Now Ziri was right on the edge of their wood. With her sharp hearing she could catch drifting hints of music floating through the trees, and the scent of fresh blood nearby. Her stomach gave a hungering jolt at the smell of that warm sweet blood. She'd know that scent anywhere. There was a kill nearby. A feast happening there in the haven itself. Her tongue moistened. How long had she fasted and wished for its taste? How long had it been since she'd drunk its nectar? Not since she was a tiny girl, before she knew right from wrong. Still, she longed for it now, as she tasted it on the wind. She shook her head. No, she could not be distracted. She had to find him. James. Her mind focused. She had to do this right, or all would be lost.
Silently she dismounted and then leapt up into a tree, and then sprung lightly from branch to branch, tree to tree, nimbly making her way closer to the city, and drawing her bow from out from over her shoulder. D gained on Ziri moment by moment. He knew she was close, he could smell her. He could also smell blood, and demons. There'd been a hunt nearby. There were some torn leaves and all of the sudden D came upon a large black horse similar to his own, tied up on a tree. It reeked of Ziri. She was close. She dismounted…not twenty minutes ago. He imitated Ziri's plot, and tied off his horse, but instead of taking the foliated highway, he walked stealthily across the ground, not displacing a leaf, not snapping a twig. He crept swiftly but silently in the fading light.
Every moment he heard music more loudly, laughter, voices….Then, he heard a swift change in the noises… Instead of laughter there came screams, shouts of rage, and roars. Ziri, D thought. So she'd struck. Headstrong as she was, D did not doubt her strength. He hurried forward more quickly now, knowing making noise didn't matter any more. When he got to the clearing, there were bodies everywhere. Arrows shot through everything. There was still some noise, but now it came from the carven staircase that descended to the caves below. D leapt swiftly across the clearing, and bounded down the marble stairs. The sight that met his eyes as he entered the caves was not a happy one. Ziri had an arrow set in her bow, aiming it for Ophelia's heart, but Ophelia had her fangs mere inches from James's jugular vein. James's face was pale and little tears plopped down his face.
"Girl!" Ophelia cried, "You don't know what you're doing. Even if you shoot it'll be too late for the boy!"
"I won't let you have him!"
"Why are you doing this?" Ophelia bellowed, narrowing her eyes and inching her razor fangs closer to his milky skin.
"Because of what you did to me!"
"I do not pray on women. They beg too much. Men are my only victims…" Her fang brushed ever so slightly against his neck and he cried in fear.
"Except for the one time when the man made you the victim. When he forced you to have a pain in your life. Don't you remember? Your child?" Ziri cried, her eyes narrowing with utter hatred. Ophelia's eyes widened, and then she laughed, keeping her mouth still dangerously close to his neck.
"So you're the foolish little Dunpeal I brought into the world. I thought I'd killed you… I'd hoped I'd killed you, abandoning you as an infant." Ophelia shrugged "Ah well, too bad. So I suppose now you're back with a vengeance?" She grinned.
"You'd better believe it bitch." Ziri said through gritted teeth.
"Ooh, so full of idle words you are. Especially in such dire circumstance."
"Dire for you," Ziri growled.
"You underestimate my protection." Ophelia smiled. She snapped her fingers and suddenly, ten vampires leapt from behind wide stalagmites and pillars, and in a second chaos ensued. At this moment, D leapt from his hiding place by the stairs, and three vampires lost their heads. Arrows went through the hearts of four more. A vampire charged at Ziri, and defenseless, her last arrow spent, she crouched, waiting for the deadly blow that never came. She opened her eyes, and looked up to see D battling fiercely with all three vampires at once.
Ziri's eyes widened, Where had Ophelia gone? She looked around frantically, and then saw her, dragging James up the stairs. She was torn. On one hand, D had just saved her life, and she was in his debt. Now he needed her help. But on the other hand, Ophelia was getting away. With James, with the bounty. With her revenge. Ziri threw a glance back to D but then dashed up the stairs after Ophelia. Leaving D alone with three fierce vampires in the dead of night.