Forsaken Blood

- CONQUEST -

Marco reached the coven carrying Anastasia's lifeless body. Her head lulled around like a dead chicken's with her neck still broken in two. Kane ran over to him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

"What happened?" he cried.

"Demon attack, I couldn't stop him, Kane, I'm so sorry," Marco answered.

"Get her to Dimitry," Kane insisted.

Anastasia didn't have much time, she was turning blue and needed fresh blood to flow through her veins lest she fade from this world.

They reached Dimitry's quarters and he roared at Marco when he heard the story.

"Demons in the human plain?"

"Yes Sire," Marco said with downcast eyes, "one had possessed a young boy, and... well..."

"Well?" Dimitry yelled.

"The fiend has kidnapped Layla, Sire," Marco said.

Dimitry inhaled a deep breath as he closed his eyes trying to control his ancient rage.

"So, it has begun. Kane, take Anastasia into the transfusion room now, or she won't survive. Marco, gather my council and the coven to the sitting hall," Dimitry ordered.

Dimitry gathered his thoughts as he watched out of the window. He knew once the demons had Layla in their possession, the vampire coven had no hope in becoming a strong and independent unit - they would remain the eternal slaves of the demons. He wrecked his brain on how to stand up to the dark forces, that had broken the ancient pact. Would the angels intervene, what would Raphael do?

Marco rushed through the doors to Dimitry.

"The entire coven is gathering in the hall, Sire. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"No," Dimitry said shaking his head. "That will be all. I shall be straight down."

He turned his back toward the window and walked over to his desk. A fine crystal goblet filled with sweet crimson blood tantalized him. He took the glass and studied it, swirling the drink like a fine wine until he consumed the entire glass, and felt its strength fill him and help him recompose. He left his office and entered the hall where there were at least a hundred vampires gathered curious and nervously in conversation. He strode past them straight-backed and head high and mounted the speaker's podium.

"Silence!" he cried, and the dull murmuring ceased as all eyes fluttered to him. "For over six-hundred years I have lived in chains. A slave to powers who say they are better than I, and it is we who should serve. And for what? So that we can be errand runners for the hell-spawn? Well, I say no more!"

He paused and looked out at the crowd and saw every eye follow him and each head nod.

"The blood of Layla Sinclair is the elixir to our salvation... and it was taken from us. Stolen through the ineptitude of my high council and as such that high demon Rezaal laughs at us."

A hundred held breaths waited on his words.

"But I will not be laughed at, and we will slaves no more! My brothers and sister... we are going to war!"

***

Rezaal looked down at Layla's broken body with a sense of achievement, he smiled at her before he walked out of the room.

She lay paralyzed on the long table. Her chest heaving with every ragged breath she took, lying saturated in a mixture of her own tears and strange bodily fluids. She glanced upward, broken in spirit, and wondered why she had been forsaken. Her clothes had been ripped from her once innocent body.

Her emotions were so intense, yet they flooded with an overwhelming numbness that she couldn't control. Her body had begun feeling like an empty vessel, barely surviving, existing for no good reason. Abused mentally and physically. She closed her eyes and hoped to erase this memory, it all happened so fast, yet it appeared like viewing stills on a slide show. Slides moving so fast, yet slow enough to torment her with certain imagery.

Layla once thought that the human world was relatively safe, love and life were to be a pleasure and that the little things could be appreciated. But now, that had all been morphed into a new found emotion.

The world was cancer that had crippled and devastated Layla's heart and soul. Her world forthwith was not safe. Awakened and reborn, she had come to view the world in a new light. Nothing was ever as it appeared, and she was far from in control of her environment. The sense of pending doom lingered in her tainted mind, and she realized only two choices remained. She could either fight her way through this new found life or withdraw altogether.

Ardat reappeared in Dean's skin and threw clothes at her so that they heaped in a pile on the floor.

"Put those on and follow me," she said.

Layla didn't have the will to move and rolled her head to the side looking away from Dean's corrupted body.

"I am feeling the need to celebrate, Layla. Do ruin my good mood," She hissed.

Layla didn't move, she had no care left inside of her and lay limp on the table. Ardat shuffled over and leaned in close to her with a smirk.

"You, my dear, are nothing to me but a useless rotting pig. My interest is in what you now carry inside," Ardat said and jabbed Dean's finger into her belly.

Layla snapped her head back to look at Dean's possessed body in shock. Ardat laughed and twirled away like a ballroom dancer.

"You don't want harm to come to your child do you dear?" she said as she danced her way out of the room.

Thanks for reading :D