17 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE MARK
[©Lynnifer Ice – January 31, 2023]
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I felt bewildered, witnessing Blake strike Xinith across the face without repercussions. I was half-expecting Xinith to explode and try to knock Blake's day lights out. For a moment, I was lost for reason, confused about what in this entire situation scared me more – the ugly mark on my shoulder, the fact others had seen it, Xinith's wrath, or Blake's fury. I had never realized how scary a vampire could be when provoked.
It would take me a long while, but I would eventually come to learn that the only people who had "power" over Xinith were the headmaster and Blake.....and, eventually, myself. In that time, I would learn that there was more to Blake than meets the eye.
I grasped my shoulder again, biting my tongue to try to hold back a whimper, but failed; the mark had a pulsating pain as if someone were to stab the same place repeatedly. Without realizing it, I lost my balance and tilted until I "gently" collided with the wall. Though I was grateful, it was the wall I was against and not an actual person.
"Alex-…," Xinith tried to call out to me, my eyes briefly meeting his until Blake stood in the way.
"Don't. Talk to her," Blake hissed at Xinith before he called over his shoulder, "Liam, escort Alex to my room."
His room…? As in Blake's bedroom? Why does it have to be his room and not somewhere like the kitchen or the little living area…?
"You can't take her in there! She's mine, not yours!" Xinith yelled.
"SHE doesn't belong to ANYONE. She's a person, not a piece of property!" Blake shouted back. "Dammit, Liam, get going!"
"Uh, right!" Liam snapped out of whatever daze he was in, turning back to me, frowning at my stance, "I might get hit for this, but I think it's going to be easier to pick you up and carry you…." Liam scratched the back of his neck, wrinkling his nose. "Is that okay with you, Alex?"
"Don't you DARE touch her!" Xinith barked, trying to get past Blake, but Blake kept pushing or punching him back.
"No," I denied the help as I pushed myself off the wall, although it hurt like hell, "I can walk…." It was hard to ignore Xinith when he kept trying to call my name, but right now, I hated him for what he did to me.
I know the mark is temporary, or at least, it was claimed to be, but… I want to get rid of it, and not just try to hide it. Orientation is supposed to be this afternoon and I can't go walking around looking like I was attempted to be barbecued.
"Let's get you out of the hallway then before that demon tries doing something stupid," Liam urged with a gentle hand to my upper back as he led me down the little hall and then we turned left. At the end of the left hall, were two doors: one straight ahead and the other to the right. Liam led me to the right, softly opening the door and gesturing inside the room, "This is Blake's room. Uhm… make yourself comfortable. Blake should be in shortly. I'm going to close the door because you might not want to hear what's going to… well, what is about to happen in the hall. I'll grab you a towel of ice for your shoulder." Liam carefully explained as I sauntered into the room, the door gently closing behind me shortly after.
I don't know what I was expecting for décor as far as a vampire's room goes… maybe a coffin and cobwebs? This is nothing like I would have imagined. Forest green walls, and plants as far as the eye can see? I guess I wouldn't have taken Blake to be a plant kind of guy.
I grasped my shoulder a little tighter, wanting the pain to wither away. As my eyes continued to browse Blake's room, I took a seat on the very end of his bed – the black sheets, should have been expected. I glanced around more, finding a wooden desk without a chair, a few dressers, and a vanity… They all looked like they were made of mahogany or black walnut.
Why would a vampire need a vanity? Don't the legends say that they don't have a reflection or what-not?
Moments later, a light knock came from the door before it opened and Liam came into the room, closing the door behind himself. He gazed at me with sympathy before he helped me apply the ice wrapped in a towel to my shoulder. After he made sure I would be okay by myself, I thanked him before he left. Then, I sat in silence, besides the muffled yelling coming from the other side; I figured it was still Xinith and Blake.
I began to feel drowsy, the longer I waited, which seemed odd. It was as if my bones were trying to tempt me to climb further in the bed and curl up. I was not going to give in to the temptations that called to me.
I think something is wrong… I don't feel so good…
The drowsiness soon took a turn for the worse. My breathing was heavy but slowed, and the room felt like it was spinning. I had fallen off the edge of the bed, landing on my side on the floor. My energy felt as if it were being drained, the strength in my limbs dwindling. Even the towel of ice fell from my hand as my arm dropped from my shoulder. My vision was hazy and there was a ringing in my ears.
Why is it so difficult to move…?
I could very faintly hear and see the door open, a pair of feet freezing in the doorway for a split second before rushing toward me, a pair of knees collapsing next to me. My eyelids were droopy, more than half-closed, but I could just see the outline of Blake's face and barely hear him, although his voice was muffled.
I didn't notice until a pair of cold hands tried scooping me up, that the veins in my visible arm, had gone black. I could feel a hand against my cheek now, my vision getting less and a darkness taking over. With my eyes now closed, it was as if my body put every remaining resource it had into restoring my hearing. Well, it seemed to work because at least now, I could make out the words being said around me even if it all sounded far away.
"Dammit," Blake huffed before shouting, "Aron, I need your apothecary ass in here RIGHT NOW!"
Apothecary? Aron knows medicine? Huh… I never would have guessed.
"What the hell do you need at this-," Aron started as his feet creaked on the floorboards by the doorway. "Oh, shit! What happened to her?!"
"That dammed demon is what happened! Can't you see the mark on her shoulder?! She didn't look like this a few minutes ago – only around the mark area were her veins blackened. You're the one with the medical knowledge, why are all of her veins blackened from head to toe so suddenly?!" Blake shouted back in distress, "Don't just stare at her, help her!"
"Blake, no amount of my herbs and potions are going to fix her. If it's a bond mark that did this, then I hate to say it, but she's going to need Xinith. His DNA and hers fought so much that it's created a toxic poison, but that would only make sense if there was any negative emotions involved when Xinith gave her that mark," Aron tried to explain, sounding just as worried, "I know your temper when it comes to him… Where is he?"
I'm sorry, what? Maybe I heard him wrong…
"He… I might have gone a bit too far and restrained him," Blake sounded half-guilty.
"What kind of restraint, Blake?" Aron seemed weary.
"I clasped a silver cuff on him and may have blood-sealed him in our hallway closet…," Blake cleared his throat.
Not gonna lie… That's pretty funny despite the situation.
"You brought him in our dorm?! Are you out of your mind?!"
"I was going to deliver him to the headmaster myself. Nevermind that right now; Alex needs help."
"You aren't going to like this then," Aron sighed, "if she's been poisoned by the mark, I'm going to need a blood sample from him and you to make an antidote."
"Why the hell do you need my blood?" Blake asked without hesitation, clearly confused.
"You're a pureblood, dumbass," Aron scoffed.
SAY WHAT?!
"Huh? So are you and Liam and Sasi. We all are," Blake retorted.
"Okay, let me correct myself, you're an ancestral descendant pureblood. The rest of us aren't. Your blood still has healing properties, whereas ours does not unless it comes to our soulmates. Get it now? Just give me her and go get the demon," Aron huffed, shuffling closer. "Sometime today, Blake! If that poison spreads to her heart or brain, it's game over! Get your ass moving!"
If I had a drink right now, I would have spit it out, because HOLY SHIT! Ancestral descendant pureblood??? That sounds extremely important, and intimidating.
"Ugh…!" Blake growled in irritation before I felt myself being passed to a different set of hands before I heard Blake's retreating footsteps.
"Don't worry, Alex. I'll have you feeling better in no time… I hope," Aron sighed softly before I felt him lift me up in his arms, my limbs dangling freely in the air.
"A-Alex?!" I heard Xinith shout in a panic from a few feet away as I could feel Aron moving me about. "Why is she…?"
"We can go over the details later. All you need to know right now is that she has a very potent poison in her body and I need a blood sample from you and Blake to make the antidote. I also hate the idea of this but you need to hold onto her, even though it's your fault. Being close to you MAY slow the poison's progress." Aron carefully explained in a hurry.
Oh, hell no! I made a huge effort to get away from him and now you want HIM to hold ME???
"Aron, I got the woad leaves-," I heard Liam tune in, "Shit, how'd she get this much worse?! Screw your apothecary set here. We need to get her to the medical bay! Make your antidote there! Where's Sasi? He's the fastest of all of us."
"He left before the sun came up to go feed. Idiot hadn't had a proper meal in four days," Blake answered, "I don't know when he'll be back. Let's just focus on the fragile human for now."
I'm not THAT fragile. I mean, I fought a werewolf before I even knew he was a werewolf, and kicked his ass! Are you calling that FRAGILE? As if…
"Xinith needs to carry her anyways," Aron replied before being cut off.
"After our enormous fight, you want him to have physical contact with her?! Hell no! He's lucky he can even see her right now!" Blake snarled, apparently upset.
"This is no time for you to throw a fit, Blake! She needs medical attention before it's too late! Dammit, Xinith, stop staring and take her!" Aron barked orders.
"I caused this…?" Xinith sounded lost as I was passed and guided into his warm arms.
Damn right you did, dumbass demon.
"Focus, demon. Medical bay, now. Let's go, guys; move it! Time is of the essence!" Aron shouted.
Now that I think about it… Xinith hasn't made a single comment on any of my inner thoughts… Is the poison acting as a barrier or something? It's kind of weird, you know?
I felt Xinith's hold on me tighten, being held closer to his abdomen. The next thing I felt was a slight breeze created by their quick pace. As I listened to their footsteps fly down the hallway to the elevator, my consciousness decided to give out on me.
Who knew it was so dark in here when you fall unconscious? Scary, actually. None of my senses are working. Right now, it's just me, myself, and I.
- End of Chapter Seventeen –
