Authors: Lori Perry
"What's happening?"
"Traitors." Knowing what he must do, Michael traced her to the sanctuary of the temple. "No matter what, stay hidden. I'll return for you when I can." He took her lips possessively then traced back to the hillside.
Diviana was being destroyed in front of him, its people fighting for their lives and the sacred ground being threatened. Michael scanned the perimeter and saw a group of young vampires gathering, as if soldiers in an army readying for their assault. He couldn’t see their commander, but knew he had to be close. He waited until they were in a semi-formation then traced just behind them, ripping the throat from the largest of the group then slicing his head clean off.
"Ah, Michael, I haven't had the pleasure of your company in many years." Deacon's voice came from the tree line, just beyond sight, halting him in his attack. Michael spun slowly, gripping the bloodied dagger in his hand while Deacon stepped out of the woods.
"What is the meaning of this Deacon?
"You truly don't know?" He said coolly, "I want revenge, want you to pay for what you took from me." Spinning his torso to survey the destruction his men had caused, he smiled. "And from the looks of it, I'll get it."
"Revenge?" Michael questioned honestly.
"Think. Can you not remember the beautiful young woman you robbed of eternal life, all for the sake of a human child?" Michael sifted through his memories for the one Deacon spoke of until he found it; a statuesque woman with flowing blonde curls about to pounce on a small child. He hadn't thought, just acted. The need to save the boys life overpowered all other emotion. Though he had been a vampire for a long time before his attack, the village Deacon decided to ravage was very similar to the home he used to love; the home he was forced to say good-bye to after his
rebirth
.
"You will be stopped." Michael snarled. Deacon smiled at him casually.
"Will I?" Motioning to some of his men closer to town, Deacon beckoned a group of his minions dragging a struggling Ana toward them.
"I'll rip you apart!" Michael wailed as he lunged for Deacon. It took seven of the others to subdue him and pin him to the ground.
"Michael!" Ana cried, being held at a distance. He watched her struggle under their hold, but he knew a vampire's strength was too much for any human.
"I'm surprised that your mate hasn’t been turned yet Michael." Deacon circled Ana as they forced her to her knees. "I believed you would have turned her already; perhaps knowing as long as she is human, the inevitability that she will come back time and again helped to ease your pain?" Deacon stroked her hair softly as he spoke; a faraway look changing his expression. Wrapping his fingers in her hair, he gripped a large portion in his fist then yanked her head back.
"Stop!" Michael knew Deacon had been right. Knowing that as a human, she could be reborn gave him hope.
"And why should I!" Deacon's eyes turned red and his lip curled above his fangs. "You didn't stop for me!" He squeezed his eyes shut and loosened his hold on her hair, visibly calming himself. "Her name was Veronica." Trailing a sharp fingernail down Ana's neck Deacon forced little drops of blood to the surface. "When you spared Orlando's brother from my cause, you might have found a comrade in him, but a mortal enemy in me."
The boy had been Orlando's brother?
"You'll find me in the next life Michael." Ana whispered as she sniffed back tears.
"Oh precious Ana…" Deacon tsk'ed "You see, I'll be making sure you don't live again. Michael has watched you die many times over the centuries, forced to live without you while knowing he will find you again. But I'm not going to let that happen." Michael glared at Deacon, his own eyes turning crimson; she would not die again.
Yanking his arm free from the man at his right, he plunged his fist through the chest of the man at his left then somersaulted forward, closely evading an attack from behind. Without taking his eyes from her, he made a path through the young vampires that were attacking from all angles. The young vampire recruits were fast, but their moves were choppy and Michael easily out-maneuvered them. One recruit lunged for Michael's neck, twisting his body perfectly allowing Michael to slam his fingers up into his jaw. As he subdued the young vampire, Orlando broke through the trees, sword raised ready to defend Michael and Ana.
"Go to her!" Orlando yelled to Michael. "I can hold off these fledglings." He laughed as he cart-wheeled the blade around his shoulder, slicing them through. With a quick nod, Michael stalked toward the group holding her.
As he neared Ana, Deacon flung aside one of his men then sunk his fangs into her neck. Michael lurched toward them, but if he tried to tear him away, he would take a chunk of her flesh with him. With a hard look from Deacon, the others holding Ana released her and attacked Michael, but were quickly stamped down. His gut wrenched as he watched the scene play out before him. His lovely Ana pinned beneath a monster, her head thrown back with a look of agony twisting her features. The rage built in his chest, sending adrenaline flowing through his limbs, fueling the utter hatred he felt.
Michael moved behind Deacon, pulling back his arm before plunging his fist through the muscle and bone in his back, ripping his heart to shreds.
Deacon sputtered as he released Ana's neck then slumped to the ground twitching. Michael gripped Deacon's hair, forcing him to face Michael, and then cleaved his head from his shoulders. He shouldn't have felt so much pleasure in ending his life but he couldn't help it. As he watched the blood ooze from Deacon, he was sure he would do it again with even more pleasure.
Michael bent to gather Ana in his arms then traced her to the temple. She wasn't breathing; the bastard had taken too much blood. Puncturing his own wrist, he pressed it to her lips trying to coax her to drink. He needed to replenish what she'd lost, though ultimately it would be him changing her, Michael hated that Deacon had been the one to bite her first, the one that started her transition.
"Please Ana." He whispered into her hair."I
cannot
lose you
again
." Orlando knelt beside him placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Michael, you're losing too much blood." Shrugging off his hand Michael squeezed her tighter.
"I can't lose her again." Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared at her, pale and weak, not breathing, barely taking in any of his blood. The room spun and he blinked against the waning light.
"Michael." He heard Orlando's voice faintly then the world went black.
Ana slowly blinked, stretching as she woke in a dimly lit room; Orlando and Cassie whispering near her bed. Death had seemed so close for her; she'd felt her limbs growing cold and weak as the blood was drained from her neck by Deacon. The last thing she saw was Michael towering over her with a look of fury and pain in his eyes, then she woke here. He had saved her, somehow he did it; somehow she knew she wouldn't die again.
"Where is Michael?" She spoke in a broken whisper.
"Danielle!" Cassie rushed to her side. "How do you feel?" The young girl squeezed her hand.
"I feel…alive. Call me Ana. It doesn't feel right being called Danielle." Smiling at Cassie she squeezed her hand back, then sat up. She really did feel alive; energy pulsed through her, and she wanted to run, to jump and felt so powerful she thought she could fly. But she needed to be with Michael. "Where is he?" Orlando and Cassie exchanged worried glances.
"He hasn't woken yet." Orlando moved to Ana's bedside. "He lost a lot of blood, but the elders are doing what they can.
"I have to see him. Please take me to him Orlando." She stood and felt the power surging in her legs. "Am I…am I a vampire?" As he nodded the realization that she would forever be with Michael coursed through her heart.
"How does he fair?" The female voice was quiet, comforting.
"I'd like to say I think he's doing better, but I really haven't seen a change."
Ana.
Her voice was sweet and instantly comforted him. She had died; he'd been too late, hadn't he? The feel of her fingertips running through his hair was the closest to heaven he could imagine.
"Ana…" his voice was raw yet he needed her to know he was awake and wanted her by his side.
"Michael?" She laid her palm on his chest as his eyes fluttered open.
"You live? I thought I had lost you again." Blood surged through his body wakening him.
"Yes Michael, I lived!" His strength returned full force within moments and he sat up wrapping his arms around her.
"I'll leave you." The other woman's voice calmly spoke near the door. "I'm glad you fair well." Theana, the immortal goddess that had blessed the necklace for him many centuries ago stood smiling at him.
"Thank you, Theana. I am forever in your debt." Bowing her head she turned and left them. Turning his attention back to Ana, he lifted his fingers to where Deacon had pierced her neck.
"Forgive me for letting this happen." The pain and regret shown in his eyes.
"I am immortal now. It doesn't matter to me how it happened." She placed her fingers on his lips to quiet any protest then replaced them with her lips. "I love you beyond words."
"And I love you Rhamah." Reclaiming her lips, he crushed her to him with a century's old need. Tonight he would claim her as he should have in her first life.
Slowly, thoughtfully he kissed her exploring the recesses of her mouth with his tongue; savoring the sweetness she offered. Their bodies melded together as he deepened the kiss.
Ana wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself harder against him until she was cradled in his arms. The move of his lips on hers was surprisingly gentle, but still full of passion. She realized she needed this beyond words, beyond any feeling she'd ever felt. The memories of all her past lives mingled together as he laid her slowly down onto the bed; this is what she had been missing in each of them, Michael.
"I never got to thank you for saving my brother." Orlando said during the celebration of Diviana returning to its former glory. "Deacon came to me after I had sent you the missive, asking for my help in destroying you. I refused because the night you saved my brother, I vowed to fight for you, no matter what." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So when he sent his minions after me, I had no choice but to run; I had to protect Cassandra."
"It is I who am thankful, Orlando. I'll be forever in your debt." Michael promised Orlando, finally understanding Orlando’s motives. He would have done the same had the roles been reversed.
"And I you." Orlando nodded his head once. "If you should ever have need of me, you know where I’ll be." Michael clapped his comrade on the shoulder. He’d spent so much time seeing the world through a haze of red; a rage he thought he would never be able to calm, and now his life was complete.
He found his Ana smiling at Cassie, their hands covered with rich soil as they worked in the vast gardens of Diviana; his heart warming at the site of
his
woman, in
their
realm.
"A magical world and you wish to dig in the dirt." He teased. Ana stood, smiling brightly as she wiped the damp earth on her pants. He couldn’t decide if he was satisfied the slayer in her had gone. Though she held the same spunk as she did centuries ago, he missed seeing her curves encased in leather.
That could be rectified
. He thought slyly as she walked up to him.
"Hmm, do you have something more entertaining to fill my afternoon?" She blinked up at him flirtatiously.
"In fact I do." He had a wicked glimmer in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. "Care to be entertained?" Nodding her head slowly, she bit her lip then rose up on her toes to kiss him deeply.
As they walked leisurely back to their little piece of heaven, Michael kept his eyes on Ana. He had everything he wanted most in this world; eternal love with Ana.
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