The fall twilight was brisk but pleasant. Madelina and Sommerset were on their standard evening walk when their path was blocked by Victoria. Miku and Allegra were behind her.

Victoria wore a sweater with a Siamese kitten on it. Outstretching her hand, she asked "If you don't want a fight, hand over the amulet."

Silent, but with a glare, Madelina gave her the amulet. She then went on her way.

Victoria was stunned that Madelina didn't so much as say a word. It felt a little...too easy.

In truth, Madelina knew that the 3 of them couldn't handle Inky, least not as well as she could.

At the curb, she saw Roxanne. Her eyes were red and watery. She had been crying.

Despite knowing she was more than happy to spike her drink, the sight of her crying tugged at her heartstrings.

Sommerset, however, was having none of that, growling at her.

Roxanne was wearing the same sweater, but now with fur-lined boots and skull earmuffs. When she saw Madelina, she grew a wolfish grin.

"Hi there, Maddy." Chills ran down Madelina's spine.

Sommerset took a defensive stance and barked at Roxanne. She didn't seem to notice.

"You love me, don't you? Love me?"

Roxanne did not take Madelina's rejection well. And she wasn't going to let her slip away.

Roxanne approached her, and Sommerset attacked her, scratching at her chest.

Madelina froze, not knowing what to do.

Sommerset turned to Madelina for a split second. "Run. I can handle her!"

Madelina ran through the backwoods path to her house. Aleskander had made it long ago, and she knew it by heart.

A quarter of the way through, Roxanne appeared before her, bloodied but standing.

"When will you learn that no matter what you do, I'll always want you. There is no escape from my love."

Madelina thought of good spells to use in the situation, worrying about how far "self-defense" could go if she killed Roxanne with a spell to rot away her skin.

Roxanne took Madelina's hands in hers.

"Has anyone told you that you have the most hypnotic pair of eyes? I could get lost just looking at them."

Is this flirting? A complement? I know I have an interesting eye color, but Roxanne can make anything creepy.

It made her blush all the same.

"Oh...thanks, Roxanne."

"We belong together. You understand?"

Madelina kept up the polite façade, even has she wanted, desperately, to run away.

"I see you really like me, but I'm not so sure that I'm ready for a relationship."

Roxanne pulled her close. "Don't say that! You're ready, definitely." Despite trying to comfort her, there was a distinct edge to it.

Roxanne had lusted after Madelina for a while. Being this close to her was a reward in itself. The touch of her skin, the scent of old books and pine needles, those otherworldly eyes...it was enough to drive her to madness.

She motioned to kiss her, and Madelina moved away.

"Roxanne! What are you doing?!"

"C'mon. I know you lust after me, too. You're just to proud to admit it. Relax, give in. It's not as if anyone will know." She hugged Madelina close to her.

Madelina wanted to throw up.

"Roxanne...Look, I don't like you the same way you like me. Do you understand?"

"No." Roxanne became angry. "What do you mean by that? I like you; you should like me back!"

Madelina shoved Roxanne aside.

"Go away! I'm not interested!"

Madelina turned away, speed walking on the path. She didn't want to stick around.

Roxanne was stunned but created a knife out of the fading light and stuck it in Madelina's back.

Madelina screamed.

Miku, Allegra, and Victoria heard it clear as day as they walked towards their homes.

Allegra took out her phone and called 911.

Miku turned to Victoria. "Roxanne's doing, I bet."

Victoria desperately wished Madelina would be OK in the end.

Back in the forest, Madelina manipulated the flowing blood, pinning Roxanne to a tree.

"I don't want to hurt you, but you're making it very hard."

"You have everything I want in a woman. Your skin is like the moonlight, clear, soft, and white. Your hair is the color of midnight, silky and beautiful. But your eyes. Your eyes are like amber and gold spheres. Ancient and mysterious. The sort I could look at all day. The sort I can get lost in."

Madelina covered her blushing face, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing her so vulnerable.

"Be quiet. I'm trying not to hurt you, but you're making it hard."

Madelina hardened the blood into a wine-red mass. Turning back for a moment, she saw that Roxanne wasn't there.

"Didn't you know I can teleport?"

Madelina, in her shock, could find nothing to say.

At this time, the amulet, around Victoria's neck, heated up, burning her skin. Inky wanted to see Madelina, check if she was OK, and kill the fool who dared hurt her. She took it off, and saw it slither away.

"Well, it is Madelina..." said Allegra.

"Be glad we didn't see what's inside there." Said Miku.

Roxanne grabbed Madelina's wrist, her grip firm.

"I'll only be satisfied when we're both dead. Then, we can spend eternity together!"

"No...no...you're not seriously thinking of a murder suicide!"

"If that's what it takes..."

A million shards of light appeared, all of them pointed at Madelina. She shoved Roxanne aside. Creating a shield of ice, it gave her a lot of protection.

"I'm going to give you one last chance to stop before I wail on you."

Wail on me? I'd love that. "Go ahead."

Madelina shot a fireball at her, and Roxanne teleported away before it hit her.

"Gotta be faster than that!"

Shadowy tendrils wrapped around her legs, sucking the magic out of her.

Roxanne saw that she was outmatched. "Well, now that you have me weakened, you can feel free to kill me now. I can't live if I don't have you."

"No. I wish to be merciful." The injury in her back was staring to bother her, its pain growing every second.

As she walked past Roxanne, she grappled her and stabbed her with light knives again.

Leaning against the iron fence, Madelina felt weak and felt like her time was coming near. But Inky (and Sommerset) were there to save the day.

Sommerset licked her face, making sure she stayed away. Madelina, with some magic from Sommerset, was able to walk away.

Roxanne was about to follow them when her path was blocked by Inky.

"Who are you?"

"The second to last thing you'll ever see."

Inky went from his cute base form to a monstrous creature worthy of a Bosch painting.

Just know that from there, it wasn't pleasant.

Madelina was rushed to the hospital due to her grievous injuries. She was unconscious, but stable, for the most part.

She awoke in the middle of the night. It was eerily silent. She had a private ward and could make out a bouquet of flowers on the table next to her.

Yet, in the darkness, she could make out something very clearly. Inky.

"Am I OK? Do I need to be worried?"

Inky scoffed, as if she was overreacting. "Hell no! You'll be fucking fine!"

"What about Roxanne?"

Inky cackled, the memories of his horrendous act made him happy.

"Just know that she'll be found in a ditch, not far from the forest, barely identifiable."

Madelina wouldn't sleep well for the rest of the night.

This may be the end of Blood and Iron, but a sequel is being made called Rule 303.

For fun, here are the rejected titles for the sequel

On the Velt

Dogs of War

2nd to None

The Ultimate Solution

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

The War of Art

Oh, Land

King of the Sky

Swedish Pagans

Vinland

Charging Hippo