"That smell… I know that smell." Matty confirmed with increasing concern as he moved to stand just behind Alice.
"When my enemies came to steal my power, I had no choice but to deal with the problem myself." A disembodied voice spoke from the shadows, its tone both serious and uncomfortably familiar. "I must admit that I never expected it to be you." It wasn't a prisoner of Katherine's that they had found in that hidden place of worship, it was the Blood Queen herself.
"Katherine…" A war broke out inside Alice's mind as she spoke the name, an immense feeling of fear struggling against an overwhelming hunger that refused to back down until it had been satisfied. It was as if the beast inside of her could sense the apex predator in its midst, but it had already been starved to the point of frenzy. How did Katherine know that they would come here? She had led them into a trap, somehow using misdirection and her mental link with Alice to lure them in. The odd thing was that it seemed as though she had come alone, leaving all guards and backup behind. Was she so confident in her own abilities that she believed she could capture them by herself?
There were so many questions running through Alice's head, but in the heat of the moment they didn't seem to matter. Everything that she had been seeking was within that very room, yet part of her was terrified beyond belief. It was a fight or flight response, as where one half wanted to tear Katherine apart, the other half wanted nothing more than to run away and hide. Unfortunately, the latter option had been removed from the table, as the hefty stone door that blocked the exit made escape an impossibility.
Taking the time to address her captives, Katherine continued to speak, her words echoing off the walls in every direction. "When Shani died, I believed it to be by Renita's hand. After all, very few have the knowledge required to track down my fonts of power, let alone destroy them. Oh how wrong I have been..." Strangely, she didn't sound as though she was angry, more disappointed than anything else.
Matty had positioned himself to stand back to back with Alice, trying his best to protect her while their eyes searched for any sign of their adversary in the darkness. He remained completely silent, tilting his head to one side as he tried to hone in on the sound of her voice.
"I just want you to know something." Katherine took on a calmer tone that made what she had to say all the more unsettling. "I want you to know that I forgive you, Alice. For everything that you have done to spite me, I still forgive you."
However they were spoken, Alice knew that Katherine's words were hollow. Everything she said was empty and meaningless. For whatever reason, the queen was trying to manipulate her and this wasn't the time for her to let down her guard. Alice had to focus. She had to channel the power through her body and use it to defeat her old mentor by any means possible, claiming the blood that was hers by right.
The altar was suddenly illuminated by a strange light that revealed a figure with which they were well acquainted. Katherine stood there calmly, her mouth curling into a smile as if to say that she had been there all along. Even now she looked as elegant as ever, her flowing scarlet dress and long brown curls out of place in such unusual surroundings. She displayed a level of arrogance belonging to someone who believed they had already won, a belief that Alice was more than willing to challenge.
"Forgive me?" Alice replied with distaste. "You're the one who should be begging for forgiveness!" She couldn't afford to let Katherine have the upper hand, knowing full well that she had to strike before she could be manipulated further.
Summoning all the strength at her disposal, Alice focused everything she had on the Blood Queen, attempting to rip her apart in the same manner as she had the shadow assassin. She could feel the ripples in the air as she reached out towards her foe, tearing at the fabric of reality as she lashed out.
Witnessing the sheer intensity of the attack, Katherine's eyes opened wide with horror. It was a look that Alice had never expected to see, although it came as a welcome sight. It meant that she had caught the woman off guard for the first time since they had met. She savoured the moment, watching with a ravenous fascination that only intensified by the second. It wouldn't be long before the queen was little more than a messy pool of blood upon the stonework, a grand feast that might finally quiet the primal roar of Alice's insatiable hunger.
Unnervingly, the look of dread upon Katherine's face didn't last long. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled as her expression changed from one of fear to that of amusement, soon followed by the smug look of pride. "You did it, Alice." she said as her smile widened still. "You took their power for yourself. I'm so proud of you."
"That's impossible…" Alice murmured in disbelief. "This isn't what was meant to happen…" With all her new found strength, with all the ancient blood that she had consumed, Katherine had still somehow managed to resist her. It was as if she had been protected, either through ritual warding or something else entirely, it did not matter. Whatever the reason, the tables had turned and a terrible feeling of doubt washed away the confidence that Alice had been feeling mere moments ago.
Having turned to face Katherine, Matty now stood in the sidelines. He looked almost as shocked as his companion by what had happened and was about as helpless too. It looked as though he had tried to act but had been frozen on the spot, his tall and ropey form struck silent and unmoving as the events unfolded before him. His sheer strength and determination weren't enough to let him intervene, and he was instead forced to watch while things escalated.
Katherine took a step forwards, causing Alice to trip over an uneven stone as she tried to back away. She lost her balance, stumbled, and fell to the floor; her elbows just catching her before her head hit the hard surface. Unable to scramble back to her feet in time, she looked up at the face of an enemy who for some reason still insisted on trying to play the part of a friend.
"It seems that you're not quite ready to wield that sort of power. Your time will come, but not just yet." Katherine spoke with a hesitant smile, her hazel eyes displaying the truth of her sinister intent. "I'll take back what you stole from me, then we can have a clean slate and start over from the beginning."
Alice found that she was caught in her mentor's gaze and couldn't look away, their eyes locked together in a battle for dominance that she knew she couldn't win. It was then that she felt something inside of her start to boil, like molten metal being pulled to the surface by a powerful magnet. A few seconds later and a torrent of sanguine fluid burst from every orifice, forming red rivers that flowed into Katherine's waiting mouth.
In a matter of seconds Alice found that she was drained of every ounce of her strength, leaving her in a weakened state; unable to fight back. Everything that she had worked towards, all the sacrifices that she had made had amounted to nothing. The Blood Queen had earned her name time and time again, her descendants nothing but pawns in a game that only she could win.
In a desperate attempt to save the woman that he loved, Matty somehow managed to break free of his stupor and leapt towards Katherine, his arms outstretched, hands ready to strike. As fast as he was, she was even faster, his large form colliding with nothing but air as his attack was sidestepped with ease. It was as if she had already foreseen his attack, or perhaps she had willingly released him from her grasp, either way it was clear that she was ready for him.
Before Matty could recover and make a second attempt, Katherine had finished feeding, the streams of blood leaving just a drop or two around the edge of her ruby lips. She glanced in his direction and glared intently, the edges of her mouth curling in mild annoyance.
"Oh, Matthew..." Katherine said with such disdain. "What should we do with you?" She moved to face him, leaving Alice to cower defenseless on the floor.
Matty braced himself for another run, his fists balled up and ready for action. "You've done enough, Katherine! It's time for this to end!" He sounded a little shaky in his conviction, as if he didn't even believe his own words.
"Well now…" Katherine stood calmly, not making a s
ingle move towards him. "If that's how you feel, I suppose I won't be needing you anymore."
Without another word, Matty rushed forward, closing the distance between them at an impressive rate. Unfortunately for him, Katherine was once again much quicker as she lunged towards him and plunged her hand into his chest, breaking flesh and bone alike with a sickening snap. His momentum was instantly halted, as if his size and speed were of no consequence. There was no doubt as to who was the victor, as Matty was left at the mercy of his elder. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she squeezed his unbeating heart, an act that caused his body to spasm involuntarily, the look of surprise upon his face contorting to that of panic and then twisted agony.
Alice struggled to rush to her companion's aid, but she found herself too weak to stand; her arms unwilling to cooperate, and her legs unable to support her weight. Matty's eyes looked over at her, his pupils dilated as he mouthed his last words, 'I'm sorry'. No intelligible sounds were made, but his message was still clear.
A few seconds later and it was all over as Katherine crushed Matty's internal organs, causing his body to erupt in a shower of gore; a literal bloodbath covering her, Alice and everything else within sight. The cold stone of the temple accepted the fresh offering, the sacrifice welcomed by nameless dark gods of ages long past.
Alice was revolted and shocked by what she saw before her, but the beast inside howled with delight. It was then that she truly saw what she had become, what she was in danger of becoming if she continued down the same path. Katherine had drained her of every last drop of ancient blood, temporarily lifting the red haze that had clouded her mind and allowing her to think clearly; at least for the moment. She was sickened by the atrocities that she had committed on her personal crusade, betraying her ideals to become the monster that she always feared she would be.
The human emotions that Alice had thought lost returned with a vengeance and brought with them the tragedy of loss. A wave of grief came crashing over her as she saw Matty's remains strewn over the floor, his body little more than a bloody pulp. As resilient as he was, there was no coming back from that. There was a definite finality to it and Alice realised that she would never be able to see him again, never hear his voice or feel the tenderness of his touch. Whoever Matthew Walker had once been, whatever he had meant to her, he was now gone, and there was nothing that she could do to bring him back. It was that ultimate knowledge that finally left Alice broken, her mind shattered and her sanity lost. She found herself spiralling down into madness as her love was stripped and taken from her.
Katherine continued to talk, but Alice failed to hear anything that spewed from the woman's mouth. She found that her arms were still unresponsive, her legs unable to even lift her to her feet. It was as if her body was slowly shutting down, the anguish that she felt overriding any ability to move or speak. Kneeling on the floor, her clothes drenched in her lover's blood, she had no idea what to do as she struggled to deal with feelings that she had been separated from for too long.
Alice had lost everything that she had ever cared about, and for what? Nothing had been achieved. No one had been saved, quite the opposite in fact. She had failed Sam, she had failed Matty and most of all she had failed herself. The Blood Queen still sat on the throne, her power indisputable, and there seemed to be no hope of ever beating her. All that was good or innocent had been lost and evil had emerged triumphant. The darkness had consumed the light, leaving nothing behind but pain and death in its stead.
Katherine spoke of her glorious fate and the steps that she had taken to ensure her victory, too wrapped up in the sound of her own voice to realise that her long monologue was falling on deaf ears. Her efforts were wasted, the meaning lost as Alice was no longer able to comprehend what was going on around her. She was too far gone to hear the strange noise that followed, too absent to notice Katherine's voice trailing off as she was interrupted by the arrival of another. There were muffled voices, apparent surprise and ear piercing sounds that left Alice's ears ringing. Despite the chaos around her, she found it impossible to focus on anything else but the crimson pools that shimmered under the flickering of flame.
Alice was far too deep in her own misery and self loathing to notice that she was being lifted into the air, the floor beneath her falling away as she was whisked off into the blackness of the void. Her motionless body floated upwards, the room around her no longer existing as everything disappeared into blackness. Something kept Alice suspended there, an arm around her waist perhaps, but she was in no fit state to tell. Soon after, a bright white light exploded around her, blinding the senses as whistling winds and a desperate cold followed.
Wherever Alice was and whoever was yelling in the distance, she didn't care. It didn't matter where she was or who was there with her, all that she could think about was everyone and everything that she had lost. Nothing else mattered to her now. Nothing at all.
Chapter Twenty-One: Dead to the World
It was bitterly cold in the woods at night. The kind of cold that could kill you within minutes; cold enough to affect even those who were already dead. The frigid winds continued to howl through the trees, an endless song of a relentless winter that had only just begun. Although his body didn't quite feel the chill, Sam's limbs felt slow and heavy, as if they were in danger of seizing up. It was times like this that he was glad he was no longer human, the suffering far less severe for an undead creature such as himself than it was for the living. Still, he didn't quite understand how Vincent could walk around shirtless, or how Max and Rahna rarely wore shoes as if they weren't even fazed by the sheets of ice. They displayed a resilience to the climate that most could only dream of, whether they were walking on two feet or running on all fours.
Pulling at the cords of his hood to tighten it around his face, Sam stood outside the entrance to the cave, the gusts of frosty air whistling over the rocks as he sheltered behind them. It would soon be his turn to take watch and he was trying to prepare himself for the long hours yet to come. The responsibility of standing guard had only recently been placed upon his shoulders, the level of trust between him and his new allies building by the night.
Max had accepted Sam as part of the group a little more quickly, with Rahna dragging her feet not far behind. However, Vincent still saw him as a captive that he could exploit when he saw fit and Sir Chevalier wanted nothing to do with him. As for Queen Marquette, Sam did what he could to avoid her whenever possible and her precious Antoinette was still in no fit state to speak to anyone, let alone recognise those who already knew her so well.
For the past hour, Leon, the contact that they had met the other night at the club, had been speaking with the queen after finally being granted an audience. From what little Sam had overheard from where he was standing, the turncoat had experienced great difficulty in convincing her that he could be of use and that he wasn't a threat to their plans. It didn’t help that there were others within the Blood Queen’s guard that looked almost identical to him, a fact that caused great suspicion amongst Renita’s ranks.
Of course, the Lion Knight had called the man a traitor and a coward the moment he laid eyes upon him, but at least Queen Marquette seemed a little more willing to let him speak. If they killed Leon or turned him away, their time within the city would have been all for naught, with no more ground gained since the night of their attack on the asylum. However, if they just took a moment to really listen to what he had to say, they might just get the foothold within the city that they had been seeking all along.
Sam couldn't even pretend to understand vampire politics or the fact that no one ever seemed to truly trust one another. Perhaps their jaded attitudes were something that came with age and experience, although he sincerely hoped not. He couldn't imagine a world where he wouldn't be able to make friends, let alone allies that would watch his back when he needed. He began to wonder if Max and Rahna really trusted him as much as he did them, or whether Matty actually loved Alice as much as he claimed.
As Sam continued to ponder on the subject, a distant yell accompanied by a savage roar carried in on the wind, alerting him to trouble nearby. It sounded as though it was Max calling for help, but he couldn't be sure. Another bestial cry bellowed through the night, likely signifying Vincent's arrival on the scene, however Sam wasn't willing to take any chances when it came to the closest thing that he had to a true friend in this inhospitable place. He sprinted out into the snow, paying no heed to his own safety as he made his way towards the commotion as quickly as he possibly could. He dislodged icicles from bare branches as he brushed past the trees, wading through the waist deep powder that severely hampered his speed.
It didn't take Sam long to find what he was looking for, a standoff between Vincent, Max and the black haired witch Morgana in full swing. Her scarlet robes were bright against the white backdrop, the colours bleeding into the snow as she held someone or something in her arms.
"You dare to show your face here, witch?" Vincent growled, his claws extended as he stood there in nothing more than a pair of ripped jeans. His hair was coarse and wild, his dark eyes narrowing as he aggressively bared his fangs.
Max stood just behind him, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head, legs hidden in the deep mounds of white powder. He too had long claws protruding from his fingertips, mirroring the stance of his alpha, although not quite so tall or intimidating.
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