Off With His Head

21. What would you do, Jennings?

"NO!" I scream, frozen in horror at the scene that has just played out in front of me. A strong arm pushes me out the way as Zach stalks past me to where Ivan and Caleb are.

Ivan rolls off of Caleb and gets to his feet, wiping the blood away from his mouth. A triumphant smile adorns his lips as he looks down at Caleb clutching his wrist. His victory is short lived as Zach finally reaches him and uses his temporary distraction to chop the vampires head clean off in one long swipe, his sword slicing through skin like butter.

Ivan's head rolls by my feet, his eyes back to grey, before bursting into flames that quickly fade out.

I barely notice, rushing to Caleb's side as he holds his arm to his chest, smearing blood on his black jacket. "Your dagger, Peyton, where's your dagger?"

"Caleb-,"

"Let me." Zach quickly pushes me out the way yet again and crouches down next to Caleb, pulling his own small knife out of his boot. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but Zach dragging the sharp blade across Caleb's skin, was not it.

Blood pours from the wound just under the bite mark, the crimson flowing in a steady stream. I watch in horror as Zach presses just beneath it, squeezing the cut and making it seep out faster.

Zach turns to me, his eyes wide and full of panic. "Rope, or material or something like that, Peyton. Find some. Now."

I scramble to do as he says, looking around the small apartment for anything that could match his description. Running to the bathroom I find a threadbare towel and sprint back, handing it to Zach. He uses his knife to cut a long thin strip and ties it around Caleb's arm, just under his elbow. Pulling the ends tightly, he secures it like a tourniquet.

"Will he," I hesitate, not wanting to ask the question I know we are all thinking. "Be okay?"

"It's too soon to tell." Caleb, to his credit, answers with a steady voice, holding his bleeding arm against his chest. He looks a lot calmer than I feel right now. Even his measured response does nothing to quell my rising panic. "Thanks, Zach."

Zach nods once, standing up and dusting himself off. "We better get going. We made a lot of noise." He grips Caleb's other arm and helps him to his feet. "Come on Peyton."

Still in shock over what's just happened, I follow them to the window and watch as they climb out and onto the fire escape.

With one last look at the pile of ashes on the floor, I follow suit.

¤

The car ride back to headquarters is silent, all of us lost in our thoughts, until I can't take it anymore. "What the hell happened back there?"

I don't even know what I'm referring to. The fact that they took so long to come, the fact that Caleb was bitten, the way that Zach sliced Caleb's arm open?

The whole night seems to have passed in a crazy blur. Was it really only a couple of hours ago that Caleb zipped up my jacket and Zach told me that I was rubbing off on him? How has so much happened in such a short amount of time?

Neither of them answers me, but they exchange a look that speaks volumes.

"I'm so sorry Caleb," Zach mutters, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stares at the road ahead. I can't tell what he's apologizing for. Cutting Caleb's wrist? Not defending him properly?

"I know." Caleb looks down at his lap, his bitten arm clutched to his chest. "I understand."

"I sure as hell don't," I pipe up from the back seat, hoping for some clarification instead of the riddles they are currently speaking. They're both quiet for a long time and I just hope they have the sense to answer me before I lose my temper. I'm tired, my entire body is in pain and I am seriously worried about Caleb. I'm sick of trying to decipher their conversations instead of being included in them.