IMPRESS.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Tank Of Teardrops

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Cathryn POV~

"Zac, did you just see that?! That blonde bimbo just stabbed her own cousin!" I yelled whilst fisting my hair, "now, that is just wrong. I think this calls for disqualification..."

We were both out of our seats, on our toes watching stage 3 in anticipation like everyone else in the venue.

I briefly looked up at my parents, to see my father wearing a mask of outrage, brows furrowed and my mother wearing one of satisfaction as she drank from her chalice.

My father favoured Natalya, he told me it was because she reminded him of someone he used to love, but unfortunately lost to another.

He wouldn't say who but I wasn't dumb and many stories had flown about, stories involving the King and a girl named Isabella, the daughter of the only ever pureblood knew to have existed.

"I can see that," Zac responded irritatedly through gritted teeth.

My brother wouldn't possibly kill Natalya for being stabbed in the back by her own cousin, would he?

I couldn't tell whether he was angry at Ella or at Natalya for not being more cautious. It's not even Natalya's fault, Ella's attack caught everyone off guard and had me gasping.

I stepped back in between Alaric and Derek who were as agitated as me, Alaric a little angrier than us all, "I knew not to trust her, she is exactly like her mother, a treacherous whore-"

"-Don't worry Alaric, if my brother doesn't kill the bitch, I will..." I rubbed my hand up and down his upper arm in a way to comfort him. I can't imagine how mad he is, Natalya had convinced him that Ella was not like their crazy aunt and that had been proven wrong just now.

Before Natalya arrived at the castle, Alaric had to reason with us before inviting his sister to live here and one of the reasons he said he needed her to come here to live with him was that their aunt was an insane woman driven by madness.

"I know you will," Alaric lifted his arm over my shoulders, squeezing me to his side and letting his lips linger on my forehead momentarily.

His response brought a smile to my face and his lips left a fuzzy feeling in my insides out. Like they always did.

I would honestly do anything to protect Alaric, the only person who was able to lure me from a horrible evil that I had been pulled into by my brothers not long ago.

A bit of that evil was still swirling throughout me every second of the day, but, not like before where all I wanted to do was kill anyone who wasn't family.

Alaric changed me for the better evil, from the mean killer princess I once was to just Cathryn, the vampire princess of Asten who'd kill when needed.

Zac and Xander were still terrible monsters deep within but not as bad as they were before Natalya arrived... My brothers used to always love to influence me into doing bad things, for example, just imagine the worst things you could do and then think worst than them.

They were so damn persuasive. I had killed so many people because of them and sometimes I felt they had moved from me and onto Natalya, treating her like a doll, compelling and making her do awful things like they made me do.

I guess Xander was succeeding at covering up his flaws in front of Natalya but Zac was still a work in progress. Although he was showing promise of being good, he was still murderous and sadistic and his father's son.

My father used to be mad so I've been told and as I've grown mentally, he has learnt to keep his temper under control and only uses it when required. In the thrones room, courtroom and conference room.

Alaric came to the castle about three years ago, a lovely human boy looking to serve in the castle.

I was the first royal Alaric met and that was because my father had put me on recruiting duty. I got to pick out of all the men invited who got a job in the castle and who didn't.

Iris Haven had put a word in for Alaric prior to the day, telling us how this boy she knew named Alaric Ascelyn had great potential to guard my brother.

So I knew who he was. But bearing in mind, when I was recruiting I was upset about something from the previous night, I don't remember what it was but I was hurt by it, I had to force this bad girl act and well, be a royal.

I had to be confident, I had to look good and I had to act like I wasn't completely torn apart.

Long story short, Alaric saw through the happy mean princess act that day and was the only one to notice how broken I truly was.

It took courage to approach me when I was in a bad mood, back then especially but, Alaric somehow sucked up his fear in order to see if I was feeling okay.

And when I lied to him, he embraced me into his arms and told me never to lie to him because it was hopeless, and for some reason, I didn't want to kill him for touching me without permission... I just let him hug me before breaking down in his human arms.

That was when I realised why Iris Haven put in a good word about him to the King. Alaric was the first person who I wasn't related to who I didn't want to hate and for that reason, I gave him the job as my brother's guard, the only terms being that I turn him into a vampire, which surprisingly he didn't mind.

Natalya's POV~

It felt like an eternity.

Floating around in some kind of empty space...

Until I gasped out for air and reality struck me like lightening.

I was back in that same arena I always ended up in after every stage, the arena filled with thousands of people watching every breath and step I take in the projected world and real world.

The black witch was stood in her usual corner, waving her hands about and collapsing the fake universe before saving it for the next stage, she nodded at me and then walked out of the arena, ready to teleport everyone out of the arena and to the field of death.

I rotated my head clockwise to see lined up beside me: Rose, Cassandra and Ella the betrayer. They were all looking out at the audience, big victorious smiles as they waved and bowed. Ella briefly let her head fall and let her traitor eyes meet mine.

She looked me down before sending me an impious smirk and whipping her head around to face the crowds again. I shook my head at her in disbelief, I cannot believe I am related to such cold blood.

I should have seen this coming from the day Ella questioned why I was competing... She hated the idea of competing against me because, I don't know, maybe she was threatened by me?

Finally, I mastered the confidence to look up at the eyes of disappointment from those whom I had failed to prove wrong and win for.

With a frown that felt permanent on my face, I scanned the people of Asten either seated and standing in the open-roof arena. Each person I saw was like a distant dot either laughing, glaring or judging me and I hated it. I hated losing and I hated that I trusted so easily.

Ella was once in my good books but now her name had made its way onto my list. I hope Todd was here watching and I hope he saw the reason I had now to break the promise I had made with him. To protect Ella.

Because I was no way in hell going to look after a traitor.

Before... old me would have given Ella a second chance but after being in this castle for quite a while and being converted into this new person I am now due to various factors, I have learnt not to give too many chances out that could cost me my death.

My eyes automatically found Zacs amongst the thousands of people surrounding me and his eyes instantly melted into mine. I couldn't look at anyone else, except him. I couldn't even look at my own brother or my two mentors who were probably the most disappointed.

Zac authoritatively stood, holding his head high and casting his eyes down at me with an unimpressed expression. I wore an emotionless expression back to him although I was currently feeling all the emotions in the world.

He was making me feel like some kind of vile creature beneath him, an unworthy competitor of the competition and the longer we stared at each other, the more offensive his gaze on me became.

I found my mouth moving involuntarily and the words I'm sorry fumbled out.

Why was I apologising to him, why was I apologising for failure that wasn't my fault?

His darkened eyes flashed silver, each eye shortly turning into the spike of a shiny spear and through the flash, I saw a flicker of distress. I swear I did anyway.

We stared at each other intensely one last time before he was informed by Alaric and Derek his two main guards, that it was time for them to leave the arena.

As I watched the royals move away from their seats, my surroundings blurred, twirled and shifted until the arena was no longer our place of location, but the same grassy environment where both Meredith and Grace had been killed was.

This time we the four girls faced a giant glass tank.

And immediately I knew, someone was going to be drowned in the pool of water filled to the brim of the transparent tank.

Todd's POV~

It was all too surreal.

Standing here in the meadow of death, a well-known location of the IMPRESS event after having received a letter from Ella asking us to come support her.

This was the first stage myself and Marcus had travelled all the way from Icilia to watch. Mother had remained back in Icilia because I quote she couldn't bear watch her only daughter fight for life. I knew my mother was lying seeing as she was the one who urged Ella into the competition.

She just didn't want to see Alaric or Natalya or anyone else who she knew to have been associated with her sister, my aunt Isabella.

Speaking of Natalya, I heard she was a competitor of IMPRESS too and when I found out from the news that travelled around in Icilia that a human named Natalya Ascelyn had somehow made it alive to stage 3 of IMPRESS, I was completely baffled.

And when I heard she was the reason why the late Jamie Hayes and Lord Mclaren were no longer the representatives for Icilia and tax collectors, I was stunned.

How had she managed to even find herself as a competitor of IMPRESS?

I don't recall her ever getting a letter inviting her to compete in the game so, I have no idea how this happened. I had no idea how she had ended up in such a dangerous situation under her brother's guidance most of all.

All I know right now was that my dear twin sister Ella had just stabbed my loyal cousin Natalya at the end of the third stage and had put her cousin's own life on the line.

I was taken back and so was Marcus, just like everyone else who sat in the arena with us, we had no idea that Ella had the intention to kill Natalya, especially not after Natalya saved her from being murdered by the bad men.

Apart of me felt guilty when I noticed that Natalya was not attempting to fight Ella off of her because I had made that ridiculous promise with her.

I made her promise she would protect Ella prior to her arrival to the castle but I guess I should have told Ella to protect Natalya instead, she was the most vulnerable of the two, after all, she was only human, unlike the rest of us.

It was going to be impossible for Natalya to protect Ella anyway if they were both fighting in the same competition and I realised my mistake when I found that Natalya was a competitor of IMPRESS.

"I hope she dies," Marcus muttered referring to Natalya and I frowned, deciding not to respond to his cold words.

As much as I loved my sister Ella, I also loved our cousin more than anyone else between the four of us.

After Natalya's parents visited us long ago before their unfortunate end and put their trust in me to give her the necklace I could see she was still wearing from afar, I felt this huge responsibility put on me to protect her like a second brother.

I hadn't met her formally at the time yet I felt like I knew about her more than I knew myself, so when Natalya was dumped with us after her father and mother passed, I kept the closest eye out for her and made sure she wasn't hurting on her own for the time she was with us.

Hence why I would hate to see either Ella or Natalya killed in front my eyes...

And I feared after what Ella had pulled on Natalya and from the giant tank of water myself, Marcus and the rest of audience was staring at... I would soon be seeing my cousin drowned to the depths of death.

Back to Natalya's POV~

I had prepared myself for the worst and if death was the worst, then I guess I was ready.

Zac finished conversing with his small council of elites, his sister, mother and father included.

Breathing in and out, I kept my eyes lowered feeling the eyes of many on me. Behind me stood Evelyn and Xander who both rubbed my arms reassuringly, "I've got your back," Xander whispered very quietly that I was certain no vampire ear could have heard him.

Evelyn leant down to whisper straight after Xander, "whatever happens, happens, but trust me when I say, you'll be fine. Trust me."

I smiled faintly, holding my hands behind my back watching as Zac stood front and centre in front of us the four girls and the audience who were eager to know who was destined for death.

At the side where his council of people stood, the King who superiorly stood with his beer belly almost collapsing over his belt had a saddened expression on his face, the queen carried a smug one and Cathryn had one of unease and panic.

Their expressions after the meeting they had left me on edge, because why else would the Queen have a smug look on her face and why else would Cathryn be appearing frantic... Zac was going to kill me, it was obvious.

The malevolent smirk which took over Zac's face as he dauntingly approached us made my heart pound against my chest like it weighed more than fifty stone.

His eyes were a fiendish ebony which I hated and gleamed with the need to kill.

The thousands of people who had been ripped from the arena and brought out to the meadow of death abruptly stopped their chatter and focused their attention on what was happening right now.

I briefly looked up at the black witch who seemed unusually calm seeing as the girl who she and the other witches prophecised to save Asten was about to die?!

And now I think about it, Ashira was incredibly silent right now too.

Were the two witches planning something? Had they teamed up with Evelyn to form a backup plan?

Actually, the real question was, did Xander really have a plan to save me? He couldn't just jump out and stop this from happening just because he was Zac's brother. Rules were rules.

Whatever happens, I trust that Xander, Evelyn and the witches each know what they are doing.

If not, then if this is it, I have failed whoever was so desperate for me to win IMPRESS, everyone who supported me and my parents. All I can hope is that Alaric continues the search of who betrayed my mother and set the village alight that night?

"So ladies, you know how it goes," Zac clasped his hands, a sadistic laugh escaping his mouth before the cruel smirk made a reappearance, "if I call out your name, you are safe and if I don't, then bye bye."

Zac's eyes tore into my soul and punctured my heart when he emphasised the last of his sentence with his eyes on mine.

I wasn't going to save myself with my abilities. Why would I do that? Why would I expose the family's secret and leave Alaric's life in jeopardy? I guess this was the same reason my mother didn't use her powers to save herself and my father, she didn't want to risk drawing attention to the son and daughter of Grant and Isabella Ascelyn.

"Beginning with the leading girl of stage three, Cassandraaaa..." Zac playfully drawled, his eyes twinkling at the sight of a grinning Cassandra, who held onto the hand he extended out to her as she ripped herself from the torment of the third stage results and ran to stand with her mentors.

That girl knew what she was doing and that made her likely to win.

The audience clapped for Cassandra and the Queen's applause for her was the last to die down and that clearly, said a lot.

"Mmm now then who's next," Zac pretended to think like he hadn't already come to an overall conclusion on who he was going to get rid of. I mentally rolled my eyes.

I could never be with him, some may disagree but most would agree. If I had to wed him, I would most likely kill him on our honeymoon. Sorry not sorry.

So, I guess it was time for me, the human, to fall.

I can't really act surprised, after the ideas I inserted into that tiny brain of his in Weimos, I knew he would not change his mind.

"Rose Clarke, step out of that line babe," he twirled her out the line and to her mentors, leaving both me and Ella to glance at each other worriedly.

I was angry at Ella but showing that through facially would not change anything, it wouldn't change the decision Zac had already come to.

Inhaling, I saw my brother and Derek both emerge to Cathryn's side, watching the scene in front of them unfold. Alaric whipped his head and I followed his alarmed and scared gaze which led to Lord Hilbert, a Lord I hadn't spoken to in a while now.

When my brother's eyes met mine, I forced a small smile onto my face knowing full well I had failed him as well as Cathryn, Derek, Xander, Evelyn, the witches, Harrison who was probably watching this right now feeling helpless and most of all, I had failed myself.

If I had just been a submissive Sally instead of a gobby Gabby, I wouldn't be in this position and if I wasn't blinded by the poisonous bitch my cousin was, I would have been the first name called.

Too bad, Zac doesn't have the heart to love a human and I don't have the heart to love a monstrous buffoon.

"We all know who I am going to pick, think it's pretty obvious," Zac feigned a pout looking at Ella and then me, "we all know humans never get past level three in anything really and we all know..." Zac menacingly stepped towards me, his eyes ice cold as he slipped his finger under my chin, "I deeply despise humans."

My jaw dropped open, heart tore and I heard cheers from most of the audience before a squeal abrupted from Ella as Zac swooped her off her feet and carried her off towards her mentors.

Oh my God, this was really happening.

The world closed up on me and suddenly I was trapped in some sort of prison. It was hard to process, I was actually going to die, right here right now. Just like Grace and Meredith.

I took a sharp intake of breath as I froze, hearing Cathryn repetitively shouting no! As two guards came up from behind me, hooking their arms through mine tightly and picking me off the ground and carrying me towards the tank.

Wh-

I can't believe Zac was really this evil.

Well, I was not going to squirm, struggle or appear shocked. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction, I wanted him to realise what he was doing... I wanted to leave an unbearable ache in his heart once I was gone.

I hoped he would hurt all over.

"Drop my sister- Now!"

Back to Cathryn's POV~

I couldn't shriek or scream so I yelled, I wasn't allowed to let the people watching this, see that the princess had a soft spot for a