Lust For Blue - Kaylor

The Foxes

Karlie's stomach churns on seeing the hungry wolves chase Taylor away through the thick trees. She winces when she reaches out, her arm dripping with black blood. Lady Gorse sneers in her direction and steps towards her, not breaking eye contact for a single second.

"Look what you've done, Karlie. Look at what you've done to yourself because you couldn't keep your mouth shut".

The vampire shrinks where she stands, too proud to look away from the evil before her. She clenches her fists and gives the woman a hard stare, "Where are they chasing her to"

"Nowhere, princess. She runs where she decides to run and I shall send my wolves back to me when I feel like it. I must be on my way know". Lady turns to exit the scene but gives Tracy one more glance, "Dear friend, I hope to see you very soon... Watch that girl of yours". And in a gristly crackling sound, Lady's wings sprout from her back. Karlie nearly heaves when she sees that they are just bone and thin, bat-like flesh. Lady Gorse shoots into the air like a skyrocket, disappearing in seconds and leaving everyone below shaken and scared. Karlie's family and friends immediately swarm her, tending to her arm and giving well awaited embraces.

"Karlie?", coughs a timid voice from the crowd.

"Who's talking?", Karlie says in a tired, hushed sigh.

"Your sister".

Karlie looks up from the ground she gloomily gazes upon to see her little sister, Kimberly, standing before her. They fall into a warm hug and a steady tear rolls down Karlie's face.

"Your mate is the chosen one", Kimby whispers, terrified.

"She is", Karlie sniffs.

"You have to bring her back".

Karlie places her hands on her sister's shoulders and nods, teary eyed, "I will. You bet I will".

~*~

Karlie furiously packs her haversack with food, water, and weapons. She doesn't know where Taylor is or how far she's gone or if she's still running. She tries not to burst into worried tears when she thinks about that last part. Oh no, what if Taylor is still out there, still racing away for her life. Karlie knows that Lady Gorse wouldn't do something like break a vampire prophecy. That she wouldn't let her wolves do the dirty work for her and kill Taylor just like that. No, Lady would rather die than let someone else try to defeat the Chosen One. Karlie crosses her fingers and takes a deep breath. That isn't going to happen. The prophecy foretold that a human would defend the region and defeat the evil of the Opal Mountains. Taylor just had to win, right? It was all going to go to plan... Unless...

No. Karlie pushes the sickening thought to the back of her mind. Her kingdom would be safe. She was going to be with Taylor for as long as she lived. Well over two hundred years, that is. Karlie puts another apple in her haversack and slings it over her shoulder. She rushes out of her log cabin and just when she turns to lock it, Hayley greets her from the bushes. "Where are you going?", she asks. Karlie bites her tongue, stopping herself from saying anything she shouldn't. Taylor wouldn't like that.

"I'm going to search for Taylor".

"Can I come?" An expected question, Karlie thinks.

"No, Hayley, I have to do this by myself. This is a risky job, I can't have more people coming with me and distracting me".

"Well, can I help any other way?", Hayley asks, sounding eager to do anything in her power to get involved.

Karlie locks the cabin and begins her stroll, deciding to not answer. But Hayley follows her and taps her on the shoulder, "Can I—"