Ice Cold

Chapter Twenty-Four

          When I got home I was chilled to the bone, my lips blue, and I have various cuts and bruises along with bruised or cracked ribs. Connor had laid me on the couch and I'd cried out in pain. My parents gave me gentle hugs as they saw me coming through the door after they'd learned about by injuries.

          Hayden was explaining to my parents what had happened that they didn't know about while Connor reentered the living room with a washcloth, a bowl of water, and a blanket. He placed the bowl of water and washcloth on the floor and threw the blanket over me. He made sure it covered almost every inch of me. He then wet the washcloth in the water and grabbed my hand.

          "I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I have failed in my agreement with Hayden to protect you and failed against the agreement within myself as well," Connor said, a look of confliction passing over his face.

          "Don't be so hard on yourself," I said through still chattering teeth. "I'm okay now thanks to you guys, which is all that matters."

          Connor gave me a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. He cleaned the blood off my hands and the side of my neck and face that got splattered with blood. A look of discomfort and longing passed across his face as he cleaned the cut on my face and I knew he was controlling himself against the urge to drink my blood. He then gently cleaned my face of the dirt that was caked over it from the basement. When he was done the water was a dark brown with blood, barely visible, mixed in.

          "Here is a Band-Aid for your face that should help it heal," Connor said, putting the Band-Aid across my face. "There is nothing I can do for your cracked ribs but make you more comfortable," he continued and then in a blur of speed he reappeared with two pillows from my room.

          "Can you lean up?" He asked and held out a hand to help me.

          I took it and leaned up, grimacing against the pain. I was only up for a second as Connor placed a pillow under my rib and behind my head. He gently let me back down and then took a step away from me as if looking for anything else he could do.

          "Thank you for saving me, Hayden too, I'm sorry I ever doubted you guys," I said in sorrow.

          "Don't worry, everybody has their doubts no matter who the other people are," he said and then bent down to kiss my forehead.

          When I looked back up at him he was gone. A couple minutes later Hayden walked in and paused. He looked over at me and stared for a few moments with a look of desire and worry written across his face. I held my hand up to my face, realizing the smell of my blood must be hard for him to resist since I was now marked by him. Hayden took a step forward and then in a blur he disappeared and I heard his door slam shut.

          I wanted to go to him and comfort him, but I knew it would only make him worse. Plus, I couldn't even walk on my own yet. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I wasn't surprised when I was drifting into unconsciousness seconds later.

***

          I woke up in the darkness of the woods. Moonlight was my only source of light. Everything was quiet and eerie. I looked around but there was nothing I could see for miles except for the few rows of trees in front of me, lit up by the moon.

          Suddenly there were countless pairs of red glowing eyes around me. I noticed that they were all dark red instead of bright red. I was scared and cold to the bone. For some reason I knew these weren't rogues, these were full-blood vampires.

          A cloud seemed to move and the moon shone brighter in the woods, allowing me to see more. I could now make out different faces. There were countless bared fangs and disgusted faces looking back at me. I gasped when I realized that I wasn't the only person in the middle of the circle the full-bloods had trapped us in.

          There were other men and women here as well. Two other males and two other females besides me. Hayden had shown me the king and queen once in a magazine and I recognized their faces among the circle of full-bloods. They all started talking rapidly in a different language and my blood started to boil. I screamed a blood curdling scream.

          I wasn't able to leave the circle and torches that were now lit around us started to throw up higher flames. My blood felt like it was on fire and somewhere deep down I knew what this ceremony was but I, myself, couldn't figure it out. The only thing that was passing through my mind was that I had to get out of this circle and fast.

          I knew it would never work, but still, I tried running from the circle and was amazed that I ran with the speed of a vampire and that I was able to break free of the circle with little effort. Other vampires ran after me as I made my way past them and then a voice echoed through the woods, "don't worry about her, it is done." I turned around at her words and was surprised to find Connor standing behind me, his dark red eyes burning holes through me. Suddenly it was like my perspective changed and I was looking at myself close up.

          My shocked face turned to a look of agonizing pain. I was shocked to see I had fangs and burning dark red eyes as well. Then my fangs receded and my dark blood red eyes slowly faded into my electric blue eyes, my fair skin looking more and more normal, but then I collapsed to the ground. I opened my eyes to see Connor giving me a murderous and victorious smile that made me fear for my life as I realized I was now only human and no longer possessed the properties of a vampire.

***

          I woke up screaming and gasping for air. Hayden was grasping my shoulders and shaking me awake.

          "Lex! Wake up! It's only a nightmare," Hayden shouted as I struggled against him.

          I started gasping for even more air and grasping my rib in my hand as pain burned in my side. Hayden slowly laid me back down and my body relaxed. I was still trying to catch my breath as I opened my eyes to look at Hayden.

          "Thank you," I said.

          "What was the nightmare about?" He asked and I shook my head.

          "I have no idea. I don't know what to make of it, I'm just glad it was only a dream," I said between breaths as I was still gasping for air, my heart still going a million miles an hour.

          Hayden gave me a curious look, "yeah, me too," he said and then sighed, "it wasn't about the rogues or about them kidnapping you was it?" he asked, truly concerned.

          "No, it wasn't about that. Just go back to sleep, I'm sorry I scared you," I said.

          "No, it's fine, don't worry about it," he said and got up from crouching on the floor and walked to the hallway. He paused and turned around, "if you need me, scream, I'll come running," he said with one of his rare grins and I smiled back.