Starlight Dream

Chapter 17

"Why? Why!" Lilha curled her body tighter, shaking with either sobs or pain. It was impossible to tell. Her entire world had collapsed beneath her, leaving her in an empty void of despair. Beams of sunlight from her apartment window burned her skin, so she pulled her blanket more securely over her body. As a higher vampire, mere trifles like sunlight were harmless to her, but Lilha still hated it touching her skin.

"Every time!" It made her life seem like a sick joke, tortured by some grand cosmic being for its enjoyment. In her imagination, her enemies mocked her, delighting in Lilha's constant failures. Their sweet, smiling faces only twisted the knife in her guts harder.

For what seemed like several lifetimes, Lilha didn't moved from her position. She didn't even have enough energy to respond as someone stomped into her bedroom.

"How long do you intend to lie there, oh queen?" Dreven asked.

Lilha didn't respond, so the vampire warrior continued. "What happened to your vampire pride? You were feared once by all."

"Still no response?" Dreven gave an overdramatic sigh. "Are you really allowing such a minor setback paralyze you into inaction?"

Despite herself, a flare of pride ignited within her. While only a candle flame in the empty void, it provided Lilha the energy to raise her head. "A minor setback?! Takako made an utter fool of me. My best efforts weren't even a nuisance to her!" She sometimes wondered if even decapitation could kill a magical girl.

"You're alive, aren't you? Isn't that something?" For some unfathomable reason, Dreven's uselessness and weakness hadn't bothered him. His voice still dripped with haughty arrogance and superior self-assurance. Despite herself, Lilha raised her head higher in pure incongruity.

"Are you stupid or something?" Lilha asked, forcing herself upright on her dingy bed. "You appear to assume victory is even possible!"

"Did you hear Seina?" Dreven replied, his tone wry. "Even a gnat can defeat a whale if it tries hard enough."

"The girl said that because she's an idiot!" It burned her ears that such a simple-minded child could ever defeat a vampire elite. The pure unfairness caused Lilha physical pain.

"It doesn't matter if the metaphor is dodgy. She's right, and I know how to beat her."

"Really?" Was Dreven serious right now? "Please explain." The vampire queen's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Emiyo."

A light bulb flashed in Lilha's head. Right! Seina and her goon squad had only nearly defeated her. And, naturally, being the weak, simple-minded girl Seina was, showed mercy instead of eliminating their greatest threat!

A plan started forming together in Lilha's head. "If we rescue and revive her, Emiyo can defeat the traitorous magical girls and return us to the glory we deserve!"

Lilha watched Dreven, expecting him to dance in delight at this plan. Instead, he only frowned and shook his head.

"You think too small," Dreven replied. "Is that really our only opportunity?"

"What then, Dreven?" Lilha said, having little patience for games.

"We steal Emiyo's power while she's still vulnerable," Dreven said, speaking to his queen like one might speak to a partially slow-minded child.

"How do you plan to accomplish that? We can't even hurt them." Lilha's voice was tight from the blatant display of disrespect. Compared to a magical girl, a vampire's was miniscule in comparison.

"While difficult, you've proven it's possible to injure a magical girl."

"What are you talking about?" Lilha's temper reached to a boiling point. If she was still queen, the land's new rule. If her subordinate didn't clarify his point, she'd rip his head off.