Lust For Her Master's Blood

I was frozen, unable to move as my brain sluggishly tried to grasp what had happened in less than half an hour.

Arnold was dead, his headless body laying in a bloody mess not too far from me, as a result of his attempt in trying to protect myself and Al. Al was barely alive now. His breathing was low and shallow as more blood escaped from the damaging wounds on his face and body. I couldn’t tell how much time he had left.

But my attention was focused on the man further down the corridor, standing still from shock at the order he had just been given. My sharp eyes could pick up the rigidness of his body as he fought off the order, trying to keep in control of his body. Neither of us were bothering to block the bond and flooded each other with the pain, disbelief and silent rage we felt. But something was changing. I felt a dark fuzzy cloud covering the master’s mind, eliminating all thoughts and emotions as it spread. Instantly fear and alertness switched on and threw me back into reality hard. He was losing to the order.

“Run Susan!” He roared, gripping his hair as he tried to stay focused.

Not wanting to waste more time, I quickly leapt to my feet, only allowing one quick glance at Morrigan who was covered in her own and Arnold’s blood, and darted back down hallway.

I ran quickly back through the maze, heading sharply for the stairs. I needed to get to the third floor and to my dorm. There was my only hope and taking the master down without killing him. However I was forced to stop when I reached the bottom of the flight when I found Morrigan on the steps.

I growled at her, scowling with pure hatred as I tried to calm my heaving chest and ignore the alarming void that was now where the master’s mind used to be. Morrigan smiled icily at me.

“Why head up?” She asked in a curious tone, casting a glance over her shoulder.

“Why would I answer?” I snapped.

Morrigan laughed. “Good point.” She commented then glanced sharply to my left. “I’d start running again.”

Without looking, I sharply flung myself down the small stairs and landed heavily on the small platform at the top of the elegant entrance stairway. I didn’t really have much time to react when Lucius came at me again. I barely got myself onto my feet when I felt a strong hand grip the clothes around my chest then catapulted me backwards. I winced as the long wall window that was standing behind me proudly shattered and scratched my back but I knew that wasn’t the worst when my mind worked out where I was falling. Just above the ballroom which had a roof made of glass.

Squeezing my eyes tight and biting my lip, I crashed through the glass and fell to the floor hard. I curled into a ball as my body shook from a ripping pain through my body and glass rained about me. I could hear terrified screams from the slaves about me.

Trying to push the throbbing and tearing pain that was currently eating at my body, I forced myself onto my feet and cast my gaze about the room, trying to find someone I trusted. I almost cried in relief when I saw the shocked faces of Sal and Mo not too far from me.

“Sall! Mo! Go to the dorm and bring me my weapons!” I shouted urgently while taking a few steps towards them.

“But you can’t use them!” Mo replied, her voice catching from confusion and fear.

“I can if you bring the vials under my pillow! Now go!” I whirled around when I heard something heavy land not too far from me and saw Lucius standing slowly, his eyes strangely vacant apart from the bloodlust and rage that pooled there. Realising that Sall and Mo still hadn’t moved having now realised that I was in fact fighting the master, I allowed one quick glance over the shoulder before I focused on my unwanted opponent.

“Hurry!” I shouted one last time which was all they needed when they darted into action.

Lucius did nothing at first, just stood watching me with a dark look. It was unnatural on his features. Normally he appeared calm or was smiling. A look that said he wanted someone dead, wanted me dead, was wrong. And for some reason it tore at my heart. I didn’t like it that fact he was giving me that look, I didn’t like it at all.

I ignored Morrigan when she entered the hall with her bright insane smile smothering her face, standing alone as she watched the spectacle she created.

“Lucius, I do not want to fight you.” I said firmly as I watched him nervously. “You know I cannot stay alive without you, just as you cannot stay sane without me. You kill me, you kill yourself.”

“He can’t hear you,” Morrigan sang, earning a vicious glare from me. “His mind is just filled with the order I gave him. Only when he has performed it will he have control again.”

Swearing loudly, I took a few wary steps back, focusing all my attention on Lucius. I didn’t want to fight him, I really didn’t. My whole body seemed to be repulsed at the idea of trying to hurt him knowing that this time I really could do it. It wasn’t a game we played since I was small.

This was serious.

I ducked smoothly when the sensation of an attack overwhelmed me. As my body predicted, the sound of Lucius’s drawn claws swept over head. Knowing he would not waste time in his next move, I quickly launched myself away, rolling onto my feet smoothly.

I continued to dodge his attacks, determined to keep myself alive until Mo and Sall returned. There was no point in throwing in any of my own attacks when I knew he would either deflect them or use them to his advantage. I gained a few wounds, long deep scratches over my arms and right leg by the time they appeared. In a moment of stupidity, I let my guard down and took my complete focus away from him when I glanced across the room at Sall’s shout.

It was in that moment that Lucius struck out at my face, catching my cheek and forcing me from my feet. I landed awkwardly on my arm, sending a sharp rip of pain through it but instantly forced myself onto my feet, edging backwards as Lucius moved forward.

Sall didn’t hesitate to rush forward with the vials and shoved one in my hand.

“What the hell is happening Susan?” She hissed in worry with her terrified gaze fixated on the master.

“Morrigan ordered him to kill me.” I muttered quickly before I swallowed the purple liquid, wincing as it burned my throat. I didn’t hesitate when she handed me another, smothering down the burning and other pains that echoed in my body.

Mo swore savagely while Sall gasped. Taking the last vial, I lowered my voice and mumbled quietly to them, hoping Morrigan was having too much fun in watching the fight to pay attention to what I had to say.

“I need you two to do something else for me now. Take some older servants to the young master’s room on the second floor. He is dying, possibly even dead. See if you can save him. And get someone to gather Arnold’s body and clean him up.” I said quickly and taking the final liquid into my mouth.

This time I had this urge to hurl as the vile liquid trickled down my throat, but I forced my stomach to calm itself. This liquid was the most important of them all, the one that would unwind the seal.

“What do you mean by Arnold’s body?” Sall asked weakly.

“I meant what I said. Now go. Al needs attention now.” I snapped.

Sall was the only one who hesitated while Mo instantly gave me my guns and placed the sword on the floor then grasped Sall’s small hand and dragged her away.

I felt it slithering back now, the Matter, my wonderful strength and power, as the seal slowly unwound itself. I allowed my eyes to slide to Morrigan. Her face was slowly becoming paler and paler as realisation began to spread over her features which made a faint grim happiness spring to life within me.

Holding my witch-guns at my side, I looked evenly at the approaching and hesitating master. I reached out to his mind, trying to find some of the gentle warmth I always felt within his mind, some of the soft emotion I knew he felt for me. It tore at me when I found none, just a great ball of emotionless fog. I didn’t want to feel that. I wanted to feel the soft feelings he had for me. Although it embarrassed me, I missed it. I missed it so much. And I wanted it back. I wanted Lucius back.

Pouring Matter into my weapons, I slowly stepped forward with determination, praying loudly in my mind that Eva was right. If I ended up killing him I wouldn’t be able to look at myself again.

My eyes picked his movements well when Morrigan snapped at him to finish me off and rapidly twisted my body out of the, ducking close to him while raising one gun to aim at his shoulder. Holding it steady, I tested the Matter and pulled the trigger, letting off a resounding bang. Lucius was forced back a few paces holding his hand to his shoulder but the lack of blood filling the air comforted me. It seemed he felt the pain of the invisible bullet without taking the damage. Taking advantage of his hesitation, I rose rapidly and struck out with the heel of my foot. With Matter fuelling my strength he was knocked down easily and I did my best to ignore the crack when his head smashed against the marble floor.

Putting my faith into my non-harming Matter, I quickly straddled his chest, holding his arms down with my knees. I pressed the barrel of my gun against his forehead, ignoring the pang of pain his hostile hiss and scowl did to my heart. But when it came to pulling the trigger my finger froze. Annoyed, I held my shaking hand and mentally willed my finger to do what I was telling it to do. It didn’t. Instead it shook, resting on the trigger, completely immovable.

I then realised that a strange cold emotion had gripped me. It was fear, I knew, but I had never felt fear like this before. It was ice cold, gripping my heart to the point I was finding it difficult to breathe.

And it was all because I was going to pull the trigger of a gun pointing at Lucius’s head.

But it wasn’t going to wound him. I knew this. I kept telling myself that. All it was going to do was render him unconscious, nothing more. But scenarios kept popping up in my head like, what if the Matter reacts normally and kills him this time and what if he never wakes up. It scared me. I wanted him alive and awake. I wanted to argue with him normally and I wanted his normal warm loving presence in my mind. I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to stay and continue to love me. I wanted that so much.

It was then that I realised I was crying silently. Tears trailed down from my eyes and down my emotionless mask and dripping onto Lucius’s twisted expression, an expression that hurt me more than the gouges on my back and arms.

I remembered what Clare had demanded of my only two days ago.

And do you also love the master?

I shook from fear and from a strange giddiness that bubbled into life, even in this dire situation, as I realised my answer.

Placing the guns beside his head, I gently cupped his face. Looking down on him with a weirdly gentle expression plastered over my face and gently stroking his rough cheek with my thumb I decided what to do. I tightened my grip and brought my forehead down very hard on his, rendering him unconscious instantly.

I smiled when I felt his dark foggy mind fade, returning to the gentle warmth that he was, like a golden ocean. I gently placed his head on the floor and pressed my cheek against his forehead, smiling stupidly until my eyes snapped open at approaching footsteps.

A new rage enveloped me, a hot burning fury that demanded that I kill her and rip her head from her shoulders. I stood firmly and receded a few paces, grabbing the sword that lay on its own. Taking the weapon and throwing its cover aside once I had unsheathed it I stood before Lucius, forcing my anger and bloodlust into my aura that the vampire could undoubtedly feel.

“You’re a witch.” Morrigan stated blankly. “If only I found that out sooner. I could’ve played a far more effective game with you.”

“Fortunate for us, not so for you.” I growled.

She smiled and extended her dark claws. “We shall see. You’re still young, for a Black blood and for a witch.”

Holding my mother’s sword until my knuckles turned white and staring at her with an unwavering loathing filled gaze, I vowed to myself that I would kill her, that I would win this fight. I would take revenge on the pain she had caused Dunstan and his family, for harming Al and for butchering Arnold. And for trying to hurt him. I would protect Lucius with my life. Not because of my creed this time but because I loved him. I loved him so much it hurt.

And I would free him from this vindictive bitch even if I died trying.