Take This to Your Grave and I'll Take It to Mine

This time it was him to charge me and throw the first punch. The hit landed square in my jaw and his other hand was swinging at me in the same moment from the other direction.

My knee flew up into his groin purely out of instinct after both painful blows to my face that was still bloody and exposed.

I only angered him more and then it truly began.

Of course being hundreds of years old gave us the experience to fight expertly against each other.

Even as this happened I could feel my wounds regenerating. I’d gotten some strength back from William’s blood. Even as I fought him I got lost in my thoughts of how glad I was to be back to normal for this and my inner confession of my vanity; my thoughts about loving my face.

He ended up with his long hand wrapped around my throat holding me so the toes of my boots barely skimmed the dirt.

I was holding my hands at my sides waiting for him to say whatever he planned on saying to me as he held me that way.

With me held that way he barely had to tilt his head to look me in the eyes.

“Erin, look around, you haven’t got a chance. Two of your friends have already fallen. You and Peter could still join me to stop this and save your last friend, your child, and yourselves. Honestly Erin do you think any of you will make it out alive?” He droned on and the only thing I noticed was the sky changing behind him.

The clouds began to roll off of the moon showing the moon bathed in crimson.

The blood moon.

This was Pete’s time.

I looked back to William and smiled. “William by the end of this night I will not be the one who stops breathing.” With that I slammed my hand into his nose causing him to drop me.

“Pete!” I shouted out drawing his attention to me. “Now!” I said as I began running in his direction as I pulled my sword out of the sheath I’d shoved it into after burning William’s guards down. Peter ran in my direction as we took each other’s position in the fight.

William was now brandishing a sword that he must have had near him.

He was ready.

Luckily so was Pete.

Pete and William both using their swords battled it out. Sounds of steel striking steel echoing through the air going virtually unheard against the chaotic sounds of the rest of the battle yet it was the only sound I heard.

I watched while fighting my side of the fight (just like the first time I fought beside Pete) only hoping I taught Peter enough to go against William who came from a time where swords were still common weapons.

Pete was just a boy of this age who knew sword fighting from it’s place in the cinema.

He held his own I’d taught him well enough it seemed.

The first blade to make contact with skin was William’s. It wasn’t a big wound, merely a superficial wound on Pete’s left arm.

Pete got him back by quickly cutting just below William’s high, strong cheekbone on the right side of his face.

I took my attention off Pete, unable to watch because I could only fear the worst.

Again my eyes traveled up to Patrick. Seeing the vampires advancing on the people using the long distance weapons; advancing on Patrick.

But Patrick seemed to take it in stride once he realized they were getting too close pulling out the dagger I’d given him and taking an arrow ready to use that like a spear.

I felt pride well up inside me at that sight, he was still afraid but he didn’t pause even for a moment. I’d gotten through to him in at least something I’d said.

William’s and Pete’s blades still clashed, I still was cutting down vampires, and Patrick still lived. I had this strange glimmer of hope that we’d make it out even though I was never the optimistic one.

I also kept my attention on the sky, watching eagerly hoping it wouldn’t change before Pete could complete the task at hand.

William fought with more style and grace even going so far as to have his right arm tucked behind his back. Whereas Pete had both hands wrapped around the blade’s handle trying to overpower William.

Then the wind changed, pushing the clouds back in the direction of the moon.

He wasn’t even given 5 minutes!

Then in true form, in the last few moments Pete knocked William’s sword to the ground then drove his blade through William’s middle.

William fell to the ground on his back hand clutching the wound, shocked that Pete actually did it.

Pete looked to me smiling knowing he was victorious about to plunge his blade back into William to finish him off.

I looked back to Patrick ready to pass on the news only to hate my eyes more than before.

Two vampires approached Patrick, intent on killing him, and Patrick, even making me as proud as he had, was overtaken. The two vampires blocked my view of his death and for that I am thankful.

“Patrick!” My facade fell as I called out for him even though I was aware of his demise.

With tears in my eyes I tore my focus away.

Pete didn’t. The sight of Patrick being beaten by those vampires caused Pete to pause.

“Peter!” Again my tongue betrayed my facade as I warned Pete.

William grabbed his sword beside him and thrust it at Pete.

He turned his attention back to William and swung his blade at William again.

Their blades didn’t meet. There was no clash of metal.

Neither aimed for that and each hit their aim.

Peter’s sword slashed through William’s throat, finishing him off and before the moon disappeared behind the clouds.

William’s blade sunk right into Peter’s chest, right in his heart.

William figured if he was going down he’d take Pete with him.

Pete collapsed right beside William.

He was just as dead.

Regardless of the fact that I knew it was coming, that his leaving me was inevitable, I handled it poorly.

I didn’t think it would be like this.

“How dare you!” I howled, it was pain and sorrow converted to anger. “How could you leave me here like this!” My anger overflowed

All the vampires that were still alive weren’t for much longer.

Their shrieks of pain, the wails of anguish matched mine perfectly.

I sobbed and yelled and pounded on his chest.

“Damn you! You swore you wouldn’t go! You promised we’d all make it out!” Tears streamed down my cheeks and dripped onto his body.

I knew that his promises were empty but I still didn’t want to see it.

All the fire around me illuminated the valley and I looked around through my teary cloudy eyes and saw that I was the only living thing left.

All the vampires were dead, the slayers as well. The vampires would have won if it wasn’t for me.

I’m the one who destroyed the last of the weaker race of vampires.

I could have my perfect race that I had strived to get for all of these years.

That seemed stupid and empty then, like it didn’t mean a damn thing to me anymore.

I would have reversed it all if I could bring Pete back.