Lailah couldn't tell if Jed was still following her over the noise surrounding her, but she knew he would keep up, regardless of this injuries. She ran back through the tow, faster than she had even ran in her life, and as she ran she noticed that alot more of the city was burning too. The main street where the markets usually were had burned down completely, and all of the houses leading up to the palace were empty and burning. She reached the palace doors. One had been torn off, and the smoke was blinding as she ran straight through the door and stopped and to the throne room. The throne room was ablaze. The fire was contained at least, Lailah thought, as the walls were made of stone, however she realised with a start that people were very flammable. Jed had reached the throne room as well, and had stopped at the door. That's when Lailah heard the scream. She ran to the left corner of the room, where you would go if you wanted to reach the main hall of the palace, white walls filled with portraits and statues. She reached the door and again heard Jed following close behind her. She could see bodies from where she was in the door way, and became very aware of her breathing. Please don't let this be what I think it is. She came to the first body. It was her father. And next to him her Aunt. The King and Queen were dead. She kept walking. Two more bodies. Her cousins. She hadn't seen them in months. When had Ryland return from hunting? Why had Iradesa left her room? She looked much older since the last time Lailah had seen her, for a Vampire anyway. She had still been growing, she couldn't have been more than 60. Lailah paused. And now she won't get any older. Lailah was suffocating. Technically, she didn't need to breathe, but now she felt like she couldn't get enough air to last her another moment. This had been exactly what she had seen in her vision. She had been trying to prevent this from happening. How had she messed up so terribly. Who was to be the King now? She could be queen, but Ryland was dead. They were meant to rule together. How had she been so stupid. She had ruined everything. If Ryland was dead then the role of king would have gone to Almar, she thought again, and more grief crushed her as she kneeled beside her father. But you basically left him for Jed, and now he's dead too. She thought. Jed. She heard a body drop to the floor, and she whizzed around to see Jed laying on the floor. Blood was seeping out of his torso, but his hand had fell to the ground beside him.
"Jed!" She yelled, and ran to his side. She fumbled around with his shirt and finally tore it off, to reveal and injury that had been torn open far beyond repair. "Jed look at me please." She turned his face towards her. "Look at me." She whispered. He opened his eye slightly. "There you go." She said smiling through her tears that were now gushing down her nose.
"Lailah." He coughed.
"Shhhh don't speak."
"Lailah." He said again. She met his face. "This wasn't going to work anyway. It's okay."
"What do you mean it's okay. Shut up and stop dying for a moment, let me look at you."
"I could never be with you now and I could never go back to human after everything that's happened. It's okay." She grabbed his hands and was basically laying on top of him by this point.
"No it's not." Lailah said.
"I wish we had had more time."
"Jed do not close your eyes or I swear to god."
"I love you."
"I know you do, but shut up and look at me." He laughed, or more so coughed, and shut his eyes. "That is exactly what I told you not to do!" She said desperately. He didn't open them again. She listened to his breathing. It had stopped. His heart. His heart had stopped. "No, Jed, oh my god, Jed, honestly." She said. Now there was too much air, and she was suffocating yet again. She screamed. Loud. She had thought she had been alone after Nat had died. She had thought that had been more pain that she had ever or would ever have to deal with. She had been wrong. This was worse. Her father, her aunt, her cousin's who she didn't even know that well but had grown up with all the same, Nat, Almar....Jed. They were all gone. Jed had come into her life, mended her heart in a way that she felt love again, and then broke her heart. He had built her up and now was breaking her apart. She could save him, she realised with a start. She had always known it might come to this, and it was the one thing he had wanted her to do. She had to now, didn't she? She couldn't live an eternity alone, and although she had only known him a short time, the thought of living without him for even a minute longer was unbearable. She had though the person she needed was Almar, but she had been wrong about that too. It was Jed. It had always been Jed. So that settled it, she supposed. She would turn him. Crying silently, she summoned her fangs, and begun draining him of blood. He opened his eyes, and the first thing Lailah noticed was the colour. No longer topaz. But completely golden.
~
It had been white and suddenly it was red. Jed realised he had simply opened his eyes to a stained red hallway. But the first thing he had seen was Lailah. She was looking at him with anticipation.
"What the...how?"
"I did what you asked me."
"You...what?"
"You told me you loved me, just before."
"Crazy, what people will admit when they think they're about to die."
"Was it true."
"Considering you just brought me back from the dead, I think I am obligated to say yes." She laughed, and he noticed she too was covered in blood. His, he figured. He also noted that he had no pain in his abdomen. "Am I dead."
"Yup."
"Fun." She helped him up.
"I would love this to be dramatic and romantic but unfortunately the city is still on fire. Now you can fight. Really fight." She said, she turned on her heel and headed back towards the throne room. He realised he no longer needed to run to keep up, but he could walk at her speed. They reached the palace doors and saw her troops pulling themselves towards the doors, waiting outside the palace for her orders. Lailah walked down the stairs and through the middle of the crowd. "I know I have failed you all. I should have known. If anyone could have known, it was me, I can literally see the future, and I disappointed you. But now there is no alternative motive. The King and Queen are dead. You lost your leaders and I lost my father, my aunt. Ryland, Iradesa. Almar. All dead." She was crying again. With that everyone looked to their friend beside them, their comrade. "They must have a leader, and they cannot be far away. My guess is they will come for us. I have no right to ask this of any of you. But will you stand and fight with me. To the end." There was a silence. Jed noticed her hair had mostly fallen out, and like everyone else, she had holes in her armer and a limp in her step. One by one, the troops knelt on one knee. Lailah nodded to the crowd. "Then we fight."
