Page 29 of The Rising Dark
The rogue was so close that her sword was useless, and Lavinia dropped it onto the floor.She lifted her left leg, forcing her knee into the woman’s stomach, whipped out her second dagger, and stabbed at her chest.The woman’s frantic writhing caused it to miss its intended target, and glanced across the ribs, slicing upwards instead of finding the heart.Blood splashed across them both, hot and acrid.The woman pulled back her arm, and Lavinia could see the punch coming, but couldn’t defend herself without either dropping the dagger or running the danger of the rogue’s fangs latching onto her exposed neck.
The rogue’s knuckles smashed into her cheek, bashing her head back against the stone wall.Ice-hot agony screamed through her head, blackening the corners of her vision.She couldn’t pass out, not right now.Grasping the woman’s torn overalls in one fist, she stabbed with the dagger once more.This time, it struck right.The pierced heart beat once, twice, then stilled.The woman’s head lolled sideways, her eyes glossed over.Lavinia pulled the dagger from her chest and let go of the overalls.The rogue’s body fell to the floor in a heap.
Within minutes, the fight was over.Bodies littered the ground, blood seeping into the packed earth underneath.The four Sisters stood among the carnage, blood-splattered and weary.The stars outside no longer sang of battle but chimed a requiem.Lavinia’s head throbbed with every heartbeat, pain lancing through her right leg when she leaned on it.
“Let’s bury them,” Luce said.
The Sisters of Twilight were moved into action once more.Lavinia grabbed the male rogue from the floor, tore her dagger from his throat, and laid him outside in the light of the moon and stars.Eight bodies were retrieved, laid neatly beside each other.They took turns digging into the rocky earth.The still bodies were lowered into the grave and covered with the fragrant night soil.Eight rogues—the largest nest Lavinia had ever seen.Eight lives lost to the call of boundless blood.It was a horrible shame to see their broken bodies put to earth like this.
They beat the dirt from their hands as much as they could, having mingled with the fresh blood into a paste.Together, they started back to their home, back to the veneer of domesticity the house provided.
Behind them, the grave of the rogues lay unmarked, their blood soaking into the earth in the quiet hills of the Pennines.
Chapter Sixteen
The light of the mansion shone like a beacon in the night sky.Lavinia and her Sisters walked through the gate.It was an unobserved and silent victory march, a quiet homecoming.They strode into the foyer, greeted by their Sister’s blood congealing on the rug.It would take Mrs.Frost ages to get that out, Lavinia thought, her thoughts fragmented by fatigue.The immense energy that was expended during battle, the adrenaline careening through her arteries—all of that was gone now.
All that was left was mud, and her cuts and bruises clamouring for attention.Luce patted her shoulder, a sisterly gesture of solidarity, before making her way to the study, probably to report back to the Magistrate.Quintia, prickly Quintia, held her hand for a moment, then disappeared into the bowels of the house to tend to her weapons before washing the stink of battle from her body.Vesta nodded to Lavinia, then followed Quintia.A soft noise caused Lavinia to raise her head, to tear herself from the recollection of the last hour.
Two wide, soft brown eyes peered at her from the dining room archway.Her wavy chestnut hair had been braided and lay coiled over one shoulder.Lavinia drank in the sight of her, enjoying a moment of pure aesthetic pleasure after the ugly reality of bodies torn asunder.Here was Michelle, like a drink of water to a woman parched of the good and the beautiful.Then the edge of her fear reached Lavinia.The whites of her widened eyes gleamed.
“Lavinia,” she said, her voice low, a tremble at its edge.
Suddenly, Lavinia felt every spatter of mud and blood on her skin, her armour.Felt the violence still clinging to her like dirt.No wonder Michelle was afraid of her.This was the real her—the warrior, the soldier.This was who she was, who she had to be to protect vampirekind.Lavinia, her Sisters.They were the ones who got their hands dirty, who cleared out nests of rogues like the infection they were.It was honourable work, a coveted position in vampire society, but this was its dark side, its reality.
Every night the Sisters risked their lives, their bodies, and their souls.Some Sisters couldn’t live with the violence, the battle song.They had each other, at least; there was always a Sister’s shoulder to lean on.Everyone else was kept at a distance, for good reason.
And now Michelle had seen the real her.Her understanding of the Sisterhood was written clearly in the shocked lines of her face.
“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Michelle said, and she rushed forward, her hands cupping Lavinia’s face.“Are you okay?Did you get hurt?”
Michelle’s gentle words, her soft touch, were like a balm to Lavinia’s soul.Michelle saw her, but she wasn’t horrified.She was still here—she looked at her with kindness and worry in her eyes, not revulsion.Lavinia flinched when Michelle’s finger grazed the cut on her cheekbone.“Only a little.Nothing serious.”
“Thank God.”
For a moment, Lavinia allowed herself to melt into her touch.“How are you?How is Pina?”
“Fine, we’re both fine.The doctor got here about half an hour ago.He removed the stake from her chest.It was absolutely horrifying—a human would never survive anything like that.But he said she’ll recover.Together with Octavia, he moved her to her bedroom upstairs.”
“Good.That’s good.”Lavinia sighed.Pina was receiving the care she needed.She’d been avenged, swiftly and with minimal complications.They would all live to see another night.
And Michelle was still here, after all of that.
“You should see the doctor too, just in case.”Michelle’s eyes were serious.There was an edge in her voice which demanded to be obeyed.
Lavinia had no fight left within her.“Fine.”
The doctor, a middle-aged vampire called Benjamin, gave Lavinia a brief once-over, taking a bit more time on the cut at the back of her head and the bruise on her hip.
“Heavy contusion around the hip joint.That’ll be sore for a week or so.No heavy lifting or running, definitely no fighting.You might lose control of the joint if you push it too far.The cut on your head looks like it will heal within two or three nights, but be careful not to reopen it.You may wish to bathe in starlight for an hour a night to speed up the healing.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Lavinia said, inclining her head.
“Sister,” he answered, bowed, and quietly left the room to check on his other patients.
Michelle pulled a face after he had closed the door behind him.“So formal.”
Lavinia shrugged, the movement pulling at the leather armour sticking to her back.She really needed a shower.“Vampire customs don’t change as quickly as human ones.Most of us can remember when the curtsy was common like it was yesterday.”
