Thicker Than Water....

Chapter 22 - Judgement Day

I was woken by the sounds of fierce gutteral roars, shouting, clashing steel and blood-curdling screams.  I lunged out of bed, dressed in record time and sped across the hall to Kula's room.  I burst in without knocking.  She was sitting up in bed, eyes wide, her head snapping left to right as the sounds of battle permeated the top floor of the mansion.  "Get dressed! It's begun!" I shouted at her.  She scrambled out from the sheets and started dressing.  I looked back out into the hallway.  I saw the doors of the Council's chamber open and a large troupe of red leather clad warriors emerged, all armed with various blades and cudgeols.  As they sped passed me I noticed many with extended fangs and blood red eyes.  Oh my god! This was for real! 

   "Hurry!" I called back to Kula.  "I need to speak with Calogera first though. Stay hidden 'til I return."  Without waiting for an answer, I shot along the hallway.  I just made it through the heavy doors before they banged tightly shut, echoing throughout the chamber.  Calogera and her councillors were all dressed for battle.  Each in red leather, and Calogera sported a metal chest piece that gleamed as she turned to face me. 

   "Sienna! Now is not the time for an audience!" she shouted at me.

   "I'm not here for idle chit-chat I can assure you!" I answered hotly.  " I just need to know the plan of attack."

   She regarded me coolly. "The plan is to survive, nothing more."  Then she turned back to her councillors, adressing them all by name as she issued orders.  "Agostino, make sure Countess Florentina has arrived safely with her Brood in the west wing.  Belenus, get to the Heiress Diamante, assist her and her troupe in the securing of the tunnels. Cahal, gather the Furies and the Blessed.  We must have their combined powers to keep the enemy from advancing up here."

   "That sounds better!" I called across the room.  Calogera spun round to face me.  "A little more information would help me to help you, however."

   "Such as?"

   "Furies, Blessed?"

   "Furies use bolts of power like electricity or lightning, to slay the enemy.  Blessed are the healers.  Both are New Bloods."

   "That's a help. At least I now know who not to attack."

   She stilled.  "I cannot tell you how to use your power Sienna, if that is what you are hoping for.  Only you can master that."

    "I figured as much, thanks to Cesare.  I just don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I need to know where to go."

   "Follow my warriors.  The enemy has breached the front entrance.  We did not expect them to have the nerve to come at us from that direction."

I turned.  The doors were still closed.  I simply raised an eyebrow in Calogera's direction.  She opened them, with nothing more than a wave of her hand.  I dashed back to Kula's room.  She was dressed, ready.  "Stay close, Kula. I don't know just how safe anywhere will be soon, so let's just stick together."

We ran along the hallway towards the main stairs.  The sounds of battle escalated as we closed the distance between her room and the main foyer. Keeping our backs close to the wall, we strained to peer between the balustrades. 

Kula clung to my arm as our eyes witnessed the scene of slaughter below.  Our warriors were slashing and hacking at black leather clad vampires who were pouring through the front entrance.  Their numbers were endless.  "Jesus Christ!" I said under my breath.  I had had no idea of the numbers Dante had managed to amass.  They looked utterly unstoppable.  Their faces were distorted, like demons, fangs extended fully.  They too had weapons, which they weilded with such power, our troupes were staggering against their force.