Palace In Flames

Till Undeath Us Do Part

As the minutes crept by agonisingly slowly, I started to think about how much could go wrong with our plan. What if I couldn't get to the church before the Cardinal? What if Kier couldn't kill Lawrence before Lawrence killed him? What if Victoria couldn't stall the Cardinal for long enough to delay his decision? Any one of these things would certainly lead to our deaths, and it was this realisation that made me want to turn away and run as fast as my legs could carry me. It was then that it finally dawned on me how fiercely loyal Kier and Victoria were. They both knew full well that they would die if we failed, and yet they were still willing to take that risk. I knew that I had to throw my life into the balance as well.

I was starting to walk along the narrow road that would lead me to the church when I heard the explosion. I span around quickly, and the sight of it made my mouth drop open in shock. The tallest tower room of the palace had been set on fire, puncturing the darkness of the night with bright orange tongues of flame. The giant stained-glass window had shattered, and as the shards rained down from the sky like razor sharp snowflakes the empty space where the glass had resided now belched out a never-ending stream of black smoke. As I breathed in some of the last unpolluted air, I noticed something nobody else would have. It was a smell that I'd only ever experienced once, but would never forget as long as I lived. It was a kind of sweet smell, but not the enjoyable kind. You know when you're a child and you over-dose on sugar to the point of almost vomiting, then suddenly the smell of sugar becomes a lot more concentrated and unbearable? It was that kind of smell. It was this smell that confirmed that Kier's battle was over, although whether he'd won or lost was unclear yet. Because that smell that was torturing my nostrils was the smell of a dying vampire.

I wanted more than anything to run into the palace to see if my best friend was alright, but I knew in my heart that this was the signal he'd warned me about. If the burning vampire was him, then if I wasted any time now his sacrifice would've been in vain. So despite my urge to turn back I kept running along the path. Eventually I was standing in the main courtyard of a giant stone building. I let out a huge sigh of relief as I noticed that the Cardinal's black car wasn't here yet. Victoria must have convinced him I was no threat. I studied the tall oak door in an attempt to see how quietly it would open, before giving it a vicious kick. It swung open and I ran in, fearing the worst. I glanced at the map of the building Kier had given me. According to the map, the crucifix was kept in a glass cabinet in the east wing. I sprinted there, only to find that the room was made up entirely of glass cabinets. I cursed a little before slowly examining them all. Five minutes later I opened the last one and pushed to the floor in frustration, letting it shatter. Just like all the others this one was empty.

"Looking for this?" a voice echoed from behind me. I span around and was greeted by the Cardinal, holding a small silver-coloured crucifix in his gloved hand and with an ashamed-looking Victoria a few steps behind him. He looked at me with a sneer before continuing. "Well well well, Ashley you've been a very naughty boy. Attempting to steal my wife away from me, trespassing on my own personal property, and now vandalism. I could report you to the police for any one of those things. But quite frankly I don't think they'd punish you severely enough for my liking. It's like I always say, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." He lunged towards me and I barely managed to avoid him. He snarled at me and I noticed that his grip on the crucifix was loosening. If I could just distract him a little....

"Cardinal? If I'm going to die here anyway, can I at least have a last conversation with Victoria? She's done nothing wrong, I should at least say goodbye to her." He pondered this before nodding.

"I shouldn't really allow it, but I am a generous man. It's only because I get to watch your heart break that I'm permitting this. You have precisely one minute." He left the room and closed the door behind him. Victoria instantly leapt into an apology.