The Sunwalker- Heirs of the Night

8

"Vampiri, vampiri!"

Nadja heard shouting behind her and ran even faster. The unknown vampire was fast and her head start proved too great. Nadja stopped and tried to listen. The air was full of screaming and panic, people shouting about vampires. Finally, she heard Alisa and the boy talking quietly. They too had run. Nadja kept running, though the other way now, until she saw them ahead of her. They were trying to run from some people in uniform who chased after them. Nadja followed too, but more stealthily, keeping to the shadows. The humans cornered Alisa and her friend and apprehended them. Nadja had to fight the instinct to save them. There were too many humans, both police and civilians. Thus, she only watched from afar as Alisa was taken away, though she crept along the rooftops after them.

Nadja waited until the humans had all gone inside, before she jumped down from the roof of the prison. Creeping along the ground, she was searching and hoping to see Alisa behind one of the windows. There! Nadja was about to call out to her, when a voice broke the silence. She jumped and turned around, but the voice had come from inside, Nadja was still alone out there.

"Who was that woman? The one that stole your book? Who was she?"

It seemed Alisa and the human had been placed in the same cell.

"I don't know. Just a thief."

The two prisoners began arguing about who had it worse. Honestly, at a time like this? Nadja crept forwards and looked into the cell.

"Could be worse." Alisa said as she got to her feet.

"Yeah. Could be in different cells."

"Or a cell without a window.."

Alisa had seen her. Nadja put a finger to her temple and called out to Alisa. It was difficult to connect to her, much more so than it had been with Lars.

"Keep him distracted- and away from the window. I'll try to help you out this way."

Alisa nodded and went back to the human.

"How's the door?"

"You really want to break out?"

"You really want to be grounded for the rest of your life?"

"Fair point."

The boy bent down by the door and did.. something. Maybe he tried to pick the lock or something? Nadja didn't waste any more time dwelling on that. She took hold of the bars and- the sound of someone running echoed through the silence. Nadja could hear a man's voice, but didn't understand what he was saying.

"They found something on the waitress from the restaurant." Alisa whispered.

"Vampiri!" The man shouted.

The human boy exclaimed in exasperation, but Alisa shut him up and kept translating.

"Our waitress has been bitten, she was stripped of her clothes."

The man's voice was joined by another, and they sounded angry.

"Redmasks. The chief is not a fan of the Redmasks, they seem to follow their own rules. He wants them arrested and brought here."

Oh no, Nadja would have to hurry and get Alisa with her out of there. She was not alone with that thought, for both Alisa and the boy shouted out in unison.

"We have to get out of here. Now!"

The boy kept working with the door and Alisa stood between him and the window. Nadja took hold of the bars again and pulled with all her might. Her vampire self burst forth as the bars were ripped out. She threw them aside.

"Alisa, this way!"

The human and Alisa came over to the window.

"Nicu, help me up."

Alisa climbed up on the boy's shoulders and Nadja took her hand dragged her out. Nadja took great care not to open her mouth or look the boy directly in the eyes, for her vampire self was still at the ready. She usually had her fangs out, and was therefor not very adept at hiding them. The two girls lent the boy one hand each, pretending to need the other's help, and dragged him up and out too. The group got to their feet and began running.

"Who are you?" The human asked.

Nadja glanced at him and Alisa luckily answered for her, presumably because she had noticed the state Nadja was in.

"She's a friend from school."

Nadja picked up the pace and the group ran on through alleyways and past confused citizens. They had just rounded a corner and stopped abruptly. What they saw made them pull back around the corner, though they watched the scene unfold. Redmasks were being arrested. Nadja heard Alisa and the boy, Nicu, talking behind her, but she did not pay attention to them. She was more focused on the man that had just whispered to one of the Redmasks that he would get her free. Furthermore, the woman he had spoken to, he had called her Calvina. Nadja took note of her appearance, for she recognised the name Calvina. The leader of the Redmasks carried that name, said also to be one of the most dangerous vampire hunters to ever live.

"..crying?"

Nadja's attention snapped back to Alisa as she heard Nicu say something about crying. After taking a step closer, she could see Alisa wiping a tear off of her face. How could this be? She remembered what she had heard in her mind a couple nights ago. It had been something to do with crying, but she hadn't been able to make any sense of it. Now however... could Alisa cry? How could a vampire possibly cry? Wait, would that mean she had heard something to do with Alisa? Had it been Alisa's thoughts? She doubted that, as Lars had not taught her how to read minds yet. Had Alisa spoken telepathically to her? No, she couldn't possibly have. Nor had it happened the other way round, for Nadja knew she hadn't done anything. Furthermore, it hadn't sounded like any other conversation Nadja had ever had, telepathic or not. It was almost like.. like she had overheard a conversation, in her mind. Alisa started running, grabbed Nadja's hand and led her past the Redmasks and their captors. Once they had passed the police, Nadja slowed down.

"Go ahead, I'll watch out for anyone tailing us."

Alisa nodded and went ahead, while Nadja began searching for a way to get as high up as possible without being seen.