Silver Bloods

Note: This is chapter four of my gothic vampire romance novel! Chapter three is up in my previous post: Elvira’s Ghost. If you missed chapters one and two, plus the content warnings, visit the post titled: Death’s Clock. I also have a post containing the synopsis for this story.

Now back to the story…

Chapter Four

They were almost too fast for the eye to see.

When the demon moved, his form blurred, and the beasts’ forms would dissipate into that black, glittering smoke before re-solidifying a few feet away. Elvira’s breath was tight in her chest as she hoped and prayed none would appear before her.

All she knew was that the blond beast had launched at the demon with his sword; then their forms had appeared only feet away, a silver liquid like blood leaking from the blond’s arm. Then all of the beasts had jumped in, and the battle had become hard to follow.

The demon’s hand snatched a redhead’s throat and snapped it, her body slapping against the ground and becoming nothing more than a rug for the rest before vanishing in a curl of smoke.

For a moment, the demon was on top of a beast with long black locks, baring his teeth, only for the blond to arc a silver stake down towards his back. Where his heart was.

Elvira’s own heart stopped. If he died, then so did any sort of protection from the beasts.

But the demon had flipped and snatched the beast’s hand, rising off of the ground as if a string were attached to him. Like the physics of gravity didn’t always apply to him. Like the black and white images of Dracula rising from the shadows of his coffin.

The beast released an inhuman screech as the demon forced his hand to turn the stake towards his own chest. The breaking of bones were resounding as the demon pushed his — or its — arm to an impossible angle.

However, the other two beasts pounced only for him to blur and then appear by the third’s head, who hadn’t yet moved from his position on the ground. Just as swiftly, the demon raised his black boot and stomped it down.

The dark haired beast’s skull squished inward like play dough, and that weird silver blood shot out.

A memory of Elvira’s pink child hands squeezing a jelly donut flashed through her mind and her stomach lurched.

She wavered on her feet, sure she was going to be sick all over her shoes, when one of the beast’s eyes, a girl with a razor cut brown bob, met hers. It vanished into smoke just as the demon launched himself at the other two.

Elvira started running. She didn’t need any lessons in survival to know that that beast was coming for her. Her feet slapped against the stone, and it hit her then how quiet the fight had been, minus the animal-like snarls and screams of the beasts.

A hand knotted in her hair and jerked her head back painfully. Elvira cried out in surprise. She was brought face to face with the beast, whose golden eyes were alight with fury. A growl rumbled deep in its chest, and it bared its teeth.

Instinct kicked in, then, and Elvira shot her fist at the beast’s nose.

The grip on her hair disappeared as smoke filled her vision, and Elvira didn’t waste the opportunity to run. She dashed down the path, eyes searching the graveyard half wild with panic. She hadn’t heard her friends call her since the fight began and hoped they were home where it was safe. Where there were no animals dressed like humans or red-eyed demons.

She’d only made it a few feet when her legs were knocked out from beneath her. The air whooshed from her chest, and she barely threw out her hands in time to stop her face from connecting with the stone.

She was flipped onto her back and the beast crawled on top of her. Its hand gripped Elvira’s throat, cutting off all air, and she panicked, bucking and thrashing from beneath it. She clawed at its skin, silver blood pooling in the space beneath her nails.

But the beast only laughed. The sound of it richotted in Elvira’s head as it lunged for her neck, animal teeth first. It happened too fast, and before she could do anything, a wretched burning pain shot through Elvira’s shoulder, and she screamed.

The beast dug its teeth in deeper, a tearing sensation increasing the pain as it shook its head violently and Elvira’s cries shot up to a panicked, screeching pitch.

No, that defiant, manic voice cried, no, no, no-

The beast reared back, Elvira’s blood dripping down its human jaw. It looked as if it were going to strike once more when she threw a punch, hoping with wild recklessness that she’d hit something.

By some luck or some higher power, the beast was just shooting down for another bite when Elvira’s fist connected with its jaw.

The beast yelped, head and body jerking back enough to jar its grip on her throat.

Elvira jammed her elbow up and into the side of the beast’s arm, successfully freeing herself.

Blood rushed to her spinning head, her vision wavering, as she flipped onto her knees, about to shove up to her feet when hands gripped her ankles, tearing her back. Elvira kicked and dug her nails into the spaces between the walkway, pulling and flailing against its inhuman strength.

Sounds of the beast’s snapping teeth wrought whimpers out of her, and Elvira flung her hands out, blindly searching the ground as she was dragged roughly across the stone and into her enemy’s clutches.

She flipped over once more, just as her hand curled around a broken tree branch. All Elvira saw was the flashing of teeth as she plunged the branch into the beast’s chest, a frightened squeal escaping from her.

Its scream was shrill and animalistic as it wrenched back, silver-coated hands grappling for the wood. Elvira watched in horror as the beast shrieked, tearing at its own skin, before falling into a silent heap on the walkway. Dead.

***

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, make sure to show some love (it helps a lot)! Chapters five and six will be up soon so make sure you follow me in order to stay updated!