Vampires, Eh?

Chapter 45:

 Anna's chest tightened as her eyes locked with her brother's as she ran. Jonathan had tossed his empty bow to the side and pulled a sharpened stake out from the inside pocket of his jacket. Anna tightened her grip on her dagger. Jonathan saw the flash of metal from the blade and pulled a dagger off his own hip with his other hand.

Anna swung the blade when she got near Jonathan. He lifted his dagger in defense. The blades clanged together. Their knives clashed as they fought against each other.

The two of them had grown up together and had spent countless hours learning how to fight. They knew what each other was thinking in battle. Any time Anna would lunge forward, Jonathan was prepared to block her attack. Every time that Jonathan would swing the stake, Anna dodged his aim for her chest.

"Anna, you know you have to die," Jonathan said.

He twisted his wrist as he tried to get the dagger out of her tight grip. Anna let out a cry as she swung her arm back down. Jonathan raised his blade and blocked her.

"I can't," Anna said. "I'll go to hell for eternity if I die."

"So you will spend eternity killing innocent people?" Jonathan said.

Jonathan pushed Anna and took a step back. His chest was heaving as he was panting for breath. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Anna, just make this easy," Jonathan said.

"Never," she said.

"Just as stubborn as always."

Jonathan lunged forward with the stake, and Anna side-stepped it. She brought her knee up and hit Jonathan in the stomach. Her knee connected with the hard material of his chest plate. She had worn similar armor when hunting with Jonathan in the past.

Jonathan grabbed her knee and shoulder and threw her down onto the ground. She swiftly got back onto her feet, but he pushed her back down. He kneeled on one knee over Anna.

She had her dagger still clutched in her hand. She swung her blade forward, but he grabbed her wrist. He twisted her wrist at an awkward angle. Anna shrieked as her bone snapped. The dagger fell out of her hand and onto the grass.

"It really hurts me to do this," Jonathan said.

"Go to hell," Anna said.

"That is exactly where you are going."

Jonathan raised his stake into the air. Anna's vision had gone blurry from the tears flooding her eyes. The sharp fiery pain had overtaken her wrist and was running down her arm. She cradled her arm to her chest. She strategically blocked her heart.

Anna rolled her head back to look up the hill. She could see Rhys rushing down the hill toward them. She knew that Jonathan would have her staked before he could reach them.

Jonathan placed his other knee on the other side of Anna. He reached down to move her throbbing wrist out of the way. Anna's teeth dug into her lip as she thought back to her grandmother's training.

Never get trapped under the enemy.

She thrust her hips forward, and it caught Jonathan off guard. She moved her hips one more time. It threw him forward. The stake fell out of his hand. His hands landed on the grass above her head. She took her good hand and pressed it against his stomach before holding her broken wrist to her chest.

Anna twisted her body to the side, and it caused a space to form between the two of them. She tucked her knees in toward her body before Jonathan threw himself back down onto Anna. She wrapped her legs around Jonathan's waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. She let out a cry as she used all of her weight to roll herself over with Jonathan. She screamed when Jonathan's back crushed her broken wrist. She sat up and kept Jonathan pinned underneath her with her knees on either side of them.

Anna's eyes had gone black. Her skin went even paler as the dark veins protruded against her skin. Her gums ached as her fangs extended. Jonathan's eyes went wide in terror as he could no longer recognize his little sister.

Anna stretched her hand out for her dagger, but it was out of reach. She could grab the stake, but it would be useless against Jonathan. His chest protection would keep him safe from her forcing it through his chest.

"Anna, don't do this," he said.

"You were just about to kill me!" she cried.

"I wouldn't want to kill you if you were still human," he said. "We are no longer family."

"You're right, we are no longer family. You killed one of the only people I have considered family lately."

Jonathan raised his brow in confusion. Anna let out a frustrated cry.

"Huxley!" she said. "You killed him and you don't even know his name."

"Anna, you have killed vampires before without knowing anything about them," he said. "What's different?"

"Because now I am a vampire, and I am not going to spend eternity on the run."

Anna reached for the straps on the back of Jonathan's neck guard with her uninjured hand. He grabbed her arm, but her fingers ripped the guard off. Jonathan grabbed Anna's ponytail and pulled her head back. Anna hissed out in pain. She balled up her fist and aimed for the crook of Jonathan's arm. He loosened his grip and she pulled herself free.

Anna dipped her head and bit into his neck. Jonathan's cries became gargled as the blood rushed into his throat. His blood flooded her mouth and coated her tongue. Jonathan tried to push her off of him, but her fangs were latched deeply into his neck. She continued to drink from him even after he stopped thrashing under her hold.

A hand touched Anna's shoulder and she lifted her head. She expected to see Rhys, but instead Drew was crouched in front of her. Blood was splattered across his face. His eyes were not black, but his fangs were out. Anna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked down at her brother's lifeless body and gasped.

"Anna, are you okay?" Drew asked.

"My wrist," she said. She had her hand on her chest, and it was twisted at an ungodly angle. "I think it's broken."

"It definitely is," Drew said. "Let's go get it fixed."

Anna looked around the field. Bodies of dead hunters and vampires were lying across the grass. The dozens of Nightingales were dead. Only a handful of vampires were left. The deafening sound of screams was gone and now there was an eerie silence that had fallen over the field.

Drew wrapped his arm around Anna's waist and helped her up onto her feet. She held her broken hand as he curled her into his body. He walked them away from the hill.

"What happened?"

Anna looked behind her to see Rhys. He had the empty bow strapped to his back. Anna wondered how many people he took down to protect her while she was fighting with Jonathan. Rhys's jaw dropped when he saw Anna's hand.

"What did he do to you?" Rhys asked.

"Her wrist is broken," Drew answered for Anna. "I'm taking her to see Nelly."

"I'll take her."

"Not happening."

"Guys," Anna said. "I'm severely injured. Can you not fight for once?"

Rhys scowled as Drew turned their bodies and walked away.