Mirrors & Shadows

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝐗𝐗𝐈

գ 𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔥𝔰 𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔯~ 𝔅𝔩𝔲𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔉𝔞𝔠𝔢𝔰

It's funny how malleable time can be. We mold it by our feelings. The seconds in that moment seemed to stretch on, and the beating of her blood against her temples resonated like the ticking of an internal clock. Edmond was now so close she could hear his breathing. But instead of feeling the expected pain in her neck, she shivered. His cold lips softly pressed against the skin of her neck in a tender kiss. And then, before she knew what was happening, he lunged.

But not at her.

Lucinde's grip on her shoulders loosened. Luna turned around and saw the vampire's red eyes flash with shock. Her white suit was becoming as red as her tie. There was a pause around the room. Edmond withdrew a bloody knife. The audience held its breath in disbelief at what was happening. The Red Marchioness—her name now fit perfectly, toppled backwards in her own blood.
    "From now on, as long as Luna Enwright is on my grounds, she will be under my protection." Edmond announced loud and clear, making sure to state her name and not call her by the name of her species. He bent down, and pulled out a second knife from his other shoe. He flipped it in his hand, extending the handle toward Lucinde. She glared up at him before grabbing the knife. In a blur of movement, she charged at him, but not with the intention of stabbing him. Instead, her fangs sank into his neck in a bestial manner. Then she spat his blood on the floor.
"You're betraying your own kind," she hissed menacingly, his blood dribbling down her chin which accentuated the ruby gleam of her eyes.
With a ferocious cry, she thrust the metal blade at her opponent aiming for his throat but Edmond dodged in time. Then, the audience who had been paralyzed in awe erupted into chaos. The two sides of the room met head-on. Err...what should I do now? Luna thought somewhat awkwardly as she watched a bunch of bloodthirsty vampires leaping at each other's throats. Edmond and Lucy were but swirls of movement now, their daggers glinting in the chandelier's dim light.

Uh oh... she exclaimed internally, unable to move as she noticed a tall man thundering toward her. Although he held no visible weapon, his right hand was completely bathed red and long sharp fangs appeared through his lips. But before he had the chance to pounce on her, he was set off track as someone slammed into him. Despite the fact that half of his face was bruised, stained purple and black, she recognized Arthur. His ginger hair seemed tinted with scarlet.
"Leave immediately," he ordered. "I'm fine." He tried to grin but the other half of his face wouldn't follow. "The door is to the left," he managed to indicate before his assailant got back to his feet. "Go."
Recovering from her earlier shock, Luna climbed up the stairs, to the door. She took one last glance at the room which had become a real butcher's shop before closing the door on that awful scene.

However, closing that door was like shutting her eyes. She was now left in absolute darkness. The sound of running water could be heard. Was she where she thought she was? Was this Paris's underground sewage? She let out a soft sob and felt her cheeks soak. She hadn't even realized she was crying. The air was humid and stuffy. She felt for the cold floor with her hands. This was a ledge. She continued cautiously, on hands and knees until she reached the end of it. Her legs were weak and wobbly as she stood up. Nevertheless, she began to run. Her footsteps echoed in the never ending obscurity. If she found light, she would find the exit, she convinced herself.

Screams resonated in the distance. Maybe they had noticed her absence. Perhaps they were coming after her now. She accelerated her pace. The sound of roaring water grew stronger again. Was she running in circles? Was this where she had started?

After a while she was too out of breath to continue. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily and crawled backwards, leaning next to the stone wall. The screams had been silenced and Luna wondered what that meant for her.