Amberley

I am swathed in black. A seductive raven dress, obsidian hair hanging past my lower back. The sky is black too, it's filled with swarming creatures that seem to be made of night and sorrow.

Bring your light, little princess. They taunt me. I try to run but my body is paralyzed as the shadows surround me in a dark cocoon.

But you don't have any. Do you? Poor girl. You are nothing but pain in the flesh, you will only ever inflict darkness on those around you. But you already knew that, didn't you?

I feel my body tingle at the haunting words. I moan and cover my ears, desperate for the relief of silence. The shadows send a gust of wind and my hair whips around.

The creatures take form. They are all the same, dark shadowed men with unidentifiable faces swathed in blood red cloaks. Iniquitous attire.

Come, little princess, see your fate. The men grab my arms and I am dragged away. I become shadow and dust as my figure evaporates. I try to scream but I am nothingness and I don't have a mouth.

The men dive downward and I brace myself for the impact of the grassy earth but to my surprise, we pass through the ground like a hot knife through butter.

The earth seems to part for us as we descend. I am greeted with a familiar sight.

We emerge in a stony tunnel with flickering fluorescent lights running along the hallways. The place is eerie and I feel the humming of power somewhere off in the distance. Clandestine Institute, the men narrate as we move along the hall, look at the Altrus, little princess, your fate will be the same as theres.

People in grey jumpsuits are all lined up along the stone walls, there heads hanging and shoulders slumped. The men stop and drop me to the floor. My bare feet are cold against the stone floor. I've taken form again.

Look, little princess. My gaze wanders along the long line of people dressed in grey. As they all lift there heads, I gasp and stumble back. Blood comes gushing from there eyes, ears and noses and they all stand still as statues. I scream.

"No!" I groan. I run through the lines of people. There blood puddles at there feet and I slip on the slickness.

Just as I fall, strong hands lift me up. I catch sight of familiar blonde hair and golden eyes before lips are pressed to mine.

Evan, but it feels so wrong.

I try to yank myself away but the hands hold me tight as he pushes me against the stone wall.

His lips caress mine aggressively and I find myself to be paralyzed. Evan pushes my mouth open and his tongue finds mine. His hands are everywhere and I can't help but feel comfortable, wanted. I know what is about to happen. I've had this dream before.

Just as I soften to the fair haired boy, he yanks his head away from mine. His face is shadowed by I can still make out his familiar golden eyes. "I love you Amberley," he whispers against my ear. I shiver and try to pull away. I only see a flash of metal before I knife is lodged into my stomach.

Evans eyes looks hurt as he takes in the blood gushing from my wound. I don't feel the pain but I suffer a unimaginable betrayal.

Evan lowers me to the ground and I feel the life slip away from me. Poor little princess, no one will ever love you. You'll know that soon enough.

~

I awake with a start. My body burns and sweat slicks my body.

"You've had a dream," a voice calls. I try to lift my head but it feels heavy and clouded. I flick my eyes toward the voice.

I catch sight of Joshua, sitting on a cushioned metal chair.

"Joshua? What happened? Where's Evan?" I question. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, Clandestine shakes.

Plaster sprinkles from the ceiling and the bed I'm laying on shakes and moves. I turn to Joshua and he smiles sadly.

"The Iniquitous are here. They are attacking Adana," he explains. My stomach drops. We were practically right underneath Adana, if they took it, we would all die.

"My life may have been rocky in the castle but they're are innocents, women and children, my friends," I say.

Ginnifer and Leah flash through my mind. Would the Unfeeling kill the help first or tortured and rape them?

"I'm sorry Amberley, I can't imagine how you must be feeling. You grew up there after all."

"What happened? How did the Unfeeling find us?"

Joshua's eyes storm and I see anger take his features for the first time I've met him. Worry flashed through my mind.

"We have reason to think that an Altru has communication with the Iniquitous and told where we are located."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Who would do that? I've met nearly every Altru here and I can't picture one of them giving up or location.

"Who would do that?"

"We don't know just yet and frankly, the damage is already done."

"I'm sorry Joshua, but what does this have to do with me? Why are you here and not out there trying to find who did this." I question.

Joshua sighs and clasps his hands together. "When I built this establishment, my one motivation was to make sure I could save as many people from the Iniquitous as possible. I thought that I could take revenge on them for killing my father by taking there victims away, right underneath there fingertips. But I heard the screams of Altrus, I saw there blood and for the first time I realized that we will never be safe from the Iniquitous as long as they live."

"But what can we do? You can't give up Joshua! Not after everything you've done for us... this is not just a place, it's your home."

"The Unfeeling are the only reason why the Iniquitous have so much power. But the soldiers were ripped from there families and lives. Can you imagine if they all got there feelings back? They would turn on the Iniquitous. It would be all the Unfeeling, all the Altrus against the few Iniquitous supporters. Then our home would be saved for good."

"But how could they get their feelings back? My father made the serum so it would be irreversible," I explain.

"But he didn't. Evan found his journal after they cleaned up the rubble in his room and gave me it to read over. Despite your opinion, the journal proves that you're father was sane before the serum. He had humanity. When he performed his experiments on your mother he also made sure that you were his living antidote. He made sure you could give their feelings back."

"I can do that? I can save them?" I ask.

Joshua smiles and nods.

"You could save them all."

~

I fall into my thoughts. I realize I am shirtless and I have a large bandage wrapped around my torso and chest. Blood was seeped through the linen but there was no wound underneath. It hurt but I was still healed? Eli's healing always made me painless. Unless this wasn't Eli's healing.

I remember the knife, the blood and the pain but would Eli heal me completely by now? I guess he must be busy with the other injuries.

Where was Evan? Jeffery? Jackson? Were they alright? I tried to get up but pain flooded through my body and I collapsed. This wasn't right! And Joshua had acted so odd, like he knew this was going to happen from the beginning.

Another blast shook the room. I felt tears spring to my eyes and before I knew it, full on sobs took over my body.

It was to much. I just wanted to be free. Couldn't I just get that? Couldn't I get anything! Another blast passed and I screamed into my pillow.

I wanted everyone to die up in the castle but why did it hurt so bad? I sat up and steeled myself. I had to be strong. For Ginnifer and Leah... for my Altru friends. My hopelessness was replaced with the urge for revenge.

I heard my door open and heard someone take a breath.

"Amberley," I hear a gentle voice. Evan. I turn and feel a thousands emotions rip through me at the sight of his blonde mop and golden eyes.

"Evan..." I breathed before another relieved sob racked through my body. It no longer was a sob of sadness... it was a sob of pure relief and frustration.

"Hey, I'm here," he said before rushing to my bedside. He crouched and takes my hand in my own. I close my eyes when his hand smooths my hair out of my face but why did he sound guilty? My eyes opened and I let my senses observe his eyes.

"You're here," I whisper.

He nods and grins. "Don't be so disappointed."

A laugh vertebrates through me and I cringe as pain burns through my chest.

"Disappointed? You're the only person that's ever been here for me...you have no idea Evan. I think... I think I'm."

Evan smiles and squeezes my hand. "You can say it Amberley. You don't have to be scared of me. I would cut off my own balls before hurting you. Besides, I said it."

I take a deep breathe. I loved him. I loved him more than anything but I couldn't say it. I couldn't let my burdens be placed on his shoulders and something was off with him.

"You don't love me Evan," I start. He furrows his brows.

"If I don't love you than Jeffery's hair isn't red."

"You don't love me. You only said that because you thought I was going to die. You only wanted to say goodbye."

He scoffed and took his hand away from mine. His eyes turned glassy and he avoided my gaze. I had hurt him but he had done his fair share of hurting too.

"I had just turned ten. I had told my father about my powers the day before. I had accidentally killed my tutor. He told me I would be special, that I would never be shackled. He took me to a small town, with nothing but the clothes I wore. The last thing he said to me before he left me forever... was that he loved me."

I wanted to kiss his frown away. I didn't mean to hurt him. I couldn't imagine this bold and strong man before me being a scared ten year old.

"I pledged to myself that day, that I would never say I love you as a goodbye. I pledged to never say it again unless I absolutely meant it. So don't even start with the whole I'm not worthy shit because I don't fucking buy it anymore. I'm looking at you, I'm seeing you and Amberley Da Ville, I love you. I love you and your scars, your hair, your eyes, your body, your voice."

"Evan..." I rasp.

"You don't have to love me back. In fact, I recommend not loving me but God help me, I fucking love you."

My heart shattered. I couldn't breathe. He loved me. He loved me. I was broken and shattered but he chose me.

"I love you too, Evan Conway," I croak with a breathless chuckle.

He stops and sucks in his breath.

His eyes were stormy and his hands were clenching.

"Say it again," he says.

I laugh and clutch my chest through the tears streaming out of my eyes. It hurts so bad but I shove it away. I shove the covers off me and cup his stubbly face in my hands.

"I love you."

"God, you're beautiful."

"I think you're the beautiful one," I say lightly.

"I think you're right," he grinned as I slapped his chest.