The heavy doors at the front of the Mission’s chapel were still and silent. Ximena was tempted to go through the front and charge in. She decided to be more subtle but a stalk around the building yielded nothing in the ways of a better option. Inside the throne room, the crow in the cage began to caw and jump around.
“Ah, our next guest is here. Ojo would you mind?” Señora Ecsed asked.
“Si, my Lady,” he replied.
Ojo took two men with him up the stairs.
“He won't be coming back,” said Father Suarez.
“I know. This is a dangerous occupation for mortals,” she replied.
Ximena cautiously opened the large wooden door and quietly closed it behind her. Ojo and the two men were waiting in the chapel.
“Do you really want to do this?” Ximena asked.
“Take her,” he said.
The men started with guns, to no effect. Ximena walked through the gunfire and took the men down one by one. Ojo pulled out a large knife and slashed at Ximena. She dodged, took the knife, spun, and jammed it into Ojo’s chest. The two stood face to face.
“Was it worth it?” Ximena asked.
“I would do anything for her,” said Ojo.
“Even die?” she asked.
“Anything for her,” he replied as his body began to collapse.
Ojo dropped to his knees and then fell to the floor. Ximena slowly made her way down the steps. When she was near the bottom of the stairs, Señora Ecsed began speaking.
“Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door. Quoth the raven…” she said.
Ximena tossed the bloody knife at Señora Ecsed's feet.
“Nevermore,” said Ximena.
“Did he die well?” asked Señora Ecsed.
“I'm sure you would think so,” she replied.
“It would have been cruel to deny him the honor of dying for me,” said the witch.
“You’re crazy. I hope you know that,” said Ximena.
“Semantics,” was the reply.
Señora Ecsed stood up from her throne. She carefully scanned Ximena with her eyes.
“Will you try to kill me now?” she asked.
“It crossed my mind. I see you brought some insurance. Hello Father,” said Ximena.
The priest nodded his head.
“Would you expect any less?” asked Señora Ecsed.
“Not really. Although I am surprised you hadn't killed the bird yet,” said Ximena.
“It still serves a purpose,” Señora Ecsed replied.
“I guess that's how you got the one,” said Ximena, pointing to a dark corner.
Hijo stepped out of the shadows.
“Yes. And, you shall make a fine addition,” said La Muerte.
“That's going to be hard to do when you’re dead,” said Ximena.
“Such an optimistic young girl. Fortunately, I know better than to have just one insurance policy,” said the witch.
A man walked through a door holding something in a blanket. He handed it to Señora Ecsed. She opened the blanket and the baby began to cry. Ximena stepped back in shock. She knew who it was instantly.
“Thought she was dead didn't you?” Señora Ecsed asked.
“Let her go,” commanded the shaken voice of Ximena.
“Not until you submit,” she replied, smiling down at the baby.
“Please,” Ximena begged.
Señora Ecsed took a long sniff of the baby and savored the smell.
“Mm. I usually don’t take them this young but I can tell yours is delicious,” she said.
Ximena dropped to her knees.
“Good girl,” she said.
Señora Ecsed handed the baby back to the man and walked over to the crow's cage. Ximena saw what looked like her only opening and acted quickly. In a flash of movement, Ximena was on her feet and bolting towards Hijo. Instead of a direct attack, she grabbed him by his waist and launched his body into the fireplace. She turned to attack the witch, but Señora Ecsed was already behind her. She grasped Ximena by the throat.
“Silly girl. Hijo, hold her.” she said.
Hijo walked out of the fire, his clothes partially burnt off and skin healing. He grabbed Ximena’s arms with his now bare hands as Señora Ecsed walked back to the cage. Ximena sighed in relief. She could feel Hijo’s mind.
“Time to wake up,” Ximena whispered to Hijo.
Hijo's eyes close and his head jerked back. Señora Ecsed felt the change behind her.
“Not so silly after all. Hide the brat!” she yelled.
The man ran out with the baby and Señora Ecsed moved to the back of her throne and pulled out two swords hidden behind it.
“What's going on?” asked Hijo.
“Not much. Can you let go of me?” Ximena asked.
Hijo let go.
“Hello, Joseph,” said Señora Ecsed as she stalked forward with a blade in each hand.
“I see you've gone blonde, my Lady Báthori,” said Joseph.
“I think it suits me. Ready to be my slave again?” she asked.
“Time out.” said Ximena. “Lady Báthori? I know that name. I read it in college somewhere.”
“Please do the honors, Joseph,” said Lady Báthori.
“You are like me, right?” Joseph asked Ximena.
“Yeah. I’m Ximena, by the way,” she replied.
“Well, Ximena, I present to you the Countess Báthori Erzsébet de Ecsed of Hungary,” said Joseph.
It took a second for the name to connect in Ximena’s head. She’d had a cousin who was obsessed with dark tales of ghosts and monsters. Mostly Ximena tuned out the stories but a few peaked her interest. Especially when the monsters in question were women.
“The Blood queen?” asked Ximena in disbelief.
The Countess bowed her head slightly.
“Oh, I was never a queen,” said Lady Báthori, modestly.
“Though you have the ambition to be one,” said Father Suarez.
“Everyone must have a dream,” said the Countess.
Upstairs, the servant with the baby kicked open the chapel doors and ran to a group of trucks parked nearby.
When he reached for a door handle, someone spoke up behind him.
“Stop. Turn slowly,” commanded Ranger Paulson.
The man reached for his gun. Paulson was faster, shooting the servant in the back of his the head. Beneath the chapel, the conflict continued.
“I will not be as easy to control this time,” said Joseph.
“We shall see. May I have this dance?” she asked.
Joseph and Ximena rushed the Countess. They were barely able to keep up with her counter attack. Joseph picked up a bench, swung it, and smashed Lady Báthori into a wall. He ran to the throne, grabbed a sword, and tossed another to Ximena.
“Care to fill me in on how we can't kill her?” asked Ximena.
“She takes the blood of others to stay immortal. She also inherits their skills and knowledge,” he replied.
Lady Báthori got up.
“The blood of young women preferably. It does wonders for your complexion.” she said. “But I’ve also had my fair share of swordsmen and soldiers.”
Joseph and Ximena attacked again but were still held at bay. Countess Báthori had a smile like she was enjoying the exercise.
“Would you like to know how I trapped this one, my dear dead girl?” asked the Countess.
More ineffective attacks.
“I was a bag of bones when that one’s sister found me,” she said.
She countered Ximena and Joseph, slashing them both deeply.
“I don't have to remind you how tasty she was,” she said to Joseph.
Joseph and Lady Báthori slowly circled each other while Ximena moved back and behind the Countess.
“Long story short. I took her blood and killed him when he interrupted my meal. When he rose again, I took his bird, and here we are,” she said.
Another unsuccessful attack.
“Well, maybe I had a little fun with him before I killed him,” said Lady Báthori.
“You will not have me again, Erzsébet!” said Joseph.
“Only a matter of time,” she replied.
Ximena tried to make a move but Lady Báthori whipped one of her swords at her. The sword went through Ximena’s shoulder and pinned her to the wall. Joseph moved in but the Countess grabbed him and tossed him across the room.
Outside, a truck full of men pulled up to the mission. Paulson drove El Monstruo into the truck, pinning the men inside. He climbed into the turret and fired into the truck, killing the men.
Inside, Ximena struggled to pull the blade out of the wall and free herself.
“Such a feisty one. You will do so well at my side,” said the Countess.
Joseph tried to run up behind the witch.
“No more,” she said.
Lady Báthori raised her hand and Joseph slowed to a grinding halt. He tried to move forward but only slowly staggered.
“Enough entertainment. Time to come back to my fold. Kneel,” she commanded.
Joseph knelt unwillingly. The Countess walked up to him, touched his head and closed her eyes. Joseph's body trembled.
“Now, now. No more need to struggle,” said the Countess.
Joseph stood and faced Ximena silently.
“You know, I should thank you, I haven't had a workout like that in ages. I forgot how much fun it was,” said the Countess.
Ximena stared at Lady Báthori with contempt.
“Don't be mad. I should let you know, you were not an accident like poor Joseph here,” she said.
“What are you talking about?” asked Ximena.
Lady Báthori closed in on Ximena.
“My dear, I brought you back,” she said.
Ximena was silent and confused.
“I know of the black bird's magic thanks to Joseph. I wanted another one of you and it was only a matter of knowing where, when, and how to act,” she said.
Countess Báthori drew a knife from her cloak.
“Now…” she said as she caressed Ximena's face.
Ximena’s head jerked and she found herself in a vision. She was in a lab. Joseph's sister, Sasha was examining a mummified body in an iron casket. She was examining the skull with a magnifying glass and flashlight. The small flashlight slipped out of her fingers and into the mouth of the skull. When she reached in to retrieve it, she cut her finger on a tooth. A drop of blood fell into the mouth of the corpse. Sasha walked over to a sink to wash her cut. The skeletal corpse rose behind her and jumped on Sasha’s back. The college student tried to pull it off of her, but the corpse bit down on her neck and wrapped its legs and arms around the woman. Sasha fell to the floor screaming for her life.
The scene flashed to Joseph walking into the silent lab and finding his sister’s body on the floor.
“Sasha!” he yelled.
Someone grabbed him from behind and threw him across the lab. Countess Báthori stood over him in tattered cloths holding a scalpel.
The scene changed again. Joseph was tied to a table and Countess Báthori was sitting on him, cutting into his chest, smiling and giggling.
Ximena opened her eyes. She was back in the mission.
“I learned how to harness the magic of your kind long ago but Joseph was the first I was able to capture. When I saw the bones the old man read, I could not help myself,” she said.
Countess Báthori leaned in and spoke into Ximena's ear.
“You didn't come back to kill me. I brought you here to serve me,” she said.
The Countess smiled as her plan was falling into place. It was not an exact plan. She knew those brought back from the dead could make things difficult. But everything was turning the way she had wanted. She would have two immortal enforcers at her command. But the Countess Báthori Erzsébet de Ecsed of Hungary had a habit of not accounting for the stubbornness of the living.
Her body spasmed as a sword shot out of her chest. Sarah reached around and sliced through the Blood Queen’s neck with a Marine K-Bar. Then she wrapped her arm around Countess’s neck and started stabbing her in the back repeatedly with her knife. Lady Báthori managed to twist around and push Sarah back. As moved away she slashed at the Blood Queen but Lady Báthori ducked, pulled a knife from her cloak, closed the distance between herself and the nun, and drove the knife into Sarah's stomach. Then she picked up Sarah over her head and threw her across the room. Countess Báthori held her bloody throat tightly.
“Hurts, don't it?” asked Ximena.
Countess Báthori faced Ximena and moved her hands away from her neck. The wound was healed.
“Just briefly. But not as much as your brat is going to hurt as she grows. I’m going to keep her alive as my slave and personal juice box,” said the witch.
Countess Báthori calmly walked over to Sarah rubbing her neck. She picked up the K-Bar off the floor and knelt next to the nun.
“You are very good. For a mortal,” she said.
She leaned in and stabbed Sarah with the knife.
“But you will never...”
Stab.
“Do that...”
Stab.
“Again.”
Stab.
“Ever,” she said to the former Marine.
One final stab and twist in the wound. Sarah cringed in pain.
“Now be a good girl and die already,” said the Countess.
Sarah spit blood in Lady Báthori’s face.
“Nice,” said the witch.
She wiped the blood off her face with her hand and licked her fingers clean.
“Very nice,” she said.
A squawking sound come from behind Countess Báthori. She turned to see a crow emerging from a pool of blood on the floor. Joseph grabbed the Countess by her neck.
“Again?” she asked him.
Joseph snapped Countess Báthori neck and threw her body into the fireplace. He ran to Ximena and unpinned her from the wall.
“We don't have much time,” he said.
Countess Báthori drove a sword through Joseph's back and Ximena fruitlessly tried to fend off the Countess with the other sword.
“This is pointless. You can't kill me. It's going to take more than you two,” said Lady Báthori
Joseph joined the fight but the Countess kept both at bay. Paulson walked in the room with an assault rifle. He got a clear shot emptied a clip into the Countess. While she was distracted, Ximena and Joseph slashed at her but she kept healing. A groaning skull began to emerge from a pool of blood on the floor near Paulson’s feet. He backed away in fright.
“What the hell is that?” he asked.
The Countess flung her sword at Paulson. He dropped to the ground dodging it. Lady Báthori kicked Ximena and then Joseph across the room and jumped to the pool of blood, drinking it off the ground greedily.
“We need to bleed her!” yelled Joseph
Joseph and Ximena rushed Lady Báthori, slashing her multiple times but she got back on her feet and continued fighting.
“Shoot her!” Ximena yelled.
Paulson kept his aim.
“I can't get a clear shot!” he shouted back.
“They're all dead! Just shoot,” shouted Father Suarez.
The Ranger fired, hitting all three. Joseph and Ximena hit the ground as Paulson keeps firing. The bloody Countess staggered backwards. She regained her footing and ran at Paulson. He managed to reload and emptied another clip into her, causing her to stagger and fall.
“You... stupid... peons. You can't kill me. I am eternal!” shouted the Countess.
A new voice came from the shadows in the room.
“She's right,” said a woman’s voice.
Joseph’s sister Sasha stepped into the light. Her skin was pale and there were blood stains on her cloths.
“She is eternal,” said Sasha.
“Sasha?” asked Joseph.
“Hello, Joseph,” she said.
“You little hag. You belong to me,” said Lady Báthori.
“No, Erzsébet. I don't. None of us do,” she replied.
Other women with pale skin and blood stained clothes began to walk out of the shadows from all over the room. As blood from the Countess had been released, so were the souls of her victims. They silently approached Lady Báthori.
“You are correct in one thing, witch. You can't be killed, but you can certainly be sent back into the shadows,” said Sasha.
“No! I will not be silenced again!” shouted the Countess.
Lady Báthori tried to fight the women off but she became smothered. The women clawed at the Countess and bit into her. They tore through her body consumed everything they could. Her screams filled the room and then there was silence. The women turned and walked back into the shadows. All that's left of the Countess was a bloody skeleton.
“We have taken back what is ours. Now we can rest,” said Sasha. “Thank you, Joseph. I knew you would come for me.”
“You know me, little sister. I never give up,” he said to her.
They hugged then Sasha walked into the shadows and disappeared.
“I'll see you soon,.” said Joseph.
Ximena untied the priest. Father Suarez rushes to Sarah's side. Paulson walks back into the room carrying the baby.
“Who does this belong to?” he asked.
“She's mine,” said Ximena.
Ximena took the baby and walked over to Father Suarez and Sarah.
“How is she?” asked Ximena.
The priest's head was down. Then he made the sign of the cross over Sarah.
“She's gone,” he said.
Ximena placed her hand on his shoulder. Father Suarez stood up.
“She died like a Marine should, fighting like hell,” he said.
Sarah walked out of the shadows on the other side of the room.
“What is going on she asked?” surprising herself at her ability to speak.
“It’s time to go,” said a voice from behind her.
A women dressed in white stepped out of the shadow and stood next to Sarah. Sarah turned to look at her, stepped back in shock, smiled, and then launched at the woman with a hug.
“Shelly!” Sarah yelled in joy.
“Hey there,” Shelly replied.
Sarah took a step back with tears of joy in her eyes.
“Am I?” Sarah asked.
“I’m afraid so kiddo,” said Shelly.
She reached out her hand. Sarah looked over at Father Suarez one last time then took Shelly’s hand and they both walked back into the shadow. Joseph's crow landed next to Lady Báthori’s skull and tapped on it. Then it moved over so Joseph could stomp down, crushing the skull.
“I'll take her bones and pulverize them. Then scatter them all over the mountains,” he said.
“You should really think bigger,” said Paulson.
Ximena walked up to Joseph and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Like worldwide. Maybe a few oceans,” she said.
Joseph nodded. Paulson opened the door to the birdcage and Ximena's crow flew out and landed on her shoulder. Then he walked over to Father Suarez to untie him.
“Okay, bird. Are we done now?” Ximena asked the crow.
At the hospital, the morning light began to shine into Jonah’s room. Ximena walked up to her fiancé. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
“I will always love you,” she said.
She placed her sleeping daughter on his chest and pinned a note to the blanket.
“Same goes for you. Talk care of each other,” she said.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GBtcQ2g1s
