Blood Throne

chapter six

Melanie

"Wake up." I shoot up in my bed—or Soren's bed—with a start and glare against the light that is now on and blinding. "Ash got caught up with some other demons and needs my help. You're coming with me."

I pause to mull over his words, but once they hit me, I'm up in an instant and pulling on a pair of jeans from my drawer. I throw my hair up into a bun and follow Soren out the door as I'm stumbling into my boots. He tosses me a jacket that's twice my size, but I slip it on without protest.

If I need any more proof of these supernatural claims, this is my chance.

"Hold onto me," He says. I do as he says and wrap an arm around him with my cheeks heating, but he pulls me closer, his biceps securing me to his chest. "Close your eyes." I close them and in a split second the smell of the city invades my nostrils. I open my eyes and look around frantically to see we are now on a dimly lit street with not a soul in sight. It's still dark, but the street lamps offer a soft glow to our surroundings. My breath clouds the air in front of me and the cold bites at my cheeks—it has to be the early morning I realize, maybe around 3am or so. He lets me go and grabs my shoulders, forcing me to face him. "You stay here."

"What?" I look around the desolate street. In most cases, it doesn't matter the time of day, you can still hear the city roaring with life but there is none, surprisingly. I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse.

"You. Stay. Here." He grabs my chin in his hand and looks me square in the face, "Got it? Don't try and run, I'll find you before you even make it down the block."

Without much of a choice, I nod. He lets me go and stalks off down the alley, his tall silhouette disappearing into the darkness. I wring my hands with nerves in front of me, my head on a swivel as my eyes dart around the street.

A woman, alone, in this city is bad news. I lean on the brick wall and continue scanning my surroundings, making sure no one is coming near me. Why did he bring me in the first place if all I'm going to be doing is standing out here, alone and defenseless?

A good ten minute pass and I'm beginning to feel restless, my thoughts becoming my own worst enemy. I could just leave, I think to myself. I stare down the street and see that there's a train station just down the way. I have no doubts that he will most definitely find me before I even make it far, and what punishment comes after that is probably far worse than what I've been given, so I decide to stay rooted in my spot. Maybe he has a cellar he'll throw me into, taking away any sort of false freedom I've been granted.

Ditching the idea, I begin tapping my foot anxiously, willing for this to be over. Suddenly, my greatest womanly fear comes true when I hear male voices just down the street. My nerves are sent to overdrive as my head snaps in the direction of voices and I see two men walking down the sidewalk, laughing and stumbling into each other.

Oh, no.

I stand tall and alert, making myself seem bigger. I pull the hood of Soren's massive jacket over my head and tuck my hair inside. I zip the jacket up to my neck and pull the hood closer around my neck, trying to hide my feminine figure beneath.

Some may think I'm being paranoid, but I've had my fair share of run ins with creeps in this city, especially drunken ones.

And being alone on a street, no one here to defend me, I'm basically a roasted pig on a platter with an apple in my mouth, waiting to be served.

I hear their voices near me and they laugh drunkenly, stumbling into each other. I casually force myself back against the wall, not wanting to seem to cautious but also not wanting to be any closer to them than I need to.