Rare Blood

Chapter Forty-Six: Almost...

The moment Cyrus heard Roxy's voice a switch flipped shutting down his ability to be rational. He burst through the door separating them swinging wildly, cutting down a male Vampire who turned directly into his deadly path.  Blood splattered audibly in a wet streak across the hard floor and he watched as his victims head landed directly in front of a black, six-inch stiletto. 

Slowly, he lifted his eyes from the ridiculous shoe and was face to face with Roxanne. As recognition set in the particles in the air seemed to supercharge creating a stillness that was anything but calm. Cyrus hesitated there for just a second, wanting to remember the way it felt. He wanted to savor the moment he took vengeance for the sins against his beloved. He wanted to remember beheading Roxanne for Faye.

He allowed himself one breath, anticipating... However, his desire for perpetuating ceased when the air he drew into his lungs was so saturated with the sweetness of Faye's blood that he could taste it.  His fangs throbbed and the voracious desire to crush Roxy's skull overcame him.

He dropped the ax, surged forward, and wrapped his hands around her slender throat forcing her back to the wall. He was going to snap her neck when a voice called out to him, "Cyrus! Wait!"

Elsie, he remembered as she continued in a pant, "She knows... where Faye is."

He squeezed his eyes closed and ground his teeth, absolutely boiling on the inside.  The allure of Roxy's death had filled him with an energy only bloodshed could ease, and yet he had to hold back.   

This was made all the more difficult when he opened his eyes and saw Elsie crouched down in the opposite corner of the room wearing a stainless steal collar with prongs to discourage pulling. A short length of chain kept her anchored to a metal ring sticking out of the floor next to a crate for large breeds  She had on some kind of loose fitting, sterile dress that was spotted with blood from a freshly busted lip.

"They've drugged me, but... it's fading," she said, and he had to shove Roxy away from him before he acted on his impulse and ended her right then. 

He forced her down towards Elsie, snapping, "Get that collar off her now!"

Roxy stumbled and nodded towards the corpse on the floor, "He has the key."

"Get it," Cyrus responded with enough menace to make Roxy flinch and obey.

When her hands began fumbling around in the pockets of the disintegrating corpse's pants he turned back to Elsie. He squatted down in front of her, got his hands around the collar, and pulled. If he could break handcuffs he could get Elsie out of a steel collar, and sure enough, it broke with ease.

Elsie sagged into him, burying her face in his chest.  He covered her head with his palm, "You ok? Can you stand?"

"Yes," she nodded against him, "Things are a little fuzzy though," and when he looked down at her it was like he was seeing that same little blue-eyed girl from all those years ago, battered and bleeding, and he hated it. 

"I'm gonna get you out of here," he vowed and then asked, "Is Faye alright? Have you seen her?"

"No, but we'll get her," she replied confidently.

Cyrus nodded and stood her up, keeping her with him, making sure she was steady before he shifted her behind him, focusing back on Roxanne.  She was staring at him with a hatred in her eyes that no doubt mirrored his own and he growled, "Take me to her."

Roxy had no choice... she had to do what Cyrus asked or he was going to kill her.

She could see the desire burning in his blue eyes like the hottest part of a fire and she wanted no parts of it. His energy was murderous. Her skin prickled in response, she had never known Cyrus to be so vicious.