Michael
I was freaking out. Utterly lucid but not in control of my body. The terror on Louis's face made my insides churn. I didn't want to hurt anyone. But I had teleported without knowing where the hell my body was taking me. If I had known… That I would instantly turn into a creature… No! All three creatures… Would I have said yes? We didn't know what they meant by honored one. Maybe for that exact f-ing reason.
I breathed deeply to calm my mind, but my body was heaving. My large chest rose and fell in quick succession. I was so high off the ground that my six-plus feet was a joke. My head was darting from side to side, getting used to my new eyesight. I could see images, but it was like looking through infrared goggles. Well kinda. I recognized Zoreah. I was standing in front of Ahasuerus and Rodrigo. I had always wondered how strong an infected vamp would be. Guessed I would find out.
I was behind Rodrigo, picking him up by the neck. He wasn't a fighter. And even if Ahasuerus had no heart, he came at me before I could rip off Rodrigo's head. I tossed him aside. Ahasuerus had dealt a few good blows to my torso and my legs. Unfortunately for him, I had been training for a year with Marcus. My body knew what to do. My muscle memory of the war and drills every day came back. Boxing for hours. I had never felt that good in all my life. Power, strength, and agility. I felt a little lop-sided, and he knew how to get me to the ground, focusing on my legs to topple my upper body. There was a reason he was the strongest man in the galaxy… We fought for a good while before my body stood back, and I disappeared again.
What the frak. I was teleporting all over the freaking galaxy… No wonder they kept the brandings a secret. No one should have that much power. I willed myself not to think about Juliet. If I had to end up in that room with her and Marcus… A small panic room… It would be the end of all of us.
It seemed my body had other plans anyway. When I landed again, I was in a garden. It was almost magical, with the bright light shining down from the three moons. Even the night seemed like day... My eyesight was different. Suddenly, I could see and smell even more. I was over on all fours. A massive dog. The one in front of me didn't hesitate and jumped at me. We fought like two tigers rolling, scratching at each other's bellies, trying to get the upper hand by biting the back of the other. Snarling, clawing, and out for blood.
Guards were coming at me. Werewolf guards. It was Brylee. She was enormous. Matched me to a tee, and with her snake-like strength, I could see her eyes glossed over. We saw a vamp with the ability. Brylee was even more impressive. She kicked me off so far that I skidded and landed on my side, yelping like a puppy. She growled at the guards coming closer. They stopped. The proximity of the threat had aggravated me, and she was having a hard time controlling her ability. Brylee was lazy and hadn't been practicing for years. I rallied. Used to being hit by Louis. He was the only one who would fight me. That didn't treat me special after what I went through. At that moment, I thanked him for it. Even if he did hate me for coming into Juliet's life. It wasn't like I was tortured with beatings. Blowtorches or even hammers and nails. I didn't scream or wet myself from waterboarding.
Brylee came at me again, but I knew I would have to get out of there. I changed and ended up on my hind legs. I was Riphath again. She stopped skidding through the ground. She growled at the guards coming back to human... They howled into the sky. There was such a stampede. It seemed that in my Riphath form, I was too formidable. That not even she would go there. "You won't die. Just the three of them." That was all she had to say.
My body teleported again. At that stage, I just sat back in my mind. Kinda bored getting kicked around. I could feel the cuts on my side. I was back in France in the mountains. That time, I went into a run, teleporting. It didn't matter how wet my landing was or what the surface was; my footing was sure. My claws and cushions on my paws gave me the grip I needed to be swift. I was chasing something. My body stopped smelling several times. Whoever I was after was teleporting.
I fell down on all fours as a werewolf. My nose was ten times better. My hearing followed the pattern, outlining my prey… When I got the hang of it. I isolated the three targets to the one I wanted. I knew Ira's smell, and I ran in the opposite direction. Instinct took over to catch him downwind. My eyes could see the Riphath form through the plants. My body was low to the ground, stalking and, at last, pouncing. I jumped, and something knocked me from the side away from Ira. I rolled, and whoever it was moved with me. Claws so deeply embedded in my flesh that I immediately transformed into a Riphath, teleporting out. But they were fast. Trained to stay with an opponent. We rolled one last time, and he got me underneath him, standing on my body. It was Silvanus smiling.
The helicopter came back into view. The wind, dust, and grass were being swept up around us. My claws dug into his feet. Extended and retracted. The slight pain he had felt from the puncture wounds meant nothing. His fist came down at my face, but I was out from under him. My body was also not deterred by the noise and the chaos of the watchers. Chris was strutting out from some plant growth at my side. Louis and Carl were in front of me.
Ira came out from behind Chris… My body knew why I was there. To challenge the owners of all the planets. I… could challenge all the worlds. My body decided that it was better to manifest into a vampire… What was I going to do… talk them to death.
When Silvanus nodded at Chris, he teleported Ira out. My body was angry. My mind was working overtime, taking all the variables into account. How to get to all three and end it quickly. Vampires didn't go viral in their first transformation. They didn't run rampant. Michael was back, but I…
"Tell me where he is, or I will return to Brylee."
"Michael, You have to calm down. It's only the initial change that will make you like this… After a few hours, you will even out." Louis said. He could read me. He knew my thoughts were focused on claiming my place in the universe.
"That's why I will finish it in a few hours." I teleported out. My manifestation was so quick between the species.
"Oh, s-." I heard Louis mutter.
I was in front of Ahasuerus again as a vampire... He was jolted seeing me like that. I didn't know what was going on... But he was scared. A moment later, I felt it… The lust and the hunger… The need to control and rule was running rampant in my mind. I want what I want… With the other two, it was bodily power. As a vampire, I was going to be clever about it. Using every ability to my advantage. Even if I was lucid, I had no control over the power of my creature side.
"Michael, you have to transform back… Quickly. If you stay like that, you will end up in front of Juliet."
Why did I come there in the first place? If Juliet was the Queen… If…. Juliet was queen…
"I doubt that… Don't tell me you're scared. You and Bertram didn't care when you took me."
It was over even before I finished talking. He lay in front of me. I realized what he meant. If he died. Juliet was next. He was supposed to have died that night in the ring. I transformed immediately. I turned back to human. My hands were full of blood. Ahasuerus's blood. His head ripped off his body.
Vampire manifestation. The head of the story. I struggled to keep myself human. Rodrigo came out. When I saw him, I lost it. He had kept me in that room for so long. Even if Juliet was searching for me… Just to be able to go to Zoreah. It was over just as quick as Ahasuerus.
I teleported to Bertram. He was on his couch watching TV. He didn't even have the chance to speak. I thought about Carl. How would I make up for it? Juliet liked Rodrigo. I was stupid! For a moment… I thought about her, and I traveled. Not really scared in my vampire state. Would my body know that we are connected? Would my creature side care that I would die. I willed myself to stop, but the vamp venom in my veins had already taken over. I was at the bottom of the stairs in Louis's house. Slowly, I made my way up. She was sleeping in Louis's bed. Marcus was sitting in the corner on the floor. Head between his knees. He looked up, and our eyes met…
"Hi, Michael."
"Hi, Marcus. You thought you had control?" I scoffed at him.
"No one can control her. She would have laid down her life for you in a heartbeat. You can't even control yourself."
I fell down on my knees. My vampire manifestation was gone. My nails broke the wooden floor, coming back as a werewolf to a Riphath... To human. Michael was fighting his urges.
"They say it won't last long. If you can get through the night… You will be able to challenge all the rulers for the seats to the thrones."
My vampire side didn't like the words. He manifested again. "I was lucky that she chose me... I will rule everyone." I moved two steps towards the bed.
"Where do you and Juliet go?" He said quickly to stop me… "When she pulls out of a room… And you guys disappear for hours?"
Juliet dancing for me… getting on my lap flashed in my mind. I lost the vamp and fell back down. "Help me, Marcus… I'm not as strong as you."
"I am helping you... Teleport there and stay there." My head snapped away from him to her. I snatched her so quickly that Marcus couldn't even get up.
He had made a mistake. He had given me what I wanted. We ended up in that little shack. It was lifted above the ground. Around it, dark, blue grass glowed different colors in the night. The water's pink running below a decked walkway up to the door was picture perfect. The small patio in the back had a view of rolling hills. The grass was so long that it swayed in the wind. There was a constant soft breeze. I carried her into the room as the vamp, placed her on the bed, and fell on my knees next to her as Michael. Softly taking the hair out of her eyes. There was no point in turning her around. I would not be able to see if my little bumblebee went to sit on Louis's flower.
It wasn't a moment later before I heard the footsteps on the deck. The familiar tread of his un-tied boots. The smoke smell of his favorite brand. Louis's leisurely stroll came slowly up behind me.
"Why did she take off the plates? Why did she take off the ring?"
"She feels bad putting me above everyone else. Marcus complained that if I wanted, I could take her away. This year, she had been deciding if it was still the case. Having you back complicated the future. Marcus heard the recording of her talking that night in my room… Did you listen to it?"
I nodded. I sat down on the bed next to her. My face turned to her… Louis sat down on the chair opposite us.
"And… has she decided? Are we all equal?"
He shook his head. "That's wishful thinking. A little naïve. Naturally, she would have a favorite. It was always me… But then you came along…."
"It has been easy for you to just stand back and let her be reminded of who loves her the most. That's why it has been so difficult for her." I said.
Louis shrugged. "About that, I can't do anything… And I did for a time, but it got to me… I know I made mistakes… You probably do love her more than I do. Even more than Chris's fifteen years of celibacy. Even more than Marcus's obsession with her… Even more than my unconditional love... More than Soren's puppy love, he will always have for her." Louis dragged his cigarette. "Unfortunately, love has to have an accumulation. Even if Juliet's heart can handle all the love in the world… Even if the brandings say she loves you all… Her heart cannot leave me alone. And it's driving us apart. She was trying to put me away. You have seen how difficult it is for her. She's torn in two with all of you because of your selfishness." Louis pushed his cigarette out on the floor.
"Look at what you're doing, Michael. You had her make stupid promises so that you could get over the fact of doing it for her. Begging her to ask you to brand her… Making her promise that you could always be there whether she was with someone else or not. Playing on her hurt of losing you. The pain of getting you taken and broken down…."
There was silence for a moment.
"Who's blood is on your hands? Is it someone she will miss? Will it hurt someone close to her?
I nodded. "Rodrigo. Ahasuerus. Bertram."
"No, that she won't mind. They hurt you… They deserved it."
My head snapped to him. I thought he was putting me down. I felt like crying. I was hurting her… For the first time in twenty-one years, I thought about myself and not her… To the point of killing her.
"Now, you don't need to connect to her again. You will live three thousand years. A thousand for every creature part of you. That was one of your ultimatums. Wasn't it?"
"Louis, what are you doing?"
"I'm reminding you of how low you really are. How small you were a moment ago. Before you met her. Before you got the privilege of walking into her life."
He was playing mind games with me.
"You have to remember what happened on the farm… When you made her kiss you. At fifteen! You manipulated her… Made her bond with you, and then you ripped yourself out of her life. Thought that you and she were playing games. Her paying you with her love for favors… That you could manipulate her with an… I…O…U."
S- he was getting in under my skin. He knew my one trigger, and he went there… I stood up and left.
***
Louis
I almost fell onto the bed, gasping for air. I rushed to her side and dragged her into an embrace. I had never been so scared in my life. All he thought of was ripping off her head. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I held her in my arms. Marcus was beside himself that he had made such a stupid mistake. Chris was angry at Ira. That he didn't say anything. Caleb was going out of his mind. I was the one that had to tell them that Ira needed Michael to get rid of everyone… But that he didn't think he would ever hurt her. By that time, it was too late.
I hoped Michael would forgive me. "I hope you will forgive me, baby." I picked her up and traveled back to the platform and Washington. Marcus burst out in ragged breaths, seeing her safe. He sat down on a chair, his head in his hands.
Chris was still with Ira. Silvanus and the watchers checking the house.
"We should have protected her more," Marcus said when I sat next to him, holding her.
Tears were rolling down my cheeks.
"Chris and I were a second too late… We didn't know…."
"Do you think it was enough?"
"I said the one thing I don't think he'll be able to handle. I don't know if we will see him again."
"Good riddance," Marcus whispered at last. The words that had been gnawing at both of us for so long…
"I agree with you. Since he came into the picture..."
"You didn't feel like this when Juliet found him that night. When he was there when I finally came back."
"If we're being honest… You were much more of an issue for me… The way her body responds to you. Physically… you have her in the palm of your hand." Marcus's eyes met mine. "If things had turned out differently. If it was just you and her. It would have been a love that consumed her. A devoted love between two people. One that went from life to life."
"I thought you were that person for her."
"The thing is… I am. Or so I thought… I don't know Marcus."
"If I had followed them to the farm, Michael would never have been there… Now… I'm standing at the fragile line that keeps me here. If Soren stays, I'm leaving."
"I know. But Michael is different. You still don't understand her. As soon as she knew he had been there every day of her life… For eighteen years… It's what feeds her. Someone that accepts and puts her first."
Marcus stood up and took her from me. "Let's get her to safety. He might just come back."
I reached out and touched his shoulder and squeezed it. "I know we don't get along… but don't let it slip away. Not yet. All of this isn't fake. Let her prove it to you."