I step back into the darkness, not sure what my next move will be. I’m not strongenough to fight Harrison one-on-one, but I won’t stand by and watch him kill Amelia.
She screams, running out of the room, past me, and up the stairs we just came down. Harrison is right on her heels. “All of this could’ve been avoided if you had just followed directions. I told you to get the girl and bring her to the truck. But no, you were too dumb to do any of that, weren’t you? Penelope was smarter than you could ever be. Hopefully, when you change, you’ll pick up some of her intelligence,” Harrison spews hatred as he follows her at human speed. He’s gone from being obsessed with her to toying with her.
“I don’t give you permission to change me,” she shouts. My foot trips over a heavy piece of shattered wood. I pick it up, not sure why.
“I don’t need your permission, Penelope. We’re meant to be together, forever,” Harrison retorts. He’s completely lost his mind. I follow them up the stairs, both unaware of my being there.
He pounces on top of Amelia, sinking his teeth deep into her neck. The smell of her blood is intoxicating as her heartbeat begins to slow.
“Harrison,” she chokes out. “Stop, please.”
He doesn’t stop. Her heartbeat slows even more as the blood is quickly being drained from her body. I can’t…won’t allow him to kill her. He won’t stop until she’s dead.
Memories flood my mind. Memories I’ve worked acentury to ignore. Visions of my friends at the café. Visions of mine and Harrison’s walk by the river. Visions of the pain he gave me as he drank the life force from my body.
Without thought, I raise the broken piece of wood and rush up the stairs toward my maker. I don’t hesitate.
Shoving the wood through his jacket and shirt, I pierce his heart through. The scream that leaves his mouth is deafening as he collapses on top of Amelia and begins to disintegrate.
I’m standing over the body of my maker, holding the weapon that took his life. Amelia’s eyes lock with mine as she breathes her last human breath.
……
Over the next few days, I visit the girl who has become my friend several times. Each time, she looks better, healthier. After Harrison took her to the brink of death, Celeste made the decision I refused to and turned her into one of us.
Without Celeste’s blood, Amelia would’ve died. That decision was taken away from me. I refuse to take it away from someone else.
“She’ll be out for a few more days,” I tell her tiny maker. “Hopefully, she’s through the hellfire stage and is now in the recovery stage. There’s no way to know for sure, but she should be able to hear you.”
“I think she can hear me. I’ve been reading to her,and she seems to like it.” Celeste’s innocence is refreshing. “Daddy says you killed Harrison.”
“I did.” I pause. “He had it coming for a few centuries.”
She laughs. “That’s an understatement. Thank you.” Her words hold anger and pain. I don’t press for more.
“You’re welcome.” I turn to her father, the sworn enemy of Harrison. “I’ll be back to check on her tomorrow. Thank you, Viktor, for allowing her to stay here. And thank you, little one, for being at the right place at the right time.”
……
The door to Viktor’s house opens before I have a chance to knock. Waiting on the other side is only the second immortal child vampire I’ve known. “Come in,” she says with a wide smile.
I’m surprised to see Amelia sitting on the couch. She looks good. “You’re awake,” I announce the obvious as I move in front of her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. “I was so worried.”
“Violet, thank you.”
Stupid tears form in my stupid eyes. I wipe one away, not sure where the emotion is coming from. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m so sorry you had to kill your…”
“My maker,” I fill in the blank with a smile. “Don’t be. I’m not.”
“Celeste, why don’t you come with me, and we’ll let the ladies talk?” Viktor ushers her tiny maker from the room. She turns back, making eye contact with me, issuing a silent warning of Amelia’s safety.
I sit, pulling Amelia closer. “The Harrison I knew was not the Harrison that I killed. He’s always been a bit eccentric, but those eccentricities changed over the last few decades. He wasn’t the same person I once knew.” My words are spoken more as a tribute rather than the truth. In all honesty, Harrison was a horrible vampire. No doubt, he was a horrible human. He hurt more people than I can count. He deserved to die. I look my friend in the eye. “I’m sorry I let it go this far. I should’ve stopped him before he brought you into the house, but I didn’t. And, for that, I’m eternally sorry.”
“Violet, I…” Amelia starts.
“No, let me finish,” I interrupt. “I need to say this.” I take a deep, unnecessary breath. “I saw bits and pieces of his obsession throughout the years but never to this extent. I found these in his office.” I hand her a bundle of letters I found while going through Harrison’s items.
