Satan's Hunger

10

'Jacob!' Kaitlyn screamed. 'No!'

Now that Jacob was on his knees, his wings lowered to the floor, she could see everything. Her eyes raced over the cloaked figures, the iron bar, the shotgun.

Leaping over Jacob's wing, Kaitlyn rushed the figure with the iron bar before he could hit Jacob again. She didn't know where her courage was coming from, but she was proud of it! She crashed into him with all her body weight, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Kaitlyn was on top as he struggled beneath her. 'Get off!' came his muffled cry.

He lost his grip on the iron rod. It rolled away, clattering loudly against the floor. The figure's hood had fallen back and Kaitlyn was stunned to see that he was only a boy. Probably no more than sixteen-years-old.

'Kaitlyn!' came Jacob's warning cry from behind her.

The boy was stronger than she was and shoved her off of him. She fell to the floor awkwardly, grimacing at a stab of pain in her elbow. She attempted to scramble to her feet, only to shriek and fall to her knees as someone yanked back her head by her hair. Kaitlyn scrabbled at their hand as they pulled harder, making her scalp burn.

'Jacob!' Kaitlyn screamed.

'Kaitlyn! Don't touch her!' Jacob cried, his voice strangled with pain.

Kaitlyn tried to look at Jacob but the man holding her yanked back her head harder until she was forced to stare back into the eyes of the mean-looking blonde man with the big jaw and massive shoulders. With his left hand he held her hair, with his right he pointed his shotgun in Jacob's direction.

'Finish the job!' he shouted to his companions.

'No!' Kaitlyn screamed. 'No! No! No!' Tears streaked down her cheeks as she thrashed in the man's grasp, ignoring the pain as the hair ripped out of her head. Somehow she managed to tear free, falling to her hands. She felt sore all over and her ears were thundering with the rush of her own blood, but she leapt to her feet.

'No!' she screamed again as three figures loomed over Jacob.

She tried to run over to help but the blonde man swung an arm around her waist and yanked her away, chest hard against her back. 'Don't be stupid,' he growled in her ear.

Kaitlyn's eyes widened as the youth she'd tackled spat on the floor, then raised his iron bar again for a second blow. Kaitlyn turned her head away. She winced at the Godawful thump. Her heart wrenched at the following grunt. A tearful breath later and Kaitlyn heard the heavy thud of Jacob's body falling to the floor.

The figures pulled away. Her hands trembled as she stared at his crumpled figure. His great white wings had never seemed so perfect, so unreal, as they lay flared across the floor. Nor so bright as the moonlight gleamed against them. Jacob was on his side, his legs folded beneath him. His eyes were closed. There was a shadow growing over the side of his head. It took Kaitlyn a moment to realise it was blood.

'Jacob,' Kaitlyn croaked. Her knees wobbled as she felt the life drain out of her legs. She slumped in the blond man's arms.

The youth turned to look at her. His eyes were bright; his face was pale. He looked even younger than he had before. It was as though he couldn't believe what he'd done. Wordlessly, he returned the weapon to his cloak.

In a daze, Kaitlyn stared at the room, at Jacob on the floor, at David still crouched and staring up at the ceiling with his violet eyes, at Samuel doing the same as he stood by the window. Their faces glowed. In their haunting perfection they looked like statues shaped by a master sculptor. What was wrong with them? Were they even alive? And what about Catherine and Ezekiel? Where were they?