Enlightenment

Part 46

              Without allowing myself to hesitate I suddenly launched myself into the air, flying over our table into the center of the room. Cries of alarm told me I had already been spotted so I kept moving. I was less than two meters from the relative safety of her shelter when something hit me in the shoulder sending white hot pain shooting through my left arm. I didn’t falter quickly throwing myself to the ground behind the wood, only then allowing myself the luxury of a small groan.

              Melissa let out a terrified shriek at my sudden appearance and backed away, foolishly almost getting in range of their shots which I could hear echoing across the room accompanied by the snarls of vampires. It seemed the fight had started. Hastily I grabbed her and yanked her back to safety, swearing as the movement pulled at my injury. She stared at me with wide eyes as I grasped the shaft of wood that stuck out of my shoulder with my good arm and pulled. It didn’t make a pleasant sound as it came free. Risking looking over the wood for a second I spotted the nearest human edging in our direction and hurled the bolt with all of my force, impaling him through the stomach. I felt my bloodlust rise as the warm liquid spread across the fabric of his shirt.

              Slumping back down to the ground I gasped as the movement pulled at the flesh that was trying to knit itself back together. Ignoring the pain I looked at Melissa; her heavy eye makeup now ran down her cheeks in big black tear tracks, her clothes were even more ripped and torn than they were supposed to be and a bruise was slowly coming out on arm.

“Are you injured?” she mutely shook her head, seeming too frightened to speak. “Good.”

She took a deep breath, “Wha- what is happening?”

“Drawback of being a vampire, people are always bloody trying to kill you.”

              She looked taken aback at my matter of fact tone; I spoke as if this sort of thing was almost a daily occurrence… which thinking about it, it practically was.

              A quick glace told me that most of the hunters were now preoccupied with fighting so I decided it was time to risk it. If I could move her somewhere safer then I would be free to fight. Gritting my teeth I moved into a crouch, “we need to move.”

“What!”

“It’s not safe here.” She was shaking her head but I ignored her. “Come on, I’m going to carry you.”

Her mouth hung open, “You’re going to what?”

“Carry you. You can’t move fast enough.”

“But you’re injured and I’m almost as tall as you!”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m stronger than I look. Ready?”

“Wha-“

              Jumping to my feet I suddenly heaved the table into the air and threw it into the crowd, injuring several of the hunters. In the resulting chaos I grabbed Melissa, wincing as her weight rested on my injured shoulder and ran.

              I would have easily got to Jamie if a figure hadn’t suddenly freed herself from the crowd and threw herself bodily into my path. She cried in pain as I fell over her and hit the ground, dropping Melissa. Instantly I was attacked by a two others who swung their knives towards me, forcing me to simultaneously duck and twist out of the way. Unfortunately this then didn’t give me enough time to properly dodge the next attack, earning me a long thin cut across my upper arm. Infuriated I snarled at them viciously baring my fangs, causing the one nearest me to stumble back in horror. He was the youngest I realized, sandy hair flopping in his eyes. Taking advantage of his distraction I punched him hard, knocking him out but not killing him. From then on it only took me seconds to kill the other, efficiently snapping his neck before he could react in time.