(... Continued)
"This one's doing a great job pretending to be brave! " The vampire chuckled nervously.
Arabella on the other hand, couldn't breathe. Not properly anymore. Not with those claws digging into her throat…her blood trickling…straining her only uniform.
Her pulse thundered in her ears…like a panicked drum beat that made her body feel cold and too loud at once.
And yet, the suited man didn't blink. Like he had no emotions or didn't care at all about Arabella's.
He stood there, one palm up, as if negotiating.
No…no, not even negotiating. Trying to temp the night crawler.
She could see it now in his posture, in the way his lips curled with amusement…no hint of urgency. In the way his stance wasn't that of someone trying to save her…but someone just luring a predator.
"You… you are not going to help me," Arabella said under her breath, disbelief mingling with horror.
The vampire's claws twitched, as if sensing her realisation. It almost laughed despite it's own pathetic situation.
"Oh, he doesn't care about you, dove," it rasped. "Even we so called demons have some fragments of our souls left but these so called Guardians of yours, do not…remember that well."
The suited man lifted a brow as if offended.
"I mean…" he drawled, glancing at his nails as if checking his nail polish, offended. "Soulless is a strong word. I prefer… catalyst…you can't start a reaction without us…Boom…"
The Vampire took several steps back, pulling Arabella along. She was panting at this point… on the verge of crying…
Arabella's breath hitched. "Are you really not going to save me?!"
The suited guy tilted his head, the glint in his grey eyes turning feral for a flicker of a second. "I am doing my job, sweetheart. You were in the middle of the mess. I didn't throw you in…now be a good girl and cooperate."
"Oh my God," Arabella whispered, panic rising like a tidal wave in her chest.
She turned her head the tiniest bit towards the sky, every muscle screaming in protest… every heart beat praying for a miracle.
"He is going to kill me. And you are going to let him."
"No," the guy mocked as if protesting softly. "I am going to catch him.There's a difference."
The vampire snickered. " You wish."
Arabella's knees gave way, but the vampire yanked her upright with a jerk, talons slicing deeper.
She cried out as it tore her flesh, blood now flowing freely all over her body.
"Oops," the vampire cooed. "Slippery little dove."
The suited guy's jaw tensed. He twirled the glowing shard in his hand once more, his posture shifting…the hunter surfacing beneath the cockiness.
Then he said it, just loud enough for her to hear. "Don't worry. It will be quick."
Arabella's eyes went wide. "The fuck? What… what was that supposed to mean?! What's gonna be quick? My death? "
"No," the guy replied coolly. "You just might die in the process."
The vampire cackled, baring fangs.
Arabella could feel the pressure shift…something in the air snapped.
And then…WHOOMPH…
A gust of wind tore through the balcony like a scythe.
Arabella didn't see it though…she only felt the sudden, violent force rip across her back, followed by a shriek that wasn't hers.
The scream was high pitched, almost alien and cracking at the edges.
CRACK!!!
The vampire's claws went limp.
Arabella fell…no,was about to fall…when arms caught her mid air. It was strong but furious…and somewhat familiar.
" Mr.Woods?!!!"
She gasped as her body was scooped into him, her fingers clutching his shirt without thinking.
He didn't even look at her at first. His eyes were locked on the suited guy.
"Ryker! You absolute,douchebag! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
His voice was louder than a thunder.
"What the fuck are you even doing meddling in my jurisdiction?!"
Ryker raised his hands in mock innocence, standing over the smoking remains of the vampire…now two halves of a twitching corpse on the balcony tile.
Mark didn't wait for a reply.
He turned, boots pounding against the concrete, and as he bolted into the building with Arabella cradled tightly in his arms.Probably heading right for the nurse's office.
"Hold on," he muttered. "I have got you. Just hold on."
She couldn't answer.
She was shaking too hard. Her vision was swimming from so much blood loss.
All she could do was press her face into his chest and breathe him in… something woody with a hint of clove.
He kicked open a door to the medical bay, lay her down on the cot, and immediately began tearing open the med kit.
There was no one inside. The school was already being evacuated.
His fingers were fast…steady, but she could feel the rage simmering under his skin.
"Did he bite you?" Mark asked sharply.
Arabella shook her head.
"I…I don't think so. Just his claws…he was holding me. I felt it go in…" Her words stammered out, barely coherent.
Mark leaned in, inspecting her neck… his face so close his nose brushed her ear lobes.
He brushed her hair back carefully and wiped the blood to check for punctures.
And then after a few seconds…he exhaled heavily.
"No bite marks. Good. That's good."
She blinked up at him. "I thought I was gonna die. I thought he was going to slit my throat and…and that man…he just…he didn't even care…how is he even a Guardian?! " Then after a pause she added. " Is he one?!"
Mark's expression darkened as he pressed gauze into the worst of the wounds, holding it with one hand while his other slid under her back to keep her upright.
"The Ryker I know," he said tightly. "That bastard would let the world burn if it meant catching one more nightcrawler…he hates them passionately…but since you ask…yes, he is a Guardian…"
Mark paused.
Then he swore under his breath.
" Just to make things clear, he was not wrong, you know. Not in the technical sense. We are tasked with precision.Everything apart from our mission is nothing more than distraction…even some lives..."
Arabella reached out, grabbing his wrist. "But you didn't fail me…"
He met her gaze. " That's because I promised your grandfather that I will protect you… "
She looked unconvinced but said nothing more.
He wanted to say something but instead, he went back to work, disinfecting the wounds gently.
"I am gonna stitch the deeper ones…it might sting and hurt a lot," he warned.
"I can take it…go ahead…"