| |
I tug at the cable ties. To think of him touching me again is abhorrent. I curse, hiss, and cringe in awful pain.
“It’s no good,” Sara sighs. “You won’t get free.”
Wow, the most tenacious vamp I know is giving up. Well I’m not. Even if I lose a finger or two. I can’t have him anywhere near me again.
“So,” I grunt and fidget. “Is he going to kill me... and where the hell is Adrien?”
“Laurie sees us as meat, nothing more,” she utters, ailing with blood loss. “All this is about his god complex. To prove he is greater than Adrien.”
“We can’t give up Sara. Come on,” I shout at her.
“Maybe if I let go the last time, I wouldn’t be facing the same death twice.” I see her fangs enlarge and eyes darken. She needs to heal. She needs blood, now.
“Sara, Adrien will come, just hang on.” I pull on my arms until my shoulders crack. “Argh, shit!”
Laurie saunters back in the room. He’s removed his jacket, undone the top buttons of his shirt, and has rolled up his sleeves. I draw up my knees as far as the cable ties will allow. Every single muscle in my body stiffens in terror. He stands between my open feet, tapping on Sara’s drooping head.
“Stay awake now Sara. Wouldn’t want you to miss the show.” He stoops over, positioning his knees between mine.
“Please... please don’t,” I yelp, unable to breathe.
His fingers reach for the button on my jeans. He undoes me as I retch and turn my head sideways, needing to vomit.
“Shush now. This is what a red’s duty is.”
Sara shakes her frail body, but not even she can help me now. I immobilise, trapped in the horror as his thumb brushes over my breast, searching for the best area to start.
“Laurie,” Sara gasps. “Finish me first.”
I open my eyes. She’s trying to gain me a few more seconds, but he ignores her and focuses solely on me.
“Please don’t... please,” I wail.
He takes a large ring out from his pocket, and slips it over the knuckle of his index finger. It is no ordinary ditale ring. It’s solid silver and has two thick razor sharp hooks protruding, at least an inch in length. Shit, he’s going to cut me with that.
“Laurie,” Sara yells. “Answer me.”
“Shut up Sara,” he barks. “You’ll get yours soon enough. I always have the best first.” He lowers right over my body and places his lips to my ear. “Do you know, I know every vein, artery, and place, to get the most out of my feed so they remain warm and alive.” He swirls the cool metal on my abdomen. “This is the spot. The most ample. The most fruitful.” He lies down on me as I quiver, feeling an intense sharp slice below my belly button. I scream out in agony. “Yes, this will do nicely,” he adds in a fulfilled tone.
He moves down me, gliding his growing fangs against my naked flesh, his dark eyes showing a malevolent thirst. He latches onto the cut like a suckling young, and moves wildly on me. I’ve never felt so violated. I’m revolted by the way he wets me with his mouth. I feel so dirty, like I’ll never be clean again. If he kills me now, it would be a blessing.
A loud bang, like a cupboard falling off the wall downstairs rumbles through the bed. Laurie hoists his head a little with my blood on his lips. He waits for a second until the grim hush returns, and resumes feeding on me. I gulp and sob silently, as Sara scuffles desperately on her toes.
“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!”
Suddenly, Laurie is hauled from my body, tossed across the room and into the wall. Oh my god, he’s here. He’s here thank god.
“Adrien,” I cry out, focusing through a haze of tears.
“Liz, come on.” Dom fumbles madly with the ties, simply snapping them apart with his bare hands to free me.
I bolt up from the bed, holding my hand over the wound on my belly. I just want Adrien to hold me. To tell me everything will be okay. He glances at me for a brief moment with an all-consuming fury coating his eyes.
“Elizabeth,” he murmurs softly, shaking his head down.
He strolls across the room and drags Laurie up to his feet. His breathing is deep and his body so tense.
Laurie licks a small cut on his lip with a huge conceited grin on his face. “She tastes good. I can see why you lost your mind over her.”
Adrien punches him so hard, plaster and dust tumble from the roof as Laurie lands against the wall again.
“You seriously thought I wouldn’t find out what you’ve been doing. Those new bloods can’t stop me.” Adrien clutches and shakes Laurie’s scruff, repeatedly beating him with his fist.
Dom cuts Sara down and she drops limply into his arms.
“Well, you are early,” Laurie replies, only to receive another blow. “And perhaps I underestimated you. Girls will do that to you.” He snickers.
“You were my fuckin friend. And Connor... why?” He punches Laurie over and over. “I’ve stood by you all these years. Turned a blind eye and fixed things when you’ve screwed up. You tainted that blood in Manchester, and watched me sorting out your mess. Why, so you can take my place, because you think you’re more worthy than me!”
Laurie nods his head slowly left to right, laughing scornfully. “Ha, the most notorious executive has no clue what’s been happening under his very nose.” He spits the blood from his mouth at Adrien’s feet. “All those years, you have only done what suits you. You forgot you were the one who had us all turned,” he says. “Things are changing and the order is finished. And you, along with Miss Lovell, have set the wheels in motion.”
“So, this is about what we are and the order? You swore your allegiance to them, and to me. I didn’t fuckin make you drink Selene’s blood,” Adrien yells. “And as for our mission, jeez Laurie, I was your commanding officer, and I had orders from above. You would have done the same dammit!” Adrien shakes Laurie as his eyes blacken and his fangs bulge. “You’ve had nearly a century to confide in me, but instead you murder, and take the one good thing that has ever happened to me. I treated you like a fuckin Brother!”
“And here he is, Lieutenant Knight. Still thinking of himself as a glorified officer,” Laurie proclaims. “Oh, I see you haven’t brought your prized blade with you, sir.” He sniggers in-between Adrien’s violent blows. “You’ve given me orders for far too long.” He suddenly stabs Adrien above the hip with the ditail ring.
I scramble across the room as Adrien stops his attack, winded. Dom holds me back and begins to drag me to the door, pulling on Sara’s hand. But both Sara and I refuse to move.
Laurie picks up a sword from behind an old chest of drawers. The evil bastard has prepared for this.
Adrien straightens up and they both circle each other. Laurie swishes the sword in a circular motion, then slices across Adrien’s arm.
“Shame, I remember how good you once were with a blade. You’ve let yourself go,” Laurie taunts. “Look, I don’t want to kill you my friend. I want you to see the future I’m going to help make for our kind.”
“You have no future.”
Adrien flits right behind Laurie, locking his elbow around his throat. Laurie turns, also using his flitting ability to get free. They both scuffle around the floor, matching strike for strike as the sword clatters around the floorboards. I struggle to see as the black haze of their bodies crashes fiercely around the room.
There’s a second of stillness. I jump closer to the blade, but I’m too late, Laurie has it in his hand. He flicks and cuts deep across the side of Adrien’s neck.
Adrien teeters, trying to keep upright with his hand pressed firmly on the deep gash. His blood seeps through each finger and he breathes out with a growl and rattle. I cry into my hands as his eyes fill with pain.
“Adrien!” Dom hollers as Ben races in to the room.
“Now see, look what you made me do,” Laurie grumbles, swinging the blood coated blade out to slice across Adrien’s chest.
Adrien gazes hopelessly at me. He has this look on his face; a despairing goodbye that petrifies me. He binds his arms securely around Laurie as Dom and Ben run to his aid. But no one can equal Adrien’s speed, and suddenly he leaps through the second story window, taking Laurie with him.
I run. Everything has stopped moving apart from me. My feet don’t even touch the surface as I bound down the stairs in flight.
Large fragments of glass cut my feet as I charge over the wet dirt. But it doesn’t hurt. I’m frozen to all pain now. All that matters is Adrien.
I sprint toward his body. He’s only a few feet away from Laurie, cast on his side. I get as far as Laurie’s hip, when I’m unexpectedly slashed across the forearm by the sword. But I don’t stop moving. Not even Laurie can harm me now.
I slide down onto my knees by Adrien’s body. My bloody hands stain the white t-shirt under his hoodie as I roll him over onto his back. Again the sword appears, this time in front of my face, and instantly plunges right down into Adrien’s chest before I, Dom, or Ben can stop it.
“No!” I scream ferociously.
“I didn’t want to do that.” Laurie staggers behind me. “He was good stock.”
I cry into the night, and acquire the strength to push a wounded Laurie toward the angry circle of vampires.
I block out the sound of Laurie being beaten, sobbing over Adrien’s bleeding body. I hover my fingers over his face, while holding the artery that’s spitting out his watery blood everywhere.
I hear my muffled name being called over and over. I look ahead to see Nathan yelling at me in Adrien’s Land Rover, kicking at the door. I blink slowly at him. He knows exactly what’s going through my mind right now. It’s the only way to bring Adrien back. I will not let him die.
“Adrien... Adrien, wake up,” I plead, frantically. “You need to heal... now. Shit, Adrien!” He’s non-responsive.
I look at the handle of the blade and it is clear what I must do. I wrap my fingers around the handle of the sword, stand, and pull it out from his body. He makes no sound, no movement in pain, nothing.
I drop down onto my knees by his face, using my thumb to push down on his chin so his mouth widens. I squeeze the blood from my wounded forearm into his mouth, but there isn’t enough.
The sword lies on the ground next to me. I lift it up, hearing Nathan banging on the car door, shouting at me to stop. But I stay focused. I have to bring him back.
I pierce my wrist further down, cutting from the base of my thumb right across. Whether it’s the cold air anesthetising me, or shock, I feel nothing at all.
The cut is deep and now my blood pours. I coil my hand around his neck and elevate his head, so his lips are pressing on my wrist.
“Please Adrien, wake up.”
His eyes flicker open on me. “No... no,” he groans. “I won’t. Leave me Elizabeth,” he pleads, trying to squirm away from my blood.
“Never,” I weep. “You have to take this.”
Moaning, he parts his lips a little, allowing my blood to drop over his teeth and into his mouth. Abruptly he twitches and jolts upright with eyes of black, sealing his lips around my skin fully. He drinks me hard, clasping below my elbow with one hand, and the other caressing my tingling fingertips. I watch the deep blue veins beneath his skin pulsing, taking in the healing properties of my blood. God, this is a surreal sensation. It doesn’t hurt. It’s a pure unearthly feeling, almost primitive. We’re alone, and nothing can break through this moment of strange peace we’re in.
My head is heavy; heavy but warm and content. I sigh loudly as he slows consuming me. I close my eyes. I’m weary, comfortable, and feel safe enough to sleep now. His lips leave my bloody slick skin. He can hold me now and tell me everything will be okay. I sway and collapse against his chest.
“No!” he roars as I drift away in his arms. “Help me!”
I smile up at him. “We’re... we’re okay.” I let myself float away in the darkness.