Inside the GOTH MANOR, KEVIN and the two vampires CEDRIC, ROXANNE, have found a feral vampire who’s invaded the home and made it her own. After hearing him open the back door, she sprung on KEVIN, leaving him a shallow wound across his shoulder. She scattered, running upstairs.

The three have run upstairs and CEDRIC, KEVIN stand in the center of the hallway, trying to decide which door to take first.

CEDRIC pushes up the side of his jacket and pulls out a small pistol, gleaming in the dim light.

It is RATDEATH.

CEDRIC holds it up and pulls down on a lever where the hammer might have been and pulls it into place. He’s selecting the injected toxin for his next shot.

With a subdued click, he chooses sleep.


VINCENT//

Diplomacy. Good of him.

Though a stronger being may be able to overcome the poison.

You expected the stuff to be used against Mortals & Mages.



KEVIN

(thinking) Then maybe next time I should make it of stronger stuff.


CEDRIC waves his hand, signalling to the party that he intends to approach the master bedroom first.

He paces toward the bedroom, slowly, steadily. KEVIN follows suit. ROXANNE remains perched on the wall.

As they enter the room, it seems even more disheveled than the downstairs. The curtains have been pushed aside messily and through their edges is cast a dim glow. They proceed into the room, the beginning of which is a sort of passageway with a bathroom on to their right. It creates a corner wherein vision is obscured.

ROXANNE reappears as a human behind them.

On the floor in front of them, laying at the foot of the bed, is the unmistakable form of a coffin. The dark wood is illuminated by the invasive light of the streetlamps.


VINCENT//

Mortimer Goth's last respite.

Let's find out who this cunt is that's been treading --



CEDRIC kicks the coffin and the top falls off, landing halfway against the floor and side of the coffin. Inside is a folded grey blanket.

CEDRIC

WHOEVER SHE IS, SHE –


From the opposite side of the bed leaps the wild woman, baring her teeth and preparing to sink them into CEDRIC’s neck. But he throws her off and her back smacks noisily against the wall. She is shocked and scuttles back to her feet. CEDRIC aims his gun and fires a shot at her as she attempts to flee the room.

The shot lands in her thigh.

But for the time being, she keeps running on all fours out of the room toward ROXANNE, who readies her stance and attempts to press her nails into the woman’s flesh.

She fails to manage a grasp on the woman and she keeps running, ROXANNE’s nails just managing to barely scratch the woman’s skin.

ROXANNE

FUCK!


From their vantage point, the vampress has run into the second bedroom.

ROXANNE collapses into a bat and flutters back into the hallway.

KEVIN follows her, followed shortly by CEDRIC. The two assume a parallel stance in the hallway, preparing to enter the bedroom. ROXANNE flies ahead of them through the doorway.

The silence is broken when the woman swipes at the bat, once unsuccessfully, but the second time, she grasps her wing and pulls her down toward herself.

CEDRIC rushes forward, lowering himself to use his shoulder to throw his weight at the woman. She is distracted by her fresh catch and is caught off-guard by CEDRIC. She gasps in surprise, and it’s the first they’ve heard of voice from the feral woman.

KEVIN joins, throwing his hand out to use a push of force to expose her neck. His opposite hand reaches out and a shape of ice condenses in his hand. It’s a blade of black ice. He grasps it tightly and shoves it against her now prone neck.

Her hands go slack and ROXANNE sloppily flies off, taking her human form in the opposite corner of the room.

KEVIN

NAME!

NOW!


The woman blinks, chest heaving.

CEDRIC brings his gun out and holds it to her temple.

CEDRIC

TELL HIM YOUR NAME.


The room pauses before she speaks. ROXANNE nurses a bloodied arm.

FERAL VAMPRESS

YOUR…

BLADE…

CAN’T HURT ME, MAGICIAN.


KEVIN yells at her explosively.

KEVIN

YOUR NAME!



VINCENT//

You know, now that we're getting a better look at her,

she does seem kind of familiar.



She does nothing but heave in and out and attempt to avoid eye contact with her captors.

CEDRIC suddenly removes the gun from her temple and fires three rounds, point-blank, into her thigh.


VINCENT//

Two left.



KEVIN, still holding her neck with his angle of force, is taken aback.

KEVIN

CEDRIC?!

WHAT –

CEDRIC

THIS IS NO TIME FOR SPORTSMANSHIP.

SHE DOESN’T WANT TO TELL HER NAME, I DON’T HAVE TO BE POLITE, EITHER.


CEDRIC sheathes his weapon, freeing his hands to clasp the woman’s neck. KEVIN releases his choke-hold.

FERAL VAMPRESS

THAT’S…

QUITE SOME WEAPON YOU’VE GOT THERE.

CEDRIC

WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO GET SOME NEW CUFFS.

SHE’S JUST GONNA RIP RIGHT THROUGH THESE.

FERAL VAMPRESS

NO MATTER, I’LL BE GONE MOMENTARILY.

WEAKNESSES BEING WHAT THEY ARE.

KEVIN

NAME!


She laughs, as much as she is able, being held in the chokehold by CEDRIC.

FERAL VAMPRESS

KALI.

NOT THAT IT’S WORTH MUCH.


Her eyelids flutter as she struggles to maintain consciousness.


VINCENT//

Of course!

She's from Bharat.



KALI

TAKE IT AS A…

A FORTUNATE DAY FOR YOU.

THAT YOU’VE FOUND ME IN THIS WEAKENED STATE.


She tries to squirm against the hold but is unable.

KALI

WHO SPONSORS YOU, PALE-FACE?


CEDRIC holds her ever tighter.

CEDRIC

NONE OF YOUR GOD-DAMN BUSINESS.

KALI

NOW, NOW…

NO NEED TO GET…


It’s becoming more difficult for her to maintain her focus.

KALI

FEISTY.



VINCENT//

He's got this for now.

Check on the little one.



KEVIN turns from the scene but feels the nagging sensation of doubt.

KEVIN

WHERE ARE THE CUFFS?

CEDRIC

RIGHT SIDE.


KEVIN removes the cuffs from CEDRIC’s belt and clips KALI’s hands together behind her back.

He then turns to ROXANNE, sitting against the wall, wincing against her arm.

ROXANNE

I…

I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT IT HURTS.

A LOT.

KEVIN

IT’LL HEAL.

IT’LL JUST TAKE TIME.

NONE OF MY SALVES WILL HAVE ANY EFFECT.

ROXANNE

WHAT ABOUT…

YOU?

KEVIN

YOU GOT IT A LOT WORSE THAN ME.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME.


Suddenly, a voice comes from over his shoulder.

KALI

YOU’RE…

THE MARSCAPONE BOY, AREN’T YOU?


She uses the old pronunciation.

CEDRIC

WHY IS IT OF ANY CONCERN TO YOU?

KALI

NEVER THOUGHT I’D MEET YOU.

SON OF ONE OF THE OLD GREAT ONES.

CEDRIC

YOU CAME HERE.

THIS IS OUR TERRITORY.

KALI

I KNOW NOT WHERE I AM, BRUTISH ONE.

JUST THAT I AM.

IT IS ALL THE SAME TO ME, CORPSES WHEREVER I PASS.

SOON, I WILL NOT BE, BUT I WILL RISE AGAIN.