Bite Me

When I woke up again, I was still in the ball room. This time however, I was fully clothed. Ash was standing not ten feet away from me leaning over a table. I stood and then brushed myself off before heading towards his back. Maybe I could knock him out or something while he wasn’t paying attention… That thought quickly dissipated when he spoke.
“I wouldn’t try anything. I know you’re up. Come here, I want to show you something.” I sighed. He sounded distracted, and when I leant over next to him I saw what was causing it.
On the table there was a fairly large map sprawled out. “What’s this?” I asked the curiosity getting the better of me. But then, he knew it would. He knew me. And I knew him, so much so, that I had really only asked to confirm my thoughts.
“It’s their building. The files should be up here,” He trailed his finger to a room at the top of the mansion sized home. “It’s heavily guarded, and when I say that I mean it. There are not only man made weapons but supernatural ones as well. It won’t be easy to get by, but you’ll do it.”
The look he sent me made me shiver, but I tried to play it off as though unaffected. “First of all, I never said I would help you. I hate you. Second of all, what makes you so sure I can do it?”
He laughed, and then stroked a finger down my cheek. “You will. One both accounts. You know you will. As for how I know, well, that simple really. It’s you, Maggie. You who chased after adventure and trouble as a child. You still have that urge to chase after it now.”
What I had the urge to do made me sick. But he was looking really really sexy right now in his black turtle neck. “What I have the urge to do,” I lied, “Is go there and tell them exactly where you are.”
I got even angrier when he simply laughed and then pulled me into his arms. “See, that’s what I love about you. But you won’t. Even to spite me you won’t aid anyone who threatens to harm your people.”
I sobered immediately and pulled back. Surprisingly, he let me. I shook my head and looked at him, the man how had made me what I was. The man who destroyed my world.
It hadn’t taken me long to figure out that my parents had been selfish basterds wearing a mask. But that still didn’t mean I didn’t love them. Who would sell their child’s soul to a devil?! But then they tried to get out of it so… I was always very confused on this point. So torn was I with my love for them and my sense of betrayal that I could never seem to think clearly and just settle on one.
All I really needed to remember, I reminded myself, was that they’d loved me. And if they’d still been alive I could ask then why they’d made that deal in the first place. Now… now it was too late, and I would never have the answers. Or grow old. Or have a family. He’d done this to me. And I would not forgive.
“My people are dead. Killed at your hand. Don’t speak to me about loyalties, Ash. Mine is dead. Everything that had any meaning at all to me is dead. I don’t care if they come and gut you like a fish or turn you inside out, I will not forgive you. And I will not help you.”
I didn’t see the flash coming. It appeared that Ash didn’t really take to my speech. I was pinned to the wall in seconds, my head bashing back against it with a painful snap. “They caused their own fates, not me. If they had simply followed through with the agreement they would still be alive. As for forgiveness, you love me to, Maggie. Don’t deny it. And I've paid and apologized over and over for your loss but you just can’t let it go. I’m sorry. Okay? Now let’s just live happily ever after.”
Loved him? Did I…love him? A blood red tear rolled down my cheek and no doubt stained my clothes. “Demons don’t get a happily ever after.” There was remorse in his eyes when I whispered that. And he slowly lowered me back to the ground with his hands never leaving my waist.
I stood now looking up at him and he simply held me for a few fleeting moments. Forgive? Could I forgive the man how killed my family? Was that even ethical? Would any same person ever do that? No. but no sane person would fall in love with that man either. And besides, I wasn’t a person. But that still didn’t mean I could do it.
“I haven’t taken everything, Maggie. Didn’t you ever wonder what your parents bargained with? What they got out of this giant mess?” I frowned and nodded my head yes. He wouldn’t really tell me, would he?
“There’s a baby.”
“What?” My frown only deepened what could that mean?
“Your father, he had an affair on one of his business trips,”
I pulled away again only to be met with the wall. Trapped. “No.”
“She turned out to be linked to a very strong vampire.”
“This isn’t true. Stop.”
“That vampire was me. Her name was Sandra. A passing distraction and nothing more, but still mine none the less. She was human, and he got her pregnant.”
“Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” I screamed and then dashed to the side to try and pass him. Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy. Sadly I wasn’t really thinking about much at the moment but the tearing of hat little heart I had left. Guess it would be easier to decide what won out more. The love or the betrayal?
“There was no way that I was going to let a child born from one of my mistresses go off, at least, not without a price of course. Your father was panicked. He didn’t know what to do. Sandra told him that if he didn’t make a deal with me, that she would not only destroy his life but his family as well. Permanently. So, he came to me, and asked me to spare his child.”
He held me from behind as I collapsed on the floor with my hands over my ears. “Why wont you stop?! No more lies!”
“I’m not lying.” He whispered soothingly into my ear and then continued. “When he came, I asked him how much this unborn child meant to him. He told me everything; it was still his, even if it was made out of a single night’s misguided passion. I asked him if he was married, he said yea, any other children…he said yes. Daughter?”
“Yes.” I cut him off and stopped struggling, my hands dropping to my sides as everything around me went still. This wasn’t real.
“Yes.” He repeated. “Even showed me a picture. By the end of the night we had made ourselves a deal. Oh he didn’t want to do it, couldn’t bear to see anything happen to you, he’d said. You were only five at the time you know? I would get you as my mate…and the child would live. But I never said for how long.”
My eyes widened as some of my deadened heart fluttered to life. I spun around in his arms still kneeling to look up into his eyes. “What?”
For once he didn’t smile at my confusion, simply raised a hand and began to stroke my hair. “So beautiful.” I thought he wasn’t going to continue, but a second later he met my eyes again and dropped his hand.
“She’s still alive. But she’s frozen.” I frowned at that.
“I…I don’t understand?”
“I’m stronger then you think. Once the baby was born, I used some of my power to cocoon her in a force field of sorts. She won’t age. Right now, she doesn’t even move, or breathe.” He placed a hand over my heart and I glanced down at it before looking back up again. The evil in his eyes scared me to death.
“You aren’t.” I whispered shocked. “You wouldn’t use a baby against me…a child? Ash, how could you use a child to threaten me?!” I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let me this time.
“I’m not. At least, not really. I won’t kill the child Maggie. Not anytime soon. But I will leave her there. In that frozen state forever, do you really want that to happen to your little sister?” The tears were coming again as I felt myself tear even more on the inside, as well as mentally.
“We can raise her, together, Maggie. Just think about it, a baby. You’ve always dreamed of having children. And we can have that happily ever after. All you have to do is destroy that file. And then I’ll let her go.”
Everything around me was cold. Frozen. I could see the way his blue eyes pierced through mine. Through me. Sapphire. Beautiful sapphire eyes. I was starting to dislike sapphire.
“I’ll get the file. You’ll let her go. And then what Ash? Hmm? What happens to us after that?” He knew what I meant by ‘us’. The baby and I. if I did what Ash wanted, and then what would happen to my little sister. To me? Would we forever be trapped by my sire? Or were we already trapped?
“You’ll stay with me Maggie. If you wish for her to have a different life, then so be it. We’ll find her a good home. A normal one, where she can live a supernatural free life.”
“Right. In a place where you can watch her every move. And use it against me, is that it? Even if you free her, she’ll never be free, Ash. You’ll use her as a playing chip for the rest of her life.”
Sparks came into his eyes, the first sign of anger since I’ve woken, and I tensed. “Oh? And what’s the game Kitten? Because if you’ve forgotten, I’ve already won you.”
I shook my head as I to got angry. “No, you’ve stolen me. Cheated. You haven’t won anything. You can’t have me truly Ash until I give myself willingly,” I brought myself closer to his face and glanced down at his lips before meeting his gaze with my own. “And you toss and turn every night knowing I'm right.”
I actually made him flustered. His face was heated, his groin tight. To add to it, he was at a loss for words. He was so over thrown by lust right now, that I could probably make any deal I wanted. So that’s what I did.
“A night.”
“What?” He struggled to pay attention as he gazed at my lips.
“I think that’s what she’s worth, right? Her guaranteed safety, no matter what, and I get you your file… for one night.”
It clicked with him and his eyes sprung up to latch onto mine. “A night in my bed, willingly, for the freedom of your sister? Are you horing yourself out now, Maggie?” I internally flinched at that. He would take me anyway; at least this was a way I could get something out of it. Well, something other then that, anyway.
“Two nights. And it’s a deal.” This time he was the one to bring his face closer. He was completely in check now. My time for bargaining was up. Still, I was stubborn. Got that from my mother.
“One. I’m still getting the files for you Ash,”
“And I’m giving you your sister. A big playing card in my hand. I had planned to make you do all kind of naughty things will me to guarantee her safety…but this…this I can accept.”
“Why?” There had to be another trick up his sleeve.
“Because, after two nights will me willingly, you’ll see that you want to be with no one else. Forever. Then, you’ll truly be mine.”
I pretended to think it over for a moment, though I already knew what I was going to do. I didn’t really have much of a choice in the long run anyway. Either way I came out with the shorter straw.
“Fine. But me being smitten with you won’t happen.”
“Kitten, don’t kid yourself, you’re already smitten.” He kissed me then stood, heading back over to the table and map.
“Now, about that file…”