A/N: I turned on my computer this morning, and there were FIVE reviews waiting for me! YAY!! So I decided that I would write this next chapter very quickly, and get it posted. And, if you all are nice, and everybody reviews, then maybe I'll write the next chapter just as quickly! Reviews make me happy, and happy writers write faster. Just a head's up: there is a very sad scene (at least, I think it's sad) at the very end of this chapter. It will undoubtedly make some of you mad (cough moose cough), but I am NOT, no matter how much she begs me, going to reverse the situation. I'm very upset about having to do it, and it made me cry, but it had to happen. Sorry.
Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue.
Chapter 14: A Duel to the Death
Kestral raced through the halls of Ordoghaz, a gun in one hand, a sword in the other, looking for Endainme En'Dae. All around her, there was the carnage of battle. Lycans and vampires alike lay dead on the ground around her, some mutilated beyond recognition, many vampires burned or ripped to shreds, several lycans, half-transformed, shot to death before they could complete the change.
Kestral ran on, listening for the telltale signs of battle she was sure would surround her friend. Footsteps sounded behind her and she whirled around, dropping into a crouch, gun cocked, sword at the ready.
"Don't shoot," Endainme En'Dae said, throwing her hands up. She, too, had a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. The sword was sheathed in the bright crimson blood of her enemies.
"Where is she?" Kestral asked quickly, rising to her feet.
"My rooms. The study, there's a cradle by the window."
Kestral nodded her thanks and started to turn.
"Kestral," Endainme En'Dae said, stopping her.
"Yes?"
"The final battle, it will be in the crypt. Marcus is already there. I must go to him."
"I understand." The two nodded at each other and a moment of perfect understanding and sorrow passed between them, as each knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it might well become a duel to the death between them when they met in battle for the first time in eight hundred years. And they each hoped desperately that it would not come to that.
As she had been instructed, Erika ran through the house to the servant's quarters, and to the great steel door behind which Lucian was kept. A large, but incredibly lithe lycan by the name of Lawrence followed close behind her, gun out, transformation barely kept at bay. His job was to protect her until they got to the dungeon where Lucian was kept and then to get Lucian out alive. Erika had a gun tucked into her waistband, because after they reached Lucian, Lawrence was under no obligation to protect her.
They reached the door quickly, and Erika opened it easily. She couldn't believe Marcus hadn't locked it, now that she knew where it was and what it contained. She hurried down the passage, Lawrence following her closely. The passage wasn't long and they reached the end quickly. Lawrence pushed past her, hurrying to Lucian, saying something quietly to him. Judging her task complete, she turned and ran back down the passage, towards Marcus.
Towards the man she loved with all her heart, and she was damned if she would let Xavier kill him in cold blood.
Kestral opened the door the Endainme En'Dae's rooms. It had been left unlocked, as thought Endainme En'Dae knew that they were coming.
She probably did, Kestral reminded herself. She always seems to know everything.
She tried to remember where Endainme En'Dae's study was, but found the problem solved for her by the sound of a baby wailing. Kestral hurried towards the sound, sheathing her sword and putting away her gun.
True to her word, Endainme En'Dae had left the crib by the window, with the full light of the moon shining on the tiny babe. Crooning softly to the child, Kestral picked her up, cradling her to her breast as she had once done with her own daughter. Ravyn pressed her face against Kestral, seeking something to suckle, but met only with the cloth of Kestral's body suit. The little girl let out a wailing cry of frustration and Kestral winced involuntarily. She had forgotten, over the long centuries, just how loudly a hungry baby could cry.
"Shhh," she said softly. "Let's get you to your mother." She started toward the door, when she heard the front door of Endainme En'Dae's rooms burst open. In an instant, her gun was in her hand, trained on the door, and the baby in her other arm.
Selene appeared in the doorway, and Kestral lowered her gun in relief. Ravyn squalled harder at the noise Selene had made upon her entry of the room, and Kestral handed her to her mother gratefully.
"She's hungry. Stay here and feed her, then go back to the vans."
Selene nodded and sat down in an armchair, fumbling with the ties of her corset with one hand. Kestral was unsure whether she should help or not, and had started towards her, an offer of assistance on her lips, when Michael burst in, as though he, too, had been summoned by his daughter's cries.
"Help her," Kestral said, nodding at Selene. "The baby's hungry."
Michael stared at her, then at Selene, who was still fumbling at her ties with one hand, and holding Ravyn in the other. A look of wonder on his face, he walked towards Selene and his child.
Endainme En'Dae strode angrily into the crypt. Marcus was already there, pacing, muttering over and over, "What do I do? What do I do?"
"You should have done something earlier, that's what" she snapped. He turned to her in surprise.
"Endainme En'Dae? What are you doing here?"
"Getting ready to protect your sorry ass," she said irritably. "Xavier will be here any minute, and he'll be ready to kill you."
"Let him come," Marcus said bravely, and somewhat stupidly. "I can take him."
"Typical man," Endainme En'Dae sighed. "You may be an undead, Marcus, but your still so...damn proud! Without me or Kestral getting involved, the two of you are evenly matched; it will come down to who can think faster. Xavier been preparing for this fight for the last eight centuries, five of which, you slept through!"
Marcus opened his mouth to tell her that he could kick Xavier sorry vampiric ass any day, but thought better of it. Endainme En'Dae was a very sensible woman, and she didn't overreact. If she said that Xavier might be able to best him in single combat, then it was probably true. Instead he asked, "What do I do?"
"Fight, damn you! Fight!"
Xavier burst into the crypt. Marcus was already waiting for him, a sword in his hand. Xavier drew his own sword that Kestral had insisted he carry, and charged the Elder, bringing his sword up for a swing. Marcus parried, and the fight was on.
Kestral and Endainme En'Dae had both known that if Xavier and Marcus fought with pistols, then fight would be over very quickly, and one, if not both of them, would die. Both women wanted to prevent that, and so both had insisted on swords, giving the men a chance to fight until they tired, at which point they could intervene to begin the creation of a peace treaty.
Endainme En'Dae watched the fight with interest, waiting for the moment when she was supposed to intervene. It came only minutes into the fight. She drew her sais and started towards the battle. She raised one of the weapons, preparing the join the fray, when a blade suddenly caught hers with a clash of metal on metal, and Endainme En'Dae turned slightly to see that the wielder was Kestral. She held her scimitars in her hands, the left one held in a wary defensive position, the right one against her sais, challenging her opponent.
Endainme En'Dae grinned at Kestral. "Shall we see how hard you've been practicing?"
Kestral grinned back. "Very hard." They both pulled back their blades and then struck at each other, beginning another battle in the crypt.
Marcus and Xavier struck clumsily at each other with the swords. Neither was used to the cumbersome weapons; they had used guns much more often. Kestral and Endainme En'Dae, on the other hand, clearly knew what they were doing, striking and parrying with grace and ease. They had fought together many times, and each knew exactly what the other would do, before she even did it.
At one point, their hilts locked together, and Endainme En'Dae said, "You've gotten very good. I'm impressed."
"I'm glad. You've learned a few new tricks yourself."
"Practice makes perfect," Endainme En'Dae said. They pulled away from each other and the fight began anew.
Erika was quite out of breath, and there was a stitch in her side, but she kept running. She had to find Marcus, had to warn him.
She ran towards the crypt. That was where Kestral had said the final battle would take place, and that was where Marcus was.
Hold on, she thought desperately. You aren't allowed to die without me there.
She had seen Xavier's face as he jumped out of the van, gun in his hand. She had seen the murderous rage in his eyes, and had felt a cold dread run through her. He was going to kill Marcus, but she was damned if she would let him!
Kestral struck at her old friend again and again, fighting mechanically as she looked for an opening to disarm her opponent. She watched Endainme En'Dae's eyes and chest, trying to anticipate a move that would leave her an opening to strike one of the sais from her friend's hand.
"Stop!" a voice rang out. Erika's. Surprised by her entrance, Kestral and Endainme En'Dae turned automatically toward the door, fight momentarily forgotten in the surprise of the moment.
Unfortunately, Xavier turned as well, but Marcus remained focused on the task at hand. In that single moment of Xavier's inattention, Marcus pulled his arm back and plunged the sword into Xavier's chest. Blood spewed from Xavier's mouth as the sword entered him.
"NO!" Kestral screamed, seeing him collapse to the cold, hard ground as Marcus withdrew his sword, staring his enemy boldly in the face. Kestral ran to him, cradling his body in her arms.
"No. No," she whispered over and over again. She stroked his hair, rocking him gently in her arms.
"Kestral," he said weakly.
"I'm here," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm here. Don't worry; everything will be fine."
"I'm dying Kes," he whispered.
"No!"
He reached up and laid his hand on her cheek. "Don't be afraid," he told her softly.
"I can't let you go," she told him, one hand holding his to her cheek.
"I love you," he whispered. "I...always have."
The tears in her eyes spilled over and rolled down her face. "I love you too." Her voice was thick with sorrow. She cradled him tightly to her, whispering the words over and over.
"Goodbye...my love."
"No!" she screamed. "No! You can't die on me now. You can't! I won't let you!"
"I...can't...stay." Each word seemed a desperate struggle for him to say. "I'll be with you always my darling." He shut his eyes in pain, and Kestral leaned down and kissed him very gently.
"Always," she said, reaffirming his words. He gave a deep, shuddering sigh, and Kestral felt all the life go out of him. A wordless scream tore her throat, and she bent over the body of her love, sobbing with grief.
A/N: I have some sympathy for J.K. Rowling now. Of course, I don't think I killed off everyone's favorite character, but still. Like I said in my first author's note: it made me cry to write it, but it had to be done.
And if you review quickly, I'll post the next chapter soon!
Just a request: when you review, tell me if you would read a sequel, about Ravyn, but with a little bit more of a fantasy element. Moose doesn't want me to do it, but I've already written the first 1 ½ chapters. Just wondering who would read it. Thanks!
Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue.
Chapter 14: A Duel to the Death
Kestral raced through the halls of Ordoghaz, a gun in one hand, a sword in the other, looking for Endainme En'Dae. All around her, there was the carnage of battle. Lycans and vampires alike lay dead on the ground around her, some mutilated beyond recognition, many vampires burned or ripped to shreds, several lycans, half-transformed, shot to death before they could complete the change.
Kestral ran on, listening for the telltale signs of battle she was sure would surround her friend. Footsteps sounded behind her and she whirled around, dropping into a crouch, gun cocked, sword at the ready.
"Don't shoot," Endainme En'Dae said, throwing her hands up. She, too, had a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. The sword was sheathed in the bright crimson blood of her enemies.
"Where is she?" Kestral asked quickly, rising to her feet.
"My rooms. The study, there's a cradle by the window."
Kestral nodded her thanks and started to turn.
"Kestral," Endainme En'Dae said, stopping her.
"Yes?"
"The final battle, it will be in the crypt. Marcus is already there. I must go to him."
"I understand." The two nodded at each other and a moment of perfect understanding and sorrow passed between them, as each knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it might well become a duel to the death between them when they met in battle for the first time in eight hundred years. And they each hoped desperately that it would not come to that.
As she had been instructed, Erika ran through the house to the servant's quarters, and to the great steel door behind which Lucian was kept. A large, but incredibly lithe lycan by the name of Lawrence followed close behind her, gun out, transformation barely kept at bay. His job was to protect her until they got to the dungeon where Lucian was kept and then to get Lucian out alive. Erika had a gun tucked into her waistband, because after they reached Lucian, Lawrence was under no obligation to protect her.
They reached the door quickly, and Erika opened it easily. She couldn't believe Marcus hadn't locked it, now that she knew where it was and what it contained. She hurried down the passage, Lawrence following her closely. The passage wasn't long and they reached the end quickly. Lawrence pushed past her, hurrying to Lucian, saying something quietly to him. Judging her task complete, she turned and ran back down the passage, towards Marcus.
Towards the man she loved with all her heart, and she was damned if she would let Xavier kill him in cold blood.
Kestral opened the door the Endainme En'Dae's rooms. It had been left unlocked, as thought Endainme En'Dae knew that they were coming.
She probably did, Kestral reminded herself. She always seems to know everything.
She tried to remember where Endainme En'Dae's study was, but found the problem solved for her by the sound of a baby wailing. Kestral hurried towards the sound, sheathing her sword and putting away her gun.
True to her word, Endainme En'Dae had left the crib by the window, with the full light of the moon shining on the tiny babe. Crooning softly to the child, Kestral picked her up, cradling her to her breast as she had once done with her own daughter. Ravyn pressed her face against Kestral, seeking something to suckle, but met only with the cloth of Kestral's body suit. The little girl let out a wailing cry of frustration and Kestral winced involuntarily. She had forgotten, over the long centuries, just how loudly a hungry baby could cry.
"Shhh," she said softly. "Let's get you to your mother." She started toward the door, when she heard the front door of Endainme En'Dae's rooms burst open. In an instant, her gun was in her hand, trained on the door, and the baby in her other arm.
Selene appeared in the doorway, and Kestral lowered her gun in relief. Ravyn squalled harder at the noise Selene had made upon her entry of the room, and Kestral handed her to her mother gratefully.
"She's hungry. Stay here and feed her, then go back to the vans."
Selene nodded and sat down in an armchair, fumbling with the ties of her corset with one hand. Kestral was unsure whether she should help or not, and had started towards her, an offer of assistance on her lips, when Michael burst in, as though he, too, had been summoned by his daughter's cries.
"Help her," Kestral said, nodding at Selene. "The baby's hungry."
Michael stared at her, then at Selene, who was still fumbling at her ties with one hand, and holding Ravyn in the other. A look of wonder on his face, he walked towards Selene and his child.
Endainme En'Dae strode angrily into the crypt. Marcus was already there, pacing, muttering over and over, "What do I do? What do I do?"
"You should have done something earlier, that's what" she snapped. He turned to her in surprise.
"Endainme En'Dae? What are you doing here?"
"Getting ready to protect your sorry ass," she said irritably. "Xavier will be here any minute, and he'll be ready to kill you."
"Let him come," Marcus said bravely, and somewhat stupidly. "I can take him."
"Typical man," Endainme En'Dae sighed. "You may be an undead, Marcus, but your still so...damn proud! Without me or Kestral getting involved, the two of you are evenly matched; it will come down to who can think faster. Xavier been preparing for this fight for the last eight centuries, five of which, you slept through!"
Marcus opened his mouth to tell her that he could kick Xavier sorry vampiric ass any day, but thought better of it. Endainme En'Dae was a very sensible woman, and she didn't overreact. If she said that Xavier might be able to best him in single combat, then it was probably true. Instead he asked, "What do I do?"
"Fight, damn you! Fight!"
Xavier burst into the crypt. Marcus was already waiting for him, a sword in his hand. Xavier drew his own sword that Kestral had insisted he carry, and charged the Elder, bringing his sword up for a swing. Marcus parried, and the fight was on.
Kestral and Endainme En'Dae had both known that if Xavier and Marcus fought with pistols, then fight would be over very quickly, and one, if not both of them, would die. Both women wanted to prevent that, and so both had insisted on swords, giving the men a chance to fight until they tired, at which point they could intervene to begin the creation of a peace treaty.
Endainme En'Dae watched the fight with interest, waiting for the moment when she was supposed to intervene. It came only minutes into the fight. She drew her sais and started towards the battle. She raised one of the weapons, preparing the join the fray, when a blade suddenly caught hers with a clash of metal on metal, and Endainme En'Dae turned slightly to see that the wielder was Kestral. She held her scimitars in her hands, the left one held in a wary defensive position, the right one against her sais, challenging her opponent.
Endainme En'Dae grinned at Kestral. "Shall we see how hard you've been practicing?"
Kestral grinned back. "Very hard." They both pulled back their blades and then struck at each other, beginning another battle in the crypt.
Marcus and Xavier struck clumsily at each other with the swords. Neither was used to the cumbersome weapons; they had used guns much more often. Kestral and Endainme En'Dae, on the other hand, clearly knew what they were doing, striking and parrying with grace and ease. They had fought together many times, and each knew exactly what the other would do, before she even did it.
At one point, their hilts locked together, and Endainme En'Dae said, "You've gotten very good. I'm impressed."
"I'm glad. You've learned a few new tricks yourself."
"Practice makes perfect," Endainme En'Dae said. They pulled away from each other and the fight began anew.
Erika was quite out of breath, and there was a stitch in her side, but she kept running. She had to find Marcus, had to warn him.
She ran towards the crypt. That was where Kestral had said the final battle would take place, and that was where Marcus was.
Hold on, she thought desperately. You aren't allowed to die without me there.
She had seen Xavier's face as he jumped out of the van, gun in his hand. She had seen the murderous rage in his eyes, and had felt a cold dread run through her. He was going to kill Marcus, but she was damned if she would let him!
Kestral struck at her old friend again and again, fighting mechanically as she looked for an opening to disarm her opponent. She watched Endainme En'Dae's eyes and chest, trying to anticipate a move that would leave her an opening to strike one of the sais from her friend's hand.
"Stop!" a voice rang out. Erika's. Surprised by her entrance, Kestral and Endainme En'Dae turned automatically toward the door, fight momentarily forgotten in the surprise of the moment.
Unfortunately, Xavier turned as well, but Marcus remained focused on the task at hand. In that single moment of Xavier's inattention, Marcus pulled his arm back and plunged the sword into Xavier's chest. Blood spewed from Xavier's mouth as the sword entered him.
"NO!" Kestral screamed, seeing him collapse to the cold, hard ground as Marcus withdrew his sword, staring his enemy boldly in the face. Kestral ran to him, cradling his body in her arms.
"No. No," she whispered over and over again. She stroked his hair, rocking him gently in her arms.
"Kestral," he said weakly.
"I'm here," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm here. Don't worry; everything will be fine."
"I'm dying Kes," he whispered.
"No!"
He reached up and laid his hand on her cheek. "Don't be afraid," he told her softly.
"I can't let you go," she told him, one hand holding his to her cheek.
"I love you," he whispered. "I...always have."
The tears in her eyes spilled over and rolled down her face. "I love you too." Her voice was thick with sorrow. She cradled him tightly to her, whispering the words over and over.
"Goodbye...my love."
"No!" she screamed. "No! You can't die on me now. You can't! I won't let you!"
"I...can't...stay." Each word seemed a desperate struggle for him to say. "I'll be with you always my darling." He shut his eyes in pain, and Kestral leaned down and kissed him very gently.
"Always," she said, reaffirming his words. He gave a deep, shuddering sigh, and Kestral felt all the life go out of him. A wordless scream tore her throat, and she bent over the body of her love, sobbing with grief.
A/N: I have some sympathy for J.K. Rowling now. Of course, I don't think I killed off everyone's favorite character, but still. Like I said in my first author's note: it made me cry to write it, but it had to be done.
And if you review quickly, I'll post the next chapter soon!
Just a request: when you review, tell me if you would read a sequel, about Ravyn, but with a little bit more of a fantasy element. Moose doesn't want me to do it, but I've already written the first 1 ½ chapters. Just wondering who would read it. Thanks!