Victoria struggled to breathe as one of her ribs punctured her right lung upon breaking. She was lightheaded and in agonising pain to really focus on anything but the pain, but she was aware of Vail’s presence picking her up and the sensation of being carried whilst he ran. She tried to keep it together but all she could do was groan with each movement. As he set her down on the foyer floor, she screamed in agony until she lay still. Then he had to remove her leg plates, it hurt Vail and his lover to remove them.

She wheezed and looked up at Vail. “S-sorry…” She felt him take her hand in his and told her to stay with him. She gulped and nodded slowly, her energy was fast leaving her. She shook her head as he apologised to her. She squeezed his hand. She had no regrets. Vail did his best. Mikael was too strong for them. She could tell by his paler than usual face that her state wasn’t good. She felt her state was fatal. She was just sorry she couldn’t spend more time with him as much as they’d have liked to but at least they had loved one another in their short time together. As he declared that he loved her, she smiled weakly and croaked an “I love you too” back.

Diana could not stop weeping at their side. Jean-Claude took her aside. “If you want to turn her, the time is now. Drain her blood and replace it with yours.” He told Vail insistently. “Or I will do it for Diana and James and bring her into my clan.” He gave the Hygrace clan heir the choice. 

Diana looked at Jean-Claude. “Turn my daughter into a vampire?” She asked him to which he nodded. 

“It can be done and it has to be her choice.” Jean-Claude stated. Victoria nodded weakly, whilst she still could and coherently think. She wanted the chance to live again, to be with Vail. She wanted to have a life with him, become his wife and have a family. 

Outside James roared and his rage took over, he could wield the silver weaponry without being burned and impale his enemies straight through the heart at close range without being killed by them. Gerald shot Mikael so many times, he could barely walk. He bolted back to his horse and mounted it and sounded the retreat back to the manor. When he arrived he saw Victoria on the floor and he knew then that she wasn’t going to make it. All colour had drained from her face. “My God….I was too late…” Gerald fell to his knees. “Alex. Forgive me. I could not protect your daughter.” He sobbed.