☼ Chapter XVII ☼

picture; Derik Seilyar (this is the last one I promise lol)

song; "Burn The Witch" by Shawn James

author's note; This chapter was fun to write and I got it out within a total of 4-5 hours. Explaining the workings of things always takes a while because I have to reference notes to make sure it's explained properly in lay-man's terms.

I know it's been more than a month since this was updated, which is absolutely pathetic, but the next chapter is fun too, so I think I'll have it up by Sunday!

Thanks to all who vote and read religiously. It is coming together and we are nearing the halfway point of the first book and I'm so excited!

Comment + Vote, enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER** Next chapter will have smut. If you do not like reading that sort of thing, you can skip to the end of the chapter to read the important stuff. I debated adding it for a while, but it most likely will be the only instance of smut, so I am going to include it.

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Assessing the damage Darkness had done, I realized that not only had Derik's gray Vans hoodie I'd borrowed the night before and my jeans been torn through, but there was a deep gash that curled from about an inch above my belly button all the way to my lateral left hip.

The effort it took to walk was massive because of the shooting pain that flared in my side every step I took—every move I made. I knew that I was full-on limping, but I couldn't fake this away. I'd never felt such physical agony in my entire life.

Maybe I should've gone to the infirmary, but what kind of excuse could I give? In what combats class could you receive this kind of injury? How would I lie my way through this? Instead, I made my way across campus as quickly as I possibly could to the girls' locker room outside my combats class.

After twisting the combination code numerous times, the lock finally clicked open and I managed to retrieve the pair of gray-and-black galaxy design leggings along with the matching Batman zip-up hoodie that I'd shoved into my assigned locker for the next lesson—which was unfortunately tomorrow. I changed as fast as the pain would permit and then braided my hair up in that fishtail style.

Setting back onto the bench nearby, I cried again. It wasn't that the pain was that unbearable, but every time I moved it was like a stab of remembrance of what I'd just discovered about myself. Pacing my breathing as well as I could, I placed my fingertips around the red, angry skin. Conjuring up a sliver of my healing magic, I tried to focus on the wound scarring up and forcing the pain to halt.

The white-hot burn that grew in my palms then spread up my arms and the glowing threads that swirled around my fingertips was evidence enough that I had succeeded in bringing forth my magic, but it did nothing for the wound.

If anything, the pain only seemed to intensify at my effort. I screamed through gritted teeth as I kept on with the magic. I ended up trying for so long that I eventually just felt drained once I finally decided to give up.

"It won't help." My breathing hitched in my throat—heart fell into my stomach, as I craned my head around to the left and caught sight of red-ringlets. Ever moved closer, peering down at the wound expressionlessly, and I only sneered at her distastefully. "It's the way Darkness claims who it wants. You can't heal it; it's a Mark."

"What?" I swallowed, though my mouth was dry. I was suddenly not feeling as ballsy since she'd mentioned the Black Force. "Darkness? Actually, I fell into a low branch on a run." I didn't know whether to feel stupid or proud. It wasn't as horrible an excuse as it could've been; it wasn't as good either, but still.

"You don't have to lie to me, Princess. I know what a Dark Mark looks like." Her face creased with a glimmer of disgust. "And smells like."

There's a smell? A surge of memory flicked through my mind as I pulled forth the putrid stench from earlier. Is that what it smelled like? "I don't know what you're talking about." I said through gritted teeth, scowling at her. "I fell into a branch." I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"Okay, if you fell into a branch, why can't you heal yourself? Why is your scent overpowered by Darkness? Please, try to explain that away to me."

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" I growled, my dislike for her growing more and more as she stood there trying to patronize me. My sympathy for her had been incinerated into nothing. I didn't care that Cetilayn had killed her sister anymore.

If she kept fucking with me, I was going to smack the shit out of her.

I didn't want her help. There was nothing she could do or say to save me. I could be kicked out of the Academy, or ostracized and stripped of my title. I could be executed.

Even though I hadn't committed any crimes, it wasn't uncommon for Protectors to eliminate those allied with Darkness. Regardless of the fact I had no ties to Darkness, this supposed Mark wasn't going to help my case. It was evidence enough to convict me or classify me as a Rogue. Nothing I could say would matter.

"I don't like you or anything, but I do have a heart. I couldn't just leave you here to possibly be caught by someone else or leave Darkness to finish you off."

"Finish me off?" I hated the way my voice cracked at the end. I hated to show any vulnerability to this girl I disliked so strongly. "What are you talking about?"

"This Mark is just the beginning. It's going to spread throughout your body within a matter of hours, and if you don't fight it, it will consume you. It'll Awaken you, and then you'll start the Change—but you'll be transitioning under Darkness's wing. And that will just make it all worse than normal."

I bit my lip as I stared at her. Suddenly, I wanted her help—though at the same time, I definitely didn't want her stupid help. I wanted to fight through this alone, just like I did with pretty much everything else. I was strong enough; I believed I was resilient enough.

"How do you know so much about this... Dark Mark?" The words tasted dangerous on my lips.

"I was Marked, too—when I was fifteen." I actually was surprised that she just outright admitted it. Why should I trust her? She could be an ally of Darkness, too. She could be saying these things to get me to think she was going to help me and actually make it harder to fight off or speed up the process or something. "You can trust me. I would never want anyone to suffer through that."

"That's exactly what someone who was allied with Darkness would say." I spat the words at her, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. Cliché line, I know—but it was the truth. Sometimes I felt like my life was more of a stupid imitation of some tragic drama, or maybe now it could be considered a horror flick. "I can't trust you. I don't know you, nor do I like you. No offense, but I don't want your fucking help."

Maybe this was the wrong decision, but I wouldn't take the risk. With pained haste, I exited the girls' locker room—brushing passed her and hating the sickening crackle of electricity that tingled on my skin at our closeness. It let me know we were connected in some way; she probably hadn't lied about being Marked too.

Tears pinpricked my eyes as I rushed out into the frigid night, my breaths coming out in shaky but hushed pants. Abruptly, the cold fell away and a familiar, immersing fire surged over my skin. The heat of him was jolting, bewitching, and voltaic all at once.

My eyes bounded up to crash into a cerulean gaze, and the fire turned inward as I looked at Derik's expression. The worry evident on his face caused the tears that had gathered to spill over and heat my cold cheeks.

"Sonya, what the fuck is that smell?" Derik curled his lip up in revulsion as he slowly moved closer to me. "Is that..."

"Derik, take me home please." The tears melted into sobs and my Mate enveloped his arms around me and carried me back to his Camaro.

As he gently laid me down in the passenger side of his seat, the encompassing and petrifying chill burrowed its way into the essence of my veins and I began to shake. This kind of terror left me so desolate and anxiety-ridden. The weight of it was rancid and ultimately undeniable.

"What happened, Sonya?" Derik's words caressed the iciness that skittered over my entirety, almost seeming to wake it up and make it once again come alive.

"I was being interrogated. Because of the girl that died at that farsa. Why didn't you tell me what that place was?" I couldn't help the accusatory tone that smiled through my words. A part of me wanted to blame Derik for what happened, for me getting attacked by Darkness, but I knew that he wasn't to blame since I had already been being followed by the Black Force.

In actuality, it may not even be just the work of Darkness but my own cunt of a sister. She was the one that murdered that Dahlyke Sorcerer, and she had thought I looked so scared, and some sick, twisted part of her had found my fear exciting.

"Other Protectors don't have the best view of farsas, but they are not nearly as bad as they like to think they are. They are run by Warriors, and some are actually safe havens for supernaturals who run into trouble." Derik's voice was low as he explained, and I could see that he was incredibly uncomfortable.

I wasn't sure if it was because of the topic, or because of something else, but his fingers were jitterily drumming against the steering wheel and his back was unnaturally straight. "Are you okay?" My head lolled in his direction to completely swallow his image. He seemed much paler than normal, and I could tell by his clenched jaw that he was gritting his teeth.

"You've really gotten under my skin, Sonya. The Mate pull has become almost too hard to ignore. I felt your fear earlier and that's why I was able to find you. Every time you have these crazy emotions, they put me on edge too.

"I haven't Marked you so it literally drives me crazy, because depending on how intense they are and how quickly they go away, I wouldn't be able to help you. And this time was even worse than that night you were attacked in your dorm." We had finally reached his home and he pulled up into the gravel drive and set the car in park, but didn't turn off the engine to allow the blasting heater to keep us warm.

"I was Marked." I whispered, tears searing my nose once again. It felt like I had now not only betrayed my Mate, but it also felt like I had been violated. Derik had waited until I gave him permission to Mark me even though it was normal to Mark your Mate shortly after meeting them, and Darkness had destroyed our moment.

It Marked me before my Mate could, and it did it without my consent. The filthy feeling that plagued my skin was relentless and reckless. It permeated over every part of me and I wanted to scrub away the sensation.

Even with all the emotions swirling inside my mind surrounding being violated and terrified of what would begin to happen to my body, the core of my fear was what the Elders would do if they found out.

I could be completely ostracized for this Mark, or even persecuted. The Elders were merciless when it came to the protection of the Unknown World. I wouldn't put it passed them to kill the Final Child of the Reinove bloodline just to protect the wellbeing of the rest of the Unknown World. Nothing and no one could save me. Not Genevieve, or Derik. Maybe not even my ancestor Eloize. Not the Reinove name that I had finally in the past six years learned held such insurmountable weight.

I could be killed. I could die before I find Rene and tear his ribcage open and eat his heart in front of anyone who cares for him.

Suddenly reminded of all the training I've endured and how close I am to being done and finally getting the revenge I've hungered so much for what seems a lifetime, my heart lurches into my throat and the contents of my stomach jerked. With a newfound hurriedness, I pushed Derik's car door out of my way so I could vomit onto the gravel drive up.

My Mate shut off his car and came around to the passenger side to peel me off the seat once I finished and to carry the deadweight of my body inside his house.

Tentatively stepping around my pond of puke, he bear-hugged me and crushed the front of my body against the front of his. I wrapped my legs around Derik's waist as he hoisted me up, holding his wrists under my butt.

"I don't want this to be the first memory you have of me carrying you bridal style inside our home." Despite the fact I was currently in an unrelenting death grip of fear over what this Mark means, my Mate's words soothed me and made me chuckle.

A warmer thought of Derik carrying me bridal style over the threshold of my perfect and beautiful dream home we might have together someday assailed me, and my smile remained as Derik laid me down on the love seat.

He left the room for a few minutes and when he returned, he was dressed in a simple pair of gray and black basketball shorts and a gray long-sleeve. "I ran a bath for you. We can talk when you're done, okay?"

"I don't want to be alone. Can you come into the bathroom with me?" Derik smirked and I knew some witty quip was coming my way.

"Finally taking me up on the skinny dipping offer?" I rolled my eyes, but accepted his help to stand. The pain had seemed to greatly diminish being this close to Derik and I was finding it much easier to walk. Part of me thought that seemed like bullshit, and maybe it still hurt just as much, but being with Derik comforted and distracted me.

Derik helped me to get undressed since completely raising my arms over my head was not fun. When the Mark was revealed in it's huge bloody glory, Derik's eyes immediately darkened to the shade of a moonless night.

They also somehow seemed to shimmer despite the darkness. He kissed tenderly underneath the gash and I felt my face grow warm. Derik didn't seem to focus much on the fact that I was now completely naked in front of him. The emotions that swarmed his eyes were anything but lustful.

My Mate gently squeezed my uninjured hip before slowly lowering me into the lukewarm water. I leant back against the tub and sighed, feeling another onslaught of stupid tears warning to make an appearance.

"Do you want me to tell you about it?" Derik quizzed after a few moments of sweet quiet. My eyes fluttered open to take in the image of him.

His elbows were lying on the porcelain edge, and Derik's flowing blonde hair nearly touched the bath water since he'd leaned his head down to watch me. The storm in his cerulean gaze had become a bit docile, and the brightness to them was making a comeback.

"That girl we saw at the farsa, the redhead that was crying over Katherine Dahlyke's body. She found me in the locker room. She knows I've been Marked, and she told me she was Marked too." My mind replayed my mistake of throwing Ever under the bus earlier in Head Vierseut's office. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had nothing to do with Katherine Dahlyke's death, but I pointed the finger at her. It didn't matter if it wasn't on purpose.

If Ever was being scrutinized for her sister's death and learned I siqued the Protectors in her direction, she could turn it right back around on me by telling them I was Marked.

"The Dark Mark isn't the end of the world, Sonya. People used to fear it a long time ago because they used to think it means you're aligned with Darkness, but so many supernaturals have been Marked now that no one really thinks twice about it.

"The Empire isn't going to turn on you or assume you're Dark-influenced because of a Mark, I promise. Even if you really did ally with the Black Force, they couldn't touch you, because you're mine." While Derik explained this to me, I had started blubbering again. Cetilayn entered the forefront of my mind, and I wanted so badly to tell Derik about her.

"So what is going to happen to me?" The words were so quiet that if Derik wasn't a Vampyre, he may not have heard them.

"When someone is Marked by Darkness, they usually Awaken shortly after. You've already been showing signs of Awakening though, so it might just speed up the process. If the influence of the Mark isn't fought in the right way, it can overrun your body and push you into the Change as well. The worst part, unfortunately, is even if you properly fight off beginning the Change before your body is really ready, when you do truly begin the Change, it is going to be ten times worse than normal." Derik's hand went into the water and his fingers ran over my thigh and up towards my core. He didn't stop moving, though, and went higher, to grasp at my waist directly below the Mark.

His touch ignited a new sweltering heat inside my chest. "How do I properly fight the Mark's influence?" My question was breathless, but it was no longer from fear or pain, but from hunger.

"I know of a couple ways. Placing a rejection and protection Ritual over the Mark is one. I've known people who just allowed themselves to Change and it basically skips the affects of the Mark. Or... you can bind yourself to someone else through a Ritual. When the affects are shared between two supernaturals, it makes it much more bearable." Derik withdrew and sighed, leaning straight back up before allowing his eyes to run over me once again.

"A Ritual like Mating." It didn't really need to be said, of course. I'd now learned of the Threads that were possible and how they were created. A Sufletul Oglinda Thread was a binding of two souls that were not connected at birth, like a Sibling Thread.

Derik and I would have to complete the Mating Rituals to protect me from this Mark. He would be able to help me carry the weight of the Darkness that had attached itself to me. I could always enlist Genevieve's help to find a Sorcerer to perform a rejection and protection Ritual over the Mark, but who knew how long that would take?

Ever's words echoed in my mind suddenly at the thought: It's going to spread through your body within a matter of hours, and if you don't fight it, it will consume you.

"How likely is it that a rejection and protection Ritual would even help me? You said I would have to properly fight it, right?" There was death in my tone. I knew how likely it was to be quite honest, and I truly wanted Derik. The yearning for his presence and his touch was beginning to devour me, and honestly I didn't want to fight it anymore.

The only worry I held was that Derik would think I Mated with him to protect myself and not because I just wanted him, and I was ready. I leaned towards him, the bubbles in the tub clinging desperately to my chest, still obscuring my breasts from Derik's view.

"I think it would be helpful, but since you have the Dark Blood gene, I don't know how helpful it would be. That's why we were given Mates. Our Mates are supposed to support us through this kind of stuff. And there's the fact that the Mark's influence begins to overrun your body within hours, and getting a Sorcerer's help with those kinds of Rituals would take time." Nodding, I leaned up higher and started to try to stand. Derik instantly was on his feet with a towel to help me out of the tub.

"I'm okay. The pain isn't nearly as bad as it was at first." My Mate hummed his understanding, but didn't hesitate to continue to help me to his bedroom. He retrieved a white long-sleeved t-shirt for me to put on, but I shook my head. "Derik," His attention branded onto me and he let his outstretched hand holding the shirt fall. "I want you."

"Sonya." Derik's voice was soft, and he leaned forward to brush his fingers over my cheek, just under my right eye. I became aware of the infernal warmth that resonated behind my irises. He was going to protest, and I knew it was because he didn't want this moment to be this way. Derik didn't want us to complete the Mating Rituals because of any other reason besides us wanting one another.

"I've known for a while." I interrupted, eyes never wavering from his astonishing cerulean gaze. "I have been ready to complete the Rituals for a while. I'm ready, Derik, and I want you."

Unconvinced, my Mate leaned away. The fire in my eyes intensified and my hunger roared to a new height. As he continued to move away, I stood too, allowing the towel that had been draped around my shoulders fall. Derik's eyes caressed my form, darkening to a familiar Navy blue as they did.

Derik had shown me that he would protect me. He truly cared about me and I cared about him. I loved his easy-going personality; I loved how calm and strong and understanding he was. I loved how he seemed to be able to make everything that hurt in my life seem so miniscule. Derik had become a source of comfort and constant support.

Besides that, he and I were tied together. Accompanied by all the sweet, warm feelings was a salacious fire that dared to tear me asunder. The criminal heat that held me captive whenever he was near had become utterly addictive.

He was mine, and I might even say I needed him. I didn't understand this kind of passion, this kind of perfection, but I didn't need to and I didn't care. All I knew was that I wanted Derik, forever. When I finally Changed, we would be two parts of one whole, into all of eternity.

I was wholly ready for him, and ready for this.

"You're mine," I reminded him slowly as my eyes found my Mark on his throat. The urge to lick my lips was irrefutable as I ravaged his barely restrained starved expression. I could tell his hands burned to grasp onto my skin, and my body shrieked for his touch. "Make me yours."