Once Betrayed Never Forgotten

Chapter 82: Angelic Ancestors

I state in uffer confusion at the splendid tapestry hanging before me,

he a coincidence, right? The name Vasilley… there must be a connection. What does this resplendently beautiful angelic being have to do with

And what’s with all the gemstones? Lach of the angels is shown with different gemstones woven through their hair and embedded into the sword hilts do they mean something? It is all just an allegory, or there a connection I’m meant to be making?

Could these be the ancestors of the various vampire families I’ve me17.

Anil the blur haired angel with rubies in her hair had the name “HOUSE FONTAINE” written above her. Fontaine.. why does that sound so familiar?

Oh yeah, that’s right. That hideous winged demon thing told our earlier that his mistress is “The Lady

dy Tatiana Vesperine Fontaine, Duchess of Pain.”

So the niby angel is somehow connected to Tatiana, and the diamond angel is connected to the Vasiliev family, connected to…

“Aleksandr,” I mummor his name out aloud.

“How dare your utter his precious name with your filthy mortal lips,” a familiar female voice snaps behind me.

1 whirl around, and find myself face to face with Tatiana.

She’s grinning widely, her bright blue eyes flashing darkly as she smirks, bating her razor sharp canines.

“How did you get in here?” I ask, stupidly, moments before I realise the answer another portal, obviously. How long was she standing behind me, watching me?

Every filine of my being is screaming at me to turn around and run, run away from this dangerous predator – but to where? I’m trapped in this stone tower with her. There’s no escape. I want to back up, get as far away from her as I possibly can but that would be admitting defeat. I can’t let her know that she’s scaring me

So instead, I try to stand tall, standing my ground as I look her dead in the eye.

“What is this place?” I ask, to which she just smiles wider, ignoring my question. “Where are we, Tatiana?”

“My home,” she says, grinning wider.

“You live here?” I say in disbelief, looking around at the empty tower room.

“Some of the time,” she says airily. “Not in this lower, obviously. In the castle that the tower is perched upon. It’s my family home.”

Of course. That makes sense the same way that the Vasiliev family have a creepy old mediaeval castle to hang around in when they aren’t mingling in the human world, every vampire clan probably has their own s

similar dwelling.

“And why did you bring me here?” I ask, although I’m pretty sure I already know the answer.

“Because I’m tired of you clinging to my Aleksandr like a bad smell,” she says, her eyes flashing with displeasure.

Your Aleksandr?!” I ask incredulously. “I don’t think he’d agree with any suggestion that he belongs to you. Especially now that you’ve kidnapped me. You’re totally delusional. Don’t you realise that now he’s likely to hate you more than he already did before?”

“You think I care about that?” Tatiana says with another cruel smile. “There’s a line line between love and loathing, passionate love and passionate just part of the little game he and I have been playing over the centuries. While a hundred years might feel like an eternity to you, for immortals, it is but the blink of an eye. You will soon be forgotten, and he’ll be mine once more.”

“hullshit,” | mutter, lowering my eyes to the ground. I’m trying not to focus on those last two words she said… “ance more. Does that mean that the two of them actually have a past together? This whole time I’ve been assuming she has a one–sided, unrequited infatuation with him, but now it seems like they might actually have a history.

Chapter 8 Angelic Ancestors

As if reading my mind. Tatiana moves closer to me in the blink of an eye, tucking a hand under my chin and tilting my face up so that I have to meet her eyes. She’s right up in my face, only an inch of space between us. This close up. I can smell her scent – the heady perfume of a fragrant deep red. rose in full bloom, with a hint of spice, cloves maybe, and something else… blood. Fresh, salty, metallic.

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Tatiana asks with mock pity, moving in even closer, so close that I can feel the chill emanating from her icy blue eyes. “T suppose Aleksandr didn’t tell you that he and I were still are, actually–lovers. We’re on a brief hiatus right now, but he’ll be back in my arms before long. He ALWAYS comes back to me.”

I’m honestly lost for words. I want to get at her with a snarky comeback, or even just tell her that she’s Wing and delusional, but I can’t – because deep down, I think what she’s saying might be true.

Aleksandr has been alive for hundreds of years. It’s obvious that he would have had other lovers in that time, and I’m an idiot for not realising that sooner. But still… I guess I wanted to believe that I was special, the only one.

“He doesn’t love you,” I say, the only thing I can think of

“And you think that he loves you, a pathetic mortal girl?” She asks sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “Please, don’t be ridiculous. You’re just a fun little plaything, something to be enjoyed and then discarded. Aleksandr and I will be enjoying our immortality together long after you’re buried six feet under being feasted on by worms. Which could have been many decades from now, if you’d had the sense not to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. But you’ve forced my hand, Arianna. You’ve dug yourself into a very early grave, and you’ll be shedding your mortal coil a lot sooner than all that. Any last words?”

You’re not going to kill me,” I say, trying to keep my voice cool and unbothered.

“Oh?” She asks with a giggle, caressing my face with a perfectly manicured blood red fingernail. “And why is that?”

“Because if you were going to kill me, you would have done it by now.” I say, only half believing the words myself.

Tatiana just laughs at this, shaking her head slightly-

“Ah, but who said I’m planning on killing you immediately?” She asks, her blue eyes sparkling with laughter. “We’ve got all the time in the world. Well, I do, you, not so much. But trust me. I plan to draw out your death as long as I’m able. Your sweet suffering. I can already taste it…”

Her voice seems to drop an octave then, growing even colder, a cruel hiss dripping with deadly venom as she presses her icy lips to my ear and whispers.

“I’m going to break you, Arlanna,” she says.

“Not if Aleksandr finds me first.” I say.

“And how exactly is he going to find you, foolish girl?” She asks, leaning back with a huge grin. This realm is hidden even to him, to all of our kind. No one gets in without my permission. He’ll find you when I am ready for him to find you. And by that, I mean, whatever is left of you. Perhaps I’ll send him your bloodied heart gift wrapped in a box… or maybe your pretty green eyes? I could just reach in and pluck them out of your delicate little skull.

Hmmm…

She reaches for my face, and I hare my teeth, a futile gesture, but I don’t know what else to do.

“On second thoughts, I suppose I’ll let you keep your eyes a little longer,” she says, a new wicked playfulness entering her gaze. “I want to see the fear and the pain in them as I break you apart.”

“Well, what are you waiting for, then?” I ask, calling her bluff. My mind has gone blank now, completely numb. There is no way for me to escape from this tower, no way to talk my way out of this. All I can do is try to stay alive long enough for Aleksandr to somehow find me. She obviously enjoys my fear, my anguish – so maybe if I put on a brave face, she’ll get bored of her little game.

“Prepare yourself for pain, little girl, Tatiana says. “But first pleasure.”

“Pleasure?” I murmur in confusion, the words slipping out of my mouth before I can stop them.

“That’s right,” Tatiana says, umirking. “I’m going to tal vay the thing you value most. The thing that makes you oh so alluring, so imelitis Aleksandr. The thing that makes you special.”

The thing that makes me special? What the hell is she talking about?

Chapter 32 Angelic Ancestors

“Your virginity, Arianna,” she says with a victorious grin. “I’m going to take your virginity. Or rather he is. Show yourself, Bloodbane,”

Chapter Comments

This girl must be the most unluckiest girl in the world. She is either being murdered or someone is attempting to rape her. I wouldn’t wont to be her friendill Come on author, invent a new story line and give the poor girl a break!