Ravens Deep (one) (40 page)

             
My breathing had become laborious, but I could no longer be calm.

             
“Darius?”  I whispered. I held my breath and listened carefully in the terrifying darkness, but I couldn’t’t hear anything. I didn’t know if he was even there, and I strained my ears to listen for any sound apart from my own frantic heartbeat. The chamber it seemed was deathly still and silent, the only sound was coming from me. In the fragility of my mind, I was beyond terror now.  I could feel the hysteria diminishing along with the little air that was left.

             
I had to get out, otherwise I would die very soon. A tormenting voice in my head told me that Darius had left the chamber and I was all alone here. That thought haunted me. Would he leave me here to die?  I thought he might, he had been angry enough.

             
I really was fighting for breath, I was gagging -- there was no air.  Terrible thoughts raced through my mind and reminded me that I was going to die here, he was going to let me die! 

             
But then I thought just for a moment, I heard a noise in the darkness.  I called his name, but my words did not articulate. I screamed, but no sound came to my ears. I pushed at the wood in front of my face, it remained rigid and unyielding, and in desperation I raked my nails across the hard surface of the wood. I felt the splinters in my skin, and my nails breaking, and sticky wetness on my fingertips that I knew to be my blood.

             
The petrifying reality hit me, I was to be buried alive. I was crying, suffocating in silence, but with my last strangled breath I summoned the will to voice my terror once more, but my throat was closed.  I gasped for the air that wouldn’t’t come, my life was diminishing and my being fading into darkness.

             
Suddenly the coffin's lid flew open and a cold rush of air came at me.  I could barely make out Darius’s silhouette as he stood over me. I was too caught up in gasping the first breaths of the precious air that I needed so badly.  I was almost oblivious to him picking me up, but as my gasps for breath intermingled with frantic sobs, I was in his arms.

             
I clung to him with all my strength and he carried me down the stairs and out into the cool night. The fresh night air filled my lungs instantly, making me feel extremely light headed and weak.

             
Darius eventually moved back into the house and back to the living room.  Minutes passed and my tears ceased. I reluctantly released my grip on him.  I was in shock, shaking and caressing the horror I had endured inside the coffin.

             
I wanted to hate him, I wanted to push him away from me and take down that candle from the mantle and burn him to ashes, but I couldn’t, because deep down, I didn’t hate him and despite the horrific ordeal he had just put me through, I still loved him unconditionally. 

             
He sat holding me in his arms until my shaking came under control. My vision was still blurred from my tears and it took a few moments for me to see his face more distinctly and then I saw his anguish.

             
“I would do anything to protect you from immortality,” he said quietly.  My voice was still trembling and my throat still felt partially closed as I softly whispered to him.

             
“What will happen to you when I am gone?  You said once that your life would cease too.  How can it?” His gaze was unwavering from my eyes as I continued. “When there is no one to save you from the darkness, no one by your side and you are alone again in your immortality for endless years, how will you endure it?  I know you could not bear that anymore, I know how tortured you are and will be again.” I hesitated briefly, catching my breath.

             
“With me by your side forever we can stay together, we will forever remain at Ravens Deep for all eternity.  We can shut out the mortal world and exist in our own world.”  As I looked at Darius my vision gained clarity.  He sighed looking weary and broken.

             
“Madeline, do you really think I can do that to you, when the very last part of my mortal emotion loves you so desperately?”

             
“But doesn’t’t the immortal part love me too?”  I whispered.

             
“Yes,” he said sadly, uttering a sound of despair.  “Madeline, I cannot do this to you.”                

             
“Yes you can, “I pressed gently, “I could not bear to lose you even in death and no matter what you do to me, and I cannot be apart from you ever.” I paused, allowing my voice to gain some momentum. “If you love me you would not deny me anything. You once told me that you would not deny me anything if it made me happy,” I reminded him. “To be by your side for eternity, with you to guide me through the torment of it all would make the horror less for me.  It wouldn’t’t be the same for me as it was for you. You will teach me how to exist.”

             
I pulled him close to me, his penetrating gaze seeing clearly into my mind.

             
“Wake up my immortality, I can see the hunger in your eyes and
my blood
will be the sweetest because you love me so,” I said seductively, willing him to do my bidding.  He stared at me with a haunted look in the depths of green.

             
“What if I kill you instead?” he demanded. “Have you considered that?” But despite his words I could tell I had worn him down. His skin felt cool to my touch and he had to feed soon.

             
“I am not frightened to die.” Darius shook his head.

             
“I would not harm you, I would not have let you die in there,” he said sorrowfully. 

             
“It does not matter now, Darius, my remains can wait forever in that cold stone sarcophagus in the churchyard, but I will be gone, or I can be by your side forever,” I could see the darkness in his eyes once more, but now it was mingled with a deep desire.

             
As I entwined my fingers in his hair he brought his mouth to mine. The tears were now falling freely down my face and Darius drew back and looked into my eyes. I could see his torment, his pain and anguish, but I closed my mind to his conflict and whispered to him.

             
“If you truly love me then do it.  Do it now, and I will be forever with you.” I closed my eyes and grasped his hair even tighter. I felt his breath on my cheek and his lips on my throat, until finally I cried out in pain at the sting of his kiss on my neck.