Enid sat on the fur rug holding her Edward and Eyre close the nine-year-old twins snuggled against her.

“Tell us how Grandpa and Grandma met!”

“No, that’s boring tell us how you killed the Necromancer, you promised you’d tell us when we were older.”

Edward and Eyre started swatting at each other.

“I want to hear a true story not one mommy makes up!”

“It is a true story!”

“If you two keep this up I won’t tell you any stories. How about the time I killed a Strix?”

The twins looked up at her and said in unison.

“What’s a Strix?”

“It is a bad little girl or boy who is reborn from the Blood of Lilith!”

Eyre looked up again burning light of curiosity in her eyes. Enid smiled at her, she’d always been the smarter of the two, the more curious.

“Who is Lilith?”

“She was the first woman.”

“That’s not what the bible says!”

“Who cares? I want to hear about the fight!”

“I care! The bible says the first girl was Eve.”

“We’ll get to the fight, just let me explain Lilith first.”

“Lilith was God’s first attempt at creating a woman. He made her Adams equal in everything, but then when he told her she need to serve Adam she said no and refused and pushed Adam away. God cast her from the Garden, where she met a man another one of God’s cast offs. The man saved Lilith and showed her the ways of the world outside of Eden. It wasn’t like the world we know today. It was the raw stuff of creation. That Lilith and the man could force their will upon. When Eve succumbed to temptation God also cast her and Adam out of Eden. Through them and the whispers of Lucifer the world became this solid static thing. They created their own version of hell. The world we know today. With strife and evil, where humans have no power over is save crude physical changes. Lilith became jealous of Adam and Eve, and the children Eve bore. God had not finished her creation before she was cast out, she couldn’t have any of her own. She begged the man to give her a child. He refused. She grew angry and resentful. Then she grew desperate. She stole magic from him, and his seed, and created her own child by taking one of Adam and Eve’s babies. A girl. For she had no more use for men if they could give her no child.”

Enid looked at the children and gave a small frown then smiled warmly. They were both wake, Eyre was hanging on her every word and Edward had a look about his eyes if asking when the good part is going to come.

“The baby died and was reborn, but it stayed that way a baby forever. It also lusted for blood of its fellow man. Always hungry. Lilith was distraught, and lonely her betrayal of the man who had helped her left her all alone in a cold unforgiving world. Next, she tried an older child, and she mixed her blood with the seed she had stolen and used magic. The child turned one again. But she became a monster, uncontrollable, cursed. She was the first Strix. Lilith didn’t have the heart to put the monster down. So, it terrorized the humans, killing them for their blood. They had no hope, so they begged God, help us please! And God did answer. The child wasn’t of his creation, it was created with an ancient power from before creation, something he had little power over. Part of it was the stuff of his creation though so he sent an Angel, Ezekiel, to slay it. Ezekiel failed, and was almost destroyed. Ezekiel seeing what kind of danger this creature posed and desperate beseeched the Morningstar to help. The Morningstar laughed at him. The Ezekiel sought out the man, one of only three who existed outside of creation. He begged him to help set this right. The man agreed but demanded a future favor of the Angel. Ezekiel in his desperation agreed and blood was shared to seal the bargain. The man found the Strix, sensing what it was an unholy union of his seed, Lilith’s blood and blood magic slew it. The man went after Lilith next. Using his own blood magic he cast her into Hell for her crimes. She had pleaded with him for mercy, tried to rekindle their love, but the man refused, stating he could never love a monster that would create such a monster.”

Enid glanced down at her audience both were now listening intently. She stroked their hair and hugged them closer and continued.

“Once Lilith was in hell, Lucifer saw her for what she was a pathetic lonely creature and he took pity on her as a fellow exile from God’s grace. He explained that while the man was apart from creation, he was also one with it and that her attempts to reproduce his ability to create offspring would keep failing to match his because she was using stolen power and stolen blood. She should use her own and use older humans. He allowed Lilith to leave Hell to create a child. This time it worked, but she ignored Lucifer’s warnings and used the man’s blood again. It was a success the woman she turned rose again. But because of the stolen power and Lilith’s new reality as one of the damned the woman was cursed as much as she was gifted. She could never look upon God’s light again. The food created for humans would never satiate her, only blood of humans would. Things of purity would burn her. Never could she go into the sun, never could she touch silver, never could she eat an apple. And she would never carry a child in her womb. Even this daughter of Lilith would turn her back on her new mother. Lilith retreated back to Hell to plot her revenge against God, man, and her former lover. Leaving her children to their own devices. The daughter created another to have companionship and then they created another. And so on. They spread so far and so fast the man could not stop it and was forced to impose his will and the rule of law upon them before they used the powers they have been granted to rule over the humans. And thus became the ruler of all the creatures of the night.”

“If only Lilith can make Strix’s how did you fight one?”

“Good question Eyre. Lilith’s children can create them by accident. And that is what happened.”

“It was a terrible fight and if not for my armor and my trusty sword Bloodseeker it probably would have killed me. Strix’s aren’t intelligent but they are cunning. While I was stalking it, it was hunting me. Noctis was with me on the fateful night. If not for him it would have end very differently. It was hiding in tall grass and was about to pounce. Noctis neighed loudly and that enough forewarning for me spin and take the attack to my chest. I held it at bay, barely it was strong, stronger than a horse but it was small. It had razer sharp teeth and snapped at me and clawed at my chest tearing my dress.”

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Enid reached out and clawed at Edward’s chest with her fingers and he jumped and screamed. Eyre snickered and then looked up at Enid.

“Mom why were you wearing a dress when you were monster hunting!”

“Style is everything dear.”

Eyre giggled. Enid tickled her.

“So, the Strix was on top of me, clawing and snapping at me with its teeth, my armor was protecting me for the moment. But Strix’s claws carry a deadly poison. So, one false move I would have been dead. I hadn’t had a chance to draw my sword and it just kept clawing and biting. So I whistled to Noctis and he kicked the Strix sent it flying into a stone wall about ten feet away. It was enough time for me to get up and draw Bloodseeker. She came flying at me and I dodge to the side. I needed to wait for the right time, to kill a Strix you need to behead it you see. And it was a small target. I let it attack me a few more times. I needed to understand how it moved, how it attacked, how it reacted to an attack. Then when the time was right I side stepped and swung Bloodseeker. But it was faster than I anticipated, and I only got it’s legs. So, there it was laying five feet from me, growling and clawing its way towards me while its legs twitched at my feet.”

Enid shook her legs and then grabbed Edward who squealed with both fear and delight. Eyre made a sound of disgust.

“What happened then mom?”

“I lopped her head off. It was terrible wherever the blood had fallen the grass withered and died on the spot, and nothing has ever grown afterwards.”

The twins both shivered. Enid hugged them close. She senses something. Smelled something to. She looked around and threw the children to the ground. She felt the burning sensation as the first arrow entered her back, then another, she felt five pierce her flesh before she managed to get to cover. Each one burned like acid.

Death magic. How?

The children were screaming. Enid was screaming inside the pain was terrible. She forced her voice to sound calm when she whispered to her children.

“Go, use the passages go to the church through the undercroft and crypts. Tell the father what is happening. Go now, I’ll be alright. I love you both. She kissed them. She could hear her attackers preparing another volley she was reading this time and she willed blood to her muscles and for time to slow down for her, but nothing happened. She was hit several more times. A couple in her chest as she turned.

Arrows stopping me from using blood.

Enid held her hand out to the fire chanting in the ancient language her father had taught her the fire was drained from the hearth into her hand which she extended it incinerated the lead two attacks and the heat forced the others to stumble back. Keeping her momentum, she reached out her hand and a sword that was hung on the wall leapt to her hand and charged the lead attacker taking his head off his body. The last two had dropped their bows and were fleeing to the front door of the keep. Enid was losing steam quickly; The arrows weren’t only stopping her from using her blood they were sapping her strength. She picked up a discarded bow and two arrows launching them one after the other in rapid succession at her last two attackers. The Pugmentia weren’t so resistant to the magic as Enid and disintegrated into ash almost immediately.

Haven’t seen that kind of magic since…the Black Sun.

Enid collapsed; she broke some of the arrows in the process. She began to crawl to the nearest passage. She dragged herself along the floor and reached the stairs to the crypt below and rolled own them each stair burning the cursed arrowheads deeper she screamed as she hit the bottom. Her voice was barely a whisper.

“William…Willi..h”

Her hand reached out and darkness engulfed her. When she awoke again, it was not William looking down at her, it was Rosealyn. Enid’s eyes went wide.

“Shh, milady. William asked me to help. Explained that you weren’t normal, but he had no choice. That he didn’t have the hands for this kind of work. He said you were special and that evil magic was used against you and that all I had to do was get the arrowheads out and touch you with this.”

Rosealyn held up one of the blood crystals.

“And you would be fine.”

No, I don’t want to kill her.

“He also said it was dangerous, because I’d know to much, but if I cared for you at all I needed to come right away. You’re like a mother to me, I never knew mine. I had to come and help. I always knew you were more than human. No one can be as kind as you, as smart as you, as strong as you and be human. But I also know you’ve a good soul and I couldn’t let you die.”

Enid nodded.

“You can’t tell anyone what you saw tonight, ever. It will put you and them in danger.”

“I understand milady. I am not going to say I understand, but I’ve seen you work miracles I know you’ve healed people who had no right to live through their injuries. You’ve the power of Christ in you. And that is all I will ever say if someone asks. If I had my way they’d make you a saint.”

“They can’t you kept me alive.”

Rosealyn laughed, Enid joined her but then groaned holding her side.

“The wounds aren’t healing like William said they would. He left just before dawn and I’ve not seen him.”

“Does anyone know I’m alive?”

“No when I first got here in your delirium you were begging us to tell everyone you died.”

“Good, keep it that way. I can’t stay any longer.”

“No, milady you can’t leave the children.”

“I must, this attack came from an old enemy I thought was dead, they aren’t safe as long as I’m here. None of you are. I must leave and never come back. And everyone, even William must think you could not save me. Do you understand? It is important.”

“I understand milady.”

“You and Katherine need to look after the twins. Make sure they know their mother loved them more than life. And that her last words were of them.”

“I understand but you can’t leave yet, you’re so weak.”

“I will get stronger and I will heal, it will just take a few years. And then I will hunt down the one who did this and end him once and for all. Then maybe I can return and explain. I should have never gotten so content, it made me an easy target, won’t let it happen again.”

“But your skin condition, the sun is up.”

Enid frowned and laid back down.

“You have a point.”

“Milady, I should tell you, the attackers, they killed Noctis.”

Enid closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

“Rose, find the children, I sent them to the church, Henry should be back by now, tell them I died. I’ll move to the healer’s room and spread enough blood around to make it look real. Don’t worry I can look dead if I need. The hardest part is going to be not embracing the twins. Tell Henry the arrows were poisoned, and none should touch me and that I should be put in the crypt as soon as possible. Make sure my pack is down here, I’ll take care of the rest. You can do this, I promise I will repay you.”

Rosealyn nodded.

“Now help me up. Please.”

Enid reached out to Rosealyn who helped her stand. Enid made her way up the stair slowly and the labyrinth of passages. Enid spread blood on the white cloth of the healing table and slowly sat on it, laying out and closing her eyes. She forced her skin to go paler. Stopped her mimicked breathing, her heart. She laid still as the dead and waited. She heard voices, Rosealyn, Katherine, Henry, and Father Beldan.

“I’m sorry milord, I tried everything I could. I pulled the arrow heads out but her wounds were to grave and the arrows were poisoned. I don’t know by what. They meant to kill her and the children She must have shielded them. She had several in her back. More in her front, probably from when she charged them. I don’t know how she managed to kill them with so many in her. One was in her heart two were in her lungs. She was still alive when William brought me but there was little I could do. I’m so sorry milord.”

“I’m sure you did everything you could Rose, my wife said you were as gifted a healer as she’d ever worked with. I appreciate that you tried.”

“You should have summoned me so I could perform the last rites, here her last confession.”

“She was too busy trying to save her life Father Beldan.”

“But her immortal soul.”

“Father you must not touch the body the poison is still there. Like black veins near the wounds. It is leeching out of her. We mustn’t touch her at all, and she should be taken down to the crypt as soon as possible and put in a tomb and wrapped in the sheet. Once some time has passed you can have a proper one prepared but for the safety of everyone, we need her to be removed immediately. If there are any arrows remaining, they must be burned as well, and you must be very careful not to touch the tips. The poison would have killed her had the arrows not.”

“I still must pray for her soul.”

“I will tell the children. This is a conversation I never wished to have, but it was like she knew it was coming, she kept saying that I would have to learn to live without her.”

He sounded shattered.

Enid wanted to reach out to him. To hug him, tell him she truly did love him but she did neither and laid there still as the dead. She heard someone approach and felt water sprinkle on her.

“In nominee Patris et Filii et Spiritus Santi, Pater noster, qui es in caelis est ut sibi spiritu tuo. Gloria Dei.”

In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit, I commit your spirit to our father who art in heaven. Glory to God. Not today Father but thank you for trying.

She soon felt herself being carried inside the sheet that was to become her burial shroud. She heard the stone grinding as they moved the stone over her. The scent of the stone tomb reminded her of which she’d been put in, the fresh blank one she’d put Elizabeth in she waited until the middle of the night when all would sleep and crept into the keep. She retrieved Bloodseeker, her special chainmail and her pack. She’d managed to stash away several thousand pounds over the years and she put that in her pack. Finally she retrieved her bloodstones, she had made ten, nine still held blood, she added those to her pack as well. Handy having something that could hold as much as a house yet fit over her shoulder.

Still weak. Might be best if I rest in the crypt for a time.

Enid went back into the tomb and slide the stone over her head, willing the healing sleep on. Soper her father had called it. With it a vampire could heal wounds they normally could not. It was risky because the vampire never knew how long it would take. Enid assumed she’d wake in a month or two. Perhaps the pain of leaving would not be so strong by then and she could check on her family. Enid let the sleep overtake her, she hadn’t realized it. She’d been resisting it since the attack.