Take Courage, My Heart

Chapter Thirty-Two

The female vampire by the door downstairs was gone when I descended the stairs again. I had tucked the gun and the knife into the waistband of my pants, concealing both weapons with the suit jacket I had on. Annerose went and hid behind the door, and I waited until Leander slipped into the other corridor, that would lead to the room the sold humans were kept. Once he was no longer visible I took a deep breath and opened the door, slipping inside casually and returning to the table Frankie and I had sat, keeping my eyes mostly on the stage and not on the vampires I passed.

"Back so soon?" Jeremiah asked when he caught sight of me. I forced a Cheshire smile and let out a soft sound of exasperation.

"Frankie dropped an earring," I said and crouched down between the two unoccupied seats that Frankie and I used to sit at. I patted on the ground and then faked giddiness. "Found it," I whispered under my breath and moved my hand inside my suit, touching the handle of the gun but not pulling it out just yet.

"Don't leave yet," the other vampire that had recognized me drawled and I blinked at him, my eyes just barely above the table. I faked innocence. Jeremiah reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear closest to him.

"Yeah, don't leave yet. We barely saw enough of you to keep up satiated," Jeremiah agreed, and I bit my lip, keeping up the act as I pulled the gun out slowly and pushed the safety off.

"You saw enough," I said, pointed the gun right at Jeremiah's face, and pulled the trigger twice.

A scream went off, but it was quickly dampened by more gunshots –Leander and Annerose. I shot the vampire on the opposite side of the table next. He had jumped to his feet, alongside most vampires in the room, but he still ate the bullet straight in the face.

Nobody had anywhere to go. Annerose had come in through the door I had used, and Leander had come from up the stage, shooting the announcer first and then the vampire who had been holding onto the girl that was currently being auctioned. She had dropped to the ground in a heap and Leander had gone to stand by her, all while shooting any approaching vampire. Annerose took it upon herself to shoot anyone who tried to get to the door through her. And I had to fight anyone trying to get out through the door that led to the back where the humans were.

The gun in my hand quickly was empty and I used it to hit the guard closest to me, all while I pulled out the knife Leander had given me. He and Annerose still had bullets left in their guns, the automatic riffles having more capacity than the simple gun I had had. I didn't know how to use those. I knew how to use a knife.

I slashed and dodged and took punches. Everything blended together as I cut and cut and cut and so much blood flowed. My clothes would be ruined by the end of it– I just knew. I could feel it start to crust over my skin. I could taste it. Except for the guards, who were dressed in black and were muscular, the rest of the vampires in this auction were like Frankie, old and not fighters. Even I, with the little training that I had these past few months, could kill them without much effort. Leander had joined the frenzy as well, jumping off the stage and making sure to incapacitate as many as quickly as possible. A broken neck wasn't death, but it took time to heal and in that time we could focus on others.

The screams subsided. I was sure some had managed to slip away, but the room, previously lavish with velvet-covered tables and flowers, glistening in the low light, was now littered with unconscious or headless vampires. Blood was heavy in the air. I wiped my head around and saw Annerose, clutching one of her legs, close to the calf. Leander had made it to her. She had started to heal, but vampire healing could not do much for a leg that was for the most part cut off. Leander brought blood to her –one of the unconscious vampires– and I fixed my posture and took in some deep breaths, realizing nobody else was coming for me.