by Rachel Hera
They didn’t listen to my screaming. Cole had Maddie’s shirt pulled up as high as it would go with the tape strapping it down, revealing very little more than her midriff. He dragged his knife across her stomach, blood oozing out and dripping down. Maddie’s scream came from her diaphragm –or it would have, if the tape didn’t absorb it. Marissa wiped her finger through the blood, then reached out across the small gap between the two of us to smear it over my cheek.
“Maddie’s helpless, Evelyn. What are you going to do to save her?” she taunted.
I let off a long list of profanities at her, a surge of energy ripping through me. I tried to push myself off the ground to get at her, but Cole was quicker and held the chair down.
“Now, now. Concentrate. You won’t protect anyone like that,” he said.
I felt sick. Between the four cuts on my stomach and the five on Maddie’s, I was feeling nauseous. Maybe slightly faint. I had never been squeamish around blood, but as it stained my best friend’s shirt, I wondered if I was starting to.
Maybe my super power could be projectile vomiting.
“Whatever could your powers be?” Marissa incited, walking her fingers over my legs and leaving a light trail of blood on my jeans. “Think, Evelyn, think.”
“How can I think when you’re doing the things that you’re doing?” I snarled at her.
“Tick tock,” she smiled.
What powers did I have?
“I –I see right through your disguises!” I shouted.
Marissa looked at Cole, who shrugged. “Not what we’re hoping for. But at least we’re getting somewhere. You’ve pardoned yourself a cut. Now can you pardon one for Maddie-dearest over here?”
I locked my jaw, turning my gaze to the ceiling and away from the three of them. Blake. Jason. Dante. Kaya. Hell, I’d take Harry, even Shayne, coming to our rescue right about then.
Would they get here in time? Or would they just find us tied like this, throats slit and lifeless?
Tears stung my eyes, though I tried to fight them back. They’d enjoy my tears. Just like they enjoyed watching us struggle. Like Cole had when he attacked me. They were psychopaths. For three years I’d been going to school with freaking psychopaths.
“She’s losing so much blood, Evelyn,” Marissa whispered in my ear.
“I’ll take her next cut,” I pleaded. “Let me take it.”
I was both taller and heavier than Maddie. That should mean I had more blood, right?
“Unfortunately, that’s not how this works,” Marissa gave a small shrug, as if she had no say in the matter.
“It can work that way,” I said. “Maddie just walked in at the wrong time. Leave her be.”
“Just keep thinking. Be glad you have two minutes of peace.”
I pressed my lips together tightly, still trying to supress my tears. Some Angel of the Moon I was turning out to be. I wasn’t a saviour of any kind. My best friend was going to die, and it was going to be all my fault.
“And she cries!” Marissa laughed. “You did well. I thought you would have cried ages ago.”
“Maddie’s turn is approaching again,” Cole warned, keeping a close eye on his watch. “This will be number six for her.”
“I’m no different than any other student at our school,” I let my chin fall to my chest. “This Angel stuff is bullshit.”
“Maybe Evelyn wants to hear her friend scream,” Marissa suggested to Cole.
“We can’t make too much noise,” he reminded her. “And Maddie’s a louder screamer than Evelyn.”
“Damn.”
“Blake’s going to come, and he’s going to tear you guys from limb to limb,” I said. “He’s going to come, and he’s going to seek revenge tenfold. He’s going to –”
“Shh, it’s time,” Marissa interrupted, she pulled Maddie’s shirt up again, rubbing her hand across the still-fresh cuts making Maddie writhe in pain. When Cole brought the knife to her skin, she tensed, eyes squeezing shut as if trying to prepare herself for it.
“Wait!”
They both looked at me.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Should have known better,” Cole sighed. “That’s the third time you’ve tried to do that. Time?”
“Nine minutes.”
I turned my head away as he drew the knife across her skin.
“No –you don’t get to look away,” Marissa grabbed my head, forcing it back to the scene. “Now he has to do it again.”
“Please,” I begged, my voice coming out a whisper. “Don’t.”
She lowered her lips by my ear again. “But it’s so much fun.”
Chapter 38: Blake
“We won’t be much help to her if we’re dead,” Philip said, in reference to my speeding. His knuckles were white on the door handle. Four times he’d checked to make sure he was fastened in securely. I guess shape-shifters weren’t as sturdy as werewolves.
I was so busy focusing on the road in front of me that I didn’t even know if Jason was anywhere behind us. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to get there. I needed to get there.
I glanced at the time. Seven-twenty.
“Blake?” he said, unsure if I’d heard him.
“You don’t fuck with a werewolf’s mate.”
Chapter 39: Shayne
I pulled to a stop across the road from the parlour, similar to the way I had on Wednesday. The first thing I noticed was that the blinds were pulled down. I may not have stopped by there a lot, but even while driving by –noon or midnight –the blinds had never been pulled shut like that. Only a moment after that did I realize the lights were off, too.
Harry was away this weekend. That, I knew. Evelyn was supposed to work this evening. Alone, from what Harry had told me earlier, since the other girls had refused to come in. I also knew that Evelyn was not the kind of girl to bail out on work early. So why did the store look as though it were closed for the night?
My phone lay beside me on the passenger seat. I had had every intention of leaving it there, but decided to bring it with me as I got out of the car. I strode to the other side of the street, peering through the door. An empty room stared back at me.
I still had Evelyn’s number. Perhaps I could call her and get some answers. Or, maybe something was wrong, and it would be better to call Harry –after all, it was not like I had a key.
I tested the door. Yes. Locked.
As I turned back to the street, deciding to call Harry, a truck approached almost too quickly. The brakes squealed as the driver slammed on them, coming to a halt just meters from where I stood, tire resting against the curb.
The driver leapt from his side of the vehicle, the passenger looking too stunned to do anything. He barged past me, not sparing me any sort of acknowledgement as he tried the door.
“I’ll just break it,” he said to himself, as if that was the simplest solution.
“Hold on Blake, I can open it,” the passenger sprung to life. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pin. “It’d be easier if I had my car, since my picks are in there, but this should do.”
“You have a minute. And then I’ll break the door down.”
“You must be the big bad wolf,” I said, realizing that this was the brat that Harry had been telling me about.
“And you’re a vampire,” he said, nostrils flaring. “Probably Harry’s friend. Evelyn’s mine.”
I opened my mouth, but the passenger shook his head. “He’d sooner snap your neck than stand here and argue. I wouldn’t.”
A jeep pulled into the parking lot, quickly coming to a stop and turning off. A black man stepped from the driver’s seat, a white girl from the passenger’s.
“Is she in there?” the girl asked.
“We haven’t gotten in to find out,” the brat growled. I half expected him to grow a tail, except I knew they were nothing like shape-shifters in that manner.
“Philip,” I recognized the guy fiddling with the lock. He had been the one who had spilt his drink
on Evelyn at the theatre.
“Shayne,” he nodded at me, but immediately went back to focusing on the lock.
“We’ll go around back,” the girl said. “See if I can pick up a scent there.”
The two who had arrived in the jeep disappeared around the side of the building.
“You have ten seconds, Philip,” the brat warned. “Then I’m smashing this door in.”
A third car pulled up behind the truck, and Philip jumped to his feet. “Leave the door. I’m getting my picks.”
He retrieved a small black case, unzipping it as he hurried back to the door, followed closely by a fourth man. With the proper utensils, he had the thing open within seconds.
The werewolf pushed past him, rushing inside. Philip and the other man followed closely behind.
I glanced up and down the street before stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
Chapter 40: Blake
“Enough…” I could hear Evelyn’s lifeless voice the moment the door opened. “Please…”
I let out a roar as I barged through the door behind the counter. The strong, copper-like smell of blood hit me like a wall before I processed what was in front of me. A blue tarp was laid out on the ground, covered in smeared blood. In the middle sat Evelyn and Maddie –behind each of them was a fox, knives at their throats.
“Blake,” Evelyn gasped my name, causing my emotions to switch suddenly from fury to helplessness.
“Make a move, and they both die,” Marissa said, the lilt in her voice disgustingly pleasant.
My gaze was locked on Evelyn. I hadn’t imagined that she could be in a worse state than Wednesday night, when she’d entered my home wet and caked with mud. Now I knew that there was a state much, much worse.
I didn’t know how much of the blood was hers, or how much of it was Maddie’s. Frankly, I didn’t care if it was all Maddie’s.
“Holy shit,” Jason said from behind me.
“Stay back,” Cole warned as I took a step forward. Behind me, I heard three people shift their weight, uncomfortable with the scene before them.
“Evangeline,” I heard the vampire whisper. Was that Evelyn’s past self? Or the female fox’s real name?
“Let them go,” I growled at them.
“You didn’t say please,” Marissa smiled.
“Please. Let them go, please.” Pride couldn’t win with Evelyn’s life on the line.
“I’ve always wondered what happens to a werewolf when his mate dies,” the corner of Cole’s mouth curved upwards. I took another step forward, and he pressed the flat of the blade against her neck. She stretched it, leaning her head against him in hopes of getting away from the knife.
“Let’s make them all kneel before us. Beg for her life,” the fox snickered.
My fingers clenched, but I lowered myself to my knees. I could feel the wolf inside of me fighting to get out, wanting to rip their throats out with sharp teeth. But I couldn’t let it out. They’d kill her before I could make it through the change.
“Blake,” the words came little louder than a whisper. How hard was he pressing that blade against her throat? She tapped her foot against the ground.
“Now, what will you do to make us release her?” Marissa jeered.
“Anything,” the word flew from my mouth. I didn’t know what that would mean for them; what they would make me do. But I knew what I’d do to them after they released her. I’d take those knives and shove them so far up their –
“Blake.” I almost wished she’d stop saying my name. It was painful just to listen to her try to speak. She was so close to me, but so far out of reach and it tore at a part of me that I didn’t know existed. What was this feeling? Helplessness? This was more than that. This was… fear. True fear.
I was scared of losing her.
“Let them go,” Philip finally found his voice. “You don’t want to do this.”
“But we do,” his sister hissed out. “Whose side are you on, Philip?”
He didn’t answer.
“Blake,” Evelyn gasped once more. Again, the foot tapping. When she thought I was paying attention, she moved her feet so that they rested on the balls of her feet. She flexed them slightly, but put no energy behind it. The chair didn’t move.
Put some energy behind it, Evelyn.
“Blake,” she repeated, forcing it to become louder.
“She wants to say something,” I began.
“Have some last words?” Cole asked her. I was certain he’d heard her each and every time she’d spoken my name. But the sadist in him just wanted to see her in pain.
She nodded her head, but winced when her skin grazed the blade.
“Make them good,” he said, easing the blade up slightly.
“Blake,” she began, then slammed her feet down against the ground before pushing back on her heels. She tilted her head back to avoid the knife, but as she fell backwards, the only result I could see was her hitting her head on the hard ground as Cole danced out of the way.
Shayne pushed past me, crossing the floor faster than I ever could have. And never was I so glad to have a vampire in the room than the moment he caught her chair. He lowered her to the ground gently, not having the strength to right her again with the awkward grip he had on the arms of the chair.
In four long strides I crossed the room, landing a solid hook on Cole’s face. Already off balance, he stumbled to the floor, his hand going to his jaw. I didn’t want to stop there. I wanted to pummel him into the ground. I wanted to pick up the knife between us and skewer him.
Marissa watched the scene play out for a moment, her gaze going first to Evelyn on the ground, then Cole, then to the rest of us in the room. In her eyes I could visibly see her assessing the situation. There was no way out of this. The only path she could take was the one of least resistance. She dropped the knife, and it clattered to the floor. Maddie’s shoulders visibly dropped with relief.
But before any of us could make a move for the two knives, Marissa dove for the one she released. Cole dove for the other. I got to the knife before Cole did, but he was nothing but a distraction from Marissa. She was swift, like the fox she was capable of shaping into, and in the next instant she was flying towards Evelyn, knife held high. Shayne made a move to grab her, but she saw it coming. Marissa dodged.
The knife met with the left side of Evelyn’s chest, and I roared. Marissa jumped away, but her swiftness was useless against my rage. I could feel the wolf in me begging to get out, but that would be a waste of time. I had to hold it back. I had to hold it back as I grabbed Marissa by the throat, my grip getting firmer and firmer until her face was red. Her feet dangled just above the ground. All I could hear was my own blood pumping furiously through my body.
“Blake.”
Marissa fell from my hand when I heard Evelyn’s voice. She fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for air, but I ignored her. Instead, I rushed to Evelyn’s side. The knife wasn’t in her chest, but beside her on the ground, her right arm bleeding from where it had sliced her. I pulled her chair into an up-right position, picking up the knife and cutting through the tape before tossing it to Shayne, who cut Maddie’s. Then I peeled the tape away from her. The moment she was free, she threw her arms around my neck, a sob escaping her lips.
Jason grabbed Cole, shoving him hard against the wall. “You’re in for a world of pain.”
Marissa made a feeble attempt to run for it, but Philip grabbed her
“Philip,” she begged him. She struggled, but she was still having troubles breathing. Any strength that she might have had was halved because of that.
“You might be my sister, but I can’t condone the things you’ve done,” he told her. Dante and Kaya appeared in the doorway. Dante grabbed Marissa from Philip, retaining her easily.
“I’ll drive the car around back,” Kaya said, leaving just as quickly as she came. But it was a smart move –the back of the parlour opened up into an alley. It’d be easier to get them out that wa
y than on the public street in front.
“Here –the tape,” Philip grabbed the tape off of the lunch room table pressed against the wall. “Let’s bind them.”
Evelyn trembled in my arms. I buried my face in her neck, feeling blood wet my face but not caring because all that mattered was the fact that she was alive.
“Evangeline,” the vampire said beside me. I only glanced over at him. He knelt in front of her, almost as though he were afraid to touch her.
“V-Victor,” Maddie said, peeling the tape away from her own mouth. Her eyes dampened and she stretched a shaky hand toward his face. Before it reached it, it flew back to her face, covering her mouth as she released a loud sob.
“M-Maddie’s injuries,” Evelyn stammered out, reluctantly pushing away from me.
“I got it,” the vampire held up a hand to keep her back. To Maddie he said, “Show me.”
Maddie lifted the hem of her shirt up with a shaky hand to the bottom of her breast. So much blood stained her shirt. Some of it was drying and crusting; some of it was still fresh. Evelyn’s hand tightened around my forearm as she looked upon it, unable to tear her gaze away.
The vampire glanced at Maddie’s face before licking his thumb and dragging it across the freshest wound. Before our eyes, the cut disappeared; the flesh mending together without stitches; without a scar. He repeated the process for the nine other cuts.
“Amazing,” Evelyn whispered. She looked at me. “What is he?”
“Vampire.”
“Oh,” she said, shifting her gaze back to them. Then, as if it clicked properly, “Oh.”
There was a knock on the back door, and Philip crossed the room to open it. Kaya had the back of the jeep pulled up to the door, the trunk wide open. Ready to have two foxes tossed into it.
“Let’s get them loaded up,” Kaya said. Jason and Dante nodded, marching the two psychopaths forward.
An explosion sounded out front, making my eardrums ring. While Jason and Dante shoved the foxes into the trunk of the jeep, the six of us hurried to the store front. I pushed open the blinds, not seeing any smoke or debris. Another explosion. A high-pitched whizzing sound. An eruption of colour.
