Obscure

fifty four

SOPHIE TURNED.

Four silhouettes lined the wall in front of them, blocking the doorway. The lights switched on, bathing the room in a warm yellowed glow. The centermost figure stood ramrod straight, his hands clasped atop a thin cane. His expression remained stoic, but a storm brewed within his eyes.

Her skin prickled. Adrenaline pumped through Sophie's veins, replacing the stolen blood. A small inhale brought forth the sharp scent of steel, hidden within the wooden cane in his hands. It concealed a weapon, a thin blade of some sort. Her gaze zeroed in on the slightly crouched figures surrounding him. All three seemed prepared for a fight.

"And what is this place, exactly?" she asked. Her gaze flickered back to the centermost figure and narrowed.

Headmaster didn't answer. Instead, he skewered her with a powerful look. His fingers twitched atop the golden mound that topped his cane. One of the other figures stepped forward, his beady eyes blazing with anger. It took Sophie a moment to recognize him. The scars that covered his skin were hidden within the dim lighting. "This area is off-limits for students," he snapped. "You both shouldn't be here."

Sophie held her ground. The more she took in the other figures, the more she recognized them as her teachers, from both the Night and Day class. "That doesn't answer my question," she responded, sounding much calmer than she felt. "What is this place?"

Her gym instructor opened his mouth to respond again. Headmaster clicked his tongue, silencing the teacher. "You ask too many questions, dear," the older vampire stated. He took a step closer, his gaze flickering toward the torture chamber behind her. Then he added under his breath, "Just like your mother."

"You said I had full access of the castle," Sophie snapped, not registering the last comment.

His gaze hardened. "You did. Until you shattered my trust, and rummaged through my personal items."

Sophie's lips pressed together into a hard line. "That doesn't matter! You've been tormenting people!" She barred her teeth and crouched forward, demanding, "Why are you doing this?"

He remained silent for a moment. Then he answered, his expression stone cold. "For every war, there must be soldiers to fight."

Aubrey stepped forward, her expression ragged. Her hand swept back, gesturing toward the chamber behind her. Her voice was quiet, hardly even a whisper. "He's in there, isn't he?"

Headmaster's jaw clenched. His head ducked slightly and his gaze darkened. A professor stepped forward, a sour expression on her face. "That's none of your business, young lady!"

An outraged snarl ripped through the air, just beside Sophie, startling her. "You're a monster!" Aubrey screeched, jabbing a finger at the Headmaster. "Monster! A demon!"

The Headmaster moved at a speed Sophie couldn't comprehend. He suddenly stood beside her, his hand drawn back. It moved in a blur. A sharp slap echoed throughout the room. Aubrey recoiled, her cheek painted red. A streak of blood traced along her cheekbone.

"I gave you everything, girl," he growled.

Aubrey lifted her head. Her gaze was clouded and shimmering with tears. A pearl of blood trickled down from the scratch on her cheek, trailing toward her chin. She swallowed. He glowered down at her, his expression twisted with malice.

Sophie couldn't mask her shock. Neither could the three professors.

Then Aubrey exploded.

A strangled cry tore through the room. It sounded more animal than human. Her hand darted forward, razor sharp claws raking across his chest. The Headmaster staggered back, his grip tight on his cane. His dark suit shredded. Tatters of dark and white cloth streaked across his chest, mixed with a small hint of blood. Aubrey moved fast. Her foot shot out. His hand lifted and her foot cracked against the Headmaster's hand. Within seconds, his sword was unsheathed and arched in a sharp swing aimed at her throat.

Sophie recovered. The professors recovered.

The gym instructor darted forward toward Aubrey, his eyes blazing. Aubrey remained focused on the Headmaster, blocking every strike he moved against her. Sophie's eyes narrowed. Grabbing the discarded cane-sheath, Sophie jumped in between the professor and Aubrey. The sheath cracked against the professor's chest. He flew backward, and the other professor's pressed forward.

The world around Sophie seemed to slow. Blood rushed behind her ears, flooded her thoughts. She moved automatically, using the now broken sheath as her weapon. The professors couldn't keep up.

A blade swished by her ears, shattering the blood-rush. Sophie swirled around, lifting the sheath. It met the sword mid-arch. The sheath shattered beneath the weight of the blade. Time stopped again, and Sophie looked up.

The Headmaster's eyes blazed down at her, gleaming with a mixture of pride and hatred. His lips were curled back over sharpened fangs. "The blood is strong in you," he hissed.

Sophie didn't bother to ask what he meant.

She raked a clawed hand across his face. Headmaster staggered back, an outraged cry tearing past his lips. She moved forward like a bolt of lightning, grabbing Aubrey's arm and wrenching her from the room. The stone hallways blurred around them as both ran. Crashes sounded behind them, and Sophie's senses expanded as she desperately searched for an escape.

The sound of rushing water met Sophie's ears. She immediately turned toward it. It didn't take long to find the right stones. As soon as the stones moved, and the doorway formed, Sophie slipped through. Aubrey followed behind, her cheeks streaked with tears. Several strides later and they splashed across the gushing stream of water. The night sky stretched out in front of them, the backdrop to a forest of massive trees. At the far edge of the sky, light started to brim.

"We can't be out for long," Aubrey whispered. Sophie hardly heard her. "The sun..."

"Keep going!" Sophie snapped. She tried to make the words come out as quiet as possible. Trees raced past them, mere blurs of dark greens and browns.

Aubrey started to cry harder. "Wolfe...Sophie, Wolfe was in there. We were so close."

Sophie tried not to think. She focused on her hearing, pushing past the closer sounds –the excited squeaks of startled animals, the rustles of leaves and fawns around them. She listened for footsteps, for blood rushing through super-human veins. She listened for any sign of pursuit.

Dawn broke across the sky, illuminating the dark edges with bright pinks and oranges. Sophie and Aubrey weaved through the forest until their limbs became heavy with exhaustion. Thirsty, Sophie slowed to a stop and crawled toward a tree. Aubrey climbed toward the middle layer of branches, where the leaves gathered heavily. Sophie followed, finding her own branch to rest against. Her heart pounded. Her adrenaline rush started to ebb away, and was replaced with frustrated tears.

Aubrey rubbed at her eyes. "What are we going to do, Sophie? He has Wolfe. He has the whole school at his fingertips. We have to stop him."

Sophie shuddered and closed her eyes, as her exhaustion won.