Off With His Head

29. It sounds like something out of a bad movie

"I'm so sorry."

The voice sounds like it's coming from far away, low and muffled, as though I'm trapped under water. It's familiar, one I would know anywhere, but though I try to fight through the haze, I can't quite place who it belongs to.

"This is all my fault. I should never have involved you in the first place and now look at you. There was so much blood and I thought..." they trail off and I'm sure I hear their voice crack. "I'm sorry for ever making you feel like I don't care. I do care, Peyton. More than you know."

Zach.

I want to open my eyes and reassure him that I'm okay, but the pain is all consuming, coursing throughout my entire body as though it has a life of its own. It seems to be centred on my stomach, but I can't quite place why. I vaguely recall being hurt, but the details are a blurry fog that I can't sift my way through.

Fragments of our mission flash through my mind. Caleb beheading a vampire against the door. Zach being thrown across the room. Me leaping onto another vampire's back without a weapon. Zach still and unmoving on the floor. Caleb struggling to get the upper hand during his fight. Me unable to choose between them.

Zach continues to speak to me, but his words are lost as I try to force my eyelids to move. Finally, after what feels like hours, they flutter open and I'm confronted by the harsh white walls of the medical ward. Zach sits straighter in his chair, removing his hand from my arm as though he has been electrocuted.

"Peyton?" Even through my blurry vision, I can see that his ocean eyes are rimmed red and his blonde hair stands on end, as though he's been running his fingers through it. "Are you okay?"

"Water," I answer, my throat so dry I can hardly get the word out.

He picks up a glass from my bedside table and helps tilt my head up, pouring a small amount of water down my throat. I gulp it down gratefully, trying to ignore the searing pain in my stomach. A shudder runs through me when I notice yet another cannula protruding from my hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I live here." I weakly wave a hand at my surroundings, the incessant beep behind my head reminding me of the last time I was here.

"I'm both happy and slightly disappointed to see that your sense of humour seems to have remained intact." He manages a small smile as he places the glass back on the table and sits back down.

"What happened?"

"You were stabbed," he tells me. "But he missed any vital organs so you will be okay. You just have to stay off your feet for a while."

The word brings back the memory of cold metal sinking straight through my skin. I have to resist the urge to lift up my white t-shirt and check the wound. With terrifying clarity, I suddenly remember the vampire on top of me, an eerie smile on his face as the blade sliced through my flesh. I shudder again, suddenly feeling cold despite the warmth of the room.

I was stabbed. It sounds like something out of a bad movie.

"Where's Caleb?"

Something flashes in Zach's eyes, but before I can figure out what it is, it's gone. "He's meeting with Lideri. It appears that in all the craziness of the last few weeks, we forgot about one of our most sacred traditions."

"Which is?"

"Our annual Hunter's Ball."

I can't help the snort of laughter that slips from my mouth, convinced that he is joking. Its cut short as a jolt of pain sears through my stomach and a wave of nausea threatens to engulf me. Zach watches me intently, half out of his chair with a hand extended towards my arm. It takes several moments for the feeling to pass and I'm able to speak again. "You're not serious? With everything that's going on?"