#dih.task 003

                                                                        ~ ❖ ~

genevieve’s stomach churned.

the first strike had come abruptly and, naturally, the vampire found her way to the flames like a moth. the sight that unfolded before her was everything she dreamed it might be. it was V I O L E N T, and there was a brutality in the way they struck down those who stood against them that even she could admire. flames licked at the trees she had, on many occasions, been tempted to see alight. embers flickered across the sky as the forest ignited. as the roar of the flames grew and vicious orange climbed into the sky, the screams began. a cacophony of sounds that took her back to where she was made. waistcoats had given way to thin tunics, bourgeoisie replaced by disgruntled supernaturals, but the essence was the same. la chute d'une autre règne.

it was beautiful. and genevieve felt sick to her stomach.

her fangs pressed sharp against her tongue, venom p o o l e d in her mouth; a taunting reminder of what she should be doing. the sharp fragrance of iron permeated the air and her stomach roiled. the genevieve of then would not have hesitated, fresh from her transformation and bloodthirsty. a year ago her path would have been set, her desire to escape the realm would have rendered any second thoughts idiotic. it’s still idiotic, she reasoned – – but so was all of the turmoil that she had been experiencing as of late.

she was a solitary creature, ruthless yet fair, dolling out her justice indiscriminately. to care for others was a liability, a fatal flaw in the pursuit of self-preservation. how had she managed to evade it for nearly three centuries just to go soft in the span of a year? it was a cruel twist of fate, and yet, as the thought crossed her mind she found herself unable to take a step towards the guards.

a  p r o m i s e. for all the rage that had made its home in her chest, coiled tight and poisoning all it touched, she could not betray their trust. her word was her bond and now it called upon her to act.

quietly, with a newly renewed sense of purpose, genevieve fell in amongst the rebellion. she moved swiftly amongst the chaos, marching towards the guards as they fought hopelessly against the onslaught. and then, and while their focus was turned, she did what she had always done best. teeth found flesh, brown eyes turned crimson, and soon the warmth that filled her mouth overwhelmed her.

one body fell, and then another and another until nearly a third of the rebels had been disposed of. the first time she had ever chosen a side and it was to defend her captors.