58__Nothing but a tragedy

*Emma spun around as they walked through the forest and posed, batting her lashes at Viktor.*
*“Well?” she asked in an exaggerated snooty voice. “How do I look?”*

*Viktor looked at the wildflower she’d stuck behind her ear and studied her for a moment. She was the prettiest human he’d ever seen. Swallowing, he shrugged and turned his gaze away, his mind preoccupied.*

*There had been strangers at his house. Two of them. Women.*

*They weren’t human nor were they Vampires. When he’d attacked them and they’d escaped by unleashing a strange magic on him, Viktor had concluded that they were the despicable Sorceresses that his mother had told him about countless times. Those who preyed on the innocent and used them for their dark sorcery. They, according to his mother, where creatures of evil.*

*What those creatures of evil had been doing prowling through his house at midnight, Viktor didn’t know. He didn’t know what they’d done to him, but it had weakened him. This morning he’d even been unable to control the changing of his eyes. He’d been unable to retract his fangs at will and it had bothered him so much, he’d hesitated when Emma came sneaking about his property to go and “play”.*

*She didn’t know what he was and he didn’t want to scare her. He just hoped he could overpower the dark magic and keep his true self under control.*
*If Emma saw him… saw* it… *she would hate him. And Viktor didn’t know what he would do if that happened.*

*“And now?!” yelled Emma.*

*Viktor looked up at her as he slowly climbed the hilly terrain.*
*She leaned a hand dramatically on a tree and turned her nose in the air, a long, feathery leaf swaying from the clip in her hair.*
*Viktor tilted his head at her, hardening his face when he felt his mouth twitch. Why did she keep putting leaves and such in her hair? Bizarre little human.*

*Emma grinned at him. “Look enchanting, don’t I?” She nodded and sighed as she skipped along through the forest, skipping around Viktor and darting all over as he calmly walked with hands in his pockets.*
*Emma stopped bouncing about for a moment, to walk backwards in front of him.*
*“Say, Viktor,” she said, with a gleam in her hazel-green eyes. “You’re my best friend! You know that, don’t you? We’ve been friends since before my birthday!”*

*Viktor lowered his gaze from her beaming face, focusing on the steps of his feet to ignore the strange throbbing of his heart at her words. Why should he be so… elated at the knowledge that she calls him her best friend?*
*She was just a bizarre little human when he was going to be the Vampire King!*

*“But you know,” Emma continued. “I’ve only heard you speak three times.” She put a hand over her mouth and giggled. “Strange, is it not?”*

*He stared at her silently, his heart erratic in his chest. She found him weird, didn’t she? He should probably speak more often. That’s what human boys did. But, Viktor found it difficult to say anything to her. All he wanted to do was listen to all she had to say. And Emma always had plenty to say.*

*She tilted her head at him, staring at Viktor as she fearlessly walked on backwards.*
*“You’re strange,” she said with a soft smile. “There’s no boy in the whole county who looks like you. And they all talk an awful lot! But you… You’re so quiet and… handsome. The most handsomest boy I ever saw! Like a Prince Charming!”*

*Her words hit him harder than a ton of bricks and Viktor found his heart beating faster than it ever had before.*
*He slowly lifted his gaze to her smiling face and parted his lips. “Emma—”*

*Her sharp gasp cut him off. Emma stopped walking, her wide-eyed gaze focused on his mouth.*
*Slowly, Viktor touched his tongue to his canines and instead of normal, human-like teeth, felt his long, sharp fangs. He froze on the spot, for the first time feeling cold fear arrest his heart.*
*He clamped both hands over his mouth, lowering his head so his hair covered his eyes.*
*“Viktor—”*
*Without hearing what she had to say, Viktor immediately darted off to the right and ran.*
*“Viktor!” Emma yelled, running after him as fast as she could. She saw him get further and further away, running at a speed impossible for humans, but she didn’t stop running.*
*Emma darted under branches, her legs burning with the effort. The forest grew thicker and darker the further in they ran, until the moist soil beneath Emma’s feet was dangerously uneven and soft.*

*Viktor felt like his heart would burst in his chest as he ran. She knew. She knew now that he was a monster. The only person in this entire world who made him feel happy would now cut him off as the rest of the world had.*

*“Viktor!” Emma’s scream rang through the forest, reaching his ears. Viktor came to a sharp halt, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he panted harshly. He whipped his head around in the direction he’d come from.*
*That scream had been a sound filled with horror and fear even as it reached his ears.*
*Something had happened to her.*

*“Emma…”*
*Slowly and without thinking, his feet turned back and slowly started to walk back.*

*“Emma!” Viktor picked up speed, running even faster than before, back to her.*
*When he reached a high embankment that was built of crumbling soil, Viktor looked down and stared wide-eyed at a pale form, laying still down by the rocky riverside.*
*“Emma…”*
*Without a thought, he dove down to the embankment, seeing nothing but Emma who was laying as still as the dead.*
*“Emma!” He reached her where she’d landed and lifted her head into his arms. Never before in his life had Viktor felt the fear and sadness that he felt at that moment.* Never.

*He rocked her desperately, pushing her hair away from her pale face. “Emma? I'm sorry. Do you hear me? Please don’t die… I'll do whatever you want. I'll talk to you. I'll be human. Please—”*
*When his fingers pushed her hair back and Viktor held her head, his fingers sunk into something warm and sticky.*
*Pulling his trembling hand out of her hair, Viktor stared at the dark scarlet on his hand. Blood.*

*“Viktor…”*

*He slowly looked at her face as Emma opened her eyes, blinking at him.*

*Viktor jolted, his eyes squeezing shut. His entire body clenched, muscles jerking uncontrollably. Something bad was happening to him and Viktor didn’t know how to stop it. The smell of Emma’s human blood wafted up and filled his head so that he couldn’t even think.*
*His head jerked to the side as he tried, with every ounce of his power, to fight it. He had to fight it, Viktor knew that. He had to fight it for Emma.*

*Emma watched through a blurry vision as Viktor’s head fell back, exposing the bulging veins in his neck and he let out a harsh scream, his arms shaking around her body.*
*She should have been afraid. She should have been terrified at the sight. But all Emma wanted to do was raise her arms and hug him.*
*She should have been horrified when his head snapped forward and under the cap of black hair, she saw a pair of green glowing eyes staring at her as his fangs lengthened even further.*

*Yes, she should have been frightened for her life. Especially when Viktor released a powerful growl and the last thing Emma saw before she passed out was his snarling mouth, fangs violently bared and going for her throat.*

************************

Kamilla’s eyes snapped open as she woke up in confusion, looking around at Viktor’s bed. She yawned as she sat up, scratching her neck sleepily.
What had just happened? She blinked as she looked down at herself. She touched a hand to her face and head, not sure what she was even looking for.
Something was very, *very* wrong with her.

The doors to Viktor’s chamber opened and Kamilla looked up.

Viktor stood in the doorway and then slowly walked in. Kamilla’s gaze locked on his and she stared at him as he approached, strangely unable to tear her gaze away.
Viktor’s face was void of emotion as he stood over her, studying her. “You’re awake.” Kamilla said nothing. “Do you… remember what happened before I put you to bed?”
Kamilla felt her hands tremble and lowered them to her lap. “Uh…” She swallowed. “Viktor… something’s wrong.”
Viktor’s gaze lowered. “You remember.”

Kamilla slowly nodded, her gaze moving listlessly across the covers. “Yes, but… what I remember… is a forest. Did we go to a forest? Viktor, I…” She raised her eyes to his, her mind not even comprehending the question it wanted to ask. “Did you… did you kill me?”