Chapter 27

Elizabeth Davenport stood perfectly still, staring at the empty space in front of her.

The temperature in the catacombs of the Arc had noticeably lowered. Elizabeth fought the urge to shiver and kept on staring at the space in front of her, where she had heard Danae's disembodied voice.

Suddenly, Heather stiffened visibly next to her. The alert expression on her face faded and she stared in front of her as if she was hypnotised. Slowly, with heavy dragging steps, she walked forwards, her eyes glazed over.

' Heather, no!' Elizabeth quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She stumbled slightly and the blank expression was cleared from her face. Panicked, Elizabeth touched her throat to grab her topaz necklace when she suddenly realised that it was gone.

Heather started to walk forwards again, looking like a stone drug addict and frantically, Elizabeth grabbed her. The blank expression remained on her face. Resorting to Plan B, Elizabeth yanked the necklace from Heather's throat and gripped it tightly. Inside her fist, it melted as if it had touched fire and she released it. It fell to the stone in a pile of smoldering ashes.

Still, Heather's face remained blank. Apparently, the power Danae had over her wasn't limited to just the necklace.

Desperate, Elizabeth slapped Heather's face. ' Heather! Heather! Wake up, damn it!'

Suddenly, it happened so fast that Elizabeth didn't even see it coming, she was slammed onto the wall behind her and Heather's pale hands were around her neck. Elizabeth felt the air whoosh out of her lungs and didn't return. Heather's hand tightened and she smiled, showing her long canines. No, not Heather. Danae.

' Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth,' she began, shaking her head, as if she was disappointed.

Trying to seem brave, Elizabeth looked at her mockingly. ' Danae, Danae, Danae.'

Danae's eyes narrowed at her but she ignored that. ' You have my powers in you. My powers that are made stronger. You can control all the five elements of the universe. The earth, fire, water, wind and spirit. They're yours to manipulate. Why can't you ever put it to good use?'

Elizabeth tried to gulp in air quickly but Danae's hands were like iron manacles around her neck. ' You're right. I should've put it into good use long ago and kill you.'

Danae tilted her head to the side questioningly. ' What will you do after you kill me, Elizabeth? Return to England? Last time I checked, those people hated witches.'

' I'm not a witch,' Elizabeth managed to choke out.

' Yes, but you are something worse. You are a vampire, Elizabeth.'

Elizabeth wasn't listening to her. She was focusing on 'putting her powers to good use.' Suddenly, Danae released her, her hands jerking away as if the contact had hurt her. Elizabeth breathed in quickly and tried to stand up, but her muscles were all shrieking their refusal to move.

Next to her, Danae was snarling. She grabbed Elizabeth by the arms and threw her across the room. Trembling, Elizabeth looked up and saw Danae crouching in front of her.

' I've always hated fire,' she snarled and reached out to grab Elizabeth again. Elizabeth barely felt the pain when she hit the opposite brick wall because everything hurt so much, she didn't know which one to feel.

Slowly, Danae sauntered towards her. Her gait vaguely reminded Elizabeth of a leopard approaching its victim.

' So weak,' Danae whispered. ' Just like all your people back in London. All so weak. I think I was the one who killed your father.' She paused as if thinking it through. ' Yes,' she finally spoke with conviction,' I killed your father. I think Madoc killed your mother, though I can't be sure.'

Elizabeth froze and just like that, she felt her powers surge through her. She was angry and her anger made her more...inspired..to kill Danae. Danae was still speaking, taking out her silver dagger and admiring it as she spoke.

Clenching her fists, Elizabeth glared at her. ' Shut up,' she said in a low voice.

Danae simply looked at her. ' Did I say something wrong? Was it about your father or-'

' SHUT UP!' Elizabeth screamed and there was a blinding flash of light. For a moment, the catacombs felt as if it had caught on fire. Then, the light just disappeared and Elizabeth blinked rapidly, not used to the sudden brightness.

There, on the ground, Danae lay in a crumpled heap. She was shivering and her face was pale. Slowly, as if she every inch of her body hurt, which was probably the case, she sat up and faced Elizabeth.

' Somebody's learning,' she said weakly, clutching the dagger at her side, hiding it from view.

Elizabeth got up, steadied herself and walked over to her. ' Yeah. Want to see me try another?' Using all the energy she had, she pushed all her powers forward and there was another flash of light. This time, it was green. Green for the earth.

Then, she pushed her power again. She was too angry too even consider the consequences of using too much of her powers. There was a flash of dark blue light. Dark blue for water.

Again, another flash of light blue light. Light blue for wind.

And another. This time, the light was pure white. For spirit.

By the time Elizabeth reached Danae, she had saved the best power for the last. Just as she was about to exert her last drop of energy, something sharp slashed her bare forearms. Instantly, her defenses collapsed and she keeled over on the ground, gasping for air.

Danae sat up gingerly, holding the dagger up. ' I realised that simple silver wouldn't hurt you enough, so I had these coated with crushed Aspen wood dust.'

Elizabeth could just stay there as the pain slowly travelled along her body. Slowly, the blood dripped onto the ground, forming a scarlet puddle. Danae slowly walked towards the stone double doors and smeared her blood from the knife onto the door.

Elizabeth didn't see what happened next because her vision was already blurred. Bright spots danced across her sight and she felt nauseous.

' Elena,' she whispered. The last thing she saw was a woman stepping out of the door. A woman with long golden hair and emerald green eyes that glinted mischievously.

Then, she slowly drifted off into the approaching darkness.

Chapter 26

Like most nights in her life, she had expected another terrifying nightmare that could haunt her for the rest of her life. And to her cleverness, she decided not to sleep. Considering the fact that Danae, and God knows who ever else she would bring with her on her probably very last midnight. Her blue satin nightgown was now wet without her realising it. At least not until her palms became sweaty. She ,however, realised that it was cold sweat. A sign showing her fear about something.

It was already ten in the evening and her eyes were still wide awake. Horrible thoughts enter and fade endlessly throughout the last few hours of her consciousness. Defeating Danae and bring Elena back was her only optimistic idea. In fact, that was the best she could come up with. And the worst? It was something even her mind refused to admit. Let alone speak it out loud. She sighed and sat straight on her queen sized bed, staring blankly at the window.

William Carstairs.

The name suddenly appear on her mind. Her eyes, still fixed on her gaze, finally dropped a tear. Reminiscing her memories with Will was just plain sweet. There was no such thing as "complicated matter" in their world. Everything was simple. Not much of an obstacle getting on their way. Until, like what she was told, the Council came to the lovely ball. The ball where she was supposed to achieve her happily ever after with William Carstairs, the man whom she had always loved. But now her dreams had vanished. William Carstairs was now resting in peace. Or so she thought.

Her topaz coloured pendant hung loose on her neck and she smiled. She knew what would calm her down. Her fingers soon lingered on the pendant, as if observing it, and memories soon flooded her. Memories of William Carstairs. Her sorrow faded just like that and a smile was plastered on her flawless white face. The recollections were just too pleasant that she fell asleep with a blissful dream.

She was with William Carstairs in her dream. Not just with him, but living with him. They were a family.

"Elizabeth, will you pass me the newspaper, please?" William asked, with his dazzling 70s look; back at the time they were together a couple of years after the ball incident.

"Why, yes, my husband," Elizabeth had replied in a rather cheerful tone.

Elizabeth and her husband were having their regular breakfast in an average-sized dining room. Two children, a boy and a girl, aged about 3 and 2 respectively, were running and giggling as they entered the room.

"Mommy, daddy!" the boy had said, both hugging Elizabeth and William.

They were such a happy family Elizabeth almost believed her eyes. She was grinning with joy when Danae, or rather, Danae's spirit, joined in.

“What are you doing here?” Elizabeth asked sternly.

“My dear, can you not differentiate between reality and fantasy?” Danae replied, sarcasm filled her voice.

Elizabeth was confused. What was this all about? Before she could think of anything else, the images of Will and her children started to fade. Everything went from sharp to blurry and more blurred and gone.

Elizabeth woke up. Danae’s words were still playing in her mind.
Elena. Elena was in great danger in Danae’s hands. And she was sure Stefan would insist on going with her later to the battle. The one-on-one battle with Danae Vaughan. The one Danae promised would be a win-win battle.

Elizabeth glanced at her alarm clock beside her and the clock just struck eleven. An hour to the battle. She then tiptoed to the kitchen and started planning her strategy. Her neat bun was not messy. She really hoped that Stefan was sleeping. And of course, every other person staying there that night. She doubted anyone was awake, though. So, she began her search.

She found what she had been searching for after about a minute. The kitchen was that small that she could search anything within a minute. The sleeping pill was due to expire the following year. She quickly boiled the water and made a cup of hot milo for Stefan. She knew, this would be the only way for Stefan to not follow her to the battle.

The hot milo, mixed with a sleeping pill, was then put in Stefan’s side table. Just as she suspected, Stefan was snoring loudly, probably feeling very exhausted after a long day. With no weapon in hand, she left the safest place to a place where she would risk herself.



Danae stood perfectly still with an expecting look plastered all over her face. She smirked at Elizabeth’s presence. Somewhat somehow, she found it funny. Everything suddenly seemed slow. The time was ticking slow, the motion was slow as well. Wind was blowing towards Danae making her hair look.. well, blown. She looked just perfect.

But that didn’t matter. What mattered then was saving Elena and get that over with.

“Let me see Elena!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

“Give me first what I want,” Danae replied, as calm as ever.

“Fine!” she snapped, slitting her palm with her own, bare nails.

Blood started dripping from her palm and Danae’s expression changed. She had been craving for the blood and Elizabeth was wasting it. Danae ran to her, in an unbelievably high speed, and collected the dripping blood using her fingers. With that, Elena was released.


Unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly what happened. Elizabeth had a change of plan. She didn’t go to the Arc. She didn’t come to save Elena. But she was still going.

After she put Stefan to sleep, she ran as quickly as possible to Heather’s house. It wasn’t exactly her house as Heather lived somewhere in the USA. It was where Heather lied unconsciously under Danae’s influence. Elizabeth didn’t know why she headed there, but she had a strong feeling that what she did was right.

Elena was in trouble because of her and God knows what Danae would do if Elizabeth didn't show up right in time.

Elizabeth sneaked into the room and found Heather lying there, probably sleeping. Or unconscious. She wasn't sure how to wake her up, so she tried using the traditional way. Surprisingly, splashing Heather with water did wake her up. But Elizabeth wasn't welcomed with warmth. Heather was as cold as an ice queen. Elizabeth was given the most chilling glare ever.

"Hold on! You have to listen to me. You have to help me, Heather," Elizabeth pleaded.

"What do you want, Elizabeth? Hasn't Danae destroyed you yet?" Heather snapped.

"I just want-" Elizabeth paused, considering. "Did you say.. Danae?"

Heather laughed. "Yes, surprised that I know her?"

"Well, you aren't supposed to know her.."

Heather scoffed. "Then you must be more shocked to hear this; I WORK FOR HER."

Elizabeth couldn't help but flinch. She jerked backwards with her mouth hanging open. Shocked wasn't even the right vocabulary to describe what she was feeling then. She needed a deeper vocabulary that wasn't even stated in her dictionary to describe it.

"B-but.. Why?" was all Elizabeth managed to blurt out.

"Because I hate you!" Heather exclaimed, emphasising the 'hate' word.

Elizabeth was speechless but quickly regained her stability. She had to make sure her plan works. And so, she did the craziest thing in her life. She put on her pendant at Heather's necklace. It was certainly a surprise for both of them. Elizabeth was surprised how she managed to do that. And apparently, Heather was thinking of the exact same thing.

And the unbelievable happened. Heather's hatred towards Elizabeth vanished. She realised working for Danae was a huge mistake, that it wasn't worth it now that Will was dead. More importantly, her sanity had returned.

"Oh my God, what am I doing?" Heather cried.

"Heather, you're back!" Elizabeth replied, sounding rather pleased.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need your help. Danae wants me to give her my blood, and in return, she'll release Elena. She said it would be a win-win situation, but I doubt it."

"What should I do? Keep the pendant on, perhaps she can't control you with that on."

Heather agreed and they went straight to the Arc. It was fifteen minutes to twelve. It was about time for Danae to control Heather, and there they stood, fingers crossed.

"Well, well, well.. Look what we have here." A voice said.

It was a familiar voice; Danae's. But neither Elizabeth nor Heather could see who was talking. Undoubtedly, it sent chills to their spines. It was Danae's spirit.

Chapter 25

There was a blinding light flashing on her. Elizabeth squinted her eyes to avoid it. She could hear a woman’s laugh that sounded more like Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. A dark figure of a woman approached her gracefully and mumbled something but Elizabeth could only hear some words.

‘……. I see you agreed to help me, Elizabeth. What an excellent choice,’ the woman began.

Elizabeth recognised the soft but evil-like voice. It was Danae. As she opened her eyes, she saw Danae or might as well be Heather, holding a sharp and pointed knife and grabbed her arms, almost slitting it. In anger, Elizabeth tried to push Danae away from her but unfortunately her arms were tied up and she couldn’t move. She tried to use her power but she was too weak. It was as if her energy and power was drained away.

‘Get off me now!’ Elizabeth exclaimed.

Danae hushed her and said, ‘what happened to all the manners dear Elizabeth?’

‘I don’t care! Where is Elena?’

‘Just relax. She’s fine. My people are taking good care of her. Stop worrying,’ she replied and gave an annoyed look.

‘You better don’t harm her or else!’

‘Ooo.. You’re threatening me now. Okay, let’s just get this straight again. You give me your blood to open that door. I get my body you get the girl. No one will get hurt. Is that clear to you?’ Danae explained properly and pointed her long bony finger on Elizabeth’s nose.

Elizabeth ignored her and moved her head away.

‘I’ll take that as a yes then,’ Danae said.

‘No. Show me Elena first!’ demanded Elizabeth.

‘Okay, if you insist. Bring her down Delos.’

The man named Delos dragged Elena forcefully, who was unconscious. Her face and rolling stone shirt was full of dirt. Even her hair was untidy and scruffy. Elizabeth couldn't stand looking at Elena because it made her feel guilty. 'This is all my fault, if not Elena wouldn't be brought into this,' she thought.


‘Is that enough?’

Elizabeth nodded and Danae exhaled feeling relief that she could continue her plot. She started slitting Elizabeth’s arm, which made Elizabeth feel a slight heat flowing through her veins. Her face became red, sweat flowed vigorously on her neck and she couldn’t breathe properly as if she was strangled.

‘Elizabeth? Elizabeth? Are you all right?’ someone called her.

She lifted her body up and felt Stefan’s hand holding her.

‘Are you all right?’ Stefan said worriedly.

‘Uh-uh, yeah. I think so. I just had a nightmare that’s all,’ she replied blankly.

When Stefan left her alone, Elizabeth knew that it wasn't just a nightmare because she saw a purplish scar on her arm.

******

She sat at the café alone, biting her newly manicured nails, thinking about something. ‘Why the hell am I biting my nails?’ she thought. After taking very long time thinking, she realised immediately that the body that she was using was Heather’s so it must’ve been her horrid habit. Disgusted with herself, she took a hand sanitizer out of her hot red Chanel handbag and squeezed some liquid out.

Chantal came and sat with Danae.

‘Quelle est le problème, madame?’ she asked curiously.

‘Nothing. I’m just thinking about that Stefan guy. What if Elizabeth brought him with her? You know him, he’s not going to let her go.’ Danae replied.

‘What’s wrong if he’s coming? After all, he’s just a weak and a powerless human. We can defeat him easily,’ Chantal said confidently.

Without even thinking carefully Danae just agreed to what Chantal said and decided to forget about all her thoughts. She was only concentrating on Elizabeth.

'Chantal, by midnight I am going to be powerful again and no one can stop me neither Lady Elizabeth Davenport nor the council.'



*err, my grammar is very very burukzz so writers please do help and correct it :8)

Chapter 24

Elizabeth Davenport stared longingly outside the French windows to the garden of the Bed and Breakfast, thinking of only one word. One word that kept returning to her mind.

Freedom.

She wanted to be free of Danae. She wanted to be free of the Vampire Council. She wanted to be free so that she can go outside without feeling eyes on her, without seeing glimpses of a red-headed woman, bent on killing her, everywhere. She wanted to be free of everything and just return back to her old place.

Elizabeth glowered at the frayed cuffs of her old laced nightgown. Right now, she would trade anything just to be back to the year 1869. If she could return back, everyone would win. Elizabeth would be back to her beloved hometown, the Vampire Council would have an easier job of just tracking down one Danae, not Danae and Elizabeth. And Danae's problem about Elizabeth having her powers would be...gone.

Angrily, she pulled at a loose thread of the frayed left cuff. It broke free of the cuff and floated slowly to the floor.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the garden. Elizabeth blinked slowly and saw that it was Elena, slowly approaching a small chipmunk. Her cupped hands held a handful of small nuts. Elizabeth smiled when the chipmunk got close to Elena and then darted away, causing the nuts to scatter across the grass.

Then, Elizabeth felt her smile slowly fade when another figure appeared behind Elena, a figure with vivid red hair.

' Elena!' Elizabeth screamed, banging the the window furiously, causing a small crack to appear. ' Elena!' she screamed again, trying the lock on the window. When they didn't open, Elizabeth ran for the door and found that it also wouldn't open. Picking up the chair from the dresser, Elizabeth threw it at the window and the glass shattered easily.

Leaping through the broken window, she landed lightly amidst the broken glass and felt some cut her bare feet and hands but she didn't care. Her vision was clouded with fury.

No one must die over me, she thought over and over again as she ran towards Elena.

Elena's look of relief at Elizabeth's arrival didn't last long. Her eyes widened at something behind Elizabeth and she reacted a little too late. A pair of big and very muscly hands clamped around her slim wrists, holding her back.

Danae watched as Elizabeth tried to free herself in genuine amusement. ' Don't try to fight him, Lizzie, or I shall have to use Elena to feed my army.'

Elizabeth froze and glared at Danae with so much hatred that Danae's composure broke a little and even Elena's face paled. ' Let her go,' she snarled.

Danae looked at her with a mock disapproving look on her face. ' Tsk, tsk, tsk. What would your mother think of you right now, Lady Elizabeth Davenport? Not behaving ladylike at all.'

' I don't know what my mother would think,' Elizabeth began slowly,' but I know what I'm thinking.'

Danae raised one eyebrow and looked at her. ' All right. I'll humor you. What are you thinking?'

Elizabeth smiled sweetly. ' I'm thinking that you should just go to he-' Her words were cut short when Elena screamed.

' I don't think I like how you're behaving, Lizzie. I came here to discuss a...proposal.'

' Proposal?' Elizabeth repeatedly blankly.

' Yes, proposal. I need you to come to the Arc de Triomphe to help me open the door. In return for helping me, I will give you Elena. It's quite simple actually and it's a win-win situation. You get to save Elena and I get my body.'

' The door?' Elizabeth asked again, feeling slightly woozy.

Danae sighed and when she spoke again, she spoke slowly, as if talking to an incompetent child. ' Yes, Lizzie, door. The thing that opens when you want to go to another room or place. My body lies beyond that door and I need your blood to do open it.'

Elizabeth looked up at her. ' What makes you think I will comply?'

Danae blinked, then looked vaguely annoyed. ' Well, I was under the impression that you didn't want anymore people to die because of you, but I guess I was wrong.' Quick as a flash of lightning, she took her dagger from her belt and pressed the tip of the blade to Elena's throat. Elizabeth saw a bead of blood appear.

Then, Danae released the dagger from Elena's throat and stared at Elizabeth icily. ' You see, Elizabeth, I still have some compassion in me, so I will give you one night to think about it.'

' One night?!'

' Yes. Which means I expect you to either arrive at the Arc tomorrow and help me or don't show up and Elena...becomes breakfast.'

The hands around the wrists loosened and Elizabeth felt painful prickles as the blood rushed hurriedly.

Feigning surrender, Elizabeth looked at the ground. ' Fine, I'll come tomorrow.'

Danae laughed. ' I thought so. I know you, Lizzie, and you hate to let people down. Shall we shake on it?' She offered her free hand out.

Elizabeth looked at it and started forwards. When she was close enough to Danae, she offered a hand as of to shake hers but instead knocked the knife out of her hands. Elizabeth was about to do more damage to the redhead when another pair of hands locked around her wrists.

' Let me go,' she yelled and punched the man who was holding her. Searing pain shot through her hand but Elizabeth felt relieved because the man was actually hurt.

When she turned around, she found the garden completely empty except for Danae's dagger on the ground, with a drop of Elena's blood still on it.


Stefan slowly opened his eyes when he felt something cold touch his face. His vision slowly cleared and he saw Elizabeth standing right in front of him, holding a large empty bucket.

' Why am I wet?' he asked her, confused when he felt water drip down his hair.

' I tried to wake you up,' she said and began untying the black velvet ropes that bound him tightly.

' Why am I tied up?' he asked her again.

' Danae was here,' Elizabeth whispered.

' Danae?' Suddenly Stefan's blank look cleared. ' Where's Elena?'

' She took her.' Elizabeth looked up at him pleadingly. ' I'm so sorry! I tried to save her...but Danae had her people with her. But, I will get her. I just have to go to the Carc, i mean Arc tomorrow and that's all. But, I have to help Danae and-Oh God.' Elizabeth stopped her pointless ranting.

' What?' Stefan looked at her in alarm. ' Did she do something to Elena?'

' No. The other people. I don't know what happened to them.' Elizabeth dropped the black ropes and ran towards the stairs.

The hallway of the Bed and Breakfast was absolutely damaged. The wallpapers were stripped off the walls, the paintings torn and the frames broken. The huge vase usually situated at the centre of the hallway lay on the carpet, broken, its pieces scattered haphazardly around the room.

Thelia, the owner of the Bed and Breakfast stood at the centre of the hallway, surveying the mess. She looked up when Elizabeth and Stefan came down the stairs.

' Oh my!' she gasped when she saw the purple bruise on Stefan's forehead and the cuts on Elizabeth hands and feet. ' They got you too!'

' What do you mean?'

' The thieves, of course.' Thelia began to pick up the broken pieces of vases. ' But you know the strangest thing? They only got away with 3 Francs.'

Elizabeth hesitated for a split second and then helped Thelia clean the mess up. While she helped the with the cleaning, she felt something deep inside her heart, something that told her that Danae's proposal wasn't a simple one, wasn't a win-win situation.

It was just a win situation and that Danae might be the winner.