One For The Road

-Several weeks later-1

"Selene, please!"2

"No!"3

"Please!"4

There was a loud crash and another shout. Allen stretched, turning to look at Emily who was sitting on the windowsill. Her attention was on the outside of the house. 5

"What is it?" He asked, rolling out of bed.6

"It's Selene and Robert. They're fighting."7

Selene was storming away from him, her shoes hitting the cobblestone of the drive with loud stomps. He was behind her, trying to get her to listen. Robert tried to grab her arm but she pulled it away.8

"Selene! Why can't you do this? At least do it for my sake?"9

She whipped around. "Your sake? YOUR sake? Do you have any inkling of what could happen to you? Emily got lucky. Damn lucky that it worked. I will not risk it with you."10

"But I want to be with you!"11

"And I want to be with you but I do not wish you to be killed!" 12

Robert's face scrunched slightly as if slapped. Slowly he sat on the edge of the fountain with a sigh. Selene stood with her arms folded. 13

Allen scuffed. "Why will she not do it?"14

"She is very protective. She's scared about what could happen."15

He laid his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. Emily could tell that he was still exhausted from his own ordeal. She reached a hand up slowly and stroked his hair.16

Below them, Selene and Robert were embracing. Either they had found a medium or had just given up fighting. 17

--------18

The horse stopped short, neighing with discontent. It chomped angrily at it's bit. The rider leaped off and brushed the dust off of the thick leather armor he was wearing. 19

Another rider pulled up behind him. 20

"Confirmed. Another one has been born." He said.21

The leader sniffed the air a bit. A deep smirk came across his young looking face. "Does Elizabeth Báthory know?"22

"Aye. She committed suicide early this afternoon. She's planning on returning before our lives are over. It was idiotic of her to do so without knowing if she really could return with memory intact. We are only the second generation, Jack."23

Jack stared up into the trees. "You're not telling me something I don't already know, Octavius."24

"Do not refer to me as if I am a fool, Jack. If it wasn't for me you never would have had the notion to get this far!"25

Jack turned around, pulling a knife from his pocket and stabbing it deep into Octavius's shoulder. He screamed in agony and his knees buckled slightly.26

"Do not tell me I would have never made it this far. I have all but excelled past you. You...Well, you will never make it as far I as I will. Or as far as I am for that matter."27

"Stop jesting, Jack!" He winced. 28

He thrust the knife in further, earning a howl from Octavius. "You do not have the gull to kill, Octavius. Your first a second were already bleeding when you got there."29

He whimpered under Jack's hold. "I can kill too."30

At that moment a woman rode up on a black horse. Her dress was draped casually over the side. "Honestly, you too knock it off!"31

Jack pulled the knife from Octavius's arm with a scowl.32

"Hnn. What say you, Belle?" Octavius asked, pained.33

She brushed curly black hair off of her shoulder with annoyance creeping to her face. "The princess has begun the ceremony."34

The men's eyes widened. 35

"You heard me correct, men. Lady Selene has chosen to make Sir Robert of likeness to us."36

Octavius threw his arms to the side. "I thought you said that Lady Selene was ready to be killed! You said she would never change another!"37

"She changed her mind!" Belle hissed back.38

"Be quiet." Jack spoke up from deep thought.39

They both turned to look at him. His eyes glimmered with dark ideas. Octavius rubbed his stab wound nervously.40

"Leave them. Emily, Selene, Robert and Allen. They could be of use to us. Emily and Selene are first generations. They have far more powers then we. Do not touch them."41

Belle nodded. "As my services in the castle continue I will make sure no harm comes to the royal family. God knows there are more like us around waiting for a chance to jump on them."42

Suddenly, Octavius hunched over. He began coughing hard, blood splattering on the ground from it. 43

"Dammit it all, Octavius!" Jack jumped back.44

"He hasn't taken one for three years has he, Jack?"45

Jack shook his head. Belle's face was full of disgust and disappointment as she watched Octavius recover. She pulled on the reins of her horse and turned it around. 46

"You both need to keep yourselves in good health. Feed as often as you can."47

She turned around and began riding away. 48

Octavius reached behind a tree and pulled something out. As he watched the horse run, he heard a loud noise. He jumped with surprise as he saw Belle fall from the horse. There was something sticking in her back.49

He turned to face Octavius, who had a bow in his hand. He smiled at Jack. "That counts as one."