Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 41

I am starting to wonder if maybe the Vampire Council has the internet or something so they've seen all those cheesy movie villains, and they are trying to copy them.

What else could explain their utterly slow approach? If I were them, I would've attacked swiftly and eliminated the threat.

On the other hand, it might be about dominance, about instilling fear in us, showing us who is in charge. Whatever the reason, the torturously slow approach annoys me.

That's why I do something stupid. I attack.

Attacking such experienced warriors isn't only stupid, it's suicide. However, I am thinking that they will attack us either way, so I want to take charge of when and how the conflict will happen.

Though I am pretty sure that Tobias, Seymour, and Alarcos disagree with my tactics, they follow my lead and attack as well.

As powerful and as trained I might be, it feels like the members of the Vampire Council don't even feel my attacks. It's like an adult playing with a child, letting the child win for amusement.

Still, we have nothing to lose. Well, nothing besides our lives, so we might as well go down fighting.

This time around, the Vampire Council doesn't have anything to say. They've realized that there is no way we would go down without a fight, and I think they've decided to use us to practice their muscles.

After all, sitting in a castle for such a long time was bound to become vexing. Still, it doesn't affect the old vampires' speed or strength in any way.

"Retreat, plan C, or whatever it was supposed to be called, is in place!" Eliot yells as he emerges from the door at the far end of the room.

The delicious smell of his blood wafts into the air, and the Vampire Council suddenly refocuses on him. All of them seem to be spellbound by the scent.

"Oh-oh," Eliot says stupidly instead of running away.

"Stop them!" I yell to Alarcos, Seymour, and Tobias.

Tobias and I crush into the enemy vampires with much more strength and determination than the others since we are both defending someone precious.

They bounce off further away than I expected. I think they are probably playing with us since they think we can't escape them. The members of the Vampire Council are too confident in their ability to crush us, and luckily for us, they don't know about our plan.

"Move!" I yell at the others and we all dash in Eliot's direction picking him up on the way.

He directs us to a fireplace by which Cecilia is standing, ready to go.

"Let's go! Hurry! We need to go before they reach us." Cecilia said, moving a strange sculpture on the fireplace to the left.

That action opened up a secret passage through which we were supposed to go if we wanted to escape. However, the opening process is much slower than I hoped, and I wondered why they hadn't opened it before coming to get us.

"Can they follow us through?" I ask.

"They shouldn't be able to, but I'll go last so that I can activate the anti-vampire shield. Although I don't think it will keep THESE vampires for long." Eliot says.

Upon hearing that, I instruct everyone else to go first as I stay behind with Eliot.

As we are about to leave, the vampire council sees us, and in their desperation to stop us, they throw a sword towards Eliot, who is behind me.

Sensing the projectile, I switch our places in a flash so that I am the one closer to the enemy and the sword piercing through my stomach feels awfully painful.

How can a dead person feel so much pain?

The rest of what happens is a blur. All I can hear is someone calling my name.

"Helen, Helen!" Seymour yells while Eliot finishes setting the trap.

"I am fine," I say, sounding anything but fine.

"I've got her," Eliot says, pulling the sword out.

"You know, I didn't mean it literally that you should protect me. I am a big boy. I can take care of myself." Eliot says as he carefully cradles me in his arms.

"You are mortal. I am not. I'll be fine." I say.

"Would you do me a favor, Helen?" he asks.

"What?" I mumble, relaxing in his hold.

"Don't you ever take a sword for me again," he says with a strong emotion that I can't identify.

"Deal," I say since I honestly don't like the feeling of being stabbed.

"Do you need to feed?" he asks.

"Are you offering?" I say in a lame attempt at a joke.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Eliot says.

"I wish people would stop offering me to drink their blood. It's not natural. Besides, you smell too delicious to even joke about that," I say.

"Then go ahead," he says, lifting me a bit higher so that my mouth is in line with his neck.

"I didn't save you just to kill you in a feeding frenzy," I say, thinking how much of an idiot he is.

"Besides, what would your people say?" I add.

"They would strongly disapprove, but I don't care. I want to help you, Helen. In any way I can," he says.

"Why?" I ask.

"You don't see yourself clearly. I want to help you because you deserve help." Eliot says.

"No, I don't," I say.

"You are so stubborn. Even when you are in pain, you still manage to argue with me. I am impressed," he says.

Then I realize that we are rushing through some strange tunnels and that Seymour growls somewhere close by, probably not approving of our conversation or the carrying arrangements. Why he would care I don't fully understand.

Still, through my barely open eyes, I see Alarcos pulling him forward as they take the lead on our retreat. Cecilia and Tobias, on the other hand, stay closer to us, and I can't help but wonder why one of them is not carrying me.

After all, the Healer is the weaker one amongst us. Why do they have to burden him with dragging my injured self around? It's not like it's the first time in these few days that I am helpless. They can at least give me the dignity of being carried by friends rather than a cute stranger.

As my mind is slowly spiraling out of control, I look up into Eliot's eyes, and I feel like I am alive, like what I do matters. It feels as if I matter.

"You are rather pretty, you know that?" I say.

"Now I know that you've lost too much blood. You would've never said that if that wasn't the case." Eliot says, chuckling quietly.

"As soon as we are on the other side, I'll stop for you to feed. I promise." Eliot says.

I can't say for sure, but I think I feel his soft lips settle on my forehead before I am out like a light, again.