The Mutari

The Mutari Ch. 6

It didn’t move anywhere.

Because suddenly wrapped around Relli’s wrist was a hand much paler than any of the two girls. They both stared at it for a good solid five seconds before their gazes fearfully drifted upwards to eye the possessor of the deceitfully strong hand.

Letti did not look into misty gray eyes. Instead, solid black eyes full of the darkness of overwhelming bloodlust drove a glare that stiffened their spines and ceased their breathing. Horror drained the girls’ faces of color as they stared into the condemned eyes of a Defectum.

The vampire’s eyes were not locked on the one who it held like chains in her hand. She wasn’t even looking into the eyes of either Prime. No, her eyes were trained on the cut Relli had given Letti.

Nothing had frightened Letti as much as the eyes. They were shackles that held her in place. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to, and by all that was holy, did she want to.

Taking a step out of her coffin, the vampire stepped barefoot in front of them. She stood half a head above Letti’s five foot four frame. She made her feel like she was one of the seven dwarves. The vampire’s nostrils twitched as a frown formed on her face.

The hand that wasn’t rooting Relli to the spot crept towards Letti’s face. She did nothing to stop it, watching in mute fear. A finger reached out and swiped at her cheek. Letti blinked, but couldn’t even jerk back. Blood stained the crystalline white finger.

Faster than Letti could track, the finger was suddenly in the vampire’s mouth. It popped back out half a second later with a sneer of disgust. A set of pearly white fangs glinted ominously in the firelight. With a turn of her head, she spat somewhere off into the dark corners.  

Letti blinked in puzzlement. For all appearances, it looked like the woman disliked her blood. Even at the mercies of a blood-craving fever. Her brows came together. For an irrational moment, she wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or madly relieved. The latter won out when she realized this just might mean she won’t end up as a midnight smorgasbord.

She was right. Completely disregarding Letti now, the vampire’s attention slid to Relli. There was a brief moment of eye contact. Letti’s ears picked up faster than her eyes as the next moment went to hell.

Relli’s cry of pain shot out as she was suddenly crushed against the wall. The vampire’s hand was locked on her shoulder in a rough grip with her head at her friend’s neck. By just that hold, she stood a foot off the ground, her neck in the vampire’s line of sight.

            To her shame, fear put hesitation in her need to save her best friend. The woman’s head darted forward. Relli’s head snapped upwards and her entire body tensed. Her mouth opened to scream but nothing came out.

            Letti ran at them with no plan in mind to save Relli. Desperation put fight into her limbs. She was going to fight like any untrained Prime would fight another.

            Relli’s eyes went to her as she ran up behind them. Panic was clear in her eyes, growing with every noisy and obviously painful slurp the woman took from her vain. Letti’s hands reached out, grabbed fistfuls of flaming red hair, and heaved with abandon.

            The woman’s head jerked back, dislodging her from Relli’s neck. She dropped Relli to the floor and was less than an inch in front of Letti before the other Prime’s feet hit the ground. Blood streamed down her mouth.

            Hair fell out of Letti grasp as she still stared at the face of unquenched hunger. When the vampire’s arm twitched, she involuntarily flinched away and closed her eyes this time. She tensed, awaiting the blow.