Chapter 8

Elizabeth darted down the stairs of the Bingley household, her hands fluttering restlessly against the rough surface of her wooden stake. Her eyes flickered restlessly around the hallways, searching for the ice-white aura she had seen on the other side of Jane's door. She heard Jane following her silently from a distance and wordlessly held out a hand to stop her. Jane frowned at her but nodded reluctantly and turned back to her room.

Elizabeth sighed quietly with relief. Jane was excellent at going undercover but she wasn't a fighter. Elizabeth would much rather have her elder sister slightly safe in her room than caught in the cross-fires of an all-out fight with a vampire. Elizabeth gritted her teeth, brushed her hand once more against the stake for reassurance, turned down the hallway that lead into the parlor…

…and ran into Mr. Darcy as he was running the exact opposite way, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. Darcy froze when he saw Elizabeth, his right hand moving quickly behind his back. Elizabeth caught a flash of some type of weapon before it was hidden behind the folds of his stylish black waistcoat. Uh oh, bad sign…

"Miss Elizabeth," Mr. Darcy said smoothly, quickly regaining his composure. Elizabeth noticed that his shoulders were tense with expectation. For what, she really didn't want to know. "I didn't- weren't you- Is your sister alright?"

"She's quite fine, thank you for your concern, sir," she said warily. She squinted slightly, trying to read his aura. She thought it was blue, like his eyes, but there was something not quite right about it, something almost like ice…

Elizabeth gasped and whipped out her stake. She aimed the thin piece of wood at the man before her, watching with a distant sense of satisfaction as his eyes widened with amazement. His surprised expression made some small part of her tremble, a sensation that alarmed her more than anything else she had experienced so far. A small shudder went through her, but she forced the arm that held the stake to remain steady.

"I think I must ask you to put that stake down, Miss Elizabeth," Mr. Darcy said with forced calmness, his right hand moving slightly, revealing the weapon again. "Please, this doesn't have to be difficult-."

"May I ask, Mr. Darcy, why you were listening outside of Jane's bedroom?" Elizabeth interrupted him coolly. "And how long you intended to remain here?"

"And what if I don't want to answer any of your questions, my dear?" Darcy asked.

Elizabeth held up her other hand wordlessly and shook back the sleeve of her dress, revealing a small dart launcher mounted on a tightly coiled spring. Darcy's eyebrows rose in an expression that was, surprisingly, almost amusement.

"You're a smart girl, Elizabeth," he said quietly.

Elizabeth's jaw clenched as she fought the reaction that occurred whenever Darcy said her name.

"You may call me Miss Bennet, sir," she snapped through gritted teeth.

"Oh? Then, Miss Bennet, may I ask that you please step away from my brother?" a new female voice said with icy calm just as cool steel was rested lightly against her throat.

Elizabeth stiffened and reluctantly dropped the stake. Darcy smiled resignedly.

"Hello, Georgiana," he said calmly. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

The woman holding Elizabeth shrugged ever so slightly, the dagger pressed against Elizabeth's throat not moving an inch.

"Our aunt was worried," she said softly. "She didn't want you running off with some inferior country girl."

Was it Elizabeth's imagination, or did Darcy's eyes flicker to her for a very brief moment before turning back to his sister?

Georgiana Darcy's knife pressed harder against Elizabeth's skin, causing Elizabeth to hold back a grimace as the sharp edge came dangerously close to breaking her skin.

"What should we do with her, Fitzwilliam?" she asked. Elizabeth noted that Georgiana's voice wavered ever so slightly.

Darcy frowned and looked back at Elizabeth with a shrewd expression. Elizabeth glared back, daring him to try anything.

"I suggest you release my sister, Miss Darcy," Jane said coolly before Darcy could open his mouth.

Elizabeth felt Georgiana tense and knew that the Darcy girl now had one of Jane's stakes pressed against her back. Darcy's eyes flashed with fury and he moved towards his sister, only to be stopped as Elizabeth lifted her hand again, reminding him that she had a dart launcher attached to her wrist. Darcy froze for a moment, his eyes flickering between Elizabeth and his sister as concern for personal safety battled with brotherly affection. Finally, his eyes tightened and he prepared to move forward again. Elizabeth's hand tightened around the coil for the dart launcher, steeling herself for the shot. Deep down inside of her, some little part of her mind was crying as it prepared to kill him…

"Wait!"

Miraculously, the two voices that screamed that one word managed to stop both of the parties dead.

Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the things in this story…. Well, all except for the dart launcher. Thanks to all of the people who reviewed!