Till Death Do Us Kill

Chapter 7 - Eleanora

“M-Mother…? What are you talking about…my…my daughter is dead!” Veronas grin turned sinister as she stepped closer, my footsteps echoing as I stepped back. She stopped short, staring, her head tilting slightly as she spoke. “What’s the matter Mother? Worried you failed at killing me? Well, you’ll be happy to know that you succeeded, but it turns out I'm a lot more like you than you ever realized.” Her hand came up, a force knocking me up against the wall, lifting me up slowly, the force closing around my neck. I clawed roughly at my neck, the air escaping my lungs as my vision blurred, the black spots popping up more and more. Flicking my wrist, Verona was flung against the fireplace, her head hitting the brickwork, blood trickling down from the now open wound across her forehead. I dropped to the ground as the air returned to my lungs, spots fading from my vision, clearing my throat quickly before speaking.

“My daughter is dead, I made sure of that. I don’t know who you think you are but you aren’t her, and her name certainly wasn’t Verona. So who sent you? Was it The Rebellion? Was it Kieran? If so you can tell them I want no part of their war, I’ve spent long enough fighting their battles, I’m tired. As for Kieran, well, if he’s upset over a little separation tell him to grow a pair and speak to me like a man.” I watched Verona in silence, the way her eyes bore through me…they really were Kierans eyes. But there was no way in hell she was my daughter, it was already nearly impossible that I had bore the ability to have a child to begin with being immortal, much less for her to be standing in front of me now. As my mind ticked with every thought running through it, I missed what was happening. Before I knew it a blade had been shoved through my stomach, tearing me away from my thoughts and to the woman who stood before me. Her words were slurred from the blood loss as she spoke.

“Forgive me mother, I’m not in a patient mood tonight. I need something only you can give, and I intend to get it. But in the meantime, I can’t have you knowing where The Rebellion is hiding out…not yet at least.” Moments later Verona leaned back before slamming her head forward, attempting to knock me unconscious, and failing miserably. Rather than knock me out, she had only managed to break my nose, the blood already begin to drip slowly down my dress. I knew then I had truly lost it when I could do nothing more than laugh at her failure, coughing on my blood as I opened my mouth to speak, chuckling darkly. “Maybe you really are my daughter…that fire…that’s all me sweetheart, but the failure? The inability to complete a job the way it should be done? That’s all your father, at least the version of him you knew…” I bring a leg up, kneeing her in the gut as she flies back. “You’ll come to learn quickly Verona…Lorelai…whatever the hell your name is, you wanna take down someone like me? You’re going to need a lot more than just you.” Black tendrils snake down my arms, pulling the energy from the room as I stalk towards her, whipping an arm out as the tendrils fall, linking and twining together like a whip, shooting forward before slicing her arm. As the cut on her arm opens, black liquid oozes from her wound and I watch in silence as she stares up, the shock apparent in her hardened features. I raise my arm, prepared to strike again when the front door is flung open, Kierans voice ringing out amidst all the growing chaos.

“Eleanora stop! Take her from me again and I will do everything in my power to figure out a way to end you! I won’t lose our daughter again. Forget the damned prophecy, just let it go. It’s been centuries.” My back turned to him, I raise my arm, bringing it down again as the tendrils continued to whip at her, her cries of agony at each laceration killing me more than he would ever understand. If this was truly her…my beautiful little Lorelai…then she had to be stopped, she could not be allowed to walk this Earth. Not now, not ever. He would hate me for this, but I truly had no choice. ‘There was no way around her death’ I thought. ‘Unless…’ I shake my head dispelling the thought. She had to die, that was all there was to it. ‘But what if…what if her first death was all that was needed…’ I lowered my arm slowly, the tendrils fading slowly back into my skin as I dropped down in front of her, lifting her chin slowly before speaking.

“Are…are you truly her…are you truly my daughter?” Verona looks up weakly, staring silently before nodding, wincing at the pain from her wounds. She begins to hum slowly, the tune sending chills down my spine, Kieran lets out an audible gasp from behind us. “Your mother used to hum that tune to put you to sleep when you were an infant…it is you…but I…I found your body…you were dead…how?” I look at Verona, curious myself to know just what her answer to his questions would be. I knew that I had killed her that day. As she looked between Kieran and I in continued silence the tension stretched on, Kieran stepping forward to stand just behind where I knelt, his button up shirt rumpled and disheveled, making him look out of place. The look in her eyes was still cold, her gaze unwavering as she turned it back to me, eyeing me carefully before speaking quietly.

“She did kill me that day, I woke up in a coffin, having to claw my way out of it. It turns out I inherited mothers inability to die, and trust me, over the centuries I’ve tried to. But I have my reasons for being here, and you’re not going to like them, but you need to listen to me when I tell you. I am with The Rebellion, yes, but I do not lead them. That job, falls to you mother.” She looks at Kieran before continuing. “Father, you were meant to lead humanity in this war, but you cannot. This war cannot keep going on. The war is not between humans and witches…it is between husband and wife. This war…it is you.”