Ice Cold

Chapter Eleven

          I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep until I was startled awake sometime late that night. I looked into grey-blue eyes and immediately relaxed. Then I saw Hayden's face covered in blood and I was worried all over again. I started searching for injuries but there were none, this wasn't his blood.

           "I'm fine," Hayden said.

          "Hurry up," I heard Connor whisper from the hallway and I jumped at the sound of his voice.

           I looked up at Hayden who was standing again and the sight was seared into my head forever. Hayden looked murderous as his hands, clothes, and face were covered in blood, a dagger that didn't look much different from the one he'd given me in his hand. Fear began crawling inside my stomach until Hayden held out the hand without the dagger to me. I hesitantly took it and he pulled me up out of my bed to stand beside him.

          "What's going on?" I asked.

          "The reason I've been so protective of you lately is because since Connor killed the rogue and I've started helping with tracking them, they're after you now since you're the closest thing to Connor and I they can get to," Hayden said in a regretful voice. "I'm sorry, Lex, we never meant to put you in this situation, but I promise we'll protect you," Hayden finished and looked at Connor.

          Connor nodded in agreement when I turned to look at him. "So what are we going to do now?" I asked.

          "There's a clan of rogues that are coming here to kill you and we need to get you out before they get here," Connor explained.

          "Wait, what about my parents?" I asked.

          "They know how to fight vampires, we just need to get you out of their way so they don't have to worry about you," Connor said.

          I looked at him in shock, "since when do my parents know how to fight vampires?" I asked.

          "Ever since Hayden's parents informed them that they existed," Connor said, glancing at me, then his head snapped to the side, "hurry up, we don't have much more time," Connor said briskly.

          "Come on, Connor's going to take you somewhere safe while I help Lily and Chad," Hayden explained.

          I hesitated a few seconds before I nodded and Connor was in front of me the next second. "Wait," I said and turned to my nightstand drawer and grabbed the dagger Hayden had given me.

          I turned back to Connor and he quickly swept me up and cradled me against him. "Don't let anything happen to her," Hayden said sternly.

          "You know me, Hayden, she's perfectly safe," Connor said and with a cold glare between Hayden and him we were going vampire speed out my front door and through the woods.

          I turned my head towards Connor's chest to block my face from the wind. I shut my eyes and within a matter of seconds Connor stopped and slowly turned around. I looked around as Connor scanned the area as well.

          "What's wrong?" I whispered.

          "The rogues are on our trail," Connor said and then held me tighter against him and jumped up into a tree. I gasped as we shot up. Then Connor was gently setting me on a branch halfway up. "Stay here, don't make any movement," Connor said, looking worried.

          I nodded and he dropped from the tree landing gracefully on his feet. Connor whirled around then and leaned against a tree opposite of me. Suddenly, about five or six ragged-looking people emerged from behind trees. "Prince Connor, we know you have the girl hidden somewhere, spare yourself the trouble and hand her over," one of them said. Prince? I thought to myself.