Children of Blood ✔️

Chapter Eighteen

My hands shake uncontrollably and my mind goes blank. They found me. They know where Luke is and now they're going to hurt everyone I care about. Lady wants to isolate me and trap me in a corner.

I crunch the paper in my hand and shove it back underneath my pillow. I only have two days to turn Luke back over to his captor or I can sacrifice the wellbeing of my family and friends.

I put my head onto the pillow and force my eyes shut. I need rest, I can't think about this. But the darkness always welcomes my nightmares. Every time I close my eyes, I see it. I feel it.

Black and quite, before I watch her face egress out of the abyss. Lady, her knife digging into Izzy's throat and Luke's back turned to me. Roxy lays dead on the ground, her pale eyes screaming for help as she stretches for my hand. Everyone is dead, blood pools in at my feet and I am burning with incapacitation. "You killed them. You are the monster Jean," Lady slides her knife across Izzy's jugular whole my sister lets a deafening screech rip past her slit throat. The bodies build on top of each other, creating towers of flesh and bone. Then they turn to me and repeat their killers name. "Jean."

A whistle creaks past my windowsill and I shoot up, my knife in hand. Paranoia digs it's heels into the back of my mind while my heartbeat thumps against my ribs.

Night has coated the air with a temporary shadow as I light an oil lamp. The flame licks the side of the glass as I grab a cloak and rush outside. The wind is picking up and the stars begin to hide behind a sheet of dark rumbling clouds. If I can't get some sleep I might as well make sure everyone is safe. The wind is like an invisible wall shoving me back, but I push against it towards the bar.

I take cover in some bushes before peering into the warm, yellow window to set my eyes upon everyone dear to me.

My mom pesters the bar tender about drinks, Izzy is touching noses with the girl of her dreams, Madeline. James is zipping from each end of the bar making drinks, and Adam scoots into a conversation with Izzy. Alaric booms with laughter, touching Maverick's shoulder and wrapping an arm around Josef. Looking into the bar I find myself smiling at my beautiful family.

They're okay, breathing and alive. I sigh in relief.

The epiphany hits me like a bolt of lightning. While my family have warm, open hearts, mine is cold and shrivelled. I don't belong with them, they deserve better then me. They deserve someone who will make them happy, and who doesn't bring danger to their doorstep. My smile drops and I move away from the window, I don't belong.

I turn and bump into a wobbly, stiff chest. Two hands grab my shoulders and holds me for support. I groan and look up into a set a familiar brown eyes.

Luke, raises his brow and nods to the window. "Spying are we?" His smile is encouraged by liquor, soft and lazy. Luke's face is close to mine, his breathe laced with whiskey as a slur sits in the back of his throat.

"Are you drunk?" I ask and shake his hands off of me.

A gust of wind blows him off his balance so he leans against the building as he shakes his head. "No! I am the future clan leader of Bellator, I don't indulge is such things."

"You're drunk," I sigh and look away.

"I'm not!" Luke spits and chuckles, "but so what if I am? A leader can't have a little fun?"

"No, it's just that I've never seen you like this before." I lean against the wall with him. It's strange to be with him and not have to worry about guilt or revenge. To be relaxed was not something we had the chance to do.

Another gust of wind blows Luke past me as he stumbles around the corner for shelter. Little droplets become shards of glass as they shoot through the air. I flip my hood up and rush to the corner to avoid the bullet-like rain.