The Game of Hearts

22. Pieces

I shot through the backdoor, eyes lingering over the fields of grass and dead growth. I rounded the house to the front and found the car they had taken to get me. I heard a click, knowing Liam must've unlocked it while still inside. I searched until I found a stake and then a crossbow hiding contently in wait in the slots on the door. I'd never shot a crossbow before, but because of childhood I just so happen to know a few tricks in aiming. It took me a moment to put the stake into the crossbow, my heart racing excessively. If vampires could hear the sounds of a heart from miles away, I needed to calm down. Sounds of a crash emitted from the house and my body jumped as a reaction. I rushed to the closest window and peered inside. Liam had what I assumed was a stake gun out while Alaric held Rowan against his body as a shield. Lucky for me, Alaric's back was facing the window. "Shoot, and you kill him first," Alaric said mischievously.

"Fuck," I whispered and fumbled with the crossbow, getting the thing to aim directly at his back through the closed window.

I took deep breaths, calming myself. It wasn't slow-motion like the movies. The instant I put pressure against the notch, the stake flew into the vampires back, breaking the glass with it. Alaric turned, agony spread throughout his body as he turned pale. On instinct, he let go of Rowan and reached around to grab onto the stake. Liam swiftly shot his stake at the angry Vamp, only it nicked his arm when Alaric moved and it pierced into Rowan's shoulder. His knees bent and he fell to the ground, groaning a few curses.

"Rowan!" I dropped the crossbow and ran through the door. I was so close to Rowan, but someone grabbed my arm and then harshly yanked me back. I heard a pop and pain spread through my shoulder. Screaming at how sudden it was, I shook against someone's front. Rowan and Liam froze, watching me from where they stood (or knelt).

"Let her go," Rowan sneered, looking at whoever held me. I assumed it was Alaric. Watching Rowan's face contort so evilly, I felt my body shudder. His brows furrowed, his fangs were barred. I'd never seen them before, not like that. The skin beneath his cheekbones sucked in slightly and the veins in his eyes became black and seemed to pulsate uncontrollably. His iris's became stereotypically brighter, practically glowing at Alaric. I'd never seen anything so strange and scary.

Alaric chuckled darkly, his hot breath grazing my ear. "That's the same look you gave me when you killed Darling, you must really like Aria," he wrapped cold slender fingers around the front of my neck, "My initial plan wasn't to kill her but now... the opportunity seems too appetizing to pass up..." Something sharp touched the side of my neck. Two somethings, actually.

Fangs.

My heart raced and my breathing escalated, my knees felt weak and numb. I made eye contact with Rowan, my expression pleading. I'd never felt so weak or helpless. This was a moment I never thought I'd encounter in my life. Someone who was practically a god held my life in his hands. I was at the mercy of vampires. All the properness from Alaric's personality vanished.

Rowan slid the stake out of his shoulder, only to flip it around in his hand. He stood up and glanced at Liam, as though he was trying to form a plan with him. "You are so naive. I'm older, I'm faster. Hell, I've already healed!" Alaric laughed lowly and began to sink his teeth into me. I whimpered at the feeling. Both my arm and my neck's pain melted together, burning up my entire body.

Rowan spoke up, voice booming. "But I'm angrier!" I hadn't processed it but the teeth were torn from my neck and Alaric's arms weren't around me anymore. I slid to the ground, or more like tripped. I turned just in time to see Rowan and Liam pinning Alaric against the wall. It took me a moment to realize half of Rowan's arm was gone! As though it glitched, like in a video game, through Alaric's chest but I blinked and suddenly where Rowan's arm had "glitched" there was a hole. A large puncture wound. My eyes then took note of a bloody lump in Rowan's hand. Liam looked just as astonished and disgusted.

Alaric became limp. Rowan threw the lump across the room, allowing the dead body to slide onto the floor. I gasped and tried moving away but my arm prevented me from doing so. Tears filled my eyes. Why was I being such a puss? Why was I so scared? Rowan turned to me, eyes still glowing. His shoulders lowered as he relaxed and he knelt beside me. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to put you through this," he said quietly. My heart rate escalated when his clean hand moved toward me. When Rowan realized that, he froze. Something in his eyes showed some kind of weird pain until he moved back. I swallowed hard when his infamous stone face reappeared, but then he was gone. I gasped again, looking in all directions.

But he was really gone...

Alright, so... question time. Do you kind want her with Alaric or Rowan? 😉 and what kind of progress does your imagination crave?