Destroyer

“Destroyer,” Someone whispered to my left.  I kept my head high as I continued into the main hall.  My eyes scanned the crowd before me.  Everyone was smiling and laughing, chatting, eating and dancing.  Dressed in their finest bright pastels for the women white tuxes for the men I stood out like a sore thumb in my deep red gown.  I normally avoided these royal get-togethers but my parents had insisted.  I had hidden away for the past three years avoiding the inevitable.  This year would be my last in terms of my freedom.  I was the Destroyer and this year I would have to decide between the Light and the Dark.  My choice would decide the fate of the world and frankly all the pressure was annoying.  Honestly I didn’t want to destroy anything but no one had ever been able to change the outcome of anything seen by the seers.  Just thinking about the horrible dream that had come to my mother when she had given birth to me.  Giving birth had always been an ordeal for the women of my people so usually they only did it once and they were always multiple births.  At least in the recorded history.  I had been a twin but he had died while we were still inside my mother.  One of the rumors about me was that I had sucked the life from him in order to gain the power to be the Destroyer.  I had only been ten when I heard that particular rumor and had gone crying to my mother.  She assured me that wasn’t the case but I wasn’t convinced. 

The sea of people parted as I passed.  Even as I tried to suppress it my power was so great it created an aura almost a physical barrier between me and other people and only a select few could handle being so close.  My cousin Lilly described it to me one day as if you were standing in front of an electrified fence.  You could feel the energy against your skin and just knew if you got to close you would be shocked.  I spotted Lilly as she slipped out onto one of the side terraces with Prince Jeremy not far behind.  I smiled to myself and shook my head.  I hoped her plan worked.  She had been in love with Jeremy for years but he being the typical spoiled Prince had treated her like every other woman after him only for his crown.  It wasn’t until it was shown that he wasn’t going to take over for his father that his popularity waned and he finally realized Lilly was only after him and nothing more.  Suddenly my senses went on high alert and I stopped in my tracks.

 I closed my eyes and took a deep breath taking special care to increase the size of my barrier.  I had the gasps of those around me as they rushed to get out of the way.  “You know what I want.” His voice penetrated my thoughts.  I opened my eyes to see Gareth standing at the edge of my barrier smiling at me.  Gareth had always been able to get passed my mental blocks.  With distance he could communicate with me but that was all, touching me he had full access and that was something I wouldn’t allow.  Not tonight, not ever.  “Don’t come any closer or I will ruin your little party.” I replied back and I heard him chuckle.  “I don’t care, I would much prefer to have you alone.” He said he broke my perimeter as if it were nothing but a thin sheet of paper.  Gareth may not have power like mine but he had a determination to possess me.  I put my hand up focusing my energy to stop him in his tracks. I knew everyone was watching us but I didn’t care.  I needed him away from me before my choice was no longer a choice. 

Gareth was the light and as attracted as I was to him I wanted, no needed, to know what my other choice was.  When Gareth’s eyes locked with mine I knew I shouldn’t have come.  It had been a trap,  all it would take was a single kiss a public kiss to seal my fate and I couldn’t let that happen.  Not now at least.  I dropped my arm and wished myself into the garden.  No one but my parents and Lilly had known about that particular power of mine but now everyone was aware of it.  Once in the garden I took off running through the maze of sculpted foliage.  I startled more then one pair of amorous couples along the way but I didn’t care.  When I reached the grassy knoll that had always been a sanctuary to me I let myself relax let my powers run free and I collapsed with the release. 

My skin literally glowed with power something I never allowed to happen anywhere else outside of my private cottage at home.  “Aurora.” My mother said coming up behind me.  “I’m sorry.  I just couldn’t.” I said and she just smiled.  “I understand and neither your father or I wish to force your hand on this.” She said and I nodded.  “I know you just want what you think is best but how can I be sure.  I’m supposed to have a choice and yet I’ve only been given one option my entire life.” I said and she sighed.  “That was our intention.” My father said appearing by my mother’s side.  I frowned at him and he had the nerve to laugh.  “I was born in the Dark and I never wanted you to experience that.” My father said and I sighed.  “I know the family history.” I grumbled and my dad just shook his head but then froze.  He rushed to my side putting me behind him and a heard a deep male chuckle coming from the shadows.  “Not all of it my dearest.” An older gentleman said coming out of the shadows.  He looked like a younger version of my father.

 “I thought I told you to stay away.” My father growled and the man laughed.  “My niece called to me.  She wants to see the other half.” He said and my father just shook his head.  “You never told me you had a brother.” My mom said and my father sighed.  “Born of death.” He said and my mother got the faraway look she always got when having a vision.  She gasped as she came out of it.  “Your mother was pregnant and alive?  How did no one see that before?”  My mother said and my father sighed.  “My mother is more powerful than people knew.  She manipulated us all and only when her original plan fell through did she come to find me.  She had a new plan and I told her she should have stayed in hell.  I haven’t thought of it since.” He said and my mother just shook her head she was upset and she took off towards the house.  It was better because when my mother was upset with my father things around her felt it.  She had destroyed this very garden twice in anguish over my father much to the horror of the Queen.

 “Go with Mom.” I said to my Dad and he just looked down at me.  “If you wish to go you know I cannot stop you.” He said and I just nodded before taking a step towards the uncle I hadn’t known I had.  “I just need to know.” I said and he frowned at my uncle.  “I don’t trust you in the least.  If anything goes any other way then my daughter wants it it will be your head.” He said to my uncle and my uncle visibly swallowed.  “I will give her what she desires.  She is my blood too.” He said before turning to me.  He held out his hand and I hesitantly took it.  He led me out of the garden and to a sleek black sports car.  “You my dear have one more party to attend tonight.” My uncle said taking off.  He sped the whole way across town changing lights with a flick of his wrist not abiding by any law but his own.  He barely slowed down before turning onto a dirt road in the middle of the wilderness.  Finally he stopped in front of what looked like an old shack.  He smiled as he felt my shield coming back up.  “No need to hide Dearest.  In this crowd its best to show people your power.” He said taking my arm he led me into the darkness.  I immediately felt the hum of power underneath us and it was a little overwhelming.

 Inside the dark shack was yet another door and once opened music poured out but inside looked like nothingness.  My uncle urged me forward and as soon as we passed the threshold a whole world appeared before us.  A large room full of scantily clad if not completely naked people enjoying all sorts of vices.  There was food, alcohol, sex and most prominent blood.  Men and women were chained to the walls being beaten raped and drained of blood.  I fought the wave of nausea that hit me at the site of such gluttony and depravity.  One thing I noticed in all of this was that the women were never the dominant people.  Of all of them only one woman was given any sort of respect and even she was chained to a man.  Or was he chained to her.  I couldn’t tell but almost as soon as I noticed her she noticed me and smiled a triumphant smile.  “It’s time to meet your grandmother.” My uncle said and led me down to her.  I noticed my uncle kept a possessive grip on me the entire time we made our way through the crowd. 

Even with my barrier up people seemed to be crowding me instead of shying away from it.  They seemed to enjoy the uncomfortable feeling.  “Aurora.” The women said when we stopped in front of her.  She took one of my hands in hers and I fought the urge to pull away from her.  Her slim hand felt slimy and wrong against my skin.  “Grandmother.” I said and she winced.  “Please call me Elsa.” She said and I just nodded thankful that she had let go of me.  “She doesn’t seem to have the power you say.” The man beside her whined.  His voice was high and nasally and grated on my senses.  No wonder my parents had kept me away.  “She was raised to hide what she was.  It’s a dreadful habit.  My dearest niece please.” My uncle said turning to me.   I looked around for a second unsure of what to do.  A part of me screamed for the release while another warned me not to.  After several moments I decided on a compromise.  I released enough for my skin to pick up a slight glow not the full brightness I had shown my uncle earlier.  Lucky for me he seemed pleased enough and kept his mouth shut.  The room seemed to stop at once as all eyes were on me. 

The man next to my grandmother assessed me once again and I cringed at the look of arousal in his eyes.  He openly began to touch himself and I immediately reigned my power in.  He looked disappointed and I couldn’t help the smile on my lips.  “Ooh she’s a tease.  I will have her.” The man said standing but my mother tugged on the chain linking them pulling him back into his seat.  “She is not one of your whores Hurst.” Elsa said calmly but with definite ice in her tone.  The man had the nerve to pout but it made me feel a little better that my grandmother at least wasn’t going to whore me out to just anyone.  Although this one could just be her special pet.  I was in way over my head in this new world.  Everyone went back to what they were doing but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.  With how uncomfortable as I was I didn’t dare letting my power show again and I didn’t trust myself to be able to control it without my complete focus.  “Emil take her to her room.  I’m sure she has had enough excitement for the night.”  Elsa said and my uncle nodded and took me back through the crowd.  I tried my hardest to focus straight ahead and not to search for whoever was staring at me but my curiosity got the best of me. 

 As soon as I turned my head to look the feeling was gone however and I was overwhelmed with a sense of disappointment.  I let my head hang as my uncle continued pushing me through the throngs.  Finally we were alone in a dark corridor barely lit by red lamps hanging from the ceiling.  At least we seemed alone as soon as I had stopped searching the feeling was back.  Even when we had left the masses I felt whoever it was and knew they were following us.  I wondered if my uncle could feel it too because he had picked up speed just a little as we had left the party.  Each door we passed I could hear either sex or torture or both and I was increasingly uncomfortable.  We made an abrupt turn and went down a flight of stairs into an even darker hallway.  I had no idea where he was taking me as we went up some stairs and down others through countless doors and hallways until finally we entered a short hallway that was brightly lit and almost cheery.  There was only one door and my uncle finally released his hold on me.  “The room has been enchanted.  Only you and people you wish to enter may enter.  I will come for you at meals and if you need anything my mind is always open to you.” He said and I nodded.  He waited for me to enter the room and close the door behind me before I felt him leave.

 As soon as I was sure he was gone I breathed a sigh of relief but my relief was short lived as I realized I wasn’t alone.  I turned slowly keeping my back against the door and my hand on the doorknob in case I needed to get away.  “You are safer in here with me.” A smooth deep voice said and I looked up to see a dark figure standing on the balcony across from where I was standing.  “They told me no one was allowed in here unless I invited them.” I said and he turned to face me.  I was stunned to see Gareth but not Gareth a darker version of him.  Instead of light hair, light eyes and creamy clean shaven skin in front of me was dark haired dark eyes and dark skin with a mustache and goatee.  Gareth was meticulous about his grooming keeping his hair cut short and out of his face, never a hair out of place but this man.  His hair was long curling ever so slightly at the ends.  His gaze swept over me and it felt like he were caressing me with his hands.  When his eyes lingered at the peak between my legs I knew he was using his mind to interact with me. 

“What do you want?” I asked barely a whisper as I tried to ignore the way he was making me feel.  “You know what I want.” He said and I shivered as his gaze met mine and I saw the desire there.  I should have been used to it but this was different.  Before I knew it I was swept into his arms and he was kissing me.  I had only been kissed one other time in my life and that was by Gareth during my coming out party.  It was then I knew I needed to stay away from him and just like then my body was screaming for me to escape before things got too out of hand.  I managed to push him away from me and he smiled as I struggled to catch my breath.  “Name?” I managed and he shook his head.  “I won’t have you asking around about me.  It’s safer if no one knows about us.” He said and I shook my head.  ‘There is no us.” I said and he frowned.  “Maybe not now but soon.” He said and kissed me one last time before leaving me alone in the room.  After exploring the room some and reaching out with my powers to see just how far away I was from people I finally deemed it safe enough to release my power.  Once I did I instantly felt tired and so I went to sleep.  It was a fretful sleep as I was plagued with thoughts of Gareth and this new stranger.

 In my dream I was in the middle of a field a giant battle raging between the light and the dark.  There was death and destruction everywhere and on either side was Gareth and the man.  Gareth was surrounded by a brilliant light while the other guy was shrouded in darkness.  I felt my heart was literally being torn in two as I was finally being forced to make a decision.  “Choose the light.” A voice said and I looked to Gareth he smiled as I took a step towards him but something was pulling, no dragging me back.  Something wasn’t right so I turned and took a step towards the dark but the voice called me back.  “Choose the light.” The voice said and it was all too much I couldn’t decide.  The second I refused to make a choice everything went into chaos as both Gareth and the guy both ran towards me.  My time was up the decision would be made by who got to me first or who killed the other first.  My heart was broken and I sunk to the ground in a giant ball of power.  It was then I felt the shaft of pain from my back through my belly and I looked down to see the blade of a sword protruding from my belly dripping with my blood.  I felt my power being drained into the blade as it began to glow and burn bright inside of me.

 I just stared at the blade and then everything went black.  I jerked awake in time to see my grandmother standing over me the sword from my dream in her hands.  She was positioned to strike but as she made her move another sword appeared blocking her death blow.  “You!” She hissed at the dark Gareth and I took her distraction to disappear.  I had never gone so far in my life but I gasped a sigh of relief when I appeared in my bedroom back home.  I wasn’t surprised when both my parents came barging in.  “What happened?” My father growled I could see the fire dancing in his eyes and I shook my head.  “I saw what I needed to see and now I’m back.” I said and although I ached to spill everything to them I knew it was best to keep quiet.  The next day I was just about to track down Lilly when she barged into my room.  “I have the most exciting news.” She gushed and I smiled at her.  “I know congratulations Princess.” I said and she pouted for just a second before screaming and dancing around my room. 

She gave me a huge hug before rambling on about her wonderful mating night with Jeremy.  I smiled and listened as she described something I now knew I would never have.  Normally I enjoyed my visits with Lilly but this time I was saddened by it.  I knew my choice wasn’t going to be easy and I had been fool enough to think that my choice would be based on love but it wasn’t a choice at all.  My choice was death it had always been death either mine or of the world.  I took the next week to spend time with my family and in a way say goodbye.  I wasn’t going to wait for the fighting to begin.  I was going to stop it before it even started.  I went for a walk in the woods on my father’s land.  I stuck to the trails at first before making my way further into the brush.  It was dusk when I found the perfect spot.  It was a small flower covered clearing and I took a deep breath before lying down and staring at the sky.  As the sky began to darken I sat up and opened the basket I had brought with me.  Inside was a poisonous snake.  I had chosen this particular snake for its quick paralyzing bite.

 I stuck my hand inside and waited for it to strike.  I waited what seemed like forever as it rubbed against my skin.  I heard it hiss and felt the initial prick of its strike before I felt the venom tingling through me and then nothing.  I felt nothing I only knew I had fallen down because I could still see.  It wasn’t long before the world went black.  “She’s awake.” I heard someone say and I groaned as I began to feel again.  How had my plan not worked.  “Aurora, my darling.” Gareth said suddenly by my side.  He took my hand and I turned my head away from him.  Slowly but I did it I couldn’t look at him.  “I think she needs more time to recover.” I heard my mother say and soon I was alone.  My entire body ached and my throat was on fire.  I couldn’t talk could barely move and certainly didn’t want to face what I knew were the many questions my family would have for me.  To make things worse as I got better my power returned to its full strength but I still didn’t possess the strength to rein it in. 

“Care to tell me what happened?” My mother asked me after helping me eat.  “I made my decision.” I managed and she shook her head before leaving me alone.  I could feel her pain at my words.  “I didn’t take you for a coward.” A familiar voice said and I knew it was him.  He had come for me.  “Don’t.” I said taking care not to look at him.  It was a futile effort as he suddenly was next to me in bed.  He turned my head to him and kissed me.  This time it was more than just his tongue that invaded me.  I felt his power sliding into me mingling with mine as he absorbed the last of my pain.  When he pulled away I was breathless with need but one look at the agony on his face and I knew I couldn’t leave him like that.  I placed my hand over his heart and closed my eyes.  It was more instinct then anything I had no idea if it would work but then I felt it. 

Well I felt him and he was so completely different than I expected.  He was beautiful and so full of light.  “Choose the light.” The voice said just like in my dreams and I let go of him with a gasp.  Just then I was pulled from the bed forcefully and I fought against the person until I got free and on my way back to him I stopped.  Gareth ran past me to the man and I cried out for them to stop but it was too late.  They were beating each other to death and pain ripped through me and I crumpled to the floor.  It was my vision all over again but instead of a sword it was the wooden leg of the chair that had been next to my bed.  It had been splintered in Gareth attack and had impaled me.  The man noticing I was hurt rushed to my side but Gareth tried to keep him away.  He was so blinded by his desire to possess me he had no care but destroying the competition.  I used the last of my energy to look inside and I gasped in horror at the black void that greeted me. 

Gareth was hollow and dark inside.    I saw Gareth deal the final blow and I used the last of my strength to crawl to the man’s aide.  I threw my body over him just as I took what I thought would be my last breath but as soon as my blood mixed with his I felt as if I were struck by lightning and everything went white with the most brilliant light I had ever seen.  I was no longer on the floor but hovering in midair.  I reached down and pulled out the splintered wood and let it fall to the floor.  I could feel the hum of my power as it healed me and everyone and that’s when I heard the screams.  I tried to control my power but I couldn’t it had taken over.  I continued to try until everything went black.  When I woke up again I was alone in a strange room.  Well I thought I was alone across the room sat the man bent over a desk writing something.  He seemed to sense me waking and he stopped to look at me.  He smiled and crossed the room taking me into his arms.

 “Aurora.” He said and kissed me.  I melted into him as he began to undress me.  I shivered under his touch as his hand slid down my body and between my legs.  I knew I was already wet for him but his reaction to it was enough to have me whimpering with need.  “Please.” I begged him and he smiled a cocky grin before positioning himself between my legs.  “I want to hear my name from you.” He said and before I could protest he penetrated me.  “Emith!” I cried out his name coming to me in that moment.  “That’s it love, you are mine.” He growled before sinking his fangs into my neck.  I thought it would be painful but I was so wrong.  My body was instantly flooded with pleasure as he drank from me.  I exploded with sensation and his body moved faster until I felt him fill me with his seed.  He held himself above me and smiled down at me before kissing me sensless.  I rubbed my tongue against his fang until I tasted blood and then bit down onto his.

 Our blood mixed and my body was instantly on fire and not in a good way.  The next thing I knew I was being dumped in a tub of ice water.  “You should be fine now.” Emith said ad I glared at him before pulling him into the water with me.  We made love in the tub before I made him carry me back to bed.  “So what happened?” I asked as played with his chest hair later.  “You saved me and then I saved you.” He said and I laughed.  “I heard screams.” I said and he sighed.  “You destroyed all that was corrupt in a hundred mile radius.” He said and I gasped.  “Gareth?” I said and he frowned.  “Alive unfortunately.  You just made him a better person.” He said and I breathed a sigh of relief.  He tensed next to me and I kissed him.  “I chose you don’t be jealous.” I said and he stroked my back.  “Your grandmother is dead.” He said and I looked at him.  “She tried to kill me.” I said and he sighed.  “I know but I cannot go back now because of it.  They expect me to rule.” He said and I laughed.  “Maybe you should.  We both should and together we will make things good.” I said and he just shook his head.  “For the Destroyer you sure are an optimist.” He laughed.