I was getting worried. Night was quickly descending. Blade had roof hopped as I saw a vampire fall from one of the balconies. I drummed my fingers on the dash board watching as night fully came. Did I kill myself now or see if I could get away? But then I saw Mercury and Quinn opening one of the garage doors an armoured truck coming out. They had Blade that was the only thing I could think of. But I knew where they were going. The Bank of Erebus and to the temple he had rebuilt in the floors below.
I climbed out of the car every intention of going in and killing every vampire that crossed my path. But then I realised, that I wasn't Buffy the fucking vampire slayer, but Summer Willis a first dan in Aikido who was in reality pretty pathetic. And all I had with me was a Bo staff that had a retractable silver blade. But then again Blade was a skilled vampire hunter and so had Whistler perhaps he had other things of use in the trunk. What I found was a couple of guns. I took them as a last resort as I didn't know how to use a gun. I could do this. I had to do this. I walked into the atrium to find it empty save for one vampire, Tanver I think his name was.
"Summer…where the fuck you been? Deacon ain't fucking happy with you and what the…" I didn't let him finish as I whipped out my Bo staff hitting the little button that forced out the blade and thrusting it into his un-beating heart.
"Well I guess he's going to have to stay unhappy." Then I realised I may have needed him alive. I wasn't sure my hand print would open the elevator doors. But it was worth a shot. I placed my palm on the ID screen and to my surprise it opens. "Guess you trusted me a hell of a lot more than I thought Deacon." I murmured to myself. I hit his glyph on the key pad inside and let the elevator descend. The doors finally opened up again revealing just the one vampire. I knew many where against Deacon's cause and most who were with him would be in the sanctuary awaiting the ritual. This vampire I didn't know. I hit him once with my staff and followed up slashing at his throat taking his head and watch disturbingly satisfied as he turned to ash. I headed into the antechamber seeing Blade strung up blood dripping from his wrists and Karen running in to help. She stopped as she sees me.
"It's ok! I'm here to help. I'm Summer." I hit some of the winches that are holding Blade up and he crumples to the floor. She nods and rushes to Blades side.
"What do we do?" She asks looking at me for the answers.
"It's the Thirst. He needs his serum or to feed." I state simply.
"Blade…" Karen whispers urgently. His eyes flicker open and his body shakes violently with the need to feed.
"Get out of here…" Blade spits at her.
"I'm not leaving without you!"
"You don't…understand, the Thirst…" Another spasm racks his body. "It's…tearing me apart."
"I know. Take some of my blood."
"NO…"
"It's the only way. You know that. We'll never get out of here alive if you don't." Blade still refuses.
"Look Blade as touching as this is she's right. If you won't take hers take mine. It doesn't matter to me. But if you intend on stopping Deacon then I suggest you stop being a squeamish bitch about it and drink up." I growled at him.
"I can't…I won't be able to stop…" I pull out a dagger.
"Well take my blood then at least I'll have helped." But Karen shakes her head at me.
"Yes you will stop. The human side of you is stronger. I know it is." Then she bears her neck for Blade. I watch as he sinks his fangs into her neck drinking. The incantation the vampires are chanting is reaching fever pitch and I knew we didn't have much longer left. I sprinted to the door peering out and switching my gaze from Blade and Karen to the other vampires and Deacon. What I see isn't good. Suddenly, one of the tombs bursts open. And a wraith like spirit rushes outward in a fountain of light, penetrating Deacon's body. Then another tomb splits open. Then another, and another until a torrent of spirit wraiths are surging into Deacon, buffeting him about like a scarecrow in a cyclone.
"Blade I hope you're feeling better cos we got a serious fucking problem."
"Yes you do…" I turn seeing Lyxia. "Oh how Mercury is going to love me when I hand her your head. I knew you were a traitor." She grins at me. Blade is composing himself and helping Karen. I pull out my Bo staff.
"Bitch you've never been able to do shit, so if you think you can take me…bring it." I motion her to me. She picks up a short sword from one of the displays and comes at me. I side step her bringing my Bo staff to hit her in the back of the head. She turns cursing and comes again swinging violently at me. I block every blow backing her up against the wall. I thrust my staff forward jamming her in the chest winding and pinning her to the wall.
"Mercury will kill you and stick your head on that tooth pick you have." I smile at her a hint of maliciousness that Deacon would be proud of in it.
"Well you won't get to see that." I flick the button the blade shooting out and killing her instantly.
"Friend of yours?" Blade asks walking past me heading to the sanctuary.
"No not really." I follow him Karen at my heels with one of Blades guns. We walk out on to the balcony overlooking the sanctuary. The vampires all grouped around Deacon.
"FROST!" Blade shouts and all heads turn to us, Karen and I on either side of Blade. I had made my stand now, no turning back.
"I want Quinn." But Blade shakes his head before leaping off the balcony and landing like a cat on his feet.
"Who dies first?" Karen and I follow down, but I switch my staff for one of the guns.
"Take him." Deacon growls to the vampires. Quinn steps forward first a sick smile on his face. I inch forward, but a look from Blade has me stopping.
"Grew another hand for you sweetmeat and now I'm gonna kill you with it." Quinn charges as Karen and I both tense. Blade kicks out and sweeps Quinn's legs out from under him. He spins behind Quinn.
"Let's see if you can grow a new one of these!" Blade hooks a loop in his jacket sleeve and brings out a garrotte wire twisting it around Quinn's neck pulling hard and decapitating him. I smile Autumn will never have to put up with him again. I'll have to get her from the penthouse if I survive this. "Next." Blade motions to the other vampires. Mercury is at the front, but instead of coming at Blade she charges at me knocking me to the floor the gun I had spinning way.
"I should have killed you a long time ago." Mercury snaps at my face. I struggle to push her off I head butt her instead springing to my feet and pulling out the Bo staff.
"Yeah and I should have let you taste silver nitrate you skank." She comes at me again her hands clawed trying to tear into me. Guns are going off so I know Blade and Karen are fighting with the other vampires. I parry every one of her attacks, but I can't get past her lightning quick moves to land a blow myself. I flick out the blade again and cut through her arm as she screams in agony. I whip my staff round slicing at her throat before thrusting the blade into her heart. "Tell Quinn I said hey." Then she crumbles to the floor. An arm is suddenly around my throat I drop my staff as Blade's sword cuts through my leg. I gasp out as Deacon slices through my leg again drawing blood.
"My Summer…so disappointing. I thought you were one of us. I had thought you'd make a lovely little goddess to my god. And look at that you killed Mercury. Oh well I can always remedy this by making you just like Vanessa." Deacon's nose skims up the side of my neck. Then his attention turns back to the vampires dying all around him "Enough!" Blade turns seeing me and there's nothing he wouldn't care if Deacon killed me or turned me. Deacon sees this and drops me as he and Blade clash swords. Karen pulls me up.
"Are you ok?" I smile at her concern. Both of us look up seeing the fight and Deacon's transformation both of us fixated in absolute horror.
"I'm fine thanks... Look out!" I shout pushing her as Vanessa lunges at us. She grabs my by the throat and Karen by the hair yanking her round to face her and grabbing Karen's throat too.
"Two little whores! Think I'd forget you? Taking Deacon from me?" She spits at me and turns to Karen. "Trying to take my son." Her hand crunches down on my throat her hatred for me seeming that bit more than that for Karen. As my world starts to fade I hear a hiss and then Vanessa scream. I drop to the floor coughing and choking. I slowly look up seeing Vanessa's face has almost melted…vampire mace.
"Get away from him!" Karen screams, I look over seeing Blade struggling feebly against Deacon. Karen swings down Blade's sword and takes off Deacon's arm, but this time it doesn't grow back. Deacon backs away from Blade horrified as his arm lays on the floor. "Blade!" Karen throws his sword Blade catching it with ease.
"Guess you're not quite as invulnerable as you thought." Blade says advancing on Deacon as he backs away.
"You're wrong a few minutes more, and my transition will be complete. Even your sword won't be able to affect me then." Deacon smiles though I can see the fear in his eyes something that I had never seen there before. And I feel the sudden urge to help me him, but I quickly quell it.
"You don't have a few minutes, Frost." Blade says stepping closer. Deacon moves blindingly fast and puts Vanessa in his way. Karen pulls me to my feet. Neither of us can help, but move forward to see what happens. I can't hear most of the exchange between the two, but I do hear Blades final words.
"It's because I'm human that I can do this." He thrusts his sword forward straight through Vanessa and in to Deacon. Deacon looks to me pleading for me to help him somehow.
"Summer…" He says so needingly that it pulls on my heartstrings. Karen is holding me, but I don't move. I struggle silently with myself and turn the other way. Vanessa and Deacon scream in pure agony as a force almost as powerful as an explosion rips through the building from them knocking us off our feet. As the ringing in my ears stop I sit up and look to where Deacon had been. And instead of feeling guilty or sad like I had thought I would…I feel free.
"Blade?" He looks up at the sound of Karen's voice tears in his eyes. Then she holds him. I retrieve my staff from where I dropped it and follow them out.
"I guess I could trust you." Blade says looking at me and nodding his head slightly.
"After all the time I'd been with him…I convinced myself he was something he wasn't. I'm just glad I realised it before it was too late." I say trying not to put weight on the leg Deacon cut.
"What will you do now Summer?" Karen asked looking concerned.
"I don't know…I have nothing. But there's other vampire's out there and maybe even familiars like me that want out. I may just go from city to city and kill any vampires I find." Karen looks up at Blade.
"Doing this alone isn't the smartest thing to do. Now Whistler's gone…I could use a little back-up." I smile.
"If that's an offer I accept, but only if you can trust me." He answers by holding his hand out to me. "Thanks Blade. If you hadn't have chased down Deacon…I never would have gotten out of there."
We went back to the penthouse so I could pick up a few things and tell Autumn she was free. She was confused, she couldn't understand. I had her ring her parents and tell them she was coming home. I hoped she could rebuild her life. Karen went back to nursing at the hospital and now she was aware of the vampires she would be ready for them if anything happened again. For me I stuck with Blade. We worked well together. Not as well as him and Whistler as I didn't have Whistler's knowledge, but I was learning and getting better every time.