Counterpart (Succubi & Incubi Assn.) (34 page)

Hesitantly, I decided I didn't want to be down here and I headed
towards the steps. With every step I took up them, my head watched the shadows,
hoping—praying—that they didn't follow, and by the time I reached halfway, I
was sure they weren't going to.

A view of the bright lights that were
Los
Angeles
was my first view. Overlooking the empty
streets, everything seemed calm. It was saddened me that no one could see this
building burning down.

Remember Maya, it's in your head. The more you keep thinking it's
real, the worse the outcome is going to be.

Right.

Great, now I'm talking to and answering myself.

The fire wasn't as bad as it was downstairs but the smoke had
definitely settled more up here, blocking practically my whole vision and
making my eyes itchy within a second.

The sound of a distant heartbeat played in my ear and I could tell
instantly that it was Tristan’s by the slow pace of it.

I skimmed the floors. I'd looked around so much tonight that I was
hardly expecting anything to show up.

Then I saw him.

“Tristan!” He was lying on the ground, his head facing my direction
while his eyes were shut. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully. The tux
that covered his body—minus the blazer—confirmed that he had come straight here
after our argument.

Desperately, I took the first step, wanting to run over and check
him. I was only disappointed when an invisible barrier stopped me.

“I wouldn't do that if I was you.” My eyes moved up and I was met
with the fake blonde extensions, the annoying blue eyes and the blood red
smirk. “You think I'd make it that easy?”

Not really—hoping maybe.

“Let him go, Penelope,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to move
past the barrier.

Her lips formed a perfect ‘o’. “So you did figure out who I really
was? Well that's good.” I could see her relax her shoulders. “I can finally rid
of this body.”

Ripples started to crawl from the tips of her fingers which stopped
me from attempting to break out of the invisible fish bowl that I was in.

My eyes snapped down to Tristan's body laying stilled on the floor.
His chest was covered with the white shirt. I could briefly see his back rising
so I knew he was breathing, that gave me relief.

A light in my peripheral vision grabbed my attention, and soon
enough Penelope's whole body was starting to cover in flames, crawling all the
way from the tips of her fingers to the last piece of her hair. I watched as
every inch of her brightened. Her hair darkened a few shades, but I couldn't
really tell past the orange flames. She grew a few inches taller, her body
getting leaner with every inch. I was sure she managed to get a good half a
foot on me.

When the fire diminished from around her, I noticed a slight olive
tone in her skin. Her hair—now turned an orange—had also lost the extra length
and now sat just above her shoulders, curled around her heart-shaped face.

And her eyes—well, they still stayed the same. Blue, and smug.

God, I hate her.

She smiled, and curtsied. “Penelope. Nice to meet you.”

As if I needed an introduction. “Let go of Tristan,” I repeated. “He
has nothing to do with this.”

“Oh but that's where you're wrong Maya.” My hands clenched when I
saw her slowly walk towards Tristan. “Tristan has everything to do with this.”
She stood on the other side of him, her eyes settling on his body. “You see,
Tristan was the only way I could get to you without Rosa or anyone else from
ruining my plan. Now, I get to watch you die.” Her foot moved out and Tristan
was flipped onto his back. “A slow...” The same foot trailed over his abdomen.
“And painful…” Her eyes met with mine. “Death.”

All I could think about was killing her. All my eyes were trying not
to do was stare at Tristan, who I had now noticed had a small bruise on the
side of his face.

“Having Tristan isn't going to do that, let him go.” I didn't know
what I was going to do, all I knew was that I needed to get her, kill her—much
to Rosa's dismay—and get Tristan out of here. “If there was anyone having a
slow death, I'll make sure it's you.”

“Big words, Maya. Big words.” She shook her head. “You obviously
don't know.
Rosa
was always
good at secrecy.”

What didn't I know?

“Tristan has more to do with this than you think.” One look at my
unconvinced face only led her to continue. “You're more clueless than I
thought.
Bethany
was always a
stupid one when it came to love.”

Something in this warned me to not listen, but once again, I didn't
have a choice. It’s not like I could go anywhere.

“She didn't think of the consequences when it came to her beloved.
She made him immune, yes. But you know there's always going to be those faults
that you bypass. Hers just happened to be a major fuck up for her, not
Conrad—well, yes Conrad too, but he didn't have to do much.”

“Get to the point.”

“Patience,” she hissed. “You shouldn't ruin a fairytale, and trust
me this has a really good ending. Tell me, do you know how
Bethany
died?”

I remembered distinctively but I wasn't going to answer.

“I'm going to take that as a yes. Anyway, what people didn't know
was that Cassandra was only quickening up the pace.
Bethany
would've died a few days later, but we were feeling generous.”

My curiosity only wanted me to ask what she meant, but my
stubbornness was still not replying.

“Conrad died a few hours before, did you know that? Of course you
didn't because it was quickly shadowed by
Bethany
's turning up. So, because Conrad was soulfully connected with
Bethany
... well, it was just like getting
rid of two birds with one stone. Word to the wise, don't give half your life to
somebody, it will eventually lead to death.”

I hated how my mind was starting to piece what she was saying. My
hands were starting to shake at the reality, but I didn't want to know. I
didn't want her to tell me what she was about to.

“So, yeah, Tristan is a part of this because surprise, he's your
other half, and when I kill his sweet pretty face your soul will start dying
away, just like every other lifetime in the past 200 years.”

My heart stopped. I didn't know what hurt the most, the fact that
she was going to make me watch while she killed Tristan, or the fact that I
couldn't do anything to stop this.

You know that saying about some cloud with a silver lining?

I really hoped that theory was true because I needed a fucking
miracle.

“You're lying,” I stated. I'd brought myself to not believing what
she was saying. How could I trust her? She wanted to kill me. Besides, Rosa or
Bethany would've told me this important piece of information. And
Rosa
said that this was the first time
Bethany
had showed up since she died, so
in conclusion, Penelope had to be lying.

The red-head narrowed her eyes and said, “Why would I lie, Maya?”

I could think up a million reasons.
“You've been lying ever since you got here. You hate that Tristan and I are
close and that kills you. You've always been jealous.” I was trying to push the
fear away, attempting for the more taunting route. In reality, I was
shit-scared and I was trying to form a plan inside my head all while trying to
find a way out of this not moving thing I'm in.

“Oh.” She was amused by my comment. “I see what you're trying to do.
You're trying to get to me. That's cute.”

I was suddenly set free from the force field, but as happy I was
that it was gone, I was wishing I was back inside. My feet left the ground and
I moved two feet into the air, where I hovered over the ground. I couldn't stop
my eyes from bugging out as I looked at my feet. My toes were so far from the
ground that even when I stretched them, I wouldn't even touch the floor. If the
fear was big before, it was worse now.

This can't be good...

Penelope smirked when I looked back to her. The eyes that were once
normal were now a cloud of black, just like Ethan's when he used his compulsion
on Ryan's friends. I wished someone had told me that she could... lift things.
I don't know what it would've done if I knew, but at least I would be prepared.
It was bad enough that I couldn't move before, but now that I could move, I
wasn't even touching the ground.

She walked her way towards me, a glare now on her face. “The
stupidity that lingers around you disgusts me. You actually think I would waste
my time lying to you out of something I find satisfying. You should be lucky
that I'm not killing you right now.”

“Fuck you, Penelope.” The words escaped my mouth instantly. I hated
how she had an advantage over everything right now. I hated how I couldn't do
anything but listen and watch. I was so helpless that all I could rely on was
my words. “Go to Hell.”

I was suddenly sent back across the room. My back hitting against a
cold wall before it caved in, sending glass around me from the impact. Mirrors.
A sharp pain surged up my side and all the air came out of my lungs when I fell
to the ground.

Clenching my eyes, I felt the pain in my right side build and throb
instantly. Every time I inhaled a breath, the pain expanded. I moved my eyes
down to where I sensed the pain and what I got was something I should've
expected, but didn't want to. A shard of glass the size of my half my palm had
pierced through my dress, digging deep into my skin. I couldn’t tell how big it
really was, but judging by the blood that was quickly starting to drip onto the
ground, I knew that it was in pretty good.

My fingers slowly crawled to where the glass met my skin and I
clenched my teeth tightly as I started to pull it out. I buried my forehead
onto the hard floor and tried to contain the wince that threatened to escape.
Wrapping my hand around the glass, I pulled. All too slowly, the glass moved
out of my skin, but no matter how hard I tried to make it quick and easy, the
pain throbbed around my abdomen, moving up to my head. It wasn't pain that I'd
ever had before, but if I had to explain it with one word, it was excruciating.
I had to dig my nails into my palm just to make it a little better.

“Tsk, tsk,” Penelope's voice started. “I don't know why you try to
make this worse for you, Maya.” I was jolted back and my body slid against the
ground again, the windows stopping it from going any further. The impact on my
side only made the pain worse and I was really finding it hard not to pull at
my hair. I needed something—anything—to grip.

My body felt drained. I felt like I was reaching the point of
exhaustion. I was losing too much blood and my eyes were starting to blur and
cloud. A tear fell down the side of my cheek and I wasn't sure if it was
because of me hurting, or the fact that I didn't know what to do. I wanted to
get up but my body wasn't allowing it. My head turned to look at Tristan and I
felt like I had failed him. I had failed everyone. I even failed myself.

“Just for that.” Penelope's heels entered my vision, blocking me
from seeing Tristan. “I think I'm going to make his death a more... slow one.”

“Don't touch him,” I hissed, “don't lay a single finger on him.” As
weak as I felt, I couldn't allow her to do this.

“Oh.” She started walking back. “But I plan on touching him, and I
have touched him in ways you wished you could.” Her hand moved and the glass
that had pierced my skin was quickly in her hand. “Too bad you'll never get to
feel what it's like to have him inside you, kissing along your neck, spreading
your legs so he can go in deeper.” It made me sick when she brought the glass
up to her face, the side with my blood on it hovering a few inches from her
lips. “And the way he whispers into your ear.” She trailed the blood covered
point over her lips and down her chin. “It's like he's writing poetry, so
romantic, yet a twist of seduction.”

“Shut up.” I had had enough of listening to this. I wanted it to
stop. “Just shut up.”

“Oh, don't be so mad, Maya.” She made it to Tristan's side and knelt
down next to his body. “Maybe you guys will meet again. In another life-time...
it's a low chance but maybe you'll walk past each other down the street.”

I stiffened when she trailed the tip down the center of Tristan's
chest. I didn't notice it until now but at some point she had unbuttoned his
shirt. “He's always had such a nice body. In every life, it was always
irresistible. Too bad it always goes to waste.”

“Leave him alone.” My palms flattened on the ground and I attempted
to push myself up. I saw her press the tip slightly against his skin, and it
was like I was the one receiving the pain. “Oh God,” I groaned quietly. A new
pain started between my ribs. Mixing it with the unending throb in my side and
I was trying to find an escape.