The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 55/The reunion of vixens

The red dust began to move down the corridor, leaking from each ceiling vent.

"How did they release that?" thought Mary. It was hard to tell what was going on behind the mask. The red dust was too high for mortals to reach. As the red smoke cleared, she could see the Defiance approaching in masks from the lower levels. She handed another two live rounds to the soldier next to her. He loaded them.

"Halt or I'll fire!" shouted Mary.

"Yeah, right," said a muffled voice, sounding unimpressed.

"I don't want to do this! One round to demonstrate. Wound if you can," said Mary. The soldier in the long coat fired the round she had given him earlier and shot the front Defiance man. He fell to the ground like a dropped pig. Mary was glad she always kept five rounds hidden on her.

"Gun!" the soldiers said, retreating. "Gun," they said, passing the message along. They retreated down the corridor, and Mary was content not to cause harm to retreating foes, especially if she had to negotiate with them later for her life. The Defiance created a barrier of their own and waited. The red-drawn dissipated as it should, and soon, no red-dawn cloud was left. Mary knew it was safe to take the mask off.

Then a woman's voice shouted, "To the long coats, give up, black scum. The humans will be unharmed. If you wish to be freed, turn on your vampire domaina and kill them as a sign of your good faith."

"We are all human and have the Princess in here," Mary shouted back. "We want a warrant of passage, *IF* we surrender."

"OK," said a voice. "Kill the silver neck traitor, and we will promise you safe passage," said the voice. Mary was sure it sounded somehow familiar.

There was a cheer in the distance; Mary could hear chants of "the bride is dead," "the bride is dead." If the Duchess had gone, then they had gotten to the temple. Possibly the wedding guests, even the Duke. Victoria might be running into a trap if she left.

Then suddenly, a blue streak blasted down the corridor. Mary had seen that movement before; it was an immortal moving at speed. Then Mary was picked up and taken to the other end of the corridor. When they stopped, Mary looked up.

"Elizabeth?" she said in surprise. Elizabeth was older, more gaunt, her skin shallow. Even in this crazy mixed-up world, she recognized her. Elizabeth looked down.

"Mary? Mary, is that you?" said Elizabeth, tilting her head, now dreadfully confused.

"Are you trying to convince me you're made out of gold and can't be sold?" said Mary, quoting the song she and Elizabeth sung while washing. Elizabeth weakened her grip around Mary's throat.

"I thought you were dead," said Mary.

"I thought you were too," said Elizabeth, smiling, pleased to see an old friend.

"I've never been so glad I've been so wrong," said Mary, smiling.

"Shit, you look like one of them," said Elizabeth, looking over Mary. She smiled. "They caught me, I came looking for you. I'm sorry about leaving you on the dock that night; it was all my fault. Shit, Beth, what are you doing here?" said Mary.

"Slaughtering scum like you," said General Crab, coming up the corridor. "My lady, meet Bloody Mary the Balham Butcher herself."

Elizabeth looked at Mary, her eyes widened. "You're Bloody Mary?"

"It's not what you think," said Mary.

"I saw the bodies float down the river for a month afterward. The lake was red with blood," said Crab.

"You don't understand," said Mary, her neck again nearly crushed under Elizabeth's supernatural strength.

"I understand a traitor to her own kind," said Crab.

The Defiance soldiers started chanting "kill her, kill her."

"Now you understand this," said Elizabeth before she savaged at Mary's neck. The only thing that went through Mary's mind were the words 'the first cut does not hurt at all, the second only makes you wonder'.