Scarlet Craving

Chapter 21: Church

It was cold, the ground beneath me was hard like ice as it burnt my cheek. I could hear voices around me as I slowly began to stir.

"Why is she still unconscious?" Namjoon asked.

"How should I know? Humans are such fickle things." Jin said in an aggravated tone.

"You don't think...maybe?" Namjoon said.

Jin scoffed. "She can't be dead. I can still hear her heart beating."

Suddenly everything came back to me, what had happened and why I was here. The other coven of vampires had attacked us and I had been kidnapped by them. My eyes shot open to see the ground around me covered in a generous amount of snow. How long had I been out? I slowly sat up on the wet ground and saw Jin and Namjoon towering over me. I flinched as I looked into their ruby eyes. Were they planning on drinking from me?

My gaze shifted from their faces to what was behind them, an old-looking church? I didn't recognise anything about it. Just where the hell were we?

"Get up." Jin spat.

I carefully pushed myself up to stand, once on my feet I staggered slightly. My head still felt like it was spinning. To my surprise, Namjoon had caught my arm and steadied me on my feet. He quickly let go of me though once I was balanced enough to stand on my own. "Where are we?" I said shakily as I held myself together for support.

"Does that even matter? You're going to help us regardless." Jin said curtly. That's right, they wanted help because their brother had been poisoned.

"Our brother Yoongi is inside," Namjoon said, gesturing with his hand towards the church.

"We need you to remove the Juniper flower from him, every piece," Jin explained.

"Why can't you guys do it? Why does it have to be me?"

Jin looked annoyed as he opened his mouth to speak but Namjoon interrupted him. "It's poisonous to us so we can't go near him. Standing this close to the church is already somewhat difficult." He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. It was true, they both looked strained as they stood there. Like they had just run a marathon.

"So...you'll let me go if I get it off for you?" I eyed them suspiciously. I didn't think for one second that they were going to keep their word.

"If you get every piece off," Jin said frustratedly before patting his chest. "It's on his heart. If you can get every piece off then yes we'll take you home.

I sighed. I guess I didn't really have a choice in the matter anyway, it's not like I can outrun two vampires and get help. I walked past them and over towards the old wooden door, it was heavy and dragged along the cobblestone-like flooring. Once it was fully open I turned around and saw that Jin and Namjoon were gone. Did they really believe that I'd do it?

I stepped inside and discovered that a large part of the ceiling was missing, snow had gathered around the inside of the church creating a white veil of sorts across the rows of seats. I felt like my footsteps boomed loudly against the hard stone floor. I felt so on edge.

As I reached the snow-covered part of the church I noticed him, Yoongi. He was spread out across the altar that ironically sat beneath a large cross that had a statue of Jesus Christ pinned to it. When I reached the table, Yoongi's complexion was pale and ghost-like. His eyes were closed and his blonde platinum hair fell back revealing his smooth forehead.

I gasped at what I saw next, his unbuttoned shirt revealed his torso that was covered in purple feathered-like veins that exploded outwards from his chest. It looked so painful. At the centre of his heart was the Juniper flower, it looked almost as if it had been sewn into his skin and the petals pulsed aggressively. Each pulse extended the feathery veins.

I just have to remove the petals right? I shakily lowered my hand towards his heart and touched one of the blue petals, closing my eyes. I was expecting it to zap me or something but nothing happened. I guess because I'm human? I looked back at Yoongi's face, nothing had changed. He was still laying there with his eyes closed.

Carefully I peeled one of the petals away from the surface of his skin and raised it into the air, it instantly turned grey and shrivelled up before turning into dust. This was going to be easier than I thought.

Petal after petal I removed and each one crumpled into dust between my fingers, was this really so deadly to a vampire? The purple feathers that caressed his skin began to retract each time I removed a petal and before long there was hardly left at all.

The last petal, once I do this I can go back home and see Taehyung. His pained expression flashed through my head again. I hoped he wasn't too worried about where I was. I desperately wanted to be reunited with him and have this whole thing over and done with.

I peeled it off his skin and like the rest, it disintegrated between my fingers, the purple veins disappeared too. I sighed, relieved that this was over. My gaze drifted up to Yoongi's face and I jumped out of my skin at what I saw. His eyes were open revealing a dark crimson red shade.

I instinctively took a few steps away from the altar to distance myself from him, the others never told me he'd wake up! He sat up steadily with an expressionless face, looking around the room blankly.

What should I do? Are Jin and Namjoon going to keep their word? Why haven't they returned?

"You," Yoongi spoke.

I was terrified out of my mind, my body shook involuntarily. I continued to edge further and further away from him. If I could reach the door then maybe I'd have a chance. I blinked and suddenly he was in front of me.

I screamed as I fell to the ground. He leaned towards me, cocking his head to the side. He held his hand to his chest. "Did you do this?" He asked.

I couldn't speak. I nodded my head at him. "Ah, that's why I feel so much better." He said with a relieved expression as he leaned his head back.

"But aren't you just a human? You couldn't have done this on your own, did my brothers Jin and Namjoon have anything to do with this?" Yoongi asked.

I swallowed nervously as I nodded my head at him. "T-they said...I could go home now..." I said in a whisper.

"Oh did they?" Yoongi said amused as he crouched down to my eye level. He stroked my cheek with his hand. "Ah, but you know it's been so long since I've been this close to a human."

Suddenly he lifted me off the ground by the scruff of my jumper. I was in the air and desperately trying to get away from his grip as I squeezed his arm. He began laughing. "Go on squirm more! I love this, how vulnerable humans are."

"Although I guess I should thank you, you did save me after all." He lowered me as he pulled me closer to his face. "But I just can't help how hungry I am."

I screamed as he bared his fangs. "NO!"

He pushed my head to the side as he dug his teeth into my skin, it was excruciating. It felt like my skin was on fire where he had bitten me, my flesh and been ripped open and now he was draining me dry. I squirmed desperately in his hold but there was no escape. I was locked in his iron grip.

"Please...stop." The words fell out of my mouth slurred, no I didn't want to die like this! Shit, my vision was fading. I looked up at the hole in the ceiling and the grey clouds. I still wanted to see the blue sky one more time.

I wanted to see Taehyung one more time.

The strength in my body was diminishing as I sank against Yoongi's hold on me, this was it. I was going to die.

Mum.

Dad.

Hobi.

I'm so sorry.