dig deep inside her while her heart still beats! Now, my pet! Enjoy the feeling when she dies and grips you from the inside.'
Derian climbed on top of the dying woman and forced his way inside her, grunting as he increased his pace. Her faint cries were useless against her captors. Kassina laughed as she sank her fangs into the woman's neck.
Derian tensed as death's grip tightened on her body and caused her to twitch uncontrollably. Kassina yanked him out of her and snapped, 'Not yet! Save that moment only for me.'
She threw him to the bed and harshly straddled him, wriggling herself around like a snake poised to strike. His grey hands with their sharp claws reached high on her naked back and tore rents in her skin with pleasure. Kassina’s dark moan filled the room as she pushed down harder on Derian, taking him as deep as he could go.
Aidan and Tusdar stared as her skin resealed itself almost immediately after it was cut open. Kassina and Derian continued in their passionate embrace, and she suddenly turned to look behind her as if she was looking straight at them through the wall.
“I can't believe that we are watching this. Can she see us?” asked Tusdar, before watching her turn her attention back to her lover.
“Of course she can’t see us,” Aidan whispered, as he stared at the lust-fuelled sight in front of their eyes. “The gods smile upon us today for this opportunity. Imagine a one-way mirror, if you will. They cannot see or hear us, but we can walk or shoot through it. We only get one shot before we give away our position, so we need to make it count. Now, I know this will be hard, but you must try to concentrate.'
Derian sat up to embrace Kassina tightly and they remained in that position, seemingly lost in the heat of passion, her body tensing with every thrust. Her moans of pleasure and serpentine hisses filled the room and sent chills down the spines of Aidan and Tusdar. Aidan reached into his bag and pulled out a long silver arrow that bore glowing blue markings.
“Use this and shoot them straight through the heart,” said Aidan. “It is the only way we can kill them, as an arrow won’t cause a wide enough wound to cut their heads off. I would do it myself, but I can't hold a bow. We can take them both at the same time if we are incredibly lucky-or skilled, for that matter. The arrow was gifted to me by a healer and is made to tear through the toughest of stones and keep flying. It will not stop until it is drained of magic.”
Tusdar took the arrow in his shaking hands and placed it into his bow. Aidan mumbled words into the arrow that activated the magic within. It burst into blue flames that were surprisingly cool to the touch, lighting up their faces in the eerie blue light. Beads of sweat dripped through his vision as his heavy breathing attempted to settle his nerves. His heart pounding through his chest made his aim waver uncontrollably.
“Come on, Tusdar… try to relax, and take a deep breath. Then, gently breathe out to guide the arrow home.'
Kassina’s moaning increased in pitch with the quickening rhythm of her body. Tusdar followed Aidan’s advice, and re-steadied the bow beside his cheek. The blue flames licked at the image of the two vampires as they made love.
Tusdar pursed his lips and his voice broke as he stared intently at his target. “They’re moving too much, I can't… I can't do this.'
“Take your time and shoot when you are ready. You have to do this-for all of us, for Marithia. You can stop this war today,” replied Aidan.
As Derian and Kassina were reaching their climax, Tusdar exhaled, growled and fell backwards as he released the arrow. It whirred through the wall at blistering speed.
Chapter 10: Darkness Respects No Boundaries
“Hope and faith can be the greatest of all motivators. However, they are also the most difficult of securities to provide. It was not long ago that Arman held me in his arms, and in them I felt safe and secure.
Now it falls upon me to provide my bosom to instil that same security in my people. I only hope that I do not fail them.”
The farm was sickeningly quiet, with not a sound of life to be heard, not even the sound of crickets. The metallic stain of blood was thick in the air, filling Vartan's nostrils and making him sick to his stomach. On the horizon, Greenhaven continued to burn brightly into the dark sky, like a lighthouse for flying travellers.
He gripped his still-sheathed sword, and took carefully placed steps towards his family porch. As he neared the family rocking chair, the smell of blood grew stronger and more pungent.
He closed his eyes tightly and whispered, “ Persentiscam lucem et veritatem.” The spell took effect and reptilian eyes flickered open, darting from side to side and turning his vision of night into day. The large pool of blood on the chair was suddenly clear in his vision, snaking its way under the door in thick clots and streaks.
“Father!” exclaimed Vartan as he drew his sword and kicked the door in with furious intent.
Inside, the farmhouse was almost completely darkened, with the exception of small red embers still glowing in the fireplace.
His voice strained as he yelled frantically, “Father, mother-where are you?”
Running through the house, he followed the trail of blood drops up the narrow stairwell. He stopped in his tracks on the stairs as he spotted the crudely placed writing along the wall.
“ Now who’s the pathetic one, little boy? You couldn’t even save your family. With lots of love, Kassina, ” read Vartan. The writing felt wet to the touch, and as he brought his fingers to his nose, he confirmed what she had used to write the message.
“No!” he screamed as he ran to the slightly ajar door of his parents’ bedroom, pressing his back against the wall beside the door. Peering around the corner with the tip of his sword pointing his way forward, he braced for the inevitable. There was a light breeze that blew through the opening, and a strange creaking sound came from within. The stench overwhelmed him as the door gently opened to his touch.
A t the sight of what awaited him within, Vartan dropped to his knees. Two corpses hung by their necks, suspended from the ceiling on a pair of nooses; the creaking was of ropes that strained as the bodies swung in the wind from the open windows. Both had been flayed. Judging by the vicious damage to their arms and the scratch marks on the walls, they were very likely to have been alive when they were skinned.
The putrid stench overwhelmed Vartan’s senses, and he vomited all over the floor. He put his head in his hands and collapsed.
“Damn you, Kassina, you bitch!” he sobbed. “As I live and breathe… your life will end by my hand!”
The distant sound of thunder filled the air and flashes of lightning erupted under the dark canopy of clouds. The majestic sight of dragons in full formation was marred only by the heavy crates of weapons grasped in their claws. The rain washed over their scales, the light reflecting off their watery forms with every flash. Karven and Nymira led the dragons in their flight, and they carried Vartan with the remainder of the treasure.
“Vartan! Vartan!” cried Nymira’s voice.
He jerked up as he woke and smashed his head hard into Nymira’s belly. He rubbed his head in pain from the collision.
“My goodness, Vartan, what's wrong?” she asked.
“No! I was too late, I should have saved them!” he growled. “Mother… father… that fanged whore, Kassina! What I wouldn’t do to that disgusting creature to rid the world of her.”
“Whatever gives you the idea that they have been killed? Did you have another vision?” asked Karven.
Vartan quietened his voice and asked gently, hopefully, “You mean to suggest that they might still be alive?”
Nymira's voice filled the night sky. “As your training progresses and your experience grows, your visions will come to you with greater purpose. Unfortunately, not even we can place the time a vision has taken place. It may have occurred in the past, the present, or the future. There are also alternate fates as you choose a direction at a
