The Woman in the Garden

Chapter XII. Exsanguine

The night grew black and cold, and the fire raged. Hold a beast in a tiny pit for long enough, and it begins to lash at absolutely anything, and right now it hungered for a piece of meat dangled precariously over its pit. Her blood had started to flow in places, running down her legs and dripping into the fire's bowels. It drank the drops eagerly, fueled by it, hungering for more. Drop her, it seemed to cry out. Let me swallow her whole. A few times, the girl lost consciousness, and her feet would hang just low enough to burn, but the man with the whip would work his fire magic and force the beast down. Everyone would wonder if that was the end, and then the girl would snap awake, hissing and screeching like nothing human, and they would have to continue.

It was Blane who saw them first. He was the closest to the back of the garden, pacing back and forth. They slid through hedges and lush flower beds silently, past the point where they were close enough to be seen, until they were close enough to be heard. Thirty feet away, Blane turned in his frenetic walk, his eyes passing over the darkness beyond the light of the fire, paused, and looked again. Uncertainty shifted to recognition, then confusion, and finally fear as he drew his weapon.

"Ella," he said, then, "Leanne, get away from her!" Toren turned, then Ah'zuli. The Sentinel guards formed up around PrinceKhara, who looked at Ella with a fear far more potent and personal. Over the fire, Shaniera's struggle had grown weak, and her cries were quiet pleas for mercy, only occasionally breaking over the sound of the rain. But Leanne heard them all, from the moment they'd set foot back in the garden. It seemed she could hear everything.

"Leanne," she heard her father call out. He didn't seem to notice Ella at her side, but he did notice her nakedness, and the dagger in her hand, and the blood. It would be hard to miss the blood. "Gods, Leanne, what happened—" he began, and their eyes met, and by then he must have noticed the color in hers. "No..." he whispered, and Leanne heard it. "No." He looked at Ella, then back at her. "Please, no..."

Xadoran brought the whip back, ready to strike again, but turned instead. The other Ash'abah moved to his sides. Ithko had a scimitar in each hand, and Salim's crossbow was steady on them. Their faces were as hard and unmoved as their leader's.

"I must admit, you had me fooled in that brown frock," Xadoran called out to the senior of the vampires. "Ella, was it? I trust that the men I sent to find you gave their lives bravely."

"It is." Ella spoke calmly, but her voice carried far across the garden. "And they did, even if the fight they put up was a bit disappointing. I must admit, you savages ran me down hard. I had nearly given up, until these good people gave me refuge."

"And look how you have repaid them." He pointed the whip at Shaniera, dangling semi-conscious from the tree. "We have been busy trying to undo what you have done."

"What I have done, thou canst not undo. She partook of my blood willingly. She will turn, and you will accomplish nothing but butchery through this ritual of yours."

"Liar!" Ah'zuli cried out, cracking under despair. "Conniving, lying bitch!"

"Perhaps," Ella admitted. "But about which part?"

Ah'zuli's glare was enough to make Leanne feel cold again. "You will pay for what you have done to my daughter. Rodar, Hasan, Blane, bring me this traitor's head!"

The fear in the men's eyes was palpable, but they were courageous and honorable men of Hammerfell. Rodar and Hasan drew their swords and fell in line beside Blane, and the three advanced on them slowly. Even the prince drew his blade, and Ella laughed.

"Ah, the little prince wants to stick something else in me," she taunted. "Perhaps I shall enjoy it this time?"

Ithko lowered herself into a blade-dancer's stance, legs spread apart, swords held out, and shifted towards them. Salim followed slowly behind, the tip of the crossbow bolt never breaking the line with Ella's head. None of them gave a second thought to Leanne. As they drew close, Xadoran's good eye scanned the area around the girls, searching hard.