Angels Born of Hell and Fire

[Chapter Five]

The scream that ripped itself from my throat would have been loud enough to wake the dead. I flew off of the bed, charging straight at him. His glowing eyes watched me calmly, as if my running at him screaming at the top of my lungs wasn’t anything to be worried about. He suddenly raised a hand from where it had gripped Jasper’s red hair and held it flat out towards me.

I smacked into an invisible wall. He closed his eyes, his back heaving with each deep pull he took of my best friend’s blood. I could hear the disgusting slurping noise, could see the look of complete rapture upon his face, and could see Jasper’s limp body sag against him.

It was too much for me.

I slammed into the invisible wall holding me back, banging at it with my fists, thrashing against it with strength I hadn’t known I had. All I could see was Jasper’s form in the pale moonlight; a thousand memories burning threw my mind. I thought of her mom, and her sisters, her cats. This was my fault. This was all my fault.

No, I can’t let her die here! I can’t let her be killed by some sick sadistic bastard!

"Let her go! You stupid bastard! Leave her alone! You son of a bitch you’re killing her!!! YOU’RE KILLING HER!!!"

I could feel the tears running down my cheeks warm like the blood from my cracked knuckles.

Adam’s eyes opened and he gently slid Jasper to the ground, where she laid still and pale. I looked up into his face, hatred burning through my veins, and refused to recoil from the sight of blood staining his pale lips and running down his chin. He wiped at it with one long finger and brought it to his mouth. All the while his eyes watched mine.

He stepped around Jasper’s prone body and I felt the wall dissipate. I remained where I was, my hands clenched into fist at my sides. He stood close to me; I glared defiantly into his eyes.

"You going to kill me now too?" I bit off, acid coating my voice.

"No." he said and somehow that just ticked me off even more. My fist swung out without me even realizing it, headed straight for his calm face. His fingers wrapped around my wrist, stopping it just inches from his face.

"She’s not dead Megan."

"Don’t give me that bull shit, you drank her blood you fucker, how could she not be dead?" I sobbed, unable to contain the tears, or the ragged tempo of my breathing. I didn’t want to be so weak and helpless before this man,

I didn’t want his eyes so intently watching my broken expression.

He let go of my wrist only to grab my chin forcing me to continue to look into his eyes.

“Would I kill either of you? After I’ve waited a thousand lifetimes for this day? I think not." His words bit off like venom and I couldn’t stop myself from flinching. He roughly jerked my chin to the side, releasing it. "She is not dead Megan, but she may be, if you don’t save her in time..."

He let off; something wicked sliding through his eyes.

Even as I opened my mouth I knew what he was going to tell me to do. It made perfect sense. I was living in a tripped out dream after all. Things like this happened all the time.

"What do I need to do?" I had to hope though, that maybe there was something else, anything else but what I saw in his eyes.

He paused, drawing out the moment, relishing it because he knew I would do it, because I had to save Jasper. I couldn’t let her die, no matter what. I couldn’t let her die because of me.

He tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck.

"Bite me."

Even though I knew it was coming I couldn’t stop my sharp intake of breath, or the revulsion that swelled in my throat.

But I had to do it didn’t I? To save Jasper.

Not letting myself think farther than that I wrapped my arms around him as he had Jasper, poised my mouth over his throat, and bit as hard as I could.

Blood gushed into my mouth, coated my tongue and slide down my throat. My stomach heaved in protested but I swallowed, and then sucked more into my mouth. The coppery taste filled my senses, took over all thought, and under it was something else, something not right, but I soon lost the ability to think. I felt it slip from the corners of my mouth; drip down my chin to stain my black pajama top. My nails dung into Adam’s back, I felt his heavy breathing in my ear. He was whispering something, but I couldn’t be sure over the sound of my own gorging. His hand suddenly knotted in my hair and yanked me away. My eyes flew open and I jumped back, landing feet away. We stared at each other a moment. Both of our breathing labored, and blood staining both of our faces.

He pressed a hand against the wound in his throat, his eyes watching more carefully now, as if he expected something to happen. Then he moved over and knelt before Jasper. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to bring her into a sitting position, carefully opened her mouth, and let his blood drip between her lips. I thought he might have muttered something but it was too low for me to understand. He stayed like that for a moment, then set her back down and stood.

"She will be alright now." he said and turned to look at me. He stared a moment, surprised at something.
I was tempted to look down at myself, wondering what could have changed in the short time he had knelt over Jasper.

He was suddenly right in front of me; staring down at me with such a joyous expression I did a double take.
"Your mine now." he said happily and swept me up into his arms. I tensed as he swung me around in a circle. "Do not worry little one, your mine now. Only mine. Everything is how it should be." he lightly kissed the corner of my bloody mouth before heading towards the door. He smiled over his shoulder at me. "Until tomorrow." and he was gone.

I stood, completely baffled, for a few moment before I remembered Jasper lying unconscious in the middle of the floor. I hurried over to her, checked her pulse because I had to be sure, and sobbed out a sound of pure relief as I felt the strong beat beneath my bloodied fingers.

Good. It had worked.

I would worry about what that meant later, for now I had to get her off the floor, and back into her own bed.

I frowned, looking down at her still form.

I had never been able to pick up Jasper; I was pretty weak and had zero upper body strength. But... I had to try at least. So, trying to tap into whatever strength I possessed, I slid one arm behind her shoulders, the other under her knee’s, and pulled up. She lifted up easily and I blinked in astonishment. Maybe I was stronger than I had always thought. Not bothering to dwell on it I set her back on the bed and covered her with a blanket.
The moon slanted through the window and fell on the two faint pin pricks on her neck. I glared down at them, anger boiling my veins. If that stupid son of a bitch tried anything like that again I swear I’ll kill him next time.
I turned sharply away from Jasper and stalked out of the room to my own. I ripped off the bloodied pajama top and took out another. It didn’t match, but oh well. I found a rag in the bathroom and scrubbed at my face and hands, not bothering to look in the mirror. Once satisfied that I had gotten off all of the blood I went back into Jasper’s room, lay down on the covers beside her, and finally closed my tired eyes.

If Adam came back that night I would know, and I would kill him, because no one would ever harm Jasper again.

I didn’t bother to think at why the thought seemed seared into my very being, how it felt different from how it had been before. Before it had been simply because she was my friend, someone I cared about, of course I felt compelled to protect her. Now it felt different, as if I didn’t have a choice in the matter, that I had to, no matter what, I had to protect her even if it cost me my own life.

I frowned in the darkness but that was about as far as my thought process went for the next minute I was asleep, all thought lost to dreams.

{End: Chapter Five}