14 Chapter Fourteen

Blood.

Blood was all Cheryl could focus on.

Blood everywhere.

Blood on her shirt. Blood on her face. Blood under her nails. There was so much blood the albino thought she was going to be sick at the overwhelming odor of it filling her nostrils, so overwhelming that it made her blink away tears that had formed at the foul stench. She sighed in relieve when she reached her desired destination, and she banged on the wooden door.

The two vampires, who had obviously awaited for someone's arrival due to the strong odor, opened the door immideteally, ready to bear their fangs to intimidate what they had assumed had been a young vampire who got into a fight with another vampire, resulting in injuries. They had not been prepared for the hybrid's wide purple eyes, looking as though she would be sick. And soon enough she was limb in James arms, who managed to catch her.

Shock and confusion where the dominant emotions lingering in the air right outside of the young girls room as three of the four vampires silently waited for the Healer and Oliver , who out of the four had the most medical knowledge since when he was a young vampite he had his sights set on becoming a Healer, not really aware of the fact that the future would bring lots of surprises. Not all of them pleasant.

Finally, Oliver peaked out of the door and told them to come in. The three entered wordlessly, with Mason's eyes lingering on Oliver's face, yet he was ignored. After that almost kiss at the library Oliver actively avoided the brunnete, and wasn't even trying to hide it and act innocent and unaware. This coldness made Mason feel guilty and he wondered if that was his goal when he decided to give him the cold shoulder like that, the thought giving way to some anger. He had to wrap his hand around his skirt to get a hold of himself and shallow the sudden bouts of anger directed, suprisingly, not at the blonde but mostly himself for getting too touchy back in the library. What in his right mind had compelled him to act upon this, this feeling. And how could he even begin to think that his advances would have been welcome by the blonde?

"Thankfully, none of the blood was her own" The Healer's words got Mason's attention

"Then whose is it?" he asked, looking at the child laying unconcious in the bed with a puzzled expression wondering what the hell she had done this time.

"Can not say" the female Healer said staring blankly. Who knows how many time she had heard this kind of stupid questions in her career, she had propably hoped that after becoming a vampire she would be able to escape them. Then Mason came along and destroyed the last bit of hope she had left.

After giving them some pointers on the girls condition Oliver was the one to see the Healer out of the room and then it was just silence. Mason, Elijah and Oliver were trying to understand the situation at hand while also preparing for the tantrum James was going to throw. But it never came, instead the man got up without uttering a word and walked outside of the room, purpose and determination on his steps. He was on full Guard mode now and he was done with games and acting like a human.

Ignoring Mason hot in his trail he followed the smell of blood in search for the hallway that all this happened in since the girl had fainted the second she found them James didn't have time to ask her about what happened or the where. He didn't need to know, he was trained and experienced.

The moment James and Mason were out of the room Cheryl jumped up scaring the shit out of Elijah and Oliver, the latter of which jumped in the formers arms with a shriek. Elijah narrowed his eyes at him "You just wanted to be dramatic"

Oliver narrowed his eyes back at him "No, I just wanted a hug. I really need it right now"

Cheryl furrowed his eyebrows, running a hand through her long hair in order to tame it a bit and at least look a bit presentable hoping that it would take the attention away from her deathly pale skin and her tired eyes "Did something happen with Mason?"

At the sound of his name Oliver bowed his head trying to hide the blush dusting his cheeks. The blush became worse, covering his whole face when Cheryl asked if they had kissed and he choked out a strangled "No" before he started getting off of Elijah, who instead held him even tighter. Their hold turned into a hug, that was much needed for the blonde. The albino movied closer, and standing on her tip toes she patted Oliver in the head, comforting him.

"Wait." Realization downed on Elijah snapping Oliver out of his sad phase as he pointed a finger at the girl who looked like an antelope in head lights. "You, explain"

"A vampire tried to attack me." she shrugged uncaringly, taking a seat at the foot of her bed, putting one leg under her and supporting all of her weight there. Oliver blinked a couple of times as he processed her nonchalance.

Elijah opened his mouth to scold her but shut his mouth when Oliver extended a hand to stop him wordlessly pointing at himself, telling him he would handle this himself. The blonde walked to kneel in front of Cheryl who had been avoiding eye contact and continiued to do so even with Oliver's face in front of her. She obviously didn't want to talk about it and if need be she would throw a tantrum but she appreciated that at least he was respecting her personal space and he remaned at a respectful distance without trying to suffocate her.

"I know that you are a kid. " It wasn't the start of some lengthy speech, it was that. Just that. And yet, with just that Cheryl looked at him through the tears that had started to build at the corners of her eyes. She told him everything, how she was standing in the dark hallway and when she turned around there was this male vampire behind her, the one with the scar, she clarified having met him already. She explained how she managed to grab something and stab him and then he was gone.

All the while Oliver nodded undestandingly at her every word, giving her space and never interrupting her. Once she was over she asked if she could stay alone, Oliver nodded without looking at Elijah, if he had Elijah would have forbade leaving her on her own. But he would have been ignored anyway.

Then they were out, leaving Cheryl alone to just stand there, emotionlessly staring in front of her, licking her fangs she tasted the blood.