River of Red

XXI

The black was suffocating, slashing fear through my heart like a knife. The air was thin, I had a difficult time making my ribs rise up and down.
My hands groped, searching for a latch, anything to free me.
I felt nothing.
It was smooth: polished wood. Round at top, flat at the bottom. Under my back it was cushioned, fit with a small, stiff pillow behind my head. The smell was familiar, chemicals and new paint.
I realized it was a coffin, like the one I looked at in case we had found my father's body that long, long time ago.
That wsss the point when I freaked out.
I thrashed, slammed, struggled, but nothing swayed the strong wood between me and freedom. I might have been buried, literally six feet under, covered in the black dirt.
My breath stopped, it was a painfully crawl, making my lungs ache and scream.
It was like drowning.
A warm feeling trickled through my veins, not unlike the feeling of hot cocoa on a cold day.
My breath stopped completely.
I felt myself die.
_________________

I gasped, and bolted upright in the springy bed. My chest was heaving, like I was still in the horrid dream. The room was dark, having been long past midnight. No moon came in through the window, which made it almost pitch black. I put a hand to where my heart would be racing, but my heart had no beat. It was a irrational fear: the fear of dyeing after already being dead.
It was so stupid.
A shadow stepped off of the wall.
"Nightmare, love?"
I knew that voice, the voice that made my heart flutter in dangerous ways, the voice that brought a longing in me I had never had before.
It was the voice of the person I had to kill.
"What do you want, Nolan?"
My voice trembled. Fear inched across my skin like an itch, which made me grimy and uncomfortable. Gone were the good feeling associated with his voice, gone were the good memories with him. All were replaced with a vision of my death by his hateful gaze.
He wrapped his hands together, the hands that once brought me tingles, but we're now laden with dry, crusted blood.
"I could ask you the same thing, love."
I frowned, "Don't call me love." I said firmly, wanting to end all ties to that man.
He studied me, and tilted his head to the right, "Does my name for you aggravate you, love?"
I clenched my fists in anger, "Yes, it does bother me."
He straightened his head, "So, only my brother may call you names?"
I drew my eyebrows together, "What do you mean brother? Who's your brother?"
He laughed, an evil, humorless, laugh, "Next time you see him ask him of his brother Naevius."
I was confused, I opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about when Nolan jumped at me, fangs fully extended, eyes angry and hungry.
I jumped back with an unnatural speed, barely avoiding the fangs he threw at my neck. He came at me once more, and I evaded his grasp.
"You can't run forever, Katrina!" He snarled, his voice seething with anger.
I ran to the door, but it was locked.
Before I could unhook the latch to let myself free, he jumped at me once more. I decided my only option was to jump out of the window two stories below.
So I did.
And he followed.
I burst out if that window like a crazy woman. I failed my arms, and tried to grasp anything in my reach.
There was nothing to grab but open air.
Just as a scream slipped out of my lips, Emmy body slammed into the concrete. I gasped, a crack sounded when my head impacted. Splitting pain crawled over my body in hoarse waves, leaving my bloodied and broken on the ground.
Nolan stood over me, and crouched beside my face.
"I told you you couldn't run, love."
His fangs inched toward my neck, and I closed my eyes in anticipation of the sting that I knew would come.
But it didn't.
I heard a bang, a snarl, an unnatural yell.
I popped open my eyes, only to see Domitius and Nolan attacking each other. Domitius had the upper hand, since he had just had his...dinner. Nolan growled under him, and flipped Domitius onto his back in supernatural speed. Domitius snarled back at him, and bent Nolan's arm back with a snap until it hung useless at his side. Nolan raked his nails across Domitius's face, leaving four perfect stripes on his cheek.
With a yell, Domitius leapt at Nolan, and punched him in the chest, which sent him flying back twenty feet only to hit the brick on the building behind him. Dust rumbled down where he had hit, along with bricks. Nolan pulled himself from the rubble, both his arms now limp and useless at his side's.
Domitius approached him, slowly.
"Well, well. Naevius, looks like we're back to where we were in the beginning."
Nolan let out a laugh, "Yes, brother, now we see how that turned out the first time."
Domitius inclined his head, "It seems that this time I have the upper hand."
Nolan frowned, "And why is that, brother?"
Domitius looked at his brother, I now realized, "Because, if this is a repeat of the first time, then I shall, how do the modern people say? Yes, kick your ass."
Nolan stepped toward Domitius, "αντίο, brother."
And with a speedy grace, he disappeared with the wind.
When Domitius realized his brother was gone, his gaze landed on my prone figure on the ground.
He crouched by my side.
"Are you okay, dove?"
I shook my head, no. I was definitely not okay. Nolan-Naevius, was actually Domitius's brother and, from the language he had spoke, I could only guess they were Greek.
He picked my up like an empty husk, weightless.
"I guess we should get away from this hotel, I do not think they take kindly to broken windows."
He carried me to his car, and laid me down gently in the passenger seat. I groaned, I could feel myself healing, but it was at a painstakingly slow pace. He closed my door, only to walk into the other side of the car to settle into the drivers seat. Without turning on the car, he shut his door and turned on the soft radio.
Domitius's hand brushed my cheek, "Do you need a snack, dove?"
I nodded, I didn't really know what he was talking about, but if it would relieve my pain I was all for it. My tired brain realized what he meant when he brought his hand to his lips and bit. A slow, thick trickle of blood seeped out of the tiny holes.
Without thinking, I brought his hand to my mouth, and set my lips on his cool skin. The blood rushed over my tongue in flashes, sounds, and lights. The pain ebbed away as a tide receding.
My gums suddenly ached, like a splitting feeling. My fangs elongated into two pinpricks. More blood started to flow, and I was glad. I adjusted my bite to go deeper, more blood to flow.
I broke away from his hand.
My fangs fell back into my gums, sated and full.
Domitius drew his hand back, already fully healed. I no longer hurt, all the pain from the past hour a long forgotten memory.
But one thing I did remember was about Nolan.
"Why didn't you tell me you and Nolan were brothers?"
My voice was weak, tired. I couldn't help my eyes that slid shut in the dark night.
I was nearly asleep when he spoke, "I didn't know you had an affiliation with Naevius. If I had known, I might have told you."
I didn't answer, mainly because I was too tiered to think, but even if I was awake I wouldn't really have a response.
I fell asleep to a hand on my cheek.
____________________

Sorry that update took so long, but schools back and I hate it soooo much! I have had a ton of homework to do, and that is so not right after getting back from Christmas break.
Not cool, school, not cool.
Anyway, how do you like ma book?
Vote and reply!
αντίο!
(Goodbye)