Megan and Rob stood there for a second. Both of them looked at each other then back at Garan. Wendell stayed quiet. "You've been keeping secrets from us Garan." Rob said with a grin, "I thought we were friends." Megan chimed in, "Yes, naughty, naughty Garan. Paul told us all about you, he promised that Rob and I can be together for all eternity if we kill you and Crystal."
"You traitors!" Danielle cried.
"Rob, you were supposed to be my best friend. How could you do this?" Marc asked.
"All of you hid this power from us. You're no friends of mine!" Rob replied curtly.
"Then we have no choice but to kill you too." Nolan said quietly.
"Megan, why?!" Crystal screamed aloud. Megan just gave her a cold glare as Garan pulled her close, protectively.
Wendell spoke up, "Why? Why not is the answer. We can do anything we want forever, and no harm will come to us."
"You three think it's all so easy don't you?" Garan said.
"Enough!" Paul shouted. "Kill them, or I kill the three of you!"
Rob pulled a small bottle out of the right-hand pocket of his coat and proceeded to light the wick with a silver Zippo. He flung it right in the midst of the group of Toreadors and they all jumped away from it as it made a loud explosion.
"Are you insane?!" Marc yelled.
"Yes, I believe that is what my tattoo says, isn't it?" Rob held out his forearm where the black kanji sat in the midst of a psychotic looking jester tattoo and started laughing hysterically.
Megan went straight for Crystal and Garan but Paul stepped in her way. "Leave these two for me." he commanded. Wendell pulled out a small sword and looked at Nolan. "Bring it on." Nolan said underneath his breath. Garan lifted Crystal up in his arms and tried to escape to his car.
"Come back! Don't you want to play with me?" Paul laughed mockingly.
Wendell aimed his short sword and charged at Nolan. In one swift movement, Nolan sidestepped him, grabbed the sword and cleanly lopped his head off. It rolled a few feet and came to a stop. Wendell's body slumped to the ground, lifeless. Nolan looked down at the body and said, "Told you I'd have to kill you." Sword still in hand, he went to go help Garan.
Marc, Danielle, and Gerard still had their hands full with Rob and Megan. They didn't just have regular weapons; they had explosives. Megan took a large bottle of lighter fluid out of her handbag, ran over to Gerard's car, and splashed it all underneath the car. "No!" Gerard cried. Marc quickly pulled Danielle away and got to a safe distance as Megan ignited the fluid and ran. "Gerard, move your ass now!" Marc yelled at him. Gerard turned and in a second he was next to them. He watched sadly as his Mustang blew up, leaving a shell of flames and smoke.
Danielle called a flock of pigeons down to distract Rob and Megan while she grabbed some weapons from her trunk. She handed the green sword to Marc, and she took a flamethrower. Marc gave her a strange look. "What?" she asked, "You always have to be prepared; fight fire with fire!" Marc just rolled his eyes and said, "Let's go get 'em."
Garan and Crystal got into his Pathfinder and he tried to start the engine, but it was dead. Paul strolled over laughing, "You think I didn't take care of your car earlier? Now you have nowhere to go little brother."
Garan stepped out of the car and motioned for Crystal to stay there.
"Why Baldric? You can stop this and renounce your loyalty to the Sabbat. Please, I'm asking you one last time."
"Never! Do you understand the pain and loneliness you've caused me Gareth? I will never live with humans, hiding in the shadows. This is your last chance! You will pay for what you've done one way or another. You stole my happiness, now I shall steal yours. You will give Crystal to me or she shall watch you perish."
"No! You will leave her out of this! This is between you and I."
"Have it your way." he said as he unsheathed his long broadsword.
Garan grabbed his sword from the backseat of his truck. It bore a silver family crest in the middle of the shiny black scabbard. "Ready to say goodbye?" Paul asked.
Garan lunged at him with the two-handed sword. Paul blocked with his own sword. The garage echoed with the sounds of metal hitting metal. Crystal couldn't stand it anymore; she snuck out of the truck and hid behind it to watch. Paul caught Garan off guard as he noticed her getting out and sliced his calf wide open. Garan let out a small cry of surprise and fell to his knees. Nolan appeared just as Paul was about to swing the fatal blow to Garan, but he was too late. Crystal ran out and jumped in front of him. Alex suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dived to push her out of the way, but caught Paul's blade and was sliced in half mid-torso. The two halves of his body fell in front of Garan, pooling blood all on the ground. Crystal watched in horror. She clutched her hands to the sides of her head and crumpled to the floor crying, "Noo! Noo! NOOO!" Paul suddenly burst into flames and started screaming. Garan looked around perplexed for a moment, then realized that Crystal was the cause of the spontaneous combustion. Nolan watched in awe as Paul crawled toward him, still burning. He held his hand up, reaching out for Nolan.
"Yoou….betrayed me………."
Nolan laughed as he raised his sword to strike. "Aww come on Paulie, I never was on your side." he replied and promptly sliced Paul's head off. "No hard feelings ok?"
Garan immediately ran over to Crystal and knelt beside her. She was sobbing so hard she was shaking and gasping. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. "I'm so tired of pain, of misery and death. So very tired…" she whispered as she passed out in Garan's lap. He looked at Nolan, who just smiled and said, "She'll be fine…she's just exhausted, and she hasn't fed for days by the look of her."
"How did she do that? The fire…"
"Now you understand why the Sabbat really wanted her." He said as he turned and walked away.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Garan called after him.
"To see if Marc, Danielle, and Gerard are still alive. Alive. Hahahaha!" he started laughing hysterically at his own joke.
Garan just shook his head, gently lifted Crystal up in his arms, and laid her down in the backseat of his car.
"Well, that wasn't so hard." Marc noted as he kicked Rob's severed head toward Megan's charred carcass that lie a few feet away. Danielle scoffed. "I never liked them anyway." Gerard just stood back silently, observing.
Marc looked at him. "You think you could help us dispose of their remains at least?" he asked sarcastically. Nolan started clapping in the distance. "Bravo, bravo!" he said as he walked up to the group. "There's hope for you yet Marc." Marc turned and gave Nolan a dirty look.
Paul is dead. Nolan told everyone.
"Where are Garan and Crystal?" Gerard inquired.
"They're still downstairs…figured I'd give them some time alone."
Danielle still looked wary. "Is Crystal ok?"
"Yes."
"There is something you're not telling us."
"I'll let Garan explain that to you. Come downstairs."
The group headed to the nearest flight of stairs to descend to the second floor of the garage. As they emerged from the stairwell, they spotted Garan kneeling on the ground next to his brother's remains. His face was strewn with crimson tears. "I'm so sorry it had to come to this Baldric. But you knew didn't you? You knew what she was capable of long ago. Why? There is more to this than I know…but I will find out, I will."
"Bro, are you ok?" Marc asked quietly as he walked up behind him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about Crystal."
Danielle opened the passenger side door of the suv and lightly shook Crystal. Her eyes fluttered open gradually and the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "I did it…. I killed his brother." Her voice was flat and monotone, dead.
"It wasn't your fault!" Danielle said, "He tempted fate twice and he lost. Simple as that." She sat up and started to weep again, but her tears were not that of blood, but saline, like a human's. "Oh my god!" Danielle gasped. Garan ran over and held her; he turned to Nolan with a frightened look on his face. "What is wrong with her?" he demanded to know.
"Honestly, I have never seen such a thing before."
"Everyone calm down." Gerard said. "To me, it looks as if there is more to Crystal than we thought."
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." she reassured them, "I just haven't fed for days."
"Come here." Nolan told her. She obeyed and stood in front of him. He put his right arm around her back and tilted her head back. He bit his tongue hard with his sharp canines and leaned in to kiss her. She was shocked at first, but was so pleased at the taste of the blood that she quickly returned his kiss.
Garan was about to say something, but Gerard stopped him. You're almost as drained as she is, look at the blood all over the ground from your leg. Let it go, she needs it.
You're right...I am just overly protective of her since I lost her all those years ago.
Nolan released her and she walked back over to Garan, who received her with open arms. "Well, I'm done here. Time for me to part ways my friends."
"Where are you going?" Marc asked.
Nolan smirked. "What, are you actually going to miss me?"
"No...uh..I dunno!"
"I know I'll be seeing you again, sooner than you may think." Nolan said as he morphed into eagle form and flew off.
"That guy is weird." Danielle stated.
Garan sighed. "He is my maker..."
Marc laughed, "Mine too! Does that make me your brother?"
"Uh, no."
Crystal snickered and Garan gave her a look. "What?" she replied innocently.
Gerard looked at the Mustang keys in his hand and sighed loudly. "Well, I'm gonna get going too. I'm going hunting." He gave Garan a hug, and bid everyone farewell. "Garan, I'll talk to you later. Adieu." he said as he walked away.
Crystal turned to Marc and Danielle. "So, what are you two going to do?"
"I don't know." Marc replied. "Well...you can't go back home now." Danielle said.
"That's true...I'll miss my family."
"You can come live with me! That would make me happier than anything in the world."
"Of course I will."
"Yay!" Danielle cried as she jumped on Marc and death-grip hugged him. "I love you so much!"
Garan looked back at his Pathfinder and then at Danielle. "Umm...do you think you guys could give us a ride back to my place?"
"Sure, come on." Danielle replied.
A shadowy figure in the distance watched as they all got into the 3000 GT.
Good, Paul is dead. That worthless piece of shit couldn't have accomplished this mission anyway. This is only the beginning my friends...