Page 26 of My Carmilla
He lunged again, his sword flashing like a shard of broken moonlight as it arced through the air towards Carmilla. The blade struck Carmilla, and she hissed a cry of pain.
“Carmilla!”
My father's grip tightened on my arms like a steel vise. “Don’t watch what happens next.”
The General lunged, and this time Carmilla barely dodged his blade, diving just in time as it tore through the air where her head had been.
I kicked my leg backwards until the grip on my arms were no more. I launched myself into the fray.
The general thrust his sword at Carmilla, and a surge of adrenaline propelled me forward. I intercepted them, between the shouts and clashing steel. The general’s face contorted with a hideous mixture of fear and righteousness as he lunged at Carmilla. My world narrowed, focused on the gleaming point of the general's sword arcing towards Carmilla. I pushed her out of the way.
Time seemed to warp, stretching and compressing in a single, agonizing instant. A blow landed, searing pain lancing through me. A shout ripped from my throat. I stumbled back, a growing crimson stain blooming across the pale fabric of my dress. The world tilted.
“Laura!” My father’s voice, a distant echo in the storm.
Carmilla’s scream pierced the air. She was like a vengeful angel, a goddess scorned, witnessing the desecration of her temple. A lover enraged. In that moment, she wasn't just beautiful, she was a force of nature – a tempest of grief, a whirlwind of teeth and fury.
Summoning all her strength, she lashed out at the general with claws and struck him. His sword dropped to the floor before he did.
“Blast, finish it.” he hissed.
My father reluctantly took up the general’s sword. “Keep away from her, you bloody fiend.”
Carmilla snarled at him and swiped the sword out of his hand. She bared her fangs and bit him. He clutched his shoulder, staggering back.
She swooped me into her arms, and the scenery changed, like there had been a lapse in time. I felt like I was fading in and out of consciousness.
“Drink,” Carmilla said, pressing her wrist to my mouth.
I bit down and drank. The world dissolved into a blur of light and dark. Something shifted within me, like a coiled spring just released. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. The ruins, Carmilla – all blurred at the edges. A new hunger stirred within me. It was a nascent hunger, its tongue tentatively exploring the unfamiliar yearning that bloomed within me.
My fingers held her wrist tighter.
“That’s it,” she said softly.
A chill seeped into my veins, warring with the white-hot fire consuming my insides. My vision tunneled, the world shrinking to a pinprick focused on Carmilla's frantic gaze. The air grew thick and metallic, every breath a struggle. I dug into her skin, desperate for an anchor in the swirling chaos. My muscles spasmed and then I surrendered, going slack. Darkness crept at the edges of my vision, a welcome oblivion.
Chapter 13:
The world blurred in and out of focus. Disoriented, I tried to sit up, but a dull ache throbbed in my skull, pinning me to the floor. Where was I?
“Are you awake, love?”
Moonlight spilled through the stained glass. Small specks danced in the silver beams. I stirred, taking in a thousand candles flickering around me, ancient stone walls, an altar, and then Carmilla knelt before me.
“The chapel of the Karnstein ruins,” she said, anticipating my question. She helped me sit up. “I brought you here after that horrible mess.”
I stared at my gown, my torn, bloodstained dress replaced with antique lace.
“What…what happened?”
She let out a humorless laugh. “The beasts fled with their tail between their legs.”
“They’ll be back, you know. They’ll come hunting for you with the villagers and their pitched forks.”
A fierce glint flickered in Carmilla’s eyes. “Let them come. They won’t find us.”
“We’re leaving?”