Hellfire

Final Chapter

I found myself briefly in Lucius' dreamscape, curled in my chair, surrounded by bats and Little One's face smiling as she gripped the armrest. She looked so happy. Free.

'Thank you for saving Daddy.' She said with a grin. 'I can come home now.'

I woke with a jolt then, inhaling and knowing instantly I wasn't home. Various scents filled me, familiar ones, but ones that told me I wasn't home nor was I at Stan's. Tabitha's scent lingered in the air, her perfumes and Cynthia's chemicals. That at least made me feel safe, especially when I felt something warm and furry against my side.

I opened my eyes to find Elliot asleep, his breath whistling out of his muzzle. He twitched in his sleep and seemingly so deep that he didn't notice me stirring. I blinked heavily. I recognised the room. It was the same one Tabitha's kept me in after I became terrified of Lucius.

I sat up, trying not to disturb Elliot - not that I could. The fox rolled onto his back and snored loudly, his paws twitching slightly. It was a comfort. He'd come out safe and alive.

I twitched my head up when the door opened, for a moment tensing up with alarm, until relief slammed into me when I saw Ella and then Mo.

Instantly Ella was hurrying to me, flinging herself to embrace me. She didn't cry or say anything, she just trembled and held me tight. I said nothing either, just gripped her wrists and closed my eyes, feeling the life in her. She was safe. No Vortigern had slain her. Lucius had stopped it.

I looked up when Mo touched my hair. 'You'll probably want to know where Lucius is.'

I shook my head. The bat on my shoulder was rumbling with Lucius' life. Frost was thick over its fur, his cold temper radiating from him and his mind brushing against mine, flittering flashes of teeth and flex of muscle.

'He's safe.' I said firmly. 'And he's prowling about the city, being the Lord. He doesn't need me by his side while he does that.'

She shrugged then collapsed beside me heavily. 'We had a hell of a night.'

'What happened?' I asked as Ella finally released me, settling beside Elliot and pulling him close.

The fox didn't so much as twitch and just continued to sigh in his sleep. Weeks of protecting Ella from Morrigan had clearly been too much for him.

Mo pulled out a cigarette at lit it. 'Elliot and Ella both knew danger was coming.'

'I felt it.' Ella said softly, rubbing her arms. 'There was this...chill. I knew they were coming.'

'Morrigan ordered Alistair to bring her your head.' I told her bluntly. 'Lucius broke the order.'

'Explains why they suddenly stopped.' Mo muttered.

Ella stroked Elliot's head. 'He tried his best to keep me hidden, but it didn't matter. She knew where I was – they all did.'

'You know what happened next.' Mo grunted, sucking on the end of her cigarette viciously. 'Alistair said his grandmother came for you, tore you apart, yet you're still alive. How?'

I touched my chest. Nothing was left from Morrigan's attempt to kill me and rip my heart it. It still remember her power clawing through me, her commands for me to die shuddering through my bones and heart, and yet I hadn't died. It wasn't just because I was Paleblood either, a harder vampire to kill, but because I was made by an archon.

'Lucius' magic kept me alive.' I replied. 'I didn't want to die, so she couldn't kill me.' I muttered.

Mo nodded. 'Well, we survived.' Her eyes lowered sadly. 'Although, we know Stanley didn't make it.'