3.13 Grief

Beverly looked up startled as the cell doors opened. Two werewolves bristled at her "move away from the body."

Shaking her head she cradled Heath's body to her. Inconsolable grief overrode her fear as the two burly men knocked her to the side. "Don't hurt him," she cried as they picked his body up.

"Lady he's already dead. What else can we do to him?" one of the werewolves said as he lifted Heath up and walked away.

"He's my son," she cried in desperation. Stopping on the other side they laughed at her. "You should have thought of that before you killed him"

Moaning Beverly watched them take her son away. Weeping in grief, guilt and rage she eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.

***

Alanon helped Percy to his feet and half carried him to the living room couch. Alanon demanded "concentrate on the voice...."

"I can't" he moaned holding his head in pain. "My head feels like it's going to explode." He shivered from more then cold as the voice began again growing more insistent as it grew in strength. "Help me," it demanded. "I don't know how," he moaned.

Shaking him Alanon commanded "don't close your eyes. Whatever you do do not fall asleep."

Grimacing Percy sat up holding his head "make it stop," he pleaded.

Kneeling in front of him Alanon shook his head "I can't. Not until we know who is contacting you."

Groaning Percy rubbed his hands through his hair "tell me what I need to do." He squinted through the pain at Alanon "I can't take much more of this."

Putting a hand on Percy's shoulder speaking firmly "you already know who it is. The pain is blocking it from you. Push past the pain..."

"How?" he screamed in agony "it's all I feel. Please please make it stop." He gripped his head between his hands.

Grabbing his hands Alanon forced Percy to look up at him. "I know it's painful but you have to try. Think of  your wife and baby. They need you. Concentrate."

Breathing deep jagged breaths Percy tried to collect his thoughts. Flashes of memory and images of Grace entered his mind. He felt at peace as he concentrated on her allowing him to calm his scattered thoughts pushing the pain aside. "Percy help me," the voice entreated.

***

Ambrogio woke early wrapped in Silvers arms. Lying still he closed his eyes blocking out the realities of his existence. He yearned to be like Silver without soul or feelings. He could feel the guilt gnawing away at him. Eating his heart and soul away until he was as empty as the man beside him. He was supposed to protect his descendants, his children from harm. Not be the cause of it. Biting his lip to keep from crying out he tried to console himself with the knowledge that he had no choice.

Silver stirred beside him. Opening his eyes he found Silvers eyes looking down on him. Cold as ice and just as unfeeling. Silver asked "why so pensive my love?" Stroking a finger along Ambrogio's jaw line.

Stiffening Ambrogio tried to relax. Tried not to show the terror he felt at Silver's touch. Fearing the retribution if Silver found out. "It's nothing," he began only to find Silver gripping his face in a grip that would leave marks. Swallowing hard he tried to appear calm to the stern eyes staring coldly down at him.

"That's a lie," Silver hissed squeezing his face hard.

"Nothing. It's nothing," Ambrogio repeated crying out in pain and fear.

Smiling down at him Silver brought his lips down upon Ambrogios. Kissing him roughly as he pushed him deeper into the hard ground beneath them. "You're lying" Silver repeated in rage as he pulled Ambrogio to his feet. "You're feeling guilty over betraying your descendants. Don't bother denying it. I know you to well."

"Please I ... can't help the way I feel," Ambrogio murmured cowering before Ambrogio.

"I know," Silver purred in  his ear as he leaned over Ambrogio bringing his mouth down up his lips. 

"That's what makes it so much fun." Moving his hand down Ambrogio's body "I like watching you squirm."

***

Writhing in pain Beverly cried out in agony. The guards watched her throes of agony. through the bars of her cell.  "Help me please" she panted stretching a hand out to them beseeching them for help.

Shaking their heads they turned their backs to her. "Alessandro has forbidden it," one of the vampires spoke his voice not entirely devoid of pity. "You have been sentenced."

"Sentenced?" she said mystified. A sense of foreboding swept through her. Even without them saying what her sentence was she knew it was death.

"You killed...drained your child." The other vampire spoke in a cold harsh tone "there is no worse crime a vampire can commit."

"It wasn't my fault," she cried "Alessandro commanded it."

"A difficult choice. Obey the voice of your master or disobey," the younger vampire said.

"Yes but not impossible," the older angry vampire stated "it was a test and she failed." Moving to the dungeon door "come my son. We will stand guard on the other side."

Moaning on the dirty cell floor Beverly wept in pain. Lying on the floor of the cell she heard the old vampires words repeated over and over in her mind. Had it only been a test? Was she supposed to not obey her master's voice? Was their rebellion creeping into the folds of Alessandro's empire? Were the citizens growing dissatisfied with their leader? What difference did it all make? She was the worst human or vampire in existence. She consumed her child. She deserved to die. If only she could tell Adam how very sorry she was.

Screaming in agony she felt as if her insides were melting turning into liquefied mush. This wasn't normal starvation Beverly thought. Adam had resisted feeding for months before they found the plasma fruit. This was something entirely different....a vampire disease?

***

"Adam?" Percy asked putting a name to the voice "how? I thought you were dead."

"Ambrogio cast a spell to oust me from my body. I'm sorry the only link I had to go to was you..."

"Why not Heath?" Percy asked confused "he was there. Why?"

"Heath was to weak to hold my essence. He's not fully recovered from the time bubble. I couldn't risk hurting him. As it is you are not strong enough to hold my essence either."

"I can. I will." Percy said with determination.

"No my friend I cannot put you through anymore pain."

"What will happen to you?" he asked reaching out to him.

"I don't know," Adam sighed "cease to exist I suppose. Without a body my essence will break down eventually and disburse."

"Then you have to stay," Percy told him firmly "I can handle it..."

"No the pain is too much for you. I can feel how my essence is tearing you apart. I will not sit back and watch you suffer."

"I don't care," Percy said "we need you."

"You'll manage with out me. Before I go you must do something for me."

"Adam please ...." Percy tried again to persuade Adam not to leave him.

"I will not be the cause of your suffering," Adam told him refusing once again.

"Alanon can find a spell or something to reunite you with your body," Percy said desperate to find another way.

"Ask him," Adam advised.

Blinking Percy found Alanon mere inches from his face. "Have you made contact?" he asked in concern.

Nodding Percy ran a shaky hand through his hair "it's Adam."

"I thought it might be," Alanon said sitting back on his heels. "He can't reside in you..."

"he has to or we'll lose him forever," Percy said becoming upset.

"It will kill you."

"I don't care," he shouted becoming agitated in his heightened anxiety "Isn't there something else we can do? Some way to keep his essence from disbursing."

Rubbing his chin Alanon muttered "nothing permanent but maybe long enough to hunt Silver and Ambrogio down and reclaim his body. I'll need" stopping he looked at Percy in concern "I need a few days to make the potion for the spell. Can you hold on to his essence that long?"

Nodding "I will" grunting in pain "I have to."

"Well?" Adam asked.

"Alanon needs a few days to make the potion," Percy told him "it should hod you together long enough to find Ambrogio down."

"Ok," Adam agreed "we need to contact Kyle in Dragon Valley..."

"Your kids will be fine," Percy reassured him.

"It's not them I'm worried about. It's Don. Silver wants him and the child he's carrying."

"The dragons will protect him...."

"Not if they think it's me" Adam reasoned "Ambrogio is in my body. He can walk into Dragon Valley and take Don whenever he wants."

***

Moving stiffly after that mornings love making Ambrogio tried to ignore the soreness in his body and the ever increasing abundance of bruises. Looking at his shabby hospital gown and boxers he wondered why he bothered to clothe himself in their tattered remnants.

Sighing a little to loudly he caught the attention of Silver "what's the matter my love?"

Shrugging Ambrogio mumbled "I need proper clothing..."

"I prefer you were nothing at all" Silver's face flushed with annoyance as he approached Ambrogio. Reaching for the gown Ambrogio stepped backwards just out of reach. Eyes narrowed in anger Silver took a step forward.

"Please," Ambrogio pleaded "I need proper clothing if I am to enter into Dragon Valley to get Don. It will raise suspicion for Adam to appear like this...."

Considering his argument Silver nodded "very well we will acquire adequate covering." He turned and continued walking setting a pace he knew would be difficult for Ambrogio to follow. Sooner or later he would give in to the need to feed. He couldn't resist forever.

Towards nightfall he stopped motioning for Ambrogio to join him. "This time tomorrow we will be in Dragon Valley. I must leave you here to find clothing. I cannot leave alone with ensuring you will not wander off my love." Without warning Silver grabbed Ambrogio's  arms. Ambrogio lacked the strength to fight him and was soon bound hand and foot. Leaning over him Silver kissed Ambrogio's lips whispering harshly in his ear "it's our fault that I cannot trust you to be here when I return. It's your fault that restraints were necessary." One last lingering kiss that left both of them breathless Silver slipped a gag into Ambrogio's mouth. "can't have you yelling and drawing attention to yourself now can I?"

Struggling to breathe Ambrogio heard Silver walking through the woods his laughter lingering in the silence of the night. How could he have ever have loved that man? Yes he had saved his life but for what? This life of near servitude? To be forever afraid? Could he overcome his fear long enough to accomplish what needed to be done? Did he have it in him to deliver Don and his grandchild into Silver's hands? Was it necessary to finally free himself from this nightmare once and for all?"

***

"Wake her up," Alessandro demanded.

"We're trying," the guard muttered

Opening her eyes Beverly muttered "I'm still alive."

"Unfortunately," Alessandro glared at her "it seems a halfling's blood isn't as potent as an IFs. If he had been a full IF you'd be dead by now. As it is your son's blood within your veins is giving you a lingering painful death. It'd be most satisfying if I had the time to savor it."

"You knew," she mumbled weakly "you wanted us both to die."

"Of course I did. I want all of Ambrogio's spawn to perish," grabbing her hair and yanking her head back "it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. You killing your halfling son then dying from the very same blood is just so appropriate don't you think?" Standing he ordered "take her to the boys body. She'll be dead soon anyway." The guards moved to pick her up ignoring her weak attempts to fight them off. Laughing at her struggles "soon my dear your suffering will be over."

***

"Did you reach them?" Percy asked from the couch when Alanon entered the house.

"No the call didn't go through," Alanon sighed "I think Silver has put up some kind of block to prevent us from warning Don of trouble."

"Does that mean Ambrogio isn't working with Silver?" Percy asked for Adam after relaying the information back to him.

"I don't know," Alanon paced the floor "I wish I was confident that we could trust Ambrogio. But I...I can't. This could just be Silver covering all his bases. I simply don't know."

Watching the nervous pacing Percy said "Adam wants to know what Ambrogio's relationship was like with Silver."

"Why does that matter now?" Alanon asked staring into space.

"It could give us some insight into what's motivating Ambrogio," Percy explained.

"That's just it I don't know," Alanon uttered a plaintive cry "I never met Silver. I... only say the bruises...the fear in Ambrogio's eyes whenever I would visit him. He never told me. Always had an excuse. Most of the time it was abuse dealt out by Alessandro."

"Weren't you connected?" Percy asked.

"It doesn't mean I know intimate details," Alanon said "I'm connected to you. Can you sense things about me?"

A slight shake of his head Percy knew he was right. He was connected to Adam. It was a connection they could turn on and off. He never felt his personal space had ever been intruded upon. Adam said that Selene was once Ambrogio's wife. He wasn't always gay?"

Sliding down the wall Alanon hung his head "I don't think he ever was. Not until Silver found him. He has some sort of hold on him. I would have known if Ambrogio had been gay....I told him I loved him and he .... he didn't feel the same."

"Maybe he didn't like you," Percy began.

"That's not it. Ambrogio told me he didn't like the idea of being with a man. I watched him. He had only ever been attracted to women. He married Selene because he loved her. His relationship with Silver isn't mutual, not natural."

***

Laying where they tossed her Beverly closed her eyes to keep from seeing Heath's discarded body in the junk pile they had been tossed in. Tears slid from her eyes as she weakly mourned her son. He was barely 18 years old. He had barely lived his life and she had killed him. Wy hadn't she resisted? She deserved to die. Deserved this fate. She hoped that wherever Adam was he was ok and that he didn't blame himself for what happened. She recalled that last moment. The look of shock that spread across his handsome face as Alessandro bit her. Changed her. She was the monster Adam could never be.

A rustle near her alerted her to a presence of some kind. Squeezing her eyes shut, heart beating fast her mind shouting rats. Rats come to eat the flesh from their bones. She wanted to scream to run but could only lie their in dread. Something touched her hand warm and soft. She waited for the first piercing of pain as sharp little teeth bit into her flesh....