“Well, look at that, caught you again!” he shouted. Then, just as he started walking me to the back of the car, his entire body went ridged. This was something that made mine do the same and only realising why, when we heard a voice say,
“I can say the same thing.” I looked down at Lucius and told him,
“See, I told you that you should have packed the smelly cheese.” He growled low after pulling me down the front of him, so I was plastered to his chest. Then we both started to take in the full extent of our problem as the small army of shadows started to surround us.
I released a sigh and said,
“The bitch, witch is back.”
Chapter 27
Death Falls Upon Us All
“Well, I have to say, it’s about time you two got back together, I was getting impatient,” the witch said stepping from the tree line curled in what looked like the shadows she commanded. It was as though she had just appeared out of nowhere. This made me think back to the way she had escaped the river of blood in the vault, telling me then that she most likely had created some kind of portal.
She wore her usual red cloak. The same one I had seen her wearing in both my dreams and the nightmare reality. I didn’t know what she meant about us being back together or why she would need for us to be, but I knew one thing, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like her comment. I knew this when I felt Lucius get tense.
“Aww, well, would you look at that, honey, she was rooting for us,” I said sarcastically making Lucius scoff.
“We meet at last for I have been curious about when the bitch I intend to kill would turn up,” Lucius said in a calm tone that the hard muscles beneath my palms told me he was anything but.
“I wouldn’t be so cocky, Vampire, after all, it’s not like I came alone,” she said, now raising up her hands and out from the shadows stepped the army of rogues she had brought with her, one we both already knew were there. I didn’t know how it was possible for me to know this as it wasn’t as if I had any supernatural gifts to help in this department. But for some reason, I just had. As if I had felt them humming against my skin, one that gave new meaning to the saying making your skin crawl.
“Good, for you will need a fucking army,” Lucius told her.
“Now. if I had known that was all it would take,” she said in cocky tone.
“You mistake me…for you will need the fucking army just to give you a head start before I rip your fucking heart out, witch!” Lucius snarled the threat making one of the figures that suddenly emerged next to her start laughing, one unfortunately we both knew well.
“See, I told you he is arrogant,” she said turning her head towards the witch. However, one look at her and I just groaned in annoyance before commenting dryly,
“Ah, well, it’s clearly not a party without Bitch face…well, this should be fun, I was looking for another shot at killing that bitch!” This had the desired effect as it made Lucius chuckle and Layla furious,
“We will see about that, you little cunt!” Layla snarled stepping towards me, only to find herself stopped when the witch’s hand rose, ceasing her movements.
“Not yet, we need her,” the witch warned, making Lucius growl low in his throat, pulling me tight to his frame.
“Yeah, to fucking bleed!” Layla said maliciously.
“Silence!” the witch snapped after turning her head to the side and slicing a hand down in front of her making Layla cower slightly,
“Wow, so crass…seriously Lucius, you had terrible taste in women before you met me.” Lucius didn’t look away from our enemies, keeping his eagle eyes on them, whilst agreeing with me,
“That I did, love.”
“Enough of this! You know what we want, Vampire, now show us the way,” the witch snapped, and the jerked motion made her hood slip back a little. But what was then odd was the way in which she hurried to cover herself back up, yanking it forward with a fumbled motion. I frowned in question as it was almost as if she didn’t want to show her face. Was it because of the scars…? Did she consider it a weakness…or perhaps it was more than that?
“Explain to me why I should, do you think your little army scares me?” Lucius challenged.
“No, but what does scare you, Vampire, is losing your Chosen One and can you really risk fighting them all without risking her life…besides, here’s a little example to back up my claim.” The witch then made a motion with her hand and suddenly there was a whizzing sound before pain burst in my shoulder at my back, making me push into Lucius from the impact.
“AAAHH!”
“Amelia!” he shouted as I fell into him, and when I lifted my face off his chest the first thing I asked was,
“Where did all the blood come from?” Lucius looked down at me and the second he saw that I was hurt, he did so with blood thirsty murder in his eyes, as his demon started to come through.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, for I have ten more aimed at her that you can’t see and won’t have the power to stop. Now, show me the way and I will let you heal her,” the witch told him, making him close his eyes and snarl as he twisted his neck to the side in a painful way. It was then that I knew he was actually fighting with his demon side in order to try and stay in control.
But the pain was starting to rip through me, making me fall limp against him and as a result, his arm tightened around me. Then, pushing past the pain, I used my strength to reach up so I could put a palm to his cheek,
“Hey, it’s okay, come back to me…yeah?” I said trying to help him focus as he struggled to hold himself back from allowing that part of him to take over. I knew this when the black veins started to branch out around his crimson eyes and snake down his neck where his skin seemed to ripple with the increasing power building. But at the sound of my voice he started to pull through and was soon looking down at me, half as a demon, half as the man I loved, before whispering my name,
“Amelia…I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay…I’m okay, it’s just…ahh…my…” I finished this as I tried to reach around my back to pull whatever I could feel was stuck there.
“Ssshh, it’s okay, I will heal you,” he told me softly.
“Tut, tut, not yet, Vampire… now show us the way, as I am sure it was not a walk you could have ever forgotten,” the witch said with a smirk in her voice making him growl.
“She’s got a fucking arrow in her shoulder!” he snapped making me frown. Holy shit… was that what it was, no wonder it fucking hurt!
“Yes, and she will continue to bleed the longer it takes you…quicker if you remove the arrow.” The witch said making Layla laugh,
“I can’t fucking wait for that show!” I hissed her way, and said to Lucius,
“New rule, no ex bitch faces on date night.” He gave me a small strained smile before cupping my cheek and rubbing a thumb over my cheek,
“Sweetheart.” His tender endearment was interrupted the second the witch snapped,
“Time to get moving!”
I felt the rumble of Lucius’ growl against me before he swept my legs up and even though he did so gently, I still cried out in pain as he took me in his arms, being mindful of where the arrow was sticking out of my flesh.