i feel his will, his strength, trying to penetrate my core; it doesn't. i smile at him. "go fuck yourself, arcos."

valerian's brow pulls into a hideous frown. "very well. i'll risk a war-"

everything happens so fast after that.

valerian's features morph into that of the hideous strigoi bloodsucker that he is. he lunges at eli, and i throw my cored energy into my legs and leap at them both. valerian and eli are entangled, fighting, jaws snapping, and i wedge between the two and, with all the power i can control, throw eli as far as i can. his body sails, knocking over tombstone after tombstone like dominoes as he crashes. only then, once i see eli on the ground, do i feel the piercing of skin, ripping of artery, and fiery intrusion of valerian's poisoned toxic fang as it enters me. i turn and look at him, my hand flying to my throat. he snaps back, his face confused, contorted. filled with agony. i stumble backward, something warm and sticky trickling between my fingers at my throat. already, my vision begins to blur.

a rumble rises, roars, and vibrates within me as a body flies past and rocks into valerian. i shake my head to clear my vision. shock steals my breath.

victorian arcos, in one fierce twist, takes the head of his very own brother.

another roar pulls my attention back to eli. i'm falling now, stumbling like i've had too much tequila, and i see another figure fighting him. they tangle, twist, and the other figure throws his head back, dreads pulled into a queue, and noah sinks his jagged fangs into eli's throat.

i stumble back, horrified, dizzy, and i hit the ground on my backside. my energy is spent. my scatha-i've been clutching it the whole time-drops from my hands. i fall back on the cold cemetery ground and stare skyward. no stars. just blackness. oh yeah, i'm in an alternative world. nothing's real here anyway except the creatures and souls within. . . .

victorian's flawless face and warm brown eyes stare down at me. his mouth is moving furiously, and he is shouting my name. i can't hear him. but it's my name. he grips my shoulders and shakes me, and he falls to his knees and scoops me up. he must be running with me . . . somewhere. my body begins to convulse, my breath quickens, stops in my lungs, and i can't breathe. i'm clawing at victorian's shirt, his hair, but he's running fast, his head turned yelling at someone over his shoulder. i can't hear who. his face is drawn tight in fury and concern, but he doesn't look down at me again. i think i see tears streaming down his face. fear pits my stomach, but i can only stare. only straight ahead. i grow weak fast, and now my arms fall helpless. i feel like i'm floating again. where's noah? please, god, please at least let noah get out. a black curtain is pulled over my eyes, wrapped around my head until i can't breathe, and i see nothing, hear nothing . . .