Christmas Consort

Staked

Lara took Kylie by the hand and threw the front door open wide. Kylie could hardly take the scene in. The blood. The stake. Silas. With a woozy head and a gasp she turned to rail on Lara.

"Oh God. Oh Lord, please. No." She barely kept her dinner down. "What have you done? How could you?"

Lara backed toward the Christmas tree as Kylie came at her, beating her with weak little human fists. Shock moved Lara, not pain. The force of Kylie's vehemence propelled the woman forward and the vampire back.

"You cold hearted two timing blood sucking murderer!" Kylie was losing steam. "Why? Why didn't you just leave?" She sagged, "Just leave us alone."

Lara's rage surfaced then. "'Us' is it? You think you could have a place here? Think you could ever take my place in his or any other life?"

Lara dug in her pocket and came out with a switch blade. Christmas lights danced off the shining metal. Kylie retreated a step, swearing to herself she would never hang lights again if she lived through this.

It was Lara's turn to advance and she relished it. "As if I could kill Silas after all he has done for me."

Kylie blinked back tears in confusion and shook her head.

Lara gestured with her blade. "I mean, of course I could kill him. The state he's in right now, your little ineffectual piece of ass could kill him."

Kylie jerked her head around to Silas. "He's not?"

"Dead? No. Silas Boone is not dead. Not yet."

Kylie moved as if to go to him but Lara lashed out with her knife slicing through the front of Kylie's dress. "You listen to me when I'm talking to you, blood bag. Are you listening?"

Kylie nodded but continued to sidle toward Silas. "I don't understand. How--"

"You really think a wooden stake could kill someone like us? Never. Induce paralysis? Make us look dead? Yes."

Kylie was beside Silas now, dared a look down and met his eyes. Her knees buckled beneath the weight of her relief. She blinked back tears and reached unconsciously toward the pointed wood protruding from his chest. She shook her head and felt the warm tears spill down her cheeks.

"Then why?"

"Have you forgotten the whole reason you're here?"

Kylie looked around the room, her living room. She thought about the conversation she'd had with Cousin Rose about the white-eyes of the Man in Black and how she came to be sitting next to a staked vampire. But Lara didn't know that.

"What are you talking about?"

Lara got her attention waving the knife around as she spoke. "The plan, Kylie. The beautiful, wonderful plan that you set in motion when you hit my car."

When I hit her car? She's gone mad.

"Your face is so expressive. Did you know that?"

Kylie cringed away as Lara ran the blade flat-side down her check and to her throat.

"Your...what's the word? Anguish is so clearly written in every gesture and twitch. Can you see that, Silas? Makes me wish we had longer to play."

Lara leapt to Silas's head and Kylie flinched before trying to cover Silas with her hands to protect him. Lara's arm shot out to clasp Kylie's wrist.

"What are you doing?" Kylie shouted at Lara now. Hoping to break through the madness that consumed the woman. She heaved back on her arm and succeeded only in wrenching her own shoulder. It seared as if the muscle tore with stretching.