Blood and Butterflies

"Get your hands off her!" Kole yelled and was going to charge toward them when he was suddenly subdued by another vampire, this time a woman. He fought against her slender arms that were wrapped around him, but he was too weak.

"Morticia," Presley greeted. "I was wondering where you went." He took another whiff of Celeste's neck before licking his lips. "She smells so damn good." His red eyes burning with hunger focused on the pulsating vein in Celeste's neck as he asked, "You don't think the boss would mind if I take a taste right?"

Celeste's heart hammered faster in her chest at the vampire's words, but she was more fearful for Kole. The last thing she wanted was for anything to happen to him at her expense. He and his family have already done so much for her; they didn't deserve any of this.

'I must take responsibility,' Celeste thought as she did her best to drown her overbearing fear with bravery and newfound determination.

After a deep breath to calm her nerves and steel her resolve, Celeste took flight, her white wings appearing behind her. Morticia and Presley looked up at her in awe, not at all threatened by her mobility or the possibility that she could escape.

Celeste intended to fly as fast and far as she could to lead the monsters off the island, but she froze when she saw the horrible condition of the village from where she floated in the sky.

The village was engulfed in flames and crowded by winged devils.

Celeste was too stunned to move or speak and notice the pale-skinned man jumping toward her from a tree with a wild look in his red eyes, his green hair a mess on his head, his orange beach shorts and white, blood-stained shirt blowing in the wind and the small chainsaw in his hand.

"Celeste!" Kole shouted, panic and horror clear in his voice, but it was already too late.

The vampire moved extremely fast, but it all seemed to have happened in slow motion. He came from nowhere in a nearby mango tree, jumping toward Celeste with a bloody chainsaw in hand.

With great precision he cut one of her wings from her back, slicing through it easily with the sharp, daggered vibrating object. Blood splattered through the air, white feathers with blotches of red scattering and landing on the surface of the water.

Celeste's pained scream shook the earth and the hearts of those who heard it. Her sole wing flapped once before disappearing as she fell. The pain was unimaginable and unbearable; she passed out before she could hit the water's surface.

Celeste was laying face down in the shallow water near the shore. Her dress was stained red by her blood and there was an ugly gaping wound on her back.

"What the hell, Thomas?" Presly questioned with wide eyes. "We were giving strict orders not to hurt her."

The green-haired vampire dropped the chainsaw by the shore before gripping Celeste by her dark brown hair, taking her from the water. The angel's face was sickly pale and she was still unconscious.

"She's fine," Thomas responded. He shook her back and forth, "It's just a wing." He rolled his eyes, believing that his partners were overreacting. "It's not like I took off her leg or her arm."

A rumble echoed in the night sky, pulling the attention of the vampires to the rapidly forming grey clouds blocking the stars. Flashes of blue light passed through the clouds, a low rumble following each time.

The boat swayed back and forth on uneasy waters; the calm ocean roared to life, thrashing violently against the shore with each push. The wind howled with anger, forcing the trees to do a mad dance as they stripped their leaves.

A bolt of lightning came from the clouds, striking a coconut tree. The flames on the top of the tree blazed brightly, moving frantically with the wind.

Morticia looked around with wide eyes that sunk into her bony face as she exclaimed, "I think you angered the gods!"

Presley and Morticia were genuinely afraid, but their green-haired partner wasn't the least bit threatened. "What gods, you idiots?" he spat. "Do you hear yourselves?"

"He didn't anger the gods," Kole started with a dark glint in his raging blue eyes.

"Hmm?" Thomas hummed as his eyes fell on the merman held at the mercy of Morticia.

"He angered me," Kole finished. A violent wind swept the island, becoming more and more violent as droplets rained from the angry clouds. The merfolk were angry and were combining their powers to create a massive hurricane.

A huge wave smashed the shores, infiltrating the island, taking with it the anger of the merpeople. Trees not strong enough to handle the pressure of the wind and the force of water, broke and fell, landing in the water that flooded the island with a huge splash.

Morticia couldn't hold Kole back anymore. The water quickly reached waist level as it rained even harder; Kole was finally in his natural element. Another wave smashed the shores, sweeping the vampires off their feet, and separating them.

Kole's fishtail pushed against the water as he swam at an incredible speed. His blue eyes darted about underwater in search of Celeste. Finally, he saw her, moving with the tide further into the ocean.

"Shit," he cursed, before quickly swimming toward her. He took her unconscious body in his arms. Her skin was pale and shriveled from her being in the water for too long, but what was worse was that she wasn't breathing.

"She ingested too much water," Kole muttered before placing his palm on her chest. Celeste's pale, pink lips parted as steam came from her mouth and nose. Eventually, she started coughing, her eyes shooting open as she gasped for air.