Chapter Twenty one

Christopher paced the floor as the other ancients sat quietly watching him, and kept Joshua's thoughts from reaching Christabela the best he could, stopping suddenly as he felt Natasha approach Joshua.

"Give her time Joshua, she'll eventually give in and allow herself to love you, she's just frightened right now."

He shook his head, sitting down upon the bench, and reached over pulling a red rose from the bush next to him, wincing as a thorn poked at his finger, drawing blood to the surface.

"She's not going to love me."

He watched as the blood ran down his finger to the palm of his hand, and dropped the rose to the ground, raising his head to look at Natasha as she reached down placing her hand into his.

"Come with me, there is something I must show you."

He stood from the bench, allowing her to pull him along into the castle, and down the stairs to the lower levels.

"We must be quick before Lance senses us, or the two of us will be in a lot of trouble."

She released his hand and walked to a corner where a pine cabinet stood, detailed with carving of demons and swords and latin phrases he didn't take the time to read, and reached inside, pulling out a small vile and walked back to him holding it out in the palm of her hand. Carefully he took it from her and lifted it to his face, creasing his brow at the red liquid stored inside the small glass tube and lowered it, cutting his eyes to her.

"What is this?"

She glanced around the semi dark room a bit nervously, and hoped that her powers were strong enough that the block she had placed around her and Joshua worked, if not, then every vampire who roamed that castle would be on the two of them in a matter of seconds.

"That is the blood of Christabela, it's sacred." She whispered, pulling the vile from his hands and pulling the top off passing it back to him.

"It was taken from her a few centuries ago, drink it, and for the next twenty four hours you will feel what she has felt, what she feels now, what she hears, and get a glimpse into her past to know what she has been through. You think you know her Joshua, but you don't. Those books don't even come close to explaining her in any way, and with this you will be able to understand her fears, with this, you'll know what it is like to be a vampire."

Joshua lifted the vile to his lips and lowered it before the first drop could pour free into his mouth.

"I can't do this, what if it doesn't work?"

She moved closer to him, placing her hand on top of his, urging frantically for him to drink it.

"Trust me Joshua. Why do you think Lance despises you so? He feels everything she does and he knows her thoughts. He knows the love she has for you, and knows the pain she is suffering through because of that love. Her blood courses through him strongly, but not enough in me to feel or know what he does. Drink it, please."

Looking into her eyes he knew the words she spoke were true, and quickly he lifted the vile back to his lips and turned it up drinking every last drop. His head pounded and his ears hurt from the sudden loud ringing that echoed through them. Voices could be heard talking all at once around him and he fell to his knees squeezing his eyes shut, pressing his fist into his temples.

"Get control Joshua. You have to concentrate and get control."

Natasha dropped to her knees in front of him and placed her hands on top of his helping to relieve some of the pain.

"You have to try to clear your mind, push all the other voices to the side and concentrate on hers."

"I can't....too much pain...."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and his scream echoed through the hallways of the lower levels causing Natasha to rise to her feet as complete silence fell around them. Joshua dropped his hands to his lap and opened his eyes looking hesitantly around the room, stopping as his eyes landed on Natasha.

They know.

He stared at her, realising her lips had never moved, and closed his eyes concentrating on his thoughts.

What do they know?

That someone has entered our world unwelcomed.

He opened his eyes, amazed at the fact he was speaking to her without opening his mouth, yet frightened over what would happen to him now.

"Listen to me Joshua." she whispered, moving to stand in front of him as he stood, cupping his face into her hands. "Close your eyes and turn all your thoughts to Christabela. We have to accomplish as much as possible before they discover what we have done."

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the whispers that began around him, till he heard her voice and blocked everyone out but her.

Who is there?

He blocked his thoughts, not allowing her to know who he was, as flashes of light popped behind his closed lids and images began to appear in his mind. A little girl played in a field of flowers, jumping to catch the lightning bugs that flew around her in the darkness. He smiled at the image, but that smile quickly turned to confusion as he saw himself, a boy at age twelve, when he flew to Paris for the first time with his family for vacation.

He stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower staring up at the tall structure, and glanced over to the young female who stood a few short feet away from him, her head tilted as she watched him, never turning her eyes away. He remembered those images, and the moment of staring into that girls eyes....the eyes whom he now knew to belong to Christabela.

You are the one.

Those words echoed through his head, the same way it had all those years ago, as other images suddenly began to fill his mind. Visions of unfamiliar faces and moments of torture and blood shed burned clearly as he pressed his palms to his temple trying to stop the images as Petradons face became visible to him. His heart felt as though it had stopped beating and he opened his eyes, looking around the room quickly, as panic rose strongly in him.

Natasha grabbed his shoulders, stopping him before he could run, and calmed him, staring into his brilliant blue eyes.

"Those images are what he has tortured her with all these years. There is more."

He quickly shook his head, moving away from her, and through the long hallway to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"I don't want to see them....I can't......"

He ran to the top of the stairs and through the foyer, shoving open the door to step out into the darkness of the night, and away from the visions that had terrified him.

@2004Lancesharmony