Chapter 10
Elinor had never run as fast as she was at the moment. Leighton was somewhere in these woods, and based on how loud the scream seemed, she was closer than they thought. Juliette was close behind her sister, the glamour still holding even though in her gut, the younger vampire knew this was not the way to do things. What neither of the vampires realized was that their families were already on the way. Thanks to Cal’s having Juliette’s phone location, the hunters and vampires had been slowly making their way towards the sisters and were now following them while they were on the move.
The sisters arrived at the cabin and Elinor prowled around outside, trying to figure out her next move. Juliette was waiting, still kind of in her trance but slowly coming out of it and hoping her sister didn’t notice. She always hated seeing her siblings fighting but understood that there was history that she would never comprehend.
Meanwhile inside, Oliver was still drinking from Leighton. He understood why his sister liked her so much, she tasted fantastic. He originally wasn’t going to drain her but her blood was addicting and he wanted all of it to himself. He was aware of Carmen’s pleading and her attempts to pry him off of his sister’s girlfriend but it wasn’t working. If this was how he got revenge on Elinor then so be it; worth it. What he wasn’t expecting was to be knocked off of the blonde mid-meal. He growled at the intruder then smiled wickedly when he saw who it was.
“Hello dear sisters. Elinor, I’ve got to say. Your girlfriend is delicious.”
The sole male Fairmont heir had barely gotten his statement out before his twin launched at him and a fight worse than their first one broke out. The snarls and landing punches were deafening and Juliette was finally able to break out of her hypnosis. The youngest girl threw herself at Leighton and tried to console the girl.
“Come on Leighton” she mumbled “stay with me. If you die, she might kill all of us.” She startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder and protectively put her body between Leighton and the intruder when she saw it was Carmen. The Latina woman had a somber look on her face.
“I’m so sorry. I tired, he wouldn’t stop…”
Juliette could only stare at the darker woman and protect her sister’s girlfriend. Carmen nodded in understanding before disappearing down the hall towards what could only be assumed as her and Oliver’s room.
Suddenly, the cavalry arrived. The Fairmonts broke down the door and the Barneses rushed in in fight mode. Cal immediately looked for her girlfriend and when she saw her cradling a body on the ground, the hunters heart broke. The taller girl instantly was at Juliette’s side, helping assess Leighton’s wounds and keeping Juliette as calm as possible.
“It’s okay Jules. We’re here now. It’s gonna be okay.”
“She can’t die Cal. She…she just can’t okay?!” The smaller girl practically sobbed as she tried to listen to Leighton’s barely there heartbeat. With a nod of her head, the rest of the families understood and took off towards the path of destruction the vampires were leaving in their wake. With the advanced hearing, Margot and Sebastian could just keep up with a general location of their twins.
When it was finally just the three of them, Calliope put a hand on Juliette’s shoulder and took a deep breath.
“I know what you’re thinking, will it work?”
“I don’t know. But I have to try. Will you cover me if they come back?”
The shift in Cal’s demeanor would have been a turn on for Juliette if they weren’t in the situation that they were currently dealing with. “No one will lay a hand on you.”
Juliette gave the darker girl a quick kiss then looked down at the pale girl in her arms.
“I’m so sorry Leighton” and with that, the upper East side socialite had once again found fangs in her neck.
——————
Elinor has never been more angry than she was right now. Oliver was quick, she’d give him that, but she was livid and was letting the anger fuel her.
“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?” she screamed as she threw her brother into a tree, causing it to break on impact. “If you want to mess with me mess with ME. DON'T drag my innocent girlfriend into this.” His wicked cackle as he brushed himself off and started to stalk her only increased her anger and she was about to pounce again when he held up his hands, seemingly signaling a truce.
“Oh Elinor. You don’t get it do you. Your poor debutant, once again, delicious by the way, isn’t innocent at all. She’s with you which of course makes her guilty by association. A pawn if you will.”
“Why is she your pawn? You knew I was here, why not come at me directly? Leighton didn’t need to be pulled into your bullshit.”
There it was again, his stupid grin. “ Because dear sweet Elinor, seeing you off your high horse, willing to kill ME, your only brother, over some stupid mortal is enough. Wait until everyone hears about it. They’ll never give you the Emerald Malkia.”
Elinor couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that what all of this is about? It’s a stupid power play? Newsflash Dr. Evil, we’re a MATRIARCHY. So even if I didn’t get it, it’d go to Juliette. Who in case you’ve forgotten, is also dating a human. Not just a human, a hunter.”
Oliver shrugged and the movement made Elinor mad all over again. “Jules would be a better ruler than you, we both know that. And all you care about is power. So why not do something that would cause you to lose your head and seem oh I don’t know, unfit.”
The twins were stalking each other, circling around waiting for even the slightest muscle twitch that would allow them to attack. They didn’t have to worry about scrapes and bruises. They healed almost immediately, Elinor was out for blood and she was going to get it by whatever means necessary. By now the Barnes and Fairmonts had caught up and were silently standing by.
“You can come out” Oliver said in a bored tone, “my dear sister won’t attack again. Clearly her hearing isn’t as good as it used to be.”
Elinor glared at him but tuned into her surroundings. She heard the birds, the crunch of the twigs underneath the feet of the animals, and a heartbeat that was barely there. Leighton’s heart beat. Elinor growled at her brother then looked at her parents and the Barnes family. After a reassuring nod from her dad signaling that they will handle Oliver, Elinor took off back towards the cabin. The closer she got the more she willed Leighton’s heart to grow stronger, she hoped that it seemed weak due to the distance. But that didn’t happen. No matter how much ground she covered, the vampire still had to strain to hear her lover’s heartbeat.
When she arrived she barely acknowledged her sister who she pushed off of Leighton and took over holding her body. Elinor wasn’t much of a crier but the blonde broke down in tears over her girlfriend’s body as she listened to the heartbeat slow and then eventually stop. She felt a hand on her shoulder and wanted to push it off but didn’t have the energy to.
“Elinor…”
“Not now sweet little. Please. Just not now.”
“No, Elinor. I-“
“JULIETTE. Please. I said not now. I don’t want to have to glamour you again. So just please.”
Cal perked up at the mention of the glamour. “You glamoured her?” the young hunter asked in a tone that suggested that anything other than a “no” would be a wrong answer.
“Jules. Can you keep your human on her leash? I don’t have the energy.”
Cal went to take a step towards the grieving vampire but allowed Juliette to call her off. Elinor didn’t mean it. She was hurting and taking it out on them.
“Elinor. I need you to listen to me. It’s about Leighton. I-“
The aforementioned blonde’s eyes suddenly shot open and she grasped the front of Elinor’s shirt in a state of shock.
“Leight?”
The other girl couldn’t hear her in her daze and Elinor was too stunned to notice that Juliette had taken a knife and sliced it slightly across her forearm.
“She needs to feed….from the person who made her…” Juliette said softly as Leighton scrambled to her to drink from her arm.
Elinor was stunned but that quickly turned into anger as she moved towards her sister only to be blocked by Cal. “I know you’re her sister. But you’re gonna have to get through me first.”
“No problem huntress.”
Elinor grabbed Calliope and almost threw her when an arrow came whizzing by her head. The room suddenly went still and everyone turned towards the entrance. Talia was standing with her bow and arrow raised, another arrow already notched and pointed straight at Elinor’s head. The slight glimmer that it had told everyone that it was made of pure silver.
“I suggest you put my daughter down or you’re going to have one hell of a headache. That first one was a warning shot.” Talia said in an eerily calm tone.
Margot had made her way into the room and quickly assessed what was going on. “Girls, Talia, please. Let’s all sit and discuss this. Elinor, put down Calliope.”
It was more of an aggressive toss but Elinor did let go of the younger girl.
“You know what, yes. Let’s talk. And let’s start with why your other daughter decided to turn my girlfriend into a vampire.”