Burning

Chapter 18

Adam had a bad feeling nagging at the back of his mind and it wasn't nerves about going to challenge a demon. He had his weapons ready, Vetis' training still fresh in his mind from earlier that day, and was about to go down to the portal to kill Valac when he paused. Valdis was back, if he went against Vetis' rules of seeing her he could learn some of Valac's weak points perhaps, after all, he didn't trust Vetis completely and just blindly going into a fight could be exactly what the half-ling wanted. So, he made a side trip to the apartment building where Valdis and now Vetis stayed in. He walked out of the silver moonlit snow and into the dark interior of the apartment building, what he saw next made his blood boil.

            A low growl rose from the center of the room and dull red eyes blinked open. "You shouldn't have come."

            "Valdis..." Adam got close enough to see the chains that she was in along with fresh wounds. "What did he do to you?"

            She ignored the question and continued to dart her eyes around in fear. "Leave... now!"

            He glanced around as well but saw nothing and started to break the chains. "Vetis will pay for this."

            Valdis nearly collapsed until Adam supported part of her weight and felt her trembling without enough strength to stand. "A-Adam... just go... they'll kill you... f-for good."

            "Who?" He couldn't help but tense up as he realized this was the trap. "Valdis, talk to me... who?"

            A loud shattering sound as glass broke made him look up at the first floor and he felt Valdis shift her weight to turn as well before whispering. "They're here..."

            Adam didn't have to ask who 'they' were because a few seconds later Brutus and Cassius made their way half way down the stairs before shifting into what he could make as two werewolves. They snarled at him with their murderous eyes, still upset about him coming back to life after they killed him. Valdis growled back in response despite not being able to even defend herself, let alone Adam and he backed away slightly until they were in a corner where they couldn't sneak up on him.

            "Stay here. I can handle them." He spoke to Valdis but continued to look at the two werewolves as he took out his chakram.

            The two didn't look very threatened when Adam turned back to face them and continued to stalk forward on their hind legs while their front arms dangled, nearly touching the ground in their hunched over type of walk. As the smoke colored one that Brutus had turned into came into range Adam swiped the chakram forward and gave the werewolf a large cut across the face. Brutus snarled in pain and backed off a few steps after the silver touched his fur but quickly recovered and leapt at him, dragging Adam to the ground where Cassius joined him in ripping the weapons out of his hands. He kicked Cassius back and was about to continue the attack when he felt dagger like claws tear deeply into his back.

            "Not yet!" Cassius growled in a barely human voice. "Wait until we pass through!"

            Brutus nodded but still wrapped his clawed hands around his ribs until three snaps rung out and Adam gasped in pain before clenching his teeth. Brutus gave a rumbling, snarl like chuckle. "I know."

            They grabbed him in their powerful grips and started dragging him away when Valdis limped into view and blocked their exit. "Drop him."

            "Vampire!" Brutus' eyes lit up like a puppy when it gets fed.

            Cassius almost looked the same way but shook his head with a snarl. "No! She isn't who we want."