30
Melody put her back to the wall as her ex-companion approached. She began looking around the room for something — anything at all — she could use as a weapon, a distraction, whatever.
Eric’s attention, on the other hand, was focused solely on her. He advanced on her without warning, making a beeline straight for her.
“Give me the pendant,” he snarled. “NOW!”
The blood streaming down his face was his own — Melody could see what looked to be a deep gash somewhere over his left eye. The blood on his arms however, belonged to someone else. Her stomach lurched as she thought of Lucus. Of him lying out near the graveyard, badly hurt or bleeding or even worse.
Eric reached for her, and she scrambled over the bed. There was enough room to avoid the mummified figure of Lady Neveux. One bad step, one wrong move and she could’ve fallen on the woman. Maybe snapped an arm or even a leg as easily as a dry twig.
Luckily that didn’t happen. She made it to the other side and then whirled back to face Eric, only now there was a whole bed between them.
“I’m taking it,” he growled. “Even if I have to rip it from—”
“FUCK YOU!”
The words came out loud and harsh, with an edge of furious anger. Eric smiled through bloodstained teeth. Spat a big glob of something red on the bed.
He’s wounded.
She could tell by the wet rattle in his lungs that her adversary might be worse off than she originally thought. An internal injury, probably. Or maybe he was stabbed.
“Where’s Lucus?”
Eric didn’t answer. He only smiled.
“I said where’s—”
He lunged for her. If she hadn’t been prepared, he might’ve caught her too.
Eric ended up sprawled across the bed, just far enough that his fingers barely missed the fabric of her dress on the other side. Melody took advantage of him being off-balance. She skirted the bottom of the bed and sprinted for the door.
“NO!”
He lunged again, and this time he did catch her. Then, without warning, Eric began to scream.
“WHAT THE—”
It was Lady Neveux. She had him by the wrist.
It was an awful sight. The woman’s eyes had gone terrifyingly wide; two white orbs against a leathery face. Her thin, wasted hand was clamped tightly over Eric’s strong, young wrist. He yanked hard on his arm, and Melody knew the horrendous rending sound would live on in her nightmares for the rest of her life.
The woman in the bed hissed through clenched teeth as she tried to hold him. She may as well have been trying to hold back a charging bull. Eric tore away, then latched onto Melody with both hands. She was in the center of the room now. Trying to crawl away from him on her hands and knees.
There was a flash of movement. A change in the shadows. Melody looked up and Lucus was standing over them both, his arms covered in long, jagged cuts. He pulled back with his leg and kicked hard, catching Eric square in the ribs. There was the sickening sound of shattered bone, but he still held on.
“GIVE… ME…”
Lucus reared back to kick him again, but Eric was deceptively fast. He spun his body in a wide arc and extended his leg, sweeping Lucus instantly from his feet. He fell hard to the floor with a whoosh of air, and an intense grimace of pain. Melody could tell he was struggling to breathe. Struggling to recover from falling flat onto his back.
Eric’s hand finally closed over the pendant. There was a heart-stopping moment where she envisioned him tearing it free from her neck…
Then she lowered her chin to his hand and bit him.
He screamed, instantly jerking his hand back in pain. Luckily he opened it first, and didn’t take the amethyst with him.
“YOU BITCH!”
The insult bought her time. Another second, maybe two. Still, not enough to struggle away. He still had her with one hand, still pulled her toward him.
“GIVE IT TO ME! GIVE ME THAT FUCKING—”
Another figure appeared over them, and for a split second she thought it was Lady Neveux. This figure was too big, though. Way too tall and gaunt. It reached down and grabbed Eric, this time by the throat.
Eric’s eyes went wide as he spun to face his fourth adversary in the span of a single minute. When he saw who it was his expression turned absolutely furious.
“LET GO OF ME YOU MISERABLE—”
His voice died in his throat as a pale white hand closed over his windpipe. Melody recognized Miles instantly; his face was still impassive, his eyes still glowing silver-grey in the shadows of the cluttered bedroom. He had Eric tightly by the throat, holding him at bay as easily as an angry father might fend off an insolent, ten-year old child. Then he swung his arms, hurling the man bodily across the chamber with a thick grunt followed by a savage scream.
Eric sailed across the room, crashing into the base of a tremendous, antique armoire. Unluckily for him, the furniture’s two front legs were already old. They shattered more than folded inward, sending the entire massive assembly crashing down on him.
“AHHHH!!!
There was a scream, followed by a resounding boom. The room exploded in a shower of dust, accompanied by the sounds of cracking, breaking… and splintered wood.
“Unnggghhh…”
Eric’s voice was a low groan now. A strangled cry. Melody watched his body go frighteningly limp as all the remaining fight went out of it. She gasped in horror.
“Oh my God…”
From the chest down, he was completely buried beneath the giant armoire.