I knew right away that whoever grabbed me wasn't human. The strength they used to tear me away from the seat wasn't something the average human could possess. They flung me to the side, and I shouldered the car next to me hard, grunting at the force of the collision.
"So, you really were here. Incredible."
The clouds parted, allowing the moon to shine light on my attacker's face as I looked up. Medium-length black hair, square jaw, older. Much older than any of the students at the academy would be. I knew he was a vampire, but where had he come from? What did he want? "Who are you?" I settled on asking.
He approached me slowly, appraising me. "Knowing my name isn't important when you'll be dead in a few moments. Don't take it personally."
Dead? Time seemed to slow as he prowled toward me. My pulse pounded in my ears. Fangs shone in the moonlight. I suddenly remembered a warning my father had once given me. I keep you in this room to protect you. You'll be hunted your entire life just for being a Levant. The gleam in his eye kept me from doubting his intentions. I recognized it. I'd seen the same look in my father's eyes.
I didn't move for a moment, forcing myself to consider my options instead of panicking. I needed a plan. If I had a plan, I could survive this. I hadn't brought my dagger with me, expecting to have been searched before entering the club, so I was already at a horrible disadvantage. My hands trembled, but I would have to rely on hand-to-hand combat. Or make a run for it and try to find Kaz. But that would leave Adora alone. Would a vampire attack one of their own kind?
I wouldn't find out.
Adora's safety came first. She was drunk and incapacitated. I had to lead this vampire away from her. If something happened to her because of me, I wouldn't forgive myself.
Waiting until the last possible second, I rolled out of the vampire's reach, flipping myself to my feet. He turned fast, hand flinging out to strike me. I ducked, jabbing my elbow into his ribs to knock him off balance. It worked, but only for a split-second. I used it to my advantage and took off across the parking lot, weaving between parked cars to keep a buffer between us. If I could get back in the club, I could slip away into the crowd, or find Kaz.
"If you run to the humans, I'll take every single one of them out along with you," he called after me. "I could take ten out before they could scream. Actually, that sounds fun. Run there!"
I automatically changed directions, horrified by the thought. No. I couldn't involve innocent civilians. This vampire had to be a Leecher. Where were the hunters stationed in the area? Had they not noticed him? How?
Separating myself from Adora and the club-goers wasn't the best decision either, but at least I had the training to defend myself. I would have to trust my abilities.
I sprinted to the back of the parking lot, heading toward the back alley. Close quarters would make it harder to fight, but there was a chance I could find a makeshift weapon.
The crunch of metal made me look over my shoulder just before I reached the mouth of the alley and as I did, a weight from above caused me to crumple to the ground. A car alarm sounded, high-pitched and deafening as the Leecher straddled my waist, the force from him jumping from the roof of the car causing me to lose my breath. I bucked my hips, trying to knock him off. He tried to grab my neck, but I went for his eyes, almost getting my nails into the sockets before he pulled himself back and out of my reach.
His eyebrows shot up. "Going for the eyes? You don't mess around."
"You just said you were going to kill me."
"I heard you didn't know how to fight though."
Why was he talking so casually as if hadn't just been about to choke me out? He didn't make any moves to go after my neck again. "How do you know about me?" I asked, taking advantage of whatever respite he was giving me. If I could drag this out with conversation, the better chance I had at finding help. Someone would come to investigate the alarm. Hopefully Kaz.
"Everyone knows about the peace treaty," he sneered in response to my question. "You're just as stupid as they say then, aren't you? Trying to convince everyone the peace treaty is really for peace. I am so tired of you human lovers."
I didn't respond, the cold from the pavement creeping into my back.
"Just like our so-called prince. What are the odds that I get to kill both of you tonight? Luck is favoring me. I never thought I'd catch him."
Prince? Was he talking about Claude? Had this vampire already gotten to him? But Claude could protect himself. He had the Sway. What did the Leecher mean by catching Claude? I kept my face impassive, but anxiety gnawed at me. Claude had been missing for most of the night.
"No matter. Things will be more fun this way." The vampire climbed off me, stepping back to give me space. "Get up."
I did as he said, subtly mapping out my best escape. Running around cars meant nothing if he simply went over them.
"It would be too boring just to kill you outright. Let's play a little. The least you can do is scream for me."
My hands clenched into fists. I needed a weapon. If I had a weapon, I could win. I'd trained for this. Whatever game he wanted to play, I could use it to my advantage.
"I'll give you a two-minute head start," he said. "If you try to hide with the other humans, I'll take whoever I need to out to find you, but if you stay away from them, then I'll leave them alone."
"How kind of you."
"The reward itself is killing you. Then your death will cause the next war and we will bring an end to hunters and then all humans. We'll repay you fifty times the pain inflicted on us."
The rage in his voice caused prickles to go down my spine. But his logic was flawed. Him killing me would not affect the peace treaty. Leechers were criminals in the eyes of both hunters and vampires. My death would be written off as a tragic accident. If that was his goal for killing me, it was meaningless.
And even more reason for me to live.
"Oh, and one more thing."
I didn't have time to react as his hand shot toward me, nails digging into the flesh of my neck, dragging down toward my collarbone. The skin split, burning in the wake of his movement. I lurched back as he brought his fingers to his lips, licking the blood off them.
"Oh, catching you will be sweet." He noticed me staring and raised an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? Run."
I tore off toward the alley. I had to put space between us without straying too far from the club. He might have cut me so he could follow the scent of my blood, but it meant every other vampire in the area could as well. Including Kaz. Once he stepped outside, he would know something was wrong.
Knowing this gave me more confidence. I could focus on finding a weapon. Any kind of metal would be ideal. Just from his physique alone, I knew I couldn't beat him with only my hands. Crates, trash barrels, and tarps littered the narrow alley. The moonlight barely reached in, leaving me mostly in the dark. My eyes strained as they searched for anything that I could use to defend myself. The wood of the crates was all rotten, outside in the rain for too long. I knocked down trash barrel after trash barrel in an attempt to create obstacles to slow the Leecher down.
The alley led to a split, and I turned left, knowing it would keep me close to the club building. I stepped through puddles of something slicker than water, nearly slipping and having to grab the brick of one of the buildings to steady myself. Something glinted nearby, and I grabbed it.
Slender, but heavy. A piece of a metal bed frame. Too long and cumbersome to fight with easily, but it was better than nothing. I readjusted my grip on it and took off again.
How much time had passed? If I looked over my shoulder, would the vampire be behind me already? I passed a hand over my neck, feeling the blood there. There was no hiding it.
I almost slipped again on the damp ground, slowing my pace. What the hell was it? It wasn't even raining. It was too dark to see. I lifted my foot up, and the stickiness clung to it, not sliding off like water would, but more like blood would...
My stomach recoiled. What are the odds I get to kill both of you tonight?
I crouched down, touching the liquid with a shaking hand. Red stained the pads of my fingers when I brought my hand back to my face. Straightening up with a gasp, I twisted around on my heel. "Claude?" I whispered.
There was no way. No way this guy got Claude. Claude had the Sway. How could anyone win against that? Had the Leecher said that just to mess with my head? But what about this blood? Whether or not it belonged to Claude, it was still fresh. Someone nearby was bleeding out.
"Claude?" I spoke louder this time, eyes darting around the alley for any sign of him. The Leecher would be here any second. "Where are you?"
The trail of blood curved to the right. I followed it, listening hard to make sure the Leecher wasn't approaching me and for any sounds of someone hurt. The amount of blood made bile rise in my throat. How was this possible? Could anyone even survive losing this much blood?
I stumbled through a pile of trash bags, the bed frame catching on the plastic. As I turned back to rip it free, I caught sight of an industrial size dumpster. My scalp prickled. It looked big enough to hide in— or to dispose of a body in. Wasn't that too obvious, though? The dumpster was at the end of a dead-end. If I went down, I would be trapped.
But if Claude was in there bleeding out...
I readjusted my grip on the bed frame and ran toward it. My footsteps echoed against the alley way walls and I knew they would give my location away. The Leecher was bound to appear any second. No sounds came from inside the dumpster, causing a knot to form in my stomach. Had I made a mistake?
The lid was closed, and I reached for the side door, wrenching it open, needing to make sure no one was thrown inside. I gagged at the odor of rotten garbage and then nearly shrieked as my gaze landed on a hand protruding from the pile. I opened the door the rest of the way, leaning in to shove the trash bags out of the way. A familiar costume epaulet came into view, then Claude's curly black hair, and then his bloodied face.
My heart sunk. "Claude?"
He didn't react, head lolling to the side as I dropped the bed frame and slid my hands under his arms, trying to extract him from the trash. His dead weight was almost too much to lift, but I didn't have time to struggle. I clenched my teeth, bracing my thighs against the edge of the dumpster, and heaved him out. My arms shook as I tried to slowly lay him on the ground. I felt for a pulse, my fingers pressing against the soft spot on his throat. One, two, three. Still there, but low. He needed medical care, now.
I wasn't sure I could carry him. If I could get him on my back, there was a chance I could manage, but I would be slow. If I could get Kaz— no, I couldn't leave Claude here. I squatted down, preparing to pull him onto my back, only to hear footsteps in front of me.
"Aww, you found him so easily." The Leecher shook his head, sighing. "But he belonged there. I'll put him back when I'm done with you."
I stood back up. Running wasn't an option anymore. I would fight. I would hurt this Leecher for leaving Claude in a dumpster to die. "You're sick."
"No. I'm doing what's best for vampires everywhere. A prince who won't punish humans for what they've done to us doesn't deserve the throne. Just like the Levant family doesn't deserve to live after all they've done. I'll start with you and then your alloyed sister, then your father. Maybe I'll deliver your head to them first. I'll do what no one else has been able to do."
"I'd like to see you try," I said bravely, ignoring the thudding of my heart.
A hand enclosed around my ankle and for a second, I thought it was the Leecher, but he hadn't moved. Glancing down, I noticed it was Claude's hand. Relief went through me. He gained consciousness. If he could get up and run—
"Run," he croaked out. "Just run."
"You're still alive?" the Leecher asked disapprovingly.
I lowered my voice. "Can you get up?"
Claude's breath caught in his throat in pain as his hand left my ankle. "No. Leave me and get away."
"No."
"Don't be a hero."
"I'm not. I'm being a human," I shot back, readjusting my grip on the bedframe. I wouldn't leave Claude here. There was no way. If he couldn't get away, then I would stay and protect him.
The Leecher lurched forward, but I was prepared. I slashed upward with the metal with all the strength I could muster, landing the broken end right into his gut. He didn't react audibly to the pain, but he threw himself to the side to avoid the rest of the force of the attack. I swung again, not giving him a break, the length of the frame giving me the advantage of attacking without worrying about him reaching me. I struck his face this time as I switched my attack pattern, aiming higher as he thought I would continue with my original swing. A gash followed in the wake of my attack, deep and wide. I went for his face again and he jumped back. I jabbed out again, prodding him away from the dumpster, away from Claude.
"Stronger than you look," The Leecher commented, "but how long can you keep that up?"
"For hours," I said because it was a fact. For once, I was thankful for my father's training methods. Even if my muscles burned and fatigue wore me down, I could still fight. I could drag this out until Kaz noticed both Claude and I were missing and came to help.
When I thrust the metal out again, it hit him square in the chest. He didn't even attempt to avoid it. I realized his motives too late. He grabbed the end in his chest and pulled forward with incredible strength, all in a split second, not allowing me enough reaction time. I jerked forward with it and in that moment, he shot forward, hand curling in the ties of my cape and pulling hard. I choked as the cape wrapped around my throat, dropping the bed frame to get my fingers under the string before it strangled me completely.
He pressed me back, back against the dumpster, trapping me against it. Panic surged through me as I tried to gasp for breath. The string cut into my fingers and I realized that they wouldn't keep the string from choking me. I got in as much air as I could and slid them out, letting the cape cut into my neck.
"Giving up?" The Leecher asked.
I reached for the fabric of the cape and pulled as hard as I could, hearing it rip almost immediately. The tie loosened around my neck as I ripped through the back of it. Before the Leecher could grab the newly made ends, I slid down, shouldering him hard in the crotch. He brought up his knee, and I managed to throw myself to the side and avoid it, making him bang hard enough into the dumpster to cause a dent.
He groaned in pain, and I chanced a look at Claude. He had managed to pull himself to the corner of the alley, sitting up, eyes half-lidded, but glued on my face.
Why wasn't he using the Sway? I didn't understand. And I didn't have enough time to question him as I searched for the bed frame, turning my back on the Leecher to race back toward the mouth of the dead end.
Long fingers darted out from behind me, grabbing my jaw roughly before I could make it. I brought my elbows back, aiming for his ribs. His other hand went into my hair, yanking my head back. "Do you know when a human's blood tastes best?"
I refused to answer.
"When their heart is pumping from fear. The blood races, gushes, so warm and inviting. Just like yours is right now."
"You're disgusting."
His grip tightened. "There it is. You spout about vampires and humans overcoming their differences, yet you call the core of what we are disgusting."
How did he even know that? And that wasn't what I meant, but I didn't have time to argue with him. I brought my head back, smashing it into his face. He let out a vicious curse, and I escaped his grasp, surely losing half my hair while doing so. My scalp screamed in pain but I managed to pick up the bed frame again, whirling around with it and once again striking the Leecher in the side.
He let out a grunt, once again letting the blow land so he could grab the bed frame. I let it go immediately, not wanting a repeat of before. What I didn't expect was for him to swing it back toward me. It struck my face hard. I stumbled sideways, pain blooming in my cheek, clouding my vision. I tripped over a dark object on the ground and collapsed to the ground, dazed, feeling the warm rush of blood coating my skin.
"I admit your techniques are better than I expected, but practice never measures up to the real thing. A dummy can't move, but a real opponent is unpredictable."
I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my right eye squeezed shut. It burned horribly and made my stomach twist with nausea. The ground swayed before me, and I didn't feel stable enough to climb to my feet.
"Your sister wouldn't be this pathetic. Stay there. I'll finish you off after I get rid of the prince."
Using my good eye, I immediately scanned the corner where Claude sat. No, had sat. He was nowhere to be seen now. The area surrounding the dumpster showed no signs of him, either. I leaned against the brick wall, shoulders relaxing. He got away. My efforts hadn't been in vain.
"Shit," the Leecher swore. "Where did he go?"
He attempted to walk away from me, but I forced myself to move and I wrapped my arms around his thighs, legs going around his ankles. He tried to kick me off, but I held on tight. With the way Claude was injured, I doubted he'd made it very far yet. I needed to give him as much time as I could to get to safety.
"Are you sacrificing yourself for him?" the Leecher asked me, grabbing the collar of my button-down and prying me off him.
"I don't plan on dying," I said, gripping the hands holding my shirt.
I didn't expect the next blow, but I should have. I didn't let go as his fist connected with my already battered cheek. Blood sprayed out, splattering his face. My mind raced, the pain barely registering. What could I do now? I had half my sight, and the dizziness didn't let up. I held on tight to the Leecher as he tried to throw me off. If I just kept his attention on me, that would be enough.
"I'm done playing with you," he snapped, grabbing my arm and bending it in a way it should never bend.
I finally let him go, the pain too much. His hand flew out, but I managed to duck in time to avoid it. I closed the space between us again and dug my fingers into his eye sockets. He yelled, but I didn't let go. I grit my teeth together, blocking his screams, ignoring the feeling of soft, clammy skin under my fingernails.
He knocked me off him before I could do anything further. I let myself fall back, crouching down low. He wouldn't leave me alone now. And he didn't, crouching down in front of me, eyes blazing with fury.
"I'll enjoy this."
His head moved toward me and I jolted when his fangs came into view. He was done playing around. My voice caught in my throat as bone pierced into my neck, the sound of parting flesh reverberating through my ears. The tear, unlike anything I ever heard before. Every muscle in my body seized up, spasming against the intrusion in my veins.
"No, no," I whispered, urging my voice louder, but unable to get the strength to do so.
It hurt. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. It felt like every cell in my body was on fire. Like poison spreading through me. I knew if I didn't do something to get away, I would be stuck, too weak to even attempt to. But the shock kept me paralyzed.
"Cleo!"
Hearing my name made clarity snap back to me. I heard a grinding sound and something cool hit my open palm. The Leecher kept his fangs attached to me as I lolled my head to the side to see what it was.
A dagger.
My heart skipped a beat. I curled my fingers around the grip. With as much effort as I could muster, I brought the blade into the Leecher's side.
He released me and I shuddered as I felt his fangs slide out of my skin. But I couldn't be distracted by it. I blindly swung the blade out again, slicing through his shirt, cutting into his stomach. His eyes widened, and I took advantage of his shock, pushing myself forward, stabbing into his shoulder.
I yanked the blade back. It was harder than I thought it would be. Stuck in something. The urge to vomit came over me but I fought it back. I brought the blade down again, grunting through clenched teeth, not seeing.
The Leecher fell back, dropping to his knees. I somehow got on top of him, pressing the blade to his bloodied neck. I wasn't sure if it was my blood or his.
His pupils were blown wide in fear. A desperate look, quickly replaced by anger. I pressed the tip into the soft skin, knowing I could end this. Hesitating would only give him another chance to attack. My hand shook so much it was hard to keep the dagger stable.
"End it," he said, blood spilling out of his lips as he spoke.
The scarlet fluid horrified me. But I had to end this. I had to kill him. It was kill, or be killed. He would go after Claude if I let him live.
Something hot trailed down my cheeks and it took me a moment to realize I was crying.
The Leecher sneered at me. "Hesitation is a weakness itself."
He jabbed his elbow into my gut, and I gasped, releasing the dagger. Our roles were reversed before I could blink, the tip of the blade pressing into the hollow of my throat. But he wouldn't hesitate. Not like I did.
I closed my eyes as the metal bit through my skin. A gurgling sound met my ears. Was that me? I couldn't feel anything. Was I dying already? Warmth gushed over me, soaking me. I brought a shaky hand to my neck, the liquid sticking itself to my palm.
A loud thump came from next to me and my eyes shot open. The Leecher lay motionless on the ground next to me.
A pair of red eyes met my gaze, vacant and cruel.
I felt my neck. No puncture wound. It wasn't me. I noticed the dagger in Adora's hand.
"Are you okay?" a new voice asked. Red hair met my vision. "Oh my God. There's blood everywhere. Kaz, Kaz!" San's eyes were wide as he gently lifted me up, pulling me to his chest, voice piercing through the pressure in my ears.
"Is Claude okay?" I asked him.
"Claude? Where is he? Is he here, too?"
I shook my head. "I don't know where—"
"Claude! Oh my— shit."
This time it was Kaz's horrified voice breaking through the night. Both San and I turned toward the noise. Kaz dropped to his knees ten feet away, and I registered the body lying on the ground there.
"Claude? Wake up, Claude," Kaz said, the fear in his voice almost tangible, hands roaming over Claude's immobile form.
"Adora. Adora!" San snapped. "Help Kaz!"
The dagger clattered from Adora's hand as she responded to San's demand. She spared me a quick, upset look before rushing over to the other two. My gaze fell back to the Leecher next to me. "Is he... dead?"
"Yes."
I turned my face into San's chest, bile rising in my throat. He rubbed my back soothingly. "It's okay, Cleo. We're going to get out of here."
The Leecher deserved it. He was going to kill me. He was going to kill Claude. There was a possibility he'd killed countless innocent humans before, too. He deserved to die.
But I couldn't dismiss the fear in his eyes from my thoughts. My shoulders tensed as I held in my sobs. He hadn't wanted to die. Adora hadn't hesitated in killing him.
"It's okay," San murmured. "Come on, let's get out of here."
He scooped me up, one arm going under my knees, the other supporting my back. I let him, not confident I could carry my own weight if I protested. We went up to the other three where Kaz now had Claude enveloped in his arms, holding him tight. I could see Claude's hand gripped Kaz's shirt. He was awake.
"I hate you," Kaz was saying. "I hate you."
Claude leaned into Kaz's arms, hugging him back, eyes closed. Something I was sure would be more shocking to me if I wasn't so shaken up. "Thank you."
"You're in so much trouble."
"Per usual," Claude muttered, grimacing as Kaz pulled away from him to scowl.
"You need blood."
"No."
"Claude, you will die," Kaz said sharply. "I will force it down your throat if I have to. Don't fight me on this."
A scowl passed over Claude's face. His golden eyes met mine, the color of his cheeks subdued, almost ashen. I sucked in a breath. He wasn't thinking...?
Kaz followed his line of sight, face going slack when he saw me. "Cleo..."
I struggled to get out of San's arms. "No, no!" I shrieked.
"What? What's wrong?" San cried, gripping me tighter. "Calm down, Cleo!"
I fought harder until he let me down and I struggled to escape, managing only a few steps before fatigue swept over me. San seized me again, and I held up my hands defensively. "I can't. You can't. Please."
"Can't what?" San asked.
"He can't drink my blood!"
Silence fell between us and I forgot how to breathe. Too fast, not enough. My head swam. They could overpower me. The Leecher was right— practice was not like the real thing. They could pin me down just as easily. The dagger was too far away.
Because of my own hysteria, I didn't notice how their expressions weren't ones of those who wanted to hurt me. In fact, as I switched between their faces, trying to decide who would attack first, my skin crawled. Adora looked stricken, lips trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself. Kaz had let Claude go, face falling as he looked up at me. I didn't dare look at San.
I knew it was wrong. To think they were the same as the Leecher. But I couldn't help it. I brought my hands to my face, tears mixing with the blood.
"Cleo," Kaz spoke softly, appearing before me, and pulling my hands down so he could brush the tears away. "I don't blame you for thinking like that, but we would never do that, okay?"
"I'm sorry."
"You're allowed to feel however you want. Just try not to be scared of us, okay? We would never hurt you." His hands tightened around mine. "I wish I could have protected you. We need to get you and Claude medical attention."
"I..." I forgot what I was about to say as fire coursed through me. I ripped myself away from Kaz, barely putting five feet between us before losing the contents of my stomach. Blood followed and I coughed, throwing a hand over my lips as more spurted out. My eyes widened as I pulled my shaking hand away, pale skin covered by carmine.
The sight was too much. Spots blurred at the edges of my vision and I pitched forward. Arms caught me and I expected Kaz, but Claude's face appeared before mine instead, contorted in pain as he fell to a knee, holding me to him, hand supporting my head as my eyes rolled back.
I heard both of our names being called before I passed out.
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Ahh, action scenes are so hard to write... I hope I did okay.
Today's illustration seriously doesn't fit the vibe of the chapter LOL, but Halloween was last weekend, and it was Kaz's birthday, so he had to be in today's art!
Wattpad seriously ruins the quality of all these. I post them all to Instagram is full quality, so I seriously suggest checking them out there. My username is JordanLynde_
Art by mirhana._.art on instagram~
Also... I totally dressed up as Cleo for Halloween. Here's some pics lol. I did a terrible job at cutting the bangs but ignore those.