Vampire lore - Carmilla/First Kill

Chapter 45

The van rolled to a stop at the edge of the woods, its headlights cutting through the heavy darkness. Juliette emerged from the trees, cradling Calliope in her arms.

Exhaustion lined her face, but her worry for Calliope—her Calliope—outweighed her own fatigue.

Her expression softened as she looked down at the unconscious girl, but beneath it all was a weight heavier than anything she'd ever carried before. Their relationship had crumbled under the weight of betrayal, but that didn't mean the love was gone.

Carmilla jumped out of the van and hurried over, her sharp demeanor faltering as she glanced between Juliette and Calliope. She saw it—the way Juliette still looked at her. Even after everything. The same way she looked at Laura.

— Put her in the back - Carmilla said gently, pulling open the van's rear doors.

Juliette nodded without a word, carefully laying Calliope down on the seat.

She hesitated for a second, her fingers brushing against Calliope's cheek, a flash of longing crossing her face. But it was fleeting, replaced by a bitter understanding that the girl she loved was slipping further away from her every day.

Once Calliope was settled, Juliette shut the door softly and walked around to the passenger side. She slipped into the seat next to Carmilla, her body tense and drawn tight like a bowstring ready to snap. Her hands rested in her lap, shaking ever so slightly, the adrenaline of the night not yet faded.

Carmilla glanced at her, taking in the sight of the girl who had been forced to grow up too fast. She said nothing, though her chest ached with something almost foreign—worry. With a deep breath, Carmilla turned her focus back to the road, her fingers gripping the steering wheel a little too hard as they pulled back onto the dark highway. The van rumbled forward, cutting through the stillness, but the air between them remained thick with unspoken tension.

The silence stretched, heavy and dense, but Carmilla didn't break it. Every so often, she cast a glance at Juliette, the young vampire's face illuminated by the faint green glow of the dashboard. There was a fragility there—despite everything Juliette had done tonight, despite the strength she had shown to save Calliope, she still looked like a scared child. They both did.

'Just kids', Carmilla thought, her jaw tightening. Kids wrapped up in a world of violence and death, with no choice but to survive.

It reminded her too much of herself. She could almost see the reflection of her younger self in Juliette's pale face—the innocence stolen too soon, the weight of a dangerous world pressing down on too-young shoulders. Carmilla could still remember how she felt when she was turned, centuries ago. How she was plucked from the safety of her life and thrust into a nightmare, her body transformed against her will.

And then she had come. The goddess—the woman Carmilla had called mother, though no motherly love had ever been offered. Carmilla had been naive, desperate for approval, and the goddess had taken advantage of that, twisting her into a killer, a puppet for her dark desires. The centuries of seducing and slaughtering women to fuel the goddess's power were burned into Carmilla's memory like scars she could never erase. She clenched her jaw and forced the memories aside, her grip tightening on the wheel.

'They're not like me', she reminded herself, glancing at Juliette again.

'They have a real family, friends. They have people who care about them.' She wouldn't let anyone, especially Elinor and Oliver, hurt Juliette the way she had been hurt.

The familiar sight of Juliette's home came into view, the grand structure looming in the pre-dawn gloom. The sky was beginning to lighten at the edges, pale ribbons of light creeping over the horizon. But there was no comfort in the morning—only a heightened sense of urgency, the tension growing heavier the closer they got.

— Don't tell them about Elinor - Juliette broke the silence suddenly, her voice fragile but determined. Her eyes met Carmilla's, filled with a quiet kind of desperation.

Carmilla frowned, pulling into the driveway and parking the van.

— You're sure? - she asked softly, searching Juliette's face for any flicker of uncertainty.

Juliette nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line.

— Yeah. They'll want her back in the house, and I don't trust her. I'm afraid of what she might do to them.

Carmilla studied her for a moment, then nodded, her voice low.

— Okay. You're the boss.

They both stepped out of the van, the cool early morning air brushing against their skin. Carmilla checked her watch—4:52 AM. The world was starting to stir around them, the first light of dawn barely touching the sky. Juliette moved to the back, opening the door and carefully lifting Calliope into her arms once more. Her movements were slow, deliberate, as if she feared waking her too soon.

Carmilla walked beside her, keeping her eyes on the shadows around them as they approached the door. Her senses were on high alert, every rustle of the wind sending a fresh wave of paranoia through her. She was the one to ring the bell, the chime breaking the thick silence that had settled over them like a shroud.

They waited, the moments dragging on. Carmilla could sense the tension radiating off Juliette in waves, her fear growing the longer they stood in front of that door. Then, with a sudden click, the door swung open.

Theo stood on the other side, and the look of shock on his face was immediate. His eyes widened as they landed on his sister, unconscious in Juliette's arms, and his expression darkened with fear and anger. His gaze flicked to Carmilla, then back to Juliette, his voice sharp and demanding.

— What the hell happened? - he asked, his tone edged with panic. His fear was unmistakable, though he tried to hide it beneath his frustration.

Juliette opened her mouth to respond, but for a moment, no sound came out. The weight of the night seemed to press down on her, the enormity of everything she'd done clawing at her chest. She didn't want to lie to him, but the truth... some parts of the truth could destroy everything.

— She's okay, Theo - Juliette finally whispered, her voice quiet but steady. - I got her out in time. - She adjusted Calliope slightly, as if to reassure herself that she was still breathing.

Theo's eyes softened, his expression wavering. He stepped aside, motioning for them to come in, though the questions still swirled in his mind. For now, though, his sister's safety was all that mattered.

— Bring her in - he said, his voice quieter now. - My mom's downstairs. She needs to see her.