Quinn sat on her bed, her knees close to her as she read To Kill A Mocking Bird. The pages getting stuck to her fingers. She felt like throwing the book against the wall, her face looking angered. Her window was open, letting fresh air in. She heard a knock on her door, and without a word Cecily walked in slowly. The door creaked behind her, as it always has. Cecily looked awkward; she played with her fingers, looking around Quinn's room.
Quinn put her book down next to her, being reminded of how different everything was from the book to her reality.
Cecily sat at the edge of Quinn's bed. "I just wanted to say sorry about... You know," she said finally, looking up at Quinn. She was confused for a moment before she realized why Cecily was here.
"It doesn't matter. He's your brother; you shouldn't be making excuses for him," Quinn replied, scooting next to Cecily. They both wore similar clothes: tshirts and pajama pants. "I think he deserved what he got, though."
Cecily lowered her head, laughing slightly. Before Quinn knew it, they both erupted in laughter, like they always did. At the edge of Quinn's mind, though, she remembered the suburban girl in her dream. The girl with the blonde hair, the same shade of Quinn's, and the same features. It was her, but it also wasn't. There was a difference, but there also wasn't. Quinn pushed the thought back to the corner of her mind, wishing to forget about it. Thinking that it was just a fantasy, nothing else.
It's not like it mattered.
Suddenly, Quinn's door was swung open. Theo stood in the doorway, his nose a dark purple color. He looked unfazed by it, though, as he gave Cecily a look of understanding. When he looked over at Quinn, his face transformed to a look of hatred and disgust. Two of Quinn's favorite things! He took his hand off the doorknob, and came more into view. He wore his gear and at his sides were his dagger and steele. Quinn had never seen him in gear before, but she knew what that meant.
"We need you to come with, Cecily. And I guess you can bring your excuse for a friend, too," Theo announced, crossing his arms. He tapped his foot impatiently against the floorboards. It was like he expected them both to magically transform into gear. "Hurry up."
Theo turned around, rushing out of Quinn's bedroom and down the hall, probably getting everyone else.
Cecily stood up, walking towards the door. "Well, we better get going."
~
Quinn ran down the hallway on the main floor, wondering what was so urgent. She took an abrupt left, nearly running into an antique vase her mother would kill her for if she broke. Quinn strapped her sword, long and narrow, on her side. Her steele, of course, was on her other side, ready to use. Her hair was pulled into a high pony, and her gear consisted of a black tank, pants, and combat boots.
Quinn was finally made her way out the back door, which was located in the back of the Institute's kitchen. It seemed weird, but very inefficient. She pulled her black hunting gloves tight over her hands, and firmly secured the straps.
Outside the Institute looked normal. A small courtyard that yelled a few flower beds, a oak tree, and a large fountain. It wasn't anything special, but it still was pretty to Quinn. She rounded the corner of the Institute and ran down the side, weaving through several thorn bushes and blueberry plants. She tripped over a crack in the pathway when she made it to the front of the Institute, earning several weird glances from Cameron and Austin. They both wore the same as Theo.
She picked herself up, dusting her shoulders off, trying to laugh it off.
"Is everyone here?" Theo asked, coming around the corner of the other side. Following him was Cecily, who gave Quinn a quick smile before looking intently at her brother again. Quinn walked over to Austin and Cameron, who both look just as confused as Quinn.
"Quick question, captain, but where is everyone else?" Quinn inquired, looking up at the Institute. The tall pillars and statue of the Angel Raziel stood out to her. The three of them walked past the large fountain, which was in the middle of the curricular driveway. It any mundanes, it would look like a large Church, like any other Institute.
Theo walked ahead of everything else, arms still crossed. He opened the large gate, which locked in the Institute. The fence itself was wrought iron paint black, with ivy cover the majority of it. "I don't appreciate the sass, but our parents decided it would be best to have me take this mission over."
Quinn stopped in her tracks. "Mission? That's what you're calling it. What are we doing? And what is this 'mission' you speak of?"
Cameron came up beside Quinn, "I actually agree with Quinn for once. What is this all about?"
"Well, don't I feel special," Quinn murmured, sneaking a confused glance at Cecily. Cecily shrugged in return, her bow and arrow strapped to her back.
Theo stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, the loud noise of traffic going past him. Quinn hadn't noticed how far they had gotten, but they were in the middle of London now. City lights sparkling, shielding the stars from being viewed. "There's been a vampire attack. That's it. There's been some rogue vampires running around and trying to build up their clan. They're turning mortals, and we got some information about where they are," Theo said, turning around and walking again.
"And where is this place you speak of?" Quinn asked, fiddling with the hilt of her sword.
"Aren't you just full of questions," Theo sighed, "Our source said they were at the London Eye."
"We get to play on the ferris wheel!" Austin exclaimed, suddenly becoming excited and annoying.
~
"You think they're here?" Quinn asked Theo, walking up beside him. She disliked him immensely, but she knew she had to deal with him some way. Theo pulled out his steele, coming alive immediately. He began drawing a farsighted rune on his arm, and a speed on his other. He looked at Quinn as he did the second one, as if it was burned in his mind.
"Do you need help?" He asked her as the other came up beside them. Quinn didn't know what took them so long, other than she was tired of Theo.
Cecily stood next to Quinn, her dark blue eyes the same shade as the sky. "Are you runed up?" Cecily asked to no one in peculiar, patting her own steele. Quinn looked at the ground. She looked up, looking at the other boys. Austin and Cameron.
"Okay, stop the chit chat and let's get this over with," Theo interrupted everyone, stepping into the street, weaving through traffic. Quinn forgot no one could see them; glamour shielded them from any mundanes noticing them.
Quinn looked up at the London Eye; it was a ferris wheel, but at night it look different. Blues, reds, yellows and other colors came out of the lights, trying to get tourist attention. The buildings next to the eye were illuminated by the lights, and so was the river on the other side. Quinn remembered her parents bringing her here when she was little. She was scared of the ferris wheel, and she still was. Her father had soothed her until she had agreed to go on.
The eye was loading people on, as it normally did, but she noticed someone with the same shade of blonde hair she had. She pushed the thought out of her mind.
Quinn was the last to cross the street, careful not to get ran over. That would confuse the driver involved.
But, once she made it, Cecily and Austin gave her a thumbs up.
Theo weaved out of the crowd of tourist, and Quinn barely noticed he had left. He pulled out his knifes, "We need to split up."
"In groups?" Cameron asked, pulling out his bow and arrow that was very similar to Cecily's. They both shared the same weapon choice.
"No. We all scout around. Make sure this source was right. I'll take west, Cecily east, Cameron North, and Austin south," Theo said, pointing in each direction. His voice was barely audible over the crowds of tourist coming from every direction.
"What about me?" Quinn spoke up. She tapped the hilt on her sword. "Where am I going to go?"
Theo looked up at her, like she had just asked the dumbest question of all time.
"I don't care; just don't get in trouble," he said. Quinn felt the urge to punch his nose. Again. "Are we good?"
Cecily looked over at Quinn, giving her a sad look before nodding and going her direction. The others did the same, and Quinn was alone.
Quinn stood in the middle of the crowd, wondering which direction to follow. The tourist paid no attention to her at all, like she wasn't even there. Because to them, she wasn't. Quinn took a step in what she guessed was northwest, near the side of the buildings. She walked, moving out of the way of people as they carried different souvenirs and snacks.
She sat on the step of one of the nearest buildings, which wasn't much. It was mostly concrete and windows. The handles of the stairs were large, and just big enough for Quinn to hop on and sit. She watched as the wheel turned, letting off groups one car at a time. It was soothing, therapeutic even.
Quinn knew she should do something. She should have been looking, helping out the others. But Theo made it very clear to her that she was just a fifth wheel.
Quinn sat there for what felt like hours, but when she looked at her large, orange wrist watch, she saw it had only been 5 minutes. She felt cooped up, needing something to do. She looked over and saw the same blonde girl holding the wrist of a teenage boy. He looked dazed, like he was on a high. His dark hair was muffled and his neck was showing the first signs of love bites. Quinn gagged at young love, hoping to never be that public if she ever had it.
The girl pulled the boy through the crowd, her straight blonde locks just above her shoulders. Quinn couldn't see her face as she pulled him and free from the crowd and in the alley next to the building's steps Quinn was on. The boy looked only at the girl, giggling like he thought she was being funny.
Quinn couldn't keep her eyes off the couple as the girl pulled him into the dark, dark alley. Quinn looked around, waiting to see if someone noticed. She hopped off, walking close to the alley. Garbage cans were lined around it, and it smelled like it too. Quinn gagged in response, wishing there was a rune to cancel out smell.
Quinn looked at the entrance of the alley and stepped in. It wasn't special, just like any alleyway. Ordinary.
Quinn saw the girl at the end, but Quinn couldn't see the boy. Instead, she saw trickles of blood coming her way, like it was water trickling down a floor. Quinn unsheathed her sword, careful to sneak up. She had no idea what this girl thought was kinky, but it was becoming incredibly creepy.
It finally dawned on Quinn that this was the vampire Theo was talking about.
The boy's body finally came into view, puncture marks on his neck were trickling with blood. He looked asleep, and seemed peaceful.
Quinn was amazed that she hadn't made a sound yet. She suddenly wished she had a stake; something that would just kill the vampire immediately. Instead, Quinn thought of a plan to decapitate the girl, or vampire.
Suddenly, Quinn stepped on a light, chip bag. She heard it crinkle under her feet. Great, Quinn thought. The girl's head swiveled to look at Quinn. At the distance she was at, Quinn couldn't see much of the girl's face, but she saw the red eyes. The girl was hunched over the boy, and Quinn knew before what she was doing: Turning the boy into a vampire.
"Um, hi," Quinn said, waving. Quinn ran to the end of the alley, her sword easy in her gloved hands. The vampire stood up, wiping blood off her chin. She wore, as Quinn saw, a white, lacy party dress. It looked like she was going clubbing, with tall heels. The vampire stood there, like this was routine for her.
Quinn stopped when she was in front of her, and sucked in a gasp.
"Surprised?" The girl asked, crossing her arms. She made no gesture of fighting, Quinn realized. She gave a sultry smile, and turned her head to the side. Her red eyes gone and replaced by brown ones, the same color as Quinn's. "Confused, shocked, what-is-happening-am-I-dreaming?"
The girl, as Quinn surveyed, was her.
It was her, but it also wasn't her. She wore the same face as Quinn, and everything else, but it wasn't her. Quinn thought maybe she was hallucinating, but after pinching herself, she realized she wasn't.
"But, how-"
Quinn heard the yelling out of the alleyway, and realized the others were calling for her.
The girl looked up at Quinn, her smile fading away. "This," she pointed to her right wrist. Quinn sucked in a breath and saw she had the same birthmark she did. "Is our mark." Quinn felt like asking a million questions. "It's my time to sc'dattle," the girl said, her body being replaced by a swift breeze.
Quinn turned around, slowly walking out of the alley, forgetting the boy and letting her sword hang at her side.