Bite Shift

73

The sounds of struggle bounced around the room. Two blurs swirled around each other, faster than eyes could focus on or brains could understand. I crawled to Monica and pulled her to Alex, grabbed Alex with the other hand, and pulled both bodies to the doorway, getting them away from the battle that raged around us. I scrambled for Rhys, unsure of where the men were. Shaking him, I cried his name.

"Rhys. Oh God, Rhys. Wake up."

He was limp but he couldn't be dead. We had to be decapitated or in the sunlight to die. He couldn't be dead.

"Rhys!" I yelled and heat flew from my scream, out of my mouth and at the weakened man. I saw it like a swirl of colors, slam into his chest and disappear into his ribcage. His eyes flew open and he pushed me away, not seeing me.

"Kate!" He grabbed at me, looking around wildly, trying to figure out where he was.

"Rhys, get to the door. Protect Alex and Monica. Look for a phone or keys. We have to get them to a hospital."

His confusion cleared. His expression was one of utter fear. "What happened? Is that your blood?"

I looked down. I was dressed in nothing but black bra and panties. My body was smeared with blood and chunks of flesh. I knew there was more around my mouth.

"I'm fine. Please go protect them, Rhys. They're helpless."

He nodded. Trying to stand, his legs gave way, and he came back to the floor. He didn't argue, he began to crawl towards the two in the doorway. I faced the back of the barn, trying to find the men, and hoping Sorin was winning.

A flash of colors slowed to the clear image of Sorin and Will, locked in the effort to overpower one another. Both were leaned into each other and pushing but the resistance from each equaled the attempt to drive back their opponent. Will vanished, making Sorin fall forward, into the floor. A laugh came from behind me and there was no time to turn before Will had his arms around me, locking my arms to my side and crushing my ribs. Sorin stood and froze. He spit a mouthful of blood to the side. He was in all black so I couldn't see if he was bleeding. There were no tears in the clothes so I prayed he was unharmed.

"I will kill you, Will. You cannot leave here alive."

He laughed again and it was an evil sound. "That is quite fine. But the whore dies first, my Lord." The last two words were dripping with disdain.

Sorin raised his hands in a gesture of truce. "She isn't a part of this. It's between you and me."

"No, it's not, you egotistical mongrel. That's your problem, Sorin. You think everything is about you. It makes you blind to what is around you. It has never been about anything but her. Her and those like her."

"Like what?" I asked and he squeezed harder.

"Half-breed whores who use their bodies to cloud men's minds and pollute the Earth."

"Bull shit," I retort. "Tell him the truth. All of this is because you couldn't get it up with Serine."

He whirled me around and drove his fist into my jaw. Blackness filled my vision. I heard Sorin run towards us. Will spun me back around, and a knife was at my throat. He had pulled it from somewhere and I knew he would use it before Sorin could reach me. I wondered if it was the same knife that had killed Serine.

Sorin stopped and raised his hands again.

Sorin's grey eyes looked into mine and could hear everything he was trying to say without him uttering a word. He was sorry; sorry that he didn't see Will for what he was, sorry he didn't protect me, sorry he came too late.