Reign of Fire: Rising from the Ashes

Chapter Twenty- Love changes everything

Quietly sitting on the edge of the bed next to Holly's still form, Kayleigh brushed some hair from the sleeping girl's face. No one would stop her now, no sudden interruptions or dragons to slay, just her and her nemesis…and a big cold blade which would no doubt sink deliciously deep into Holly's sic kingly deformed flesh. Kayleigh moved her hand down to Holly's shoulder, shaking it gently at first.

She frowned when Holly did not stir, and eventually shook her harder until she began to stir and uttered a soft moan.

"That's it, wake up" She coaxed.

Holly's eyes fluttered open, disorientated. Where was she? What had happened? She remembered riding off with Alex, everything had gone exactly as planned…and then the gunshot…and the excruciating pain shooting through her body. After that everything had been dark and blurry. "Wake up, wake up…" someone was calling out for her. A woman…Alex? The hazy image of Kayleigh looming over her caused Holly to jump and hiss from the pain which shot through her back. Kayleigh merely smiled.

"What do you...want?" Holly croaked, panic rising as she saw Kayleigh pull out a knife and study it. That blade looks way too familiar…

"You could use a glass of water." Kayleigh stared at her, her mouth a grim line. Holly swallowed hard, her throat burning. She wouldn't ask, that would give Kayleigh exactly what she wanted- more power over her.

"Why are you here?" Holly's voice was so small and weak that Kayleigh couldn't contain the smug smile which dared to flash across her face, there was something about seeing Holly look so vulnerable made her feel very excited indeed.

"Can't a girl just do a good deed and visit the err...less fortunate." Kayleigh burst into hysterical laughter. "What am I saying? You know why I am here. I told you to stay away from him, but you didn't did you? Oh no perfect little Holly saves the day again and wins the heart of the gallant knight himself."

"What do you mean?" The perplexed Holly tried to sit up, sucking in a sharp breath as she fell back. She realised she had obviously been wounded more seriously than she had at first anticipated, and that she would never be able to stop Kayleigh from whatever she had in mind...

"It's frustrating isn't it? All that training, showing off your body in the process…and then just when you truly need it you're rendered cripple by one petty little bullet! I know how you feel, trust me. Only I had the small advantage of choosing where the bullet would be planted. Oh well, I guess you just didn't ask nice enough…"

As Kayleigh rambled on, partly to Holly, partly to no one in particular, Holly realised she had obviously gone quite mad. So Kayleigh believed she had stolen Creedy from her? Last time I checked he was still lip-gluing with you girlfriend!

"Kayleigh, I don't know what you're thinking, but nothing happened between me and Creedy…"

Kayleigh stopped her mid sentence. "For your sake I would hope not! See, that would mean I would have to do you slowly…no one touches my man and lives to tell. But I think I can take your word for it, after all why would Creedy do you when he can have me instead? He doesn't exactly strike me as a necrophile…although it was a close call last night eh?"

The disappointment in the woman's voice made Holly shiver, as she was beginning to think it probably might have been better to die last night than here at Kayleigh's hand. Who knows what this insanity might lead her to do. Think Holly, think! Stall her, gain some time! Someone must notice her presence here at some moment!

"Where is Creedy now?" A happy smile crossed Kayleigh's face again as the blade suddenly dug into Holly's skin.

"That's none of your concern! You've had him all night, it's not my problem if you weren't awake to enjoy it! Now it's my turn…"

Creedy had been with her all night? So she hadn't been dreaming…that beautiful voice coaxing her, lulling her back to sleep after a nightmare, those warm hands brushing her cheeks…As she swallowed her joy away she could feel the knife at her throat even clearer. One wrong word and Kayleigh would help her into another world, she knew this for fact.

Would there be another world? A heaven? Would she be allowed in after her many sins? Would Zara be waiting for her? Would Creedy cry for her? Her thought from last night reran itself in her head: she would die without ever being able to confess to Creedy what she truly felt for him, without ever knowing if he felt the same…without ever truly having known the love and the touch of a man…

A tear managed to escape her eye and it was as if Kayleigh could read her mind. "Don't cry now, superheroes never cry remember? What do you have to cry about? You should be thanking me for delivering you from your miserable existence! Or wait, you're upset to die a virgin? Don't worry about it hun…it's really not all that it's made out to be you know. Damn good way of getting what you want though. Open your legs to a man and moan into his ear how he has the biggest dick in the world, and how no one has ever satisfied you like he has and they'll be lying at your feet like puppy dogs…"

Before she knew it the blade had been knocked from her hand and with a strength she didn't know she still possessed Holly had lashed out with her legs, causing them both to fall to the floor, Holly landing on top of her mental enemy. A smile managed to break through as she stared into Kayleigh's surprised face. "I told you I would kill you if you ever hurt him…and I will not stand by to let you talk about Creedy as some insignificant little plaything."

A hint of fear spread across Kayleigh's face before rage took over once more, and with an angry roar she lashed out at Holly again, who now realised her attack had been a mistake. Her anger at Kayleigh's words had made her forget her pain for a moment, but the severity of her wounds and a faintness she could only explain as severe blood loss would make it impossible to keep this up much longer. Especially when Kayleigh managed to stand up and gave an evil kick at Holly's back, causing her stitches to snap and send a paralysing pain into Holly's body. As black spots appeared before her eyes she could barely make out Kayleigh approaching her again, the hunting knife once again clutched firmly at hand.

"See, that's where you got this all wrong baby girl, thinking you could outsmart me. Really, it's not gonna work! So many have tried and equally many have died trying…you'll be in good company I assure you. You dead, me free of you and Creedy by my side doing whatever the fuck I tell him to, you get that?"

"Oh I heard you loud and clear lass, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disagree with you there…" Holly could only sigh in relief as Creedy's deep voice rang through the room, now laced with a venom she wasn't used to hearing from him.

Kayleigh spun around at him, dropping the knife to her feet as if burned by its handle.

"Creedy, sweetheart…" She ran towards him, clutching his waist and for a moment Holly was afraid her charm would work once more.

Creedy loosened her arms, cradling her face in his hands, staring into her face so intently that it made Kayleigh's knees buckle.

"Didn't you make me a promise darling?"

Kayleigh smiled up at him, tears appearing. "It was all for you…just for you. She would be gone and we could be together….we're so beautiful together Creedy, please…"

His green eyes had by now turned an icy shade of blue. "You broke your promise Kayleigh…that means it's time to break you." And with one effortless move he twisted her head to the side, causing her neck to snap. Her sad eyes landed on his face once more time before her lifeless body slowly sank to the floor.

For a few moments Creedy just stood there, letting the morbid reality of the moment sink in, until a heaving sob shook him out of his reverie. In two steps he had crossed the space towards Holly, and once again took her crumpled form into his arms. To his surprise her own arms went immediately around his neck and for the first time in all those months she broke down completely, finally shedding all her tears of fear, doubt, pain, anger…and most of all relief.

"Creedy don't leave me…" But as he picked her up and gently laid her back on the bed, calling for Doc to help clean up her stitches, she knew he wouldn't.