- Chapter Four -
Blood in the Water
-§-
Fear has a large shadow,
But he himself is small.
- Ruth Gendler -
-§-
"So you're saying that it was a targeted attack?"
"Precisely. Whoever it was knew what they were doing. And they've done it before."
"But hyung, What do you mean?"
-§-
Jin sighs deeply as he flops onto the couch, taking care to check that a certain golden-eyed vampire had not already taken it.
"Long day?" Alyssia walks towards him, smiling warmly. He smiles in return, closing his eyes.
"You have no idea."
She takes a seat opposite him, placing her glass down on the table and opening the book in her hand; both were content to enjoy each other's company in blissful quiet.
"Damn it Jimin you little shit! Get your ass back here!"
"But Hyung! You look better like that!" Jimin appears in the room, grabbing a bored-looking Jin and holding him in front of him. Over the other side of the room, Yoongi appears, glaring at the younger.
"How the hell does shaving my eyebrows off make me look better!?" Now that he mentioned it, Alyssia was able to pinpoint what didn't look quite right.
Yoongi has no eyebrows.
She quickly bites her lip, not wanting to laugh at his expense, but the whole scene was just so funny.
"Will you two behave?" Jin gestures to her glass of water, eyes glowing aqua. The water comes to life, flowing through the air and towards the enraged man in synchronisation with Jin's movement.
The water rests where Yoongi's eyebrows should be, glowing faintly before returning to the glass. Alyssia's mouth drops at the sight of two perfect eyebrows on Yoongi's face, and she looks to Jin in shock.
"I wouldn't drink that if I were you."
He just gives her an amused look, as if something like this was perfectly normal. She just continues to stare, slack-jawed.
"Hey, Jin-hyung," Jimin says, poking her cheek "I think you broke her."
"I'm gonna kill you."
Jimin lets out a squeak at Yoongi's threat, seeming to vanish into thin air. Not a moment later, Yoongi disappears too.
Alyssia stutters incoherently, words not seeming to form. Jin only chuckles.
"I believe Jimin explained our having abilities, yes?"
She nods, taking a moment to form her sentence.
"He said you each have an element. His is earth."
"Correct. As you have just seen, mine is water. However, pure-blooded vampires also have a secondary ability. In my case, it is that of healing."
"And the teleportation?" She asks.
"I'm sorry, teleportation?"
"Yeah, Jimin and Yoongi just vanished."
Jin chuckles again, and Alyssia flushes. She felt like a damn idiot.
"That's not teleportation, it's enhanced speed." He explains, "though I'm surprised you're more concerned about that than our other abilities."
She tenses, and Jin back-pedals slightly.
"I'm joking."
At his warm smile, and the mischief in his eyes, she laughs lightly in return.
"Sorry. I think it's just the shock." She stands, book in hand. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to return the book to the library."
She bows, leaving with a final farewell.
Namjoon appears beside his Hyung. They both stare at the door she just left through, though for different reasons.
"Something's not right with her."
"You're too suspicious Namjoon. She's a very pleasant girl."
"Regardless, I can help but feel she's hiding something." His eyes narrow.
"You're just mad you can't read her mind, aren't you?"
"It's not only that, Hyung. Ever since she's been here, there have been no less than three assassinations!"
"Three? You mean there's been another?"
"Yes. Last night. The lord in charge of a small village 50 miles to the south. The calling card matched the others."
Jin looks grave at the news, ignoring how his friend was trying to incriminate the human residing with them. He spends a moment in thought, trying to string together the profiles of the victims. Then it hit him.
"They're targeting council members."
A scream ricochets through the halls, punctuated by the startling smell of blood.
"Alyssia!"
The pair rush to the scene, only to find the girl, pale faced and pinned to the wall. One of the staff members looms over her, fangs buried in her neck. With the last of her strength, she lifts a hand towards them.
"J-Jin..."
Enraged, the pureblood rips the offender away, Namjoon catching Alyssia as she collapses.
Drawing water from the flowers that adorn the walls, Jin rushes to her side. With the same glow as before, the water does it's magic and the wounds close.
The others arrive, drawn by the commotion.
"What the hell's going off?"
Seeing his opportunity to flee, the servant vampire makes a break for it, and Namjoon's eyes flash neon.
There's a guttural cry as spikes of ice impale the offender to the wall.
"Who said you're going anywhere?"
-§-
"Is she going to be okay Jin-hyung?" Hoseok's voice is small, staring at the all-too-fragile human. She's still startlingly pale, her eyes firmly shut.
Lying in the middle of the large bed, and as sickly-looking as she is, she looks so vulnerable. Breakable.
"She'll be fine once the shock wears off." The boots look on with concern. All but Namjoon and Jungkook are there, the two instead choosing to interrogate the servant.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to join the other two." Jin steps out from the room, leaving them in silence.
The scent of blood was still strong, and none of them really wished to leave her alone like this.
"I'll take watch first." Taehyung was the first to speak. "If we all take a watch each, we can make sure no one comes to attack her. And that way, she'll have someone here when she wakes up too."
"Why do you care?" Hoseok asks, mildly suspicious. "You never bothered with her before."
The younger smirks, causing Hoseok to narrow his eyes further.
"Let's just call it a favour to a certain dark-eyed pureblood."