Angel Wings

Chapter 8.1~Cat Scratch Fever

                  

EVABELLE

Everyone cleared their dishes away back into the kitchen.  After that everyone slowly began to file out.  Faux and Tru dawdled a bit with Evabelle standing rather near them she heard them arguing.  "Come on, Faux.  You need rest.  You can't always stay up for no reason."

Faux shook his head.  "I don't stay up for no reason.  I'm not tired.  If I'm not tired then what's the point of trying to sleep?"

Tru looked exasperated.  "Oh, I don't know, because lack of sleep in damaging to your body." 

Faux waggled a finger at her.  "Ahh, but forcing the body to do something it does not wish to do is damaging to the soul."

"You're impossible."  Tru said, shaking her head.  "Look, Calandra won't go to bed until you do, so..."

Faux turned away from his cousin to Calandra who was still in the kitchen with her nose in the small book Evabelle had seen her with that morning.  "Oi, Callie," She glared at him.  "Okay, Calandra," Faux amended.   "You can go to bed.  I'll only be staying up doing who knows what around your house." 

"That's reassuring."  Calandra muttered. 

Evabelle slid out into the entry and headed for the stairs.  Aza and CJ must already be up there getting ready for bed.  She was nearly to the level with her rooms when she heard a door creaking open.  She paused and turned back to catch sight of the secret library door closing behind someone and the wall sliding back over it, hiding the existence of the library.  Evabelle wondered if it was Faux doing his 'who knows what', but she hadn't heard him and Tru leave the dining room.  Her hand tensed for a moment on the hand rail, but she shrugged off the uneasy feeling and continued up to the rooms.

When she reached the top, the lights were out once more, but the moon shone through the windows even brighter than the night before.  It had to be a full moon.  Evabelle took the chance to admire the beauty of the night.  Unfortunately, the intensity of the moon washed out most of the stars, but the lunar shower that bathed the field of green was something to behold.

A small scratching sound met Evabelle's ears and then a long mewling erupted from behind her.  Evabelle turned away from the gorgeous garden.  Jewels cry came again along with the sound of more scratching.  It was coming from Kai's room.  Evabelle went over and nervously pressed her ear against the door.  She didn't hear anything besides the cat's whining.  "Kai," Evabelle murmured.  She knocked softly.  "Kai, are you in there?"  There was still no response. 

He could be sleeping.  Evabelle reasoned.  Jewel's cried out again.  Maybe if she was really quiet she could just let the cat slip out.  Finally Evabelle rested her hand on the door knob and turned, praying it wouldn't squeak.  Luckily it didn't, but the moment the door had begun to open, Jewels bounded forward bumping the door as she darted from the room.  "Shhh."  Evabelle hissed.  "Silly cat."  She shook her head and reached out to close the door once more, but then she saw that Kai was not sleeping.  He appeared to be arched over his bed.  "Oh, Kai, I'm sorry."  Evabelle said in a rush.  "I didn't realize you were awake.  I didn't mean to barge into your room.  I was just..."  She trailed off as the moonlight poured into his room through the open door and a scene of upmost horror unfolded before her.

Kai was not arched over his bed, but Gem.  Blood streaked down little girl's collar from where Kai's mouth was pressed.  She saw the muscle in Kai's own neck gulping the blood from the defenseless elf girl, who was limp as a rag doll. 

Evabelle had sense of dread filling her, rooting her to the spot.  Kai released his hold on his sister and the little girl fell against the white sheets, splattering them with her own blood.  Kai raised his head and looked up at Evabelle.  He did not seem to recognize her at first, but then as his eyes were returning to their usual color of washed out gray from an intense unmistakable crimson, they flashed in alarm.  The ruby liquid dripped down from the corners of his mouth.  Quickly, he reached up to wipe it away with the back of his sleeve and that's when Evabelle saw the fangs.  Fangs. Long needle-like canines to penetrate the skin and feed on the life of innocent people.