."

He is gone before I can even thank him, a
breeze of air my only proof of his exit.

He was strange in his own way but I will
always remember his helpfulness. If it wasn't for him, I might have
failed my own rescue mission. That still remains to be seen
anyways, but not because of him.

I swallow loudly and reach for the cell
frame. I slip through instantly get chills.

The air is noticeably colder inside this cell
for some reason.

Gathering all of my courage I put one foot in
front of the other because I can't waste any time with the
authorities not far behind me.

My heart is thundering in my ears. No doubt
he is aware of my presence with his abilities, and they are
probably enhanced now as well.

Shadow would never hurt me, but what Bastien
said planted a seed of doubt and fear in my mind.

• Chapter Three
  

I have no time to waste reaching Shadow, but I'm
scared that he is as different as Bastien warned me and may not
even want to leave the cell.

What if he is not even conscious?

How am I going to get an unconscious, two
hundred and twenty pound boy out of here on my own? Not to mention
I don't know any escape other than the way in which I came…back
towards the authorities.

I quit my worrying and stuff it someplace for
later and focus on the matter at hand.

"Shadow," I whisper.

No answer.

Hoping his emotions kicked in seeing me here,
or his instinct thirsting for my blood, I scan the dark room
thoroughly for a set of red eyes. If they are his normal black
color then there is no way I will be able to see them.

"It's me, …Alexia," my voice wobbles. "I'm
here to get you out…I'm sorry I took so long."

Silence.

"There's not a day goes by that I haven't
looked for you though…"

Still nothing.

"
Please
, if you're in here…we have to
go. The authorities know I'm here and they're not far behind…"

Nothing.

I feel frustration coming on and I resist it
somehow.

What if he's not even in here?Did Bastien
trick me? And how did he know the pass codes for all of these
cells?

"I'm not leaving without you again, not after
I have come this far. So please, say something…are you in here,
baby?"

"You shouldn't be in here, whoever you
are."

Time stands still because I recognize that
voice.

It's him. It is
finally
him. And yet
it's not him.

He was never so detached and cold…and
whoever I am?

"Am I so easy to forget?" I whisper, knowing
he can hear.

He says nothing for a moment and I don't
either for fear of missing his reply.

"You should leave, they are close," is all he
says.

His familiar voice triggers my memories of
him. Of his kisses and the way I felt so safe in his arms. He
sacrificed himself for me so many times and I could always feel his
love for me in everything he said and did.

Is this really happening to me? After six
months of suffering, I have to continue feeling this ache in my
heart
?

My lip wobbles and tears stream down my face.
It hurts so much.

However, I still have my pride and I really
hope that he can't see me right now, crying over him, since he so
obviously doesn't care, it would probably just repulse him.

He probably thinks that I am pathetic.

I let my knees buckle and I fall to the
ground, hugging my stomach. I can't do this.

Yes, you can,
my inner confident
says.

No, I can't. It hurts too much.

Don't you give up, Alexia. Don't you dare!
You've finally found him!

My knees throb but it feels good to feel the
pain somewhere other than my heart.

I hiss and transfer my weight to sit on my
butt after a minute or two.

He growls from somewhere behind me and I turn
around to face that direction, still sitting.

"Leave!" he yells.

It startles me and I scuttle backwards on
hands and feet until I back into the cold, dirt wall.

Familiar, red eyes finally appear when I look
up and they are right in front of me, not six inches from mine.

"If you don't get out of here, I am going to
drain. you. dry," he threatens in a low, deep voice.

Even if I wanted to leave, I am too scared to
move.

I open my mouth to form some kind of response
but he covers my mouth with his hand and firelight flickers outside
of the cell in my peripheral vision.

He holds my stare for a few more seconds and
I wonder if he sees my panic rising. His eyes glance down towards
what I think is my lips before he looks towards the torch
light.

The authorities are here. They are talking
amongst themselves outside of the cell in a language that I am
unfamiliar with in hushed, clipped voices. When they enter the cell
I see that they are each carrying a torch.

Shadow steps in front of me trying to block
me from their view but it's no use, there are too many of them and
I know that they see me.

I unconsciously put my hands on his shoulders
to show him that it's alright and that he doesn't have to protect
me. He flinches and I lift my hands up immediately, but not before
I feel his body trembling and how extremely bony he is for the
first time