The knock echoes through the apartment. Star looks to both males. Both coughing. She sighs and makes her way to the door. She pulls the door open, no one is there.
Star looks down and notices the unmarked cardboard box. She picks it up and carries it in. She shuts the door and takes the box to the living room. She sets it in front of Tor, she digs through a drawer and pulls out the box cutter. The sound of Caspian and Tor coughing echoes through the small room.
Star shoves the box cutter into the tape and slices through it. Inside is a piece of paper and two opaque bags. Star pulled out the piece of paper and read it, "For Tor. Two choices: to live or to die. A is for the choice to live. B is for the choice to die. Choose wisely. By the way, there isn't a cure for Caspian. Or should I say Amos?"
Tor's cough subsides and his eyes catch Star's, "I want to live but there is no way to know if that will even work."
Star nodded and set the paper down, she reached in for bag A. It wasn't warm and it wasn't cold. It was obviously a liquid. The darkness of the liquid showed through the bag. She passed it to Tor and took out the B bag. It was also a liquid, however this time it was lukewarm.
A foul smell filled the room, Tor jerked his head away from bag A. There were 2 puncture wounds in the flesh of the bag. Tor's eyes met Star's, "Only Gazelle would do some sick shit like this. It's vampire blood."
Star's eyes widen, "Will that really work? Consumption of a vampire's life blood to cure you and turn you fully?"
Tor shrugs and cradles the bag. Caspian cries out, "Mom! Dad!"
Tears stream down the boy's cheeks. As he whimpers out, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. "
Star grasps the boy's quivering hand. She whispers comforting words to the boy, "It'll be okay. You'll be okay. It's okay."
Caspian's eyes peek open for a brief second but it was enough, Star could see the pain in the boy's eyes. Such hot searing pain and guilt. She had no way of knowing what the guilt was from. She could only guess at the tiny fragments. Had Caspian killed his parents? Did he escape and leave them to die? What had happened that made Caspian call out and feel the guilt?
Images flash before Caspian's eyes, his mom and dad. His mom's green eyes filled with love and worry. His dad's blue eyes, icy and cold until they warm with love. His mom's auburn hair in a ponytail as she heads out for her daily jog. His dad's close shaven chin and shaggy blond hair, his green jacket hanging open to show a tight tee shirt. His mom holding him close, his dad whispering in her ear.
The images change. His mom's green eyes glazed over, blood leaking from her mouth. Her hand lazily clasped her husband's. His dad's blond hair was stained red with blood. His icy blue eyes open but not seeing. Their necks covered with their own blood. Two punctures wounds, evenly spaced, were visible to him. He had done this to them.
Caspian sobbed and coughed for half an hour before the door slammed open. Jinxx ran in, a man right on her heels. Jinxx took in the scene. Caspian on the couch, crying and coughing. Tor with his back to the couch and a bag in his hands, a horrendous smell coming from two puncture wounds. Jinxx's eyes met Star's, "What the hell is going on?"
Star looked to Tor, who shook his head. Star inhaled, "Caspian has been poisoned. And Tor... "
Jinxx rose an eyebrow, "Tor what?"
Star shook her head, "I can't say. "
Blaze stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Jinxx. His other hand was over his nose, "I suppose he is holding a bag of vampire blood... and he doesn't want to tell Jinxx why?" Blaze's eyes met Star's, "I can think of only 1 reason why he might be doing that?"
Tor's eyes widen and he watches Blaze, "I've got my reasons. "
Blaze nodded and bent down to Jinxx's ear. He whispered something, unintelligible to the rest.
Jinxx nodded and stepped over to Caspian, set her hand on his bony shoulder, "Do we know what he was poisoned with?"
Star shook her head, "No but it's bound to be something incurable since Zel did it."
Jinxx nodded, "How long does he have?"
Star hesitated, "About 3 and a half hours."
Jinxx nodded again and stepped back to Blaze. He kissed her cheek and whispered something else. Jinxx idly rotated the cold piece of metal on her finger, the ring that Blaze had slipped on her while presenting her to his pack. Their Luna.
Now it was only a matter of time...
