Chapter Ten (Alexander)
I watched past a hazy film as Slade choked and began to seize.
His body trembled violently, his strange colored eyes wide open and staring into nothingness. Blood began to trickle from his nose and over his parted lips as he slumped to the side and fell to the floor.
"S-Stop!" I managed, tugging at Kristophe's grip. His arms were around me, holding me away. I could feel him fighting the urge to bite me again as he took deep, heavy breathes. His twin, Claude, was at my other side, smirking as he watched Slade shudder and choke.
"You're killing him!" I managed to shout. Newt watched him with a calm expression, eyes flickering every so often to look at his work before he smiled lightly and turned to face me.
"For your sake, Alexander, I should hope not," He responded, then looked at Claude and Kristophe, "We'll be taking the hostages. Make sure Rhita and Seth are waiting outside to clear a path to the car. I can't have Vladimir or his men interfering with my plans."
"Yes, sir." Kristophe rose to his feet and tore me up with him, making me gasp in pain. I writhed in his grip, breathing hard as I paused to choke and cough up another glob of blood, my legs shaking and almost giving out until Kristophe caught me around the waist.
"Just drag him." Claude advised as he walked over to Slade, who was still seizing, but not as badly as before.
"I'd prefer not to." Kristophe muttered, then heaved me over his shoulder, making me cry out in pain as my world tilted and swirled with dizziness. I moaned in pain, curling my knees against Kristophe's shoulders as I looked down at the floor. I tilted my head to see an upside down view of Claude bending over Slade stopped seizing only to pass out. Claude heaved Slade up into his arms bridal style, pausing to glance over his shoulder at Newell, who stood in the doorway to the security room with a frown.
"What's wrong now?" Claude asked, glancing at his brother, who glanced back.
"We should hurry. I just got a bad taste in my mouth." Newt muttered, reaching up to wipe his mouth. Claude grinned as he approached Newt from behind.
"Probably that lipstick from earlier. Dressing up like a girl isn't your thing, is it?" He teased, making Newt roll his eyes.
"Shut up and do your job. I'm going to move ahead. Stay close." He commanded. Claude just shrugged and obeyed as did Kristophe, who followed close behind them. I grimaced uncomfortably, grabbing Kristophe's jacket in my fists and pushing myself to look down the hallway. I could see the lights from the Christmas tree outside just several windows down.
So close!
So close to the ballroom!
Maybe...
"Get off me!" I yelled as loud as I could, hearing my voice echo in the hallway. Kristophe didn't say anything, but he dug his nails into my back, bouncing me on his shoulder and making me cry out in pain as another bubble of blood rose in my throat and splattered past my lips to the floor below. I panted hard, then gritted my teeth.
There's no way I'm playing this stupid hostage game. I wasn't some damsel in distress you could toss around like this.
"I said get off!" I barked, then twisted myself as I tore up Kristophe's jacket and bit into his side, my fangs sinking into his skin. Kristophe gasped in pain and flipped me off his shoulder as my fangs withdrew and I hit the floor. Claude and Newt whirled around angrily as I managed to get to my feet, just in time for Kristophe to grab me by the throat, slamming me into one of the tall windows hard enough to make it crack.
I felt the shards stab me in the back, elbows, and head. I blinked a few times as my vision twirled and danced, teasing me as Kristophe bared his fangs in my face threateningly. I felt blood coming up my throat and took my face, spitting it in his face.
"That's enough," Newt ordered, his eyes locked on me, "You're stupid to try and fight your way out. Even if you escape, you have to take down both of them and myself as well as saving your little psychic friend. Can you really do all that in the state you're in? A regular human would be dead by now and you're just inching closer and closer."
I seethed past clenched teeth, blood dribbling down my chin as I started to move again, but my legs gave out and I slumped to the floor. Kristophe caught me under the arms. Pain radiated from the wound, casting an angry burning sensation through me. I bit back a whimper of pain. Newt smiled and held up his hand for Kristophe to step back, which he did. Newt approached me as I panted. I started to speak, but Newt reached out and caught me by the back of my head, his fingers sinking into my hair and pulling hard as he brought me forward.
Our lips smashed together and my eyes widened before I quickly tried to rip away. I was stunned to find that he was much stronger than I had anticipated. He was like a statue and wouldn't move, his lips just molded together with mine.
His tongue forced my lips open and I started to bite down on it, but he reached up and forced his thumb into my mouth, resting between my teeth. My fang cut into his thumb, but other than that, I couldn't close my mouth anymore as he coiled his tongue around mine, trying to wetly slip it towards his.
"Mmph!" I managed, then winced, feeling tears of pain stinging my eyes as Newt's fangs sank into my tongue. I whimpered in pain as he bit harder, blood gushing into my mouth.
Stop!
"Mm! Mmph!" Newt finally let go, taking a step back as I choked on the blood bubbling into my mouth. I coughed and spit it out, gasping for breath as Newt licked his lips, sighing heavily.
"Mmm... No wonder Vladimir loves you so much. Your blood is sweet. Not sour or metallic or tainted at all. I think I'll just keep you alive as a portable fridge." He murmured, licking his lips as he glanced at Kristophe, who frowned.
"Pick him up now. He won't bite you if he's choking on his own blood." Newt said gently before turning around. Kristophe looked at me, then reached down and picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder again as I choked on another bucket of blood. I spit it out, my lips parted in a silent scream so all the blood could just leak out onto the floor, leaving a thick wet trail behind us as we headed for one of the exits.
I panted hard, my vision tilting and dancing.
Help...
Someone help! Please! Slade's going to die. Newell was going to force him to have visions and it was already beginning, just like Selene said. Slade was going to die. He was already bleeding from his nose. Next was probably his ears or his nose or his eyes. One by one, his head would spring a leak and soon the blood would just gush freely and he'd die.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I bit back a sob before coughing, parting my lips again, leaving my mouth open so the blood could drain out. My breathing was wet and labored, the blood streaming around my lips before dripping out onto the floor.
The next thing I knew, I was looking at snow. My blood fell to the white fluffy snow below, turning it a bright angry red. I grasped at Kristophe's back, breathing heavily and wetly. My tears fell to the snow, joining the bloody trail that I was leaving behind.
Storm.
Mark.
Someone, please...
Amber...
Mary-Kay...
Vladimir. Vladimir, please, do something. You have to know what's going on. Why aren't you saving me? You kept telling me you loved me. Why aren't you doing anything now? Where are you?
"V-Vladimir..." I choked, then hacked up another glob of blood, my whole body shuddering. My vision blacked out for a moment before focusing as I heard more shoes crunching in the snow. I frowned in confusion, coughing up another glob of blood.
"Is the car ready? And make sure to lay something down. One of them is bleeding heavily." Newt informed the new comer, who didn't speak, but seemed to indicate that he understood. I squirmed a little more, but it was useless. Kristophe slipped me off his shoulder and into his arms, making me wince in pain. He stepped into a black car, sitting on the seat with me resting in his lap as the door shut behind him.
"Where's Slade?" I managed, grimacing as I tried to suck in a breath of air, only to have blood come up my throat and dribble down my chin onto the front of my shirt. Kristophe didn't look at me, just frowned as he glanced out the window.
"With my brother. He won't be hurt if you cooperate." He answered calmly.
"C-Cooperate? How are we supposed to cooperate? If you keep forcing," I stopped to couch and hack, choking on the blood and surprised as Kristophe sat me up so the blood could steadily ooze from my mouth, "If you keep forcing Slade to have visions, he's going to die." Kristophe frowned, his hand resting on my back as the blood seemed to slow its seepage past my lips.
"That doesn't matter to Newt. So long as he gets what he wants." He responded in a monotone. I winced, casting him an irritated glare over my shoulder at him.
"He won't if Slade dies." I responded angrily, then winced at the shock of pain coursing through my torso so I had no choice, but to slump back against Kristophe's chest, breathing hard. Kristophe glanced down at me, his eyes cold, but his expression blank as if he didn't care what happenede to Newt or me. He was just a subordinate who went for the side that benefited him most.
I looked away and a second later, a bloody wrist was pressed to my lips. My eyes widened and my first reaction was to spit and choke. I twisted my head away, but Kristophe's free hand caught the back of my head, his fingers entangled in my hair as he forced my mouth onto his wrist.
"Drink," He ordered, watching me intently as I peered up at him past my hair, trying to pull my mouth away from his wrist, "You'll need your strength when we arrive at headquarters. Unless you really think it's safe for a pureblood to bleed heavily around hordes of halfbloods." I winced, glaring at him for a moment before I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my lips to part against Kristophe's wrist.
His blood seeped past my lips and pressed onto my tongue, slipping down my throat and toward my stomach. I held my breath for a second at the taste and it only took a split second for it to turn to ecstasy. I parted my lips further, moaning as I sank my fangs into the puncture wounds Kristophe had made in his own wrist.
I sucked hard, my head swimming with bliss as the pain almost instantly subsided as the blood began to flow through me. The energy boiled my remaining blood, kicking it into overdrive. I arched my back a little, writhing my arms against the binding, but gave up and just suckled on his wrist.
"I'm a pureblood," Kristophe spoke, making me peer up past my hooded lids at him, trying to focus on his words past the blood, "That's why my blood tastes so clean. You're lucky... Newt wanted you to feed off halfbloods, or maybe even vice versa. Anything to get Slade to do what he wants. Even if it means tormenting you." I grimaced a bit, then finally pulled my mouth away from his wrist.
"Telling Newt... Vladimir's next plan... Won't do anything. Vladimir is always three steps ahead of Newt anyway." I seethed past clenched teeth, then gasped as Kristophe grabbed me by the chin and tilted my had back, exposing my throat as he bared his fangs. I winced as he held me there, my throat completely open to him as he locked eyes with me.
"And think how interesting it'll be when Newt is three steps ahead of Vladimir. Slade will predict Vladimir's next move and Newt will stop him, and kill him. And once this is over, you'll be lucky if Newt chooses you for a portable fridge. With no Court of Seven to lord over our kind, you will have no purpose. He might even sell you off to one of his suppliers. I heard boys like you fetch a very interesting price in the human world." Kristophe's voice sent cold chills through me as I held my breath and he leaned down, his hot breath tickling my throat.
I gritted my teeth as his fangs grazed my throat before he leaned away, shoving me against the door now as he sat absolutely still, staring straight ahead as the black car drove further and further away from Gothica manor.
I swiveled to stare out the back window, my muscles tensing as the cells worked themselves into overdrive to repair the damage that had been dealt. Tears stung the backs of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall as Gothica manor got smaller and smaller.
Vladimir, where are you?
Storm? Mark?
Someone... Please.
I slumped back on my knees and rested my head on the back of the seat, listening to the car motor and Kristophe shift every so often beside me. My eyelids began to feel heavy and it was only when we stopped that I became alarmed again. Kristophe easily pushed past me and got out of the car first. I started to squirm my way further in, away from him, but he caught the back of my jacket and tore me back.
I gasped as I fell into the snow outside, hissing at the burning coldness of it. My fingers and nose turned pink, matching my cheeks as I huffed for breath. I yelped as Kristophe caught me by my neck and heaved me to my feet. I winced and started to rip myself away when something black fell over my eyes, making me gasp in shock.
"Take it off!" I managed, jerking at the bindings around my hands, but the person only tightened the blindfold over my eyes. I felt Kristophe's grip get tighter before he heaved me over his shoulder again, making me curse and writhe in his grip. I could only hear the sound of a car motor and several pairs of shoes crunching in the snow.
I heard something chime and crows scream somewhere before there was the sound of an old door creaking open. I heard laughter and glasses clinking. Voices spoke in both English, Spanish, and Russian, making me frown in confusion.
"About time," A man bellowed with a European accent, the sound of wooden chairs pushing back on concrete followed, "Took ye long enough! So's, we got ourselves a psychic and a pureblood. Ain't that a treat?"
"Back off, Stanislav," Kristophe warned, his shoes scuffing on concrete, "We have business to attend to; you can do your job later." The man named Stanislav scoffed and I suddenly felt a hand on the back of my head, fingers digging into my hair and clenching before jerking my head up, making me gasp in pain.
"Mmm, this is the pureblood," His breath was hot against my face, "I can smell it on 'im. Why can't ye just take yer pretty lil' psychic somewheres so me and my people can have a feast tonight?" I gritted my teeth and spat in his direction.
"Get your filthy hands off me." I sneered hatefully, gritting my teeth. I heard hushed whispers and some snickers as the sound of Stanislav chuckling made me frown. The fingers in my hair clenched and I winced.
"An' he's fiesty too. A treat indeed." Stanislav hummed, then roughly let go of my hair as I listened to his shoes scuff around. Kristophe sighed in irritation and began to walk again, making me wince. We walked through a couple doors until we seemed to be in silence.
"What did he mean by you can do your job later?" I demanded, shifting uncomfortably.
"Never you mind." Was Kristophe's flat reply. I heard a snicker and it made me scowl. I waited, listening to the footsteps until I heard a door shut somewhere behind us. One second I was thrown over Kristophe's shoulder and the next, I was slammed down on a mattress.
My first instinct was to run. I didn't like this position and I didn't like the fact that I couldn't see a single thing. I threw myself up into a sitting position and started to scramble off, but I felt a pair of hands grab my wrists and pin me down. I gasped out loud and tried to fight against whoever had me, but he managed to clamp something around my wrists, keeping them thrust above my head.
"What're you doing? What's going on?" I demanded, my voice rising as I jerked at the leather cuffs around my wrists.
"I was told to bring you here and leave you. I'll need to cut your clothes off, though. They're soaked in blood and that's the last thing you want to walk around in," Kristophe's voice said, followed by the sound of something ripping before cold air hit my bare chest, "I'll bring you a change of clothes as soon as I'm finished."
"Touch me and I'll kill you." I managed, feeling his hands on my chest, pushing my shirt back.
"I won't do anything to you." Kristophe promised.
"You stabbed me, dug your fingers into my lungs, and carried me around like a sack of potatoes. Excuse me if I don't trust you." I snapped angrily, raising a leg to kick him, but he swung his hand back and knocked my leg to the bed. I went to kicked him again, but I gasped as the bed creaked and shifted until Kristophe was straddling me.
I writhed and bucked to get him off, opening my mouth to protest again when something came down on my mouth. It felt like a tube of leather or something, a bite. I felt Kristophe firmly clasp it behind my head, so I was left unable to speak. My fangs hooked into the leather tightly, making them sore as I grimaced, feeling Kristophe cut the rest of my clothes off.
I curled my legs up to hide myself as I jerked at the cuffs around my wrists. A blanket fell over my lower half, so at least that much of me was hidden before I heard a door open and close. I was left to lay there in silence.
Where was I? What was happening?
Why hadn't Vladimir done anything?
Was I trapped here? Where was Slade? Was he all right? Was he alive? What was going to happen to him?
The questions only gave me a headache as I lay there, silently staring into the blackness of my blindfold. I felt like I had laid there for hours when I finally heard the door open and close, making me tilt my head.
They were light footsteps, someone who wasn't Kristophe. Kristophe had worn the heavy bulky boots that made loud clumping noises. These sounded like simple sneakers, and I definitely didn't smell the pureblood scent either.
I felt hands moved behind my head, unclasping the bite in my mouth, pulling it away so there was a jingle, then a clatter as it hit the floor.
"Who are you?" I demanded, shifting my head to face the direction I felt them. There was a sigh, making me frown. I heard shifting, then felt a hot breath against my face, making me stiffen before a pair of lips fell on mine. My first reaction was to bite, but it was when I felt those lips part mine, a tongue slide along the roof of my mouth when I recognized the person. Tears burned my eyes, getting soaked up by the blindfold as the lips left mine, a gentle breath against my mouth.
"I'm really sorry, Alex." Nathan murmured.