Puppet Games [Mature Version]

Chapter Two

Author's Note: The picture on the right is of what I imagine Blake looking like.  I will be trying to add pictures of main characters each chapter.

“Cora.  Cora, sweetie, wake up.”

Cora lay on the bed inside a small apartment bedroom.  Next to her was the blonde woman and a tall, well built, young man with cropped brown hair.

The man put his hand on the girl’s shoulder.  “Jemma, tell me what happened.”  His voice was very deep, with a slight gravelly tone.

Jemma looked up, her watery blue eyes met his midnight eyes.  “She’s been bitten.  I stopped the vampire as soon as I saw, but I was too late.  We were walking home.  I stopped because I felt something was wrong.  I told Cora to stay while I looked around, but when I got back she was gone.  I think the vampire called to her, because you know she would have done as I said.”

The man’s face hardened.  “Blake will be devastated,” he said bluntly.

Jemma whimpered.  “Oh, Dean, it’s all my fault.  How am I ever going to tell him?  I swore to take care of her.”

Dean caressed her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb.  “It’s not your fault.  Blake will know that.  The vampires have become more aggressive.”

“What if she’s turned, Dean?  What will we do?  We can’t kill her!  I won’t let anyone kill her!”

“Calm down, Jemma.  Blake will be home soon.”

But Jemma could not calm herself.  How could she have let this happen to Cora.  Sweet, little Cora, who has been through so much pain already.  Jemma busied herself with cleaning and bandaging the puncture wounds in Cora’s neck.

Dean watched out the window, thinking.  He watched a familiar shadow enter the main door of the apartment building below.  “He’s back, though he doesn’t look good.”

Jemma shook her head sadly.  “He grows weaker each day.”  She paused, looking down again at Cora’s pale face.  “She’s the only thing holding him to us.  If we lose her, we lose them both.”

Dean moved closer to Jemma.  “Come.  We should speak to him before bringing him in here.  Just in case.”

They walked out into the living area, seeing Blake enter the apartment.  He was very pale, his cropped black hair making him appear paler still.  He looked up at his two friends with ice blue eyes.  He smiled weakly at the sight of the two standing side-by-side.  Jemma was nearly a foot shorter than Dean.  But his smile quickly faded upon seeing their saddened faces.

Blake swallowed a large lump in his throat.  “Where’s Cora?”

Jemma’s lip began to quiver.  Dean met Blake’s gaze.  “We need to talk, Blake.”

Blake’s eyes turned red, his incisors lengthening.  “Where is my sister?”  His voice was low and dangerous.

Dean still did not avert his gaze.  “She’s here.  Please calm down before you do something you’ll regret.”  Jemma whimpered and moved closer to Dean.

Blake nodded.  He shut his eyes tightly, clenching his fists.  Fighting for calm, for control.

Once he regained control, he looked back at Dean, blue eyes met black.  Dean shook his head slowly.  “I’m sorry, my friend.  We’ve failed you.  Cora’s been bitten.”

Blake just stared for a moment, lost.  He began to shake uncontrollably.  He started shaking his head, mumbling, “...no, it can’t be, no...”