Laura screamed.
There were fangs in her neck, and an arm around her waist, and a hard body pressed into her back, and everything hurt. Nothing about this was pleasant. All she had wanted to do was get back to her room and cuddle with her girlfriend, but then someone had grabbed her and all she could feel was that searing pain ripping through her.
She struggled, but even she knew there was no point. She might as well have been wrapped in steel bars for all her struggles would do. A sob tore its way out of her throat, the pain overwhelming her conscious mind and leaving behind a steady stream of oh god please stop please help no please that emerged from her mouth as a string of incoherent whimpers.
A roar split the air and suddenly the body trapping her was torn off her, the pain easing and her awareness widening from where it had narrowed to two small points on her throat. She clapped a hand over the wound and spun, backing herself against a wall as she frantically searched for an explanation as to what the frilly hell was going on.
Then she forgot everything for a moment, because Carmilla was there and she was kicking the everloving crap out of a boy – who actually looked kind of familiar to Laura, for some reason – and it was just unfairly hot.
Laura stared for a split second more before shaking herself out of her daze. She was about ninety-seven percent sure that the boy Carmilla was decimating was a vampire who had just tried to eat her, but the three percent of her that was unsure needed to make sure that Carmilla wasn't about to kill some random frat boy.
Then Carmilla threw him into a wall and Laura saw fangs through his split lip. The three percent was appeased, and she settled back to enjoy the show.
Sadly for her, though, Carmilla looked to be about done. The vampire seemed barely conscious, capable of standing only with the help of the wall that she helpfully threw him against once more. She took a step back and straightened minutely. That tiny adjustment in posture seemed to change her entire personality, the sullen, depressive attitude that she radiated normally vanishing. In its place stood a regal, intimidating woman, one who Laura could easily see dominating the royal court at Versailles, an air of command settling around her like a cloak. Carmilla fixed the bleeding vampire in front of her with a look that screamed disdain.
"I am older than your pitiful mind can comprehend. I have seen civilizations rise and I have seen empires fall. I have been worshipped as a god, and I have destroyed those who would not bow. I have razed armies and toppled kings. I was alive before your ancestors had set foot on this godforsaken rock of a country. My name has struck fear into emperors and caused entire legions to flee from battle. I am old, and powerful, and you are just an insect groveling before me. Do you know who I am, little bug?"
The vampire cowered, nodding his head frantically.
"Say it."
He shuddered. "Mircalla."
Carmilla glared, the expression haughty and dangerous. "I am the Countess Karnstein, and you have trespassed on my territory. Do you know what I do to trespassers, little bug?" She leaned in suddenly, her vampire speed bringing her into the other vampire's personal space in a fraction of a heartbeat.
The vampire whimpered.
She smirked. "You do. But do you know, I suddenly find myself feeling… merciful." The vampire looked up, hope gleaming in his eyes. "Beg. Kneel at my feet and beg for me to spare your miserable life, you craven scum."
Behind Carmilla, Laura's brows furrowed, but she didn't intercede. She knew Carmilla was trying to send a message, and also her neck really did hurt where the other vampire had gotten his fangs into her.
The man hesitated, seemingly warring with himself, but after a few seconds lowered himself slowly to his knees. "Please. Please, Mircalla, in the name of our mother and the decades we have spent as kin, I beg you spare me."
Carmilla closed her eyes briefly. "William Eisen, you are my brother in all but blood. I have known you for almost six decades, and not all of those years were a misery. I would have spared you, but you committed the one sin I cannot condone." Her eyes flashed open.
"You hurt her."
Will didn't even have time to scream before her hands enclosed his head and yanked. A sickening crack filled the air, and he slumped to the ground, every muscle limp. Laura flinched involuntarily, the sight of his head twisted nearly a hundred and eighty degrees around triggering a visceral disgust in her gut.
Carmilla sighed, her head bowed, before grabbing Will's body and standing. She turned her head towards Laura, but kept her gaze down, refusing to meet the other girl's eyes. "Go back to our room, alright? I need to get rid of him."
Laura hesitated, watching the vampire carefully. It was faint, but there was just the barest hint of a crease between her eyebrows. Laura knew Carmilla well enough to know that being alone was the worst thing for her at the moment. She placed her hand on Carmilla's shoulder, ducking her head to catch the vampire's eye. "I'm staying with you."
The other girl glanced up sharply. There was a trace of desperation visible on her face, the barest inkling of desperate fear and desire in equal measure.
Laura smiled, reaching a hand up to smooth the lines from Carmilla's face. "No matter what. I won't leave you." Her hand cupped the vampire's cheek tenderly, a silent reassurance that the events of the past few minutes hadn't changed her feelings for the other girl.
Carmilla closed her eyes and dropped Will, leaning her face into Laura's hand. Both of the vampire's hands settled at Laura's waist, and she seemed to just slump into the other girl, body melting against Laura. The shorter girl could feel the tension and worry draining from Carmilla's body, fears that Laura would leave dissipating and leaving only relief in their wake. Laura wrapped her arms around Carmilla, trying to envelope the other girl in herself as much as she could. Carmilla drew back suddenly, putting a millimeter between their faces as she searched Laura's eyes intently, looking for… something. Laura wasn't entirely sure what.
Whatever she had been looking for, she seemed to find it. A smile crept onto her face, beautiful and loving and completely genuine. "I love you." The words were breathed against Laura's lips. "I love you more than anything else in this vast world, and I will love you for the rest of my eternal life, leibste." Before Laura could do anything more than smile, Carmilla leaned forward and pressed the softest kiss to Laura's lips. It was gentler than anything Laura had ever felt from the vampire before, and it made her feel more cherished than anything else she had ever experienced.
Carmilla pulled back and took Laura's hands. "I am yours, for forever and a day."
Laura grinned and pulled the vampire back into her body. "I can work with that." She reclaimed the vampire's lips with her own, and any doubts Carmilla still harbored about her feelings vanished like smoke with that passion poured into her kiss.