Chapter 1
I set out that night with more purpose in my steps than usual. The cool night breeze blew across my heated face, and it felt good on my clammy skin. It was a late October night here in Philadelphia, and even though it was chilly outside, my skin felt hot and sweaty from fear and nerves. The breeze wasn't actually doing much to calm me, but I tried to enjoy it anyway. Though surprisingly enough, it eventually helped my frantic heartbeat slow to a somewhat normal level, allowing my panic attack to dissipate into the cool night air.
As I headed for the bus station, I knew keeping calm wasn't going to last long tonight. Every time my mind imagined what was in store for me, what I was about to do, anxiety would seize my chest and rob me of the breath in my lungs. Maybe this suffocating feeling would kill me long before the events of tonight ever would. But I'd never been that lucky.
Tonight? It was the night I was going to die. Well, die and then be reborn.
Now normally that thought might make someone feel happy and excited. I mean, some of us might be thrilled at the chance to be reborn, the chance to start life over. Hell, I would've been excited if the circumstances were different. But not now. No, in my eyes, there wasn't anything to be happy about. Terrified? Sure. That described how I felt perfectly. I wasn't going to be dead for long, so there shouldn't be any drastic change in that aspect. Well, as long as the venom didn't kill me. But when I did rise back into this world, I was going to be a monster. One that killed. I'd seen firsthand what vampires could do. I wasn't set on joining that club. Call it the humanity in me, but the thought of killing someone was more than I could bear. Maybe that was the reason I was so panicked about tonight.
The bus was pulling up just as I arrived, and I wasn't sure if I was happy about that or not. I paid for the ticket with the little bit of money I'd brought with me before heading to the bus itself. A part of me had hoped it would've left without me, but unfortunately it was still there when I'd turned from the ticket counter, my ticket clenched tightly in my hand.
I tried not to let the sight of it cause me to have another panic attack as I waited in line with the rest of the gathering crowd. Instead, I concentrated on standing off to the side, away from the door, to avoid getting smacked as it swung open. I was waiting for the line of people to clear a bit so I could make my way on as well.
Out of the blue, the sensation that I was being watched shot up my spine, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. It didn't feel like I was in danger, but my body tensed and I froze in place on instinct. I tried to look around inconspicuously, but when people started staring at my turtle-like actions, I knew I was being more than a little obvious. After a moment, I gave up trying to be sneaky about it and openly searched for whoever was watching me.
I finally found him at the edge of the gathering crowd. I watched as his shoulders tensed up and he turned away from me, like he knew I'd caught him. Though I couldn't see his face, I thought I glimpsed some dark hair escaping from the side of the hood that was covering most of his features. It was obvious he didn't want to be recognized, but his outfit made him easier for me to spot in the small crowd.
The sight of him was enough to send another tingling sensation across my skin, confirming my suspicions that he was the person who'd been watching me. He didn't feel dangerous, but then again, neither had my ex before he forced me into this situation. A group of people walked by, blocking my view of the figure, and when they passed away from my line of vision, the mysterious stalker was gone.
Normally, the whole situation would've made me skittish enough to go straight to the nearest police station. Especially after all I'd been through. But not tonight. I had other things lined up that were more terrifying. Worrying about a stalker was the least of my concerns. Besides, he wasn't the real predator tonight, and the police wouldn't be able to help me out of this mess anyways.
I climbed inside the bus, turning my attention back to the night ahead as I sat down. After everyone settled in their seats, we pulled away from the curb and into the night. The motion brought my nerves back to the forefront of my mind, and I blanched. Balling my fists, my nails digging into my palms, I tried to block out the thoughts of how tonight was going to go. Maybe if I had my sister here for this, I might've been calmer. I even tried to pretend she was here in the seat next to me, holding my hand in a calming gesture of love. Emma and I might've even laughed it up. Then she would've probably dragged me to Philly's lovely psych ward, Belmont Behavioral Health, since she hadn't even been aware that vampires existed until the final moments of her life. But as it was, my sister wasn't here, and being alone made the situation I was in that much more unbearable.
I stared out the window and let out a heavy breath before forcing myself to unclench my fists. I wasn't too familiar with this city since Emma and I hadn't grown up here. We moved here when we'd escaped from the foster care system we'd been stuck in. We'd come across this place six years ago, and decided to stay. Since we weren't social butterflies, we never did get a chance to explore the city before us. Riding past it all now, I kind of regretted not taking the time to explore it. We'd missed such beauty in our lives, and after tonight, who knew if I'd ever experience any of this beauty again.
The bus ran over a pothole, and the sudden jerk brought me back to the present, stopping my thoughts before they depressed me further. Instead, I concentrated on the bus's movements as it continued down the road. As we left the lights of the city behind, I could tell by the sudden darkness that I was getting close.
I was headed to the docks on the Delaware River that separated Philadelphia from New Jersey on the far bank. In the daytime, fishermen swamped those docks, fighting over the catch of the day in friendly banter. I used to go there when it was light out and watch them. It wasn't a normal place for people watching, per se, but I did it to try to make peace with what happened there two years ago. When I was introduced to the vampire clan.
Making peace obviously didn't work considering I was heading there now.
There was a building near the docks that used to be a fish cannery. The company ran strong in its ventures, canning tuna for people all over the East Coast. Now, it was a quiet, abandoned cannery that barely even saw the attention of drug dealers. I wasn't sure what happened to the company, but the result was a building that was slowly declining in stability. That was going to be where I lost my life tonight.
A chain link fence kept unwanted visitors out. Graffiti was sloppily plastered on the rusting walls by street kids who'd managed to make it past the fence and security. The brightly colored gang signs, random quotes, and warnings about the devil himself could be seen tagging every available inch of the place in the daylight. Though there wouldn't be anyone there now. People didn't go there at night. Not unless you wanted to die or get mugged. It made the isolated location perfect for vampire activity. So no one could hear any screams, I assumed.
Of course that'd be where I was headed.
A short honk brought me out of my head, and I looked up to see the bus driver glaring at me from his rear-view mirror. I gave him an apologetic smile when I realized we were at my stop, the final one by the looks of the deserted bus, and I scrambled to get off.
In my haste, I almost landed on my face when I all but ran down the short stairs, but I caught myself on the final step before I could face plant. Cheeks burning red, I refused to turn around to see if the driver noticed my lack of grace. Instead, I held my head high and waited for the sound of the bus to drive off before turning towards my destination.
Telling myself to put one foot in front of the other, I started heading toward the cannery. I noticed the grass was wet as I walked, and I was glad I wore my Converse sneakers and long pants to keep the damp grass from touching my skin.
I reached a hill that gave me the perfect view of my surroundings. From this point of view, I could observe anybody that might attempt to sneak up on me. I didn't think the stranger from the bus stop followed me out this far, but at least I had some kind of warning if he decided to run at me from the surrounding darkness. I never saw him get on the bus though, so I figured it was safe to say I'd lost him in the small crowd.
Even though I was antsy and nervous, I took a seat on the damp grass to wait. My line of sight was drawn to the left of me, where the abandoned fish cannery I was to die in stood, ominous in its own right. Though unfortunately, it wasn't totally abandoned now that it was the meeting place of the vampire clan. Soon to be my clan. I could catch the smell of the factory even from here. Even though it'd been a while since it was up and running, the awful smell of fish guts and the slightly salty smell of the water permeated the air. Even with my human senses, it was enough to make me gag. How the vampires could stand the smell with their heightened senses was beyond me.
At this time of night the building loomed above me like a castle. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see if any danger was lurking around the walls of the property. Even though it looked calm and peaceful from here, it was probably a dangerous idea to even go inside. Ok, I thought to myself, definitely dangerous. A place that housed a vampire clan definitely wasn't full of puppies and rainbows. I knew that first hand. Too bad I was doomed to set foot inside once more.
Hadn't I learned my lesson after last time? What would Emma say if she knew what I was about to do?
The last time I was here, things hadn't been so quiet and peaceful. Far from it in fact. My ex-boyfriend had been introducing me to his "family," as requested by his clan leader. Though it was more of a demand on the clan leader's part than an actual request. They hadn't trusted me enough with the knowledge that vampires exist, and they'd wanted me to prove I could be trusted since Leon told me what he was.
The way I'd been invited made the whole thing sound like an exciting event. Almost like a party of some kind. I'd even received an invitation, one that'd shown up on my doorstep the night before. I could never really forget the bouquet of black roses I'd received. Nor could I forget the card made of old parchment paper that was attached to the stems with black twine. Especially when the card held the eerie message: "True love only lasts with the family's approval, Congratulations."
Emma thought it was a joke from Leon's parents. Neither Leon nor I corrected her.
That thought made the situation I was in hit me in the gut hard, and fear rolled over my insides like a tsunami. Panic crashed against my ribs, and I gasped loudly when it started taking the place of the oxygen I was trying to breathe in. I tried to calm my racing heart by putting my head between my knees and taking deep breaths. I tried to convince myself that things weren't as bad off as they actually were, but it was no use. I closed my eyes to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks as the memories of that night bombarded my mind.
I was powerless to stop them.
~~~~~
Two years ago
"Do we have to do this?" I asked, pursing my lips and staring down the door to the cannery. I figured if I stared hard enough, the metal would turn transparent, and I could get a glimpse of what was on the other side of the metal. "Can't we just go watch a movie and snuggle?" The look on Leon's face when I turned back to look at him said he was thinking that same thing, but he grabbed me up in his arms and planted a kiss on my forehead instead. He knew as much as I did that we had no choice here tonight.
"I love you, Sky, we have to do this so we can be together without complications, you know this. Besides, it'll be easy enough, you'll see. You just have to show them you can be trusted. Then we can go snuggle."
Leon shrugged before winking, the gesture bringing out the bright green of his eyes. His light hair fell in waves around his face, not combed back so much as finger brushed to the sides. He was wearing expensive black clothes, like usual for him, and they shaped his figure enough that I could see the hint of his muscles beneath the material whenever he moved.
Leon asked me to dress nicely as well, and even though I wanted to argue, I complied. The result was the purple blouse I was now wearing. Leon said it brought out my sapphire blue eyes more than the light makeup I had on. I was wearing some light blue skinny jeans that were comfortable enough to be considered casual, but nice. My straight black hair was blow-dried and brushed. I looked nice, but this was as dressed up as I ever got.
"I love you, too. But isn't it enough that you trust me? You trusted me enough to tell me who you are. Shouldn't that solve this issue?" I resisted rolling my eyes. The supernatural world seemed way too secretive for something this small and insignificant. It wasn't like I was announcing their existence by plastering it to billboards along the city's streets.
"Compared to others, I'm still new to this clan. They don't know how trustworthy I am, just like they don't know you. Besides, you don't have to meet everyone tonight, just a few." Leon squeezed my shoulders lightly before giving me a soft smile. "You're brave, Sky. It gives you more strength than you know. You didn't run away from me after I told you what I was, so I know you can handle this."
His soft smile turned smug. "They also know how strong I am. I can handle any single one of them in a fair fight. I won't let anything happen to you." I thought I saw Leon's chest inflate a bit as he fluffed his ego, and I resisted the urge to snort.
The social structure was simple enough. Vampires were made up of clans. There were many, and they each had a small amount of numbers who were loyal to each other. It was up to the leader to keep the rest of the clan safe. Especially from humans knowing they existed. Which of course, was why I had to meet them. That was why it'd been looked at as a betrayal when Leon told me about this world. He was a new member, and the cost of telling a human was high. Leon was lucky enough to still be living.
He grabbed my hand, and we faced the door together. A united front against the possible danger we faced in front of us. Then, before I could change my mind, I stepped forward and opened the door that led inside.
A terrified scream echoed out to us as soon as it opened, and the eerie sound made my blood run cold. Leon and I froze in the doorway, my hand still gripping the door handle as I slowly swung it open. The familiar cry sent adrenaline racing through my veins like fire, replacing the icy chill, and I looked at Leon in horror.
The scream was abruptly cut off, and I couldn't help but panic as I feared the worst. I prayed that the familiar scream wasn't who I thought it was as I sprinted ahead of Leon before he could stop me. I barely heard his shout as I ran past a wall of boxes, and straight into something out of a nightmare.
There were vampires everywhere. A lot more than just the few Leon said would be here. I looked around, horrified when I spotted vampires hovering above in the rafters, and in all the corners of the dimly lit cannery. They'd even managed to circle around and block any escape I might've been contemplating from the way we came. Their faces looked eerie in the candlelight they'd provided as their attention swung to my less than stellar entrance.
The candles were lit everywhere, and I assumed it was more for my benefit since vampires could see just fine in the dark. Though from the subpar illumination they provided, I guessed it was more of a fear tactic than for actual light to see by. It was working too.
Unfortunately, the faces of these monsters wasn't the worst thing to see. No, the worst sight of all was the figure that was held by the throat, the biggest vampire in the place holding her there with one meaty hand. I barely contained my gasp of shock and anger when I recognized Emma, center stage in the crowded room with all eyes focused on her.
The vampire holding her had black hair that he kept buzzed close to his skull. A dark red, wide brimmed hat covered his head, and I couldn't help but think of the WWE wrestler, the Undertaker. He had a short-cropped beard, and his dark red eyes shone with such malice and rage that I decided it was the most terrifying thing about him. His skin looked like it hadn't seen the sun in decades, it was that pale.
"Stay where you are, Leon." His baritone voice was already saying as Leon appeared beside me. "I know you're fast, boy, but you're not fast enough to stop me before I break her neck." I felt Leon stop next to me, and a surprised hiss escaped his lips.
I didn't even stop to think about what I was doing. I ran towards Emma on instinct and adrenaline alone. I had to save her from this creature, even if I died in the process.
I didn't make it far though before I was attacked out of thin air. Literally. I saw a blur that looked like kicked up dust, and then there was a vampire standing in front of me, blocking my path from my sister. He shoved me to the ground, and I landed harshly on my ass. Broken concrete and dirt scraped against my palms, cutting into my skin and making them bleed. It seemed as hospitality goes, vampires didn't have any when it came to humans.
I squinted into the light given off from the candles, until I could look at the vampire who'd shoved me. His beady black eyes stared back at me like I was going to be his next meal. For all I knew, I was. He had red hair that looked like a curly mop had been placed crooked on top of his head. Freckles dusted every inch of his face, and if I hadn't seen his fangs poking out as he snarled at me, I would've said he didn't look very much like a vampire. He was tall and lanky, reaching above Leon's six-foot-two height and towering over my five-foot-two. He wore black overalls with a yellow and blue striped shirt underneath, making him look like a demented clown. It was a picture that would now be included in my nightmares. Apparently, not all vampires were hot and sexy, no matter what the myths said.
"Ralf, you son-of-a-bitch!" Leon roared. He seemed to appear out of nowhere as he struck Ralf in the chest with the force of a freight train. The contact made the vampire go flying across the factory. As he went soaring through the air, I had the pleasure of seeing his face etched in comedic disbelief. I guess no one else knew that Leon could take them all in a fair fight. Either that or they were all too high and mighty about their own strength to take his words seriously. A muffled crash could be heard farther away in the factory when Ralf landed. I hoped it hurt.
As Leon pulled me up and checked on my injuries, I heard the deep voice speak again.
"Try anything like that again, Little One, and I'll kill your sister here and now." I looked back to the front of the room in time to watch the vampire's hand, which was still holding my sister's throat, tighten. I winced when the resulting whimpering sound could be heard even from where we stood.
"Let her go, Theo. She had nothing to do with this." Leon's voice rang out in the factory, loud and angry. I could see from the corner of my eye that he'd taken a protective step in front of me, and his lips were drawn back in a snarl. I was forever glad I'd never been on the other side of that face. He looked truly pissed.
"You don't give orders here, boy. I am the Mare Dom of this clan. She wandered in here on her own, looking for your lover there." Theo gestured to me with his head.
"Now she has everything to do with this I'm afraid."
That was a lie. I knew it, and Emma's eyes when she looked to me frantically, confirmed my suspicion. She hadn't known where we'd be tonight. She thought we were meeting Leon's parents at a restaurant.
Leon cleared his throat, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, not entirely willing to take my gaze away from Emma. He shook his head in such a small movement, I almost missed it. There was something more in his gaze, a look I couldn't pinpoint as he stared Theo down, but I wasn't worried about that now. He must've known it was a lie as well, but he didn't want me to say anything. Desperation fluttered through my mind as I stared at Theo and Emma.
"Theo, who are your friends?" I heard Leon start. He must've been stalling for time to come up with a plan. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" The question rang with an authoritative air, and it was enough to make me glance at him in shock. Wasn't Theo the one in charge here? The look on Leon's face screamed "in charge," but Theo's voice brought me out of my questioning thoughts before I could make much of it.
"Do not play courtroom with me, boy. You're the one on trial here tonight, not me. When attending to matters of the clan, I have the right to ask certain others to attend as witnesses. You know this." I could've sworn Theo's face grew paler with his words, but at the last moment he became surer of himself and stood taller.
"I can hardly play when you hold the cards so close to your chest. I didn't know you paid a visit to Skylar's apartment in preparation." Leon grinned slightly, and his words even had me shivering. They sounded like an underlying threat that I couldn't quite place, and Theo's face did drain of color that time. "You're attempting to manipulate these proceedings," Leon went on, his teeth grinding in irritation, but Theo quickly interrupted him before he could finish.
"Ivory, come forward, please." Theo barked, his face becoming determined in the next second as he watched a younger looking vampire come forward.
Ivory's name matched her looks. She was shorter than me and had child-like features. She must've died and been reborn as a young teenager, maybe thirteen or fourteen. Light auburn hair was swept behind her back in ringlets that touched her waist. She wore it half up and half down in an elegant bun, with ringlets framing her face on the sides. Puckered red lips, purple eyes, and her skin was the color of porcelain. It made her look like a china doll.
She was frightening yet beautiful at the same time. But the worst part was the outfit that she wore. Not appropriate for even an adult woman, her satin blue dress clung to her small frame like a second skin, hugging curves that weren't even there. It was shamelessly short, and the neckline plunged down enough to see a push-up bra that gave the illusion of breasts, though she had none.
"I'm here, Theo, my love." She spoke in a voice that sounded like wind chimes swaying in a spring breeze. "Why don't we just kill the girls? It'll be fun for all of us here tonight." She giggled, and the sound was both mesmerizing and scary. She clapped her hands together and started jumping up and down like an excited toddler. "We can have a chase!"
There were murmurs of agreement from several other vampires in the factory, and I heard shouts of excited suggestions on the chase Ivory just mentioned. "Ivory," Theo warned, waving off her suggestion, though this was after thinking about it first, and an impatient huff escaped his scowling lips. "Just tell us what you saw tonight."
Ivory pouted for only a moment before her face became overly cheerful, and she addressed the crowd with growing excitement. "I saw her," Ivory pointed at Emma with a mock sneer on her face, "Creeping around outside the building. She asked me if we had her sister." Ivory shrugged as she glanced around the cannery to the surrounding vampires. "She thought we were drug-dealers. That's why I brought her to you. No other reason."
"There, you see." Theo nodded and grinned broadly, shrugging in a 'what can you do' gesture before nodding at Emma. "She came on her own, and now, as the Mare Dom, I have to dispose of her. We already have one human that knows of us, we can't let anyone make a habit of this. I wouldn't want members of the clan thinking this is acceptable." Theo gave Leon a pointed look.
Once more, many of the vampires voiced their agreement. Though I was sure as shit that these slimy bastards stole Emma from her bed somehow. There were too many holes in Ivory's short interrogation, but I didn't think anyone but Leon, Emma, and I were worried about the truth right now. Most of the vampires here seemed like they were only looking for a reason to spill blood.
Leon moved closer to me, and although I got the impression that he was protecting me, he almost looked defeated.
Theo smiled at Leon's reaction. "Now, Leon. Get down on the floor like a good boy and let Ralf restrain you." His voice sounded amused, and I saw Leon's shoulders tense.
"No!" I shouted, bringing the attention of the cannery on me. I didn't care though. If Leon couldn't protect us, how would we ever get out of here alive?
Theo just smirked and squeezed Emma's neck tighter in answer.
Leon growled and stared daggers at Theo, promising pain. He took another step back as if to protect me from something, but then he stepped to the side and knelt down on the floor instead. My heart fell to my stomach, and all my blood rushed from my face.
Once again, Ralf appeared out of a trail of smoke. Like a tall and skinny line-backer, he wrestled Leon flat on the ground. Leon didn't move or react. His face met with the concrete floor till I was sure they were well acquainted. Leon didn't try to regain the upper hand or detach his face from the ground. Though with all of Ralf's weight pinning him down, I wasn't sure he could at that point.
"Please," I pleaded as I looked back to Theo, planning to beg since I didn't think I had another option. "Let her go. You can take me instead. You can do whatever you want with me. I'll do it, no questions asked."
"Oh love, I know you will now." Theo smirked and gestured with his head to someone behind me. Before I had a chance to react, Ivory seemed to fade into existence in front of me. Not from smoke, just a blur of action. She grabbed my face in her hands and pulled me down to her. She held her face inches from mine and snarled. It transformed her beautiful face into a rabid animal. A childlike rabid animal. After she was sure to have my attention and fear under her control, she turned to Theo and my sister and smiled coldly.
Theo's laughter rumbled in my ears, and it sounded like a sound of endearment. It made me think he had a sweet spot for Ivory, the pervert. Gag me with a spoon.
Ivory smiled at him again and clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Not now, Theo, baby. We have guests."
She looked back at me, that look promising violence and misery, and her grip tightening on my face. Her pale knuckles somehow paled more as she squeezed my jaw. I was honestly surprised my bones hadn't snapped under the pressure. Fear took hold of me, and I stilled in her grasp. Ivory's violet eyes swung back to face Theo's once more. "Why are we even sitting here discussing this? Leon's the traitor, we should take his possessions and give them something good. A sweet and beautiful death."
Theo sighed impatiently. "Because, my dear, I have special plans for that one over there. You can't sense it, but she could be a valuable and most powerful addition to our clan." Theo smiled at me like he was planning a party instead of my death.
Ivory squealed in glee, looking at me with hunger in her eyes. "Is she the one we've been looking for, Theo?"
Theo's face hardened. "Ivory, be careful what you say. There are ears here tonight."
Murmurs ran through the crowd from above, and Theo looked up at them. A voice above shouted. "What are you planning, Theo?"
"Seeing as you are not part of the clan, and this isn't a summoning, I'd say we can drop the matter. If you wish to be at the next summoning, all are welcomed guests." Theo growled, the sound vibrating up his arm and into Emma's neck. If she wasn't fighting for every breath, I'm sure she would've gasped. "Now, let us return to, what did you say? My doing whatever I want with you, no questions asked?" Theo turned back to me, his face vibrating with victory.
My blood ran cold as fear raced through my body. Leon growled from the floor and struggled to rise, but Ralf had him pinned well with his lanky body. He tried to say something, but Ralf turned his head enough that he ate dirt instead.
Theo chuckled, and I knew he could smell my fear. "I'll make you a deal, Little One. You become a member of this clan, and Ivory here can wipe your sister's memory clean and let her go. You won't be able to see her again or contact her. She'll just think you simply disappeared. You won't have to worry about gaining our trust to stay with your lover, you'll be one of us. It'll protect the law we have and benefit everyone all around."
Deal my ass. This had been his plan from the get-go, and we all knew it. I could see the wheels turning in Theo's head as he offered me something I didn't think I could refuse. If Emma hadn't been home tonight, or if we'd sent her away somewhere, it might've been a different situation. Though, I was pretty sure the outcome would have still ended the same way.
"No!" The sound came from the front of the room, and it took me a moment to realize it'd been my sister who'd croaked out that word. Her voice rang out like she knew something I didn't, like she'd known this was going to happen and I was falling into Theo's trap.
The new thought shook me to my core. She could've heard something I didn't know about when they'd captured her, a part of the bigger picture that'd been planned. I really didn't know. I could feel Emma trying to speak further, but Theo squeezed his hand tighter, effectively cutting off her air. As I watched, she turned her head slightly to glare at him. He was a huge vampire. He hadn't been fat per say, but he had a thick body full of muscle that bulged under the black suit he wore. His size was truly intimidating, but Emma, even with his fingers around her throat, was trying her best to look tough.
Theo towered over most, and combined with the look of his muscles, was a truly terrifying sight. It was a wonder my sister hadn't been quivering in fear. Most people would've been afraid of him even without knowing what he truly was. He already looked like he led a dangerous drug cartel, and that was before knowing he was a vampire. Although, he made true drug lords look like they prance around acting like ballerinas, and wore tutus.
My sister was brave though, I gave her that. Despite death himself staring her down, I could feel her protective need to save me, and her determination to succeed. They were the same family protection instincts that I had for her.
Theo must've let her have a breath for her troubles, because she spoke up again. "Kill me if you want, but leave my sister alone." Even though her voice cracked, I knew she'd meant it. She'd spat as much venom as she could in her words.
Theo laughed and looked down at her, humor etched in his hard stare. "Brave words spoken to a vampire, girl."
"You dare talk to a vampire that way, mortal?" I heard Ivory snap at the same time. Theo gave her a look to silence her.
I saw my sister freeze. Realization and horror breaking apart the courage and protectiveness inside her, destroying her bravado and leaving her weak and shaking. That was the moment it'd finally clicked with her what Theo, Ralf, Leon, and Ivory were. What everyone in here but her and I were.
Theo laughed again as the emotions played out across her face, enjoying her terror. The hand that had her by the throat continued to constrict my sister's windpipe. She squeaked in fear as she realized just how much danger she was actually in at last. Her instincts to fight tried to kick into high gear, but it was too late. She was once again fighting for consciousness as her lungs starved for oxygen.
"I'll do it." The words came from me. I just couldn't stand by watching as Emma turned blue and her life slipped away. Emma looked back at me and we shared a look. I knew that she was trying to plead with me as she stared me down. She was dying right before my eyes, and still she tried to plead, to save me. Even at the cost of her life. At this point, to her, it didn't matter that she was dying, so as long as I lived. We had lost so much in our lives, and she was doing everything she could to keep the last person she cared for alive.
I looked down at Leon and tried to plead with my eyes on what I should do. Leon tried to speak up in response, but he was still pinned to the ground eating dirt. His eyes tried to plead with me, and they were ringed with malice. He was beyond angry, but he had no way of answering me without Ralph's interruption.
As if reading my thoughts, Ralf glanced between us, and just for good measure, buried him further into the ground, face first. A crack reverberated through the room as the floor underneath them started to break from the pressure.
Fear gripped my gut after that. Not only for Leon, but for my sister as well. I didn't care what I had to do, as long as they both remained safe. I had the decision made before I even turned back to Theo and Emma, and I was ready to face my newly formed destiny. I looked back at my sister, determination making me stand tall. Though sadness still crept into my eyes despite my bravery, and I tried to say sorry with them as I looked at Emma.
My mouth opened, trying to ignore Emma as she continued to plead with me through her eyes, and the words came tumbling out of my mouth before I could change my mind. "I'll join this shit storm you call a clan. I'll become a member and do whatever you need from me. I don't care. Just please, let her go, let Leon go."
Theo smiled in victory. "Swear it. Swear you'll become a vampire of this clan."
"I swear, I will become a vampire of this clan." My words sounded monotone and robotic, but I forced them out through clenched teeth anyways.
I could see Ivory smile wickedly. The words Theo was waiting to hear echoing through the cannery. It was like I'd been caught in a bear trap. I'd run right into it happily, whistling a merry tune the entire way. Theo's answering laughter confirmed that suspicion. I knew I'd messed up. "Deal."
Everything about my life turned upside down in that moment. Theo moved so quickly, that it was over before anyone knew what he'd done. If it hadn't been for the sound, I might've not known what actually happened.
I heard the sickening crack of Emma's neck as it was yanked hard to the right. The sound was even more awful than I could've ever imagined. It bounced off the walls of my mind and echoed, imprinting in my brain, and I didn't think I'd ever be able to get rid of the sound ever again. Emma's face froze as her head lost all support from the rest of her body… and then she fell.
I watched as her eyes stared lifelessly at me, and I continued to scream in horror. Her body hit the ground with a final thump. She couldn't move anything, and she continued to stare at me with the same pleading look etched on her face. The darkness in her eyes grew permanent as her life and soul slowly left her body forever.
I could hear nothing but my own scream for a long while as I watched my sister die. It was an eerie sound that echoed over the shouts of the vampires surrounding us. I couldn't take my eyes away from her face despite the chaos, and in that moment it didn't matter to me what happened from here. I didn't know if Theo would soon come after me, and I didn't really care if I died too.
I heard Leon's roar of rage as he finally broke free of Ralf's restraining arms, and combined with my heartbroken sobs, it made an eerie symphony of pain and the promise of suffering redemption. But all I could focus on was Emma's limp body as all hell broke loose around me.
I would not become the monsters that I saw that night. Even if I had to kill myself.