Desire of the Soul (9 page)

“C’mere Duke...” I murmured, my eyes locked onto the puddle of blood that was glistening and sparkling against the clean floors like diamonds.

“I am here,” he snarled, and I gasped as he grabbed me from behind. Immediately my arms and legs lashed out at him, the control I was trying so hard to hold onto slipping like putty in my hand. I had to make my body calm down, had to keep my control steady. And I had to do it before Duke could strike and take my blood. Because I can’t control myself when the Red hits, and I knew deep within me that this time since this would’ve been Dukes second violation of my blood...I wouldn’t let him get out of the fight alive. The Red in me was one evil bitch.

The world turned fuzzy around me, and I felt myself start to detach from my body. I felt myself start to surrender to time, so the Red could take over. But this time, I would not surrender willingly. If I killed this Duke...then there was no chance that the real Duke could return to his body. No chance I could save him.
 

“I hope you have begun to say your goodbyes,” Duke said in a hiss, his words scratching at my ears and making the world grow even fuzzier. I felt a stirring in my stomach, and closed my eyes. I had to find a way to get control, and I had to find it now. Or else...Who knew what might happen? Suddenly, it came to me.

I envisioned by brain as a house, each room a different area that needed to be explored for whatever treasures laid within. One room shone the brightest, and I ran towards it. The light bathed over me, the warmth like the summer sun, surrounding me with a soft glow. I walked into the room, heart filled to the brim with hope, only to see nothing more than a golden brick wall. It stood in the middle of the room, blocking off any route around it. There was honestly, no visible way to get around the wall.

‘
Hurry, you do not have much time. Duke is about to bite.’
 
voice was soft, gliding into the room gracefully beside me. There was no body to the voice, only sparkling rainbow-colored swirls that appeared as she spoke. The voice sounded familiar, although I knew trying to place it would just take up more time that I did not have. I needed to hurry. I could feel myself detaching from my body, the Red itching to take over. The Beast tearing at my chest with its need.
 

‘
Do you know how I could get around the wall?’
 
heart beat heavily against my chest as I asked Her the question, my teeth biting down softly atop my lips.
 

‘
I can only tell you this. You are in your mind; anything is possible in your mind. And maybe, to get past the wall...you do not have to go around it.’
 
room blurred for
 
moment, a sure sign that time was running out. That the Beast, the Red, was taking over.
 

If I did not have to go around it though, then do what? Go through it?
 
’Anything is possible in your mind...’
 
words returned to me, making me ponder as I stared at the thick wall. Maybe if I...the thought crammed itself into my mind, and I felt assurance as I closed my eyes.

I imagined the wall, the thick golden wall, crumbling to a fine yellow dust in front of me. I forced my will into the thought, knowing that if this did not work then all was lost.
 

My lips curled into a smile at the satisfying sound of the wall crumbling to pieces around me. It had worked! The-the voice had been right!
 

“Why are you
 
s-s-smiling
?” Duke asked, a hiss escaping his voice as my eyes snapped open. I looked around in confusion, my eyes unfocusing as I noticed the air, or rather, what was in the air. Small particles of what looked like fuzz crowded the small space I was standing in, glowing a bright white light as they floated leisurely in the air. “I said, why are you smiling?”
 
My eyes focused again, the particles immediately disappearing from view as I looked at Duke.

“I wasn’t.” My voice sounded scratchy to my ears, and my vision wavered. I held onto my soul, not ready for it to leave just yet. My eyes slowly rose to look into Dukes, and I felt a wave of sadness. There was no trace of humanity in them, just anger and hate. He leaned forward, his fangs lying menacingly atop his lips, and smiled cruelly.

“You dare lie to me? Well you are lucky I am quite hungry, if not you would have gone through a painful death that would indeed take centuries to complete.” Duke brushed his fangs against my neck, and I flinched away.
 

“Duke, stop. I know you’re somewhere, floating around and having the time of your life, but you need to come back. Now.” My voice was hard, and once again my vision unfocused. The fuzz once again came into view, hovering harmlessly in place, and I lifted my hand to try and swat one by my hand away. Instead of moving away though, the fuzz sunk into my skin. It felt like a bolt of energy running throughout my bloodstream, filling my body with power.

“Your Duke is no more, I am now Duke, and I think it would greatly benefit you to quiet.” My vision refocused itself, taking in the sharp features of Dukes face. The flawlessness, the beauty, and the red eyes. The red eyes that did not belong there.
 

“I do not agree,” I snapped, my voice cold. I pulled the energy that the fuzz had given me out of my body, feeling apart from myself. “I think it would greatly benefit you though, if you slept. Now.” My command weaved itself within the energy, and I watched as it zoomed into Dukes body. It looked like a stream of navy blue ribbon, stretching from me to Duke.

A wave of dizziness hit me and I swayed slowly, but I continued to stare at Duke. The blue ribbon was still there, and I saw colors of gold weaved within it. Dukes’ eyes glazed over, but he did not fall asleep as I had demanded and so I put the rest of the Energy into the stream, yelling, “I said sleep!”

I watched as Duke crumpled to the floor, his eyes moving rapidly left and right. Another wave of dizziness hit me, and I laid my hand on the cold wall. My heart beat slowed and I slid down to the floor. My eyes fluttered shut, my head lolling forward as it became too heavy a load to hold, and my last words being, “Duke...I need to get to Duke,” before I felt myself drifting off and my soul detached from my body.

---

I floated, my soul moving as if attached to a string. The world passed in a slow blur, my mind free of all worry and pain. Thoughts floated freely as I drifted, wandering in and out of my brain. Excitement thrummed throughout my soul as I felt it. He was near, waiting for me to join him! Waiting for me to join his wander around the world, forever in peace.

‘
No.’
 
voice, Her voice, came suddenly and without warning, shocking me enough to stop in my tracks.
 
’You have already forgotten the reason that you’ve detached. Not to wander forever with Duke, although that is most definitely a choice, but to save him. To bring him back to his body.’

Just as quickly as the voice had come, it was gone, and the memories slammed into my head. Duke. Vampires. Amatores Sanguinis. Everything from before floated and swirled as the memories surfaced themselves. I had to convince Duke to come back, and I had to go back too. If my body woke up without me in it...who knew what would terror and destruction would happen.

The only thing I was sure of was that, without my soul in it, the Beast would take over and my body would wake up Red. Not a vampire, because to be a vampire I’d have to had fully given up and that would never happen...at least for now...but I would wake Red, and I would wake thirsty.

I shook myself from the gloomy thoughts as I noticed that I’d begun moving again, this time extremely fast. With the pace I was going, it only took minutes before I finally saw him.
 

He was sitting on a chestnut colored bench, willow trees surrounding him as he looked out on a beautiful crystal lake. His face was full of pure happiness, and my heart felt heavy as I realized how he would soon have to return to the chaos that was life. Slowly, as if alerted of my presence, Duke turned his head towards me. As soon as our eyes connected it was like an explosion within me. All thoughts that didn’t have to do with Duke were pushed aside, and I ran towards him.

“My love!” he yelled, his arms outstretched towards me, “My love you have finally come!” We kissed, our lips molding perfectly into one another as our souls went afire with love. I never wanted to leave Dukes arms, our souls were meant for one another. “I love you,” Duke murmured against my lips, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. “I love you so, so much.”
 

I forced myself away from his lips, the pain of being apart like a tear to my chest. “Duke, we have to go back. We-we can’t stay here and let the Red take our bodies. I just know that if we let that happen, something bad…something really bad, would happen.” My voice was husky, the passion from just seconds ago still burning throughout me.
 

Duke nodded slowly, not saying a word, and entwined his thin fingers in mine. Slowly we flew back home, our bodies tight against one another the whole way, both our thoughts only focused on each other. I guess that is why we did not notice how we weren’t going in the direction that I had at least come from. We were going an entirely different way.

We arrived in front of our bodies, and detached from each other’s hands. I winked at Duke, before grabbing my bodies hand and letting my soul sink in. The last thing I saw before fully sinking into my body, was Duke smiling sweetly as he sunk into his own body.

Changing

My eyes opened slowly to see two bright lights shining down on me. Immediately I turned my head, although the movement felt heavy, to see Duke staring at me with relief.

“You’re awake too,” he said softly, a smile lighting up his face. I felt my heart lift and soar as my eyes connected with his, my soul thrumming throughout my body with a vibration similar to the one emanating from Duke. I could almost feel it, like warmth spreading throughout my body on a winter night.

“Queen Tammy, King Duke, how are you? I am Doctor Atmaja Malik.” The woman was short, maybe 5”2, with long hair that was such a dark brown that it looked almost black. She had coffee colored skin, and a face that probably gave guys heart attacks. It took a minute, but what she said clicked into my head, making my head snap up to look her in her bright turquoise colored eyes.

“Queen Tammy? King Duke? Um...ma’am....what the hell are you talking about?” My body was tense as I waited for her answer, my lips pursed.

“You have passed the test. You are now Queen of the Lucis Council, and Duke King.” Doctor Atmaja’s smile was bright as she reached down to help me up, and I felt my muscles shake. “Here how about I leave you here instead...You two look awfully tired, as would anyone if they had just been in soul form. I will be back as soon as you awake, and we will begin the Coronation.”
 

My jaw dropped, and I looked at her with confusion. “The Coronation? What the fuck are you talking about?” I yelled, closing my eyes tightly, as a migraine began to start thrumming throughout my head.

Atmajas’ head snapped toward me, anger roaring beneath her eyes. “A Queen does not use such vulgar language Tammy. You should really be careful of what you say. You do not know who is listening. I will go now, sleep peacefully for you have much to do when you awake.” Atmaja then left, leaving me shaking with exhaustion and stress.

“Shh....It’s okay Tammy,” Duke murmured, looking at me with total adoration from his bed. He reached out a hand to me but I just stared at it, unsure of what to do. My whole world was being spun around into circles, although I should’ve assumed this would happen. I mean it only made sense that Duke was my test, and by saving him...I passed. “Just go to sleep Tammy, and I promise I will be right here to watch over you. I will be right here when you wake. Do you trust me?”
 

The question was ridiculous; we both knew I trusted him. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now and neither would he. Still I nodded and grabbed his hand, heat spreading throughout us like a wildfire. “Yes, I trust you,” I answered back, my eyes drooping as I yawned. I held onto the strings that kept me awake though, not wanting to lose the pressure of his hands on mine. “But Duke...what happened? Why were you my test?”
 

Duke coughed quietly, looking sad and tired. “The prophecy.” His words were simple, but they struck me in the stomach making me flinch. I knew without a doubt that this was not the same prophecy he used to find me, this was another one. A completely different one. I didn’t even need to prompt him for more before his voice came out in a haunting melody, stirring something within me.
 

“
The Wall she must break,

The souls must come as one,

Him her test of truth,

Her saving him from fate,

You cannot save what has been lost,

Without a tiny price.

You cannot save the chosen ones,

Because they have not fought.”

Duke’s voice sent shivers down my back as I listened, his body swaying from side to side as the words spun around us. I wanted so badly to tell him to stop,
 
to shut up now, but I couldn’t. Something kept my mouth from running, my body from moving, even as the fear filled me and clouded my vision.