- Bridget -

Dagon kicked up mud, dashing across the swampy jungle, tearing through tree branches as he closed the distance to Stacy. I slashed his blood-claws at her, seeking to rake her chest, but the strike went right through her. Stacy’s image distorted and faded into mist, and she reappeared several feet away, careful to stay in the shadows of the trees.

Stacy looked terrified. Even in the shadow of the trees, her power would be limited by the sunlight. She had trouble taking out a big bird in the day, and now she had to fight the big boss of the vampires. Was there any way for her to win?

Dagon dashed forward again, smashing through trees and swiping with his blood-claws.

Stacy turned to mist and reappeared behind him, thrusting her nails forward to stab through his back.

Dagon spun around, slamming into her stomach with the back of his his hand, sending her tumbling through the branches and into the mud. Stacy skidded to a halt, holding her abdomen and groaning in pain. Gritting her teeth, she managed to force herself back to her feet.

But Dagon held a hand in front of him, and Stacy’s body went stiff. He was controlling her blood, similar to what he had done to me. Dagon twisted his wrist, and Stacy slowly lifted off the ground, blood starting to pour out from her skin. A scream erupted from her throat.

Leslie lunged toward Dagon, brandishing a dagger. I hadn’t even noticed her leaving my side. She managed to take Dagon by surprise, plunging her dagger into his back right behind his heart.

Dagon fell to a knee, gritting his teeth, and with his concentration broken Stacy fell back to the ground, coughing up blood.

Leslie moved to behead him with a short sword. Where was she getting all these blades? Her sword swung through the air, but before it could hit its mark the dagger in his back shot out with a jet of blood. The wound knitted itself together in an instant, and Dagon swung around to rip her arm off.

Leslie managed to pull back just in time with a flap of her wings, but she was left with a large gash aross her forearm.

With a twist of his hand, Leslie was immobilized. “Stay out of this, servant of Ashmay,” he growled, and summoned a pack of shadow wolves to bite and hold her in place while he turned his attention back to Stacy, drawing his sword.

This was my fault. None of this would be happen if I had just been good. This was all because I decided to act against Haimorrha. Of course angering a god wouldn’t be a good idea. What kind of idiot am I? I didn’t even think of what the consequences might be if I didn’t die. So selfish. I really was such a terrible person. I moved forward, stumbling over roots and branches and trudging through mud. I had to reach Stacy. He was going to kill her. Why should she have to pay for my sins? It wasn’t fair. I tried to say something, to call out, but I choked on my tears as I stumbled through the mud.

Stacy’s hood and cloak had fallen open, and she lay exposed in the sunlight. With effort she managed to struggle to her knees, but that was all she could do. She couldn’t run. Could she turn to mist in direct sunlight?

Stacy gazed up at the tall man with fear in her eyes. He was right in front of her. He held his sword in the air above her, but hesitated, instead choosing to rest it against her neck.

“I’m sorry, Stacy. I never wanted it to end like this, but I have no choice. This is the will of our god.” His voice quivered slightly.

“Please, Lord Dagon,” Stacy pleaded. “You’ve won. Me and Bridget are both yours now. There’s no need to kill.”

“The law is very clear,” Dagon said resolutely. “The price for insulting our god is death. I was content to simply imprison Bridget, but you’ve opened my eyes. Haimorrha demands a life.”

A series of emotions crossed Stacy’s face. Finally, she laid her eyes on me and gave me a gentle smile.

Stacy closed her eyes, lifting her head to get Dagon access to her neck. She clasped her hands in front of her. “Fine. Then make at least make it quick. And please, let Bridget go free.”

I reached out a hand, finally reaching them. I grasped Dagon’s robe and pulled on it. “Please,” I begged, tears streaming down my face. “Don’t hurt her. Take me instead. You can torture me as long as you like, I don’t care. I deserve it. Just please don’t kill Stacy.”

Dagon glanced at me, his eyes full of pity. “If only I could kill you,” he said. “Then I wouldn’t have to do this.”

Dagon raised his blade, preparing to strike.

My mind went blank. I threw myself onto Stacy, forcing her to the ground as the blade came down, digging deep into my back, severing my spine. It only hurt for a moment, and my body fell limp away from me.

I was dead again, but somehow still conscious. Hadn’t something like this happened before? Was this some sort of out-of-body experience?

I saved Stacy from one strike. That was all I could do, and it wasn’t enough. It would only take a moment for him to attack again. My effort was meaningless.

I watched as Dagon grabbed the back of my cloak and tossed my lifeless body out of the way, revealing Stacy, praying silently beneath me. The world darkened, and the burning god stood by her side.

“Haimorrha, please.” I heard her voice echo in the air around us, though she was not actually speaking. “Please give me the power to survive.”

“Stacy the Vampire,” boomed Haimorrha’s voice. “You are a devout follower of mine. It would be a shame to lose such a loyal servant. I shall grant you the ability to use your full strength in the sun.”

The god disappeared from my sight, and Dagon’s blade came down again, cutting through Stacy.

But her image distorted as the blade moved through her, and she dissipated into mist.

Dagon’s eyes widened in surprise, and he jerked his head around, waiting for her to rematerialize. He couldn’t find her though.

Shadowy bats flew through the air, attacking the shadow wolves pinning Leslie down. They released her, and she flapped her flower-wings to escape into the air. She tossed a knife at Dagon which he readily deflected, followed by a flurry of pollen. Dagon extended a hand to control her blood and stop her from moving, but the pollen burned his skin as it landed on him, interrupting his focus.

Stacy emerged from the shadows and unleashed a series of strikes with her nails, scoring several superficial wounds on Dagon which mended themselves immediately.

The burning pollen was still falling on the two. While any wounds caused by it healed quickly, it seemed to prevent Dagon from using his blood hacks.

Dagon managed to parry some of her strikes with his sword before attacking with it. The sword sunk into Stacy’s flesh, but as Stacy was fighting with her hands she was close enough to grab hold of the weapon and wrench it from his grip.

Stacy quickly turned the sword back on him, and Dagon moved to block it with his blood-claws. However Stacy’s image faded and she instead appeared behind him, stabbing the sword through his chest.

The sword snapped in half as shadows rushed across the surface of Dagon’s body. The broken sword glanced against his skin, hardened by shadows.

The sword fragment was ejected with a jet of blood similar to the dagger before, barely missing Stacy as it shot past her. She turned to mist again to avoid retaliation.

“Enough,” Dagon declared. “We’ve reached a stalemate.”

Stacy reappeared several feet in front of him, and Leslie landed next to her. Leslie’s arms and legs were covered in bite wounds from the shadow wolves. The burning pollen still hung in the air.

“Done trying to kill us?” Stacy asked.

“At this rate, I don’t think there will be a clear winner. Without access to my blood manipulation, your mist form and my hardened shadows make us unable to land a fatal blow on each other.”

“What about Bridget? Will you forgive her crime then?"

“It is my duty to enforce Haimorrha’s will.” Dagon paused, his hair swaying in the wind. His expression softened. “I thought Haimorrha wanted me to kill you. Perhaps I misinterpreted his intent. He granted you immunity to the sun, so he must love you yet. I believe now that Haimorrha wished merely for us to fight, and a good fight it was. I shall leave the fate of you and the girl in the hands of the gods. You are still welcome in the castle for as long as you hold Haimorrha’s favor.”

Stacy let out a relieved breath, and bowed her head. “Thank you, Lord Dagon. Chercella would applaud your mercy.”

Dagon laughed. “Thank Haimorrha, not me.” He spread his wings and took off in the direction of the castle.

I turned my attention back to my lifeless body. It lay twisted in the mud where Dagon had tossed it. In addition to the cut in my back from Dagon’s sword, my skin was covered in several burn marks from the pollen. Thanks Leslie.