forum Blood Oath (O/O CLOSED)

Started February 21, 2019 by Deleted user

tune

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My back slammed into the wall, and immediately, he was keeping me pinned down. I took in a gasping breath, my vision unfocusing for a moment, everything around blurring for a few seconds from the force with which he’d shoved me back.

I acted completely on my desperation, which swelled into an immense crescendo. Grabbing hold of his arm, I twisted him around, wrenching him forward, then drove my foot into his stomach hard enough to send him stumbling back.

“Fuck. You,” I spat, balling my hands into fists. And all of a sudden, the false rage I had counted to poorly mask my actual emotions was real, a wildfire tearing through me. “You’re asking me how it feels? Well, how does it feel to watch your father murder women who try and undergo the Oath. How does it feel to hear their screams, their pleas for mercy? Do you enjoy the sensation of power it gives you, watching them beg?” My mouth twisted into a snarl. I was already far gone, my death sentence signed and sent in—I might as well go out with a bang.

“Do you like watching them write in pain as fire devours their skin? Or do you hide in your room like a coward, too afraid to face your psychopath of a father?”

Scylla, reacting to my fury, spread her wings and hissed, baring her fangs.

My vision went white, but not because of what I was feeling, but what was going on at this moment. Had I been at full strength, I wouldn’t have felt anything.

I fell to the floor, too weak to support my own weight. I hissed, her words hitting deep. Before I knew what I was doing, I moved so I had my hand around her throat, eyes losing focus but hand maintaining its strength.

She was right. She was right. Shewasright. What was I expecting? Mistress couldn’t have been wrong.

“Ah, so you’re just like them,” I hissed, my voice dripping with acid. “Just because I’m the prince, suddenly I have the power to change the laws. I can change absolutely everything with a snap of my finger, can’t I? I can just go up to my father, with no fear for my life, and tell him to discard the laws, can’t I? You have absolutely no idea how many times I’ve begged my father to change the stupid ways of the academy, how many times I’ve stayed up entire nights, wishing I could have changed the fates of those women who were murdered for wanting to be something they couldn’t be, desperately hoping to see anything but the look in their eyes right before their light died. But suddenly, I’m a coward, right?” I shook my head, laughing bitterly, emotions going out of control. My hold on her loosened, everything crashing hard. “Whatever. I’m the Prince. I enjoy forcing my will on others. I enjoy the thrill it gives me, thank you for reminding me that. And most of all, girl, thank you for reminding me once again that trusting in someone is utterly foolish.”

I stepped back, Key immediately taking the opportunity to increase his size, steadying me in case I fell. Metaphorically, I did. What did I expect, anyway? It has always been too good to be true for me.

The moment Colton let go of my throat, his words hit me like a slap to the face. No, worse than that. Each carefully aimed verbal weapon sank deep until guilt and shame stiwated my gut. But I held my own. I kept my chin up and my arms in a defensive stance.

”Trusting someone? I am the exact same person as I was the last time I talked to you.” Sparks practically flew from my eyes, and around us, the pipes in the walls began to groan, the water coursing through them reacting to my distress. “How did I betray your trust? Did I belittle you? No! Did I force you into any situations? No! All I did was pretend I was the opposite gender—and what, you’d prefer I’d have told the authorities? That way I’d die nice and fucking early?”

Scylla was in the midst of trying to plead with Key, show him my side, and I didn’t have enough concentration left to stop her.

“So fine. Report me to the authorities,” I snapped, “To your father, even. But do me a favour? I want you to look me in the eyes when they chain me to the stake. I want you to look at me the whole time while I burn.” Obviously I had absolutely no intention of sticking around for long enough to happen, but if I could manage to convince him to keep my secret….

“Maybe then you’ll know what it means to die because you didn’t want to be alone in life anymore.”

I clenched my fists, breathing getting heavier. My head pounded wildly in my head, bones aching. I could hear silent whispers in my ears, urging me quietly. I could feel those cold fingers on my lips, those nails on my shoulders, touching me, pushing me over the edge.

Oh, Colton…

Poor, poor Colton…

You think that boy cares about you?

There’s no one who cares about you…

Stay strong, Colton. You have to…

I took a deep, shuddering breath, my hand fisting my hair. I tried forcing her out of my head, but it was like she’d snaked her way in. I couldn’t escape. I was trapped, hearing her voice over and over again, mocking me, inviting me. Over and over again and I felt like I was going crazy and I just wanted it to stop so why wasn’t the Mistress helping me? She promised—she promised and I’m here and I’m suffering and she’s not here.

I couldn’t hear anything other than my silent, raging battles. I couldn’t feel my body giving in to my weight, to the torture, and I couldn’t feel Key abandoning the conversation with Scylla to prevent me from falling. All I knew was that I’d finally been knocked down, and it wasn’t because of that wench or the fact that I had been held against my will, for an entire week, tortured. Not entirely.

What caused me to finally lose my mind was the girl pretending to be a boy.

Almost immediately, Colton pushed his hand into his hair, breathing heavily as if trying to force something out of his head. A moment later, he swayed and collapsed against Key.

Shocked, I stared at them both, before it all became too much. I sank to my knees, my head in my hands. Trembling from suppressed sobs, I tried to breathe, to manage even the finest inhale, but my throat was closing up, mouth going dry.

Scylla ran and leapt into my arms and, not caring about the retribution, I grabbed her and fled the room, stumbling out and sinking down against the exterior wall of my bedroom.

“Scylla—“ I was suddenly crying, tears pouring down my cheeks as I clutched my bondmate to my chest. “Scylla—I’m going to die. They’re going to kill me—I’m going to die before I can see my family again.”

It was over now. The plan to change the law was finished. My life was going to end.

And I was going to die at the hands of the boy I’d fallen for.

She plagued my dreams now. Her icy touches, her cold voice. Her cold, but affectionate voice. The way she held me, almost like I was a toy, so why was I craving her touch again? Her cruel laughter rang in my mind and I immediately snapped my eyes open, sitting up straight, taking harsh, deep breaths. What was happening to me? What was I becoming?

“Cole, you’re awake,” my father's voice reached me and almost robotically, I looked at him. He had a worried look on his face, but I called it fake. Her voice just kept on ringing. “I’d been so worried… what happened out there? Who did this to you?”

I wanted to confess, but suddenly a deep desire to protect her flashed through me.

“I don’t remember,” I lied. “I was trying to find clues when they ambushed me, kept me blindfolded the entire time.”

The king heaved a sigh.

“Well, now that you’re here… I must speak to the other A,” I forced myself to stay still. “I waited until you came back. I need to talk to you both.”

I didn’t refuse.

“Soldier, escort Elliot into my throne room.”

Without even asking me how I was feeling, he lead me off into the throne room.

How many times must she be right? I was merely a pawn. Nobody cared. Nobody ever will.

Except her.

I had locked myself in my room for the whole night, packing my bags, getting ready, trying to figure out the least conspicuous time to make my getaway. I hadn’t gotten any sleep after Colton’s discovery, of course I hadn’t. And not once since then had my hands stilled their panicked trembling.

I’m going to die.

Those four words were now my personal mantra, emblazoned into the forefront of my mind. And oh, how they burned.

I’m going to die at the hands of Colton Miller.

But despite the fact that he was destined to be the reason that I was to meet my end so soon in life, worry for him gnawed at me. Every passing second, my mind was fixed firmly on him, sometimes with fear, sometimes in anger, sometimes with guilt, and other times…. I was concerned for him.

The moment I laid eyes on him last night, it was clear that whatever version of Hell he’d crawled out of after seven days, it had left its mark on him. I’d seen the unshakable Prince break. What living being on this earth could have possibly caused that??

And he’d come to me. Trusting me, only to find the chest binder if so carelessly left out. He’d gotten back from what must have been torture, and the first greeting he’d received was my shouting and accusations.

That being said, I felt no regret. My life was on the line here, and I was going to do whatever it took to keep myself afloat.

My determination kept me going, as did Scylla. Kept me as strong as possible. That is, until a soldier knocked on my door.

I’m too late.

I sat on my seat in the throne room, eyes screwed shut, trying to block out what I’d gone through. I was so pathetic. All she did was say a bunch of words and I broke like glass. All she did was touch me and I didn’t know who I was anymore. It was just seven days, but she broke me within a span of one. I was pathetic. Weak, sad little Colton Miller. Oblivious, clueless idiot who had no idea he was being lead on.

My father didn’t initiate a conversation with me. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t in the right state to converse, anyway. All I could feel was my body trembling even though it wasn’t. I could feel those cold nails on my shoulders, on my lips, on my chest. I could remember clearly, without missing any detail, about the way she just twisted her hand and broke me in half.

With just one movement, she made me scream.

Then the door opened, snapping me out of my self-hate and misery, and in came my other problem. Elliot. Whatever her name was.

“Ah, Elliot,” my father greeted. “It’s finally nice to talk to another one like my son.”

I felt like someone had doused me in a bucket of freezing water.

Fear ran rampant in my body—by now, the words ‘panic’ and ‘terror’ were barely a fraction of what I was feeling. My blood turned to icy slush in my veins. My heart thundered like a war drum in my chest, pounding wildly. I felt like I was slowly, excruciatingly slowly, being ripped apart from the inside out.

Elliot. For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to think about the twin brother who’s absence had opened up an aching void in my chest. Mother. Father. I was going to die without ever speaking to them again. I wouldn’t even get a single glimpse before flames devoured my body.

In my arms, Scylla quaked in fear. I clutched her to my chest, unable to speak aloud. Scylla. My beautiful bondmate was going to go down with me. She was going to be slaughtered. And it was all my fault.

After what seemed like both a millennia and much too short of a walk, the stone-faced, unresponsive soldier practically pushed me into the throne room. I held my chin up high, arms tightening around my bondmate, and approached the thrones. After returning the King’s greeting and forcing my limbs to respond, to dip into a respectful bow, I fixed my eyes to Colton’s.

I dare you to look me in the eye, I wanted to snarl, While your father reads my death sentence. I. Dare. You.

But I didn’t say any of that aloud. I only stayed silent, ignored the sound of water pipes creaking and groaning beneath my feet, and waited.

I maintained eye contact with her, eyes cold, unmoving. I wanted to gauge her every reaction. From the point when she realizes nobody called her up for a death sentence.

I wanted to scoff. Even after spending that much time with me, she still thought I would kill her. How could I? Even after… this happened, I still cared. I couldn’t have someone I cared about be put to death.

“It’s a bit late, I know, but congratulations on your bonding,” my father started, oblivious to the struggles of both his son and his subject. “It’s surprising you have the same type of bondmate as my son, a Type A, which is completely unheard of. Anyway, that isn’t what I called you up here for. I’ve heard bits and pieces, but Prince Colton sometimes trains you, doesn’t he?”

No, do not say what I think you’re going to say. Keep your mouth shut like you usually do.

“I wanted to personally assign you to Colton,” my father continued, completely, utterly oblivious. “That way, we can ensure you don’t lose control. After all, a fellow Type A should be of help to another, right?”

I stared at him, my gaze calculating. What was going on? What was he planning? He’d never made decisions like these before. What was going through his mind.

“What do you think, Elliot dear?” He tilted his head, asking for opinion but clearly not needing an objecting one.

“It’s a bit late, I know, but congratulations on your bonding.”
The moment those words were spoken, I was drowning in relief, my tense shoulder going slack, the barest hint of fear dissipating from my eyes. I hadn’t been discovered again. Scylla wasn’t going to die. I wasn’t about to meet my end.

The question was—why? Colton was clearly seething, smouldering with barely controlled rage, but he hadn’t ratted me out. Was this some kind of test? A ploy to blackmail me? Nausea twisted my gut. He could make me do anything he wanted, anything at all. And I would do it to preserve my life and the life of my bondmate.

After the realization hit that this wasn’t a premature trial, I was able to focus on what the King was saying. And good God, I was struggling not to unsheathe a guard’s sword and sink it into his chest the whole way through. By the time he was finished listening to the sound of his own voice and it hit me what he was proposing, my disgust and spite towards him only grew.

Fantastic.

I was being saddled with the very person who despised me the most out of everyone in the kingdom. But I could do nothing but nod when the King questioned me, finally pulling my burning eyes from those of Colton.

“That’s a very good idea, sir.” My smooth voice betrayed nothing of the inner turmoil I was currently experiencing. “Thank you for your generosity.”

I took deep, rapid breaths, closing my eyes. The second I did, I heard her voice again.

Breathe, Colton, Breathe…

My body obeyed without questions, discarding the anger I was feeling with just the memory of her voice. I was afraid. What was she doing to me even after I escaped her clutches?

“I’m glad you think so,” the king smiled. “As a Type A, people are bound to attack you. They might think of this as a bad sign. My son will protect you as per his duty.”

No, I won’t.

Yes, I will.

“That is all,” he finished. “Both if you are dismissed.”

Hearing that, I stood up immediately, desperate for a release. Desperate to flush her out of my system, to release myself. I knew, though, that no matter what I did, no matter how many times I hurt myself, what she did would never disappear. The damage was done. All I needed to do was *keep her safe keep it in.

I couldn’t leave the throne room fast enough. Sagging against the wall of the corridor, I wiped my clammy hands on my trousers and held them up to the light, watching them tremble. Beneath my feet, the pipes creaked and groaned from the rapidly increasing and decreasing water pressure, and had I been closer to the kitchens, water surely would have come rushing out the door.

Holding a tremoring Scylla in my hands, I pressed a sloppy kiss to her forehead. “We’re alive,” I communicated, limbs finally thawing, “We’re alive, Scylla!”

But my victory was short-lived. No sooner had I conveyed those words that the throne room doors swung open, and out stalked none other than Prince Colton.

I shook my head rapidly, trying to blink away the darkness from my vision. Each step burned. Even after I was healed, I couldn’t move without the pain.

Key joined me the second I exited the room, nuzzling my cheek. I responded by patting him on the head.

”I’m okay,” both of us knew that was a lie, but we pretended it wasn’t for my sake. To prevent myself from falling further into insanity. I needed to clear my head. Needed to flush her out. Needed to see her.

Then I looked up, meeting the eyes of the girl holding her bondmate in her hands. She definitely looked feminine. Why hadn’t I realized that before? It was painstakingly obvious. Now that I knew who she was, her feminine features just rang in my head.

Turning my gaze away, I began to walk away, hands in my pockets. We were done. There was nothing I wanted to do with hi—her anymore.

And that, too, was a big lie.

He looked awful. Ruined. Like he’d lost all hope. What happened to you while you were gone, Colton? The question sat in my mouth, heavy and sour, but I didn’t dare voice it. Instead, uttered a single word.

“Why?”

No other specification was needed.

Why had he not told the King about me? He clearly hated me, so why keep my secret? Was he holding me aside for blackmail? To be used?

Meanwhile, Scylla had fixed her eyes to Key, trying to establish some form of communication.

I stared at her right in eyes, quirking an eyebrow. Why what? Why hadn’t I told the thing about her? Why hadn’t I?

The answer was so damn obvious. I still cared. Even if she didn’t, I did. There’s no way I would sentence her to her death.

Instead, I gave her a cold stare.

“You’re a Type A,” I answered with a shrug. “Why would I sentence someone like that to death? If the public found out, there would be in an uproar.”

Lies. All lies. Those reasons never even crossed my mind. All I could think was the light dying in her eyes and becoming nightmare to me.

Oh, Colton…

I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists. Shut up. Get out of my head. Shut up already.

“Shut up,” I whispered out loud, shaking my head. Get out. Out.

Key looked at me with worry, trying to ignore Scylla. The younger creature was trying her hardest, but Key wouldn’t respond. Because of me.

My gaze hardened and solidified, sharpened until it carried a bite. Of course. Why had I ever allowed myself to imagine that a part of him might care? That he didn’t want another woman to die? I was nothing more than a scientific point of interest to him, something to be observed and experimented on.

“Shut up,” he whispered weakly, and I narrowed my eyes—I hadn’t spoken aloud. That’s when I saw the expression scrawled across his face. He looked terrified, desperate. Broken.

Finally, I dared to speak, tapping the top of Scylla’s head to calm and quiet her. “Who are you talking to?”

I covered my face with one hand, taking deep, harsh breaths. Eyes flickering, vision blurring, voices flooding in. Absolute control. I needed to have control. I needed to submit. I couldn’t let her in my mind.

I needed to let her.

“Who are you talking to?” My eyes snapped towards Elliot who unknowingly pulled me out of that daze. I realized if I wanted to keep this a secret, I needed to keep a better control over what I was doing. Nobody should know. If they did, they’d have no use for me. What good is a pawn if he’s defective? If they find out about the voices in my head, about her…

“I suppose that’s none of your business, is it?” I tried to be harsh. “You’re alive. Be grateful about that.”

He was trying to be hard, to be cold, but he was too far gone. Falling apart, piece by piece, right in front of my eyes.

What on earth…?

“Wow, we’ve hit a new low,” I said sarcastically, shoving my hands into my pockets to prevent myself from reaching out to him. Now that it was just to two of us, I let my posture soften, my hips shifting into a more comfortable, feminine position. “Apparently, you’re going to emotionally manipulate me with threats on my life until I’m grateful that you haven’t sold me out to your father.”

I felt myself slip under the icy cold water and Key immediately retaliated, nudging me with his head. I patted him on the head, taking a deep breath. That’s right. Breathe. She can’t get to you from here. You’re safe. She’s just in your head.

“It appears you don’t know me that well, after all,” I quirked a false smile. “Taking that into account, I take it you aren’t grateful.”

“Of course I’m thankful that I have my life,” I responded sharply, squinting at him. What was going on? Why was he so…. broken? “I’m not particularly happy that you seem to think my lie was something monumental and worthy of breaking your precious trust. And I’m not happy that I’m now completely at your mercy.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, letting a chuckle escape my lips.

“Oh, that’s something you don’t have to worry about,” I said, ignoring her first statement. “There’s nothing I’ll gain from ratting you out.”

There’s a lot to lose if I do.

“Now if you’ll excuse me… I’ve got some business I need to attend to,” I turned towards Key, who was slowly beginning to talk to Scylla. “Come on.”

I fell silent, clenching and unclenching my fists until there was a row of red crescent-moon marks in each palm. Scylla pawed at Key’s leg, looking up at him with huge eyes. ”Please,” she implored. I reached for her, but she moved away.

”I have to,” Key responded sadly, looking at me. ”Cole needs me.”

I sighed heavily.

”Stay,” I finally said, shaking my head. ”I’ll just get her voice out of my head.”

Without hearing his reply, I turned my back towards him and started walking away, finally letting the pained expression smear across my face. It hurt. Refusing hurt. Rejecting hurt. Everything hurt.

You just need to ask, Colton…

Do what I say and I’ll help…

”What should I do for you, my Mistress?” I murmured in a low voice, sinking deep into the icy water she poured for me.

Elle’s POV:

I held a tentative hand out to Key—did he hate me too? Scylla butted her head against his leg. ”Don’t tell the King about Elle.” Her voice was strangely commanding for a bondmate of her size and age.

Meanwhile…

Sitting alone in the darkness, the woman’s lips curved up into a smile. “Colton… I knew you’d learn…” she whispered, “What is it you need?”