Another loud crash came from the side of the house. Together we ran to the side of the house the noise had come from. Another dead guard lay crumpled on the floor. The lights went out. The power to the house had been cut off.
“It’s him. He’s not playing with us anymore.” Willa spoke as she moved through the house looking through the windows. She was able to see in the dark, thanks to her vampire abilities.
“Willa, come out now and come home with me and I promise to leave the Stokes in peace. I grow weary of their games. It is time you learned you do not belong here, you belong at home with your own kind. This is my final warning. I will give you two minutes to decide, then I will not hesitate to come in and kill you all.” Mihial had made his final challenge.
I had went to the kitchen and found a flashlight. In the dark I found Willa and my father. I looked at Willa in silence, waiting for her reply to his demands. She shook her head no. Then she walked to the front door and walked out to meet with her brother. He stood on the steps waiting for her.
I ran after her, I wasn’t about to let her go. Not like this. I was prepared to fight for her. I didn’t care who or what he was. She deserved a happy life, not one bound to him. “Willa STOP” I shouted. My father caught hold of my arms and held me back. Willa turned to face me.
“It is the only way Johnathan. I will not lose you, and he will kill you both if I do not go with him. I am sorry.” She paused briefly, looked me in the eyes and winked “I love you Johnathan” and with that she turned on her brother and lashed out at him. The attack took him by surprise.
He struck her across the face knocking her to the ground. She rebounded on him and now the truly scary Willa had emerged. Willa’s hands had turned to wicked claws and her teeth had sprouted fangs. She looked like a wild animal. Mihial circled her, each of them measuring each other up and trying to find a weak spot. Mihial struck out, Willa turned and his blow missed her by inches. In his swing and as she turned Willa threw a swing of her own, she managed to take a pound of flesh from his upper thigh. He howled in pain. He turned back on her going straight in at her throat, she jumped incredibly high and went up over him on her way down he caught her and threw her into a nearby light post. The post bent in half on impact. I couldn’t sit here and watch my girlfriend get beat by her brother. I bolted into the house. I went to my room and found the bow and arrows. I raced back down to where the two were still fighting. My father had gone in and retrieved his gun as well.
“Mihial stop now or this arrow hits its mark!” Mihial looked up to see me with the arrow aimed straight at him. He laughed. My father aimed the gun and shot. Mihial moved as a blur. It was going to be almost impossible to hit a target that could move that fast.
Willa attacked from behind as my father and I attacked from the front. We had to take our shots when we got them, we didn’t want to accidently hit Willa. Then it happened. I had fired an arrow, Willa saw it coming and she moved into its path, Mihial moved with her.
Willa turned at the last moment and threw Mihial into the arrow. It struck his arm. It was what Willa needed. She wrestled him into the snowy bank and held him there. I rushed to her side my father following behind. Willa took one of the remaining arrows and rammed it through his other arm piercing him to the ground. My father stood over him with his gun trained right on target for the kill.
Mihial laughed wildly. “What are you waiting for vampire slayer? You and your order have chased me for thousands of years, only one other time I have been caught. That was your ancestor. He lacked conviction as well. What about you little one? Will you do what your ancestors could not? Will you take my immortal life?” Mihial laughed as I hesitated.
I looked at Willa, I saw it in her eyes. She didn’t have to say the words I knew what they were. Mihial was right I couldn’t do it, but not for his sake or mine. It was for her. Although the thing that lay pinned to the ground was a monster, he was much more than that. He was Willa’s only living relative, her only connection to the world of immortality. A brother yes, but more of a father, and I could not take that away from her, even if she had promised that she would do it herself.
“No. But I will make you an offer, like my Great-Great-Great Grandfather once did. You leave here and never return, you leave Willa free to choose her own path, she is part human after all, and you break the ties you have on Pete and Kelly and any others you have made while here. As soon as we confirm that you have done this, I will free you. You may go where ever you like, but you will not come back here for Willa. Do we have an agreement or does my father put a silver bullet through your chest and then take your head?” Willa looked at me in surprise.
My father waited for the reply. Mihial lay there helpless, he could either take my offer or die on the spot. He glared up at me with the ocean’s fury in his eyes “I accept.”
“Break the ties on your prisoners now, and we will let you leave. Just know that if you try anything I won’t hesitate to kill next time.” Mihial closed his eyes and briefly went silent. When he looked up at me again he spoke to me “I have done as you have commanded. Now release me.”
“Willa can you do that thing you do and check if he has done as we have asked?” Willa nodded, and took his head in her hands and leaned forward. After a very long time, she lifted her gaze to mine and smiled. He has done what you have asked.
“Willa remove the arrows and move away from him.” I kept the arrows ready and my father was close enough to hit his mark if he needed to. Willa quickly yanked the arrows free from his arms and before I could blink she was standing by my side. Mihial was on his feet.
“Little Mina, I will see you again someday, for they are but mere mortals and you are immortal, and when the day comes that he his six feet under foot, I will be back for you. As for you young Stoker, excuse me Stokes, I owe nothing now. A favor for a favor a life for a life as you say. Actually you owe me a couple of lives.” With that he disappeared into the night.
The church bells rang through the still night air ringing in the New Year. I looked down at Willa and smiled “Happy New Year Willa.”
“Happy New Year Johnathan.” That night was the first time I had gotten a New Year’s kiss.
“Come on you two let’s get inside, close up those windows, and start up the generator. It’s freezing out here.”
“Hey dad wait! Since Mihial broke the psychic bond on Pete does that mean we can release him? I mean Willa can train him to only feed from animals. He does still have his human soul after all. He’s just sort of like Willa now.” I asked. My father stood on the top steps thought it over for a minute and smiled.
“I don’t see why not. Willa you up to the challenge?” he laughed.
“I think I can manage handling Pete. He’ll be no threat to me or anyone else. The Order can keep an eye on him as well.”
“I like the way you think Willa. Hot coco for everyone, my treat.” My father went into the house and before long the lights were back up and running. I looked up at the night sky and watched as a shooting star whizzed past.
“What did you wish for?” Willa asked.
I looked down at her snow white skin, rose pink lips and her deep ocean blues eyes. I ran my fingers through her dark hair and pulled her into me “I wished for a kiss.” Willa put her arms around my neck pulled me down to her and gave me my wish.
The Immortal Design Page 12