Chapter Twenty-Eight-
'Just For One Day'
Storm stared at the scene before her. She knew it would happen but nothing could be done to stop it. Only fate had a say on the events unfolding. She had to stop her old friend before her great deed of courage meant nothing. If Melissa was going to die then at least the brothers should live for her efforts. Storm watched as they reunited after that demon had been destroyed by the Oracles' powers and by Melissa's willpower to overcome the fear of killing her own master. She was truly a hero yet now it would end. Her long life would end in that hell and Storm was unable to stop it. Her powers taken except for the very basic, she was struggling to even transport herself, let alone have the power to save Melissa. It was all up to her now.
"Get out of there, Melissa." Storm said softly. "Before they come for you."
Melissa let go of the hug first, knowing that the other three would be reluctant. She looked at all three of them and smiled, knowing that they were thinking the same thing. That their luck had finally turned around for the better. Now they could begin their lives again and it would all be like it always was.
"Vampires!" Was yelled from behind them. Melissa was first to see the five hunters running towards them, all holding stakes that were ready to destroy them.
Taylor and Zac felt their arms nearly come out of their sockets as they were pulled to their feet and dragged behind their much faster brother and friend. They were running past vampires in every direction, all not even caring that they were easy food. Zac caught a glimpse of a particularly mean guard looking like he would cry soon and felt an almost satisfaction with the sight. They had somewhere to go, they could escape with the help of Melissa and her new powers, the other vampires were like a shooting ground for the hunters.
Seeing the exit over what used to be a wall, but now had a hole in it, the ceiling and floor above, Melissa shoved past a couple of vampires who were trying to get to the compound also. There was rubble everywhere from the bombs so Zac and Taylor climbed over the wall first, being protected from any vampires that tried to get to safety also. Taylor jumped down first and helped Zac get down to the now empty corridor. They turned around to wait for Isaac and Melissa to follow, only to hear Melissa crying out.
Isaac watched as his brothers made their way up the wall and disappear over the other side. Melissa grabbed the ledge as she jumped up and started to pull herself up. She had nearly climbed to the top before she fell down again.
"Melissa!" Isaac ran to her side and saw a stake had hit her in the chest, just narrowly missing her heart. Isaac turned to see a hunter slowly lower his crossbow, shaking slightly as if it was the first shot he had ever fired. He was barely an adult, looking only about eighteen and afraid of his own shadow.
"I got one." He said quietly.
"Melissa, are you Okay?" Isaac asked, ignoring the boy.
"Ow, yeah, I think so." Melissa said, her whole body shaking from the shock.
"It's going to be Okay Melissa, just stay still and don't excite yourself."
Melissa nodded slowly, and looked behind Isaac at the boy approaching them and pulling out a stake. Isaac grabbed him before he could even try to kill them.
"Get off me!" The boy cried.
"Why do you want her dead? Because she's a vampire? She just destroyed a vampire you couldn't kill in a million years." Isaac growled at him.
"You vampires are evil, I have to kill you..." He tried to explain, almost in tears.
"Then why wont I kill you?" Isaac asked him.
"Because... I don't know! You're not hungry! That's the only reason you kill! To just kill!" He yelled.
"And you only kill to follow orders." Isaac replied, dropping the boy.
The boy stared at him in shock, as if it wasn't a vampire he was talking to, but a human.
"Why aren't you evil?" He asked quietly.
"Because that would be too easy for you." Isaac replied.
"I still have to tell them, or else... They know already, so... I'm sorry."
"Go ahead." Isaac said angrily.
"Guys! What happened?" Taylor yelled.
"We're fine! You guys run on ahead, we'll catch up!" Melissa yelled back before falling down again, exhausted. Isaac picked her up and he carried her into a small room across the hallway, before the hunter brought more of his friends.
Taylor looked at Zac, not believing what Melissa had just said. He started to climb up the wall again before Spite grabbed him and pulled him down.
"Trust me, you'll be safer in the compound, Ike and Melissa will follow when it's all clear."
"I'm not leaving without them." Zac replied.
"Well tough luck, because this is your last ticket out of here. They'll be fine, trust me." Spite didn't wait for any more protests and pulled Taylor and Zac downstairs to the now empty slave chambers. Spite looked back for a second, knowing what had just happened and that Taylor or Zac couldn't have heard it. It was all down to Isaac and Melissa to save themselves now. Nobody else could help them.
Isaac turned on the light to see it was a small bedroom and laid Melissa on the bed. Melissa moaned weakly, the stake had hit her so close to her heart it was killing her. Melissa tried to get up but failed and fell back down, coughing loudly from her energy slowly draining.
"Melissa, don't try it, you're too weak." Isaac said suddenly.
Melissa shook her head. "I'll be fine, I've been hit before in my life. Never this close though but..."
"Well don't worry Melissa, I'll heal you then we can get out of here."
Isaac placed his hands on the stake and looked at her.
"Go ahead." She replied, waiting for a great pain.
Isaac grabbed the stake and pulled it out as hard as he could. Melissa screamed out in pain and saw blood running down her body. She looked at Isaac, crying, and watched as he placed his hands over the wound.
Isaac let his body relax and began hoping again. Hoping that Melissa would heal her wounds. Hoping that she would be healthy again, for her and his sake. Hoping that they would escape that hell and go back home, happy and reunited with their family. Hoping that they would marry, living together on earth, not as vampires or as demons on the run, always living in the shadows and dodging an human interaction; but as a real couple in love. He couldn't live a life without her by his side, he needed her to help him and just to be there for him.
She needed him also, she needed his support, his good soul to teach her that there is a life her beyond killing and hiding. He showed her that despite they were feeding off of them, humans were not the enemy. Melissa loved him for being the only one in four hundred years to show her just what happiness was. Even with Connar she didn't feel the happiness she felt with him.
Melissa felt no better. She looked at Isaac who knew it too. After trying for at least five minutes, nothing had happened. His powers couldn't save demons, he was useless to help the only person in the world he needed more than anybody else. They looked at one another sadly for a few seconds, before they both realised that at least one of them wouldn't get out alive.
Melissa sighed, breaking the silence. "You have to get out of here, Ike."
"I'm not leaving you, not after you saved my life like that." He insisted.
"No, Ike, you have to leave with Spite or else you won't know the way out of this place."
"I don't care, I want to be with you." Isaac said, refusing to believe he would ever lose her.
Melissa pulled out her sword and gave it to Ike. "Here, use it to fight the hunters and make a break for it."
"No I wont Melissa! I'm going to heal you somehow then we'll make it out of here together!" Isaac threw the sword down.
Melissa looked at him and tears ran down her face. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"
"Because I love you, Melissa." Isaac replied, kissing her. He saw something on her hand suddenly and it took a few seconds for him to realise. "Where did you find this?"
Melissa smiled. "Your mom gave me it."
"My mom..." Isaac repeated back.
"She misses you guys so much, Ike, I mean she's the reason I came to help you guys. She wanted me to have it, even if you never came home again."
Isaac stared at the ring for a while, just amazed it was on her hand. "You mean you want to?"
"Ike..." Melissa started. "Ike, I love you so much."
"I thought you'd say no, I mean, it's not as if we've known each other for that long..." Isaac started to say.
"And yet this is the first time I've ever been fully happy." Melissa replied.
Isaac smiled and hugged her. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me Melissa, I couldn't imagine marrying anybody else."
"Ike, if I have to spend eternity on earth, I want it to be with you, whether we're married or not." Melissa laughed, kissing him back. It hurt to move but she didn't care, she was just so happy that maybe now she could be fully happy. Her life of misery as a vampire was finally turning around for the better. It all seemed to be coming together as they would escape and get married, she knew it for certain.
There was a loud bang on the door from another bomb in the corridor and they could both hear the voices of at least six hunters, all knowing there was demons inside one of the rooms.
"We have to get out through the window." Isaac said, running to see if he could get it open.
Melissa pulled herself up into a sitting position and watched him for a second, before she reached in her pockets. She opened up her hand to find the tiny bottle, the one Storm had given her in what seemed like a lifetime ago. She stared at it for a second, before looking at Isaac. Just holding the bottle was giving her strength and Melissa knew now what it meant and how it would save at least one of them.
There was a banging on the door as the vampire hunters had discovered their whereabouts and Isaac ran to grab Melissa. Melissa looked at Isaac and felt tears falling down. She wouldn't let him die there, die again when he was needed to help his brothers and sisters back at home. He needed to live his life again, it was what he deserved. Melissa sighed and struggled out of Isaac's clutch. She stood up for herself and saw Isaac looking at her, confused.
"Melissa, come on, we have to get out of here now!"
Melissa shook her head. "Wait, you have to do something first."
"What?" Isaac asked suspiciously.
Melissa held up the bottle. "Drink this."
"I can't right now, we have to move!" Isaac replied, trying to grab her again.
Melissa struggled again. "One of us isn't going to make it out of here, Isaac!" She explained. "And it's pretty obvious it will be me so at least you'll have a chance if you drink this."
Isaac looked at her determination. "What is it?"
Melissa now knew. She knew what it was for certain. "It's our curse breaker. It will change you back into a human."
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