Falling From Eternity (A Paranormal Love Story) (21 page)

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Ming had gone mad. Without the bond, vampires could do as they
pleased without having to answer to anyone. The ancestors wouldn’t
be able to control us. Vampires would turn humans at an alarming
rate, and deaths would sky-rocket to devastating numbers. With this
amount of uncontrolled uprising, the entire human population could
be decimated in no time.

“
Ah, come on, William. I
was hoping for a bit more of a reaction than that,” Ming pretended
to pout as he signaled his guards to release me. “I thought you’d
be happy.”

“
Happy?” I exhaled an
exasperated breath, “Why would I be happy that I was your lab rat?
You let me think I was an orphan vampire for centuries and you want
me to be happy about it?”

“
Yes,” his voice rolled
with a deep vibrato as his eyebrows lowered into a scowl. “Up until
recently you were my greatest accomplishment. I knew I’d found the
key to unstoppable power. I will be a god among our species.
Vampires the world over will come to
me
to have their bond severed,
and
I
will be
more than happy to oblige…for the right price of
course.”

“
You’re insane.” I risked
a step toward him, wanting to gauge my chances of escape. I didn’t
want to fight him anymore; I just wanted to get away. If I was as
free as he said I was; then I could disappear and he’d never find
me. Let him get drunk on his power trip; it would only backfire on
him in the end. Sure, he might get everything he wants at first,
but eventually it will all come crumbling down. With no bond to
keep our kind in check; they won’t want to bow to him for long. If
there is one thing I know about our species, it’s our thirst for
power. Pretty soon every free vampire will start craving his
throne.

“
Maybe…” his eyes raked
across me like daggers, as he waved his hand toward the outer door
of Autumn’s room. “But I’ve figured out a way to make you do as I
please.”

“
You can’t make me do
anything, Ming. You said it yourself; I’m free. How are you going
to find me without a bond?”

“
Oh, I’ll find you because
you’re not going to leave,” he answered, smugly.

“
Like hell, I’m not!” I
risked another step forward, shoving off the steel arms of Ming’s
two guards. They couldn’t keep me here. My eyes darted around the
room for an escape route, and I could find only one. I would snatch
Autumn’s painting and jump out of the window. I knew my way around
these forests better than anyone, and my weeks of hunting would
finally pay off. I had no doubts that I could flee their chase
easily.

“
Will?” A familiar, sweet
voice called my name and all thoughts of escape crumbled in my
mind. “I knew you’d come,” Autumn’s angelic voice bubbled with
happiness. My knees dropped like dead weights to the floor,
cracking under my bulk as she strode toward me.

Ming reached out to her, grasping her
shoulder like a proud father and her eyes traveled up to him in
open admiration. My mouth fell open as he nodded at her
approvingly, and she continued to close the small gap between
us.

She knelt before me, her flawless
beauty beaming at me through stunning emerald eyes and angelic
features that were otherworldly. Was I dreaming? Had fate finally
smiled upon me and allowed me escape from this world to be with the
one I loved? She looked so real, but it was impossible.

Her eyes searched my expression, and
when she seemed to find what she was looking for her lips began to
quiver, pulling up at the ends into the smile that had healed my
blackened heart. Elation ripped through me in painful joy, but it
was short-lived when her grin revealed a horror I never wanted to
witness. Ivory fangs bit through her innocence, breaking me
completely. I reached for her face, tentatively at first, until I
caressed her cheek and trailed my fingers down to her
lips.

“
What have they done to
you?” I wept, my mind muddled with confusion. I didn’t know what
was up or down anymore, nothing was making sense. They told me she
had died, but here she was sitting right in front of me. Ming had
won. If his goal was to hurt me, to capture and subdue me; he had
succeeded. He was right; I would never leave as long as he had
Autumn.

It was almost as painful to bear her
passing as it was to see her as the creature I had so desperately
sought to destroy. They’d doomed her to an eternity of savagery,
lies, and an innocent mind that could be molded into whatever they
wanted.

“
Ming saved me, Will. He
made me like you,” she answered, sweetly as if being like me were
the loveliest thing she’d ever imagined. I opened my mouth but no
words came out. All I could do was let the tears fall freely down
my face as my shoulders sagged. Autumn pulled me into her arms, her
embrace stronger than it had ever been before. There were so many
things I wanted to say to her, but none of them seemed enough to
beg for forgiveness in all the ways I’d failed her.

I closed my eyes, breathing in the
familiar scent as her fingers ran through my hair. Unimaginable joy
burned through me knowing she was still alive, that I could see her
and touch her; but, my misery wouldn’t dissolve. Autumn, my angel,
was now a creature of nightmare. A vampire. I had failed
her.

“
Now we can be together,”
she said, pulling me away from her so she could look into my eyes.
I stared back at them, and though they looked the same; still
carrying the same power to penetrate my very soul, there was a
small fleck of darkness blossoming in the distance. A darkness I
knew all too well.

“
Forever,” I replied
sadly, as Ming’s wicked grin haunted my mind. As saddened as I was
that she was cursed, I knew I could never leave her side. I would
stand by her as I promised I would. Autumn needed me now, more than
ever. Ming was using her to keep me tangled in his web and I
refused to let him pull her in with me.

I had spent years searching for
answers, but in the end all I found were lies and deceit. Too much
time was spent on caging the beast within me when I should have
been watching the monster trailing my footsteps. I brought darkness
wherever I went; killing my dearest friend and cursing my true
love.

Ming’s guards hoisted me off the
ground, towing me out of Shady Willows and into the frozen night
with Autumn gripping my hand in hers. I squeezed her hand back, as
Ming led us to a waiting black suburban. The malevolent glare he
cast in my direction before he disappeared inside answered all my
fears. I knew for now he’d won, and he could keep me under his
control forever but I’d never stop fighting. He knew my love for
her was my greatest weakness, but it was also my greatest strength.
Even if it took me an eternity; I’d find our escape somehow. We
were now both pawns in an evil scheme, but the true battle had only
begun in the fight to keep darkness at bay for all
eternity.

***

The End

For now…

~

Other Titles by Megan
Duncan:

Agents of Evil
Series

Released

Chaos

Vengeance (Coming
2013)

Warm Delicacy
Series

Savor

Indulge

Devour (Coming January
2013)

Find out about giveaways, new releases
and more on Megan’s blog:

http://www.meganduncan.blogspot.com/