Bloodbank

Twenty Eight

I awoke in a tent, lying beside Mason and struggling to open my eyes. Mason had decided that Scott, Mason and I would share a tent. At first I thought he was being cruel - he would taunt us all day - but then I realised the lack of trust he had in his men. They were still stationed outside, under a canopy that protected them from the sun, but he had no faith in any of them to not drink my blood.

Nevertheless, he kept us bound, and had positioned himself between us to sleep. Scott's green eyes remained on me, overtop of Mason's body.

"This reminds me of our last night in the desert together," Mason said softly, his eyes still closed. I'd thought he was asleep, but apparently he wasn't yet done torturing me. Scott's eyelid twitched, and Mason caught this from the corner of his eye. He sat up, a sly smile playing across his lips "you didn't know?"

Scott shifted, turning away from the two of us.

"We had a wonderful time together. Exploring each other's bodies. Sand in places you wouldn't think possible." Mason continued.

"Shut up," I said through gritted teeth. Scott's hands were bound behind his back, and though his face was obscured from view, I could see the veins in his arm popping, a tendon in his neck twitching.

"I was hoping we could try it again sometime," Mason's hand, unpleasantly warm, traced along my cheekbone. Scott turned back instantly, gripping Mason's throat with his bound hands, which were now welting under the poisoned ropes.

"Don't touch her." 

"But she liked it so much last time," Mason plucked Scott's hands easily from his neck, fearless. He was prodding a bear. And he would pay soon enough. "I suggest you don't try that again, unless you want to end up like your friend."

Scott roared, grabbing Mason's shirt and swiftly pounding him into the ground. I could hear the wind rush from his lungs, feel the ground shift beneath us from the force of it, but it didn't seem to hurt Mason at all. I hated to think of how strong the vampire blood was making Mason - he had overpowered Nathan, could he be stronger than Scott?

The tent unzipped, the two vampires on guard watching. Scott removed his hands from Mason, but I could see that he was still seething. Outside, the sun was already setting, touching a dune on the horizon. I had been asleep longer than I'd thought.

"We should get going, boss," said one of them.

"Not just yet," said Mason. He stood, and grabbed Scott by the arms. He whispered something in his ear, something I didn't catch, then threw him to the sand. He landed, face against the hot sand, beyond the canopy and in the dying light from the sun. Scott's pale skin began to sizzle.

"Stop!" I screamed, running out and attempting to shield his body with my shadow. The sun became a semicircle, half dipped below the dune. It was setting, but not soon enough.

"You could make a run for it, Ebony. You have a head start while the sun is up. Leave him like you left me in that hotel room." Mason called from the tent.

I shook my head, holding my small body over Scott's, covering where his skin was slowly frying, "he won't betray me like you did."

"Won't he?" Mason laughed. The sun was a mere slither now, the sky dyed a hue of purple. Scott panted, face against the sand as he panted. He had stopped burning; we were safe.

Or so I thought.

The eight vampires Mason had hired emerged from their tents. One peeled me from Scott's seared body, and handed me off to Mason, while the others began to kick him whilst he was already down.

"Don't kill him, Lord Tenebris wants a word," Mason said. I yet again asked myself the question, what would Tenebris want with Scott? Alive?

I screamed, writhing under Mason's grip, forced to watch as they beat him. Mason stared at me, noticing my confusion, "didn't he tell you who Tenebris is?"

Scott was yelling now. Before he had been silent, taking the beating, but he could hear our conversation. Hear where Mason was going.

"He's a psychopath who wants to drink my blood, just like everyone else," I sobbed, still trying to work myself free from Mason's grasp.

I stopped when Mason said those next words.

"Well yes, but he's also Scott's father."