you come here for, you know you are banished. Doc has told you that Corrine has nothing to do with this, you leave her alone.”
“You are what I’ve come for William; it seems that the secret of you being a half-blooded vampire has leaked out. This compromises my power as the dark coven leader. Should my coven believe I had only the strength to turn you halfway, they would oust me as leader for being weak. You already know this. I have told you that is why you were to follow me as my successor and never reveal you are not a full-blooded vampire to my dark coven members. I do not intend to let that happen. William, you must see what I mean. It will destroy me and all I have created. I am telling you that if you do not come back to New Orleans with me the others will learn you are in love with a mortal and that you are a true half-blood. I will kill you and your lovely girlfriend before I let that happen, no one is to ever know the truth about you.”
“No… never.” William snapped. “I will not come back to the dark coven. I am no longer part of you. I refuse to sink to your level.” William rolled up his shirtsleeves preparing to fight. “You will not hurt Corrine either. I will never allow you to touch her; you will have to kill me first!”
“How gallant you are, my son. Once again, I will ask you to return with me to the home you first knew. Where you belong, at my side. I’m running out of patience. You have made me sick enough watching you with her. It makes me ill; you know we do not play with our food!”
“No Vincent never! You will not win this one; Doc and our coven are already expecting you.”
“I have to say William, you disappoint me. You have forced my hand and this all ends now!”
I froze as I saw Vincent pull a small vial out of his coat pocket; it had a red liquid inside of it. William’s reaction was shocking; he backed away his eyes filled with terror. I couldn’t understand why he was scared of the vial Vincent had. I tried to think of the million things Doc and William had told me about vampires. I nearly choked, thinking of Doc’s grave warning about the one thing that could kill any vampire.
I now realized in that tiny vial, Vincent held the blood from a deceased victim. The blood from an already dead body, where the heart had stopped for some time. This was the only way a vampire could be killed. I watched Vincent move closer to William. He backed away quickly. I couldn’t stand this. I could not help Will as he was facing an enemy far more lethal than himself.
“Make this easy my son. You know you will have no choice now, simply give in, and make it easier for yourself.”
“No. I will never let you hurt Corrine, and I refuse to be an evil murdering freak like you!”
“Very well then.” Vincent sighed and looked down at the vial of blood in his pale hand. “Let’s end this charade, shall we?”
I cringed as Vincent grabbed William’s arm and shoved him down, pinning him with one knee effortlessly. William struggled desperately, but as to be expected, Vincent was too strong for him. The vial was uncapped and he forced it to Will’s lips. He turned his head back and forth trying not to let the blood get into his mouth.
I tried to break through my ropes. I wanted to help William somehow. I had to save him, and then I knew suddenly what to do. I knew that if my thoughts were strong enough Will could hear them. If I tried to call Doc and the cousins in my thoughts, maybe they would feel it too. I knew it was a long shot but as I watched the violent struggle between Will and Vincent, I knew I had to try.
“No stop. We can work this out. This is insane, please!” William gasped as Vincent drove his knee hard into Will’s chest knocking the air out of his lungs to get him to stay still.
“Too late, Will my boy. You have shamed me, having a relationship with a human and refusing to return South with me, you will die now.” Vincent took William’s jaw in his hands, forcing it open.