Hope, Roman, and I have been driving for hours. Hope is scrolling through Roman's playlist on his phone and I've taken to sleeping as much as I can. I don't like being in such a small area with Roman. I still don't trust him, even if he is doing us a favor. It's probably just to get in Hope's pants. Why Hope trusts him is beyond me. She's like too blinded by her crush to listen to instincts.
"Okay, I knew your hair had emo tendencies, but your music?" Hope teases. I open my eyes from trying to take a nap and lean between their seats to look at his phone with her.
"Shade thrown and caught." He smiles, taking his phone back. "Give me that. Quit judging and lean it." He says opening his camera.
"No, I'll do it." Hope protests, taking his phone back and angling the phone sideways with her arm stretched out. I groan and quickly throw my body backwards to avoid being in a picture with them.
"My mom would kill us if she knew that we were taking selfies and driving." Hope chuckles. "Though compared to us binding our werewolf side, I'd just say it's a misdemeanor."
"No kidding." I mutter, knowing that hiding apart of ourselves would upset our mom. She never wants us to be ashamed that we're different. She wants us to embrace it and in a normal situation I would, but with her life on the line...
"You guys nervous?" Roman asks.
"Our Aunt Freya basically said the we'd regret it for the rest of our lives." Hope answers. "And from what we've read in our dad's journals, it's horrible. So, you know, actually kind of terrified."
"I'm only terrified of how doing this is going to change us for the worse." I sigh. "But, I'd never regret doing something that will save mom and Aunt Hayley."
"Well, Hope, you said you feel like a freak." Roman comments. "I don't know, maybe this will help."
"Still, it's... it's strange cutting out a part of yourself that you barely even know." She explains.
"So you won't miss it." He states. "Anyway, you'll both still be you."
"You don't get it." I tell him, sitting up. "We are the only ones of our kind and yeah, that's freaky and it make us feel different and like we're outsiders. But, it's who we are. Binding ourselves will be like taking away part of who we are. There will always be something missing in us. Just like when it happened to our dad. And he turned desperate to get that part of him back, to feel whole. He didn't care who he killed. Honestly, binding us could completely backfire on the assholes that took our mom and aunt. We could end up worse than if we just stay Tribrids and learn to handle it."
"Doesn't matter, 'cause we're doing it." Hope says.
"Damn straight." I agree.
"You know, your mom should be proud of you both." Roman says.
The hair on my arms stand up and a twinge in my stomach forms. "That's weird." Hope mutters. "I think someone may be tracking me."
"I feel it, too." I nod. "Pull over."
"We- We need to be somewhere quiet." Hope explains and Roman pulls over to the side of the road. Hope turns to me. "I'll handle it." I nod and watch her get out of the car and walk a few paces away, into the field next to us. She holds her hands out and I get out. I walk until I'm a couple of feet behind her. She's muttering under her breath as I wait patiently. When she's done, she turns and sees me. "I said I would do it."
"I know." I nod. "Give me your phone." She pulls it out of her pocket and passes it to me. I take both our phones and drop them on the ground. "Now they can't track us the muggle way." I smirk.
"Harry Potter? Really?" She laughs.
"Always." My smirk widens at my pun and she rolls her eyes and shoves me playfully. We both climb back into Roman's car.
"Someone's definitely tracking us." Hope informs him. "I can cloak us, but there's something else we got to do on the way." Hope holds up his phone. "Bexley and I already tossed ours." Roman nods in understanding.
_______________________
The sun it high in the sky when we make it to where Roman is taking us. We exit the car and head to the large, white, rustic, two story house, Hope and I walking side-by-side.
"Well, your witch really goes for atmosphere." Hope observes.
"She's not my witch." Roman says. "She's just a witch I know."
"Not your witch. Got it." Hope comments as her and I walk up the steps of the house. I send Roman a glance over my shoulder. Hope's must sense something's off with him too. "Are you okay?"
"Look, Hope." He calls, stopping us. We turn to face him, us on the porch and him on the ground. "You know I like you, right?" Hope chuckles, but I narrow my eyes in suspicion at his randomness.
"Well, I didn't think you drove me all this way 'cause you hate me." She smiles and I cross my arms.
"It's just..." He stops us from going inside again. "...there's gonna be some things I have to explain."
I scrunch my eyebrows, as my stomach turns. "Look, sorry, but the only thing worse than doing this is waiting to do this." Hope tells him. We both turn and walk up to the door. Hope's hand grazes the door knob.
"Stop!" Roman demands. "It's spelled." He walks onto the porch and kicks over a stick and some rocks. I stare at him with apprehension. "You can go in now."
I quickly put my hand on the door knob, not wanting Hope to go first. Roman's acting weird and I already don't trust him. Hope takes a small step back, giving me room to push the door open and enter the house. As soon as I walk into the run down house, there is a room immediately to the left. My eyes widen as I freeze, staring at two people slumped in and tied to chairs. My mom and Aunt Hayley look weak and tired. My heart races as my mom groans.
"Hope." I whisper in shock as she stares over my shoulder. "Mom? Aunt Hayley?" I call, pushing through the shock as I rush over to them. Hope drops our bag and hurries after me.
Aunt Hayley and mom look up at us. "Hope. Bexley." Mom breaths as I drop to my knees in front of her.
"What is this?" Hope questions.
"You." Aunt Hayley says looking over Hope's shoulder to Roman.
"I fucking knew it." I mutter angrily.
___________________
Kelsey's Point of View
Hayley and I have lost track of how long we've been kidnapped. We had woke up in coffins and fought off our attackers, but they over powered us with Vervain and Wolfsbane. We were kept in one house for a while, before being brought to this one.
We are both tied to chairs with rope coated in Wolfsbane and Vervain. I'm too weak to break free. A blonde teenage vampire and Greta are behind all of this. They are apart of some hate group that despises hybrids, because we're different. I'm beginning to lose hope of Freya finding us. I know they would have cloaked us, but the more time passes the more I feel like her and Vincent can't break through.
I'm in and out of consciousness. The faint sound of the door opening, makes me groan weakly. "Hope." A whisper says. "Mom? Aunt Hayley?" I look up and see Hope and Bexley rushing over to us. Bexley drops down in front of me and Hope stands next to her, looking at Hayley and me in confusion. Fear pricks my skin.
"Hope. Bexley." I mutter, praying this is a dream, but when I look at Hayley, I know it's not.
"What is this?" Hope inquires, horrified.
"You." Hayley accuses glaring behind Hope. I snap my head over to see the blonde teenage vampire. Hope and Bexley, also, turning to face him.
"I fucking knew it." Bexley seethes. "You are apart of this."
Hope looks at him in betrayal. He quickly cuffs her with manacles. Bexley stands in defense. "Bexley, put these on." The boy orders passing her another pair of manacles.
"Go to hell." She sneers.
"Do it or you'll make me do something I really don't want to." The vampire threats and glances at Hope, who he's holding in front of him.
"Bexley." I call to her. She looks at me and I nod. Sighing she cuffs herself.
"I'm so sorry." He whispers to Hope.
"No you're not." Bexley scoffs. "You've been playing us since the beginning."
______________________
The vampire boy, who's name is apparently Roman, holds a water bottle for Hayley to drink from. He's already done the same for me. Hope and Bexley are concentrating on the manacles, trying to overpower them while he's occupied, but it's not working. Hayley exhales deeply as he pulls the water away.
"What's going on?" Hope demands, glaring at Roman.
"He's the one that led them to us in the church attic." I explain, since he wasn't answering.
"But how did you know where they were?" Hope questions him. Roman turns and puts the water bottle back in his bag. "You got inside my head. The first day you touched me. When you tucked my hair behind my ear. You were really trying to figure out where my mom and aunt were hidden."
"Let me out of these." Bexley snaps, pulling on the manacles. "Because, I'm gonna kill you."
"Hope, look, I know this looks bad, okay?" Roman ignores Bexley. He take a step towards her, but Hope steps back. Bexley inches closer to Hope, ready to defend her if she needs to. "But if you two just do the binding spell..."
"Binding spell?" I question, grabbing their attention.
"What's he talking about?" Hayley adds.
"That bitch Greta said that if we did the binding spell, then they'd let you both live." Bexley explains. If we were not kidnapped and in danger, I'd scold her for her language.
"Greta said that?" I inquire in disbelief.
"I-It's just so Hope and Bexley can't make anymore hybrids." Roman defends Greta. "Our movement is about getting the natural order back. That's all my mom wants."
"Wait." Hope says. "Greta's your mom?"
Hayley and I start struggling in our chairs. "Untie us, now!" Hayley demands, pissed off.
"I can't." He replies. "Okay? Just do the binding spell, and you'll be fine."
"Nothing will be fine for you unless you untie us." I threat darkly and he stares at me nervously.
"You realize that your mother is insane." Hayley jabs.
"It's not insane to defend yourself, okay?" Roman counters. "Werewolves kill to trigger their curse. None of them are innocent. But at least they're a naturally occurring species. Hybrids are a perversion. Look at Klaus." My angry rises at him mentioning his name. "And-and Henry was a hybrid for less than a day before he murdered someone. They're just unnatural."
"Vampires kill to survive or when they loose control." Bexley scoffs. "So, according to you, you're unnatural. Hope and I, we were born like this. Hope and I didn't transition, or kill anyone, or drink vampire blood. We were made like this. That makes us natural, dipshit."
"Well, um, at least I know how you really feel." Hope sasses.
"Hybrids have a choice, too, Roman." Hayley cuts in. "Uh, we all have free will. Klaus did whatever he did not because he's a hybrid, but because he's Klaus. Henry is just a kid. Eventually, he'll learn self-control."
"Aunt Hayley." Bexley sighs and Hope looks down.
"What?" She asks and I look between them in question.
"Henry's dead." Hope informs us.
"What happened?" Hayley ask as I glare at Roman.
"They tore his heart out and strung him up outside Rousseau's." Hope says.
"Who did?" Hayley continues.
"Nobody knows, but I have a pretty good guess." Bexley sneers at Roman.
"I bet Roman's mother knows." Hayley assumes and Hope turns to Roman. "Think about it. If they did that to some backwoods Bayou kid that they barely even knew, imagine what they're gonna do to us."
"Untie me, now." I yell, knowing the girls are in danger by being here.
"No." Roman whispers in denial. "No. My mom just wants peace. If you bind yourselves, you'll be free. You... You'll see."
"And if you believe that, then you really are a fool." Hayley tells him.
"I was engaged to Niklaus Mikaelson. I know what hate does to someone." I say. "It's a strong emotion, that can take over. Your mom and her group hate us. They want us extinct. And right now, you have the only two tribrids and the only two hybrids, besides Nik. She is going to kill us. And when she does I pray she finds Nik wherever his is in Europe and he tears her apart."
"Mom." Bexley mutters. "Dad's in New Orleans."
"What?" I ask in confusion and nervousness. "Why?"
"That's why we hide you." Hope sighs. "To lure him here."
"And he came?" I whisper.
"Of course he did." Hayley says.
"He's been looking for you guys for over a week." Bexley tells me.
"Your mother doesn't want to bind us, Roman." Hayley changes the subject back to Greta. "She wants to kill us."
________________________
"This is Greta. I'm unavailable. Please leave a message." Greta says on her voicemail as Roman paces fanatically. Bexley is sitting on the ground to the left of my legs and Hope is sitting on a stool between Hayley and me to my right. "She's not answering." Roman says coming to a stop.
"Maybe Greta didn't recognize the number as your burner phone." Hope lips.
"You do the math, Roman." Hayley urges. "Why else would she send you to the middle of nowhere? If she really wanted Hope and Bexley just to do the binding spell, she would have kept you in Mystic Falls, or-or sent you to New Orleans."
"I trust her, okay?" Roman exclaims.
"Yeah, that's what she's counting on." Hayley points out.
"She's not how you think!" He yells.
"Yes, she is." I say calmly.
"No." He shakes his head. "When I was a kid, werewolves literally tore my family apart. And they left me for dead. Greta saved me. She treated me like a son. She gave me a new family." Then, he looks at the twins. "Until your father showed up and killed mine. Because of him, I spent 50 years desiccated in a cave. But the whole time, Greta never stopped looking for me. She never gave up. She's a good mother."
"No, Roman." Hayley shakes her head.
"She's not a mother." I tell him. "She expects things for you that no mother ever should. A mom who actually loves her son wouldn't use him as a warrior in a war. Can't you see? She... She's trained you to be a terrorists. She's going to get you killed."
"Just shut up, okay!" He screams in frustration. "She just wants us to live separately, in-in peace."
"Until everyone she doesn't consider 'pure' is annihilated." Hayley counters. "She wants us dead. You know we're right."
"She would never do that." He objects.
"And you're so sure." Hayley bits. "You're so sure that you're willing to risk our lives on it, to risk Bexley's, Hope's."
He looks at Hope and she stands. "You have to let us go."
Roman eyes flicker between all of us, conflicted, before landing back on Hope. "I got to make a call, okay?"
_____________________
While Roman's outside making his call, the twins are struggling against the manacles.
"There you go, keep trying." Hayley encourages.
"God, this is impossible!" Hope exclaims. "I'm sorry."
"We are so sorry." Bexley mumbles. "For everything, all of this."
"None of this is you guys fault." I shoot down their apology. "This is all Greta and her hate. You guys just wanted to talk to your father and that's understandable."
"We just, we thought that we were actually gonna fix it by doing the binding spell." Hope says.
"Dad was right." Bexley sighs. "We shouldn't have tried to go against him."
"You weren't actually going to do the spell, were you?" I question.
"No, we were." Hope admits.
"Absolutely." Bexley nods. "Dad just stopped us at the last minute."
"Good. His timing has always been spot on." I softly smile. "Girls, promise me that you won't try again, I don't want you to deny any part of yourselves. Promise me."
"Aunt Freya said that you didn't want us to trigger our werewolf side." Hope says with cloudy eyes.
"It's complicated." I sigh. "Breaking all 206 bones sucks, it really does. Killing someone, even by accident, it stays with you. And it's hard. But, when you're running through the woods, under a full moon, with no thought of pain or... or trouble, just freedom... other than being a mom and loving you guys and your dad, there is no greater feeling in the world. It's invigorating and exhilarating."
"We are so stupid." Hope exhales. "I... I actually thought that he liked me." She looks at Bexley. "I should have listened to you."
"Hope, if..." Hayley swallows. "If we all judged ourselves by the mistakes we've made with men in our lives, we would never, ever get any peace."
"No where to go but up, I guess." Hope states.
"Don't jinx us." Bexley sighs, knocking on the wood floor to cancel Hope's word. "You know what I hate, that I can't get us out of here. It's pissing me off."
"I'm sure Aunt Freya is looking for all four of us by..." Hayley reassures, but Hope cuts her off.
"I cloaked me, Roman, and Bexley." She admits. "So there's no way for her to find us."
"Or Aunt Davina." Bexley mumbles. "And we can't do magic with these ridiculous chains on."
"Wait." Hope breaths out.
"What?" Bexley asks.
"It's a really bad idea, but... There may be a way to call for help." She states.
_______________________
"Who'd you call?" Hope questions Roman as he reenters the house.
"My sister." He says.
"Oh, there are more of you? Great." Hope muses.
"Listen, I don't know what's happening here." Roman admits.
"Then let us go." Hope suggests.
"I can't." He denies.
"You're a coward." Bexley spits at him.
"We give Greta what she wants." I cut in. "Call your witch. We'll do the binding spell. And I'll go first."
"No." Hayley shakes her head. "Me and then you."
__________________________
I fought Hayley on going first. I didn't want her to suffer through the pain or to have a part of her suppressed. She loves being a wolf and an Alpha. Roman may be misguided, but he clearly has a crush on Hope, because when the witch got here he told her to start on Hayley. I think he is trying to delay Hope having to see her mom go through something so traumatizing.
"Anima marcam. Iskoristsi vuca." The witch chants as she burns Hayley's flesh with a moonstone coated in Hayley's blood. She is burning both of her palm, the soles of her feet, and her forehand. Listening to Hayley scream is torture. Bexley is holding my hand and I squeeze hers every time she flinches. Hope is gripping my pants in anxiety. Hayley gasps and groan, making me have to look away.
"It's a... piece of cake." Hayley pants as the witch continues to chant. She does her best to put on a brave face for the twins.
"Liar." Hope calls her out.
The witch heats the stone up again and then stands, getting ready to place it on her forehead.
"Look away, girls." Hayley tells them. Bexley buries her head into our conjoined hands. Hope continues to stare at Hayley, horrified. "Hope, look away."
"Hope." I call to her. "Look at me." She turns her eye to mine and we keep eye contact as the witch touches Hayley's forehead with the stone. Hayley lets out a blood curdling scream and I try not to flinch, still holding Hope's eye contact. Until she clinches her eyes shut.
Finally, she stops screaming. The spell is finished. Hayley's head dangles in front of her. She's so weak she's having a hard time keeping it up.
"How do we know if it worked?" Roman asks the witch. The witch doesn't speak, instead she unties Hayley's arm and straightens it out into the sun shining through the window. Hayley's skin sizzles and she hiss a bit.
"See? Nothing but a vampire now." The witch tells him. Hayley looks at me and I nod. She quickly grabs the witch and bits into her neck, draining her of blood.
"Hey, stop!" Roman yells, rushing forward, but Hope stands and breaks his neck.
"Let's go, let's go." Hope urges. Hayley quickly unties her self and Bexley goes to do me, but pauses. Hope is already at the door, opening it and Hayley walks closer to her.
"Wait." Bexley whispers. "Aunt Hayley can't." Hayley looks down.
"No." She says. "But the three of you can."
"She means the two of you." I correct her. "I'm not leaving either. Untie me, please, Bexley." Bexley quickly does as she's told and I stand up and go next to Hayley. Bexley joins her sister.
"We're not going without you." Hope shakes her head. The twins walking right up to us. "We cloaked you guys as a hybrid." Hope looks at Hayley. "The second you finished that spell, Freya's beacon started flipping out. They know where to find us now."
"And I will be fine." Hayley reassures. She glance at me. "Your mom is going with you. It all make sense now. They could have killed us at any time, and they didn't. It's you two they want."
"We can take care of ourselves." Bexley argues.
"No." I deny. "She's right. It's not your strength they're scared of. You two are Mikaelson witches with a werewolf mother and an Original father. You two are the ones that can finally unite all the factions. Which goes against everything they believe in."
"They thrive on hatred, and you two... are their worst fear." Hayley tells them. "Which means you have to go." Bexley goes to object. "Yes, you have to go."
"You have to leave now." I reinforce, nudging them to the door. They ignore my urge and quickly pull Hayley and I into a hug.
"I love you, girls." Hayley sighs into Hope hair and I feel her squeeze Bexley's arm.
"And I love you two, too. More than anything. Now. Go." Hayley and I let them go.
"You too." Hayley nods at me.
"Keep dreaming, Marshall. We're in this together." I shut her down. "Girls, go."
Reluctantly, they listen and head back to the door. Only, Greta stops them in their tracks. She holds up her hand and blows a powder into their faces and the twins fall to the ground unconscious.
My blood boils and I vamp at her, but she was ready and jabbed a stake into my stomach throwing me back into Hayley. We fly across the room and into the wall. I grunt in frustration and at the burning in my abdomen. Greta vamps to the window and pulls off the curtain, allowing the sun in. The light separates us and her. She thinks we are both only vampires.
"If you lay one finger on my daughters..." I begin to threaten her through gritted teeth and my hand on the stake in my belly.
"I'd say you're not in a terribly good position to make threats." Greta warns.
"If only you knew..." I smirk.
"Mom?" Roman wakes up and looks at her.
"Roman." Greta says squatting next to him and helping him up. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, everything's fine." He assures her. "Hayley did the binding spell, and the twins and their mom agreed to do it too. And then we can let them go." Greta realizes I'm still a hybrid. I stand and go to advance on her, but she quickly grabs a syringe from her pocket and stabs me in the neck with it. I gasp in shock and the dull sensation, from the last time I'd been inject, turns to intense burning. My veins lighting on fire. She grabs the stake still in my middle and uses it to shove me back down. I stumble over my feet and collapse next to Hayley.
"Oh, darling." She sighs and looks back at Roman. "If only we could." Roman's face drops and he looks over at me and Hayley with regret. He pulls away from Greta and gets off the floor.
"But you said if they just bound their werewolf side..." He states.
"Klaus Mikaelson was bound, but found a way to break it." Greta explains. "There are always loopholes. And we cannot afford any more hybrids." Roman shakes his head in disbelief. He takes a step back and his eyes fall on Hope, who lays unconscious next to her sister. I struggle to get to my feet, but fail.
He drops by Hope. "What the hell did you do to her... them?" He shakes her gently. "Hope?" Hayley tests the sun on her skin, making her sizzle, trying to come up with a plan. "Hope?" He tries to wake her.
"It's easier for her and her sister this way." Greta attempts to comfort him.
"I don't understand what's happening." Roman states standing up and facing Greta again.
Greta puts her hands on his shoulders. "If we want peace, we cannot allow an apex predator to exist." She walks pass him and squats next to the twins.
Roman connects his regretful and scared eyes with me and Hayley. Greta stands back up, holding a stake. She walks over to Roman and holds the stake out to him. I shift my body more on edge and ignoring my screaming nerve endings.
"You know in your heart this is the right thing to do." She coaxes him. He reaches and takes the stake. "Show me you believe."
"Roman, you don't have to do this." Hayley calls out.
"She's right." I pant, agreeing. "Hope and Bexley are innocent. They've never hurt anyone. Turning Henry was a mistake and they've learned from it. They're not werewolves or hybrids, they're your friends, especially Hope, and you care about them."
"We know you do." Hayley says.
He looks down at the girls. "Please, Mom, please, don't make me do this." He pleads. "Please, don't..."
"Give that to me!" She yells outraged, and I welcome the distraction. I snatch the stake from my abdomen with quite a bit of effort, gritting my teeth at the pain, as she yanks the stake from Roman. Hayley vamps at Greta, before I can get up.
"Mother, no!" Roman protests. Hayley grabs her and pins her to the wall by the front door. I vamp over to Roman's side and kneel by the twins. Hayley and Greta fight, hitting and shoving each other back and forth. I check the twins pulse. "I'm sorry." Roman mutters, but I ignore him.
Greta slams Hayley into the wall and grips her throat. She starts gasping, trying to get air. I stand and walk towards her, when the door burst open. My head snaps to the door and my eyes connect with Nik's.
"Nik." I whisper. He scans the scene, but Elijah comes up behind him. Elijah runs a stake through Nik's back and he screams, falling to his knees. "STOP!" I exclaim and fall on my knees by Nik.
"Elijah." Hayley mumbles. He looks at her and I breath in relief. He will help us. But, Elijah pushes the stake into Nik farther. Nik chokes on his blood and falls forward.
I look up at Elijah in shock. He is still locked on Hayley, but he's backing into the room with the twins and Roman. Everything happens too fast.
"Roman." Elijah calls. "Are you okay?"
Realization sets in, that he isn't here to help us. Help Hayley. My eyes snap to her and I lunge towards her and Greta, ready to pull the bitch off my best friend. I watched as Hayley's eyes went from relief, to heartbreak, and finally ending on determination and rage. She is determined to keep us safe. Keep the twins safe. To stop this lunatic and her crazy ideals. And so, she turns her gaze into a fiery one, setting in on Greta. I barely touch Greta before she throws me back, making me fly into the wall behind me. I groan, crashing on the ground, landing on my leg with a snap. Using the same hand she used to throw me, Greta slams it into Hayley's chest. Hayley gasps in agony.
Everything slows down. I struggle to regain my breath, clutching my leg, as Hayley looks at the twins. Almost like she was contemplating something, something selfless. Fear grabs my chest as her eyes meet mine. I scrunch my eyebrows and shake my head. Her eyes fill with tears. I try to stand again, but my leg doesn't let me. I examine it and see my bone is exposed, sticking out through a wound on my shin. I look to see if Nik can help, but he still has a stake in his back and blood pouring out of his mouth.
So, I grit my teeth and position my hands on my leg just right. Then, with the right amount of force I snap my bone back into place. I scream at the intense pain. Hayley closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When, she opens them she is looking at Greta with a murderous glare. I grunt as I attempt to get on my feet. I fail and fall against the wall again, my leg still not healed. The Vervain and Wolfbane in my system is slowing it down. When a warrior cry, mixed with some pain from Greta gripping her heart, Hayley grabs the hand that had a hold on her neck and she snatches it backward, breaking it. Greta howls in agony and Hayley drops Greta's severed finger, with her daylight ring, to the ground.
My eyes widen in panic and realization of her plan. "NO!" I scream forcing myself up. But I was too late. Hayley grips Greta's shoulders and vamps her out of the doors. "NO! HAYLEY!" I scream painfully again as I rush after them. Flames ingulf Hayley and Greta's bodies. My world slowly comes crashing down. My legs give out as I fall to my knees. My vision goes cloudy and my body aches. I let out a devastating scream as Hayley turns to ashes in front of me. My body wracks with sobs and I struggle to catch my breath. I didn't hear the footsteps that approach me. So, when someone squats next to me and gently touches my shoulder I flinch. Through blurry vision I see Nik. His eyes are watery, and his expression is full of concern and grief. There's an underlining of hurt in his eyes from me flinching away from his comfort, but that's all erased when I throw myself into him. I wrap my arms around his waist, and he softly imbeds one hand into my hair and the other around my shoulders. I violently cry into his chest, and he pulls me tighter against him. "Not again. Not again." I mutter over and over between sobs.
Once again, I've watched my sister die. Only this time there isn't a small chance Hayley's coming back. Vampires don't come back.