Chapter 3: Remaining Elders

We walked upon the large house, the scenery looking completely ominous. I almost shivered as the wind whipped around, bending the trees in different directions.

I just couldn't understand why these people couldn't just give it up. It was quite odd, but I'd noticed that vampires really were just like regular humans. There were some evil, and some good, and others just existed.

I glanced over to Dante but he just stared forward, striding at a steady pace. We almost reached the door but I grabbed some wind and blew it open, breaking the hinges.

I let go of Dante's hand and ran up the stone stairs and through the door, looking around angrily. I whipped through a couple of hallways until I found them in the kitchen.

John was grabbing Allison's arm and pulling her toward him as she sobbed lightly. I couldn't understand what was going on here. It was all much too confusing.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted, clenching my fists at my side. Dante appeared in an instant, as did my father and the rest of our friends.

John spun his head around, baring his teeth to me and growling. Dante took a fighting stance, mirroring John's expression. The other did the same, except my father, of course.

"Let her go before this gets ugly," Dante muttered through his teeth.

"Give me one good reason."

"She hasn't done anything to you. Let. Her. Go."

"And how do you know what she has done?!" He yelled, grabbing Allison's throat. I heard her gurgle and knew that Dante wasn't going to put up with this. I growled back and he shot me a glance, easing his grip on her a bit.

"Why does it matter?! Let her go. Now," he snarled again.

"I will not let her go. You have no idea what she has done!"

"Let her go! She can't breathe!" Melissa shouted, her voice cracking.

"This doesn't concern you!" He said, tightening his fingers. Allison's face started to turn whiter-almost translucent and she opened her mouth, venom running down her chin.

I grabbed his fingers with my mind, pulling them backwards, snapping his index finger.

He screamed loudly and I smirked at him, turning my head. He understood that if he didn't stop, all of his fingers would be mangled.

"Okay, okay!" He said, releasing his hand and backing away. Allison quickly grabbed her throat, rubbing up and down.

"What the hell is this all about, anyway?" I asked.

"I said, this doesn't concern you, Victoria."

"Why are you two the only ones here?! This doesn't make any sense at all!"

"We have personal matters we must attend to. Now, leave us be!" He yelled, grabbing her throat again.

"You let her go or I swear-" I said through my teeth. I started to pull one of his fingers back until I felt the bone giving and he let go, giving me an evil look.

"Let. Us. Be," he muttered. I stared wide-eyed as I watched his body start to bubble and take a new form. What the hell was this guy?!

His face turned bright red and his hands turned into claws-long, sharp nails protruding from his fingers. I stepped back and almost hid behind Dante, peaking my head around his shoulder.

I started breathing heavily, feeling my lungs being crushed under an unknown pressure. I held them in place, but his grip was much too strong. Horns began to emerge from the top of his head and scales covered his bare skin. He had stolen my form-the form of a dragon.

He reached his hands up to the sky and let out a fierce growl, bringing his face back down to look at me.

His back almost touched the ceiling as he stared at me, glistening in the pale light from the candles. His scales sparkled brilliantly with a crimson color and his eyes were a piercing yellow.

Once again, I felt the pain in my lungs. I felt like he was trying to rip them out of my body through my throat. I gasped and grabbed Dante's shirt, dropping to the ground behind him.

He spun around and caught me before I passed out, scooping me into his arms. Everything was a blur and all I could see were John's eyes burning into my skull.

"What have you done to her?!" I heard Dante scream, sounding like an echo inside of my mind. I was done, I was completely spent. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, and I couldn't protect myself. It was way too much for me to handle.

"Let go of her!" My dad yelled, changing into a different animal. My sight was too blurry and I couldn't make out what he was, but I could hear him growl.

I heard the cries of two different creatures and the rips of skin, but I couldn't make out who was who.

I felt myself fading as he clenched harder to my lungs. I felt like I was ripping in half, but I tried as hard as I could to pull him away. There was no use. I knew I was done for.

Dante cradled me, but he knew he couldn't help. I could feel his weak attempts at grasping John's hands off of my organs, but he just wasn't strong enough.

I started to feel wet and realized that my love was crying onto my dead body. He brought me up to his face and he kissed me, but I couldn't kiss back. I couldn't feel him and I was scared.

For all of my life, I'd been the strong one, but was this how it was going to end? I just didn't get it. I didn't get what we were fighting about, I didn't get why everyone hated me, and I didn't get why I had to be the one to die today.

How could my story end like this-in agony and betrayal? I had always loved everyone, and now it seemed like it was coming back to haunt me for some reason.

I just wanted a happy life. I wanted children and a wonderful husband. I wanted my parents to be together again-but I guess I've always wanted a little too much.

I started to see light, although I knew the mansion was dimly lit. I reached my hand up to touch it, but it morphed into Dante's face. His eyes were blood-shot and his cheeks were stained with tears, but he didn't look at me; he looked through me.

I thought I had died, but I could still feel the pain in my body. I ached everywhere and I could still feel the hard grip the dragon held on me. I tried to look around, but all I could see was him. I could only see his bright green eyes filled with sadness and loss.

I tried to talk, but nothing came out; I tried to yell, but my screams were caught on my lips. I just wanted to tell him that I loved him, but my body wouldn't let me. I just wanted him to know that he was forever mine. I wanted to let him know every feeling I'd ever felt for him-but it was too late now. I felt like I was never going to come back, and I believed that I wouldn't.

"Please don't die," he whispered. I wanted to cry and tell him that I was trying, but there was no breath left in me.

Slowly, I gave up my fight, letting the dragon's nails pierce into my lungs and take away my final breath.

I tried to keep my eyes open to show Dante that I didn't want to leave, but they closed faster than I could even attempt. Darkness consumed me and I was running through a tunnel trying to find my light at the end.

I didn't feel any more pain in my body, but my mind was filled with so much hurt and agony that I tripped and fell right before I reached the brightness. A dark figure approached me and I tried to get up, but he held me down, telling me to be quiet that that everything would be okay.

I recognized his voice, but I just couldn't get it through my mind who it was.

The light wrapped around his head and consumed him, showing his true self-Dante. My love had come to save me; but how is he here? Aren't I dead? I thought it was the end of me.

"Victoria," he whispered, "I love you."

I opened my mouth to talk, but nothing came out. I started to cry but he walked away, extending his arm out to me, flying up into the light that I wanted so badly. I curled up, pulling my knees up to my face and soaked my jeans with my tears.

Where was I? Why did Dante leave me here in the dark? Why can't I just reach the light?

"Victoria! Victoria! Wake up, sweetie!" It sounded like someone was singing me a song, but I looked around and no one was there. I tried to reach into my head to pull my former self back into reality. I found my old body curled into the corner of my mind, sobbing and crying to herself.

"Get up!" I screamed, "You have to go home!" She perked her head up and wiped away her tears, nodding.

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself lying on the ground. A few people were huddled around me, but my eyesight was too blurry to tell who they were. An instant pain crept into my body, making me wince. My torso felt like it was on fire and my lungs couldn't hold any air in them.

"She's awake!" Someone said cheerfully.

"Back away, let's see if she can hold any air in her lungs," another voice said sternly.

I tried to breathe but just sat there.

"She can't breathe! Damien, help her!"

Just then, I felt hands grasping my lungs lightly, trying to pull them back together, it seemed. I started to feel myself breathing again, but it was only quick, short breaths. I heard a sigh of relief, but I knew that I wouldn't be well for a very long time. I was completely broken.

The hands were moving my lungs, making me inhale and exhale perfectly, but once they would back away, I couldn't seem to do it myself.

Once I had enough air, I tried to talk.

"I. Can't. Do. It. By myself," I whispered, breathlessly.

"What's wrong with her?! Help her!" I heard Dante shout again.

"I am! There's only so much I can do, Dante!" My dad screamed.

He helped, yes, but I knew that he wouldn't be able to help me forever.

I tried to muster up the rest of the strength left in my body and I tried to mend my organs, sowing them shut where they were torn apart. I was just astonished that I was still "alive."

"She's helping herself. She'll be just fine," my dad muttered, backing his hands away. It was easier to breath now, but I knew I shouldn't try to sit up yet.

I needed to understand why all of this was happening, because it was really starting to get on my nerves. I've been threatened with death too many times in this past year, and frankly, I'm done with it.