The Vampire And The Orphan
Chapter Eighteen

“How is this not working?” Lilith grew increasingly frustrated, which didn’t bode well for Nathanial.

She had his heart clenched in her hand again, bringing him to the brink of death, again. She’d also drained nearly all of his blood, he was not in a good way.

All he thought about was Lettie; she was safe. That’s all that mattered, he was nearly depleted of blood and in more pain than he’d ever endured, but none of it mattered.

So long as she was safe.

She was safe, right? What if she wasn’t? The fear, coupled with Lilith’s firm grip on his heart nearly caused him to pass out.

“How has she not come for you yet? She must feel your pain.”

Lilith snapped as she released his heart. “Where is she?”

“If you really knew about us, why didn’t you come to get her days ago?” Nyx asked, causing Lilith to walk over to the large blonde vampire who was also strapped to a chair.

“I wanted her to come to me.” Lilith shrugged.

“Then why didn’t you ever stop us? Why continue letting us kill your street minions?” Nyx looked devastated at the idea of a mole in his rebellion and Nathanial couldn’t blame him, he’d worked hard training them all.

“Population control.” Lilith shrugged. “They get a little turn happy out there. You’ve done a wonderful job keeping my secrets by keeping the numbers at bay.”

“You awful bitch,” Nyx muttered, to which Lilith snapped his neck.

“I Liked it better when he didn’t speak.”

She looked at Nathanial again. “What do I do with you now? Maybe I should just kill you. This is useless. I can find other ways to get the hybrid.”

“Go ahead.”

It would prevent Lettie from ever feeling this, from coming here. He’d die for her. Gladly. Maybe that was what this was all for.

He only wished he could see her beautiful face one more time first. Kiss those lips once last time, and then he’d die a happy man.

I love her, he realized. How did it take him so long to figure it out?

She’d never even know… that was so wrong, she needed to know.

Lilith’s face hardened, and her eyes narrowed in on Nathanial. She didn’t make empty threats this was the end for him.

“Stop.” A woman materialized from seemingly nowhere. Long golden hair fell down her back, she wore a long white gown and no shoes, and as she turned to look at Nathanial, he saw the purple eyes and knew instantly who she was.

“Lailah?”

“This is priceless! I thought I’d need your daughter to lure you here! You saved me an entire step.” Lilith said gleefully as the angel took a step toward her.

“Leave him be. I’ll take you to Jael.”

“Why now?” Lilith raised a dubious eyebrow.

“I’m giving you what you want, and you question it?” Lailah countered.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Lilith said slowly. “Where is your daughter?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“If you don’t trust me, bring Nathanial too,” Lailah suggested.

Nathanial was close to passing out. His head kept dropping down; why was Lettie’s mother here? Did she really have Lettie somewhere safe?

**

Lettie and Jael slipped back into the faery realm from the demon one. The faery woman she saved was already gone, she probably found the others behind the wall.

Lettie paused, unsure of what to do next. Should she go back down and get Nathanial. Or would that only put him in danger?

How would she fool Jael?

Suddenly she felt it, the power so much power.

“What is happening?” Jael questioned and Lettie looked to see all the fae hovering around the large field in the air, the sound of their wings making a fluttering sound that was as beautiful as the sight of them all in the air.

Their energy was so strong, and it was filling Lettie up, as Jael’s face paled.

“Stop this at once! Stop!” He demanded.

“We’ll lend you our power.” An old man white flew down, landing right in front of Lettie.

“Olette, do not make this choice,” Jael warned.

“What choice is that Jael? The one you said I didn’t have?”

“You will fail,” Jael said crudely. “You will never be strong enough, you tainted human!”

“I will not fail!” Lettie snapped. “You are the one that failed them!”

“No, she won’t it is her destiny.”

They all froze when a beautiful woman in a long white gown appeared, Nathanial was standing next to her being held up, by a tall, gorgeous woman with long black hair. He was barely standing upright, and she could feel his pain and anguish, what had they done to him?

“Nathanial!” Lettie screamed and lunged towards him, but the dark-haired woman snapped him backward.

“Come one step closer, and I’ll kill him,” she warned Lettie.

“Lilith.” Jael’s eyes darkened as they met hers.

“Jael,” She flickered her eyes at him. “I’d say you look well, but you don’t.”

“You’re Lilith?” Lettie looked from her to the other woman, who had teary purple eyes as she gaped at Lettie. “Mom?”

“Olette” the teary woman replied. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Okay, reunion time is over. Time to die.” Lilith dropped Nathanial and then took a menacing step toward one of the fae. “This should be fun; it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet up here.”

Jael pushed her back with his dark energy, but she was up again in seconds. Four male faeries now banded together and pushed a larger ball of dark energy at Lilith and it shoved her down to the ground, then they flew over, using the power to hold her in place on the ground.

“Open it!” Jael demanded.

Lettie gasped when she saw Jael had Nathanial in his grip, a stake in his hand. “Open it and let them out, or I kill him.”

“Don’t do it, Lettie!” Lailah begged. “Don’t let them out.”

“Let him go!” Lettie screamed, and as she did a ball of dark energy came barreling toward Jael. He ducked it and threw one back at her.

She felt the power begin to build from the other faeries surrounding her. The dark energy she controlled was growing bigger and bigger.

“Let go of him, now!” A blast of power forced Jael several hundred feet back.

Lettie felt stronger than ever, but Nathanial was weak so weak, she could feel him fading into blackness as he fell to the ground. He needed blood, but she had to take care of Jael first.

She started towards him but Jael escaped the hold and came towards her.

“You can’t end me. You aren’t the chosen one. Not with human blood in your veins.”

“She is. She always was.” Lailah said. “a witch saw this, a long time ago.”

Lilith screamed then and pushed past the hold the faeries had her in. She started racing towards Jael, but he pushed her back. Only for her to stand up again.

A feary girl tried to reach for Lilith but Lilith grabbed her and sunk her fangs into the girl’s neck.

“Let go of her!” Lettie pushed a ball of energy forward, and it gripped Lilith’s neck. Using all her focus she pushed Lilith toward the monster realm. As soon as she was close Lailah tore the veil open and Lettie pushed Lilith into it, screaming all the while.

Lailah then closed the opening.

“Whoa,” Prue’s voice stunned her, and she turned to see the vampire, with the two faery guards joining them.

“We thought you’d be okay with her being out now.” One of the two explained and Lettie nodded.

“Prue! Go check on Nathanial!” Lettie directed, and she hurriedly blurred over to him.

“

The movements with Lilith exhausted Lettie, though so when Jael threw his energy at her, she fell backward on her butt.

Angrily sitting back up, she glanced at Lailah for help.

“Pull it into you.” Lailah said softly. “Use your light, not your dark.”

At first, Lettie was confused, but then it made sense. The fae were lending her their energy to use, but She could take Jael’s for herself.”

She concentrated and could feel all the power inside him; she pulled this time; instead of pushing, she pulled his energy into her, feeling herself grow stronger as he grew weaker.

“Stop her! How can you all betray me!?” His voice was growing hoarse and weak.

“I command you to cease!”

They only stepped closer to Lettie instead.

“There is no turning back from this.” Jael’s voice grew even weaker as Lettie kept pulling his energy into her.

“It’s not just duty. It’s a curse. You’ll be the mother of all fae, but also the earth itself.” Jael warned her.

“I accept my fate,” Lettie said firmly. “I am not afraid of it, and I am not afraid of you.”

“Night, grandpa.” Lettie pulled with all her might, and Jael collapsed to the ground as she rose up to the sky.

The other faeries all joined her in the air, cheers and happiness filling the vast space.

“You did it!” Lailah flew up to her, embracing her in her arms.

“Mom,” Lettie cried into her embrace.

The two women floated back down as Lettie held tightly to her mother.

“I feel so strange. I can feel everyone here.” Lettie felt the overwhelming feelings and thoughts from so many of the fae, and she couldn’t make sense of all the buzzing in her head.

“It’ll be easier as you get a hold of it, and it’ll be easier on earth,” Lailah assured her softly. “For now, simply relax your mind.”

Lettie closed her eyes and took a breath, slowly all the tiny voices and buzzes quieted until there was just one.

Nathanial…

He was so weak, so pained.

“Let her out.” Prue’s voice deepened, and Lettie looked over to find Prue with a stake directed right at Nathanial’s heart!

“What!?” Lettie gasped in horror.

“Let Lilith out, or I’ll kill him.”

“You .. no,” Lettie shook her head furiously. “You said..”

“I said a lot of things,” Prue’s eyes were cold. “I made Nyx lie. I was already a vampire when he and I met. I told him it was for the greater good and that big oaf will believe anything."

"Who turned you then? Was the vision of me even true?

"Oh, it was just more than what I told you. Lilith turned me after I told her I saw Jael's daughter's, future daughter, becoming the mother of the earth. The order, the rebellion, the street vamps, all for show. All to bide our time, until we could get you to kill Jael.”

“…but, I trusted you.” Lettie concentrated on the stake as she spoke, focusing and started to gather her energy once again, now that she took Jael’s in her it seemed endless.

“Silly faery girl, never trust a vampire.”

“He protected your whole line for years!” Lettie accused as she focused on the power swirling inside her.

“I had to keep him busy,” Prue shrugged. “We knew we’d need your mate as a bargaining chip.”

“You knew…? He’d be my mate?”

“I knew a lot of things,” Prue pushed the stake in slightly and Lettie could literally feel Nathanial’s pain.

“Let him go. You have to let him go,” Lettie begged.

“Let Lilith out, and I will.”

“Never,” Lettie pushed the black cloud at the stake, and it gripped at it like a hand, ripping it away from Prue.

Lettie lunged at the small vampire, pushing her far away from Nathanial.

“You little bitch!” Prue sunk her fangs into Lettie’s neck, and she screamed from the pain.

Prue was pulled off her by force and Lettie looked up to see a group of fae pushing her back with a ball of energy. Prue’s eyes lit up with anger, she screamed and grunted as she pushed past the energy, but it was too strong for her as more and more fae joined in, effectively trapping the small vampire against a tree.

“Hold her there for a moment. I’ll take her with me.” Lailah directed and then walked up to Lettie. “My sweet, wonderful girl. You’ve grown into a woman I am so proud of.”

“Take her where?” Lettie asked, shifting her eyes at the cruel vampire. Nathanial gave her five hundred years of servitude only to be betrayed.

“Lilith is too cunning to be left with the demons alone. Someone will need to watch the demon realm. Someone will need to keep Lilith, her little vampire friend, and the monsters inside of it. That, my child, is my fate.”

“But. no… you can’t ... you can spend eternity with demons and monsters!”

“I can, and I will.” Lailah pressed a kiss to Lettie’s forehead.

“But...”-

“I found my soulmate, darling, and I didn’t get much time with him, but what I got was worth a lifetime of guarding that realm. It’s why I was born. It’s why you were born, to save the earth.”

“What do I do next? I don’t even know?”

“Prue’s group of vampires in the rebellion didn’t know she was working with the order. You can take control of that group; the order will dismantle quickly without Lilith in charge. Once calm is established, bring the fae back down to earth, and it’ll be your duty to watch over them. Your mate will help you, I’m sure.”

“Nathanial!” Lettie gasped, “he needs blood!”

He was still lying on the ground, pale and lifeless.

“Go. Go to him.”

“Mom…” she cried.

“I love you, Olette.”

“I love you, mom.”

They embraced one last time and then Lettie watched with a tear in her eye as her mom took Prue and pulled her through the veil with her.

She then raced for Nathanial crouching down on the ground beside him. Her neck was still openly bleeding from Prue. She crawled over him and angled her neck to drip into his mouth.

“Come on, come on. Nathanial,” she pushed her light energy into him as she fed him, using it to soothe his wounds as she let her blood drip into his mouth.

Finally he came to life under her, latching on with his sharp fangs as he began to pull her life force into him.

She could feel him, every part of him inside her, all around her. She closed her eyes and let herself feel him come back to life, she began to grow dizzy as he drank hungrily, but she couldn’t die, so she didn’t stop him.

Until it became too much she whimpered lightly, the sound instantly brought him from his daze, and he pulled away fast.

“Lettie! Lettie! I’m sorry I’m so sorry.”

“I’m fine, I didn’t stop you because you needed it,” she assured him as he sat up.

His hands stroked her cheeks as his eyes studied her carefully. “I took too much you can’t be okay...”

“You’ll never have to worry about that again, Nathanial,” Lettie said softly.

“What do you mean?” He looked around, his eyes widening when he noticed the rather; large audience of both hovering and standing faeries around them.

“Is this the faery realm? Lettie, did you let Jael grab you?”

“Prue did; she betrayed me, twice. She nearly killed you.”

“Prue? She was the mole?”

“She had been working with Lilith this entire time. Lilith turned her.”

“Does Nyx know?” Nathanial asked.

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so,” Lettie mumbled.

“I’ll kill her.” His eyes narrowed.

“She’s not reachable,” Lettie grasped his hands.

“What does that mean?” he asked, “and what about this not worrying about taking too much blood?”

“You missed a lot, when you were knocked out, Lilith really did a number on you.”

“She knew about us being soulmates, she was trying to force you to come to her. Where… where is she? Where is Jael?” he stood up and pulled Lettie close to him. “Lilith will do anything to get your mother to do her bidding. It’s not safe.”

“Nathanial,” she stopped and turned round to address all the fairies that were watching.

“Can you all give us a moment?”

“But we didn’t get to see the kissing yet,” a young-looking faery girl spoke only to be scolded by an older one.

“Go on now,” Lettie smiled as they all flew off back to the walled area.

“They listen to you,” Nathanial murmured.

“They should I’m their mother now, apparently.”

“What!?” He looked totally lost, and she laughed at his expression.

“I didn’t know what I needed to do until Prue brought me here,” she explained. “Once I was with my kind again, I could feel them inside my soul; they had been waiting got me. My mother was never supposed to make that choice. She was supposed to have a baby, who would be the successor to Jael.”

“You.”

“Yeah, me, but it wasn’t that simple,” Lettie explained. “I had to kill him to dethrone him.”

“You what? You killed Jael?”

“I did.” She felt not one ounce of remorse. “It was my fate, and it was long overdue. Jael’s heart had gone dark, he even sacrificed some of our kind to keep himself alive.”

But how?”

“The light, it’s angelic, and it’s not just in my necklace; it’s in me. I just had to find it, and when I did, I used that light to pull the power out of Jael and into myself.”

“Are you okay?” he looked concerned/

“I’m a little nervous. This is a huge task; it goes beyond the fae. I’m in charge of the earth itself. The mother of the faery and the earth.”

“I’ll help you, keep them safe,” Nathanial offered. “We’ll take the order down whatever it takes.”

“I threw Lilith into the demon realm,” Lettie smirked at his stunned expression. “Then, when Prue nearly killed you, my mother took her into it. Neither of them are getting out. My mother’s fate is to keep them and the demons sealed in it.”

“Your mother, she came to help me.”

“I know,” Lettie smiled sadly. “I got to see her once, and that’s everything.”

“So… Jael is dead, Lilith and Prue are both locked away?” Nathanial looked totally stunned.

“Yup.”

“All this time, we thought I was meant to save you, but you didn’t need me at all. You were meant to save me.” Nathanial mused with so much pride in his eyes; it touched her and made her smile.

“We saved each other,” she corrected him. “I never would have gotten this far without you.”

“You would have,” he gazed down at her. “You always had this strength in you. You will protect them for centuries to come, and you’ll protect the earth too, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“When I see you look at me like that I believe it.”

“You have always amazed me, charmed me, made me laugh, and I don’t laugh,” Nathanial mused as he continued to gaze softly at her. “but more so, Lettie, you have opened my heart to things I thought were long gone. You make me feel alive again, you make me want to be alive.”

“Oh, Nathanial,” she whispered.

“I love you, Lettie,” he cupped her cheeks delicately into his hands. “At six hundred and forty years old, I found the love of my eternal life.”

“Nathanial,” she cried, “I love you too, with my whole heart and my whole soul; I love you.”

“Forever,” he declared as his lips claimed hers in a soft and tender kiss; forever meant a lot, considering they were both immortal, but she wouldn’t accept anything less than eternity with him.

A quiet giggle broke up their moment, and Lettie turned to see the young faery girl from earlier hiding behind a tree watching them.

“Sorry, Miss Lettie!” She giggled and then flew away.

Nathanial laughed as they watched her fly off.

“You sure you want to sign up for this?” Lettie asked with an amused grin. “Faeries can be a little mischievous.”

“I’ve never been surer of anything.” He promised her.

“What do we do? My mother had said the order will fall and we should work rebellion.”

“That’s a good idea. We’ll set up base at my mountain house, for the time being, but before we bring your kids down let’s find a witch to spell it for protection.”

“My kids,” Lettie laughed, and Nathanial joined In.

“Well, what are we waiting for, let’s go finish saving the world.” Lettie offered with a smile.

“In a minute,” Nathanial pulled her closer. “I’m not done kissing you yet.”

Their lips crashed together in a fiery kiss as the fireflies danced above their heads.

~

The end

Thanks so much for reading!! I am leaving here so it’s open for a possible sequel in the future. I will at some point go back and edit this of course but for now, I am happy to mark it complete and I sure hope you all like it!!

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.