The White Wyrm seemed dangerous without Sweet Pea's arm around me, everyone stared as the door shut behind me.
"FP!" I yelled at him once I spotted him besides the whole gang of Serpents.
Whispering immediately flared at the sight of me, I forced myself to ignore the talking as the man looked at me.
"What are you doing here, Ghoulie?" He glared hard with bloodshot eyes.
"Malachi wants a war, FP." I could see multiple Serpents approach from the corner of my eye.
"He wants to wipe out the Serpents." I forced myself not to reach for my knife, I was incredibly nervous being here.
"And Jughead only made things worse." I tell him.
"Why would you warn us? Aren't you supposed to be their Princess?" FP spat in anger but I could see the sadness in his eyes.
I returned it with a look of my own, "I've found friends here- real friends."
"I love Sweet Pea, FP. I'll be damned if I let any of those fuckers even get a shot in at him or any of the people he cares about." I fully admitted watching the anger on his face soften.
"I already failed stopping this." I had to clench my jaw to stop any tears from rising.
"Please," I begged, "Stop this."
"You can't do it." I demanded.
"I have to! And I will." FP shouted at me.
My mouth opened in anguish at the thought, "I'll be forced to fight back, FP! They'll kill me if I don't. I'm begging you to talk them out of this!"
"We already voted." He admitted almost seeming to regret his fury filled haste.
My eyes found my small friends sad face, "Stay the absolute hell away from me out there, Topaz."
"I'll have no choice and trust me when I say you won't have a chance when I have a knife in my hands." Tears rose in my eyes of the thought of trying to force myself to use my weapon.
Even when Toni was clearly terrified she joked, "You wouldn't even need a knife to take me, Lil."
"Make sure you have one then." I tried to make it into a joke but I knew everyone in the bar could see my tears.
"I can't save Serpents this time, FP." I almost whimpered out. "I have to choose my people."
As I continued to take down young Serpents the guilt grew, even though I had no idea who most were I couldn't help but wonder if my friends had a relationship with them.
It's as I spun in a clear spot to find a next target I spotted Sami's neon hair, my throat tightening at the sight of her above Fangs. A knife was being fought over, I closed my eyes begging for the boy to just take her out.
Watching the knife jolt closer to his face I couldn't stop my feet, without hesitation I tackled my one friend, rolling to be on top of her.
Her eyes flared in fury at my betrayal, "Lilith!"
At her loud scream I reared back my fist, watching her arms immediately go limp at my hard contact.
"Get the fuck up!" I yelled as Fangs stared at me with wide eyes from his spot on the ground.
Fangs jolted to his feet as he continued to stare at me.
"Go, Fangs!" I almost begged, my mind raging a war on whether to go at him or to rush away from him.
I couldn't hurt him.
Just as Fangs took a step back though I spoke out again, "Where are they?"
Where is he?
My eyes grazed the crowd as I tried to find the other two Serpents.
Fangs seemed to gulp, "Sweet Pea went to find Kyle."
Even though he was furious with me he still wanted to get vengeance from what Kyle had done to me. The bare minimum in Sweet Pea's mind- was that during this fight he would be finally being able to get his hands on the man he hated.
"I don't know where Topaz is." My body stiffened.
"Go find Sweet Pea." I breathed out as I backed up in a rush before starting to search for Toni.
It was hard due to her height but it almost seemed as if my ears were tuned to her voice.
"Get off me you freak!" She screamed out from feet away from me.
Seth had the girl in a death grip- his arm was locked through both of hers while the other was wrapped around her neck.
"Seth." I snapped watching his head snap up to look at me- a sick grin forming on his mouth.
"Oh, aren't you in for some trouble now, little snake?" He taunted Toni but in reality he was the one in for trouble.
Instead the second his eyes met mine I punched him square in the face- his body falling from Toni but still managing to drag her with him to the ground.
I stuck my hand out watching Toni's weary gaze before she grappled onto mine and let me tug her from the ground.
"I guess I like having a death wish." I tried to smile but it came out in a flinch.
Her and I were both wearing out leathers, my white skull and her green snake screaming out that our friendly contact was forbidden. Despite our obvious differences I let out a breath at the sight of her unharmed.
Toni took a moment before she reared back her foot and shot it into Seth's face. The boy immediately gurgling in pain as he folded his body together on the ground.
Toni and I stalked angrily through the field as I tried to lead her to Fangs, hoping I wouldn't have to take down another of my own in the process of delivering her.
"Fangs!" I yelled out once I had spotted him, I didn't dare to look to the figure besides him.
I shoved Toni's shoulder hard to gesture for her to leave me- to go to Fangs and Sweet Pea where I knew she would be safe. If they stayed together they would survive this, possibly leave unharmed.
"Stay together." I barked out, "They might be crazy but they aren't stupid."
I was quick to step away from them hoping my own hadn't seen me but I was quickly faced with the sight of Kyle. All but sprinting towards me, I knew it wasn't likely I could take him. I spun the opposite way but only got a foot or two away before I was faced with Sami.
"Sami-" I started but was only met with a fist to the face, my jaw moving with the force- my tongue being clamped between my teeth. Blood spilled from my mouth as a set of hands pulled me straight. Arms looped under my armpits to hold me still as Sami blew a shot into my stomach.
"Fucking traitor!" Sami screamed but I could see it in her face- the tears in her eyes.
I used the sturdy body behind me to my advantage, I put all my weight against Kyle's chest as I pulled my legs up. Kicking Sami to the ground with my boots before I tried to twist my arms out of who I assumed to be Kyle's grip. As if he knew what I was trying to do he threw me to the ground. I couldn't help but cry out at the flame that engulfed my shoulder before he came down on me.
His hands forced me down flat underneath him before I spit my blood filled saliva at his face- attempting to kick myself away from his larger frame. His hands shot out to my ankles before he ripped me back to his body despite my kicking.
"You shouldn't have done that!" Sami yelled out with a swelling nose.
"We're going to kill you, Lilith!" Kyle laughed out as he forced my legs down.
His amusement dropped off his face as I made a rash decision and hit him as hard as I could across his pale face. His hands dropped from my skin as I scrambled as quickly as I could to my feet- I bolted.
I hadn't ever had to run from a fight before. I didn't want to hurt Sami- out of everyone here she was the one Ghoulie I would feel guilty about hurting.
My friend.
Glancing over my shoulder I could see her, her arms limp at her sides as she watched me. As she let me get away, her fingers twitching in a small wave.
A goodbye.
The pain seemed to swallow my heart whole at that small motion.
The more Ghoulie's that lunged at me the more obvious it was that word had spread to target me.
Somehow I made my way to Malachi's back, he was swinging a nail filled bat as he approached FP Jones. A crazed laugh left his mouth as I stumbled to stop my running feet.
FP looked at me from over my flesh and bloods shoulder, a look of honor on his face. As if he was ready to die for his gang- for his family. This man had been more of an example to me than my own father ever had been.
Malachi had backed him into a corner basically, swinging his bat into the wooden wall right above FP's head before I had tears spring in my eyes.
Despite him knowing he had little to no chance of escape FP Jones shook his head at me- a warning for me to not intervene.
My mind screamed at me to move, to continue running to save myself from my impending doom. This would be the last decision I made- Malachi was high on drugs and bloodlust. I knew he wouldn't hesitate to swing that bat into my skull.
I loved my brother, but this man isn't my Malachi.
This Malachi was the ruthless version my father had been working on creating ever since he killed our mother. This Malachi replaced our ruthless father on the throne- and was just as bad.
At this thought and Malachi raising his bat again I bolted towards them- my hands latching onto the weapon before he could swing it.
Malachi tugged hard on it- the nails ripping through my palms as I cried out.
I couldn't help but release it, I didn't think I'd ever felt such a pain before. The heat from the rips in my skin were immediate.
Malachi's crazed green eyes met mine in astonishment.
"Go home, Little Sister!" He glared before he went to turn back to FP.
I let out a deep almost begging cry, "Please, Malachi!"
"Please!" I cried from behind them. "I don't want to hurt you."
Malachi spun to me again in fury, "You? You hurt me?"
"You're a trattorias whore!" My brother almost screamed.
"I'll skin them all alive, Lilith!" He yelled, "Starting with their King! And then your little boyfriend."
At the threat on Sweet Pea it's almost as if any human emotion left me- I became undeniably stoic towards my own brother over the only man I truly loved.
"I'll kill you with my bare hands before you touch him, Big Brother." I threatened watching a smile grace his lips.
"Shut up, Traitor." His teeth barred at me, "I think once I let everyone beat you I'll finally let Daddy have his go at you in hell."
Malachi turned back to FP then, a raise of his arm before I leapt onto him. My arms wrapped around him as my elbow locked around his throat.
"Run!" I screamed to FP Jones as Malachi began whipping my body to get me off of him.
"Go!" I yelled out again as Malachi slammed me against the wall he had once had FP backed against.
All the air left my chest but I refused to release my grip. Instead I forced myself to strengthen it as I threw my leg over his shoulder and locked it under his arm before doing the other. Once both his arms were locked from behind him I began jerking my body- trying to pull him to the ground so he would stop slamming my back against the wall.
I could feel his racing heartbeat against my elbow as I gritted my teeth together. I could feel him stumble before I gave another harsh tug to completely topple us.
I screamed at the top of my lungs in pain as the feeling of a stab went through my calf. When I looked down my leg was caught on Malachi's make shift weapon. Air heaved from my legs as I panted in pain- my palms forgotten as the new wound engulfed my senses.
"He's down!" A voice called to me loudly.
Arms wrapped around my own, "Lili!"
My tear filled gaze met Sweet Pea's concerned face.
"Let go!" He begged, "We lost!"
"We need to get the fuck out of here!" Toni cried out with a Serpent wrapped over her shoulder.
"My leg-" I cried as I unwrapped my arms from Malachi.
"I'll kill you all!" My brother gasped out from the ground.
Sweet Pea pulled my leg from the weapon with a pale face as I cried in pain before tugging me off up and into his arms.
"Not now." Sweet Pea glared at him, "Not ever."
Sweet Pea held me in his arms as he ran behind Toni and FP Jones.
With each step Sweet Pea took pain jolted through my nerves, tears streaming endlessly down my cheeks against his chest.
I could feel myself drift off due to the pain. The adrenaline that had been keeping me awake fading fast.