World So Cold

I cawed once and flew up into the air. Tyler paused in his punch. Then Stefan finally appeared. He picked Tyler up and threw him against his grandfather’s headstone. Elena rolled to the side, gasping, one hand clutching her torn dress, the other searching the grass.

Stefan’s face was white and cold with fury, and his green eyes were filled with a killing light. I don’t think I had ever seen him this furious, ever. He emanated such anger and menace that I could feel Elena grow fearful.

I landed back down on a nearby headstone. “When I first met you, I knew you’d never learned manners,” said Stefan. His voice was soft and cold and light. Tyler was shaking his head dazedly and starting to get up. Stefan moved like a dancer, every movement easy and precisely controlled. “But I had no idea that your character was quite so underdeveloped.”

He hit Tyler. The larger boy had been reaching out one beefy hand, and Stefan hit him negligently on the side of the face, before the hand made contact. Tyler flew against another headstone. He scrambled up and stood panting, his eyes showing white. A trickle of blood ran from his nose and I smelled the scent of it in the air. Tyler then charged.

“A gentleman doesn’t force his company on anyone,” said Stefan, and knocked Tyler aside. He went sprawling again, face down in the weeds and briars. This time he was slower in getting up, the blood flowed from both nostrils and his mouth. My jaw started to ache. Even though I had just fed fresh blood still had a pull on me. And Tyler’s was just so good.

Tyler was blowing like a frightened horse as he threw himself at Stefan. Stefan grabbed the front of Tyler’s jacket, whirling them both around and absorbing the impact of the murderous rush. He shook Tyler twice, hard, while those big beefy fists wind milled around him, unable to connect. Then he let Tyler drop.

“He doesn’t insult a woman,” he said. Tyler’s face was contorted, his eyes rolling, but he grabbed for Stefan’s leg. Stefan jerked him to his feet and shook him again, and Tyler went limp as a rag doll, his eyes rolling up.

Stefan went on speaking, holding the heavy body upright and punctuating every word with a bone-wrenching shake. “And, above all, he does not hurt her…” Tyler’s head was snapping back and forth with every shake.

“Stefan!” Elena cried. “Stefan, stop.” His head jerked toward her, startled, as if he had forgotten her presence. For a moment he looked at her without recognition, his eyes black with rage and hunger. To Elena he must look like some predator, some great bird or sleek carnivore incapable of human emotion. Of course, that’s what we were. Then understanding came to Stefan’s face and some of the darkness faded from his gaze.

He looked down at Tyler’s lolling head, then set him gently against the red marble tombstone. Tyler’s knees buckled and he slid down the face of it. Tyler’s left eye opened while the other was swelling to a slit. At least he was alive. I was glad Stefan didn’t kill him considering he still had my blood in his system.

“He’ll be alright,” said Stefan emptily. “Is there someone to take you home?” His voice was chillingly deadened.

“No,” responded Elena.

“I’ll drive you,” said Stefan. He was distancing himself from her. Not wanting to get close. He was still dangerous, still wanted to feed.

“Thank you. That would be very kind,” she said slowly. I watched as they slowly left the headstones and made for the path.

My goal was complete. Stefan had come to the rescue of Elena. He had saved her. Sure he almost killed Tyler in the process, which would have been a disaster, but he didn’t. And now he and Elena were alone where they would be forced to interact in some way.

Elena had agreed to hang out with Tyler. I had told her that Tyler was the one most likely to make Stefan jealous. She agreed to the plan. Then that left me to compel Tyler to take Elena out to the cemetery along with his friends. He was supposed to try and take advantage of her. I never would have let him hurt her or take advantage of her, but Elena didn’t know that.

The fear she had felt was real and the anger Stefan had felt was just the same. Poor Tyler had been caught in the middle of it. At least humans were expendable and there were always more where they came from.