Reaper Kissed

32. Blood of Innocents

Lucjan prowled down Gomorrah's backstreets, following Chloe and Ryder's scents. The trace was strongest outside J block. Closing his eyes, he concentrated his other senses, and heard them.

"Come on, my crazy girl," Ryder was speaking, "give me your hand."

Lucjan ran in a blur, breaking down the front door and tearing through the building. He burst into the bathroom just as Ryder was helping Chloe up out of the bathtub.

Chloe blinked in surprise, her gaze locking with the murderously angry vampire.

"No!" She cried out, shielding Ryder's body with her own. Lucjan snarled, baring his fangs and blue fire crackled in Ryder's palms, ready to meet the challenge. "Stop!" She commanded both of them. "Lucjan, please - don't do this."

Lucjan glowered, trembling with rage. "You need him," she gabbled quickly. "Ryder's powerful, he can help. He wants to help."

"He's a traitor," Lucjan spat coldly, "and so are you."

Standing this close to him, Chloe could feel the icy coldness emitting from Ryder's flames.

"Think!" She retorted, "you can't beat him, Lucjan. He's out of your league, he's friggin' Ezra Ryder, a legend. Don't be an idiot and pick a fight that Ryder is going to win."

"She's right, vamp." Ryder spoke up, his voice rumbling with warning. Lucjan's nostrils flared angrily.

"No, you think, Wilder." Lucjan took a threatening step toward her. Chloe swallowed nervously, gripping Ryder's arm to keep him behind her. "You keep siding with him and you'll die side by side- wearing necklaces of rope. Step aside now and I might be able to secure your life."

Ryder's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he looked between Chloe and Lucjan. Did the vampire care for her? Chloe took a step closer to Lucjan and the vampire stiffened. This close, he could feel the pounding of her heart.

"Please, Lucjan."

Lucjan snapped, the hurt creeping into his features.

"I helped you." And you still picked him over me. 

Chloe had no chance to reply, she cried out in alarm as Lucjan threw her aside – lunging for Ryder. Chloe's hip banged into the radiator and she flung out an arm to catch herself. Lucjan snapped his teeth as Ryder, his fangs grazing Ryder's stubbled throat – only narrowly missing. Ryder was quick to react, hitting Lucjan with a blast of cold fire. Lucjan screamed, the blue flames rapidly spreading and consuming him in an indigo inferno.

"Come," Ryder ordered – seizing Chloe's wrist and pulling her from the room. They ran through the building, Chloe's eyes widened at the sight of the obliterated front door. Ryder's grip on her wrist remained strong, as they raced down the streets. At last, Chloe tugged on his grip – urging him to stop.

"Ryder," she wheezed breathlessly, "the watch." She indicated the shadow looming around the corner.

Ryder put an arm around her, pulling Chloe against his hard chest. He muttered a hasty spell – a cloaking spell. Chloe held her breath as footsteps approached them. It wasn't the watch, but a family. The mother was carrying the youngest child and urging on another.

"Hurry, we need to make it to the gates." The mother explained - prodding the child in the back to make him keep moving. 

Chloe, gripped by a sudden fear, made to break away from Ryder's protection but he held onto her – clamping a hand over her mouth. Only once the family were out of sight, did he let her go. 

"Why did you stop me? We need to warn them. With Lauren out there as a monster – they shouldn't be out on the streets. They need to hide."

"You think they'd listen to us?" He shook his head at her, "Crazy girl, there's nothing we can do."

"I can try," she retorted crossly.

They stared at one another for a moment and Ryder read her troubled expression. She was close to regretting her decision to save him.

"Let's go," he urged, "we'll find Lauren. I'll use my magic to hold her some way. That's the best way we can help that family and others." He stared down at her, awaiting her verdict. Would she follow him?

"Ok," Chloe nodded, "lets do that."

                  Lucjan made it to his compound. He'd beaten out the flames but now his skin was a ravaged mess. The flesh on his face had bubbled and melted, causing his ears to slip down to his neck. He groped blindly, his hands following the banister as he slowly ascended the stairs. The pain was the worst, his blood had seemed to boil his insides and now every movement was accompanied with searing agony.

Once on the landing, he ran his fingers across the wall – feeling for a doorframe. The nursery was warm and full of young baby smell. Lucjan approached the crib at the rooms centre. Baby Mabel made a snuffling sound in her sleep, her little hand fisting the edge of her blanket. Lucjan's fangs extended, causing a whimper of misery to escape him. He stooped low over the crib, his hands shaking.

Mabel cried as hands picked her up, disturbing her sleep. She scrunched her eyes shut and wailed piercingly. Lucjan held her close, nuzzling her hard gorgon flesh. The baby stopped crying when Lucjan's fangs broke through her skin, slicing open her tiny throat. Lucjan groaned as sweet hot blood ran down his blistered throat, dulling all his pain. Mabel's head flopped limply, her small hands and feet wriggling against Lucjan's crushing grasp.

                 The Gleadow family made it to the Storm Gate. Mrs Gleadow looked on in dismay to see the hysteria and confusion that had taken hold. People were jostling and yelling at one another, trying to lay a disordered siege on the gate. Mrs Gleadow gasped as a ladder, baring far too many people, pulled away from the gate. Swaying for an awful moment before falling backwards, crashing down on the crowd. There were screams from those hurt beneath, but even so – more ladders were being erected.

Mrs Gleadow shook her head, her face drained of colour.

"We can't stay here."

"Mummy look." Her son tugged on her hand, pointing up at the vampires lining the rooftops. Mrs Gleadow watched as one vampire was being restrained by the others, he was hissing furiously, his manic lusty gaze on the crowd. Mrs Gleadow shivered, pulling her child close.

                   Frederick struggled to hold back his comrade, his own fangs threatening to extend. People were hurt in the crowd below and the stench of blood at the gate was becoming overwhelming. Intense bloodlust was gnawing at them all, dulling their human consciousness.

"Control man," Frederick growled. "Remember the captain's orders."

             Lucjan slumped on the nursery's soft carpet, his head in his hands. His face had returned to normal, all his scars perfectly healed. Immaculate one more. His shoulders quivered and he ran his fingers through his hair, streaking the tawny strands with blood. Lucjan threw back his head and bellowed, howling inarticulately in frustration and guilt. Mabel's young blood was smeared across his mouth and dripping from his smooth chin.