Trembling With the Strings

“Alright, so I’m really confused.” I looked over to Toni, who was wiping blood from his mouth and water from his face. “You two broke up.”

“And who are you?” Demetrius asked, walking over to Dray and I. He untwined Dray and my fingers and grabbed my hand and Darius’ while glaring at my boss.

“A guy that’s tired of waiting. Gracie, you’re right. I’m taking you home,” he told me, jerking me away from Darius and Demetrius.

“Who do you think you are?” Darius hissed, grabbing my other hand. “I don’t think you’re her keeper.”

“And neither are you.”

It was kind of like watching a fight between Darius and the Darius of the past.

“Do you want to do this again? You already got me kicked out of my gig, and now you’re trying to take Gracie from me, too?”

“I can’t take something from you that isn’t even yours,” Toni smirked.

“I went easy on you in that club,” Darius growled at him, baring his teeth menacingly. “A stupid human like you doesn’t stand a chance!”

“Maybe if I was a stupid human I’d have something to worry about.”
“You’re not a vampire.”

“No, thank God I’m not. I kill them,” Toni snapped, pulling a dagger out of his coat pocket. “I’m not a novice either.”

“Toni, don’t do this,” I told him, pulling myself from Darius. “Please don’t.”

“In the car, when you said ‘I love you,’ you were talking about this guy, weren’t you?” he hissed, pushing me away. “I’m not some fucking puppet, I’ll have you know. And if you don’t get out of the way and let me kill this leech, I’ll make sure you join him soon.”

“You’re going to have to kill me first,” Darius told him as thunder and lightning sounded around us.

Toni laughed. “I’m looking forward to this.”

“I don’t think a stupid little blade is going to kill me.”

“We’ll see about that, after I fuck your ex-girlfriend.”

“What?” I gaped, not believing what I was hearing. I turned to look at Darius, but he was already gone.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” he screamed, tackling Toni to the ground and trying to rip his throat out with his bare hands.

I had to look away when Toni slashed the knife across Dray’s stomach. I heard Darius hiss, but then I heard him start screaming. I had to look back to him, and I didn’t understand what was happening. A small scratch couldn’t hurt him that much!

“What the fuck?” he growled, wincing and staggering as Toni pushed himself to his feet.

“I’m not a beginner, you bastard,” he hissed. “My family has connections with witches and dragons, and we’ve kept those connections in tact for quite some time. Actually, do you know a woman named Anne Creperum? Because I think you do. My mother killed her, though I hear she was pretty weak. This knife is coated with dragon blood, and there’s more than enough to take down twenty bloodsuckers. I think I can handle you, so you might as well stand still.”

Darius glanced over to me, and he looked genuinely scared. His mother had been killed by a vampire slayer in that same family. I tried to form words, but I couldn’t think of anything to say! What was I supposed to say?

“Darius, look out!” I screamed, begging him to move.

He gave me a funny look, but turned just in time to see Toni charging at him. I screamed, knowing there was no way Darius could get out of the way. He looked like a deer in headlights, and I couldn’t bring myself to move.

I heard another scream, and a flash of lightning blinded me momentarily. As soon as the world darkened again, I searched desperately for Darius. He was standing perfectly still, but Toni fell backwards.

But who was that laying on the ground? I stepped closer, trying to see who it was.

“Mommy?” Demetrius choked out, looking up at me through such innocent eyes.

“Oh, my God,” I cried, dropping to my knees beside him. “Demetrius, what were you thinking!”

“Daddy… I didn’t want him to—to die.” Tears were pouring out of his eyes, and I couldn’t meet his gaze.

I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat when I saw the dagger lodged in his stomach. I threw my hands over my mouth, shaking my head furiously as tears started spilling out of my eyes. I reached out and pulled him to me carefully.

“Please don’t leave me, Marty,” I whispered, my voice hoarse against the tears.

Darius fell to his knees beside me, looking up at Toni with death in his eyes. I heard footsteps, but I just couldn’t look away from my little brother, who was literally dying in my arms. He coughed up blood, and I started crying even more.

“Gracie, I didn’t mean… It’s my fault,” he told me, his tears mixing with rain.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to loose him, Darius! I can’t lose him!”

“I love you, Gracie,” Marty murmured, fighting to keep his eyes open.

“Baby, don’t close your eyes. Please. Just don’t go to sleep!”

“Please don’t do this,” Darius whispered. “You know that I can save him! There’s no way he can live. I think he’s bleeding internally. Gracie…”

I gulped, taking in a deep breath and carefully moving Demetrius into Dray’s lap. I got onto my wobbly feet.

“Darius, I’m going to start walking home. It’s not too far. If you happen to get bloodthirsty, it’s not your fault, and I can’t stop you,” I told him, choking on tears as I forced myself to leave Demetrius in the hands of a vampire.

Hopefully God would make an exception for a sweet little boy.