The Vampire's Harvest

188

You pull out the water skin and uncap it. Holding it out before you, you call out a spell, focusing your thoughts on the water within. As your words spill over your lips, the water spills over the mouth of the skin. You feel wetness pooling at your feet and Ailisa's frantic whispers of concern, but you keep going. And then the water boils over, shooting out like a geyser. The water's volume has increased exponentially and was once enough water to quench a dry throat, is now enough to fill the room in knee-high water.

You may not have known what to expect with that spell, but it did the job. The vampires are drenched and furious. They turn to you with their fangs bared, while Ailisa disappears behind a nearby table. You know, however, that she hasn't any reason to worry for her own wellbeing. There's only one person whose blood they hunger for and you aren't going to stick around to make sure they get it.

The drones guarding the front door have open the entrance wide to allow the water out. You bolt through the draining pool, making better progress in your work clothes than anyone else in their formalwear. You skirt past outstretched hands and dodge near fatal sword swings from the drones charged with guarding their vamps. You're in the final stretch and just have to slip past the drones at the front door. Since their primary job was to cross names off a list, they have little more than a dagger on them. You bend and twist, evading their feeble strikes, before lunging through the door and stumbling down the steps.

You've twisted your ankle and you look back to see the vampires hovering at the door with rage bleeding from their eyes. Yet, they don't come forward to suck you dry while you flounder at the bottom of the stairs. So you follow their gaze and turn to find that you are not alone.

An army of thick, furry bodies growl and snap. The werewolves' leg muscles ripple with anticipation and the sight of their prey provokes a vicious howl to the full moon.

You breathe a sigh of relief as you collect yourself.

However, you don't have long to enjoy the comfort of the lupine cavalry. The vampires, now over their shock, are racing down to the street and your relation to Gianette won't save you from being trampled in the werewolves' charge.

You limp off to the side, moving as quickly as you can to the back of the pack. Still, despite the majority of the vampires refocusing their aggression upon the wolves, one vampire has not forgotten your magic trick. You hear the swift footsteps of a inhuman creature of the night. A hand reaches for you as you turn and your breath knots in your throat. Then, the hand disappears, replaced by a blur of blonde fur, a color that looks eerily similar to your own sister's hair.

A long, lean wolf pins the vampire to the ground, tearing out his throat before turning to face you with shredded skin dangling from her mouth. You know better than to linger and you continue onward until you hear the collective screech of several vampires.

You chance a look back and see that those still funneling out of the hall are now set ablaze, their bodies burning a violet red before dropping into a pile of ash. You smile and decide to thank Ferris later for killing half the vampire horde. With them gone, the rest stand no chance against the hefty mass of fur and muscle. As quickly as it started, it's over.

After the battle, the wolves gather round you and the largest of the pack steps forward, his jaw wide. And though the fangs look menacing in the glow of the moon, there's no malice in his eyes. The blonde wolf comes up beside you and rubs her head against your arm, nudging your hand forward with her wet nose.

You look into into her golden green eyes and you know the request your sister is making. With a smile, you step forward and present your arm to the alpha.

Once you've joined the pack, you and Gianette convince Colin to stay in the woods surrounding the town.

Since he declared Gianette his beta and mate, he has no desire to argue the matter. The pack makes their home on the outskirts of the quiet village that now lives beneath Ferris's benevolent leadership. With the coven offering freedom to the people of town and the wolves guarding its borders, no vampire can reclaim it for their purposes.

***

Congratulations, you found the successful ending for this branch of the story! Why not go back and see what happens when your spell isn't as disruptive...