Victoria Dawn

Chapter 21: Utter Confusion

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Dante was just trying to make sure, but my mind was set. I needed to speak with Vincent now and there was no other way around it.

“Why don’t you just search for him and see what’s going on? It would be a lot easier than showing up there again and being turned down.”

“Fine,” I crossed my arms as a child would and closed my eyes, finding Vincent.

I saw him sitting at a round table, discussing things with about five other men and one woman. I couldn’t make out what he was saying but his face was full of panic. The other people looked calm as ever, gesturing with their hands. It looked to me like they were trying to get him to understand their side of the story. He wasn’t giving in.

“What do you see?” Dante interrupted my visions.

“He’s sitting at a table with about six other people, looking panicked as ever. What’s his problem with me? I swear, I will get it out of him no matter what I have to do!”

“Calm down, love. The elders think you have much more to offer than Vincent sees, that’s all.”

“More to offer? What do you mean?”

“They’ve been calling you the next head priestess.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“It means that if they feel this, they take a vote, and you will be the next in line for ruling, myself included.”

“What? Me, a ruler? That’s all grand and great but, why me?”

“You’ve shown great potential, I suppose, although they’ve never met you, they can feel your power, even as they are so far away from you.”

Hmph, I thought to myself, I must be pretty awesome, then. I giggled a little and then thought back to my questions.

“Gosh, this new life is all so confusing.”

“I know, I know,” he took me into his arms, kissing me lightly. “All will be well in no time, though, this I promise you. Just be patient. We will wait until they are done with their judging and will make the trip back out to see him. You will have your answers.”

I sighed, “Okay, I guess I can deal with being patient for now. But I’m not promising anything when I see him. I can’t stand that guy. He wanted me! Of all people, what a creep!”

Dante’s eyes turned angry and I could feel him clenching his fists behind my back as he held me. “I will kill him,” he muttered under his breath.

“Don’t worry, he’ll never have me, I’m all yours.” I smiled up at him.

“Well, he better damn well know that you’re mine and only mine. I’m not the jealous type, but I am very protective.”

“I know, but just don’t worry about me; you have no reason to worry.”

“Okay, whatever you say.”

I yawned. I guess I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. I closed my eyes, searching for Vincent again, finding him in the same position, with the same people.

“Tired?”

“Very. I think I’m going to head up to bed.”

“Alright, my love, I’ll tuck you in.”

I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow. The coolness of Dante’s body provided me with the perfect temperature I needed and I knew I’d never need to sleep with a fan. His light breathing was like a sweet song, playing me into a soundless sleep.

I hadn’t had nightmares about my mother much lately, mostly just of the many ways I had thought of killing Vincent. No, I hadn’t known him very well, but I could feel in my bones that I hated him.

I smiled as I looked down at his motionless body. The deep cuts across his neck and torso made the butcher knife I held in my left hand.

I licked the blood off the blade, tasting the sweet liquid, closing my eyes as I felt the warmth move its way down my throat. No, I wasn’t a vampire in this dream, but I enjoyed the taste of death and the feeling it gave me when I was the hand providing it.

I looked down once again and jumped back at least ten feet. I screamed in agony as I looked into my angel’s cold, lifeless face, the face I had fallen in love with. Dante’s body had taken the place of Vincent’s; the same death had taken hold of him.

No, no, it can’t be! I….I was sure it was Vincent, I couldn’t have killed Dante….could I?!

I felt myself breathing faster, my heart losing control, my mind spinning. Something lightly shook me and I opened my eyes, he was alive. Thank God.

“I wish these nightmares would stop, I hate seeing you get so worked up when you sleep.” His face looked worried, as it always had when he’d woken me up.

“Believe me, I do too. I hate killing people in my dreams.”

“Killing people? Who are you killing?”

“Mostly Vincent,” I took a deep breath, “But this time, it was you.” My eyes turned sad, started welting up. I hated myself at this moment, even if it was a dream, how could I kill Dante and not realize it?

“It’s okay, love, it was only a dream.” He always tried to make things better, and I decided I should just believe him. Although it was gnawing at me in the back of my mind, I threw it away best I could and fell back asleep.

The rest of the night was peaceful. I had dreams of our wedding, dreams of children running through our yard (although I was more than aware that was an impossibility). I hadn’t really wanted children, but once you realize you never can, it hurts a little. Sure, I wanted Dante for the rest of my life, but I was always curious about what my child would look like, what they would be like, who they would resemble. I guess I’d never know now, would I?

As my dreams came to a close and the light poured in, making my face warm, I opened my eyes. Dante was already downstairs, making me breakfast as he always had.

I stretched and found a pair of jeans and t-shirt out of the closet, brushed my hair the best I could, and headed downstairs. I almost skipped down the long staircase and into the arms of Dante as he made me toast, eggs, and bacon.

“Good morning, you seem quite happy today.” He smiled as he slid the eggs onto a glass plate.

“I am surprisingly happy today. I had tons of dreams of us getting married and all that jazz. It was fantastic!” I smiled the hugest smile and grabbed my plate out of his hand, taking my seat at the table.

He sat across from me, balancing his head on top of the backs of his hands, brightness glittering in his eyes.

I ate my breakfast fast, closing my eyes almost the whole time, searching for Vincent. I finally found him, sitting on a large, blue sofa, watching TV as though nothing was wrong at all.

“Vincent isn’t doing anything. I say we leave today. I need my answers.”

“That’s perfectly fine, my love, we will leave after you are finished eating.”

Yes, today I would get my answers. He can’t run away anymore, I’ll kill Nikki if I have to.

You know, I have no idea why all of these evil thoughts are starting to run my mind, but for once, I kind of like being devious. It’s thrilling, almost. Anyway, Vincent still has to pay his dues for what he did to me and what I think he did to Dante.

“Was he the one who made up the rumors about you?”

I caught him off guard but he quickly got himself back into order. “Yes,” he said lightly.

“I knew it. I knew he was a jerk, I could feel it. Why would he do something like that?”

“Because, as you said yourself, Victoria, he wants you. He will do whatever he can to have you. If he knows we are still together and arriving together, it’ll freak him out, as it did yesterday.”

“But, why does he want me? I don’t get it!”

“As I told you, you are next in line to rule, he wants a wife who has something going for her, he wants someone to reign with him.”

“Well, I won’t! He can’t make me! God, I hate men….no offense.”

“None taken, and I completely understand, but calm down, I don’t want you running in there and getting yourself killed.”

“I won’t get killed, don’t worry about me. Do you want me to go by myself or something? So we’re not together?”

“No way, I want to be there with you.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”