When I turn my head and look in the direction of the doorway, I wish it’d been the abominations.
Gabrielle and Monarch are standing just inside the room with Aiden behind them. All three of their eyes are filled with the same coldness. The only difference between them is that Aiden is dressed in all black while Monarch and Gabrielle are in all white.
They’re the same. God, poor Aiden.
“Bravo,” Gabrielle says as he claps his hands together and enters the room. “You almost had us. Almost, but not quite. Yes, you put up a fight, but at the same time, there are still way more abominations over humans.” He pauses, looking thoughtfully at Mathew. “Because Humans are weak.”
I step in front of Mathew as he rises to his feet. “Run,” I hiss at him. “Or prepare to fight.”
Gabrielle snaps his fingers and in five lengthy strides, Aiden crosses the room. I move to hit him, but he catches my arm, matching, if not exceeding, my strength. He shoves me down to the ground and I crash against the table. As I scramble to my feet, he moves for Mathew, throwing his body into his.
They tumble into the cabinets, glass falling everywhere as they topple to the ground and roll around, throwing fists at each other. Mathew is still getting used to his power and he moves very sloppily compared to Aiden, causing them to move all over the floor and crash into things. Vials fall off the counters and shatter, pieces of glass surround them.
I start for them to pull Aiden off him, but Gabrielle grabs my arm, stopping me. I swing my other fist around and ram it into his jaw, but he’s barely fazed by it as he pushes me effortlessly to the floor. I fall onto Mathew who’s curled in a ball in front of Aiden’s feet, giving up before this has even started.
Gabrielle chuckles as he slowly walks over to me, glass crunching under his feet. “I’ll give it to you, Kayla, you’re strong. You would have made a fine Higher if you weren’t so determined to fight back, and go against rules and order. It’s your one flaw, yet you’re the cure to saving the Highers’ breed.” He shakes his head like he’s so disappointed in this fact. “It’s so pathetic that such an emotional girl is what’s going to save the strongest and brightest species that’s ever lived.” He smiles as he glances down at himself, filled with vanity.
I search my mind, trying to figure out what to do next. Fight him? Run? What about Mathew? Will he run, too? Or will we fight? Do we even stand a chance? And what if I don’t? What if the Highers capture me and are able to save their race? What would happen to the human race?
I’m not sure, but out corner of my eye I see the vial filled with black liquid that bubbles red. It’s the easiest answer to all this. If it works, it gives the best outcome. Do I dare go through with it, though? Will it change me back to a human? Or will it change me into a shell of a human? Am I ready to give everything up? My life? My strength? My feelings for Sylas? My entire existence? Am I selfish or am I self-sacrificing?
“It doesn’t matter what you do,” Gabrielle continues as he paces the floor in front of me with his robe trailing behind him. “We’re too strong, and in the end, you’ll come with us and I’ll find my cure.”
You must save the world, Kayla, no matter what.
I feel the vial in my hand, the glass scorching hot against my skin. When I glance at Mathew to the side of me, he nods his head once, his eyes begging me to do it.
Gabrielle kicks me in the foot, bringing my attention back to him. “Get up and come now. It’s time to give up and come back to the colony.”
“Kayla, there are other things more important than Sylas and Aiden. Bigger things. There will come a time when you’ll have to choose your battle, and may have to let someone go. You need to realize that you can’t save everyone. Not if you are going to save the world,” Monarch presses, his eyes locked on me. “Do you understand?”
I understand. I wasn’t created to fight against the Highers and vampires. I was created to end them. I bring my foot up and kick Gabrielle in the chin, putting as much force as I can muster behind it. As he buckles back, I jump to my feet and scurry over to the counter as Monarch and Aiden rush for me. I grab one of the syringes, bite off the cap from the needle and stab into the vial, filling the liquid. Then I drop the empty vial onto the floor and I hold out my wrist, pointing the needle to a vein in my arm.
I look Monarch straight in the eyes with no fear because if I feel the fear, then I won’t go through with it. “I understand now,” I say to him. “To save the world not everyone can survive.”
I’m not sure if he understands me or not, but I don’t care anymore. The needle plunges into my skin and the purple liquid enters my body. It burns in my veins like liquid fire. I drop like a ton of bricks to my knees, feeling sad, yet satisfied as I wait to fade.
“You stupid bitch!” Gabrielle screams as he races across the room at me. When he reaches me, he doesn’t touch me; instead he picks up the vile beside me. He peers at it, trembling with rage. “What was that?”
I sit down on the ground as a euphoric state overcomes me, reclining against the counter, staring ahead at the wall. The burn in my veins stops and I feel oddly content and at peace as I feel this strange emptying sensation slither through me. “It was the fading.”
“Dammit! What have you done?” Gabrielle chucks the vile across the room, breaking it against the wall. Then he swipes his arm over the table, shattering vials and vials into pieces of glass, losing control of his emotions.
I look down at my arms expecting to see my skin fading, but everything looks normal. I’m not changing into anything, though, then again, will I even look different? What does fading even look like? Will I just vanish within myself and not even realize it?
Everyone watches me as I sit there, unmoving, unchanging… I don’t feel different at all, just more content. Then I hear something that’s not normal, like the tiny beat of a footstep; a small sound forming in my chest. I glance down at it, but see nothing. I can still hear it, though. What’s happening to me?
Gabrielle starts to relax as he takes in the sight of my unchanging. “Well, look at you. All that bravery for nothing… even the fading can’t work on you. You see, you’re the perfect creation and soon you’ll make the Highers the same way.”
Ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump…
My heartbeat. Oh my God… I’m becoming a human. And it feels… invigorating because I can fully feel it, fully feel everything. My arms start to shake, tremble, weaken. My muscles deteriorate into the strength of a normal person. I feel my breath struggle a little more, my body stops healing, standing still; the wounds that were sealing themselves together pause and allow blood to trickle out.
Gabrielle’s eyes burn with hatred as he sees it; his cure slipping away. He turns to Aiden with rage in his eyes, ready to throw all of it at someone. “Kill her… she’s no use to me now.”
I crawl back towards Mathew as he says it, feeling helpless. Shards of glass split at my skin. “No, Aiden, don’t… please.”
Aiden ignores me, nodding at Gabrielle and then marching towards me, his eyes cold and his expression hollow. I try to stand as Mathew gets to his feet, ready to protect me, but I fall back down, my legs weak and aching. I glance at Mathew for help, but Monarch rushes forward and pummels him, throwing his weight into him before both of them crash into the wall.
Aiden crouches down in front of me and cocks his head to the side, assessing me for a moment with his pale eyes that used to be honey brown and so beautiful. I miss those eyes.
“I’m sorry, Kayla,” he says in a monotone voice. “I always have, and always will love you. Forever. Please forgive me.” Then he opens his mouth, lets his fangs descend and then digs them into my vulnerable throat.