The battle stopped. There was no sound, not even a breath. Ruby felt it; the darkness curl around her as she held her arms open wide. All of her power, all of her strength honed into death's scythe. Focused on one person. As one star burst into being, lighting up Orpheus, his jaw went slack at the sight.
All Ruby saw was the blood, Talon's blood, on his mouth.
She flicked her wrist. Thousands and thousands of stars came alive around them, lighting up the field of fighters. Ruby briefly caught sight of Halle standing at one end of the battle. She was bloody, but alive. The girl met Ruby's gaze and nodded.
Every star was spinning, faster and faster until their scythed edges were lethal. Then, with a resounding boom, Ruby slammed her fists together, and the stars hurtled out of the darkness. The vampires cried out in twisted, wretched screams as the stars shot right into them. Too fast to stop. Ruby watched in grim satisfaction as one's arm slid off, another's head, and one fell to the ground in pieces.
She saved Orpheus for last. Whipping her skirt out of her way, Ruby stormed her path towards him.
The hunters jumped back and scuttled out of her way, some whimpering in fear. She ignored them.
Real fear showed on Orpheus's face. She raised her hands and the stars burned bright hot. Sharper than ever. She'd make sure to fry him from the inside out. Watch as his boiling blood bubbled from his lips. Smile as he begged her to stop. Slowly, inch by inch, carve into his heart. And then, she'd kill him. She hadn't decided exactly how to yet but knew she'd enjoy it all the same.
"Don't do this, Ruby," he said. His stance was strong, expression hard, but he couldn't hide the nervous edge to his words.
"I don't listen to you anymore."
His jaw ticked. He clung tighter to Talon, using his body as a shield. As if she couldn't get him from the back. Ruby stopped only mere feet away.
"Release him," she ordered.
A small hand slipped into hers. Halle. The girl stood tall, facing off Orpheus with a cold, hard gaze. "I'm right here," she whispered, "always by your side."
Ruby was going to thank her when another person moved beside her. The small girl with doe eyes. Worry creased the girl's brow as she glanced between Talon and Orpheus. "Can you save him?"
"Yes."
Orpheus scoffed, "He'll be dead before you take a single step."
She ignored him and held the girl's gaze. Finally the girl nodded and her expression smoothed with determination, "Then I'm right beside you."
Ruby's heart lifted. A small sign that maybe she hadn't lost her humanity.
She faced him once more, now feeling a lot less alone. Ruby began twirling her finger in the air, making a few of the stars behind her spin as well. Orpheus's eyes followed their rotation and he swallowed hard.
"Let him go. I won't repeat myself."
He looked at her, truly looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. Baring his teeth, he growled, "Neither will I," and drove his teeth back into Talon, tearing into him ruthlessly. A small cry tumbled from Talon.
"No!" The girl screamed.
"Halle," Ruby cried.
Halle's arms shot up and the air stirred. With a whip's crack Orpheus's head snapped back. He made a sound between a cry and a growl, fighting against the air Halle was hitting him with. Talon slipped from his arms. Ruby shoved the hunter girl forward, yelling, "Go! Get him safe!"
She nodded and ran forward, ducking over him.
Ruby grabbed Halle's arm, "Help her!"
"But you-"
"Halle, you've helped so much already," she said hurriedly, "please get him safe! Let me finish this!"
Worry for her friend clouded Halle's eyes but she nodded and croaked, "Okay."
Just as Ruby was going to walk away Halle snatched her arm and with a ferocity Ruby had never heard from her friend, said, "Make it hurt."
Ruby nodded. She turned towards the man who had caused so much pain and misery. The winds whipped at her hair as she approached. He was just getting to his feet, swaying slightly. His hate filled eyes met hers, "Do you really think you can kill me?"
She didn't answer, she was over talking. Ruby swung her arms out and launched the stars at him. He rolled but not before one skimmed his arm, hissing as it made contact. He growled. Then he flicked his wrist.
As his hands shot out, so did a wave of dark, orange flickering in its mist. Like a wall it hit her. And it hurt.
Ruby screamed. She clawed at her skin. It was burning off of her. The air was too hot to breathe. She fell to her knees, gasping and crying.
Something hard hit her mouth and she crashed back. The darkness disappeared, leaving Orpheus who climbed on top of her, straddling her arms. She writhed beneath him, but it was no use. He was stronger.
"Get off of me you coward!" She cried.
He laughed, a sound that paired with his dishevled hair and wild eyes was nothing short of manic. There was a ring as he slid a blade from his jacket. The same blade he'd used on her. Fear froze her solid.
"Remeber this?" He taunted, grabbing her chin and moving his face mere inches from hers, "Maybe I can teach you how to behave."
A purely animal growl broke out of her and she brought the stars on him once again. He ducked but three hit. He grunted. Ruby clenched her fists and the stars burrowed into him. Through flesh and tissue and into bone. He cried out, convulsing.
Then a sharp wind shot him off of her. Ruby was immediately on her feet. Blood dripped down her nose into her mouth. She turned to find Halle standing a few yards away with her arms up as the winds spun around Orpheus and Ruby. Behind her lay Talon with the hunter and a few others hovering over him. To her relief they were bandaging him. They were all safe.
Something close to hope rose in her as she faced her opponent. Orpheus was fighting to get to his feet, jerking as the stars dug deeper and deeper into him. Blood was gushing over his lips and from his back. He moaned. She watched as his supporting arm slipped in his own blood and he crashed down.
She'd expected a dark glee from seeing him like this but in the end, Ruby wasn't him. She bent down beside him and flipped him over. He moaned again, arching his back off of the ground. Ruby forced it down. His eyes flew open and he snatched her wrist. But all anger was gone and left in its place was a wild desperation.
"Ruby," he pleaded, "please, save me. I prom-" he choked, coughing up more blood, "I promise not to kill again. I won't hurt you or anyone. Please."
She shook her head, "I don't believe you."
"I wasn't going to kill all of the High Vampire."
Her brows furrowed, "What?"
He nodded, "I swear I wasn't. I was just going to get rid of the hunters. They kill us! I was using the Shadows. When I found you, I didn't plan on world domination, Ruby. Only to turn you against the Shadows!"
"To kill two birds with one stone."
"Yes," he gasped out. She frowned. He looked truly pathetic in that moment, covered in his own blood, jerking in pain, and begging her for his life. "I promise, Ruby."
All this time she'd assumed he was doing it all for more power. Could his intentions have been that good or was this just a ploy to save his own life?
Ruby sighed. Laying a gentle hand on his cheek, she said, "I wish I could believe you. But even if I did, the death needs to stop. You need to stop."
"What- No, please!"
She ignored him, standing up and taking a slow step back.
"Ruby! Please!" He tried to pull himself towards her, stopping to cry out as the stars dug deeper. His screams were hoarse as he shouting her name. Over and over he called for her.
Ruby lifted her arms. The moon's glow materialized before her, curving into a beautiful golden crescent and gleaming like a blade.
He cried out, arching his back in pain, "Ruby please!" He begged. She winced and a slice of regret shot through her.
For a moment, the world slowed. Her hair whipped back and forth as the winds ragged around her. She heard it howling and heard Orpheus's cries for mercy. Mercy, a gift she would have given only weeks ago. She would have fell to her knees beside him, crying and begging him to forgive her. Not now.
Ruby had no mercy.
She flung out the crescent and it soared, slicing through his mid-section all through to his spine. It vanished in a flash of light. Orpheus's torso slumped, revealing his gooey insides as they slid out. The cries stopped.
The wind died down around her and she stared at him.
He was dead.
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*screams* YAY!
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