Blood Bride

Chapter Twenty-Three: Strength of Friendship

JON didn't allow any of them to change or shower because it would waste time, so she and Tobias were forced to get the blood off their face and hands with a rag and to cover their bloodied clothes. Ophelia just threw on a jacket over it and sat uncomfortably on the plane.

She was sweating bullets, enduring the suffocating heat the entire way back to Aberdeen, Washington to find the only home she had left engulfed in flames.

The dancing flames reflected in her chestnut orbs, the fierce orange emitting heavy clouds of black smoke from the mansion engulfed in fire. The grass too began to catch the patches of the burning red ashes, blackening the grass.

"I knew it was too easy to snatch that girl up. Looks like they sought their revenge. Or as I said earlier, someone believed us to be home. Could be either of the choices."

The six of them stood in front of the uninhabitable mansion and just watched it burn down.

Jon forbade anyone from involving humans in the war. Well, aside from Ophelia. So they could not simply call the fire department.

They had to suffer the consequences.

Ophelia clutched her fist.

Who could have done this?

"Alright, thank you." Tobias hung up the phone he was on and turned to Jon who was watching the mansion burn without an ounce of grievance in his cold eyes. In fact, it was as if he were watching a logs in the fireplace burn.

With a distinct calmness.

"Well, I just called in, all the hotels within a mile radius are booked for the night. A few won't accept people to come in so late."

"Why don't we just go to a motel? I know a place not too far from here." Kiroh suggested, leading Jon to shake his head.

"Low strength vampires are probably crawling all through those things. Unless you want problems with other vampires, feel free to go. I'd prefer to waste my time on vampires that will give me something out of their deaths. Pointless killings are not helping the vampire population."

"Then where are we going to stay, Master Cross? The sun is almost up." Yami pointed out.

Everyone looked at Jon, and he glanced at Everly.

It went without say, Everly dipping his head.

"You won't mind? You trust us with your family?" Everly nodded again.

"Of course, Master Cross. In the years I've worked with you, I see you are just an honest man, and you've chosen honest people to associate yourself with." Everly then turned to Ophelia who was still staring at the burning mansion that lit an orange hue over half her face, the other half shaded in as she peered off to the side. "Plus, I don't think it would sit right with me to leave two young women outside during the night.

"Don't flatter me, Everly." Yami tittered. "I wish I were as young as I appeared to be."

Ophelia wasn't sure how good of an idea it was to have four vampires in a house of humans, but it was not her place to argue.

Her eyes scanned over the property one last time as everyone began returning to the black car Everly drove, to find a torn piece of fabric resting along the black gate.

She reached up and grasped it between her fingers, the dark fabric staining her fingers in red.

Blood.

Someone must have cut themselves jumping the gate. She wasn't able to tell who it was, though maybe one of the four vampires could.

Jon allowed everyone to go in first, so he was the last one standing, waiting for Ophelia to get into the car. Instead she held the dirtied fabric up to his nose.