The Underground

Chapter 16: Once It Ends

Trails of nail marks clawed into the wood and slickened by blood guided Vivian to the door she already knew to go to. The previously closed entrance was coated thoroughly in the crimson liquid that brought her here, but she shoved her fear to the back of her mind and plunged into the hallway. She covered the length of the corridor in long strides then rounded the corner into the glorified storage room, sucking in deep breaths to steady her nerves and tired limbs alike.

Centered in between the towering shelves was the grail in all its muted glamor. Behind it stood the twins, their vibrant souls reflecting off the handful of shiny gems and surfaces in the room and practically blinding her.

The flickering gleams of light didn't shield her from Dominic's battered form, however. The vampire was slouched unceremoniously against a far shelf, leaning into the dim corner with no awareness for his surroundings. She shuddered to think of what had to be done to a vampire to bring them to unconsciousness.

Vivian's hand twisted around the handle of the dagger, sweat loosening her grip no matter how tightly she held. The twins snickered at her blatant fear, distracting her from Dominic just as she had distracted them from the grail that was perched in front of them. They lifted the lantern clutched in their left hand and she snapped her eyes shut.

"Seriously, all this for a fucking cup?" Vivian asked, keeping the dagger at a casual pose against her hip, hoping she could catch them off guard again.

"A cup and your life. Kill her," the twins commanded.

As ordered, the demon was on her in an instant, emerging from the steep shadows in the corner of the room. The dagger flew from her hand, aimed in the general direction of the twins in a vain attempt to hurt the twins and stop the attack.

The demon snatched the weapon out of the air, hand curled around the blade. It laughed, spit flying in her face from the closeness of its mouth, and dropped the dagger, where it clattered to the ground a few feet away.

"Not again," it teased, grabbing the collar of her jacket and pulling her off the ground. The toes of her shoe scraped uselessly against the floor. In one easy movement, it hurled her away, sending her into the shelves decorated with boxes and display cases.

She crashed into them, glass shattering and metal squeaking as the shelves tipped over one by one like dominos. On impact, her arm screamed in pain, lighting up with the fire of a broken bone. Shards of glass stoked the flames as they pierced through her jacket and into her body, ultimately leaving her a crumpled mess at the base of the fallen shelves.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The presence of the twins dwarfed the demon's and made it impossible for her to properly gauge where it was without opening her eyes. But she could feel the warmth of a different light filling the room and flushing her cheeks, and she knew the lantern was lit, ready to send her away again if she dared to take a peek.

I'm going to die in a dusty ass vampire's dusty ass basement.

Another round of snickering and laughing assaulted her ears as she heaved herself into a sitting position then shifted one leg underneath herself, trying and failing to find the strength to stand. Before the demon could continue his attack, via taunting or violence, a howl screeched down the hallway, deafening the occupants of the room and seeming to shake the house itself.

Vivian's bloodied lips stretched wide in a giddy smile. She could feel the demon's eyes leave her and turn to face the wolf who came barreling down the hallway.

Brienne was injured, to be sure – she was missing an eye and a chunk of her arm, but her injuries were nothing compared to her rage, and she tackled the demon with claws outstretched. Surprise or contempt kept the demon from dodging, and so the two collapsed into a heap of sharpened nails and violent screams, flying across the room and splintering planks of wood along the way.