Alara

"I still don't like the idea of you going on your own," Cameron admitted as he watched me get ready for my appointment.

"He'll know if you're there, and that would put everything in jeopardy. We have no idea what he will do if he finds out you know," he still gave me a defeated look and all I could think of doing was walking up to him and clasping his hands in mine.

He looked down at the action a small smile breaking free of the gloom that had transcended his face, "You be safe ok?"

"Always," I replied lightly squeezing his hand to emphasise my point.

"Now we both know that isn't true, you have a quite the track record of getting yourself in trouble," he gave me a pointed look accentuated by the raising of his brow.

I leaned forward a little, gazing deeply into the forest of his eyes, "As someone I know said, I can be very," I paused a trickle of laughter escaping my lips, "very hard to deal with," In response to me mimicking some of the first words he had ever spoken to me he smirked wildly, a flash of mirth in those evergreen eyes.

"Always were a copy cat."

"Be careful," I whispered, "I might just scratch your eyes out,"

"What a wonderful image," he drawled before pulling me into his arms, "Be careful though, promise me that."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes completely enamoured with the way he cared so much. It was the antithesis of who I was expecting him to be. I thought he would be cold, dismissive just as ruthless as the world painted him out to be. But here he had a sharp look on his face that was true concern, he cared. He cared about me and that made something stir deep within me. He brought out something in me that I couldn't really explain. Something I couldn't truly admit, not now anyways.

After engulfing me in a tight hug, I finally broke free, with a small smile on my face I said, "Well, I guess I'll be off,"

His touch lingered against my arm sending a wave of goosebumbs down its path, "If you're not back here by 5 and I mean 5 exactly, not a second more, I'm coming to get you and my father will have hell to pay,"

"I'll be fine," I whispered back to try and reassure him, "And I'm not going their unarmed," I revealed the gun tucked away in my purse.

"Wouldn't have expected anything else," he gave me a nod of approval one which I graciously expected.

I also pulled up the hem of my jeans, to reveal a dagger buried beneath the fabric of my sock, "Just encase me and my gun get separated."

Before I could stop myself, I pressed a hastened kiss against his cheek and rushed out the door before he could reply.

As soon as I got into the confines of my car, I let out a breath, watching as Cameron's figure became smaller and smaller as I drove off towards Hours clinic.

The air was cool against my face, as I leisurely drove, part of me knew I was taking my damn time because I didn't want to go to this appointment. I was still trying to wrap my head around it all, knowing that the Blood Diamond has quite literally become the bane of my existence. It could very well lead to my downfall.

There were too many people after it, and I didn't know much about it, just that the owner would be given insurmountable power. But how?

I wasn't one to believe in magic outside the realms of fiction, no, I thought the more reasonable explanation would be that the power came from people's want to possess it. By having it to yourself, you would be able to control those who would do anything to have it in their clutches.

It wasn't long before I was pulling into the parking lot of the clinic, I took a deep breath mentally preparing myself for what was about to happen. I prayed that everything would go without a hitch, but knowing the people I was about to get involved in I knew that was more than just wishful thinking. I was more a realist than an optimist and on this particular occasion I was leaning far more to the cynical side of me.

I noticed that there were hardly any other cars around in the lot which was odd for a clinic that was usually brimming with people. It definitely caused me to be on edge, I immediately felt myself putting my guard up, it just felt very wrong for the clinic to be this deserted.

The wind whipped my hair around, partially obscuring my vision, each gust began to pick up making it more of a struggle to get to the door than necessary. But I managed it, pulling on the steel handle of the glass door and being engulfed by the warmth on the other side. A much needed reprieve from the cold outdoors.

I stood idly in the reception, still wondering where all the other people were.

It was then I felt a cold grip on my shoulder, I turned around startled and ready to pull out my gun, only to be met with the gruff face of Cameron's father, "You made it my dear,"

"That I did," I bit out sarcastically, he ignored my insolence and began to guide me towards an examination room.

"Where is everyone?" I questioned, my gaze still flickering to each corner of the clinic.

"I needed to book out the clinic so we would not be disturbed." Mr Grayson explained fluidly as though it was the most normal thing a person could do.

I decided not to question it even though it felt entirely morally wrong to close down a clinic that had people that relied on it.

I doubt Mr Grayson would see it that way, so I pressed my lips together in an unimpressed smile.

He led me into a room that smelt distinctively of sanitising alcohol and bleach, and I tired my best not to recoil at the pungent odour.

There was a stout looking doctor siting at the desk in the corner, the stumps of his fingers vigorously pressing on his keys before he looked up to meet Mr Grayson's eyes.

"Ah you are here, just on time," his voice was a baritone timbre, much deeper than I had expected it to be, "You must be Alara,"

The smell in the room had made me feel woozy so all I managed was a tight lipped smile that championed anything but camaraderie.

"If you would just take a seat here," I slipped onto the chair that he had pointed to, once I was rested against it he pushed a level from beneath the right arm, causing the chair to recline further.

I tried to school my breathing to stop the rapid beating of my heart against my chest, I felt uncomfortable under the scrutinising gaze of Cameron's father. This all felt so wrong.

I shrank back the moment the doctor lightly touched my arm, I wanted to pull away get out of this sterile environment, he noticed me recoiling and responded by just tightening his grip.

Soon I had to force myself to relax my muscles, I couldn't be this tense it wouldn't be good for me.

"Would you lift your sleeve?" it was framed as a question but I knew it was just a demand in disguise. I began to roll up my left sleeve to expose my birthmark, even though the material of my shirt was soft it still left abrasions against my arm. The sudden tug of fabric making my skin rough ang raw.

But the doctor only had eyes for the birthmark.

"Fascinating, absolutely fascinating," the sound of his voice made my skin crawl I felt like nothing more than a test specimen not a person.

He took a small magnifying that was attacked to a contraption that could rest behind his ear, placing the magnifying glass over his right eye. He leaned forward and his cool fingers brushed over the raised skin of my birthmark.

I bit my lip to prevent me from shrinking back once more.

He rested both of his thumbs on either side of the birth mark and stretched the skin slightly.

"So can you replicate the map?" the poised question came from Mr Grayson's mouth.

"It will be a difficult laborious process but-" the doctor began.

"But?" Mr Grayson snapped.

With a tired look the doctor continued, "But it is possible."

He turned around and pulled out a needle and three large tubes from behind him. My heart began palpitating uncontrollably, I could deal with blood, I was find with needles, it was just the thought of something physically puncturing me that made my stomach turn.

"What are you doing?" my voice was harsh as I saw him turning towards me with the needle in his hand.

"We will need some of your blood." he briefly explained, taking a disinfectant wipe to clean the area he intended to stab the needle into.

"What? Why?" my words were frantic pushing out one after the other as panic began to rise in my throat.

Mr Grayson gave a callous smirk, "You know how I told you that the Blood Diamond is linked to the female heir of the Mortello bloodline, well rumour has it that it is a quite a literal need, we may need your blood so we might as well take it."

"I didn't sign up for this," I tried to rise from my chair but Mr Grayson was on me in a flash pushing me down against the chair as the needle plunged into me. I tried to thrash against him but his grip was unyielding.

"Get off me you bastard," I spat but it was no use. My gaze was torn away from Cameron's father and back to the doctor who had already filled two large tubes with my blood.

"That's enough!"

"Let's just say this is a contingency, take more, it's better to be safe than sorry,"

"I'll kill you, " the abrasive tone of my voice was enough to break laughter from the malevolent man before me.

It was then my head started to feel numb, my throat dry and my limbs heavy with fatigue, "Wha-" I couldn't get the words out, I felt like I was falling, my eye lids becoming heavier and heavier with each breath I took.

I could see the glimmer of cynicism in the man's eyes before me, I felt a cool palm against my head, "There there, don't fight it, just let it take over that's it,"

And then it all went black.