Endless Night Time Sky

“Impossible!” Rose screeched, backing up a few steps. “He wouldn’t…you can’t be…”

Faster than the blink of an eye Elise jumped forward, fist colliding with Rose’s face. The force drove both of them backwards. “That was for attempting to steal Gerard,” Elise said calmly before lunging forward again.

Before Rose could recover from the first, a second hit landed in her stomach. “That was for calling my grandmother a hag. And this,” Once more she flew forward, the force of her fist sending Rose’s head ricocheting off of a wall. “Is for me.”

Standing before Rose, Elise felt a power she’d never known before. Flexing her knuckles, she felt alive, though she knew technically she was just the opposite. Her foe stared up at her, hatred burning through her eyes.

The hard stares were broken when an angry howl engulfed the room, making both Rose and Elise clap their hands over their ears. Turning, Elise saw both Wren and Gerard hurled across the room, Ammut panting from the throw. “The deal was for two human souls!” She shrieked. “I will tear you to shreds, leach! And there is still a debt to be paid!”

Meanwhile, Rose seized this opportunity to get back on her feet and attack Elise from behind. She knocked them both down, sharpened nails flying every which way. Elise flung her arms up, trying desperately to block the blows. Just moments before, she had been the one with the upper-hand, but she had made a very stupid mistake. Never turn your back on an enemy.

Rose gave up on trying to tear Elise apart. She snaked her arms around Elise’s and curled her fingers tightly around her throat. All she had to do was yank hard enough, and the head would come off, successfully killing her now-immortal pain in the ass.

“I’ve already told you, that one is mine!” Ammut declared, yanking Rose off of Elise.

As soon as she was free from the choke hold, Elise scrambled backwards and got quickly to her feet. The ancient demon was glowering at her, eyes glowing a fierce red. “Great Ammut, I am not the one who betrayed you,” She said, standing her ground.

“What do you mean, leach?” The other hissed, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

In response, Elise cast a meaningful look at Rose, who had focused fearful eyes on the demon. Ammut flicked her eyes to the loathsome vampire. “Who’s to say she didn’t know I was turned and brought you here anyway? I think she hoped to fool you. Can you imagine the nerve? You’re a powerful ancient being, and she was going to get in the way of you collecting what is yours.”

She could see the anger bubbling up in Ammut, and continued. “I am not running away anymore.” Elise said in a grave voice. “Should you still feel it necessary to destroy me, now is your chance. But I would think carefully about who your allies are, and what else they might try and slip past you.”

“You have caused me much trouble, girl.” The demon hissed, but moved no closer. “And I would love nothing more to obliterate you. But what you say makes since, and I have wondered the same things myself.”
Turning, Ammut reached Rose in three quick strides, wrapping a hand around her throat and holding her in the air. The female kicked and fought, but the demon would not release her hold. “Things would not have been so difficult had you just done what was requested of you. But you have failed me, and broken a deal as well. So it will not be her that I claim,” Ammut jerked her head in Elise’s direction, “but you.”

Elise was expecting some sort of drawn out, tortured death. Instead, the demon snapped Rose’s neck before the vampire had a chance to respond. She dropped the limp body to the floor, and the look of horror stuck on the lifeless face made Elise shiver. She wondered what would happen now; would Ammut just leave, or kill them all?

Gerard made a decision first. Having picked himself up out of the pieces of broken wall, he’d grabbed a particularly sharp piece and approached Ammut from behind. As the demon turned to Elise, a feral smile on its face, the point of the makeshift weapon suddenly protruded through its chest. With a frustrated scream the wispy smoke form of the demon vanished quickly up through the ceiling, the body it occupied turning to dust.

For a few moments everything was completely silent in the room, the four of them plus the newborn vampire just standing unmoving where they were. Elise felt suddenly drained, and feared her legs wouldn’t hold her up much longer. But just as she started to fall forward, familiar arms caught her and wrapped tightly around her. “That was quick thinking, sugar,” Gerard murmured in her ear, allowing her enough room to turn and press her face into his chest.

“I think she would have killed us all anyway had you not been ready,” She mumbled into his shirt.

He put a hand under her chin and gently tilted her face up so he could smile his beautiful angel’s smile down at her. She didn’t hesitate for a moment; balancing herself quickly on her tip-toes she hungrily planted her lips firmly on his. He ran a hand down her face as they kissed, and then pulled away.

The two looked around, surveying the damage. Wren was helping Eleanor up, a girlish giggle escaping her grandmother. Meanwhile, the newborn vampire girl looked lost and more than a little scared. Eleanor approached her slowly, giving her a motherly smile. “What will become of me?” The girl whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself.

“We can help you,” Eleanor said kindly. “You only need give us a chance.”

The girl launched herself at the woman, and Elise tensed for a moment, fearing the worst. But she only wrapped her arms around Eleanor in a grateful hug, faint sobbing breaking through. Wren looked on with a small smile on his face, and glanced over at the other two. Some form of silent communication passed between them, and Gerard grinned like a little kid when he turned his attention back to Elise.

Confusion was clearly written on her face as she opened her mouth to speak and he put a finger on her lips to silence her. “I know I’ve done this once before, but I’d like to try it again.” He said, stepping back a little and taking one of her hands in his.

Her breath caught in her throat as he kneeled down on one knee, reaching into his pocket and producing a small velvet box. “Elise Grimm,” He said seriously, his voice no more than a whisper. “Will you marry me?”

She almost knocked him over as she jumped into him, wrapping her arms around him with a laugh. “Yes, yes! But you already knew the answer.”