"Doll, no, let her go!" Ryder yelled as he tried desperately to free himself but only caused him to get burned by the ropes.
"Don't worry, soon you're going to be just like her, we just wanted to make sure that she won't be able to fight us so Alice can watch how you slowly agonize to death." The Headmistress said as she got near Ryder.
Claire chuckled as she met my gaze.
"Does it hurt vampire kisser?" Claire said in a mocking tone before she dug in deeper the dagger to my side making me gasp in pain.
"Leave her alone." Beck yelled as he pulled the ropes from his wrist but gain nothing by doing that.
"Stop it Beck you are only going to hurt yourself and I want those honors, this is the least you deserve for your betrayal. Now you, Vampire Prince are next." The Headmistress said as Claire got near Ryder.
My back slid down the wall until I sat down on the ground.
"Ryder." I whispered as I met his gaze.
I knew he was feeling the same amount of pain as I was, I couldn't stand to see him get hurt.
Both Dan and Jonathan stayed down unconscious in the ground that way maybe I still had some hopes; I had used a special maneuver Selene had taught me in one of her trainings, with certain amount of strength and in the correct place you could make a person blackout, just like I had done with Jonathan and Dan.
Claire got near Ryder and traced her wooden stake up his chest.
"Just one clean shot, I'd love to do the honors." Claire said as she pulled her hand away getting ready to strike.
"No!" I yelled as I pulled out the dagger from my ribs and threw it at Claire aiming for her back. Claire yelled in pain as she stumbled backwards trying to reach the dagger so she could pull it out.
I yanked my red gem off my neck and got up even if my legs started to quiver. Nastasia looked at me alarmed before she launched towards Ryder, I pulled out the daggers from my belt and threw them towards the Headmistress managing to hit her in her palm of her hands staking her to the wall, I looked at her with a smirk as Nastasia screamed in pain.
"Alice, hurry up before the others get here!" Beck said as he warned me.
I nodded before I headed towards Ryder and used the spare blade I had to cut the ropes off him. Once Ryder was free I immediately embraced him.
"Are you alright Ryder?" I asked him as soon as I felt his arms wrap around me.
Ryder nodded and pulled away from me.
"I'm okay but we need to get you out of here, you're hurt." Ryder said as he looked at my drenched clothes that were all full of blood, my blood.
I shook my head.
"No, I'm alright but you need to know that I-."
"Doll, watch out!" Ryder said cutting me off as he abruptly threw me to the side making me land on the ground.
I looked up shocked as Antonio tackled Ryder down, just as I got up Antonio pulled Ryder up placing his wooden stake right in his chest getting ready to pierce his skin and drive it right into his heart.
"Don't move little one or it will be the imminent end of your dearest Vampire Prince." Antonio said as he threatened me.
I stopped cold on my feet and glared at him.
"Antonio you're making a huge mistake." I said as I looked at him, one step that was all I needed to take and Antonio would kill Ryder.
Claire got up, pulled away the dagger from her back before she went over to Nastasia to retrieve the two daggers I had previously thrown her.
"A mistake was not killing you when I had the chance Alice; I was stupid enough to let the Association know about your existence instead of killing you after I had killed your mother and just blamed it on the vampires that had attacked the Academy that dawn. I'd have everything I wanted if it was that way, without you in this world by now I would have everything I have been yearning for." Nastasia said as she walked away from the wall.
"You're right; you would have this insane ideal of power by suppressing the hunters and members of the Association? You would have killed anyone that stood in your way letting you have by granted the power you desire just like you have been doing lately so don't you dare to bring up excuses Nastasia because things wouldn't be any different from what they are now." I said as I looked at her furious.
"Not quite; I would have something for sure, the extinction of vampires." Nastasia said before I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder blade, Claire had stabbed me once again with her dagger.
"It's not so funny when it happens to you, right?" Claire whispered against my ear before she dug in the dagger deeper making me land on the ground with my knees.
"Now be a good girl and stay there or else things will get worse for your dearest Ryder." Nastasia said as she got near Antonio and Ryder.
I met Ryder's gaze before I nodded at him, Ryder stared at me in horror before I gave a sight and turned around towards Claire with a swift. I hit her in the chin catching her off guard, then I hit her in the ribs knocking the air out of her and sending her off balance before I kicked her in the chest sending her down to the ground unconscious, Claire was a good fighter but she needed more years of preparation before she could become a possible threat. I turned around and saw that Ryder had managed to knock over Antonio and that they were now currently fighting. I looked at Antonio's wooden stake that was now lying on the ground near them, just as I rushed towards it Nastasia pushed me away as she shoved something to my mouth making the crystal break in my mouth causing me to swallow the liquid even if I try to spit it out, it was vervain I felt how it burned down my throat and how it was making my wounds stop healing.
"Now this way it will only make our fight fair." Nastasia said against my face as we fell to the ground.
I kicked her away before I threw my legs up making me get up without using my hands.
"What have you done to Claire?" Antonio yelled as he saw for the first time his sister's unconscious body.
"Don't worry Antonio it's not permanent, Claire will be unconscious for two or three hours, depending on how bad the damage is. Unfortunately, you won't be going through the same luck." I said as I took a step forward and stumbled trying not to fall.
Nastasia smiled.
"It seems like the vervain is doing its effect." Nastasia said as she approached to me.
"It will take you more than that to defeat me." I said before I swung at her.
Nastasia stopped my hand, twisted it against my back and threw me to the wall making my face hit the brick wall.
"Remember that I am one of the many instructors you had in this Academy, I know very possible move you can make. I have studied you carefully thought out the years." Nastasia said with a chuckle.
I smiled against the wall.
"You don't know every move I have." I said before I used the wall to push myself off, I used my legs against the wall managing to do a back flip getting away from Nastasia's grip.
"How did you-?" Nastasia asked astonished as she turned around and glared at me.
I smiled at her.
"I've been getting private classes from Selene the past months; I bet you still remember her, don't you? She says hello to you by the way." I told her with a smirk.
Nastasia launched towards me furious and started to attack me. I avoided the many hits I could but Nastasia was a good fighter, she had gotten many years of practice but I still managed to make some damage on her.
"Just give up Alice, you're not a huntress and you'll never be one." Nastasia said before she hit me sending me down near the edge of the roof.
I could feel the sweat and blood dripping off my body as my heart started to race; I knew that Nastasia wouldn't simply give up, not until she saw me dead. My body was completely exhausted and worn out, it constantly yelled at me and pleaded me to stop, to rest; I knew I was pushing myself past my limits and by doing such thing I wouldn't go off without no consequences. I looked over at Ryder and saw how he was being restrained by Antonio, one false move and he would die; all of us would die and all those sacrifices that had been done by the people I most loved and cared about would be all in vain, for nothing and I simply could not give up, if I had to I would die this same night but I would go down for all of those people I loved.
I got up as Nastasia got near me with a cocky smile, I wiped away the thin line of blood that was trailing down to my chin and met her gaze.
"It seems like you don't know me after all these years Nastasia, don't you know very well that I won't go down, not with a fight I thought you knew that of all people?" I said as I looked at her.
Nastasia laughed at my answer.
"I find it ridiculous Alice that you are so stubborn to hold onto silly things such as the so-called pride you Alice claim to have when clearly that for you is no longer existent. You don't have a pride, dignity or reputation to fight for, wherever you go you will be known as a traitor, you will no longer be reliable, everyone will no longer trust you because you're a traitor Alice." Nastasia said as she got near me leaving a few inches between us.
I smiled at her.
"You know what they say, it takes one to know one but you're completely mental if you think that I'm going to be just like you." I told her with a growl.
"Then have it your way." Nastasia said before she reached for something from my belt.
I tried to push her away but Nastasia hit me making me stumble backwards, then she reached towards me and she pulled the trigger. Pain shot through my chest as I felt my body run cold and my vision started to cloud; even if the pain was unbearable I still managed to pull Nastasia down with me making the both of us fall from the edge of the roof. I heard some distant screams before I reacted and hold onto the edge of the roof avoiding the three-story fall, pain shot through my right arm as Nastasia held a strong grip to one of my legs, my right shoulder was injured and I wouldn't be able to hang on from the edge any longer.
"Let go off me!" I screamed as I tried to kick Nastasia off but that only caused the pain on my arm to increase.
"If I'm going down you will go down with me; that is what he ordered!" Nastasia yelled as she pulled my legs harder making me start to lose my grip.
I screamed in pain as my body started to quiver, if I didn't get Nastasia off we would both fall and die. Then I realized something that Nastasia had just said, she mentioned a 'he'. Who was that man she was referring to?
I looked down at the ground before I met Nastasia's gaze.
"You know I used to look up to you when I was a child, I wanted to be just like you when I was little now I'm grateful that I realized who you truly were before it was too late, before I became the monster that you are. You have been wrong your whole life Nastasia, the vampires you killed weren't the bloody monsters, you were!" I said before I used my left hand, pulled out the last remaining dagger I had in my belt and threw it right in the middle of Nastasia's chest.
I watched how Nastasia let go off me and started to fall until her body touched the ground. I gave a gasp as I saw Nastasia's lifeless eyes staring back at me.
Nastasia was finally dead, she was dead.