Kelly
There are moments in life when your body reacts before your conscious mind – 'fight or flight' they call it. Your body becomes a machine, going through the motions of self-preservation. Before you know it, the moment is long gone, and your mind scrambles to piece together the semblance of a memory, all the while asking, 'what the hell just happened?'
I tighten my hold of Tegan's bloodied body against my chest as Douglas and I get her to the kitchen table. I don't remember pulling her through the threshold of this abandoned shithole. I don't remember closing the door or pulling her into my arms. I don't remember tersely giving the command to Bogdan and Finn that they needed to stick together as they secured the perimeter.
All I remember is Tegan, one of the damned strongest females and Secondaries I've ever known, reaching up with bloodied hands and whispering a plea of help.
My mind is a chasm full of torn scraps of memory.
"Get the medical kit," I say to Douglas. "I picked up more supplies today. Everything should be stocked."
Finn's guard nods. He clears off the table before assembling the medical supplies.
"She'll heal," he says, and I don't miss the comforting tone he uses.
"I know she'll heal," I snap defensively. "But she's our only eyes on the inside. If Reyo found out she's aiding us – "
"She'd be dead," Douglas interrupts.
My eyes travel across Tegan's features. Long eyelashes. A pointed nose. Harsh features. I've never seen her this close before. It's always been at a distance, usually with one of us throwing a sharp barb to the other.
It's no secret Tegan isn't a fan of humans. Isn't a fan of me.
I can't count the number of times I argued with Bogdan about her loyalty. Each time he assured me that despite her distaste for humans that our common goal was the same. To save Finn.
Tegan lets out a pained moan in my arms. I grimace and selfishly squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, suppressing the flood of memories bubbling to the surface. Seeing her like this takes me back there – to those final days at the Fortress. All the death. The blood. The pain. The loss...
"Shh," I say, all the while forcing breath in through my mouth and out through my nose. "I've got you, Tegan."
Douglas moves around the table and assists in peeling her from my arms. The squelching noise that follows makes bile rise in my throat. There's so much blood – too much blood. An ember of fury burns in the deepest pit of my stomach.
"Who did this to her?" I ask.
Accusation burns my tongue, and I know it's unfair. Douglas doesn't bother with a response. His brow pinches in concentration as he gathers various items. Gauze. Alcohol. Antibacterial solution.
He grabs a pair of scissors and gently murmurs to Tegan that he's going to cut away the soiled clothes to find where the injuries are located and begin cleaning them. Every word is gentle but clinical, showcasing that he's every bit the guard the Secondaries trained him to be. That Mr. Primary trained him to be.
"I'll do it," I snap, holding my hand out for the scissors.
Douglas barely spares me a glance before moving back into place, slowly cutting up the hem of Tegan's ruined shirt.
"You can help me when your hands stop shaking."
Douglas cuts away the last scraps of Tegan's shirt, and something ugly unfurls inside me as I watch his eyes dance across every inch of her body. Something dark, protective, and foreign. My hands clench into fists at my side, and I glance away.
"There's too much blood and not enough injuries," Douglas mutters under his breath. "This is someone else's blood."
Gentle footsteps come as a welcome distraction, and I turn just as Bogdan and Finn enter the kitchen. Bogdan catches my gaze from across the room and nods.
"Perimeter is clear," he confirms. "But there is blood in the air. Whatever happened, she fought to near-death to make it here."
Always a warrior.
"We couldn't find any bodies within a two-mile radius of the house, but they could still be out there," Finn adds.
Douglas looks up long enough to give Finn a sweeping assessment. His eyes scour his body for injuries or any outward forms of distress. He evaluates Finn in the same manner he does Tegan, I realize, and some of the tension in my chest eases.
"Were you able to tell what type of blood it was?" Douglas asks, bringing his attention back to Tegan and reaching for the alcohol.
"It was not rich enough to be human," Bogdan says.
"Secondaries?" I question.
A muscle twitches as Bogdan clenches his jaw. "Difficult to say. The traces of blood are in the air, but without a body, I cannot tell if it is Secondary or vampire."
My stomach bottoms out at the silent implication. "You think this could be The Force?"
Bogdan and Finn exchange silent glances, and my fury doubles.
"I told you it wasn't a good idea adding The Force into the mix. They hate Secondaries. And now we're a moving target for two enemies."
Douglas clears his throat from behind me. I spin around and tense. Tegan is nearly naked on the kitchen table. Naked, hurt, and vulnerable – a true warrior deprived of her coat of armor. My eyes count the small cuts and bruises along her otherwise flawless skin until I reach her thigh. A gaping wound stares back at me. Blood streams from its opening and my body moves of its own accord. Fight or flight.
Minutes pass. I don't remember helping Douglas clean the wound with sure hands. I don't remember dressing the wound. Then dressing it again. I don't remember Bogdan dragging me from the kitchen and telling me we need to talk. One minute I am at Tegan's side, and the next, my mind finally connects with my body, and I am in the living room with Bogdan, my hands coated with her blood.
"Kelly, I need to go back out there and figure out who did this," Bogdan tells me. "If it's Reyo and the Secondary army, we know we've been compromised."
"But you don't think it's the Secondary army. You believe it's The Force?" I ask.
My eyes focus on the sharp slashes of Bogdan's jawline. If it's possible, his pale skin looks even paler. He runs a hand through his dark hair. The motion is so humanlike, but it's done with the grace and fluidity of an immortal.
His brow smooths with resolve. "If it's The Force, I will challenge their leader. No vampire will follow a leader who loses a dual."
I shake my head. "It's too great a risk, Bogdan. If you go out there alone, there could be a trap lying in wait. Hell, the entire Secondary army could be out there waiting for you!"
"They are not."
I glare in his direction, wiping the fresh blood against the sides of my pants. "And what happens if you challenge their leader, and you lose? We can't win this without you."
Bogdan scoffs, offended. "I will not lose. You have studied enough about vampires in your human schools. We are fierce creatures, and I have centuries of training."
Unease creeps into my stomach. The combination of the emotion mixed with the stagnant smell of blood makes me want to heave. Going back out there - alone - is a risk we can't afford to take. Then again, if it truly is The Force who caused this, we run an even greater risk not overthrowing their leader while we have the chance.
I feel a snarl of anger rip past my lips. "If The Force did this to Tegan, it was at their leader's command."
Bogdan glances behind me towards the kitchen. He drags his eyes back to me and nods, waiting for me to continue.
"If it was them," I mutter. "Take him down. Take him down, so he never has the chance to hurt her again."
I stare down at the floor, refusing to see Bogdan's expression to whatever 'human emotion' he no doubt smells radiating off me. He reaches out and grasps my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I will fix this," he whispers. He nods towards the kitchen. "Please inform the others."
He knows damn well Finn can hear us, but it's an act of trust and loyalty. He needs them to see we're on their side. I swallow and pat him on the back as he heads to the door.
"You have to win," I say, and I hear the worry in my tone.
Bogdan gives a menacing smirk. "I will return with an army. But above all, I will return, my friend." His gaze flickers to the kitchen a final time before he lowers his breath to a whisper. "Until then, keep Finn safe for me."