Don't Look at the Moon (Complete!)

Nine

TW: body horror, graphic descriptions of injuries, violence, death

Virgil opened his eyes to Logan stumbling and half carrying, half dragging Virgil back into the castle.

"Virgil, are you able to stand?" Logan asked him, his voice hoarse.

"Y- yeah. I can walk," Virgil replied, only telling a small lie. Every breath he took hurt, every time he coughed he felt like a knife was being twisted again and again into his chest.

Three figures came running out of the castle gates.

"Lo!" Patton shouted, running towards Logan. "Lo, you're hurt! Virgil, what happened? Where's Roman?" Patton frantically asked them.

"I'm fine. Roman's back there, fighting him." Logan replied. Virgil couldn't stop wondering: who was 'he'? Why was everyone freaking out? And- and what was Roman doing?

The other two vampires, whom Virgil recognized as Remy and Emile, each pulled out a sword.

"We're going to go help Roman. Patton, you make sure everyone is safe." Emile said as he and Remy ran off to join the fight.

"Come on, get inside," Patton told them, helping Virgil and Logan into the gates and up the stairs.

"Valerie, find bandages and get Terrence to help me!" Patton shouted at a vampire who had stepped out of her room, looking around no doubt trying to find the source of all the yelling. She took one look at Logan's bloodied shirt and rushed off, doing as Patton instructed.

"Logan, just keep breathing," Patton whispered. "I love you... I love you so much..." Virgil could have sworn he saw tears rolling down Patton's cheeks.

Patton helped them both onto a couch in one of the many rooms of the castle. Now, in the dim candlelight, Virgil could see Logan's blood was a deep red, darker than any human blood. It stained his torn shirt, three long gashes running down his torso. What had happened to him, that made his flesh torn, his dark blood staining the blue velvet sofa?

Virgil closed his eyes, and when he opened them, out the window he could see that the moon hung low over the horizon. Valerie and Patton had moved Logan to the bed where they tended to the long wounds on his chest.

"Oh, you're awake," Patton walked over to him with tears in his eyes.

"How's Logan?" Virgil stuttered.

"He's- he's not great," Patton started to cry.

"I'm so sorry, this is my fault-"

"No, no, kiddo. It wasn't your fault. He just- he hates us, he hates Logan- oh! I probably said too much already..." Patton started to cry. "I'm sorry..."

"Patton, you don't need to be sorry. Who's 'he'? Why- did he do this?" Virgil asked, wanting answers. Patton hesitated.

"He's a skinwalker." Valerie spoke up. "He can transform into animals," she elaborated after Virgil's look of confusion.

"When Roman's father built this castle, he drove him out to claim the land. Ever since that, he's been trying to take it back," Valerie told him.

"But what's his name?" Virgil wanted something to call him.

"We don't know his real name, so we just call him Deceit. Names have power, you know. Especially ageist magic-users."

Realizing that was all the information Virgil would get, he laid back down on the couch and looked out the window at the moon slowly setting on the horizon. He could just make out the shape of an owl, or perhaps a bat, flying right toward the window.