Crimson Queen

Damnation

Recap: Michael and Lucinda have found the missing townsfolk and brought them back into town. However, Lucinda is on the verge of changing into a vampire.

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Lucinda’s Pov

An icy chill swept through my body. I couldn’t think. I was suspended in a vacuum of darkness. My veins felt heavy and the chill kept spreading. My stomach twisted. My mind was slowly being shredded by claws. The darkness was closing in. Dots danced across my vision. I glanced at Michael. His lips moved but I couldn’t hear his voice.

I opened my mouth again but I couldn’t speak. There was something I had to tell him. The Sheriff couldn’t be trusted. Ribbons of ice replaced my veins and all other thoughts disappeared from my mind. Through the agony, I felt my heart slamming against my chest. I looked back at Michael and that’s when I knew. He was praying for me.

His head was bowed. In his hand, he held a knife shorter than the length of his arm. Michael was going to kill me.

 I don’t want to die.

The thought filled me with overwhelming fear. Tears jumped to my eyes. I had been prepared for it too. Death was something glorious and expected. My father never talked about the fear that came with it.

Michael raised his head and out eyes met. Cold grey eyes looked into mine. His jaw was clenched. He placed a hand on my forehead. I turned my head toward the warmth. I felt so cold. My body wouldn’t stop shaking. A sob escaped my lips. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears spilled over my cheeks. I didn’t want to see the knife inching closer and closer to my chest. I could sense it.

The weight of my body was disappearing. My conscience was disappearing. Each breath was painful. It felt like hundreds of little needles were piercing my lungs. They burned. I couldn’t get enough air. My heart jumped wildly – at least it tried to. Every beat took longer and longer.

The darkness was pulling me under. Michael’s hand lost its warmth. My eyelids grew heavier and my tears stopped. I gasped for breath. I knew my death was necessary. I couldn’t spend an eternity as a monster. I forced my eyes opened and looked at Michael. My father had raised a coward. He would be ashamed of me if he knew I had turned away from my death. It took all my strength to nod at Michael.

I was ready.

Michael’ POV

He sensed her aura surge. Lucinda’s face twisted in pain but her gaze remained on his face. He couldn’t let her down. His grip on the knife tightened.

“God will welcome you into His grace.”

 Michael raised the knife and stabbed down but frantic knocking stopped his hand centimeters away from Lucinda’s heart.

 “Sir! Please! I need help!

He recognized the voice. Why was the Innkeeper up at this time of night? He placed the knife on the bed beside Lucinda. He opened and door and the Innkeeper threw herself at him, clutching his clothes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Vampires!” she shrieked. “”They’re everywhere. They came out thin air and started attacking everyone outside.”

There wasn’t any time to think about her words. Michael sensed a movement behind him and he froze. The Innkeeper glanced over his shoulder and screamed. He released her immediately. The Innkeeper turned on her heel and ran. Michael turned around. Next to the window, stood the newly transformed Lucinda.

Her skin had paled to a milky white; her hair had darkened. The most noticeable change was her eyes. Blood colored eyes stared at him. Michael couldn’t think. How could he have waited to kill her? She was beyond God’s help now.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

In one fluid motion, Lucinda jumped out of the window. The glass window pane shattered. Michael jumped out of the surprise. He ran to the window and looked down below. Lucinda was gone.  Then he heard them, the screams. He could sense the vampires close by. Michael went back to the bed where he sheathed the knife into the scabbard and adjusted his sword across his back.

It was up to him to end this. It’d been a mistake for him to wait for the last moment before Lucinda had changed. Her damnation was now on his shoulders. She had to be released from her monstrous form and it fell upon him to do it. He walked back to the window and without a moment of hesitation, Michael jumped from the window. He landed and started to run toward the noise.

The screams grew louder and louder as he neared. How could he have let this happen? He was a Holy Knight. He could sense vampires. Why hadn’t he been able to do it now? Michael increased his speed. He came upon a few of the scattering townsfolk.

“Get to safety,” he told each and every one of them.

It wasn’t long before he came upon the attack. There were six vampires in total. They were feeding from the dying bodies. Michael grabbed his sword and fell upon the unholy creatures. Anger surged through his body. Guilt and shame made his sword heavy. There was a single thought in his mind: had Lucinda’s changing aura obscured his senses?

His sword flashed down upon the unsuspecting vampires. The others noticed quickly. Two foolish vampires attacked him. They were cut down in seconds. Michael worked mechanically, slashing the vampires. In a matter of minutes, all the vampires were destroyed. The screaming stopped, silencing the air. The only noise left were the chocking victims. Michael knelt down beside the nearest one. He checked her pulse. It was barely moving against his fingertips. There was no hope for her.

“Help me,” she croaked.

“There isn’t much I can do know,” he said.

He murmured a prayer, crossed himself. Mimicking his earlier actions, he sheathed his sword and grabbed the knife from its scabbard. Unlike before, he plunged the knife into her breast. Among the twenty victims, the boy he rescued first was among them. The boy was already dead when he knelt beside him. Michael closed the boy’s eyelids and stood.

He cleaned the knife and put it away. He looked around the scattered corpses. Michael didn’t know what to think. Lucinda hadn’t been among the fray. Could it be possible that she had avoided the slaughter all together? Newly turned vampires, attacked the nearest living person and bled them dry. She should have attacked me. And those words she had spoken. ‘I’m sorry,’ she had said. Were they aimed at him?

Michael had no time to ponder anything because soon after, screams echoed through the night. There was another vampire attack.

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So, what did you guys think? Do you think it's Lucinda who's attacking the villagers? Comment. Vote, etc. Share your thoughts. Special thanks to evil_girl18 for the awesome banner on the side. - Mama_Kas