"One final goodbye"

[Jessica's POV]

Jessica startles awake. The cramping in her stomach remains, but is lessened. Moving to stretch, she finds her arms and legs bound to a table. Turning her head, she sees Catherine strapped down next to her. Catherine smiles weakly at Jessica.

"Well, this has turned out swimmingly" Catherine says.

"We just couldn't resist feeding" Jessica says glumly. Carmilla's dead. Mary's dead. We're dead she thinks wistfully. Jessica's mind races, but she doesn't see any obvious moves here. We lost. And what did we even expect with our half assed plan?

A door creaks open. Jessica strains her neck, but can't see. She hears whispering.

"I guess they're awake. What do you want to do with them?"

"One final goodbye. Then, the sun."

Footsteps approach. Elizabeth comes into view. She stands next to Catherine, and cups Catherine's cheek. Catherine growls.

"Katyusha" Elizabeth says, using the diminutive, "how I misjudged you...."

Jessica thinks she hears sadness in Elizabeth's voice, but suspects it's an affectation. Elizabeth doesn't have any real emotions anymore, just hunger and rage.

"I misjudged you, Matushka" Catherine spits. "You promised us a world of endless freedom, pleasure after pleasure, feast after feast. I never volunteered to be some beauracrat-rancher."

"I should have let them **** you in St. Petersburg" Elizabeth says, her eyes hardening, icicles dripping from her words. "You've always been a vapid rich girl. Vision was never your strong suit. But you, Jessica. You had vision. And now, betraying your own kind. Betraying me."

Jessica smiles. That's what bothers her, the personal betrayal. Elizabeth moves next to Jessica, and strokes her hair.

"Tell me, Jessica, how many have you killed since your road to Damascus moment with Carmilla? How many have you drained?" Elizabeth taunts. "And you presume to judge me?" Elizabeth laughs.

"Catherine isn't fit for our new world. But you, Jessica, you are still young. You've made some mistakes, but I still see a great dark promise in you. How will you prove your worth to me?" Elizabeth says slowly, watching Jessica intently.

Jessica wants to engage in some immediate and courageous act of defiance against Elizabeth. But she finds herself pausing. Her instinct for self preservation kicks into high gear. She curses herself for her silence, as Elizabeth starts to cruelly smile.

"Perhaps you should be the one to render justice on Yekaterina here?" Elizabeth asks.