Chapter 13 - Dark so Deep

Gelmir was affected by her, sensing that special essence which was uniquely Vicki. They had chosen him to be her protector her mate and that could never be taken back. When the ceremony was over she would forever be lost to him and his heart could never love another.

Vicki stepped out of the shadows dressed in a breathtaking elven gown of greens and white, it molded to her every curve and shimmered with the power of other worlds. A faint out line of her body showed underneath, especially now when light shone from behind. Vicki's own special energy, that indefinable something which was unique to her and drew males her to like moths to a flame was almost blinding.

Only Gelmir's protection prevented Astaroth from sensing all of this. It was a dangerous time and he could feel the lines of power pulsing through this human city ready to erupt.

Stepping forward he took her hand in his breathing in her scent of womanhood.

"Are you ready for the ceremony" he asked gentle moving his lips towards her's. Wanting to place them against her's in a final farewell kiss.

Vicki sensed his intentions and leant forward giving his lips the briefest touch against hers. Gelmir's heart sang at this contact willingly given, holding it close to his heart. Vicki felt his touch deep within but tried not to show any reaction to it, swallowing hard.

"You know, protector or not I'm really not comfortable being kept out of the loop about all of this". She looked at the circle wondering yet again just what was she suppose to do?

"But I trust you, don't ask me why but I do." said Vicki resigned to her fate this night.

Coreen was placing the last of the touches on the golden circle, just where did Coreen come by gold dust thought Vicki. Don't ask don't tell.

She was also dressed in a beautiful white gown, face scrubbed of all makeup but she glowed like a beacon of light in the room. Vicki smiled at Coreen lightly touching the sleeve of the dark haired elven man called Halmir. Oh I see some heart break there.

Vicki sighed thinking to herself 'I want this over, I want coffee and bad Chinese and all my monsters to on the big screen and I want Henry.'

The circle was closed and all the 4 elves and 4 dwarfs took there place around the outside. Coreen stepped up to the top of the central point on the pentagram and began the ceremony.

Gurth goth(rim)lye

Gurth goth(rim) Tel'Quessir

Caela ie'lle

A hush fell over the room and the outer circle pulsed with life. A unicorn stallion began to pace the outer rim of the circle, it mane and tail being whipped in the currents of magical energy generated.

Vicki stood on the outside the circle waiting to be led in by Gelmir.

The chanting became louder, the earth beneath their feet responded to the ancient power, not seen on the earth outside of time.

"Are you ready Vicki?", asked Gelmir.

"Yes, lets just get this done and hope it works" Vicki gripped his hand feeling a supporting warmth and was lead into the inner circle of the pentagram. Gelmir didn't cross is border but released her hand as she did.

"Vicki, whatever happens can be healed, remember that" he whispered stepping back.

Suddenly she was alone in the center and the inner circle shimmered and pulsed with energy, those on the outer rim where barely visable now.

Gelmir came back through the outer rim and walked to the door. Opening it he looked into Henry's eyes. If only he could take some of the pain from them.

"Isn't there another way?", Henry looked to the inner circle where he could just see the shape of Vicki.

"No" was the short reply from Gelmir.

"Take this amulut" said Gelmir handing Henry a small precious piece of Elven silver which pulsed in the light. "It will help to shield a small part of your soul".

Henry took the amulut and placed it around his neck and outside the elven clothing he was wearing. It was a tunic made of the blackest silk which brought focus to the energy needed for the ceremony. A ceremony which would strip him of 600 years of aging in human years and bring his closer to 30.

He wished that was the only price he would be paying tonight.

He looked once more to the inner circle and began the process of bringing the beast, his deepest darkest inner hunger rage and animal self to the surface. Gelmir stepped back trying to distance himself from the change within the nightwalker.

Henry walked inside the outer circle, past the unicorn stallion which was raging in the power currents, thundering the power back into the ground.

He walked to the edge of the inner circle and looked at her, felt his resolve begin to crumble. Did he want Astaroth to do this instead of himself. No!

Henry crossed into the inner circle and Vicki turned to look at him shock on her face.

"Henry, they didn't tell me you would be part of the ceremony"

Henry drew on the power of dark inside him, not touching her but allowing his fangs to extend and his eyes to blacken.

Vicki backed away to the edge of the inner circle and met the wall of energy at her back.

"Henry, whats wrong, oh god please Henry don't tell me this is all a trick by Astaroth, please Henry say something"

The roaring of blood in his ears was building, he shut his mind to her and reached towards her.

Vicki began to panic, there had been one other time when she had seen the look, when Henry was being held with the Iluminacion del Sol embeded into his chest by the mad priest. He had almost killed her, lost in the blood lust.

She began to shake, why where they doing this, this can't be right it had to be part of the demons plan.

Within a heart beat Henry was in front of her growlling low in his throat. His hand grabbed her hair and pulled her neck back and then he plunged his fangs into her neck.

Vicki screamed in pain, there was no attempt to lessen the impact, no attempt to drink. He withdrew from the bite and plunged again against her breastbone.

She screamed for help from the circle but the walls of the inner and out circle were almost solid now. She couldn't even make out the shapes.

"Please Henry, please stop" Vicki began to sob with all her heart. "Don't let this evil take you over, god please"

Henry was behind her and she hadn't seen him move. His fangs once again tore into her arms, down her back. Blood began to drip on the floor in hot pools, her head spinning from the shock of the bites and blood loss.

With a hand on her throat he began to pull her down to the floor tearing at the gown. Vicki could feel his hardness and the lenght of him pressing against her inner thigh.

"No Henry, you can fight this sobbed Vicki trying to scramble away."

The gown was torn and two and Vicki was naked, covered in blood trying push his weight off her, this monster inside which he had warned her about all those months ago in the comic book store. What had he said "be careful how deep you dig Vicki"

Pain, pain, tearing and then the pressure of his weight above her. She felt him enter her savagely with a roar of animal possession. Her tears where all she had left now. She knew she had lost, was lost the demon had won.

Henry rode her like a stallion rides a mare, taking her savagely, without compassion or pity. Raping the woman he loved more than his own life.

She felt his seed slip into her scorching her inner core. Henry flung himself off her and hands reached through, dragging him from the inner circle.

Vicki was alone, bleeding willing herself not to give into the despair and the wish to die.

The circle was a vortex of screaming energy now, her hair whipped around her face.

A scream but not her's. Suddenly a shape was forming on the floor, Astaroth still in the body of the priest was withering on the floor at her feet, she skittered away from him. No, not him as well.

Suddenly there were many forms on the outside of the inner rim, Gelmir stepped through and dragged the nearly unconscious Vicki from the inner circle enveloping her with his body, trying to absorb the pain she had endured.

The killing began.

Screams pulsed from the inner circle as the Elves, dwarves and stallion began to pound, hack and dismember Astaroths body. Blood began to coat the walls quantities far beyond what one human/demon body could hold.

"Vicki" said Gelmir

"Vicki you must finish this then you can rest, just one last thing to be done, you must pierce the heart with this dagger, you have the strength, forgive me"

Gelmir handed her the glowing Elven sacred dagger.

Moving without thought or strength she crawled back into the inner circle as the creatures stood back. There was nothing left except a river of blood flowing around them all and a beating heart in the middle, a black beating heart.

"I said I was sending you back to hell but killing you will feel so much better".

Vicki plunged the dagger into the heart, blood, more blood than was possible roared out in a fountain. The blood of all the victims from all the ages screaming as it was released.

Henry couched gasping, being held by one of the elves watched in horror as all this unfolded before his eyes.

Suddenly the elf released his hold and stepped into the inner circle, they were all in the inner circle. A whirl wind of pure energy enveloped them all. Drawing them back into their realm.

Nothiness.

Ragged breath now turned to sobs from Henry.

"Vicki, Vicki where are you cried Henry, falling to the blood soaked floor sobbing.

Authors Notes:

One more chapter to go! I'm glad I re-wrote parts of this story and I hope it was a more enjoyable read.