Predestined (18+)

Appointed

As I ascended the stairs, Rebecca followed. The new development in our relationship had turned the tables. She stayed silent while we made our way to the others. The vampires I could now feel the presence of. The aid of another no longer needed.

To think I'd originally come to them all by following a dream. A slew of dreams, leading me to a world I never believed truly existed. Yet, here I had been proven wrong in my beliefs. Here in a town so quiet and small. A place I'd only manage to reside in a few months before the world surrounding me spiraled out of control. Now, a dream wouldn't be needed to find them. I had grown beyond dreams. Each time my heart came to halt, something new in my brain unlocked. New senses perhaps. Either way, I'd become more myself than I'd like to admit....as a human, I suppose it's the only description I can present you with.

What would you do? If you had been dealt my hand, would you run? Would you walk the progression into darkness? Am I the only creature to struggle? No, I think not.

I exited the stairwell once we'd reached the sixth floor and came to a stop as smelled a familiar scent in the air. Rebecca must have noticed as well. She nodded in my direction before her eyes went black. Then, she swarmed the floor. At least twenty vampires laid dismembered throughout the apartments I passed as I walked to the other end of the hall. She rushed to each one, gathering knowledge as she fed with haste. A leg here. An arm there. A few heads rolled through the hall as she rushed passed me. Never flinching I continued to make my way. I hardly noticed the wind of her motions moving my dark hair as I strode to the open door.

Once in the doorway I saw the other three. Nathaniel on his cell pacing the creaking hardwood floors, as Nicole and Xander held down a hissing male. Perhaps in his early twenties, he'd had to have been easily lured to Stacy. Her ways. Her work. The vampire attempted to hurl his fully exposed body in my direction when I stepped closer, but Xander pulled his feet out from under him before he could reach me. The sound of his chin smashing against the wood vibrated through the air. I felt no fear. Only shame. What a waste of human life. A young man. Nearly a boy when his true life ended.

"He belongs to her?" I asked, already sure of the answer.

"We think so, but he's not exactly talking." Nicole replied, wrapping her arm over his neck and dragging him to lay subdued on a random blood soaked mattress in the room. "I'm doing my best not to kill him until Rebecca gets here. She can feed and read his mind right?"

"She can." I nodded.

Shaking her head and raising her shoulders she continued. "Ok, so tell her to get in here. He's the last one. No one else is alive."

"How many were there in total?" Her shocked expression turned toward Xander. I didn't need anything more than my own questions answered.

"One hundred-thirty...or so." Xander replied.

"Or so?" He could do better. My dissatisfaction resignated in my tone.

"Yeah, or so," he repeated with a snarl, as he snapped the neck of the unknown vampire fighting for freedom beside him. An easy way to silence a monster, but not at all a way to rid yourself of them for good, "you want a more accurate number, go count them yourself."

"One-forty-three." Rebecca corrected as she came to join us. I turned to see her immersed in blood. Her chin swallowed in crimson. The river of red ran down her neck, her chest, and stained her golden hair turning it to an orange hue.

"And?" I asked stepping to my left so she could stand at my side.

"And they know nothing." She shook her head. "Not a blooding thing. Fools. Everyone of them." She added rolling her eyes as she spoke.

"How? Not one of them has information on their sire's where abouts?" Nicole screamed. Her displeasure understandable, yet highly unnecessary.

"Calm down." I stated sharply. "They most likely haven't been told anything more than when to kill or not kill. Rebecca, do we know who they have attacked at least?"

"No one of importance. Aside from the one who prompted you to threaten my brother and summon me." She smiled.

It may have been a joke to her, but such matters would have to change.

"He was my boss and a good man Beccs. You should show respect for good men. Vampire or not." Her smile faded as I spoke. I'm not sure how much my words resonated with her at the time, but I've never let go of the notion I suggested that day.

"Well, we have no further use for all of this." Nate interrupted as he shoved his phone in his jeans pocket, his eyes wide with concern. Rebecca and I both nodded in agreement.

"Get rid of the last one. Its time to go loves." Rebecca instructed as she took Nathaniel's arm and they began to stroll out of the apartment and down the hall, easily avoiding each corpse as they went.

"Xander." I smiled. "Why don't you have a little fun with the last one? If he tells us anything new, good....if not, even better."

For the first time I earned a grin from the beast I once called a friend. Family. He'd been my brother. But, no more. Still, a smile was a small step, and I held out my hand for Nicole to take it as we left him to his favorite work.

I could hear the screams as Nicole helped guide me down the stairwell. No one spoke. Nathaniel's free hand glided along the railing in front of us. His partner matched his steps. They both seemed to float as they descended. I looked to my left and found Nicole staring off in the distance. She wasn't watching the pair in front of her. Her mind had wondered off to larger visions than the one before us.

"Are you alright Nic?" I asked barely above a whisper. She only blinked in response. I'd managed to bring her out of her daze, but she wasn't ready to declare her thoughts just yet.

Her hand remained steady in mine until we reached the bottom of the stairs. Then, she released me. In a flash she disappeared beyond the ones we had followed. They never paused however, and I continued on my own.

When we finally made our way out of the building, darkness consumed us. The day had gone and night taken over. No lights illuminated the nearly vacant lot before us. The flicker of new flames were the only thing I had to guide me toward the others.

Damion had already broken through a window and threw in a match. I then understood Nicole's hurry to leave. She must have smelled the gasoline he'd poured in as soon as we hit the ground floor.

Perhaps we should have informed her of the plan, but she just stood watching in silence as Damion continued to repeat his efforts again and again. Soon, the flames had engulfed the first and second floor. The heat seemed to bake my skin even from several feet away. I could hear glass shattering and the roar of the fire growing. Growling. Hissing its way through its prey.

Before I knew what had happened, an arm pulled me further away from the bright light flooding my eyes. I winced and tried to cover my ears as things began to explode within the apartments. Any remaining glass blew out as a hard body rushed to shelter me from the blaze. The flames licked at the night air for a second, then drew back in to finish taking down the cement victim they now possessed.

As I uncovered my ears, they rang in response to the air. Behind me stood Damion, his hand extended to help me to my feet. His words were muffled, but I nodded assuming his instinct would be to ask me if I was alright.

I looked at the building again. With only ringing still available to my ears, I didn't hear him shatter the glass to leave. It would be one of the few moments to still startle me. In seconds Xander had landed, crouched on his feet before us. As he rose he shook his head and I understood. No more answers had been given, but the smile remained on his face. And I welcomed it by returning in kind.