“DON’T MOVE!” Samantha shrieked.
Samantha stood there, in the aisle of the King’s Chapel, holding Sam hostage with her left arm, and pointing the gun at his temple with her right.
Samantha looked up and saw that girl—Caitlin—standing at the top of the pulpit, holding the sword. Her sword. The sword she needed.
Off to the side, she saw that other vampire. That traitor to her coven. Caleb.
And in front of her, in the aisle, was a small, growling wolf pup.
“Drop the sword,” Samantha yelled, “or I’ll kill your brother!”
Sam squirmed in her grasp, but his strength was no match for hers.
“Please,” Sam said, “don’t do this. Why are you doing this?” he whimpered.
Samantha could see that Caitlin looked confused. Unsure what to do. She kept looking over to Caleb, as if wanting his advice on what to do next.
“Don’t give her the sword,” Caleb said firmly.
“If you don’t, I will kill him!” Samantha screamed. “I swear it!”
“Sam?” Caitlin cried out.
“I’m so sorry, Caity,” Sam whimpered. “Please. Give her the sword. Don’t let her kill me.”
A tense silence blanketed them, as Caitlin clearly debated.
Rose began to snarl, heading slowly towards Samantha.
“Okay,” Caitlin finally yelled out. “If I give you the sword, you’ll let him go?”
“Yes. Throw it down,” Samantha ordered. “On the floor. Slowly.”
Caitlin hesitated another moment.
Then, suddenly, she threw the sword.
It landed with a clang on the floor, in the center of the aisle. Equidistant between her, Caleb, and Samantha.
At that moment, Rose ran and lunged for Samantha.
And Samantha aimed and fired at Rose.
There was suddenly a crash at the door, and in a blur of speed, Kyle and Sergei stormed in.
In the already chaotic room, this unexpected twist threw everyone off guard.
Kyle took advantage of the confusion.
Before anyone could react, he raced down the aisle, and in one blow, he managed to knock both Sam and Samantha unconscious. Her gun went skidding to the floor.
Caleb didn’t lose a beat. He raced right for the sword, which was still sitting on the floor.
But Kyle spotted it, too, and was dashing right behind him.
Before Caleb could reach it, Kyle jumped on top of him, smashing him in the back with his elbow, and knocking him to the floor.
Kyle landed on top of him, and the two of them, equally matched in strength, began to wrestle, only feet away from the sword.
Sergei took advantage of the confusion. He raced down the aisle, heading for the sword himself.
Caitlin had initially been too shocked by all the chaos, but now she jumped into action. She had to save Caleb. Kyle was on top of him, gaining the upper ground, and raising his thumbs to his eyes to gouge them out.
She jumped off the pulpit, flying through the air and landing 15 feet below, on the church floor.
She raced towards Kyle, and with one blow kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him, just in time, flying off of Caleb.
And then, suddenly, without warning, Caitlin was in a world of pain.
She shrieked, as she felt cold metal piercing her back, her skin, her intestines, coming out through her stomach, then leaving just as quickly.
As she sank to her knees, she could feel the blood racing up through her throat, her mouth, her teeth, dripping down her chin.
In her shock, her agony, she looked down, and realized she’d been stabbed from behind.
Through the back. By the sword.
“NO!” sobbed Caleb, as he turned to her, rushing to her side.
Caleb was so distracted, he did not see Sergei, standing over them, holding the bloody sword, pleased at his work, grinning an evil grin.
“You killed me before my time,” he snarled down at Caitlin. “Now I have returned the favor.”
Sergei suddenly raced off, darting down the aisle of the church.
Kyle scurried to his feet and raced after him, and out the front door.
As they ran past her, Samantha regained consciousness, and in one quick motion, she grabbed a hold of the unconscious Sam, hoisted him over her shoulder, and bounded off after them.
The church was now empty, save for Caitlin and Caleb. And Rose, lying off to the side, whimpering, bleeding.
“Caitlin!” Caleb cried, as he held her shoulders. He leaned over her, caressing her face, and could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks.
He had been too shocked by seeing her hurt to even think of the sword. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that the others had left the building, were getting away, that they had the sword. The sword he had spent his whole life sworn to protect.
But now, seeing her lying there, bleeding, dying, it was all he cared about. Caitlin.