Blood Vengeance [COMPLETED]

Chapter Five - Alone

Selene could hear the oars slapping the rough waves, making the light from the lanterns flicker on the surface of the sea. She pressed herself further against the rock, away from the edge that met the water. She could feel the spray soak through her trainers as foamy residue lapped over them.

As the boats neared the inlet the sound of Vampires shouting out instructions to the captives could be heard. The voices were dark and rough, and Selene felt fear coil itself about her heart like the cold skin of a serpent.

"You go first. I'll help you." Xander's whisper was warm and close to her skin. She nodded a response and felt him squeeze her hand gently.

The first boats began to approach, bobbing between the rocks; there were so many of them that Selene could hear the sound of the wooden sides scraping against the stone.

"Forward!" came the growl of the nearest Vampire, whose jet ski had slowed to a low purr against the water. Selene held her breath, desperate not to be noticed as the Vampire guard moved ahead through the narrow gap that allowed the water into the cave. The rowing boats began to follow, creaking and lilting along, jammed against one another.

Some of the prisoners, whose drawn and hollow faces Selene could see coming towards her, had hauled their oars into the boat, allowing the tidal pull to drag them inward.

Xander's jaw was clenched; Selene had grown so used to his face that she could tell even with the covering of beard.

"They're all clean shaven," she hissed.

Xander rolled his eyes and let his head loll backwards, held up by the rock behind.

"I can't do anything about that now."

"Don't come. They'll notice you immediately."

"What?" He stared at her, his eyebrows hovering tensely.

"Don't get in the boats. You can follow on foot," she said, pausing to bite her lip to stop it trembling. "Later," she added.

"I won't leave you."

"You have to. We have seconds to do this, and you will give us away before we even get inside. Let me go alone." She held his gaze for a moment, seeing doubt flicker behind his eyes. But her mind was made up. She glanced sideways, where the boats were beginning to pass them, so close that she was amazed the prisoners had not noticed them.

She waited no longer than a few seconds, until a boat passed very close by, the wood aching against the side of the rock. Ignoring the rapid beat of her quickening heart she bent her knees, held her breath, and stepped off the rock and into the boat; a dark shadow of a woman.

Fortuitously, the boat she had chosen wasn't completely full, and there was space at the edge for her to sit down on the bench. She felt it rock beneath her weight, and knew the other prisoners were looking at her, but were too afraid to speak.

She dropped down quickly onto the hard wooden bench and when she looked up they had passed by the niche she and Xander had stood in and she could no longer see him. She felt utterly alone, and knew she had to stay the panic that threatened to erupt through her if she wanted to maintain the sewage covering on her skin. Already the seawater would have begun to wash it off.

She dropped her head and focussed on her breathing, forcing it to flow in and out in a regular rhythm. But she was interrupted.

"Selene?"

For a moment Selene thought she must have misinterpreted the sound that the prisoner next to her had made; after all it was little louder than an exhalation. She kept her head lowered allowing her hair to fall over the sides of her face, imagining that it protected her in some way. But the voice came again: