Thicker Than Blood

Everything began to settle and I made it to a sitting position. Kairo and Emily appeared in front of me. Emily charges me tackling me back into the prone position. "Thank you." I hear her say as I hug her back tightly.

"The bet was won Willow Frapcious day!" I hear from Rugosa followed by a satisfied purr. 

"A strength for courage..." Rose adds her tone holding joy but also a tinge of disappointment.

"What was the bet anyway guys?" They both hesitate to answer, but Rugosa is the first to reply.

"My portion of the wager was that you would fight and win and if so Lady Rose would have to be more compliant to your needs... While hers was you would need saving and would do nothing to protect yourself or others..." She paused again refraining from finishing the terms of the agreement.

"And what did Rose want if she won?" Rugosa was quiet I could feel her recoiling from the question.

"Your body." Rose states matter of factly. Hurt was the first thing I felt as I got defensive but the cold truth deadened any of that flame. If I were to perish so would Rugosa and I'm not sure what would happen to Rose but what I was sure of is they valued their existence and would protect it even if I wasn't willing to do so for my own.

"Well, good thing I won then!" I say trying to force my most exuberant reply.

"Alright alright everyone's alive and we need to go check on Radney's bat shit crazy ass and heal everyone's injuries." Emily acknowledged him releasing me from her death grip. Her face seemed sad and I wondered what she was thinking right then I felt a pressure in the center of my forehead again as I focused on Emily.

"I'm sorry." I hear echo outward from Emily.

"What are you sorry about Emily?" I ask confused about how I was even hearing that. This to surprised Emily she averted eye contact I could feel guilt oozing from her mind.

"I didn't realize you were a Vampyr and because I died you had to adopt me into your family and I swear I won't be a burden." She pleads bowing her head for forgiveness.

"Princess..." Kairo placed his hand on her shoulder trying to console her.

"I'm not a vampyr Emily and I don't even know how to adopt you..." This made Kairo and Emily exchange looks of confusion.

"But you used transference your blood brought her back to life and completed her transformation." Kairo said searching my face for any form of recognition.

"What do you remember Lady Willow?" Emily asks concern worming its way onto her brow.  I pause and search my mind for the answer that I wasn't really sure of.

"I remember fighting a young Polidori... Then he became old and I watched him bite Emily and then everything went Red..." I say unease and heat filling my chest.

"You must have let Rose take over." Kairo adds.

"No! Lady Willow wasn't conscious but she wasn't being possessed when I awoke she was calling out not Rose or Rugosa!" Emily interjects adamantly.

"Wait you know Ru- before I could finish the heat from my chest earlier erupts into a full flame.

"i-I'll ki-kill you ALL!" Emily and Kairo spin in horror at the sound of Polidori's voice. He was slowly reappearing behind them as a camouflage illusion faded away. His right arm was missing and a chard fragment of bone jutted wildly from blackened meat. The flesh on the right side of his face had been torn free exposing teeth and creating a permanent blackened grimace. His left hand held a syringe jabbed into his neck that contained a writhing purple liquid. We watch as Polidori pumps the liquid into his body triggering the flame in my chest to grow unbearably.

  The three of us watched on in horror as this monster mutated and shifted. Black tendrils burst from his lost limb grasping wildly at the air. His skin turned rotten as steam seemed to come off of his shrinking muscles rows of teeth shatter and break being replaced by fangs while nails pop free to give room to talons. Kairo was spent he had moved everyone too many times and was running on E while the burning in my chest cripples me. We were trapped as this gangly beast shambled toward us.

"Focus Willow, I'll handle the burning you use our shadow to create something to protect us!" Rugosa commanded instantly the heat became bearable again. As I get to my knees and touch my shadow, nothing happened.

"What do I do nothing is happening!" I call to Rugosa with no reply.

"I believe she wants you to summon an Alter Image using your shadow Lady Willow!" Emily interjects again implying that she can hear Rugosa now.

"Okay, how!?" Panicly escaped my lips noticing the shambling beast get closer. Kairo not knowing what else to do puts himself in the way and applies Slow to the beast that effortlessly fights against it.

"Hurry!" He demands holding tightly to the snarling abomination.

"You have to concentrate give form to your shadow imagine something to protect you something strong and fierce." As she says this a vision flashes in my mind directly drenching me in embarrassment. I could also tell Emily had glimpsed something as her cheeks blushed.

"That'll do." I hear with a purr as energy surges again from behind my eyes and down my arm into my shadow summoning a humanoid figure to burst from within. Kairos power had completely waned and the monster was in full charge. He felt something zip by him jumping between them before the aberration could attack. A shadow figure had appeared landing a devastating blow punching through its chest and staggering it back. Kairo couldn't make out any features but from the build and magic, he would have sworn it was Salem. The monster gathered itself preparing for another charge.