Besides, soothing Jane was just as important as avenging her. Slade needed her to see that she was safe. That he would always keep her safe. And if he was dead and unable to reach her, she could protect herself. Because, Jane Squire was the smartest, strongest, most extraordinary person he’d ever met.
“It’s alright.” Slade cupped her cheek, meeting her eyes. Her fright twisted his heart. “Fang’s been dead from the minute he targeted you, Jane. I’m going to stab him through the heart before daybreak, so do not concern yourself with him. I will never let anyone harm you and live.”
She relaxed against him, gray eyes meeting his. “I know. You’re my hero.”
“No. I am in love with the hero.”
She looked startled. “Me? Hang on, you think I’m the hero of this story?”
“I know you are. You have saved me in every possible way. Inside of you beats the bravest, softest heart I’ve ever encountered.” He dropped his head to kiss her, coaxing a response from her body. “You can do anything, Jane.”
Her arms circled his neck, dismissing Fang from her mind. The woman who had faith in no one, put all of her faith in him. Slade smiled against her lips, adoring her.
The troops were moving away. Slade had known they would. The doorway was small and they weren’t very bright. More importantly, he was camouflaging the entrance with his powers, so it became invisible. None of them could even see the door, let alone open it. If there had been a chance this would endanger Jane, he would have stopped long ago. He would never risk her safety. The woman meant more to him than anything else in the universe.
“You are my soul, Jane Squire.” He whispered.
“And you’re mine.” Her hand came up to touch his face. “You are the very best part of my life, Slade.” She bit her lower lip as he began moving faster. “Please. I need…” She shook her head, not finishing that request.
She didn’t have to.
He knew exactly what she wanted, even if she didn’t. Sexual hunger and the hunger for blood were inextricably linked in Vampires. Newly transitioned Vampires would be starved for both. Slade’s desire spiked to almost unbearable levels at the idea of her drinking from him.
“It’s alright.” He pressed her face into his neck. “You need and I provide. That is the way it should be.”
She made a small sound of denial. “No. Wait. Ew. I can’t drink blood.”
“You can, my One. You want to.”
Jane swallowed. “But, I’m…”
“A Vampire.” He finished for her. “It’s perfectly natural. Believe me, I want you to feed from me. I certainly love feeding from you.” Gods, he could still taste her sweetness. “Take what you need and I’ll let you finish.” He thrust into her wet depths and she gasped, right on the edge. “There’s no risk, Jane. Not with me.”
She looked towards the door. She hadn’t been shy about making love to him with others nearby, but drinking his blood so close to them seemed to worry her.
Slade found her modesty adorable. “I will keep you safe.” He promised again. “You know that. Give me what we both want.”
Jane took a deep breath and stopped fighting. Her teeth grazed his neck, trusting him, and there was no way to hang on. Slade’s mouth opened in a silent roar as she bit deep, his body erupting into hers. His orgasm triggered her own. Jane convulsed around him, crying out against his skin. Her mouth stayed at his throat, her tight sheath milked him dry, and it was the greatest moment of his life.
Slade struggled to remember how to breathe, as the last of the footsteps faded away. “The feelings I have for you cannot even be described in your language.” He gripped the back of her head, urging her to drink more. “Do not ever risk yourself for me, again. I could not bear it, Jane. I nearly lost my mind when Fang took you away.”
She lifted her face to kiss him. “In my language, the feelings I have for you are crazy, incurable, do-anything-for-him love. There’s nothing either of us can do to change that, so get used to me protecting you.”
He sighed. “I preferred it when you avoided risk.”
“I didn’t.” Jane pulled back to frown at him. “Did I hurt you?” She examined his neck, but the wound was already closing. Vampire bites healed quickly. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I meant to do everything we did.” Slade stopped her panicked inspection, catching hold of her hands. “I am fine. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve never felt better in my life. We finally had sex without me passing out afterwards. Being a Vampire just might be the best health plan ever.” She tilted her head, like something new occurred to her. “Hey, am I going to be able to fly?”
“Yes, but only if you keep your strength up by feeding from me.”
She swallowed at his provocative tone. “Well, the drinking-blood thing wasn’t quite as terrible as I’d imagined. I could probably manage it, every now and then.” He leaned down to nuzzle her temple and she drew in a shaky breath. “Or maybe even more often than that. For now, though, I just want to get out of here. If Fang finds you, he’s going to be pissed. Especially, if he figures out what we just did, right under his nose.”
“He will not find me. I will find him.”
“Slade, I don’t want you to…”
He interrupted her protest, setting her on her feet. “I warned Fang what would happen if he touched you. I will see him dead and the threat to you removed. Then, we will leave this kingdom, go back to your world, and…” He trailed off, because he didn’t have the next part quite figured out yet. It didn’t matter. Just so he was with Jane, Slade was happy.
She blinked up at him as he adjusted her clothes and smoothed back her curls. “You want to leave Infinia? Why?”
It seemed fairly obvious. “Where you go, I will follow. You said you wished to return to Chicago, so I will be at your side.”
“Yeah, but what about the people here? They need you.”
“I need you. With Fang dead, someone else can rule. Allandrina, perhaps. You said yourself it should be her kingdom.”
“And you said yourself that she’s a lousy leader. Why isn’t she the one fighting Fang? Why are her citizens being murdered and starved, while she does nothing to stop it?” Jane shook her head. “That witch has superpowers, but she’s been hiding out this whole movie, letting other people suffer. How can she rule Infinia, if she expects us to do all the heavy lifting?”
“Roland, then.” Slade offered. “I have discovered that the boy isn’t totally useless, after all.” He paused, realizing she hadn’t heard the news. “Oh, he is also my younger brother.”
Jane stared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“No. It’s true. My grandmother appeared to explain it all.”
“She appeared?”
“She traveled to Infinia just long enough to tell me of Roland’s true identity. I was as surprised as you are.”
“I’m not surprised. Not about you getting a brother, anyhow. This is a fantasy movie. Of course it would pull out the long lost sibling cliché. The hero always gets a long lost sibling. It’s a rule of the genre.”
“I expected that you’d say something like that.”
“I totally guessed it was going to be Fang, though.” She mused to herself. “I was thinking a fraternal-version of Luke and Vader, but it seems we’re doing pure Luke and Leia.”
“Fang? My brother? He is a Werewolf and I am a Vampire. It is impossible for our species to be related.”
“Yeah, because this film’s so above retcons.” Jane sighed. “Whatever. Roland’s definitely the better of our lousy options. Not by much, but I’ll take what we can get.” She arched a brow. “Speaking of lousy family members and Star Wars films, when your grandmother Obi-Wan-ed into this land, did she explain why she turned on you?”
“Yes.” Slade met her eyes. “She foresaw my destiny lay far from the Vampire Isle. With you, Jane. She forced me to leave, so that I would find you.”
Her mouth curved
. “I guess I have to forgive her for being mean to you, then.”
“She gave me the most valuable gift of my life.” Slade assured her. “All she asked in return was that I not harm my new sibling. So, I resisted the urge to kill Roland. Instead, I am considering a bargain to work with the boy.”
“Really?” She made a show of looking around. “So where is he?”
Slade hesitated. “I am not sure. He fled the blacksmith shop when Fang arrived.”
Jane let out an irritated sound. “Very inspiring for a future king. Jesus, maybe Fang would’ve been the better option.” She rolled her eyes. “Look, kid brother or not Roland isn’t capable of ruling this realm. That guy probably can’t even comb his stupid, hipster hairdo without detailed instructions.”
“Well, his hair is very complicated. But, he said that he might return at the last minute to provide us with some sort of plucky and comedic assistance. He believes that is his true role.”
Jane wasn’t moved by that defense. “Well, I hate to leave out Han Solo from the mix, but that kid is no Han Solo. Face it, Slade, you can’t leave Infinia. The kingdom needs you and you need to be here.”
Slade had no intention of being anywhere except beside Jane. That meant going back to Chicago. Since he wasn’t going to change his mind, he changed the subject. “Neither of us will go anywhere unless we defeat Fang. We must get the Silver Sword.”
“Agreed. But, even if we somehow get our hands on it, how do the two of us take over a whole castle? It’s going to be hard to stab Fang if he’s surrounded by hundreds of Goblin bodyguards. I have no idea how we’re going to defeat them all.”
Slade smirked. “Luckily, I have something that pretenders to the throne and their minions do not. Something that can help us win our war. Something that only a true king can possess.”
Jane stared at him for a long moment. “Oh Jesus… You’re about to say ‘giant butterflies,’ aren’t you?”
Chapter Seventeen
EXT. OBSIDIAN FORTRESS-NIGHT
Giant butterflies swoop in from the sky!
SLADE has called for his faithful pets’ assistance and they heed his request. They are like gossamer stealth fighter jets, zooming to the rescue. Their multicolored wings glisten, as they silently soar above the Obsidian Fortress. It is an imposing and sparkly sight. (Note: These giant butterflies are going to be a marketing bonanza! I can already picture the plush toys, and lunchboxes, and maybe a Saturday morning cartoon of their adventures.)
But it is not just the pterodactyl-sized insects that have come to save the day. Infinia’s rebels sit astride the beautiful bugs. ROLAND’S radio message has rallied SLADE’S followers and they eagerly attack FANG’S palace, dropping into the courtyard from the giant butterflies’ backs. More people are there, too. TEGAN and JAMES THE ORC and KONRAD THE OGRE and countless others who are fed up with FANG’S oppression.
The Goblins now face an army of pissed-off peasants. Even FANG’S private guards have to race into mêlée, leaving him alone. War rages for Infinia, both sides knowing that this fight will decide their future. Rain pours down, because rain always makes a battle scene more cinematic. It’s very edge-of-your-seat awesome.
ROLAND
(Leaping from the lead butterfly, his sword raised over his head)
Fight for this land! Fight for Infinia!
And, for God’s sake, somebody find my brother, because I have no fucking clue what to do next!
A beautiful blonde woman rushes into the fray, her beautiful eyes on ROLAND. He instantly recognizes the beautiful ALLANDRINA, whose ample cup-size is even more impressive in person. The beautiful princess throws her arms around him, like she’s been waiting for him to arrive.
ALLANDRINA
Roland, thank God you’ve finally arrived!
ROLAND has no idea how she knows his name, since they’ve never met. Maybe she’s a fan of his music. Whatever the reason, a hot chick is pressed against him and he’s not complaining. This has been a super-cool day. He’s on the winning side of a kickass fight, he’s found a rockin’ big brother, and now the princess is totally --probably-- going to sleep with him. Being ROLAND is awesome.
ROLAND
(Patting her back, as she clings to him.)
There, there. I’m here, now. Everything is okay.
ALLANDRINA
(Pulling back to look up at him with watery brown eyes)
No, it’s not okay, brave Roland. Do you have the Silver Sword with you?
ROLAND
Yeah, I brought it so Slade could kill Fang, but…
ALLANDRINA
(Cutting him off)
Then we must hurry! You’re the only one who can save me from this monstrous fate.
Redrafted Film Script- “From Here to Infinia”
All movies needed their climactic fight scene to happen in some suitably atmospheric place. For From Here to Infinia, it was the glassy, black battlements of the Obsidian Fortress. Torrents of rain washed down, making the open sides of parapets slippery and dangerous. The roof was illuminated by lightning strikes, the sheets of water reflecting the eerie light. It was deserted and creepy and ideal for an epic showdown.
“This is not good.” Jane muttered, trying to spot an escape route.
She looked over the steep drop to the battle far below. Slade looked up, trying to spot the giant butterflies. Maybe that was why they fit so well, despite his eternal optimism and her diehard realism. Jane looked down and he looked up. Sure they focused on different things, but between the two of them, they were seeing the whole picture.
Of course, this particular picture wasn’t so great.
They were trapped.
“The giant butterflies have already gone.” Slade reported. “We cannot use them to reach the ground.”
“First I miss seeing the dragon and now I miss the giant butterflies. This movie is really beginning to piss me off.” Jane pushed the wet hair out of her face and gestured towards the courtyard. “At least, your training seems to have paid off with the rebels, though. I think they’re going to win this thing. They did listen to you, Slade.”
“I think they listened to you, actually. All the things you told them about fighting for what they believe in and standing up for themselves. They took it to heart, Jane. There are no more extras in this story. They’re taking control of their own destinies.”
“We’re both inspiring, I guess. Too bad were also screwed.” She flipped through the script to see if it gave any hint on where they should go next. The rain had the pages sticking together and the ink running, but she kept scanning for clues.
The two of them had been endlessly circling the upper stories of the fortress, trying to discover a way down. Slade insisted that the stairs had moved since he’d escaped the dungeon and Jane knew he was right. It didn’t matter how hard they searched, they would only find what From Here to Infinia wanted to them find. For instance, the exit to the roof… which had locked tight behind them.
In order to reach the end, the movie needed to make sure everyone was in the right place. That meant funneling them towards the grand finale. The rooftop was a direct rip-off of the Beauty and the Beast cartoon, right down to the gargoyle statues. Obviously, something was about to happen. A film didn’t invest in an expensive set unless it was going to stage some big scene. All Jane’s instincts told her that they needed get out of there before all hell broke loose.
“We should do that flying thing and float ourselves to another time zone.” She suggested for the third time.
“I told you before, Vampires cannot fly in storms. And it is not hot enough to teleport, so we must come up with another way.”
“Well, we have to do something or…” Jane stopped short, her eyes locked on the last sight she wanted to see. “Aw shit.”
Fang stepped out of the shadows, the rain plastering his dark fur against his skin. “Heeeeere’s Fang-y.” He snarled out in his best Jack Nicholson impression and hurled himself at Jane.
For o
nce, Jane didn’t complain about the mangled dialogue. She was too busy stumbling sideways. Slade pushed her out of the way, putting his body between her and danger. The Werewolf tackled him, an enraged bellow leaving his throat. Fang and Slade collided like a thunderclap, knocking themselves off their feet.
Jane’s eyes widened in horror. “Slade!”
In his wolf form, Fang was bigger than Slade and fury gave him extra strength. His clawed hands wrapped around Slade’s neck. “You invade my land, and you take my woman, and you think I’ll let you get away with it?!”
“My woman.” Slade snarled back. His Dark Instincts had taken over again, his fangs and claws gleaming. He slammed a fist into Fang’s face, knocking him backwards. “No one touches her, you son-of-a-bitch.” They still didn’t have the Silver Sword, so it was impossible to kill Fang. That didn’t seem to slow Slade down. “No one takes her from me.” He somehow got on top of Fang, beating him with an unwavering focus. “And no one fucking frightens her!”
Fang roared in fury, freeing himself through brute force. “You stole everything from me once before and it won’t happen again!” He plowed a shoulder into Slade’s midsection, sending them sliding across the wet surface of the roof. They hydroplaned to within a foot of the drop-off, neither of them paying attention to the precipice. “I’ll see you dead this time!”
“Slade!” Jane rushed forward. “Don’t fall!”
She’d only taken two steps when she heard something ridiculous and unmistakable: The duh-duh-daaaah sound effect, warning the audience of coming danger. The three notes were universally understood by moviegoers everywhere. They sounded when the monster was oozing from the swamp or the villain was about to strike his fatal blow. They were the words “Oh shit” expressed through trumpets.
Jane didn’t know how that stupid score could be heard inside the film, but it didn’t matter. Something terrible was about to happen. From Here to Infinia said so and she believed it.
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