ACADEMY OF THE UNDEAD; BOOK TWO Stand Together ... Or Fall Together
CHAPTER FIVE

The Mephistopheles Clan’s Last Stand

From three hundred yards away, perched high in a tree, Vernon O’Brien shook his head in disbelief.

The remaining members of the Mephistopheles Clan were gathered at the bottom of the driveway, all suited up, all weaponed up, apparently preparing for a battle. He swung his gaze to the gates, another vampire clan gathered outside the gates, suitably armoured and weaponed up as well. And there was shit-loads of them. O’Brien did a quick head count; maybe seventeen against almost fifty, and distressingly, his big Pay Day, his Big Bag of Money-Gal was in the seventeen. He had heard stories of what a ferocious and fearless warrior she was, and he glibly reflected that the stories might grow to be legends, because maybe She of the Mohawk was spending her final moments on the planet.

He cursed himself for procrastinating so long, because it was becoming obvious that he wasn’t going to be known as That Really Wealthy Vampire, he was going to remain as, Vernon O’Brien? Yeah, I think I’ve heard about him…

O’Brien was tempted to stay and watch the carnage, but no, be sensible. After a massacre, blood-thirsty vampires were aroused and dangerous, and they would scream into the surrounding districts and kill anybody, or anything that they came across.

Mark it down to experience, O’Brien thought glumly; He who hesitates …

*

Livinia faced the group, and as the dark clouds rolled over the property, she glanced to the south, and she saw even darker clouds heading their way. It could well be that the Mephistopheles Clan’s Final Stand would be fought in the predicted thunderstorm. She looked up at the dark skies, knowing that her lover and mentor, the great Athena Dubois, would be watching, hoping, wishing, praying that the clan that meant so much to her, wasn’t facing its final moments. Livinia returned her gaze to the clan and said quietly, “In the next few moments, I will invite our enemies on to this estate, and the battle will begin. Whatever happens, hold your heads high, and if death is your destiny, face your destiny with courage and honour. They will come screaming at us, so hold your weapons at the ready, and if you get the opportunity to kill, don’t be timid, don’t be hesitant, be vengeful, because we wage this war in memory of Athena Dubois. Young Pistols, the Hammers will fight as they always fight, fearlessly, and some of them …” Livinia paused to look at Sebastian, Seamus and Taylee in quick succession, then she said, “Some of them will fight recklessly.” She returned her attention back to the Pistols as she said solemnly, “They are coming for Aleisha, so as a group, you are all obligated to stand by her side and protect her, and I will stand with you.”

Livinia lowered her gaze, distraught that this loyal and honourable collection of vampires might be facing their doom, and she whispered a silent prayer. Our Father, Mephistopheles, we will fight for your clan, but if we fail, please, please, reunite us, all of us. Drawing in a breath to try and strengthen her resolve, Livinia said quietly, “Piper, Vicky, come with me.”

The three moved towards the clan’s cemetery, and after stopping, Livinia met the Pistol leader’s eyes. “If we are facing annihilation, I need you two to do something for me.”

“What?” Vicky asked.

“If they capture Aleisha, she will face a future worse than death, so we must make it our objective that they don’t capture her.”

Piper thought about it, then asked uncertainly, “What are you saying?”

“To spare Aleisha a future of torture and torment, if the clan falls on this night, we must make it our responsibility that she falls with us.”

Vicky glanced at Piper, then she lowered her gaze. If she had her diary with her, she would have recorded;

The clouds are getting darker, and the first drops of rain are falling.

We are facing a fearsome enemy, yet our heads are held high, although

a moment of brutal reality hit me, for I have been requested to kill one

of my own.

If it comes to that, I will, I will kill her, because I love her.

Vicky raised her face and looked straight at Livinia, and she gulped, then nodded. Livinia faced Piper, and Piper, visibly upset, gave a single nod.

“Okay Leaders, let’s get back to the group.”

Aleisha had heard the whispered conversation, and she bowed her head. Scarlett had heard it as well, and she gently cruised a hand up and down Aleisha’s back. Scarlett whispered, “We’re all here with you Gorgeous, and we survive together, or else we fall together.”

Livinia faced the group and instructed, “Vicky, Piper, take your positions, and those with shields, have them at the ready, because I can see that they have many archers. Before I invite our enemies in, does anybody want to say anything?”

“I think it’s all been said Divine One.” Sebastian advised.

Shaking already, Elizabeth asked politely, “Livinia, may I say a prayer for us?”

Mel, intimidated by the occasion already, laughed nervously, “God, you’re a dork.”

Livinia smiled, then nodded. “Please do Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, and clutching her Saint Perpetua pendant in both hands, she said, “D-dear God, and Mephistopheles, in our hour of need, please watch over us, and if we are to end tonight, please spirit us into your Kingdom, because we all belong together. I thank you for giving me life, and I especially thank you for the last two years of my life, because they have been amazing, but importantly, these, these …” she begun to struggle, and Mel moved over and placed her right arm on her shoulder as she whispered, “Keep going Bethy, you can do it. I’m right here with you Baby.”

Elizabeth wiped her eyes, then held her head high as she said emotionally, “Please, please don’t separate us, because, because, these people are the best and most important friends that I have ever had.”

All heads bowed as Elizabeth broke down and cried, and Livinia was just about to turn to the gates, when the voice stopped her.

“Livinia …”

“Yes Piper.”

“I have a prayer too.”

“Please go ahead.”

Trying to project herself bravely, Piper stood straight and declared, “Our Father Mephistopheles, we are your children, so if we fall on this night, accept us all into your Kingdom, because we, we … we never want to be apart.”

Piper sucked back a gulp, then wiped her right wrist under her eyes. Isabelle had only seen Piper cry once, and that was on their Graduation night. Seeing the toughest and boldest Pistol shedding a tear affected Isabelle, and she shuffled nervously, torn by conflicting emotions. The two prayers had been offered with a worst-case scenario in mind, so in this engulfing atmosphere of doom and gloom, Isabelle wanted to offer a more positive prayer. She understood that prayers were offered to thank your creators for what you had, although prayers could also be offered to ask for help and guidance. She stepped forward and looked to the Heavens, and after expelling a fluttering breath, she said, “Our Father, I apologise for any bad stuff I done, and I apologise for swearing too much, but I dunno, if you could help us, I mean if you can help us win, you know, help us beat the bad guys yeah, that would be cool, because I’m wearing clean undies, and importantly, it’s my night with Camel tomorrow, so you know …”

A few of the girls smiled weakly, and Aleisha, who had been trembling with anxiety, chuckled nervously, then she lightly jabbed Isabelle in the shoulder.

Livinia faced them and said, “Heads up girls, weapons and shields at the ready, because the time is nigh.”

“Stay focussed young Pistols,” Scarlett began, “You are going to be shell-shocked, stunned and intimidated by the early moments of this battle, but your survival will depend on how quickly you can adjust.”

“Just think about killing girls,” Taylee added, “This is all about revenge, so burn what they did to Athena into your mind and focus on what you’re going to do to these fuckers.”

“Everybody,” Sebastian said quietly, “Fangs out.”

There was an almost audible sigh, as the group skimmed and concentrated, and soon, seventeen sets of lips separated, as fangs appeared.

Livinia stood five yards in front of the group and faced the gates, and clutching the shield tightly in her left hand, and clasping her sword in her right hand, she cried out, “Jason Cordeir and all those who walk under your banner …”

Without warning, the rain got heavier as a bright spear of lightning crackled in the dark sky, and then the ground seemed to vibrate as a shock of thunder rumbled above them.

“I, Livinia Crenwinkle, leader of the Mephistopheles Clan, invite you on to this estate.”

Surprisingly, there was a moment of complete silence, and with the rain getting heavier still, Cordeir said calmly, “Open the gates.”

Two men scampered across and pushed the gates open, and then the Lincoln was driven a hundred yards into the driveway, facing the Mephistopheles Clan. A one-tonne van pulled up behind the Lincoln, and quickly and efficiently, men began pulling equipment out of the van. Cordeir straddled the front seat of the car, climbed over the windsheild, and then standing on the bonnet of the Lincoln, he said, “Members of the Cordeir Clan, soldiers of the Cordeir Army, prepare yourselves for battle.”

Troggo hopped out of the Lincoln and strode forward confidently, then said, “Archers, move forward and take your positions.”

Sixteen men jogged forward and took up position halfway down the driveway, three hundred yards away from the Mephistopheles Clan. The archers stood in two lines, and they all heaved the large quivers off their shoulders and placed them upright on the ground. From the brightly coloured arrow-tails, it was clear to see that all quivers were full.

The first line of eight archers loaded the crossbows, and then took aim, while the second line of eight pulled an arrow out of their quiver and held the weapon by their sides.

“Archers of flame, take your positions.” Troggo roared.

Another group of eight men trotted up, and they separated, four peeling off to the right, four to the left. Each group set up a waist-high, three-sided steel shelter, and then fat-bellied urns were placed inside the shelters. Men on each side lit the urns, and very quickly, the urns were ablaze with healthy flames. The archers gathered an arrow each, and these arrows were noticeably different, because the heads of the arrows were swathed in white cloth. The archers dipped the arrows into open tins, and then they loaded the dripping arrows into the crossbows. With the aid of their enhanced senses, all the Pistols could smell the pungent odour of gasoline.

“First line of attack,” Troggo said grittily, “Take your positions.”

Ten men trotted up then separated, five on each side of the driveway, all of them bearing shields and menacing weapons.

“Second line of attack, take your positions!”

Eight men stood in a line, shields and weapons at the ready.

“Kidnap team,” Troggo began, and wanting to say the word again, he roared, “KIDNAP team, take your positions.”

Livinia and the Hammers knew that this was all for show, just a parade to intimidate them, to instil fear in the younger ones, and unfortunately, it was working. The Class of 2016 seemed frozen except for the trembling limbs, and Livinia said calmly, “Stay focussed girls. I anticipate that they will begin a war chant once they are in position, and the chant’s design is to scare us by the noise and aggression of the threats, but hold your heads high and stay focussed.”

“A war chant never killed anyone guys.” Taylee added.

With helmets, shields and heavy armour, Piper assumed that they would be protected from a barrage of arrows, but as she looked at the archers, she realised that the crossbows weren’t their only weapons. Each archer had a sword sheathed on one hip, and wooden stakes cased on the other hip.

Cordeir roared, “Livinia Crenwinkle, I will give you a single, final opportunity to hand over the girl!”

Drawing in a solid breath, Livinia cried out, “Cordeir, by killing our Leader, you and your clan broke all the time-honoured rules that civilised clans abide by, so just know that on this night, the Mephistopheles Clan are coming at you and anyone who walks with you!”

Troggo glanced at Cordeir, and Cordeir sneered, then he gave him a single, decisive nod.

Facing the enemy, Troggo said darkly, “Alright boys, let’s make some noise!”

Slowly at first, handles of weapons were rammed into shields, seconds disappearing before the next clanging thud reverberated through the silent night, then the clangs got louder and quicker as the voices joined in. “Kill, kill, kill, kill!

Fifty voices began shouting, fifty shields beating, the voices working up to a murderous scream, the shields echoing with nerve-rattling intensity as a zinging lightning flash lit up the sky and rattling thunder exploded and drowned out the chant, although as the thunder spluttered into silence, the chant could be heard, the voices louder and more hostile. “KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!”

Melanie was trembling as she looked at the dozens of screaming men, because to her this looked like only one thing; the end. Trying to stay focussed, she muttered, “Beth …”

So tense and nervous, Elizabeth asked shakily, “W-what?”

“Can, can you get me one?”

“One what?”

“If we survive this, can you get me a Saint Perpetua pendant?”

Elizabeth wanted to say, Of course I will! But her chest was tight, and it seemed like her throat was constricted, so with tears welling in her eyes, she looked at her partner and nodded.

Vicky, shaken by the hostile roaring chant, bizarrely wondered whether the enemy was trying to scare them to death, and trembling with anxiety, she wanted to do something, anything to try and hold her nerve. If they wanted to scream at her, well she could scream back at them, and besides, a few of her fellow Pistols were very good at screaming. Nervously at first, she shouted, “Ohhh when the Pistols, march into war, Ohhh, when the Pistols march into war …”

Piper and Isabelle looked at her in surprise.

Vicky felt a surge of confidence rush through her, because this was better; doing something. Rather than stand in silence, she would release her aggression and anxiety in the only way available. Bashing her sword on the outside of her shield, she sang out; “Ohhh when the Pistols march into war, ohhh when the Pistols march into war, I want to be in that number, When the Pistols march into war!”

Piper clutched her sword tightly then rammed it against her shield as she joined in, then Elizabeth, Isabelle, Aleisha, Ruby, Sophia and Mel, all joining in, not singing, chanting, shouting as they bashed on their shields.

“Enough of the party games Warriors, let’s get down to business!” Troggo roared. Facing the men, he said, “Archers, fire at will!”

“Hold firm everybody,” Livinia called out, “Stay tight, shields up!”

The first line of archers fired, then they dropped to their knees and reloaded, and then the second line fired and then reloaded. Elizabeth was rattled as she heard the arrows hitting her shield, some of the arrows skidding off the shields and then falling to the ground, others imbedding themselves in the shield with a distinctive thud. As flaming arrows whistled through the air, Aleisha thought she saw a small figure sprint over to a nearby tree and scamper up.

Protecting her face and upper body with the shield, Piper screamed out as she felt an arrow rip into her left calf. Isabelle wobbled as arrows tore into her calf and thigh, and Sophia panicked as she tried to knock a flaming arrow out of her right bicep.

The first line fired again, the second line fired, arrows whistling in harmony, the flaming arrows deliberately aimed higher, then screaming down at them. Scarlett dropped her shield and snapped off the shaft of the arrow in Piper’s calf, whipped around and snapped both ends of the arrow which had speared through Isabelle’s calf, then she broke off the arrow in her thigh. As she was preparing to stand, a flaming arrow thunked into the back of Scarlett’s armour. Seamus shuffled over, broke the arrow with his elbow, swatted out the small eruption of fire on her armour, then helped Scarlett to her feet. Scarlett nestled in tight as the arrows rained down in a seemingly never-ending stream, and Aleisha, trembling already, heard a bubbling call.

“Hey Pruddy, hey Pruddy Pruddy, me gunna chop the fucking choppa outta yo!”

It was the girl in the tree, although things were too chaotic to worry about her, as Scarlett frantically hustled around and broke or snapped new arrows that had found a target, although pained cries shrilled out as more arrows speared into unguarded limbs.

“Archers,” Troggo roared, “Arm yourselves for battle!”

The final arrows whistled through the air, then the archers lay the crossbows down and drew out their swords.

Scarlett checked a few of the injured and asked frantically, “You guys okay, is anybody hurt?”

Isabelle’s right leg was burning, although she wanted to blubber, I’m more scared than hurt … But no, Pistol-up Sister, hold your head high …

“Hey Pruddy, you skanky fucking ho …” came the threatening voice again, “Gunna, gunna love chopping the fucking choppa outta yo!”

An enormous blaze of lightning ripped the darkness out of the sky, and an explosion of thunder caused the entire dimension to shake, and as Aleisha tried to regather herself, she looked at the tree. Aleisha knew that this was all about her, these despicable creatures were coming for her, and the consequence was going to be that her friends were going to perish in the battle, but as she glared at the tree, Aleisha gripped her sword tighter, then she made a vow to herself. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to take that little freak down …

“First line of archers, first line of attack,” Troggo began, then with a devilish glint in his eye, he roared, “Charge!”

As a less severe lightning bolt sizzled, Aleisha looked at the trees, and she shook her head in confusion as she tried to understand what she was seeing. Another bright light burned, although it wasn’t lightning, because it didn’t flash and then disappear, it hovered, then the blaze appeared to be lowering. As thunder boomed again, Aleisha swung her head to the other side of the driveway, a similar blazing flame on the right side, the blazes definitely not lightning, because they were continuous, and descending, and they appeared to be silhouetting shapes or figures. Flashes of lightning lit up the sky above, although blazes on her left and right sparkled, still descending, until the blazes disappeared, and then the two figures that had been silhouetted by the blazes, seemed to be unstrapping heavy items off their backs, and the figures, Aleisha could see them clearly now; the figures were dressed in red.

The first and second lines charged, and it began, the battle began, and Vicky quivered in shock, not just because of the speed of the attack, but because of the unexpected departure. Taylee, her Master, she who supposedly feared no-one, she of supposed courage and honour, was fleeing, sprinting towards the northern boundary at the speed of light. She, who had only minutes before snorted up a hit that was supposedly going to make her Crazy-Fucking-Aggressive, was deserting them, scampering away for dear life.

Aleisha saw the enemy charging, and she cringed, although she was puzzled by the figures on either side of the driveway. The figures had heaved machines off their backs, some kind of flying machines, and they were dressed in red.

Elizabeth froze when she saw Sebastian push forward, Sebastian moving in slow, deliberate strides, until suddenly, he began running, at them, running at the twenty men who were charging towards him, and Seamus began swinging his ball and chain over his head, as he skipped up behind Sebastian. Elizabeth blubbered as she realised that she was just about to see two of her own cut down right in front of her; two racing toward twenty, and trembling, Elizabeth began to move forward.

“Elizabeth, hold your position!” Livinia screamed.

Elizabeth glanced at her leader, then not wanting to see the brave men slaughtered, she broke into a trot. They were all going to die, that was obvious; although Elizabeth decided that she was going to go down supporting her courageous colleagues.

Livinia sprinted out and grabbed her, then hauled her back in as she screamed, “Stand firm, stand with your Sister’s!”

Aleisha steeled herself, horrified that two of their clan were charging towards twenty of the enemy, although on her left and right, the figures moving, the figures in red moving, arms moving, wrists twirling …

Thunder boomed, and as it rumbled to extinction, a loud and clear SNAP rang out, and as the first lines of the enemy charged at them, strangely, they stumbled … then fell.

With her heart pounding ferociously, Aleisha looked at the figure in red on her left, a witch; then she snapped her gaze over to the figure on her right, another witch, and bizarrely, this witch was her schoolyard enemy, Charlene Beckwith-Hargeaves. Aleisha looked at those who had fallen … them, her new enemy. A more thorough examination helped Aleisha to understand why the enemy had fallen; their heads were no longer attached to their bodies. She remembered Livinia telling them about the invisible metallic wire, and as she noticed more figures in red scrurrying about, she realised that the Pearl River Witches had arrived, and from the witches first action in this battle, Aleisha also realised that the witches weren’t here to fight them, they were here to help them.

Troggo screamed, “What the fuck!” And Cordeir, momentarily stunned, looked at his fallen soldiers, severed heads everywhere; and then he saw the figures in red scampering around, and he screamed, “Witches! There must be witches here!” He remembered the Vampire-Witch war, remembered the invisible weapon, and seething with anger, he roared, “Get, get the girl, but kill … KILL everybody else!”

Shakily, Piper raised her sword, not understanding what had just happened, but it didn’t matter, because another two dozen angry men were charging at them.

Guarding the southern wall, Grinder shook his head in puzzlement, enjoying the screams from inside, although he was confused by the vision in front of him. Three bikes, motorbikes heading straight for the wall he was guarding. Grinder knew enough about bikes to know that if the bikes hit the high brick wall at the thunderous speed they were travelling, there was going to be one almighty Splat! The lead bike roared forward, and the rider held up a fluorescent ball, the ball seemingly alive as it shimmered bright colours within its sphere; and with a deliberate aim, the rider hurled the ball at the wall. Grinder rocked back in shock as the ball exploded, then as puffs of smoke dissipated, a shimmering ramp appeared, the ramp almost illusory, not real, although the first two bikes roared up the ramp and flew over the wall. Confused, Grinder turned around just in time to see the third bike heading for the ramp, this rider flailing a sword, a sword which swung down in an arc, and alarmingly, the sword was aimed straight at him. Rattled, he went to move, yet the last thing he saw was a gleaming blade whizzing through the air.

After taking the stunned man’s head off, Jenna let go of the sword as she flew over the ramp, and then she braced herself for the landing. Airborne, then impact with the ground, and the bike bounced high and she lost her grip momentarily, although she braced herself for the secondary impact, a gentler bounce, then she skidded the bike to a halt as she sucked in a breath and did a quick mental check-list; Over the wall … tick; In one piece … tick; in a really bad mood … Fucking A!

Jenna was on the War Bike, and it was heavier and harder to control than her own bike, but she’d practised on it so many times, she felt confident that she could master it. The handlebars were four feet wide, and they formed frames on either side of the front wheel. Steel plates were bolted on to the frames, and thick three-foot steel poles were welded onto the steel plates. Fastened onto the end of the steel poles were double-bladed electic saws, the blades boasting a fifteen-inch circumference, and they had been purposely positioned at forty-five-degree angles to ensure maximum damage. Jenna flicked the switch and the electric saws whirred into life, slowly at first, yet as the momentum built up, the blades buzzed up to optimum speed. She’d ridden the War Bike many times, although this was going to be the first time that she’d used it in a battle. As the electric saws buzzed menacingly, Jenna made a silent wish. I hope nobody ever aims this Mother-Fucker at me!

Staying as a group was the plan, although the plan disintegrated in an instant, as creatures came flying at them from everywhere. Piper leapt forward and held off a vicious assault on her left, while Vicky clanged swords with an attacker on her right. The Hammers weren’t defending, they were attacking, and Sebastian leapt and bounded in a direct line, heading straight for Cordeir who was still standing on the bonnet of the car, and swinging his ball and chain, Seamus followed Sebastian.

Cordeir was guarded by eight fearsome men, although Sebastian, hellbent on revenge, could see no-one but Cordeir. Seamus started spinning around in a circle, like an Olympic hammer-thrower, and he was almost doing an Irish jig as he shimmied closer, and two came at him, and two fell, blasted to pieces by the spiked metal ball, but two more came immediately, and Seamus desperately tried to swing the ball into motion again. One attacker charged and lanced him in the side, and Seamus cried out, and the other swung hard and severed his arm. Sebastian leapt at two of Cordeir’s bodyguards, and he brought one down in a crashing tackle, although the other, standing over him, swung down at him. Sebastian, on his back, raised his sword just in time, and the clang reverberated through his body, and then two more rushed at him. On the northern side of the driveway, the high trees that ran parallel to the front wall began shaking as a figure bounded across the top of each one, then the figure leapt off the last tree and became momentarily air-borne, then with an ear-piercing scream, the figure started to fall. Vicky heard the scream, and then she saw a sight that would stay with her forever. A figure leapt off the top of a forty-foot-high tree that bordered the driveway, and the figure, with arms and legs spread, and with swords raised in both hands, seemed to fly, then fall, and even before she’d hit the ground, Taylee flung her arms backward, and her swords made whizzing sounds as they cut through the air, then quickly, the whizzing sounds turned into meaty thuds as the swords dug into flesh. Two fell, and Taylee leapt into the air and then swung the sword in her right hand at an attacker’s neck, and as the man screamed in pain, she balanced, pirouetted, and then viciously swung the sword in her left hand and took off his head. More came immediately, four surrounding Sebastian and Taylee, and back-to-back, they fended off the ferocious blows, two opponents each, and Sebastian screamed, “Down!” They both fell to one knee, then swung hard at the collection of legs. With swords in either hand, Taylee brought two men down at the same time, then she leapt at them to finish them off. Sebastian swung hard and took one out, although the other one steadied and swung at Sebastian.

A huge man drove his lance through Seamus’s neck, pulled it out, then balanced himself, and snorting, he drove it through again.

A man swung at Taylee and sent one of her swords flying, although he barely had time to resposition himself when Taylee, screaming, swung and hacked into his right leg, then with a blistering series of blows, she severed his right arm, opened up his neck, and the man hunched over, crippled by the blows. Taylee placed the sole of her right boot on his head, then shoved him backwards. She leapt at him, knelt by his side, and with both hands gripping the sword, she prepared to swing down and take his head off, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a big man picking up speed and charging straight at Sebastian. Her brother in blood, Sebastian, was fending off another attacker and he was blind-sided to this new threat, so Taylee scrambled to feet to try and intercept the attacker, but the big man had picked up so much momentum, that he ran straight through her and sent her flying. Dazed, Taylee shook her head, then she froze as she saw the big man drive his lance right through Sebastian’s side.

The group was divided and split, Elizabeth ducking under a swinging sledgehammer, Mel facing a fearsome battle-axe, two charging at Ruby, two charging at Isabelle, Sophia sprinting in to assist her lover. Piper and Vicky shakily held their positions in front of Livinia and Aleisha, although Vicky was unable to restrain herself, and she sprinted out to assist Ruby. She drove her sword through one, and as he buckled, she swung at his head.

The sledgehammer caught Elizabeth in the chest and sent her flying, and the man quickly moved over her and raised the weapon over his head, preparing for the final blow. In the clear and distinct moment that finality can bring, Elizabeth saw her fate, could see the intent in her attacker’s blazing eyes, and she stuttered, “D-dear God, please keep us together …” And the man grunted as he prepared to bring the sledgehammer down, although, bizarrely, he cartwheeled away spectacularly, hitting the ground with a thud, and dazed, breathless, Elizabeth wondered what had happened, and then she saw her. Mel scrambled back to her feet, and then drove her sword into the man’s neck. Mel raced back over and grabbed Elizabeth’s hand as she pulled her to her feet, and Elizabeth wanted to embrace her, but Mel had already scampered off, heading straight for two who were charging Isabelle and Sophia.

Piper saw one running at Mel as she ran off, the attacker coming at her from behind, and Piper couldn’t hold back any longer. She had her direct orders, Stand with Aleisha … but in the fury of the chaos, she became a creature of instinct, and she charged out. She swung her sword and hit him in the back, and the man stumbled forward, then turned, glaring at her.