This...was...possibly...the worst day...of my life...I HAD NO WIFI! IT WAS TORTURE!

Nothing else to say really...Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 21

…And Relief

In the white, I find that although I committed suicide, I still have some sort of conscious. It's as if I'm in some sort of coma. Although, I have no idea what being in a coma feels like. All that I know is that I'm in some sort of state where I can't move, but I can still feel the pain of the knife in my heart. I can feel my body losing its warmth. I can feel someone clutch their arms around me. And then I hear a terrifying voice.

"Her heart is mine!" I hear Richter yell, and then next thing I know I hear the sickening sound of sword meeting flesh and the sound of pained gasps.

No...If Ayato died…

"Hey, open your eyes." Ayato pleads quietly. He's still alive…sort of.

But I see the light as my eyes open and I know that I'm not doing this by my own will.

"Only a foolish girl would stab herself." Cordelia's voice comes out of my mouth. "Stupidity like that just makes me laugh. It's just a matter of time of time before The Awakening is complete and she dies for good. And when that time comes, her very soul and her body will be mine for good. Mine until the end of time." And with that, Cordelia returns to her dormant state and my eyes close without a fight once again.

At least no-one else is hurt. As soon as I die and Cordelia wakes up, they can kill her. God, at least let them do that, for me.

"I can't believe that she's go and stab herself." A voice calls speaks out. "Seems like our Little Bitch has more guts than we thought." Thank you Laito.

"She's caused a lot of trouble, for a girl who's supposed to be bait." I try my best, Shu.

"So what happens next? Do you think her body will still disappear?" Kanato asks.

"Subaru." Ayato calls out, ignoring the question. "What do I do? Is it ok to pull the knife out now?"

"No." Subaru stops him. "You should let me do it." And then I feel the knife being gently pulled out of me and I almost feel empty. I shouldn't be feeling like that. I should be grateful that the knife was taken out.

Ayato holds me in a firmer grip and carries be bridal-style down the stairs and lays me to rest and one of the sofas. With the way that my hair is, it's crushed between the armrest and my head feels uncomfortable but I can't do anything but withstand the discomfort. Somehow, Ayato sensed this and lifted my head to gently undo the bun Cordelia made when she took over my body earlier, and place my head back down on a pillow.

Thank you, Ayato.

Although this is going to leave my hair really tangled.

"It looks like she's getting paler." I hear Kanato comment. "I didn't think that was possible for her skin tone." Well, aren't you quite the flatterer?

"She could awaken at any minute." Shu replies.

Oh, crap, no.

"There has to be some way to drive the old bitch out of her." Ayato encourages.

"Reiji is working on a potion as we speak." Shu calms him down.

I just hope that it works. So far, it seems that it's the only flicker of hope in this endless night.

I suddenly grunt in pain. It hurts so damn much. I feel like my soul is splitting in two and one half is trying to control the other and vice versa. Then I realise, I'm fighting against Cordelia for my body. I'm fighting for my life.

And if I don't succeed, that flicker of hope that I mentioned is going to die along with me.

"Seems like she's in a lot of pain, doesn't it?" Kanato asks a little while later.

You don't, bloody, say?

I hear footsteps and I feel someone breathing close to my face. "Hey, wake up." I hear Ayato softly demand.

As a reply, I writhe in pain once again as I experience the spitting sensation.

"What the hell is going on with her?" Subaru asks angrily.

"I suspect that it's The Awakening." Shu answers. "It looks to me that it's already started."

"I'm a little worried." Kanato confides. Why, why are you worried? "There doesn't seem to be a precedent for this situation. No mortal woman has ever awakened with the power of a vampire, right?"

"That's right. Because no vessel has ever been able to endure the process." Well isn't that great news? I'm so screwed.

"But it's completely different this time." How so, Ayato? "She has that woman's vampire beating in her chest."

Once again, she's a vampire. And trust me, having her heart in my chest is a complete pain in the arse.

"Tell me the truth, do you really think she's going to die?" Kanato asks. "Isn't there any way we can save the girl."

"Yes there is, but it's incomplete." Reiji answers as he enters the room.

"Reiji, what is it you've got in your hand?" Ayato asks cautiously.

"A remedy that will kill that woman, once and for all." Please tell me that you're talking about Cordelia.

"This is unusual. It's not like you to come forward with an unfinished product." Ayato points out.

There goes the rest of my optimism.

"Why is it incomplete? What's missing?" Shu presses.

"I believe that all I need is a piece of Cordelia." He says.

Oh, that's not so bad. I feel a little bit of my optimism come back.

"That's impossible. We disposed every trace of that woman." Subaru reminds everyone.

Aaaaand, that's the sound of my optimism flying away.

"Actually, I have something." Kanato confesses. I hear the sound of something ripping and then he says. "Maybe you can use this. I don't need it anymore."

Use what? You know what? I don't care as long as it works. I grunt through another splitting pain.

"Is this what I think it is?" Reiji asks.

Whatever he thought it was, I hear a faint swishing sound; and afterwards a faint sound of a smirk.

"So that did the trick." Ayato congratulates.

Seems like there's hope after all.

"Shall we wait for Laito?" Ayato questions his brothers.

"Aww, I'm flattered that you thought of me." Laito calls out.

"Where were you?" Subaru asks suspiciously.

"There's no fun in saying that." Laito answers in his teasing tone. "But by all means, let's see if this works."

"Who's going to give it to her?" Kanato asks quietly.

"Ayato might as well give it to her. He has the potion and he's closest to her." Shu justifies.

"All right." Ayato commits and I hear him crouching down to my level. "Please work." He whispers so quietly so that only I can hear.

I feel something cold press to my lips and I feel liquid rushing down my throat.

I feel a part of me melt away and in a distant place I hear the cry of Cordelia in vain.

"Eliza?" I hear Ayato's voice call out and slowly, I open my eyes, adjusting to the light.

After a shaky breath, I say. "You didn't kiss me, like in Sleeping Beauty or something."

He chuckles slightly. "Why? Did you want me to?"

"Good God, no."

I turn my head and see all of the brother watching with slightly relieved faces.

"You know, for a bunch of vampires who have a really messed up family, you all aren't that bad." I smile slightly. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get out of this God-awful dress, getting something to drink and then going to bed. I'm so damn thirsty."

I get up from the sofa and try to make my way to my room when I stumble and fall to the ground, scraping my leg against the carpet.

Seeing blood seep out of the wound, I look up at the brothers and see them staring at my bleeding leg.

"Do not tell me that I'm going to have to run to keep my blood, two minutes after I became conscious again. Can I at least have a five minute head start to get changed?"

"Nope." All of them reply.

"If I fall down a flight of stairs and break my neck I'll be haunting all of you for the rest of your immortal lives, and I will make them hell."

And with that , I run for my life; again.

These brothers can be diabolical at times. But, if I'm completely honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.

IT'S NOT OVER YET! ONE MORE CHAPTER!