Okay.. here it is. Chapter 8. I don't know if this will be the last one or not. I guess it will probably depend on how long I feel like making it! Though I'm feeling there will probably be one (two at the most) more after this. We're coming to the end people! I hope you've enjoyed your ride ;) Thanks to ALL of you who have emailed me over the course of this story!! I've appreciated all of your kind (and one not so kind) words! Hehe, in any case, just thanks for reading. That's why it's here - also, I wanted to kinda detour you guys over to another story! Two actually - The Coldest Heart - by Serena1234, and When I wake, Will I find you there by Scutter. - this story is SOOOOO well written!! It's very very interesting. I guess it's for a certain kind of reader - but if you're here reading MINE, you must be okay with that story also! Thanks again! Enjoy.. _________________________________________________________ A Dark Lust, Chapter 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beryl. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Erebus could hear the screams all the way in his thrown room. He grinned to himself. She was even more beautiful now, if that were at all possible, than she had ever been before! His true queen.. lovely. She would get used to it eventually. But now, she was ready for the wedding! She'd been out for some time. They were to be wed that evening. Erebus smiled at all of the familiar faces that surrounded him. They had been there when Nebil and he had Xandria. Hah.. what a disappointing day it had been for him. He had truely wanted a son. He'd damned Nebil since the day she had given him a daughter. Deep down, he did love Xandria, she was his own flesh and blood of course, but he didn't *NEED* a daughter. He needed a son. A strong, strapping lad, to take over after his father could no longer rule. Ah.. what a beautiful bride she would be. He could hardly stand waiting... the screaming was still echoing through the hallways, the guests were beginning to talk amung themselves. Erebus decided maybe it was time to go calm her down... maybe a little.. playing around would be necessary before the wedding? He smiled wider, stood up from his thrown chair, nodded to a few of the guests, and made his way to his room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nebil walked briskly down the hallways, the endless screams from the princess were ringing in her ears. She didn't like the girl... but she was beginning to really feel sorry for her. This really.. hadn't been any of her fault, Nebil supposed. Either way, Serena wasn't the issue here. Nebil had to fix things, had to get rid of this girl and get Erebus back.. if that could even be possible after what she was planning to do. She turned the corner and stopped abruptly when she saw Erebus turning into her destination. He glanced over at her, his eyes were so dead. So cold... the Erebus she had come to love, was not there right then. Just a shadow of the caring man she had once known. It comfirmed to her, what she must do. Maybe her Erebus was still in there somewhere... She would have to wait now.. until he returned to his guests. Only eight hours away until this wedding was to take place. She couldn't let it happen. Nebil knew she'd be put charge in dressing Serenity. Perhaps..then would be her best chance. Nebil nodded nervously to Erebus, then turned around, and walked back towards Xandria's room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why was she standing there like that? What was she thinking about? Erebus wondered to himself. No matter, Nebil was just a servant. She probably forgot to do something. He decided he'd remind her later that she was to be the one to ready Princess Serenity for the wedding. He smirked at this as he pulled the doors open. That ought to make this whole thing more real to her. She seems to be in denial. The screaming had stopped, now replaced with hard sobs coming from the bathroom. Erebus shook his head as he walked in, "Serenity, Serenity, Serenity. You look beautiful! Why are you crying my dear? That dress suits you nicely! With your new hair do..." Serena stopped suddenly, and tore her eyes from the image in the mirror. She walked slowly towards Erebus, her finger pointed at his face, "How, DARE you! How DARE you even TOUCH my hair! That was representative of my moon! MY kingdom! No one will ever believe you when you say who I am! You're OBSESSED with Beryl! It's disgusting! Look at me! Look what you've done! You've made me as ugly as she was! I will NEVER forgive you for this. Go on with your stupid wedding! GO RIGHT AHEAD, I don't care anymore, because one of these days Erebus - you just wait! One of these day's Darien is going to make you pay for everything you're doing! And I will too! Darien loves me! He'll never give up on me! Da-" Ouch. Damnit, that's twice now. She didn't go down this time, she was too angry. Erebus was shocked at her outburst. She'd been so silent the past few days... no. No woman of his would be allowed to talk to him this way. She was his possession. NOT his equal. She was glaring at him now. He found it almost cute, despite his anger towards her now. Erebus grabbed a fistful of her hair on the back of her head and pushed her towards himself, eagerly planting a hard kiss on her lips. She was too weak now... she'd been without the crystal for days. Her voice was strong.. but her body just couldn't fight anymore. Serena closed her eyes tightly, and bit his lip. Hard. Maybe that had been a mistake. He seemed to like it, despite the blood rolling down his chin now. He would steal again, what he'd already stole twice before. Any shred of dignity she had left.. flew away. She didn't remember him taking off the dress he'd forced her into hours before. Or even being taken out of the bathroom to his bed. She couldn't feel the pain, or hear his moans. She just kept her eyes closed... and prayed to her mother. Please make this stop... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Please make this stop..' Darien shot up from the chair he'd been sitting in for the past 8 or so hours. "Serena! No no no...damnit!" The girls were all looking at him now, their eyes pleading him to tell them what was going on... "I.. I heard her.. please.. we have to do something. She can't stay there!" Darien looked over to Ami. The poor girl... she was in tears. They all knew it then.. she couldn't fix that computer. They couldn't get to her... Darien looked down at his hands. The girls were all quietly crying now, except for Ami. The poor girl was sobbing. "It's not your fault Ami..." He said quietly as he made his way to the balcony. Tears rolled over his tired face... he couldn't give up hope. He would never give up on Serena. Never. He would find a way to her.. "I will find you Serena... I'll never give up." he whispered up to the moon, praying it's princess would hear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Only 4 more hours until the wedding... Nebil glanced nervously around the corner towards Erebus' bedroom for what seemed like the millionth time in the past hour. "What the hell is he doing in there?!" She sighed as she leaned back against the wall, pulling the two wax figures her daughter had made for her from her pocket. She turned them around in her fingers. "We can't change what is so obviously meant to be... Erebus can't you see? *sigh*" She heard whistling down the hall, a door opened, then closed. Louder... foot steps. She backed up quickly then started walking in a a normal pace, Erebus rounded the corner just as she was reaching it. "Ahh! Nebil! Just the person I was looking for. Do go clean Serenity up, and get her dressed... she has a wedding to attend to in a few hours *smirk*" Nebil nodded slowly. "Right away, Erebus." He grinned and made his way back to the thrown room to check on the perparations for his wedding. Nebil waited until he was gone, then slowly walked towards his room, turning Serena's brooch in her pocket as she went. She stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena lay still on the bed. Her legs and arms sprawled out from her sides. Her eyes still focused on the ceiling. She was bleeding, from what Nebil could tell. But Serena couldn't feel anything. She was numb all over. She had never truely hated anyone before. Not even Beryl. Not even when Beryl had taken away her Prince, and claimed him for herself. Not even when she'd killed all of her friends, and her love. She had never truely HATED Beryl, she just.. felt sorry for her. But this.. this was hate. It wasn't like her to hate.. but she couldn't help it. He'd taken everything and more from her. Stripped her being... leaving only broken pieces about, so he could crush them further when he felt it necessary. Yes. She truely hated this man. She noticed a light turn on just then. Barely, she tilted her head up. 'Ah.' She thought to herself, 'His witch. Probably came to beat me, or yell at me for taking him away from her. She didn't move. Nebil wasn't even sure if the girl was alive, her breathing was so shallow... her chest hardly moving at all. Serena sat up suddenly, though her aching limbs begged her to stay put. She looked directly at Nebil, who almost seemed.. frightened, no.. SHOCKED. It took her a moment to realize why... her hair. Her look. 'How could she fear me. ME. Look at me. I'm pitiful. I pray no one other than these two ever have to see me like this.' Serena just stared at Nebil, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't.. "What is it." She managed to mumble. Nebil looked down at her hands. "He wasn't always like this... I swear it." Serena narrowed her eyes. "Bullshit, he's a monster." Nebil looked up, with pleading eyes, tears rolling over the sides of her face, "Then HELP me! Help me SAVE him before this goes too far!" Serena almost laughed, but all that came out was a harsh grunt. "Help him? No.. I'd rather kill him. He doesn't deserve to live, IT'S ALREADY GONE TOO FAR!" Nebil put her head back down. She seemed to be thinking about something. Then slowly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out two things.. Serena arched a brow. Nebil held them out for her to take. "My.. my daughter..she made these. She doesn't know your Prince... but she is a special child. It's a sign, Serenity. This isn't meant to be, and I have to stop it." Serena felt hot tears, tears she believed couldn't possibly still exist. "What.. do you mean? What can you do?" Nebil bit her lip as she reached into her pocket a second time, and pulled out the brooch. "I have this.. and.. I'll return it to you.. but.. you have to promise you won't kill him!" Serena looked from the brooch, to Nebil, then back again. "I cannot promise that. Can you even BEGIN to understand what I have been through!? And.. my friends... I can't say what they will or will not do. I... I can't Nebil." Nebil frowned... "I almost expected that... I know it is alot to ask. But please.. just.." "Nebil. I can't. So take it away.. take my life with it." Nebil sighed, "No.. I can't let this go on either way.. here. Take it" Nebil tossed it on the bed beside Serena. Serena looked up at her, both confused, and grateful. "Why are you doing this?" Nebil kept her back to the princess, "Because I love him.. but I cherish my daughter. Our daughter.." Nebil walked out then. Without saying another word. Serena almost smiled, she knew she couldn't defeat Erebus on her own. The crystal was useless in almost every way to battle right now, but.. there was one thing she could still do. It would put her in a very dark, and tired place for a while, but they'd fix it all. They'd bring her back. He would save her. She closed her eyes and pulled the crystal against her. The light was magnificent. Warm...soft.. everything she could almost remember it being. It would all be okay.. it would all be okay. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mmkay! Looks like we'll have another chapter :) Muahaha. I do feel my writing's been lacking, so I apologize :\ Hopefully I'll get the next and probably final chapter out next week. Until then... Take care. Destiny