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Supposedly the monsters were contained by the Baroness in her manor perched above the village. Supposedly the Hounds drove the creatures out of Darkmoor. Supposedly the night should be safe to walk home.
But that was all supposed. The vampire with bloody teeth standing in Amelia’s path was very real.
Her parents had taught her what to do if she’d ever run into a monster, but that was all gone from her memory now. All she could think of doing was keeping her sister safe.
Nat was frozen beside her as well, unable to take her eyes off the vampire as he grinned cruelly at the two girls. Amelia felt Nat’s body heave in panic as she put an arm in front of the younger girl. Like her arm would protect Nat from being slaughtered.
They could turn around and pray they’d get to the Burning Blade in one piece. The Hounds could deal with this monster like nobody’s business, but it was stupid to think they could beat a vampire through the Dark Forest. The Lion’s Head was much closer. Amelia was sure if they made a dash for it, they’d make it.
The vampire took a step closer. “Ladies, you have nothing to fear. It’ll be over far before you ever feel any pain,” he remarked, as if his awful comment brought any kind of comfort to the sisters.
“Nat,” Amelia whispered quickly, eyes glued on the vampire. “I’m gonna take your hand and we’re gonna make a run for it. Don’t you dare let go.”
Nat didn’t say anything, too scared to speak probably, but she nodded. She heard Amelia, her hand now open for Amelia to grab.
Which she did. “Go!” and they were dashing across the cobblestone.
Amelia heard a curse and a snarl, and she tightened her grip on Nat’s hand. There was another set of footsteps behind them: the vampire giving chase, for sure. Nat kept up, her hand in a death grip around Amelia’s. The sisters ran, just feet from the light of Lion’s Head illuminating the stone beneath their pounding feet. Three feet. Two. One-
The footsteps disappeared as there was a whoosh and the awful sound of bats screeching. Leathery wings and pinprick fangs suddenly blocked Amelia’s view of the Lion’s Head, the screeching now sounding like a thousand tiny battle cries puncturing her eardrums. A little claw slashed just below Amelia’s eye and she squeezed her eyes shut, using her free hand to try and push the bats out of her way. She heard Nat cry out behind her and suddenly she lost her grasp on- “Natani!”
She opened her eyes just in time to see a flash of teeth as strong arms forced her to the ground.
Amelia couldn’t fight back as the vampire drilled his fangs into her neck, as he held her down while he drank the warm blood draining down her neck. She coughed, a splash of blood spurting from her mouth.
“This could’ve been so much easier, my dears,” the vampire hissed, faking a tone of pity even though she could feel him smiling as he lapped at the wound. “I could’ve had my meal and you wouldn’t have had to suffer like this. But you had to go and ru-“
He stopped mid-sentence, and Amelia heard a choking sound come from him. He was jerked away from her neck and she turned her pounding head to see Nat had jumped onto his back and had an arm around his throat.
She must’ve seen Amelia move, because she screamed out- “Ami! The crucif-!” before being grabbed by the vampire and thrown over his head and onto the cobble street in front of him.
Suddenly Amelia remembered what her parents had taught her.
With shaky hands, Amelia searched for the cross necklace beneath her shirt. Her fingers made contact with the silver symbol resting on her chest and she hissed in pain. Sure, it had a sharp point, meant to be a tool for self defense, but that’s not what hurt her. It was the whole cross. It felt so cold, painfully cold. She released the cross, feeling a little relief. She laid there, gasping for a moment as she felt a wave of pain shudder through her.
The vampire had Nat’s forehead gripped in his head and he kept hitting the back of her head against the stones. “You rat!”
Nat yelled in pain, trying to grab at his hands. Amelia knew Nat was capable on her own, but against a bloodthirsty vampire…god above, she looked so helpless.
Amelia didn’t care what her parents had taught her. She’d already failed to handle this beast properly and she was going to die tonight. But if nothing else, she had to make sure Nat was safe.
Nat’s head started to bleed. The vampire’s eyes glittered with morbid anticipation. A surge of adrenaline hit Amelia.
She was up in a moment, pulling the chain off her neck with a swift movement. She was silent as she stabbed the sharp silver cross through the vampire’s eye. He screamed, stumbling back as thick black liquid spurted from the wound. She couldn’t let him go with just a gouged eye. So she stabbed him again. And again. In and out, the sludge spraying with each thrust. Over and over.
The screams and snarls faded into the night, and eventually just the sound of wind rustling the trees could be heard. Amelia stood over the vampire’s motionless body, feeling everything zone in and out. It was like her brain couldn’t decide whether or not it believed this was real.
“Amelia?” Nat groaned out, and she turned to see her sister clutching her head. Nat was alive and the threat was gone. This was real. The alternative was just too evil to believe.
She ran over, putting a hand against the gash in Nat’s crown. “C’mon, home is just around the corner.”
Nat leaned into her, and Amelia found it wasn’t difficult to stay upright herself. They headed down the road, home not too far now. Soon, they’d wrap up their wounds and crash into bed and forget this all happened by morning.
With one hand, she held Nat close, keeping pressure on the wound. The other felt like it was on fire. She looked down at the cross in her hand, seeing the stars and the sliver of moon reflected in the silver blade.
But not herself.