by Dara Nelson
I saw Tim and Jack turn to follow, but I yelled, “Tim, no, not them, these two.” Malina regained her composure and used her arm to fling me out of the way, into the wall on the other side of the room. Oh, but she is a strong one I thought as I lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. Matt was quickly by my side.
“Sarah?” he gasped. “Sarah, are you okay?” Then he screamed and dropped to the floor. I frantically searched the room and found her, crouching in the corner, smiling at me. I reached her in two leaps, punching her twice in the face and kicking her, each one having little or no effect as she just grinned back at me. But I saw Matthew getting up out of the corner of my eye. Relief flooded into me, only to instantly be replaced by pain. I screamed and swung blindly at her. Suddenly I was shoved out of the way and the pain disappeared. I looked up and saw Carlos punching Malina.
“Come on, bitch,” he said, “it’s time for you and me to dance,” he grinned as he dodged her punch and kicked her in the ribs, sending her face first into the wall. I saw her stagger as she turned around – a-ha! I thought, she’s beginning to weaken. Suddenly Andrew flung himself at her. A huge growl erupted from his lungs when he hit her. She was too fast, though. Horrified, I watched, unable to move my eyes, as she wrapped her arm around his chest, picked him up and smashed his spine down on her knee. I gasped at the terrible crack, and I was crushed as she dropped his limp body to the floor. Then I felt the fury explode from me as she grinned at me and stomped on his head, crushing it and silencing him forever. She was gasping and her left arm was limp by her side, but she wasn’t giving up. I crouched to spring, but Carlos was faster. He slammed her into the wall sending pieces of brick and dust flying everywhere. She ducked when he punched though, and his fist buried itself in the wall with a horrible sound. She turned and kicked him, sending him cart wheeling, end over end, until his side hit the end of the huge table with a crack so loud it made me cringe, and bending him sideways in a horrible, unnatural way. He slumped down to the floor, silent. I took a step towards him but then stopped at a sound.
We all heard the wail and everyone in the room turned to see Janine. She had left her post outside. She screamed, “Nooooooo,” as she ran towards Andrew’s body, then her grief turned to rage as she turned towards Malina. Running full speed, she didn’t even stop when the pain hit. She just grabbed her head and kept running, her scream shattering windows, and she even kept running a few steps after her head exploded.
I started to move towards Malina but stopped when I heard Matt. “Sarah,” he whispered. I turned my head in his direction and met his eyes. He glanced toward the back corner of the room. I followed his gaze and I saw Paolo trying to make his escape. I was torn, not wanting to divert my attention from Malina, but not wanting Paolo to escape. “I’ll keep her here,” Matt whispered and he leapt towards Malina, smashing her into the wall. I crouched and leapt the length of the room, landing on Paolo’s back and quickly sinking my teeth into him as he screamed. Ten seconds had passed, that was all, just ten measly seconds. But that was enough for Malina.
A horrified gasp escaped me as I turned in time to see her leap, with an unconscious Matthew under her arm, up and out through the skylight in the ceiling, sending glass shards raining down to the floor below. I quickly followed, landing on the roof, frantically looking around but not seeing her. Her voice forced me to look up. She was hovering twenty feet above me with Matt still tucked under her arm. “You can come after me,” she rasped as she moved left, away from the roof, “or you can save him.” She grinned her wicked grin and looked down. Horrified, I realized what she was planning to do. The wall of the fortress, with its sharp iron spikes lined across the top, was where she was going to drop him. Horror and anguish filled my heart. The wall was a hundred yards away from me. I couldn’t jump that far, that quickly. If one of the spikes pierced his head… I tried to shake the thought from my head. She raised up a little higher, a hundred feet above the wall, but I could tell she was weakened and struggling. I jumped down to the ground and began running as fast as I could toward the wall just as she released him and flew off.
“Nooooooo,” I cried. He was going to reach the wall before me. I tried to speed up, my eyes darting around for anything that could help me. I spotted the bench in the corner by the waterfall. If I could time my leap just right, land on the bench and then jump up, the extra height of the bench just might be enough. I tried to lengthen my strides, preparing for the jump, knowing this had to be perfect or it wouldn’t work. Two more steps and I jumped, landing in the middle of the bench. One step took me to the arm of the bench. I jumped as I saw him just inches from the spikes, my hands barely reaching him and shoving him out of the way. My smile instantly turned to surprise as soon as I realized that I wasn’t going to clear the spikes myself
Chapter Seventeen
I floated in and out of consciousness. First when I heard Matt’s agonizing yell: “SARAH!” he cried when he looked up from where he had landed to see me hanging over the wall, with the spikes embedded in my midsection. I looked at him and tried to smile (thank God he’s alright, I thought), then faded to blackness again. More voices and hands on me woke me again, “Carefully. Lift straight up!”
“Watch out, don’t let them do anymore damage!”
“Don’t shift at all. They’re on both sides of her spine and just below her heart! Any slight shift could kill her. Please everyone. Please be careful.”
Then there was more blackness.
Frantic voices, “Is she going to be okay, doc? Please tell me she’ll be okay,” Matt said, his voice calming me. I so wanted to tell him I was fine, but I couldn’t open my eyes and I couldn’t find my voice.
Another voice answered him, “I’m not sure. She appears to be healing slowly, but we can’t get her to wake up to feed. We can only watch and wait.” Carlos, my mind thought, somebody please tell me Carlos is okay. The way he was bent, God, it was horrible.
As if reading my mind, Matt said, “And Carlos?”
“It’s not looking good. We’ve straightened him out and realigned his bones. But his injuries were more extensive and, just like Sarah, he’s not waking up to feed.”
NOOOO! I thought, trying to find Carlos’ mind. ‘Please don’t leave me,’ I thought, feeling emptiness, nothing.
In my mind, I sobbed.
“DOC!” Matt cried, “her breathing changed for a second.” I felt more hands on me.
“Must have been an anomaly,” he said. “I don’t detect any other changes.” An anomaly, yeah right, I thought. I can’t find my best friend, my big brother, some anomaly that is. I didn’t want to feel that pain now. This time I embraced the darkness.
“Sarah?” Matt’s voice whispered. “Please, Sarah, please wake up.” I felt his hand in mine and I wanted to hold it tight, but my fingers wouldn’t squeeze. Thirsty, I wanted to say, I’m so thirsty, but again I had no voice. My eyelids felt glued shut. Nothing on me seemed to want to work. I could smell blood near me. Matt must be holding some near my mouth. I concentrated as hard as I could, breathing in the scent. But the scent started to disappear. He must be giving up and moving the blood away from me. ‘NO!’ I silently screamed in my head, ‘I really want that’. Suddenly I felt my fangs drop. I tried to part my lips, willing Matt to see. The darkness was trying desperately to claim me again.
It almost had me, when a voice said, “Matthew, look!” Then, mercifully, the scent was back, I felt him press the bag onto my fangs.
“That’s it honey,” he said between sobs, “drink, sweetheart. Get better and come back to me.” Exhausted, I couldn’t hold the darkness away anymore.
‘Carlos,’ I thought, ‘damn it Carlos! If you don’t answer me I’m going to come in there and kick your ass.’
Silence followed, then a flicker of something… ‘You,’ then nothing.
‘I mean it Carlos, some serious ass kicking is coming your way.’
‘You… you better be… naked when you try to kick my ass…’
&nbs
p; I grinned, ‘Naked and with mud-wrestling?’
‘Oh yeah,’ then he faded. I heard Matt’s voice, “Look Doc, she’s smiling. Sarah? Honey?”
Then the doctor’s voice said from next to Carlos’ bed, “Hmmm, this one is too. That’s interesting.”
I heard the smile in Matt’s voice, “No, it’s exactly what I would expect her to do. She’s trying to help him heal.” I felt him squeeze my hand and kiss my forehead. This time I felt my fingers lightly squeeze back. “That’s it baby,” he said. “Find your way back to me, and bring the goofball with you.”
I parted my lips as soon as the scent hit me this time. “Good girl,” Matt said, “That’s my girl.” I felt my eyes flutter open, but I couldn’t focus and couldn’t keep them open, the lids were just too heavy. “That’s it baby,” he soothed. “I’m here. I’m waiting for you. You can do this.” He felt my hand move as I turned my palm up, showing him my scar. He knew instantly what I wanted, and my heart soared as I felt the tingle spread through me.
Voices woke me this time. “Doc, isn’t there anything else we can do?” Matt said.
“Not if he can’t wake up. The only thing that can help him now is feeding. Unless you have some magic way to get him to feed…”
“I don’t,” Matt said, “but she does.”
“Is that wise?” the doctor said. “She’s barely stronger than he is.”
“No, doc,” Matt whispered as he brushed the hair from my face. “When it comes to healing others, her strength is unlimited. Sarah?” he said. “Sarah, can you hear me?” I squeezed his hand. “Help him, honey. He has to feed or he won’t get better. Help him, okay?” I nodded slightly and felt Matt get up off the bed. “Someone please bring me some blood,” he said. Footsteps and murmurs, then Matt said, from Carlos’ bed. “Okay, honey, try it now.”
I reached my mind out to his, ‘Yoo hoo. Hey, sexy, I’m naked over here.’
‘Mmmmm… what?’ he groaned. God he sounded so weak.
‘I thought that might get your attention,’ I grinned.
‘Oh… please let me sleep Sarah, I’m so tired.’
‘Give me one second Carlos, please?’ I thought.
‘I’ll try.’ He was fading.
‘Carlos! Can you smell that? It smells so good, you know you want it’ I said.
‘Mmmmm… yeah…’
‘NO! Carlos… please, for me? Do this for me and I’ll do anything you want, please?’
I felt that get his attention. ‘That is a very dangerous offer, you know,’ he grimaced, but I heard the grin in his answer.
I grinned back. ‘I’ll take my chances… please Carlos?’
‘Okay,’ he groaned, ‘but I’m collecting.’
I heard Matt say, “That’s good Carlos, drink it all.”
‘Thanks,’ I thought.
‘No… thank you,’ he thought then he faded again.
Matt sat on my bed and kissed me. “You know. I’m sorry, but he just can’t collect on whatever you promised him,” he whispered. I smiled and squeezed his hand. “Uh-huh, that’s what I thought,” he said.
Suddenly a horrendous pain came out of nowhere and grabbed me. I felt my body jerk on the bed. “DOC!” Matt cried. Oh God where did this pain come from, I thought. I whimpered. “What is it doc?” Matt groaned. “Sarah? Sarah, don’t you leave me,” he said but his voice was fading. Why was he moving away from me, I wondered then I realized that I was moving away from him, away from the pain, towards the peaceful, gentle darkness.
‘Don’t you dare,’ Carlos gasped in my head.
‘But it hurts too much,’ I thought.
‘Nothing hurts more than what I’ll do to you if I can’t collect, young lady,’ he whispered. ‘You stay right here Sarah. I can’t have you, you belong to him, but I need you here, too. Please? Stay? For him? Stay for me?’
‘I need you too,’ I groaned. I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists and pushed through the pain, away from the darkness.
“That’s it honey,” Matt said. “Fight your way back to me, please? I love you Sarah.”
“I love you too,” I croaked. I finally opened my eyes and tried to focus. Finding his face, I smiled. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to mine.
“You scared the shit out of me,” he whispered.
“Sorry,” I croaked. He glared at me for a split second, then smiled and shook his head.
“Unbelievable,” he said then he kissed my cheek. “Thirsty?” he said. I nodded. He motioned to someone else and a minute later I smelled it. He held it up to my lips and I easily sank my fangs in. “More?” he said.
I nodded, then I whispered, “Him too.” My head turned toward Carlos and when I finally saw him, I gasped. He looked so broken and frail. This was not the Carlos that I knew and loved. I needed the Carlos who always made me laugh back. I squeezed my eyes shut, this was too much right now. Matt returned my focus to him.
“Are you sure, honey? He looks pretty out of it right now.”
I nodded my head. “Believe me, he’ll drink,” I said. Matt stared at me for a second, then dropped his eyes (was that hurt in them?), nodded his head and motioned again for more blood. As soon as the scent hit me I croaked, “Him first.”
Matt moved over to the bed next to mine. “Carlos?” he said. “Time to feed. Come on Carlos.”
I reached out to him, ‘Come on dude, you look like shit right now, you need this to rebuild your strength.’
‘Gee thanks, that helps,’ he thought, but I saw his lips part and his fangs sink into the bag. I leaned my head back on the bed and smiled.
“Okay,” Matt said, “Now, your turn.” I eagerly drank, then grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to me, burying my face in his chest.
“It’s you that I want. Please don’t ever forget that,” I mumbled.
He gently wrapped his arms around me, “I know, Sarah. It’s just kind of hard for me to understand sometimes.” I pulled my head back and looked at him, concentrating. “Don’t honey,” he said, “Don’t do this now. Just get better, okay?”
I shook my head. “No,” I whispered, “I want to do this, but I have to say it right.” I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them and stared at him. “I had two pieces torn out of me, remember?” he nodded as I continued. “Two pieces that were ripped from me, leaving me broken. Both my husband and my son, gone in the same second. You more than filled one of those pieces, he filled the other. You’re someone that I love unconditionally. I happily give you my heart, my soul, my body, my entire being. He’s someone I can nurture and guide through life, helping him along the way. I need that in my life. I need him just as much as I need you, just in a different way. Does that make sense?” He stared at me for a second and I briefly felt panic start to form - maybe I hadn’t said it right.
Finally, he nodded. “Of course it does. I love you Sarah,” he said as he tenderly kissed me.
“I love you too,” I said when he pulled back. “So, who’s going to tell me why it’s taking so long for us to heal, you or the doctor?” I said.
“You both suffered injuries that would have been fatal to a human, and could have been fatal to you both. Vampires will heal from injuries like that, but it still takes a little time. Be patient, and rest, okay honey?” he said. I nodded and buried my face in his chest again, breathing him in, and slept.
‘Sarah, are you awake?’ Carlos said in my head.
‘I am now,’ I thought. ‘What’s up?’ I rolled my head to the side and saw him staring at me.
‘I hope you don’t expect me to call you Mom now, unless you’re gonna give me a spanking,’ he grinned.
‘Oh shut up, you dork,’ I smiled.
He face grew serious then. ‘It hurts Sarah, a lot. And I’m so tired.’ His eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and he went silent, rolling and pulling the leads off the monitor. They landed on the pillow next to his head. I glanced frantically around the room. Nobody was even close. Without thinking I threw the blankets off me
and climbed off the bed. I steadied myself when my knees threatened to give out. Reaching over, I grabbed onto Carlos’ bed and pulled myself over, next to his face. I leaned over as far as I could and grabbed them, stretching my arm out to plug them back in. The instant I reattached the last one I heard him mumble, into my chest which happened to be pressed into his face, “You can stay there as long as you need to.” I leaned back and smiled at the huge goofy grin on his face.
Shaking my head I said, “You are one seriously sick vampire, you know that? Whoa, head rush,” and then I was down. I collapsed onto the floor as Carlos reached for me.
“Sarah!” he said. “Somebody, please help in here.” I heard voices then saw feet as they ran into the room.
“Sarah,” Matt said as he scooped me up. “Honey! What happened?”
Carlos groaned behind him. “Bro, I’m so sorry, it was my fault.” Matt spun around with me in his arms and growled.
I reached my hand up to his cheek, “No honey, don’t,” I whispered, “It wasn’t his fault. He passed out and pulled the leads out of the monitor. No one was around so I plugged them back in. I should have called for someone. It was my fault.” He glanced at Carlos, then back at me, then leaned down and kissed my forehead. Turning, he gently set me on the bed. Then he climbed in next to me when I refused to let go of his arm.
Carlos was suddenly in my head, ‘I’m so sorry Sarah. I’ll try to behave myself from now on.’
‘You can try, but you know you won’t succeed,’ I thought, ‘You are who you are, that’s what we all love about you. Now, let me sleep, okay?’
‘Okay… and Sarah?’ he thought.
‘Yes?’ I thought.
‘Thanks… and we’re even now, unless you want to press your boobs into my face some more… night, night.’
I shot straight up in bed, almost knocking Matt off the bed and onto the floor. “MALINA!” I shouted.
