Estheniel's pledge (1)

Blue collapsed again unconscious, short of breath. For his part, Estheniel slowly regained consciousness and shook his head as if to clear it. Straightening up, he cocked his head and fixed his purple gaze on the First, a flash of contempt crossing his eyes. He had heard them and seemed to finally realize what had happened.

"She's not the abomination, YOU are! I am hell dog and have more pity on me than you. She defeated me, at the risk of dying. She put her life on the line to overcome her fate. I heard you, I listened to you, the vampire is better than all of you gathered. Go back to your worlds… you did everything to destroy it and I am as guilty as you. He tried to save her, to help her, to show her something else. She calls him master and considers him as such because she does not know of any other relationship with others. No one has ever reached out to him, I know it well: I have followed his nightmare since Nemhain and I slaughtered his family, on your orders. Vampire, you can save her life, my blood would kill her for sure: it's corrosive. Yours can help him fight. Save her while there is still time. Don't let these creatures win this battle… I beg of you on my knees."

Kneeling in front of Leifr, Estheniel bowed her head, baring her neck, leaving her at the mercy of the vampire. A furious hiss sounded and Leifr shuddered… Lilith had just appeared in the parking lot… this time he would not survive the punishment, he was sure.

"Leifr, my child of the night… would you please explain to me why Meldiriel is dying, naked, in this parking lot? And what are the Premiers and Estheniel doing here? My patience has limits…"

"Lady Lilith, I am guilty for the state of the child ... I let myself be blinded by anger ... when I was banished from the Underworld ..."

"Please… don't punish them… I am solely responsible for my condition… I wanted to prove to myself that I was not just a dog on the end of a leash… I used my necromancy and the dark arts to cloister him in a circle of power… Leifr is a vampire… my necromancy allows me things that I shouldn't be able to do… for Estheniel… I wanted this fight… I take responsibility for my mistakes and my actions… if you must punish one, punish me… One last thing… thanks to these big talkers, I know what you expect from me… choose the one who will be a father… he will have the child if the legend is true… I would give birth to as much children that nature will allow me ... you will have your dhampirs, I know I have no choice, so much as I get used to it..."

"Meldiriel ... would you ask me to be lenient? Leifr had the obligation and duty to protect you, to protect you from dangers and fights… He failed in his task, I cannot leave him unpunished… as for Estheniel, do you have something to do with his new behavior? Suddenly he looks so sweet..."

"I implore your mercy Lilith, First of the Children of the Night… your child cannot fight a necromancer unless she gives her the power to do so… I haven't given her that power… yet. For Estheniel, I couldn't tell you: I don't remember having used this ability ... I never use it in combat ... it's a matter of honor and to fight loyally even if my opponent is not."

"I heard you Little Wonder… I grant them my mercy… they owe their lives to you… may they not forget… as to what the legend says, I wouldn't impose anyone on you. A Queen must be able to choose her king… if she has to choose one, of course… I didn't take you under my wing for the ramblings of a senile Fae… your mother was my friend. She made me your godmother, quite simply. Until you summoned us for the first time, I didn't know you survived the massacre ... Nemhain was careful not to say that she took you in ... Now will you agree to let my child take care of you? You have your life in front of you… I can't let you die in this freezing parking lot…"

"I…"

Blue lost consciousness, slipping into a dangerous coma. Estheniel rushed to her side, trying to wipe away the blood he had spilled on her without success ... Looking up at the vampires, he shook his head, displaying a somber expression: the girl's days were greatly threatened and he had to act quickly if they wanted to save her. Leifr leaned down, picked her up and, throwing his keys at the demon, walked over to his car, picking up the girl's belongings in the process.

"At my place… quickly… you drive… I'm not showing you the road, I'm sure you will be able to find."

"She must live, vampire… she must live… so that I can pay her my debt… she could have killed me several times during the fight and she did not do it… she sacrificed herself to be free… I opened eyes too late to avoid inflicting this agony on her… I swear to serve and protect her… it's an oath I never made until today… I do it for her… she didn't deserve not what we did to her..."

"Did she put a spell on you? You seem very docile to me."

"Hearing the Fae opened my eyes… that's the truth. He is the worst and most dangerous of her enemies. He would bewitch Lucifer himself if it could serve his interests ... I made this child's life hell and in return she did everything to free me from the spell that imprisoned me. She finally succeeded, putting her life in danger to free a hound from the underworld."

"She also freed me from a spell the first time I saw her ... in return I treated her as an enemy before I realized that she was not."

"Lilith is right ... she needs to be sheltered."