*Lefu* Soleil's screams tremble against my eardrum. I am about to put a hand over her mouth, but then she starts to slap me like a hysterical bitch. She is nowhere near the brave warrior I admire herfor. I almost wish she would fight just a little against me, like for real, instead of this girlish slapping, though of course it is pointless. I let her scream and instead grab her hands in a firm hold so she at least lays still. I swallow her blood without pleasure. She does not taste of anything. The cursed witch powers obscurs her scent, and therefore also her taste. It ruins a bit of the mood, but it is pretty much irrelevant. Now she is finally mine. There is no longer anything that stands in the way of Our future. Soleil will not let me down, likeElisabeth had done. We will live happily and forever together. The rhythmic beats from her little heart dives and slows down. She twitches in my arms one last time and then becomes completely limp. Now it won't be very long, the
*Luca* 'If you can feel me, feel that I love you'. The plastic cup slips between My fingers as the sentence, served with a sense of desperate sadness, hits me in the diaphragm. "Hey !" Julie wrinkles her nose. "That is a Christian Lacroix rug !" "Sorry". I can not get rid of the feeling that something is completely wrong. Something that has to do with Soleil. I back out of the dancing crowd and crash outside. Down by the beach I stop and sniff the evening air. Fuck ! I can not catch her scent, she damn does not have one. Where was it that she had said they were going ? "Kin ?" I whisper. A light breeze catches the strings in my shirt. "Is something wrong with her ?" A strong gust of wind pushes me down on all fours. When I get up on my knees, my gaze falls on the forest on the other side of the bridge. That is true. The party is right over there. It does not take me many moments to assess the possibilities. It is probably also for the best, because when the cold water envelop
*Soleil* "Davina ?" I wiggle my face free of Luca's tight grip. Am I dead ?Am I hallucinating ? “I can hardly recognize you”. The creature rolls its eyes and grabs a lock of its hair, smiling. It unmistakably looks like Davina. That facial expression there is no one who can copy. "You're pretty as a brunette". I laugh hoarsely, but then I become serious. "I'm sorry I could not save you. I'm sorry for the things you had to experience before you died”. The creature lifts a finger up to her mouth and silences me. She turns and holds out her hand in the darkness. Tjalfe comes forward and sits down next to me. "Hey, Pips". His voice is mushy. "I did not think giants cared about meat habits”. I take his outstretched hand, surprised at how weak I am. "What happened ?" "I told you you were my favorite". He makes a grimace. “It was not your turn yet. Like it was not either Davina's turn. She helped me a little to cause enough trouble, so the Board overturned the verdict. She says she is
*Soleil* That is a good question. We are in northern central Scotland, where the nearest neighbor is several hours away, without means of transport in pitch-dark and cold. I consider whether to contact Tjalfe again, but the higher powers would hardly let him act as a taxi after what he has just exposed them to. "We'll call Martin”. Gudrun suggests. “He will come for us and I think we have some canned food so we can have a feast while we wait". "Uh, I might have smashed the window into the cabin" Luca runs a hand through his windswept hair. “It happened a little fast”. "We'll fix that”. Martha puts a hand on his shoulder. The gesture is not exuberant, but I know that recognition does not hang on the trees of the proud witch. After she had been connected with Harry, she has completely changed character. "Let's see if we have something to cover it with. We take care of that job”. Luca looks anxiously at me. "I'm safe here". I smile knowing that he would not let me out of sight for
*Soleil* The amulet glows as a wind whizzes in over the circle and brings the giant with it. “Are you sure about this ? Shouldn't you meet them with the sisters and the boys ?” The giant materialis in front of us. “Fine, if you carry us all back together, then they can come along. Otherwise I will leave myself”. I reply. “You know that’s pushing the limits, right ? I just raised a big free pass home to pick you up. The balance does not work like that. The board will not intervene further, it is your battle". I shake my head. There is a sharp clarity about the state of affairs once one has decided to act.Why I had not realized it before, I do not know, but there is no time to waste now. We only have 24 hours. “I'm not asking the Board, I'm asking you. I'm flying Luca home now. If I then have to refuel 100 times, then I will get him home, even if it kills me”. I defiantly meet his dismissive attitude. “The balance has already taken three innocent lives. I would think it's tilte
*Luca* The vortex dissolves and I look around feeling confused. A moment ago we were in Scotland surrounded by forest. Now we are standing on the roof of a building in the middle of a city that, based on what I can see, has to be in England. "Where are we ?" I turned to the wind giant. "Reading”. Tjalfe replies. "This is definitely the last time we can intervene. If we choose sides again, then it will have serious consequences. From now on, it is you who make the choices and face the consequences”. "Done !" I snort. "The game would not be fun if you did too many good deeds”. "Listen, Charmy, either you get into the fight or you sign out !" Tjalfe pushes me angrily. “Now understand that it is not us controlling the show. There are board members who do not exactly agree with you, and they do not appreciate that you get special treatment, okay ?” Soleil ducks under my arm before I can push back, and walk between us. "I thought they had the last word up there". She diverts Tjalf
*Soleil* "Hell no !" Andreas’ snarl, interrupting Marta, who is putting them into the plan. "That's the only way we can get in". The witch continues. "Then I will go". "You can not do that. They know what you look like”. Marta turns her attention to the rest of the group that has been expanded with Andreas, Martin and Harry. “Okay, we're reviewing the plan one more time. Belinda goes in and gets people out. Are you sure you can start a fire in there ?" Belinda pulls a lighter out of her jacket pocket in response. I study my cousin's overconfident attitude. She really has no idea what it is she is throwing herself into. Or maybe her giant powers are so powerful that she will actually be able to implement the plan. At least Marta and Gudrun seem to trust it. "Well. We wait here until she gives a sign, and then we move forward”. Marta concludes. "How ?" Luca asks. “What do you mean by how ? We're going there”. “Shall we just jock down the street ? Should we be ourselves or wolve
*Soleil* I only just manage to see his shadow disappear out the back door. He has taken advantage of the fact that Harry and Marta have gone up against the other vampires, and that Andreas has come to Belinda's rescue. "Luca, wait !" I shout in vain. He has already set after Lefu. I hurry after him, but when I get outside, the backyard is empty. It is an indescribable carnage I return to. All the vampires lay scattered on the dance floor with a gaping hole in the chest, and the heart thrown next to it. Only the witch has been spared. There flies a devil in me when I see the self-righteous expression of the Italian sister. With a strong gust of wind, I slam Silvana up against the wall and hold her firm. "You have failed in your calling !" I snarl in her face. “There is only one way you can save your life now and that is by telling me where Lefu keeps my friend trapped ?" "Never !" Silvana gasps. Martin steps all the way up in the face of the witch, growling. "Take a bite”. I n