"Aidas?"
She called out slowly as she stood in front of him, the two of them were several paces apart but they were closer than ever. Lacey couldn't even believe that she was seeing him again, even though it had barely been a few days. She had been convinced she was going to lose him, like she was going to lose herself.
Aidas felt a rush of emotions. He wanted to hold Lacey in his arms but he was also weary of how unfamiliar she looked.
Lacey was different. Whatever girl he has met in the club that night who was dancing to pay her bills was not the same girl. Her eyes a bright molten gold with her ears elongated delicately at the tip like Faes.
It looked like she was glowing too. Something was coursing through her vein. He could was it moving underneath her skin, pulsing. Almost as if she was going to burst with light.
"Are you okay?"
He asked and she shook her head. She was far from okay, she needed a release. The power coursing through her veins needed to leave somehow.
She was struggling so hard to contain it.
She studied Aidas's eyes. This time, they had changed into a soft grey. A colour she had rarely seen on him. She wondered what it meant. Was it really connected to his moods?
"Ahem!"
Her mother cleared her throat from behind and Lacey leaped from her reach.
"You!"
She murmured and her mother rolled her eyes studying her daughter proudly.
"Lacey, spare me your drama and let's get this over with shall we?"
Lacey shook her head, taking several steps back.
"No! There's no way in hell I'm letting you touch me."
Aidas glanced at the two of them.
"Lacey what's going on?"
He asked as he approached her.
He wasn't even halfway to her before Yvaine walked up to him and shoved him away.
She shoved him hard that he hit the trees and he hit them hard.
Aidas started to struggle to stand up on his feet after the brutal impact and as he struggled, little wisps of darkness started wrapping around his arms and his legs.
He groaned and he tried to pull himself away but the darkness suppressed, choking him.
"What the hell is this?! Let me go!"
He should have been more careful. Faes were dangerous creatures. And they didn't only possess a vast depth of power at their reach, they also had an endless variety of magic.
From elemental magic to spell casting to raw power to manipulation.
With each Fae came something unique and different.
"Let him go!"
Lacey shouted, contemplating whether or not attacking her mother would cause harm to Aidas. The darkness had covered him like a thick blanket, he was struggling with it, drowning in it, but it seemed to be choking him.
"Only if you do as I ask."
Her mother murmured as she raised her hand to beckon Lacey.
It didn't even look like she was breaking a sweat as her shadows and darkness battled with Aidas. She must be controlling them with her mind. Lacey thought as she gulped hard.
"I won't! Leave him alone! Or I swear you'll pay!!"
She warned as she watched Aidas, his struggling was becoming slower and slower by the minute. It was as if he was drowning and losing the will to fight.
Being choked by the darkness as he groaned thrashed underneath it's influence.
"You?"
Her mother raised her eyebrows.
"Some say my shadows have minds of their own. Hurting me won't stop them."
Lacey sighed. She was uneasy. Uneasy and Angry.
Uneasy because the weight of the power all around her was very painful to bear and angry because she couldn't do anything to help Aidas unless she gave into her mother's wishes.
"What do you want from me?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Yvaine asked as she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Your powers."
Lacey's gasped.
"What?"
Her mother shrugged as she paced around.
"Well... Not all. But right now, you're experiencing a massive power surge. Something that comes once in a lifetime for most."
Lacey looked at her hands, it was true. It did feel like something strong was running around in her body.
"You can feel it can't you?"
Yvaine asked softly as she walked closer to Lacey.
Aidas was still struggling, thrashing around as he managed to force his mouth open away from the stifling darkness to warn Lacey.
He didn't know what her mother wanted, but it certainly couldn't be good.
"Don't listen to her Lacey! She's using you!"
Aidas shouted and Lacey's eyes darted towards him and Yvaine angrily lifted her hand, calling forth more shadows to stifle Aidas.
"I know you can feel it begging for a release. Well... You have to release it."
Yvaine said with unabashed desperation.
"Or what?"
Lacey spat out angrily.
If she didn't release the power what the hell would happen?
Death?
Yvaine smile faltered for a bit and she masked it quickly with a cool smile. Lacey noticed the slip up.
"If you don't it'll destroy you. And everyone else around you."
Now that was a lie. Something about if sounded wrong to her, it sounded like her mother was only trying to rattle her and make her scared.
Lacey sighed as she reached out her hands.
"Take it!"
She said and Yvaine looked up in surprise.
"But you must release him first. I don't want him to die."
She said as she looked at Aidas and her mother smiled.
"Trust me. He'll be fine."
She said as she greedily grabbed her daughter's hand. Lacey felt a tingling sensation. Then a sudden shock in her bones.
It felt horrible! She thought as she looked up at her mother who was slowly chanting.
Her hands hurt. It felt like the blood from her was being sucked away.
The minute Lacey noticed Aidas was free from the Shadow's impact, she braced herself and pushed hard against her mother's chest.
Her power craved a release and she succumbed to it.
"Arggghhhh!"
Yvaine screamed out as though she was burned as she slowly withdrew her hands from Lacey.
She fell clumsily on her feet.
Her feeble hands to her chest. The impact had hit her so hard she couldn't even feel anything..
Her hand felt so numb, so did her body too.
She thought as she groaned, trying slowly to stand up from on her feet.
A few moments later, she stood up, removing the leaves and twigs away from her hair, she looked ahead and found out that her daughter and Aidas had were gone.
She frowned.
It was gone too. She raised her hands and placed them in front of her face.
Whatever it was that had happened, whatever little power she had managed to steal, it was unlike any power she had ever stolen.
The magic was raw, unfiltered, concentrated power. Like an energy source. It was remarkable.
She absolutely needed to have more.
She didn't care if it was her daughter's.
Yvaine was going to get her one way or another.
They had ran as fast as they could, with Aidas leading due to his Vampire speed, Lacey started up to catch up. Slowly.
Till they reached the highway, where Aidas's car waiting.
"Get in!"
He ordered as he started the engine and Lacey quickly closed the door behind her.
He started speeding really fast, the two of them didn't speak for a few minutes.
When Aidas was convinced the coast was clear and they were as far as Lacey's mum as they were, he relaxed at the wheels and sighed.
"Whew!"
He said as he ran his hands through his messy hair.
He had a bruise on his left cheek, but it was healing fast and slowly being unrecognisable.
"So, your mother..."
Lacey nodded. She was still in shock too, she could barely control herself.
She nodded.
"Yea. I know."
"I didn't know..."
Lacey shrugged. Even though there were a lot of things her mother had managed to keep away from her when she kept her in the cottage all drugged up, Lacey has picked up a few things.
"Me too. She didn't tell me a lot about herself. I don't even think she wanted me to know her."
"But... She's some sort of royalty."
Lacey remembered when Azure had called her Majesty quite a few times
And Azure! How could she forget the person who kidnapped her.
"And your ex girlfriend is working for her."
Lacey spat out angrily as she tried to control her nerves. She still felt very unstable. Her body was racking with need.
The overwhelming urge to release her powers.
But how? How would she do it without destroying herself or anyone else next to her?"
Adidas grimaced.
"Yes, Imelda told me about that. Trust me, I'll handle it."
"I'll make her pay."
He thought as she shook his head. it all made sense... the reason why Azure had bitten Lacey, he knew it wasn't out of some stupid jealousy, Azure was bigger than that, but she was simply following orders.
Aidas would kill her for what she had done. If he had even lost Lacey, or she was hurt, Azure was going to pay dearly with her life.
For even thinking she could cross the King of the Night Court.
Lacey smiled at Aidas, her heart felt warm and fuzzy.
When she was locked away, all her hallucinations had been filled with Aidas and Hunt, she couldn't stop thinking about them.
"I missed you."
She whispered as she grabbed his arm lightly.
Aidas flinched at her touch and Lacey slowly pulled back her hand.
"Is something wrong?"
She asked and Aidas shrugged.
It was all his fault. All his fault from the beginning, he thought as he glanced at Lacey, wondering how her life would have been if he had just left her alone.
"This is all my fault?"
"How?"
Aidas shrugged, his eyes were focused on the road but he grabbed the steering wheel so hard that Lacey was afraid that he might break it or something.
"I wish I never offered you that job in be first place..."
"It's all my fault you're going though all this!"
"Aidas.. It would have happened anyways. This isn't your fault."
He chuckled and turned to her, his grey eyes started at her with a sad smile.
"It is. I have brought you nothing but heartbreak and pain. It's how I am. I always manage to damage whoever comes too close."
"What are you talking about Aidas! This isn't your fault!"
"Please stop!'
She said as she gently laid her hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off.
He had to be firm in his decision. A lot of bad things were still going to happen and for Lacey's safety he had to push her away.
For as long as he needed to.
"I always ruin everything. This time, I have to make sure I don't ruin you Lacey."
"Why are you saying??? None of this is your fault!"
"But it is... I brought you into my world. And I didn't protect you. Everything that's happening to you is as a result of my carelessness and inadequacy!"
"I think it's best we part ways permanently Lacey. For your own good."
Lacey made a small sound. A tiny squeal and the windscreen shattered into a million pieces.
Just like her heart.