"Billie!"
I heard Riley before I saw him, scrambling over to me on his hands and knees, ducking low to avoid the flames. He looked pale and worried as I tried to get to my feet. I heard more screaming, angry shouts, even laughter and growling. In one corner of the dining room, I could see Leonard biting into someone I didn't recognise.
"Riley, what happened? What's going on?"
"Preachers." He rasped.
"No, I saw Christian."
"He must have led them here then."
"He's been watching us. It had to be him."
"Billie, I'm telling you, there are Preachers here! Your house is crawling with them."
"Get everybody out. Get them to the cars."
"But you said you'd..."
"I know what I said, Riley. Get them out. Leave Christian and the Preachers to me."
"I'm on it."
"Leonard!" I shrieked. "Stop drinking him or you'll change! Do you want to become an Eve-Walker again? You can let him go now!"
The vampire Principal dropped the Preacher's body as if he weighed nothing. "Are you having another psychotic lapse?"
"No, I'm quite in my own mind, Billie." Leonard said, smiling toothily.
"Go, get them out."
My poor house had turned from something warm and welcoming to something made of nightmares. Bodies lay around me on the floor but thankfully it wasn't any one of my lot. Most of the Preachers were besieged as they encountered attacks from my family and friends. Through a large crack in the back wall of the house I could see the arrival of the Werewolf pack.
They tore through the house, tearing through the Preacher's just as effectively, and brought new meaning to the word terror. Rowanne changed to wolf form and fought alongside her kin running once to Matilda's aid as Christian attacked. The vampire didn't stand a chance against the young wolf, Laura Cortes' potion or Torsten's gun and soon disappeared out of sight.
I stood and watched as the pack ushered Rowanne, Matilda, Torsten and Rowanne out the back door and out of sight. They were gone.
"Laura! Laura!" Dulcie screamed. "Billie, did you see where she went? What happened?"
"DC, she's safe. Just get out of here, okay? Get in a car and go. We will find you."
"I'm so sorry about your house, Bill." Dulcie cried, throwing her arms around me.
"It's fine, Dulcie. Just go, run before more of them show up."
Dulcie disappeared out the back door and soon I heard her car starting up. I watched through the living room window as she tore down the street and followed her through all the windows of the lower ground till she was out of sight.
Ruby sped past me, putting out flames everywhere whilst the Smiths led the others out the back door to the waiting cars whilst I searched for Nana amongst the debris. I didn't search very long though. I'm not sure how I didn't notice them before, I must have walked past them three or four times. Three Preachers stood near the front door, holding my Nana in place as she stood on a small wooden stool with a noose around her neck.
"No!" I heard myself scream.
Even though I had thrown my arms out at them, I was too late. Even though they flew into the weakened front wall and were crushed beneath it, one of them had already kicked the stool out from under her. With a flick of my wrist her noose came undone and I caught her as she fell into my arms.
