Hellbent

Chapter 4

Cole Bradford POV

"I trust you."

I wait patiently. The night ticks away, and I breathe a sigh as I try to stay calm. The deep breath relaxes me enough to where I doze off.

That's when the screaming starts.

I rocket off my bed, my hand grabbing the gun under my pillow. I take off running, Elliot soon coming in after me.  His face is more terrifed than I have ever seen anyone's face be.

When we hit the main hall, I come to a screeching halt. Irdalah is thrashing on the ground, the screams coming from her beautiful mouth.

"What the fuck happened to you?!" The words leave my mouth before I can think. Her arm looks like it's been deep fried, swollen, blistered, red as fire. I resist the urge to touch her as she keeps screaming.

"Elliot....get my case..." Elliot takes off and returns in a moment, carrying a black briefcase. He kneels beside her, and I crouch right behind him.

He opens the case. Carefully packed in black foam, I see a syringe, a glass vial of a white liquid, a piece of leather, a bag of what looks suspiciously like blood, and a sleek, black gun.

Elliot fills the needle and hands it to Irdalah before placing the leather in her mouth. I see her head jerk, and Elliot tugs me back about four feet.

I watch in horror as Irdalah plunges the needle into her thigh and injects the liquid into her. Instantaneously, she starts seizing. Her skin and bones rearrange, and I almost vomit as I watch the gruesome transformation. It only lasts about a minute before her convulsions stop.

Sweat drips down her face as she whispers "Elliot?" The man next to me moves to the case and takes the bag in the case. Holding it to her lips, I watch her fangs extend and puncture the plastic.

As soon as it's empty, she falls to the floor, exhaustion evident on her beautiful face.
I manage to find my voice, and I almost yell. "What just happened?"

"Sun poisoning. She's not immune to it.  She stayed out too long." Elliot says, his nails in his mouth.

"This new voice suits you, Elliot. The last one was much too squeaky." Irdalah's voice is laced with the tiredness reflected in her eyes. Suddenly, her shirt is coming off and I squeal.

"Hold up! Can't you do that in your room or something?!"  She ignores me as she takes her pants off as well.

"You know what to do." Elliot leaves with the bloody, dirt-stained clothes, and I shield my eyes as she packs the briefcase and marches past me.

"Put some clothes on, woman!" My voice is nothing but a high-pitched squeak.

"Get the fuck out of my way." The venom in her words makes me shiver. She brushes me off and storms up the steps to that study I had poked my nose in while I was wandering around.

I run my hands through my hair. This woman would be the death of me. I move to my room, staring at the wall for what seems like hours.

I hear a noise behind me. I turn to see Chief Woodstone looking royally pissed.

"BRADFORD. YOU HAD ONE JOB! KEEP HER IN THIS HOUSE, KEEP ANYONE ELSE FROM DYING!" The power behind his words scared the crap out of me.

"Chief, she vanished into thin air, and then she came home and she was hurt and-"

"Shut your trap, officer. We found yet ANOTHER dead body, with ANOTHER dozen victim's fingers in the wall! She's deadly!"

Elliot's voice appears behind us. "Master Woodstone? Madam Yamada has finished the nightly ritual." Woodstone nods and beckons me to follow him, shouting the entire way about how I was directly disobeying orders.