Annalise

The Dires

The house rocked with a loud boom and the crashing of glass. Cristian and I jumped to our feet and hurried down the stairs. The sleep hadn't fully left our systems, but we were up and suddenly in a smoke-filled foyer. 

Kael extinguished the flames that were scattered throughout the room and screamed for us to help before the whole place went up in flames. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand and squinted at the burning smoke. A makeshift bomb had gone off and ripped open a hole in the front of the house.

"What happened," Cristian Demanded.

"A bomb."

It was becoming harder to see in the room, but there was glass and shattered wood, and bodies. Bodies. I rushed to my mother's side as she lay on the floor. The left side of her body burned, as her eyes remained closed. "Mom, mom!" I screamed as I shook her body and tried to wake her. I looked around frantically, for help, any help, but the others were preoccupied. Charlotte and Mr. Gregory were only a few feet away as Mr. Gregory held her slumped body. Cristian was squatted next to his dad trying to get through to him, to let her go, but he wouldn't stop looking down at her charred skin.

Kael sprang into action and grabbed my mother from my arms and lifted her with one swell swoop. 

"Dad!" Cristian shook his father. He didn't answer. "DAD!" His father snapped from his trauma, and finally looked up with sweltering eyes and shook his head. Cristian stood over his father and lifted his Mom from the ground, as his Dad raised with her as if they were connected and couldn't be separated. "We have to get her to Sara." 

Mr. Gregory nodded his head and took Mrs. Gregory from Cristian. Kael handed my mother to Lucas, who followed Mr. Gregory down the hall. Cristian came to my side and picked me up from the floor. "Anna." I wasn't sure I could hold steady alone and gripped his arm for stability. "They'll be okay." His words were distant to my ears and the only thing I could focus on was the destruction around us. "Anna."

I turned to look into his eyes as my body shook against his, and realized his pain was coming from me. "They'll be okay." I nodded mechanically. "They'll be okay." 

Amarog and Ari rushed into the room. "Is everyone okay?" Ama grabbed hold of Ari's arm, pulling her closer to him as he ordered the sentinels to search the property. Eric entered the room through the smoke and fog and yanked a faltering body behind him. With a handful of his hair intertwined between Eric's finger, the man winced and followed the orders of his master as he pulled his head up and smiled. 

He wasn't a man, but a kid, no older than me, and scrawny for his height.

It was two of em." Eric let the boy go and pushed him away with the nudge of his head. The boy shook his head and faced the group surrounding him. 

"What happened to the other one?" Ama asked?

"He didn't make it." 

The boy ferally growled at Eric, and viciously turned his eyes to Ama and Ari, before resting them on Cristian and me.

"Who sent you?" Eric asked.

The boy chuckled and spit blood into Eric's face as he smiled and showed his blood-stained teeth. "I ain't telling you shit. You killed my brother." 

"Fine with me." Eric wrapped his hands around the boys head and chin, and flipped his arm with a swift motion that sounded with a  snap. "Tell him hi for me."

I gasped shuddering at the image and buried my face into Cristian's chest as his body hit the floor with a thud. An instance of chaos ensued as Amarog pushed and cursed Eric at the stupidity of his actions as the others attempted to break the two up. Cristian grabbed my hand and rushed me away from the loud growls and smashing wood as reality hit me. "He killed him. He didn't have to Cristian. He killed that boy... "  Cristian placed his finger over my mouth and shushed me to silence as he led me up the stairs. The room below continued to explode with angry shouts and curses as we distanced ourselves from the noise.