Dana, Max, and I came to her aide, pushing Master to the wall and holding him in place. Cora pressed the tip of the saw from the chainsaw straight into his chest. It burrowed through him, tearing through muscle, flesh, and bone. Blood squirted everywhere. Smoke circulated around the chainsaw.
Master used his last bit of strength to kick Cora off of him. She fell on her ass, and the chainsaw dropped beside her. The gears slowed, and then died. He had a gaping hole in his chest, but he was still alive. He was still fighting.
“Smile, dick breath!” Priscilla yelled, splashing the open container at Master. He was immediately soaked with gasoline. Max, Dana, and I all exchanged glances, and the three of us each picked up a candle and launched it at his body. Master didn’t just light on fire, his entire body was immediately swallowed by flames. His wings shriveled up, and Master flailed around the room reaching for us, trying to take us down with him.
Max picked up a piece of lumber from one of the seats and shoved it against Master’s chest, forcing him to the floor. The flames were eating him alive, and his screams were getting quieter. He was still breathing, though. It was possible for him to recover, if given time. We had to end this while he was vulnerable.
I picked up the chainsaw that Cora had dropped and gave the cord one good tug. The chainsaw purred to life. I approached Master’s melting body and hovered over him, staring down at the monster that had convinced me my life was worth nothing more than making him great. I spit into the flames. “Fuck you,” I muttered. I waited a few more seconds, taking pleasure in his suffering, and then I pressed the saw of the chainsaw to his throat and detached his head.
So long, motherfucker.
Chapter Forty-Eight
CORA
We stepped out of the castle covered in soot and blood. Exhaustion didn’t begin to describe the way we were feeling at that moment. We were drained, aching, and slightly blown away that any of this had even transpired, but we were alive. Every single one of us. That had never happened before. I lost someone every time a disaster like this occurred, but this day was different. This day was better.
I leaned my head against Max’s shoulder as we trudged through the snow. He wrapped his arms around me to keep me warm, and when we found the blanket he had dropped earlier, he picked it up and draped it over me. There was snow all over it, but it still got the job done. I peeked to my right and realized Melanie was walking with Dana, and Priscilla was walking with Daggett. We all had someone. I smiled.
Max’s steps paused, and the snow crunched beneath his feet. “How we feeling?” he asked the group.
“Like I had my head slammed into a wall,” Daggett groaned, rubbing his temples with both hands.
Max grimaced. “No hard feelings?”
“Considering I was trying to kill you guys, it’s okay.”
“I wonder if the hit to your head ended the hypnosis or if Master dying did,” Dana pondered. It was a good question. There was still so much I didn’t understand. I imagined it’d take a lot of research.
“Whatever did it, I’m thankful.”
Dana subtly gasped. “Melanie, your arm. He bit you.”
Melanie immediately brushed it off. “I’m fine.”
“No,” Dana urged, grabbing a hold of Melanie’s arm. I figured Master must have bitten her while Priscilla and I were on our little adventure, but when Dana pulled back Melanie’s sleeve, there was hardly a mark. “It’s…”
“Gone?” Melanie finished. “Yeah, I’m a vampire. Remember?”
Relief came over Dana, and she bashfully smiled. “Of course.” Dana’s worry for her was sweet, and my heart felt full watching it. My heart felt full, period. We survived the war, and after the dust had settled, we were standing together. It was everything I ever wanted and more.
But then something dawned on me, and my stomach dropped. “Molly…” I said. Max’s blue eyes met mine. “She’s still alive.”
He looked downwards in thought. “I hadn’t forgotten.”
“That dumbass is still around?” Priscilla threw her head back and grumbled. “It’s so like Molly to outlast everyone so we can make this about her.”
“I messed her up pretty good,” Max replied. “She was too weak to fight, and with daylight coming soon, she’s probably hiding out until she can heal.”
“Where would she go?” Dana asked.
“The basement,” Melanie answered. “It’s where Master slept. She’ll be there.”
I swallowed a hardness in my throat, because not only was this not over, but I wasn’t looking forward to what needed to happen in that basement.
The bushes suddenly shook in the distance, and we all took a step back. Someone was walking through the twigs and leaves, stumbling toward us with nothing but a pair of ripped, filthy jeans on. My first instinct was to assume it was Molly, but it was clearly a male figure coming at us.
“Oh, God, what now?” Priscilla griped.
This person looked lost and confused from the manner in which he looked at the yard, the trees, the falling snow. A bit like a drunk bumbling out of a bar at three in the morning with no memory of how he got there. I didn’t feel in danger; I felt curious as to who this was. I took a step closer to get a better view, and Max moved along with me to keep me safe. The man had wavy brown hair that came down to his ears. It was unkempt and dirty, like he hadn’t cut or washed it in years. Something about him felt familiar.
Wait a
