BLOOD LEGACIES
Chapter 503: Death

Chapter 503: Death

A/N: Song For The Background ~ Into The Light By Brand X Music

"EMILIA!" I rushed to her side. Hayden was holding her as they both collapsed to the floor. A silver rod was sticking out of Emilia’s abdomen, blood gushing from the wound.

"I think your aunt has gone nuts" Emilia struggled to breathe and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"No no no! I panicked, stay awake Emilia, stay awake!" I turned to Vanessa. "Why did you do that?!" I yelled, she just stood there staring at her bloody hands like she couldn’t process the situation.

But I had to deal with Emilia first. "I’m going to have to pull this out, or else more silver will be in your bloodstream," I said.

"Just get on with it," she growled in pain, tilting her head back. Silver veins crept up her neck.

I grabbed the tip and took a deep breath, it was getting messy and the blood just wouldn’t stop.

"Now Emma!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled. Emilia’s screams were uncontrollable, and I snapped my eyes open, horrified as she shrieked in agony. I was frozen in that moment, while Hayden quickly took action, gathering sheets to apply pressure to the wound, which was already soaking red.

"I didn’t have to result to this, Emmaline" Luther’s voice reached the depths of my mind. I panicked looking around but I couldn’t find the source not until I looked at Vanessa.

"Vanessa," I voiced in horror. She held a knife dangerously close to her throat. Tears streamed endlessly from her eyes.

"I’m so sorry Emma" she cried. "I was under his compulsion, I had no choice. It’s my fault, his army is here because of me" she sobbed.

"I-It okay" I cried. "It’s okay,"

She sniffed, squeezing her eyes shut as her body shook uncontrollably. Yet, her hand holding the dagger remained stiff, as if it had a mind of its own.

"I feel what you feel Emma, I know you did not intend to hand the Death Blade to me because you found out my true goal"

"Please stop please, please" I broke into tears, Emilia was probably dying behind me and my aunt had a knife to her throat. I knew how compulsion worked. When an order is made it must be fulfilled.

"Emma"

I slowly raised my gaze, and Vanessa smiled at me. "I’ll always be your weird aunt" she slit her throat.

"NOOOOOOO!" a guttural cry escaped me. I crawled to her lifeless body on the floor and held her, but it was too late—the cut was too deep. Despite that, I clung to her limp form, crying my heart out.

"Don’t fail me this time, Emmaline, I’ll be waiting for you"

~

I closed her eyes gently before parting her strawberry-blonde hair with my hand to get a better look at her face. She used to always be so warm, but now her skin was hauntingly pale.

"Emma"

"He won’t stop," I said, my throat hurting from speaking. I rubbed my bloody hand against my nose before snorting. "He won’t stop," I voiced but this time I broke into tears before turning to them. "He won’t stop until I bring the dagger to him"

Emilia’s eyes were half open and silver veins were around her face. "Emma," she said weakly.

"Her bleeding won’t stop" Hayden voiced terrified.

I crawled to them and took Emilia’s hand which she held onto tightly, a tear sliding from the corner of her eyes.

"Call Owen," I said, pulling out my phone and giving it to Hayden.

"I’ll need that blade"

"No" Hayden shook her head. "I can’t, I’m sorry"

"How else am I supposed to stop this?" I said sternly. "How else am I supposed to kill him?"

It’s going to take a lot, but there’s no stopping it now. Luther wants me to bring the dagger to him, and I’ll do just that.

"D-Don’t do anything stupid, not until Dace gets back" Emilia struggled to speak.

I shook my head. "There’s no time," I whispered. Luther would just find my mom next and then Grayson. "No one else can do this except me" I fix my gaze on Hayden. "It has to be me"

Hayden nodded. She knows this too and by my guess, that was what she was trying to tell me. "Death calls you again, Emma," she looked at Emilia. "Everyone"

"Then let’s not answer that call"

Her lips trembled. "Emma," she begged.

"Please" a tear slid down my cheek. "This is the only way"

She sobbed, stretching her bloody hand forward, and suddenly the Death Blade emerged from her palm. It was smaller than the drawing had shown, but the moment I took hold of it, it felt as though I were gripping a star. It radiated something divine, yet at the same time, I could hear the faint screams of sorrow echoing from within it.

Without saying any more words I rose to my feet and walked out, Emilia called to me but I didn’t stop and stride ahead.

~

I walked deeper into the woods, the rest of the world fading away as if it didn’t exist. The pain in my chest became strangely bearable, my body running solely on adrenaline. I came to a stop and slowly lifted my head to look at the sky—dark and empty, mirroring how I felt inside. I rubbed my stomach, my voice breaking as I sobbed. "Can I protect you?" I asked softly, leveling my gaze. "Can I?"

"Emmaline"

I squeezed my eyes shut, my body trembling uncontrollably as my heart shattered once more, the weight of everything threatening to consume me. "You didn’t have to do that..."

"Like I said you left me no choice" he spoke as if he was some righteous saint.

I swallowed back my pain. "Neither did you" I revealed the dagger and turned around in speed in an attempt to stab him but he caught my wrist.

"You think you have it in you to kill me?" he mused. "You just danced to my tone all this while"

I tried to move my hand but I couldn’t, he was so much stronger than I was.

"This could have been easy," he said in pity but it was an insult to my face.

"I don’t need your pity," I said with clenched teeth. "I’ll find peace when I stab you straight in the heart, you monster!"

He inhaled deeply, then grabbed my neck and lifted me off my feet. I wriggled desperately in his grip as he choked the life out of me, my breath fading. The dagger slipped from my hand and clattered to the ground.

"I told you my patience had its limits," he said in anger. "You could have been great together, you as my Countess, for eternity"

I choked, tears staining my cheeks, one hand gripping his around my throat, the other protectively placed on my stomach. Luther’s eyes narrowed, and in a heartbeat, his gaze descended to where my hand rested.

I watched as the rage in Luther’s ruby eyes dissolved into manic laughter.

"LUTHER!" Dace’s voice boomed, and my eyes followed. He came forth, bathed in blood, his golden hazels burning with a tenfold fury. "Let her go!" he commanded, every word dripping with rage.

"As you wish"

I yelped as Luther launched me into the air at lightning speed. My body crashed hard, and everything around me blurred. I could hear Dace calling out to me, and I knew he was trying to reach me, but Luther intercepted him before he could get any closer.

I tried to regain my bearings, but when my hand touched the ground, I felt blood instead. I raised my bloody palm, trembling uncontrollably. Weakly, I rested my back against the tree bark, watching the fierce and bloody battle between Luther and Dace unfold before me.

Dace was in his full form, big and menacing, and Luther was standing his ground. My eyes searched everywhere, the pain was unbearable but I knew I couldn’t give in, Luther wasn’t just fighting off Dace, he was stalling.

My eyes connected with the dagger and I wielded it tapping into the power, I felt it flow through me.

The moment Dace grabbed Luther by the throat and roared in his face, I seized the opportunity. With trembling hands, I wielded the blade and drove it into Luther’s back. Dace released his grip, stepping back as Luther remained still, his body tense. Slowly, Luther turned to face me, the blade buried deep in his chest

"You left me no choice," I said coldly, the same words he said to me. He opened his mouth to speak but Dace ripped his head off and his headless body dropped to the ground.

I let the darkness take over me. I could hear Dace calling my name in panic, but I couldn’t open my eyes—I was too weak. The last thing I felt was his arms wrapping tightly around me, holding me close.

"Come on baby, open your eyes, please open your eyes"

I can’t, I can feel it again, death was coming and this time what shattered my heart more was I wasn’t going alone.

"Please baby, I can’t lose you again, please please"

I weakly opened my eyes and saw Dace crying, his lips moving as he said something to me. Despite his desperate attempts, I couldn’t hear his words through the haze of my fading consciousness.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out as darkness enveloped me, pulling me away.