This was my chance, I had to get into the back of the SUV and pray that it was leaving. I ran as low and as fast as I could and dived into the back of the car. Luck was on my side tonight, because in the boot was a blanket. I didn't hesitate, I just threw it over me. My heart was beating off the charts and my skin was beaded with sweat. In my head I prayed the woman would drive out of the gates and not U-turn back into the school.
The boot door slammed shut, so far so good. Next, the driver’s door was opened then shut and the car roared to life.
“Please, please, please. Drive out the gates,” I whispered ever so quietly.
The car started rolling. I breathed deeply, in and out, as the rocks crumbled under the tires. Slowly, we picked up speed. We couldn't be going through the school driving this fast, so I assumed we were on a road that ran alongside the school. We turned again and shortly after, rolled to a stop. This can't be right. We drove for barely ten minutes. The driver once again got out of the car, this time locking it behind her. I popped my head up to look out the window. We were in front of a house, a house that I recognised, because I had walked through the backyard. It was Mr Aleksandrov's house.
“Shit.” I had to think of something and fast, before she decided to move the car through the gate of Mila's house. I climbed over the backseat and unlocked the passenger’s side door. I stumbled as my feet hit the gravel. I flung my backpack over my shoulder and sprinted in the direction we had come.
Shortly after, I reached a long straight road. I didn't know which way Bridgewater was, but I needed to get off this road before anyone realized I was gone.
I walked for hours and I was still on the same road. Either I was going the wrong way or Eli meant four hours by car. There were no cars and no hint that the road was going to end any time soon, so my only option was to keep walking.
The sky grew lighter and I sat down on the side of the road, taking a well-deserved break. I finished a whole bottle of water as headlights beamed in my direction. My first thought was to dive into the bush and wait for it to go by, my second thought was to try and hail it down. What were the odds that it was a guardian angel? They couldn’t possibly know I was missing yet. I still had few hours before breakfast. Either way, it was a chance I needed to take — I would never make it to Camilla and Aunt Jen's house otherwise. I stuck my arm out. Thankfully, the car pulled over. Suddenly I began to feel this wasn't such a good idea; I was an eighteen year old girl, alone, in the middle of the woods. Every inch of my body was telling me to run, but I didn't. I opened the door; luck was definitely on my side tonight because a pretty woman's smiling face was on the other side and in the backseat, two small children slept. Immediately I felt a lot safer.
“I'm Sue, where are you heading?” she asked.
Her voice was very American, quite possibly from Texas.
“Ruby. Bridgewater?”
“Perfect, luck must be on your side tonight. Hop in.”
“If luck is on my side, then it’s definitely a first.”
She eyed me sideways. “What's a girl like you doing out in the middle of nowhere so late? Where are your parents?”
Would scare her if I told her my mother was murdered by my stepdad — a vicious, blood-sucking vampire, who was now trying to kill me? That he’d kidnapped my cousin in order to get me to abandon the protection of my guardian angel and lure me from my safe magical school?
“I go to a boarding school here. Just on my way back to visit my parents. Unfortunately, I forgot where the bus stop was,” I lied.
“You poor thing, I would never leave my children alone in the woods.”
“Yeah, well, such is life. Do you mind if I nap?” I asked.
“Go ahead, sweetheart. It’ll be a while before we get there.”
I closed my eyes. My body must have been over tired, because I fell asleep. I needed energy for what was about to come.
I didn't dream. I didn't even feel like I slept. A warm hand touched my arm, I jumped. It was Sue. Her face was filled with sympathy and her kids looked at me like I was crazy. The sun made me squint at our surroundings. Bridgewater.
“We’re here, honey, what’s your address?”
I gave her the address and she rolled up to our house. I thanked her and apologized I didn't have any money to give her.
“That's okay, I'm just glad I got a young girl home safe. You can never be too sure these days.”
I waved as she drove off. Little did she know she had actually driven me to my death. I walked up to the door and turned the handle, it was unlocked. The bright sun guaranteed my safety until nightfall. I hope. I entered the house. It was dead quiet. I checked every room, but there was no one there.
My room was exactly how I left it, except the window was boarded up. I sat on my bed and stroked the necklace Camilla got me for my birthday. I couldn't help but spare a few tears. I wished I hadn't stayed here after the incident with my mother; maybe that could have prevented this from happening. Better yet, I wished my mother and Mr Aleksandrov didn't put stupid charms on me and that had Hank killed me. I wished a lot of things, but that didn't matter now. What happened, happened, and what is about to happen will happen.
I thought about the odds of Tay and Eli coming to save me. How long would it take them to figure out I had come back to Bridgewater? I sat in my room for hours. I ate the pizza and drank all my water, but that was okay; there was water and food in the fridge here.
The sun was receding rapidly, I estimated I had only an hour of sunlight left and every inch the sun decreased, my fear increased. I didn't actually know what I was going to do when the time came. I was hopeless with magic and I didn't think punching Raina in the face makes me a full blown fighter. I didn't care what happened to me, my main goal was to get Camilla out of there safely.
I used my bathroom to prepare myself for night. I changed into a pair of sweat pants and a singlet. I needed to be able to move around and these were the loosest clothes I owned.
“I knew it,” growled a voice as I exited the bathroom.
I looked up, it was Darren. Talk about deja vù.
“Darren?”
He dropped to a fighting stance and we started circling each other. “I knew you would come back.”
“I'm not a vampire anymore.”
“So? You’re still something ungodly.”
“Ungodly? I'm a goddess, god is in the name.”
“Do not speak His name, evil creature,” he snapped.
I didn't have time to fight his religious beliefs. “Darren, you need to get out of here. Vampires are coming, and it’s not safe.”
“No, I'm not going anywhere. I’m going to take you and your blood-sucking buddies, down.”
He lunged at me with a small blade but I dodged it. I didn’t have time to congratulate myself; adrenaline was controlling my body now. I couldn't fight and control my emotions all at once so there was no doubt Eli was aware of what I was going through.
Darren lunged at me again, and like before, I dodged it. As I eluded his attack, I swung my elbow and clipped him in the eyebrow. Pain shot up my elbow but I ignored it. Darren turned around, blood streaming down his face. Ouch, I got him right on the bone and split his eyebrow.“You are going to die, Rubes.” He smiled.
Once again he jumped at me. I wasn't so lucky this time and his knife cut my forearm.
“You’re a pretty sloppy vampire slayer,” I said through gritted teeth. My comment made him angrier. “Don't get knocked out this time.” I laughed.
Deep down, I was praying for my life. He jumped at me and we both fell to the floor. We rolled around, wrestling; I managed to get the knife out of his hand. I broke free of his grip and climbed to my feet. I ran out of the bedroom and made it as far as the lounge room before being tackled from behind. I screamed in pain as I was knocked to the floor, Darren landing on top of me. He had my chest pinned.
“Where are you going now, huh?” he gloated.
I turned abruptly, caught him off guard and threw him off my back. I tried to climb to my feet but he caught my ankle.
“Get off!” I yelled.
I was no longer scared of Darren, I was angry. He was foiling my plan to save Camilla. Not only that, but he was forcing me to waste my energy fighting him.
I thrust my ankle and hit Darren in the nose. That was the break I needed. I jumped to my feet and headed for the door. He let go and grabbed his nose, yelling swear words as he struggled to his feet. I tore open the front door and I ran straight into a tall figure. It was Tay.
Angel Agendas
“Oh, Tay. Thank god. I need your help,” I cried out.
Darren thundered after me and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Tay. “Good. Now I can kill both of you.”
Tay let out a loud laugh. “Please, just because your father hunts vampires, it doesn't make you a vampire slayer.”
“I’m better than my father. I'll show you.” He dove at Tay, who dodged, causing Darren to fall on his face. Tay kicked him in the head and Darren was down for the count. He then rolled his body out of the way and stepped inside.
“Thank you, T—”
Tay grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the wall. “Shut up.”
I kicked and gasped for air as my hands were clutching at my throat. “W-what are you doing!” I choked.
“Following orders.” A callous emotionless voice answered.
I froze. Only one person had a voice that frightening… Hank. My gaze went right through him as I searched for any sign of Camilla. “Where is she?” I managed to squeeze out.
Hank laughed; I cringed as it sent shivers down my spine. “I never had her. In fact, your aunt and cousin are on holiday.”
Relief flooded my mind but soon after, it turned to regret. Not telling Eli about the notes was a horrible idea and my punishment for that mistake was death. A fate I could have avoided all together. My mind was on the verge of giving up. There was no way I was going to cheat death once again and get out of this one. Either way, I wasn’t going down without a fight. If I could hold them off killing me for a little while longer, maybe Eli and the other angels would save me just in the nick of time.
I gained enough strength in my legs to kick Tay in the genitals. He dropped me, but Hank, with his super speed, caught me mid fall — again, by the throat. I could feel my eyes widen with fear as small ragged gasps escaped my throat. The pressure of his grasp was too much for me to handle. It reminded me of the cabin when he had grabbed my mother and I by our throats. Like before, his hands were freezing, I thought my throat was going to ice up. Tay unsteadily rose to his feet and raised his hand to backhand my face.
“Don't,” Hank said. “I don't want her damaged just yet.”
He stroked my cheek once, quickly, with the back of his index finger. I wanted to scream but the pressure on my throat was too immense. I couldn't even flinch away from his long, cold finger.
“Kill her before the guardian angels get here; there’s no doubt they’re looking for her. She and Eli have a tattoo bond,” Tay coughed.
Hank walked me over to an arm chair and sat me down.
“Tay, What are you doing?” I cried. My tears tasted salty on my lips.
“Hank promised me immortality.”
“Don't do this,” I begged. "Please!"
“Enough!” Hank boomed and he leant right in my face. “I'm not going kill you.” Tay stepped forward to protest but Hank silenced him with his hand. "No, that would be too easy for you. I'm going to do something much worse.
The quick end I had hoped for burnt out and was replaced by a sick feeling that grew heavier in my stomach. No, no, no, Anything but that, I repeated over and over in my head.
“I'm going to turn you into a vampire, no interferences this time, and you will live under my rule alongside Tay.”
“I am nothing to you, I can't possibly hurt you. I'm weak, I’m pathetic, just let me go. Please,” I screamed, tears flooding my eyes.
“Dear stepdaughter, you are everything to me. How can I earn a reputation as a ruthless ruler if I had, in fact, let a teenage girl go free? Not just any teenage girl, Ruby Moore, a goddess, and the daughter of my human love; a teenage girl who disrespected me by throwing away such a precious gift. That doesn't look good for me now, does it?”
I tried hard to stop myself from crying and slowly the tears stopped.
Hank and Tay paced the lounge room. They were obviously waiting for someone else. “Keep an eye on her,” Hank said as he left the room, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket.
“Why are you doing this?” I sobbed, when Hank was out of sight.
“I already told you wh— ”
“No, why did you decide to do this? You hate vampires. You hated me.”
“You were just a pawn in my plan. Mr Aleksandrov needed you under the protection of the school. Apparently, there is something ‘special’ about you.” He spat on the floor in disgust. “My plan was almost ruined when Aleksandrov made Eli your guardian angel instead of me, but I managed to work around that. Once that was finished, I made a deal with Hank. He has tasted your blood; he’s convinced there’s something different about you, something he can use. So If I gave him you, he would make me immortal—”
My mind reeled over all the past events.
“You convinced Eli that the cabin wasn't safe and you agreed to play far guard so the vampires could take down Eli, but when I intervened, you had to kill them all to avoid suspicion. And then finally the notes, you did that, didn’t you?” I said, fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together.