Snapping away from the sharpness,
pain ripped through my chest again. Scooting myself up against
the
wall, I drew my legs tight to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I was a mess, and the sun would be up soon. I felt tears streak down my bloody cheeks. I knew what was troubling me so deeply, yet I refused to face it.
This was the first time I tasted human blood in ten years. But that wasn't the burden weighing heavily on my soul, was it? It was more troubling that I enjoyed it. I knew this wasn't who I was anymore. I knew it in my soul. I had to do it. Lucas hadn't given me any choice. It was either him or me. He was going to kill me, I assured myself. It was self-defense. Letting my head fall back against the cold veneer of the wall, the familiar tingling sensation of fresh blood in my fingertips sickened me. The urge to retch gripped me, but my body wouldn't surrender any of the blood. The sound of breaking glass caught my attention and a familiar scent hit my nose. I was so engulfed in myself that I hadn't even heard the car pull up to the curb. Looking up, I saw a dark form standing before me. It reached its hand down to me and waited. How I wanted it to be Toby offering to scoop me up into his arms, but it wasn't. As I took the offered hand and slowly stood up, another bolt of pain ripped across my chest. Grunting and leaning over slightly, I looked into the shadow's face still hoping to see Toby's salt-and-pepper hair and big brown eyes. I was met with Maynard's visage instead. "Are you all right, Rose?” His voice sounded deeply concerned. I shook my head at Maynard's question, but knew I would live. “Where did you come from?" "That isn't important right now,” Maynard assured me. “I'm just happy to see you alive.” He paused. “Well, stillexisting anyway."
As the Dendro Demon placed his hand tenderly on my shoulder I felt a slight prick. I shook it off thinking it was another piece of the glass I fell in. Starting me away from the building, I could see Maynard's car waiting just beyond the curb, its doors open and the headlights still on. “Come on, we've got to get you out of here. Sun will be up soon." In no condition to argue, I nodded.
Maynard poured me gently into the passenger seat of his luxury sedan. As he shut the door, my fingers found their way down to the adjustment controls. I pushed the silver switch with my thumb and listened to the motors whine as the seat leaned back. Maynard slid into the driver's seat and closed his door with a satisfying thump. As he snapped on his seatbelt, he shifted the vehicle into gear and slowly accelerated. Pulling my robe tight, I closed my eyes. The ride was thankfully quiet. Maynard didn't use the radio, instead opting to leave his window slightly cracked to enjoy the sounds of the night. I listened to the rhythmic thump of the tires on the asphalt and found it somehow soothing. The soft rocking of his high-quality suspension seemed to diminish the blood euphoria in me. My body started to feel very, very relaxed. Opening my eyes, I watched the lights pass by the window. Somewhere we had merged onto the freeway and the lights of downtown Vegas seemed distant and unimportant. We were heading out of town and I just wanted to go home, even though I knew that was the last place I should be. If Lucas
wall, I drew my legs tight to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I was a mess, and the sun would be up soon. I felt tears streak down my bloody cheeks. I knew what was troubling me so deeply, yet I refused to face it.
This was the first time I tasted human blood in ten years. But that wasn't the burden weighing heavily on my soul, was it? It was more troubling that I enjoyed it. I knew this wasn't who I was anymore. I knew it in my soul. I had to do it. Lucas hadn't given me any choice. It was either him or me. He was going to kill me, I assured myself. It was self-defense. Letting my head fall back against the cold veneer of the wall, the familiar tingling sensation of fresh blood in my fingertips sickened me. The urge to retch gripped me, but my body wouldn't surrender any of the blood. The sound of breaking glass caught my attention and a familiar scent hit my nose. I was so engulfed in myself that I hadn't even heard the car pull up to the curb. Looking up, I saw a dark form standing before me. It reached its hand down to me and waited. How I wanted it to be Toby offering to scoop me up into his arms, but it wasn't. As I took the offered hand and slowly stood up, another bolt of pain ripped across my chest. Grunting and leaning over slightly, I looked into the shadow's face still hoping to see Toby's salt-and-pepper hair and big brown eyes. I was met with Maynard's visage instead. "Are you all right, Rose?” His voice sounded deeply concerned. I shook my head at Maynard's question, but knew I would live. “Where did you come from?" "That isn't important right now,” Maynard assured me. “I'm just happy to see you alive.” He paused. “Well, stillexisting anyway."
As the Dendro Demon placed his hand tenderly on my shoulder I felt a slight prick. I shook it off thinking it was another piece of the glass I fell in. Starting me away from the building, I could see Maynard's car waiting just beyond the curb, its doors open and the headlights still on. “Come on, we've got to get you out of here. Sun will be up soon." In no condition to argue, I nodded.
Maynard poured me gently into the passenger seat of his luxury sedan. As he shut the door, my fingers found their way down to the adjustment controls. I pushed the silver switch with my thumb and listened to the motors whine as the seat leaned back. Maynard slid into the driver's seat and closed his door with a satisfying thump. As he snapped on his seatbelt, he shifted the vehicle into gear and slowly accelerated. Pulling my robe tight, I closed my eyes. The ride was thankfully quiet. Maynard didn't use the radio, instead opting to leave his window slightly cracked to enjoy the sounds of the night. I listened to the rhythmic thump of the tires on the asphalt and found it somehow soothing. The soft rocking of his high-quality suspension seemed to diminish the blood euphoria in me. My body started to feel very, very relaxed. Opening my eyes, I watched the lights pass by the window. Somewhere we had merged onto the freeway and the lights of downtown Vegas seemed distant and unimportant. We were heading out of town and I just wanted to go home, even though I knew that was the last place I should be. If Lucas