Loss: Part Three
- MASTERLIST - PART ONE - PART TWO -
Third installment to my Cal Vampire au series, enjoy!
The way she sat seemed too peaceful, even with her torn face and eyes shut tight, her mouth that I had always seen in a small smile was turned down. Looking to her neck the residue of dried blood spread across and some drops clung to her shirt, seeping into the fabric. She seemed too floppy, in the past when they are close to death their limbs give way, they would often barely move, unable to stand up and mumble everything they attempted to say. But she couldn’t be dying. I wasn’t letting that happen to her, my curiosity towards her was too big of a risk to lose her.
She stirred and I creeped back into the shadows, moving away from her face and the temptation to move her delicate hair out of her face. I knew she would be safer here, standing up I left the room, walking into the main room of my house and avoiding my friends as they slept. I have three friends in which I trust, they too turned at a similar time to me and we’ve survived as a team. Her being here is a minor detail I have to explain to them, there’s been a few similar cases, especially with Luke where things have taken a very different course of direction, but that is never going to happen to her.
Going up the stairs towards the bar we built during the prohibition there sits Ashton, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he reads a newspaper, same as ever before. “Hey Ash.” I speak up and his glass doesn’t move from his lips as I sit down next to him. His head tilts in my direction and mumbles a greeting, but doesn’t take his focus away from his reading.
Heading out of the bar I went to find Luke and Mikey, if I have to explain it to them I might as well tell them all together. Finding Mikey was always difficult, he never informed us of his outings or his general whereabouts. One minute he’d play video games in his room and the next he would walk on in covered in blood, shrugging his shoulders as he went for a shower.
Luke was asleep in his room, for once alone. He used to be the one who would never risk being seen in public, take a chance to drink outside of the house or even consider luring girls in for a kill. Yet after her, he changed. He no longer cared, he got reckless, too reckless. Sometimes I miss the old Luke, I miss the innocence within the danger. Picking up one of the books that piled by his door I threw it at him, resulting in a loud moan followed by swearing.
Wandering out of his room I headed back downstairs, something seemed wrong instantly as I gripped onto the door handle leading to her. The hairs on my arm stood up and I quickly ran down the flight of stairs, hovering at the last few steps seeing Mikey, sat opposite her, watching her, stalking his prey. Taking cautious movements I took the last step not wanting it to creak and risk one of two things; waking her or alerting him.
“Michael.” A blunt whisper caused him to turn around, he had that cocky smile on his face as he motioned to her. He was observing the dried blood across her neck and how beautiful she was, how close she was and how long she had left. “Don’t you dare touch her.” He now stood up from his crouch, backing away from her and nudged past me.
“She wouldn’t be worth it anyway.” He scoffed before heading back up the stairs. Once he was out of sight I followed him, taking one last glance at her asleep before returning to the bar.
As I got to the bar Ashton still sat, a new glass of whiskey replacing the old one. Mikey sat next to him and Luke behind the bar, all of them in conversation until I walked in, then all eyes fell on me and a mixture of facial expressions were displayed. “So,” Luke began as he dried a pint glass, placing it on the table. “you got yourself a girl.” He huffed and Mike cocked an eyebrow.
Moving towards them I took a seat next to Ashton, who now has discarded his newspaper and is giving his full attention to me. “It isn’t what you think.” I stated and they all shared that look, the one that I usually give Ashton everytime Luke walks in with some drunken girl from a club, a look of mischief.
“If it’s not like that, then what?” Ashton took a sip at his drink before placing it back down, I took a deep breath, unsure how to explain it to them.
“She’s not normal.” Mike let out a short laugh before I had the chance to continue, “There’s something wrong with her, her blood isn’t good.” Ashton now looked rather alarmed by this, I tried to get his attention but he turned away, the others noticed too and all went quiet. “Ash? Do you know something about this?” I asked and he let out a loud sigh before nodding.
“Kid I hate to say it but it’s not good.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his right hand, Luke and Mike exchanged shrugs and all focus remained on Ashton. “Did her blood burn your throat?” Thinking back to last night I remembered it clearly, it felt as if someone had poured acid into my throat, the bubbling and burns continuing into my lungs and I wanted to vomit, collapse to the ground. “She is one of the marked.” Mike’s head dropped and Luke placed his hand towel down.
Shaking my head repeatedly I didn’t want to believe it, “No, you’ve got to be wrong.” I exclaimed but he held his head low, as if there was nothing else to be said. “I’ll prove you wrong. I will save her.” I stated and walked out, heading back downstairs to see her.
“Calum.” I stopped mid way on the staircase, turning to see Luke with his hands in his pockets, taking a seat on the stairs. “You know nothing can be done about this, they will find her.” Collapsing onto a stair I lent against the banister, glancing through the railings to see the old door just across from my view where she lay asleep, unaware of this all. “All you have to do is take Elysia as an example.” He lost his voice when he spoke of her name, I turned my head back to see his head in his hands.
Luke never mentions Elysia, it hurts him too much to admit how much it broke him inside the day they found her, the day he lost the love of his life forever. We lost Elysia and Luke that day, without her he wasn’t grounded, he lost his way, he lost all emotion. He stood up and went back to his room, nothing else exchanged between the two of us as I headed towards the discoloured wooden door, covered in scratches and stains, some of them forgotten whereas others prominent in my mind.
Opening the door light filled the stairs, this time I kept the door open as I walked down them, seeing her sat there. I can hear her breathing, it is too slow, she needs life, she deserves a life. Yet I was unknown to her, I was the beast that took her away, who knows what is running through her mind, who knows if she understands what she is, who she is and why. Standing in the shadows on the last step it creaks loudly, she turns, wide eyed and looks in my direction but never directly at me.
“How are you feeling?” She scoffed, remaining defensive.
Looking around her she tried to lift her arm up to remove the hair that hung by her neck, I could see some of the strays clinging to the blood with all its might but she remained too weak to even attempt such a task. “I’m doing swell.” A tired laugh followed. “I mean, kidnapped, drained of energy and what seems like my blood, probably going to die down here and a creep who hides in the shadows.” She motioned in my direction, her tone remaining full of sarcasm, the wit I missed in my life. “So in short, I’m doing fantastic.”
Moving out of the shadows I wanted her to see me. Not just my body but my face, I want her to see the face of the man who will keep her safe, no matter how she feels about that. As my feet came into the light she lifted her legs to her chest, trying to back away from me as I crouched down into the light.
As I was in full view her face softened, her eyes relaxed as she analysed every aspect she could see. Her eyes locked on mine and I tried to smile but I knew it wasn’t the right time. “You will be safe here. There’s a lot I need to explain but trust me.” Worry returned in her eyes, the former relaxed state vanished, as if it never existed. “Trust me.” I repeated and something changed, she sat upright and nodded.
“As long as you aren’t running some sort of brothel.” She joked raising an eyebrow, I let out a soft laugh to ease her and shook my head.
“I’m not, and nor some lab to kill you in. You’ll be protected.” She nodded and I began to head up the stairs. “Get some sleep, I’ll talk to you later about this more.”
Once I got to the top of the stairs Mike stood there, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. “I like this one.” He joked and I dragged him out as I shut the door, heading back up the stairs with him hot on my tail.
“Must I remind you of Lizzie?” I joked and he exhaled loudly.
Turning around as I got to the top of the stairs he remained at the bottom. “Look how was I supposed to know she was to be the bloody Queen of England?” I heard laughter coming from Ashton as he resumed reading his newspaper.
“Everytime.”
