Chapter 12: The Siege Begins
Sybil and Lilly sat in the vestibule of Ruthven Manor, patiently watching the door. They weren't great friends with each other, but had always been on good terms, and Lilly had harbored a minor crush on Sybil for quite awhile. Sybil's long mane of red hair and curvy, buxom figure made her stand out from most of the slender, dark-haired members of the coven, and Lilly longed to get to know her better. Lilly thought that Sybil was a bit more guarded and reticent than usual tonight, but chalked it up to worry about the war. For her part, Sybil found Lilly to be pleasant and relaxing, especially since she was willing to keep up more than her share of the conversation.
There came a knock on the door. Lilly opened it a crack; it was Drusilla.
"Where's Sally?" she asked, as she let Drusilla in to the vestibule. "You guys were supposed to stay in pairs!"
Drusilla looked sour. "I guess she ran off on her own," she said. "I can't be expected to keep watch on that little trollop." She stomped off down the hall. Lilly looked at Sybil, who could only shrug.
Moments later, there was another knock, and Lilly let Sally in through the door, quickly bolting it again behind her. She was about to reprimand Sally for running off on her own, but then saw her face.
Sally, usually so jovial and full of life, had tear streaks on her cheeks. Her eyes were red. "Sally! What's the matter?" asked Lilly.
But Sally just shook her head and ran off down the hall. Sybil and Lilly both shrugged. Lilly signed both of them back in on the sheet. She looked down to the next row of names. "Zelda and Persephone are scheduled to feed next," she said.
"I'll go get them," said Sybil, and trotted off to find the pair. Lilly watched her shapely buttocks appreciatively as she receded down the long hallway.
Lenore came in to the vestibule to check on things. Lilly looked up.
"All is quiet so far, Lenore," she reported. "Sally and Drusilla just returned, and Sybil has gone off to get Zelda and Persephone for their turn to feed."
Lenore looked grim. She always looked grim lately. She peered out through the peephole in the great oaken door. The quarter moon was just setting toward the western horizon. "The moon is setting," she said. "There's just a few hours of night left, and this is the darkest part. If there is to be an attack, it will be now. Maybe we should suspend the feedings."
Just then, Sybil returned with Zelda and Persephone. "What?" said Zelda. "Suspend the feedings? Oh, Lenore, is that really necessary? We promise we'll be careful. Right, Perse?" Persephone, not wanting to miss out on her feeding either, nodded vigorously.
"Well, all right," said Lenore. "But be extra careful. And stay together every moment." She strode off, her scowl deeper than ever.
"Okay you two," said Lilly. "I've got you signed out for feeding. You've only got a couple hours, so be quick about it. Just feed, no stray sex along the way." Zelda stuck her tongue out at her as she and Persephone stepped out into the night. They stood momentarily on the veranda as the strong oaken door was locked behind them.
"Where do you usually like to feed, Perse?" asked Zelda.
"Well, my favorite is the wharf area. The sailors there are strong and horny, and nobody ever misses them. Of course, we're not supposed to waste any time on sex tonight, so..."
She stopped suddenly. She thought she heard a low whooshing sound. "Did you hear that, Zelda?" she asked, peering into the darkness. But there was no answer. She whirled.
"Zelda!" she screamed. Zelda was standing beside her, her eyes like saucers, the end of a thick wooden shaft protruding from between her breasts.
Alerted by the muffled sound of Persephone's scream through the thick oak, Lilly swung open the door. She grabbed Persephone by the arm and yanked her inside. Both watched in horror as Zelda's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, her face a mask of surprise and confusion. Then her body convulsed, shimmered, turned to a fine gray dust, and fell to the ground in a conical pile.
Lilly slammed the door shut as fast as she could, and none too soon. There immediately came the sound of three loud thuds as three more wooden stakes slammed into the strong oak panels of the door from outside.
Sybil, who had seen Zelda's demise through the crack of the door, was going into hysterics. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," she was muttering, her teeth chattering in her head. "Oh my god, oh my god..."
Lenore came running in at the sounds. "What the hell!" she yelled.