The Awakening - (Evian) - Chapter Fourteen
by lala02
Chapter XIV
{Flashback}
It felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest, stomped
on repeatedly then stove down his throat. If he had air in his lungs, he
knew right this moment that his breath would have hitched in his throat.
Locking his eyes on the mortal responsible for the pain he was feeling, only
one thought came to mind…
Pain…
Lots and lots of…
Pain…
{Flashback ends}
Blinking his eyes a few times, Dante turned around and slowly took his
time walking over to the wall Eve’s seemingly lifeless body hung down from.
She had a deep dark bluish, purplish bruise covering her right cheekbone
and other various cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. Wrapping his right
hand around her neck, his long nails dug into her throat caused a raspy gasp
to escape her lips.
“I wish it didn’t have to come down to this. All you had to do was submit
to me and this could’ve all been avoided. Instead, you chose a weak, pathetic
mortal who doesn’t have sh*t to offer you!” Dante sneered as he tightened
his hand around her throat, causing another painful gasp from Eve before
letting her go.
Eve’s head was pounding and it felt like every bone in her body was broken.
She felt numb. She could barely hold her own head up. She couldn’t even make
out Dante’s face because her vision was so blurry, but she could definitely
hear his sick, twisted voice. She didn’t even remember what happened or how
the hell she even got here or...
Uh oh…something was wrong. It felt like a part of her soul was missing…
Julian…
Where was he?! And where were the others?!
Focusing her eyes on Dante as best she could, she willed her vision to
become clear before trying to speak.
“J-Julian…where…is…he?!” She grimaced in pain after each word she spoke.
Dante saw red when Eve asked about that damn mortal. Before he even realized
what he was doing, his right hand rose up in the air then came crashing down
across her face causing Eve’s head to jerk violently to the left.
The impact of his hand connecting with the side of her face literally
caused Eve to see stars. The pounding in her head only got worse after that
blow. She wanted to moan out in pain, but she wasn’t about to give him the
satisfaction. Lifting her head up with what little strength she didn’t know
she possessed, she looked him in the eyes before running her tongue across
the corner of her bottom lip, wiping away the blood that oozed from the
gash he caused.
“You don’t need to know where he is.” Dante said calmly, then ran his
right hand through his hair. “All you need to know is that, by the end of
the night, he’ll be gone and you’ll be my mine.” With that said, he moved
away from her, turned then exited the room.
Once he was gone, Eve let out the painful moan she refused to let Dante
hear. She had to get the hell out here. Julian needed her. Looking up over
her head, she saw how her hands were tied up with a large, thick rope that
hung from the ceiling above. Flexing her right hand open, her eyes flashed
light blue and her nails grew longer. She then proceeded to free herself.
Moments later, Eve was standing next to door Dante had exited and pressed
her ear to it. When she didn’t hear a sound, she went to open the door but
found it locked. Gripping the knob as tight as she could, with one quick
tug the door was pulled open and the knob was tossed across the room. Stepping
into the darkened hallway, Eve used her excellent night vision to guide her
through as she tried to sniff out Julian and the others scent.
Back and forth, Joseph went sailing through the air as Dante continued
to pummel his severely beaten body. The frightened look he saw in Arianna
eyes made his heart clinch painfully. He never wanted her to see anything
like this…ever. He then looked over to Dante and found a sinister grin on
his lips. The sick bastard was enjoying this…
“I haven’t had this much fun since I tortured that bastard Sylvester Northridge
all those years ago.” Dante laughed wickedly then turned to face Arianna.
“Just by your scent alone b*tch, I know you’re his kin.”
“You…leave her…alone!” Joseph grimaced as he struggled to stand. “I won’t…let
you hurt…her.”
“You won’t let me...” Dante pointed at Joseph then snorted, “as if you
can stop me.” He narrowed his eyes then moved swiftly over to Arianna before
Joseph had a chance to say anything else.
“Arianna!” Joseph shouted.
Placing his left hand under her chin, he lifted her face up so that she
was looking him right in the eyes. Dante then inhaled her scent before turning
back to face Joseph.
“Well it seems that your b*tch here is expecting.”
Joseph’s face instantly paled.
“Joseph…” Arianna sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”
Joseph then locked eyes with Arianna.
“Pregnant?” he whispered as confusion appeared on his bloody face. “That’s
not possible…”
“Oh no, it’s possible alright. Too bad it isn’t your scent I smell on
her.” Dante smirked evilly.
Arianna closed her eyes then opened them and saw the look of hurt on Joseph’s
face. The physical pain that he just suffered at the hands of Dante was no
way as painful as this.
“Please forgive me, I’m so sor…” Arianna started to say but suddenly coughed
up blood then looked down and saw Dante’s hand sticking through her stomach.
“N-no…ARIANNA!!!” Joseph shouted in disbelief and horror as Arianna face
twisted in pain before her eyes closed and she fell to the ground with a
loud thud.
Running through the dark hallway, Eve suddenly halted in place. Her body
still hurt after being tied up and beaten so long, but by daybreak she knew
that all of her wounds would be healed. As she neared the end of the hallway,
she began sniffing.
Blood…lots of blood…
Looking behind for a millisecond, she listened closely and heard screaming.
She couldn’t make out who it was, but from the way they were screaming, she
could definitely tell that they were in a lot of pain.
Turning back around, she began to sniff again. Walking slowly now, she
came upon a door to the left of the hall. Placing her left hand on surface
of the door, she waited and listened carefully before turning the knob.
“Gabriel…” Eve said then ran over to where he was in the corner of the
room. Dropping down next to him, she checked to see if he had a pulse.
“Ari..an..na…” he moaned out.
“No, it’s me Eve.”
“We…were ambushed…” Gabriel struggled to say while trying to breathe,
“Joseph and I…fought as…many of them…as we could...”
“I have to find Julian. Do you know what happened to him?” Eve asked.
“Dante…personally took Julian.” He grimaced, “I have to find Arianna and
Joseph.”
“You’re in no condition to move. I’ll find them all don’t worry.” Eve
stood up and walked over to the door. She then turned back to Gabriel. “On
second thought, I’m gonna have to move you. I don’t want anyone to find
you while I’m gone, alright?”
Gabriel nodded slowly.
Blinking his eyes a few times and groaning painfully, Julian slowly sat
up in the corner of his room. When he moved to stand up, he was instantly
on the floor again. What the hell, he thought frantically then looked down
to his hands and noticed that they were bound by shackles.
“So you’re finally awake.” Julian heard someone say, then looked up and
found Dante hovering over him.
“Where’s Eve?” Julian demanded as he stood up again carefully this time,
but only received a chuckle.
“She asked me the very same question. So I’m gonna give you the same answer
I gave her.”
Julian never saw it coming as Dante’s fist connected with his jaw, sending
him right back to the ground below.
“Did you honestly think I was gonna actually tell you anything?!” Dante
spat. “You had no right to claim her. She was mine!” he shouted.
Standing up again, Julian spit out some of the blood that was in his mouth.
“Eve is not a piece of property for you to claim!” he snapped. “Besides,
she chose me. I’m the one she wants.”
“You watch your tongue boy…” Dante sneered. “I made her what she is, it’s
only fitting that she is mine. And because you touched what belonged to me,
you shall suffer a slow and painful death.” He narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t scare me.” Julian sneered.
“Well,” Dante said then moved closer to Julian so that he was only inches
away from his face, “you should be.”
Once Eve was certain that no one would find Gabriel, she went back looking
for Julian. It felt like twenty minutes had passed before she finally found
another door, this time it was to the right. Walking up to it, she immediately
cringed in disgust. The scent of death was in the air, and it was coming
from behind this door. Cautiously, she turned the knob to the door then pushed
it open slowly.
Walking inside, it reeked of blood, tears and sweat. Because there were
too many scents filled into the room, it took Eve a few seconds before she
picked up the scents of Joseph and Arianna.
“Joseph…Arianna…” Eve called out as she walked towards them.
“Stay back Eve…please...” Joseph said in a lifeless tone of voice, “I
don’t want you to see her like this.”
Closing her eyes and lowering her head, Eve stopped where she stood.
“Joseph…”
“She told me everything. And even though, she betrayed me,” he looked
down at her pale blue face then caressed her skin tenderly, “I still loved
her.” Joseph’s entire body shook as he held Arianna’s lifeless body in his
arms and he cried his heart out. “I feel so numb.”
Eve let Joseph grieve a few more minutes before speaking.
“Joseph, we have to go.”
“I can’t leave her here.” He sobbed.
“I know you don’t want to, but we have to for now.” Eve whispered. “I
have to find Julian.”
Turning to face Eve, “What about him?” he asked painfully.
Eve definitely knew who Joseph was asking about…
“He’s alive. C’mon, I have to hide you somewhere safely too.”
Julian knew he had a few broken ribs and the pain was unbearable but he
wasn’t about to let Dante see him weak. Over and over and over again, Dante
kicked, punched and threw his body all across the room. And each and every
time, Julian would stand back up on his feet.
“Have you had enough yet mortal?” Dante growled.
Julian rolled his eyes then sighed, “The name is Julian Crane, not mortal,
not lowlife but Julian Crane.” He said arrogantly.
“You have courage, I’ll give you that.” Dante said. “But you’re stupid
if you think that is all you need. I know everything about you Julian Crane,
even your forefathers.”
“So what?”
“You’re not curious as to know what I have on your family?” Dante asked.
“Why should I be? This Crane name has only brought me pain. Besides, whatever
you know, I know too.”
“Well since you say that your last name has only brought you pain, why
don’t we add your death to it as well.” Dante sneered before appearing in
front of Julian.
Lifting Julian off the ground by his throat, Dante’s eyes flashed light
blue. Julian began clawing at Dante’s hand but he didn’t even flinch as
he clawed repeatedly, causing blood to ooze down his arm on to the floor.
Raising his left hand into the air, Dante suddenly slammed it into Julian’s
chest…just as Eve appeared in the doorway…