Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo 2015)

Sixty-One

As I hurried down to the lobby, clad only in the sweats I'd gone to sleep in I noted some facts that left me feeling ill. How vacant everything was. No one was around. The logical part of me just thought it was because they were sleeping, but I'd passed serval rooms with there doors thrown open and not a soul was in sight.

They'd probably all gone down into the temple, a place with no windows just in case strong winds knocked something over into windows. A precaution and a needed one. But that disturbed me still. That voice had quieted but the feeling it gave me hadn't gone. I hurried across the vacant lobby, darting through halls I'd explored at night with Damon and the other coven leaders. The bright white walls and wooden trim were lovely but ghostly. No one was around, all was vacant and not a soul to be found. I could have heard a pin drop.

Then I heard voices and made a sharp turn down the hallway. Three men, all familiar faces but they were tense. I heard Richard speak as I neared. "I don't think you understand my proposal Damon."

"No I understand it perfectly," Damon said through gritted teeth. "And I think it's a step away from human hunting becoming mainstream again. They are not enemies to us. They're just like us save a few physical things here and there."

Okay so Richard was trying to garner Damon's support for his isolationism proposal. I could follow that, but why now? Why did he suddenly want his support? Did he finally realize discrediting him and making him an enemy was a terrible idea? Why the change of heart? And why weren't they down in the temple? A storm was coming in...

"Sure you aren't saying that because you're screwing one?"

"Positive," Damon said smoothly giving no indication that he'd been bothered by Richard's words. "Are you sure that you're fear of humans isn't just a cheap play on prejudice to gather support for you and other causes you actually give a shit about?"

Richard actually smiled then. "It's rude to eavesdrop Miss Hawthorn."

Vampire super-hearing. This is the second time I'd forgotten about it. Keith and Damon turned their heads as I came out from behind the wall and I saw anger flash in Damon's eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked me coolly. "I told you what was going on."

"Don't worry Damon," Richard said, "she's welcome here. I've actually been waiting for her."

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. I head Keith say "I'm sorry" before he had Damon in a headlock. I watched as Damon's eyes slid out of focus, and his reflexes, usually sharp as a tack became slow and sluggish. He slumped to the ground, held up on his feet only by Keith's grip. I didn't have time to scream as Richard leapt at me, one hand slamming into my ribs and breaking them. I gasped as pain like fire rippled through me and I spotted black gloves on his hands.

"This isn't personal Ember," he told , voice calm and level. I saw him draw a gun from his belt. "It is just business. Now Keith."

I grabbed the barrel of the gun, trying to shove it away from him but it wouldn't happen. I might have been trying to bend metal for all the result I was getting. I shut my eyes, ready to feel a compact piece of lead tearing through my flesh but it didn't come. I just heard the sound of glass shattering and then screaming. I opened my eyes to see the broken shards of the French doors littering the floor. Keith had dove to the side into the shadows and out of the sunlight. No, no, no!

"Damon!" I screamed, ducking under Richard's arm and making a break for him. If I got into the sunlight Richard wouldn't go anywhere near me, I just had to get a little farther-! "Ah!" Something very cold and solid slammed into my leg, a cracking sound and I slammed into the floor. Glass bit into my face, but I was free. Sunlight, bright and warm kissed my face. Richard and Keith wouldn't come anywhere near me.