The Beasts [Book 1]

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - On the Doorsteps of Hell

Jordan could hear the skittering of rats on the ground. He and his little missfit pack were slinking around like mice. It smelled of rancid meat, and it nearly made him sick.

"We're nearing the castle, are we? They don't keep this place verrry tidy." Slithers hissed about, "It smells of rotting flesh and blood." Jordan couldn't help but agree. It stunk to the high heavens, he was sure that Freyja could smell it from her place... where ever she was.

"Get in, kill the prince, get out. Make as little noise as possible, kill as many as possible." Connor ordered, baring his teeth. Jordan could feel the rage flowing off of the wolf shifter, and he immediately felt like he should comply.

Connor stepped up onto the steps just outside the palace, where no guards were seen. Surprising, but they were probably off sucking their own dicks. Damn bastards. Jordan jumped up beside Connor, staring down at the group they'd gathered up. All were ready to fight and defend what was rightfully theirs. They would rip apart every single one of those vampires, and more.

"Are we all ready?" Connor asked, looking over at Jordan with a smile.

"We should be." Jordan hissed out, "Should we shift before or after getting in?" But Connor shook his head.

"You're too big to shift. Those who are too large have to be very sparing, only do it if absolutely necessary." Connor told them all, pointedly looking at Annabelle. Annabelle snorted, obviously not going to pay attention to him, even if he wanted her to.

"Right, let's go." His voice quieted down to a whisper, and he attempted to push the doors to the 'great' palace open. With Jordan's help, they managed, and everyone streamed through in a shallow line. Jordan barely managed to leap through before the large doors slammed shut again.

Taking a deep breath, Jordan looked up as Jasmine shifted into her beautiful white dove, wings flapping silently. It was beginning. He pulled out his poison-tipped knife, holding it close to his side. His friends spread out, and Connor walked up to the inner-doors, where the guards lay waiting.

"Who does this human think he is, coming here?" Guard One laughed, baring his fangs. "You must have a death wish!" Connor said nothing, he was waiting for his pack to make their assault known. Jordan lunged for the second guard, slamming the knife straight to the hilt into his heart. The guard collapsed, mouth and eyes wide open. Not a drop of blood came out; Vampires don't have blood. Which was helpful, because no one would know they were dead.

Connor nodded as Annabelle took out the first guard, who didn't even have a chance to call for help. "We're ready, he's through those doors." Selene whispered nervously, biting her lip. Maybe they'd all make it out alive? She could only hope.

Pushing open the doors, shock rolled over the small group as they saw the prince standing there. "Hello." He hissed, crossing his arms. How did he know?! Panic rushed over Jordan, but he didn't step down.

"You think you can defeat me? Stab my heart and destroy my armies of Vampires? I'd like to see you try. My dear servants, I have been around you long enough to know that you are different now." His voice was as smooth as silk with an edge of rage.

"You're right. We are different. And you won't live another night!" Connor snarled before lunging at him and shifting. Without thinking, Jordan shifted too. He felt at least a dozen cold bodies fling themselves down on top of him, and he let out a roar of rage. He flung them off with his wings, but he was struggling to move as such a big creature in such a small throne room.

Annabelle shifted too, and was attempting to back a few smaller blood-suckers into a corner. She let out an angry caw, raising up on her hind legs to pierce the hearts of the evil creatures and rip them out. She managed to get the first one, but missed her mark on the second, giving him time to get away. Scrambling back, it panted, baring its fangs as it lunged for an offensive attack. She attempted to dodge, but her body was thrown to the floor by it's surprising strength, and as she tried to kick it off, two more took its place. She'd kill one, and two more would appear; just like Hydra's heads; she couldn't do anything as she disappeared under a mound of hungry, angry vampires. Pain tore through her throat, face, and chest as they attached their greedy little fangs to her, holding her down despite her clawing and kicking at their faces. She was going to die and she knew it, but even though she was, she felt strangely calm about it. Maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe the poison from the Vampire's spit, but her body just relaxed. Penny attempted to snap her out of it, chiding her gently, but it was no use. Hey penny? You should take over for a bit. I'm... tired. She let out a soft coo, going limp.

Penny let out a dissatisfied caw, attempting to take hold so her partner wouldn't have to go through the pain of death, but it was too late already. She felt herself drifting, drifting into a deep sleep. Her eyes closed, and everything was just gone.

Selene and Grace were fighting side by side, snarling and snapping at the vampires feet. Grace would distract while Selene leapt up onto the vampires back and slammed her tail, point blank, into their hearts. One of the only way to kill a vampire, surprisingly. Rip out their hearts, or stab their hearts. Their hearts were the only reason they were still living, despite the fact that it didn't beat, and they didn't bleed.

Jacob scraped his hoof across the ground, charging right at two vampires in his way. They couldn't move out of the way fast enough, and with cut off screams, they were dead too. Jacob reared as pain shot through his hide. Fangs had pierced his flanks, and he could feel his blood being drained from his body. Bucking, he attempted to get them off, to no avail. With a loud squawk, Jasmine dive-bombed, slamming her talons right into the eyes of the vampire attached to him. It released with an enraged cry, lashing out against her, slamming its hand right into her fragile body.

Connor made an attempt to dodge around the prince to get to Annabelle, but as he did so, the prince flung him backwards, hitting his chest hard. "Aw, little boy, did you think you could save her? She was meant to die. The stars said so. Just like the stars said that I would be defeated. But that's the one thing the stars were wrong about!" He screamed, lunging for him. But before The prince could touch connor, a loud snapping sound was heard as Diesel's third head slammed into the Prince's leg, sending him to the floor. The second the Prince went down, it was all over in seconds. Vampires scrambled away, screaming. Diesel ripped and ripped; avenging his family, his friends, all who he had outlived, despite being of an older age than them. Connor felt sick, leaping over the Prince and Cerberus. He raced in a zigzag towards Annabelle, and nearly collapsed. Okay no, he did collapse. Right by her side. She wasn't breathing, and he knew that she was gone.

The stars were right about both things-The Prince was dead, but so was Anna. Anna I'm so sorry! You tried so hard. He thought, burying his nose in her feathered neck. I'm going to miss you, so so much.

Even if they hadn't been with the group long, they'd known each other since Anna had became a servant. And they'd built up a strong, dependant relationship again. Inky tears rolled down Connor's cheeks, and he wanted to die. There wasn't a reason to live anymore, was there? Even if she would have wanted him to live on, there was no way he'd be able to live without her.

As the Vampires that hadn't been killed cleared out, all the surviving members of their group shifted back. Bodies littered the floor, but the one white dove that lay in the center of all the chaos stood out like a sore thumb.

"Jasmine!" Jacob scooped her up in his hands, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. He didn't see any blood... had her neck been snapped? Her spine? She had to be dead. He didn't see her chest moving. Right?

But it moved, just barely. He let out a shallow cry, silently begging her to wake up. Her body shifted slightly, without him moving it, and inch by inch, her solid black eyes opened up.

"O-Oh, Jasmine! Thank God. I thought I lost you." Jacob murmured, making her coo softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. You had to save my ass! You silly girl." he shook his head, but smiled through his tears.

She cawed once more, but made no more attempts to move. Selene and Grace skittered over to Connor, tumbling down beside him, hugging his furry form. "We're so sorry, Connor." Grace murmured, making Selene hum in agreement.

"It's gonna be alright. Hard, but you're gonna get through this." Selene added in, "It's just gonna take a long, long time."

Jordan looked away awkwardly, biting his tongue. He didn't want to say anything he'd regret saying later, and he knew exactly how he'd feel if Grace was killed instead of Annabelle.

He looked up, wondering if he should say anything. They had won, they had defeated the Vampires. For now, at least. "What ya' thinkin about, kid? This ain't nothing. Sad as it is, I ain't got no attachment to lil' miss dead." Diesel murmured, "It's over. No use tryin' to dwell on somethin' that wasn't meant t' be."

Jordan got was Diesel was saying, but it still hurt to hear those words from the old man. "He'll be okay, though?"

"Eventually. We all will be. There's a world to rebuild, y'know. I'm much too old, but you're not too old yet. I have a feeling that boy, too, will be young enough." He gestured to Connor. "Once he's okay again."

Jordan could only nod. What would happen next?