To The End

The Letter

The hunters who held a long-ranged weapon opened fire, Beckett's rifle the first to sound. They were so focused on Jade that they didn't realize that Victoria was caught in the crossfire. Jade tackled her to the ground and rolled her out of the way. She was deposited behind a large tree and Jade was gone, running straight at the hunters. She was immediately lost in the thick of battle. Victoria sat up, trying to see her past all the bodies trying to get their shot at her. She finally found her dodging multiple attacks, barely escaping each incoming strike. She could see in her stance and posture that she was still healing and tired from the last attack. The remaining hunters didn't look any better. Jade slowly dispatched them, one by one. Some were crippled by broken bones and dismemberment while others were knocked out. She wasn't trying to kill them, but she wasn't pulling any punches either. It was her or them. Victoria stared at the mayhem, noticing the dwindling number of hunters. She watched as fresh blood added to the already red tinged grass and couldn't take it anymore. Those people were so full of hate and fear they were willing to die to erase it. She stumbled to her feet and took a deep breath.

"Stop!" she bellowed over the clamor, surprisingly loud. Everyone froze to look at her. Jade staggered back from gripping the front of Beckett's shirt and fell into a kneel, as if she were bowing. She felt a foreign wave of authority forcing her to obey, to surrender against her will. She tried to fight it and stand up, but Victoria barked her name and she fell still once more. Listen.

She could sense the surrounding humans staring at her in shock and confusion. She was surprised no one took advantage of her defenselessness. She bared her teeth, defiant.

"Victoria," she snarled, knowing it was the ring at work. It seemed to have revealed another ability. This one she didn't approve of.

"She won't attack again unless I tell her to. I want you to walk away now and leave us alone. I promise, if we maintain peace she won't hurt anyone else," Victoria told them.

"How do we know you'll keep your word? You could cover for her," Andre spoke up. The others nodded agreement, all eyes shifting to her for an answer.

"If another is killed, we'll leave. You'll never see us again."

"That's not enough. You'll only relocate to put other lives in danger in exchange for our town's safety," Beckett denied.

"Fine. Then if she kills again, I won't stop you from doing what you have to. But I also won't try to stop her from defending herself either," Victoria amended. Beckett frowned but nodded.

"Alright then. For now we'll leave you alone. But your father will hear of this," he warned, slowly turning away. He was clearly hesitant to retreat, but he eventually left and Jade was able to relax. She was released from the unseen shackles to return to Victoria's side. She rolled her shoulders and stretched out her back, trying to alleviate the stiffness it left behind. Together they watched the surviving hunters gather their injured and disappear. When the last one was gone, Victoria turned to Jade.

"Let's get you home to rest," she advised, moving to support Jade as she began to walk. Jade tried to push her away, irritable.

"I can walk on my own," she fussed, but Victoria only held on tighter.

"Jade, shut up and let me take care of you," she snapped, catching Jade by surprise. She couldn't decide if she liked the new authoritative tone in her human's voice or if she disliked it enough to rebel for being told what to do. She hesitated only briefly then conceded.

"Fine, but only because I want to."

Victoria laughed at her thinly veiled excuse, rubbing her back soothingly.

"You'll thank me later," she said. Jade wanted to doubt it, but once she was home, cleaned up, and resting she had to grudgingly change her mind. She watched Victoria tend to her injuries without a word. Victoria talked endlessly just to fill the silence but Jade hardly listened. She was busy admiring the brave and selfless human, loving her more than she already did. When Victoria finished with the last bandage, Jade wordlessly held her face in her hands and pulled her in for a slow, lazy kiss. She was tired but appreciative, and she had to let Victoria know. When it ended, she rested her forehead against Victoria's affectionately.