>>>>>>>>>>>>> Chapter 10 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
+ Parting Words +
“Do you still remember how I had saved you both from the hands of death? Foolish, as you were, grieving over the loss of this little girl – tried to murder yourselves.” She laughed, filling the area with the bloody mist that followed her movements. “I pitted you against each other, you see.”
“A few hundred years ago I was cursed and banished by my own father from Moldavia. Just because I took a few of his bastards lives…I only took what was rightfully mine, I was the only rightful daughter. But he wanted to place his son from a woman with no tinge of royalty in her blood. I had to make use of whatever power was in my command. Being a woman during those days was very restraining. I had no influence in politics and I had no followers in my father’s council.
They wanted him, though. Emeraldie’s father, my half-brother, Eustacio…just because he was ‘son’ and I was ‘daughter’. I made the rift between our kingdoms and pitted only the two best generals, thinking that when I arrived to offer immortality when you were at the brink of death, you would in turn, become my loyal servants.”
She brushed a forefinger on her dark, sinister lips.
“But that had been all for naught. My stupid niece had herself killed during the battle. Stupid little twit, ruined my plans!” Errzabeth kicked at Amber’s feet.
“And as your history would provide you, I turned to the dark arts. Salasarn had taught me well before she had died and revived herself as these two screaming harpies. But I had been found…unfortunately…while I was – mmm, drawing out the life force of one of my half-sisters…It was truly a sad moment in my life. Almost as sad as when I took the pains of sharing you my gift only to be shunned by you. Instead of being obedient – children should really listen to their mother – you despised having to live for eternity. What ignorance was that! ”
Errzabeth drew out the crystal dagger from her robe and cut the chains from me.
I dashed to where Amber was, clinging at the foot of the cross… But it was a mistake repeated twice…
“Yuuzel!” I heard Joseff’s cry in time to see the crystal dagger aim at Amber’s chest. If I failed to protect her then, I will not fail her now – the sharp blade pierced me, much to my relief, it drove into my flesh and not hers.
I would have preferred to die like this…
“Yuuzel!” I heard Amber’s cry as it drowned into tears…my mistake was to let her cling to me as she did.
“If you wish to save your precious Yuuzel, then offer him your life force.” Errzabeth kneeled down beside her, whispered words of deceit in her ear.
I should have warned her, should have denied the hunger that loomed in my throat…
“Please…if this will save you, then please…” she cried. I turned my face away, wincing as Errzabeth had dug the dagger deeper before drawing it out of my body.
“Stop that!” Amber cried out. “Stop!”
“You are very resilient, child. Then how about we make it harder for you to resist?” The damned witch grabbed Amber’s hand and with a single slice, allowed her blood to drip into the corner of my mouth.
“Damn you to hell!” I bellowed.
“Why do you resist your own need, Yuuzel?” Errzabeth traced the trickle of blood and drew circles on my face. “See, Joseff. He is more honest than you…”
I looked at Joseff then, found his hungry red eyes, his fangs no longer retracted… “NO. You must try and rescue Amber out of here.” My voice had made him wake back into sanity.
“How stupid..!” Errzabeth stood up, her gaze never left us. And then a moment I will never forget – “If you won’t celebrate this feast with me then I shall have to enjoy her on my own…I won’t starve along with you!” The dam, accursed, witch drew out her fangs…
“Amber! Amber! Amber!”
When she had drunk her fill, Errzabeth threw Amber at me. “Amber!”
“Yuu…” she murmured weakly… “Yuu…”
Errzabeth seated herself on a throne of grey marble, hurled the crystal dagger towards the Salasarn Sisters.
“Use that to cut off the girl’s head. And prepare a bath for me…”
The two creatures slithered their way towards Amber. I clutched at the open wound on my chest – my heart no longer beats, I had no pulse – what have I to lose? Why haven’t I acted sooner?
One of the creatures hands entwined Amber’s arms while the other held the crystal dagger. I wrenched it out from that creature, stabbing her in the heart. The chains that held Joseff evaporated into thick white nothingness.
Errzabeth, with her palm open wide, drew out her strength and tried drawing Amber towards her. Joseff had quickly freed Amber from the creature that held her. The remaining Salasarn creature, limped towards its mistress, a hand reached toward her for mercy. Errzabeth had no soul. She only walked over her minion and as she did so, the creature began to simmer despite herself.
I quickly pulled Amber towards me before Errzabeth got to her, clutching her, as I once did Emeraldie. Joseff stepped into the dead and malevolent space that lay between us.
She opened her hand once again, and this time drew on the crystal dagger. Joseff managed to reverse the dagger’s edge so that it had pierced right through her palm. The damned, accursed, witch gave out a shrill cry. Something from the coldness of the night had cried and a thick foam of bloody mist enveloped her. She vanished into the darkness, wailing and screaming her return…
The sun slowly rose from the shadows of the castle. I held Amber then as I had once held Emeraldie as she gasped for air.
“We need to turn her. If she is to live, we need to turn her now!” Joseff kneeled at my side.
Amber shook her head.
“Amber…”
“Please don’t…” she said in between gasps “forget the promise…”
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
Blood Ink (The Archives Book I): Editing
Vampiro"Two deaths that happened in the distant past were revealed to me. Now there was a recent murder within the school that I had to witness for myself. And when I fled to a new found friend (though I wanted to be more than that) for comfort, he tells m...
