Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 59

If someone had told me that I would find myself in this position, I would have thought them insane. After all, I am risking my own existence for others when the easiest thing to do would've been to run and hide.

The Vampire Council wouldn't be able to find me if I left everyone and everything behind. What terrifies me the most is the fact that I would rather die than do so.

It is difficult for me to admit the reasons behind it since it's something I never thought I could feel as strongly as I do, love.

"I can hear them approaching," I say as my supercharged hearing picks up the distant sounds.

"I guess Healer blood is more powerful than I assumed. I still don't hear anything." Tobias says.

Although we are both whispering, we can hear each other clearly. However, I can see that I have to give all the commands immediately since the enemy will be in the hearing range in no time.

"The Vampire Council and the guards are approaching from the southwest. At least a dozen of them. Be ready since they'll soon be in the hearing range. Stop any further communication." I say.

Silence is my answer, and I am glad that no one questions my orders since it would have been a waste of time.

The Vampire Council and their guards are now close enough that I am sure the others can hear them as well. With my energy levels as high as they are at the moment, I find it hard to keep still and follow the plan.

I know that I should wait for them to reach the clearing, that way, they will be surrounded on all sides, but my bloodlust is coming back with a vengeance. It's like it's trying to catch up with me for not murdering in cold blood the man I love.

Ripping apart every vampire that has even thought about hurting Eliot sounds like just the perfect way to spend my day. However, I can't help but wonder what that says about me.

Has Eliot's love changed me as fundamentally as I believe, or is it a short-term effect that wears off once I leave his presence?

Though I am unsure of its cause, I think I can use it to ensure our victory. Finally, I can see the guards reach the clearing with the Council members following cautiously behind.

They can sense that something is not as it should be, but I am happy to note that their senses haven't spotted us, lurking in the shadows. The confusion of senses is especially noticeable with the guards.

My guess is that since the Vampire Council thinks of them as dispensable, none of the guards are old enough to deal with this much of a sensory overload. While the Council, on the contrary, doesn't seem as confused. They just seem very cautious.

Waiting for them to exit the tree line is torture since I want to get this over with as soon as possible. Besides, the potency of Eliot's blood is deteriorating with each passing second. We need all the advantages we can get, so I really wish to get this over with while I am still at the peak of my strength.

Luckily, the pridefulness of the Vampire Council works in our favor. They proceed forward despite having noticed something odd about their surroundings. I guess being revered as gods for such a long time is bound to leave them feeling overconfident.

Crouching low behind the bushes, I see the faces of the people who have wanted me dead for a long time. I can see that they are mere machines. They are here to do their duty, and it makes me wonder if they were ever truly alive, if killing them could really be seen as murder.

Finally, I burst through the bushes, attacking the guard closest to me. I am so fast that he doesn't even see me coming before pieces of him are scattered on the ground.

Even my teeth seem sharper, making tearing a vampire apart seem like a child's play, and if I am being honest, I like it. I like the feeling of being more powerful than my enemies, of being in charge.

Before I can become too complacent, I can see the body parts trying to assemble themselves while Seymour and the others burst through the tree line, engaging the rest of the vampires in a fight. A fight which no one can tell for sure who will win.

"Helen, you'll have to get rid of the body parts. You're the fastest." Seymour says, attempting to lock a vampire's head and pull it off its shoulders.

"On it!" I say.

Though I pick up the body parts as instructed, part of me worries. I am fast but am I fast enough to do both jobs that I wish to do? Can I kill and carry the dismembered bodies to the Healers for burning?

Still, I pick up as many pieces as I can, some I even hold in my mouth and carry them to the arranged location where the fire has already been started.

"Helen, it has started?" tired-looking Eliot asks.

"Yes. Be careful with the body parts. They can still try to escape." I say, tossing the vampire's head into the flames.

My logic is that the Healers surrounding Eliot can deal with everything but the vampire poison.

"Good luck!" I hear Eliot say as I run back to the battlefield.

Things are going surprisingly well. With Seymour and Tobias keeping the Vampire Council occupied and Cecilia and Alarcos maiming the guard. However, none of the Council members seem to have suffered any injuries, which is worrisome.

"Tobias, let's switch. You and Cecilia take care of the parts, and Seymour, Alarcos, and I will deal with them." I say.

He immediately obeys as I step in to fight the Council member he has struggled with.

"You are delusional if you think you can defeat us. What makes you think you are any different from your pathetic little friend?" Garo, the Council member in charge, says.

I smile brightly with all the malice I can muster before responding.

"I guess you'll find out soon enough," I say.

Then, I start attacking him with such speed and agility that Garo is barely keeping up with me. I can see his confidence wavering, but that doesn't make me overly confident in our victory. After all, there are two more Council members, and I am not sure Seymour and Alarcos are good enough fighters to deal with them.

At least they are better than Cecilia and Tobias, which is my only comfort. That's especially true, having in mind how squeamish they had become since they awoke their Healer blood.

I need to finish off Garo as soon as possible. I don't have the time for a fair fight, so I need to use the blood coursing through my veins to the best of my abilities.

That is when I see a tree branch high above me, much higher than I would have been able to reach as a regular vampire. However, I start wondering if maybe this is the right time to give it a try.

As Garo barges towards me, I jump high up, and to my surprise, I catch the branch I was aiming for, so I use it to swing over Garo. Then I proceed to drop behind him, sinking my teeth into his neck before he can even realize I am no longer in front of him.

In less than a minute, I use my teeth to separate his head from his shoulders. As I proceed to bite off other body parts, his eyes look at me with horror.

"You can't do that." his mouth says.

"Just watch me," I say as I continue my task.