“You fucking little bitch. I’d kill you right now if I wasn’t having so much fun playing with you.”
The woman moved behind her before Helina could even get her bearings. Her head was tilted forcefully to the side, exposing her neck. She felt a pair of fangs run up and down her exposed throat and squeezed her eyes tighter.
“They’re looking for you right now, but I’m faster, smarter, and I found you first. By the time they realize what has happened, it’ll be too late.”
“He won’t stop you. He doesn’t want me. He has already made that clear.” Helina managed to breathe out the statement, knowing it wouldn’t do any good, but hoping it would sway the vampire’s mind away from killing her. The vampire laughed and the sound was very beautiful, like a gentle chime in the wind. Helina looked into the tree tops, watching how the small part in the branches allowed the moonlight to cast its silvery glow down.
The vampire’s other hand was on Helina’s arm and with the moonlight shining she was able to see her dark painted nails. Helina stared at those perfectly manicured nails, knowing she had seen them before. An image of the forest by her cabin flashed through her mind. The dark color reminded her so much of blood. It was painfully clear that the vampire had been watching her, had been biding her time to get rid of her so she had Gaijryc all to herself. As much as she would have loved to spend her life with Gaijryc, it was clear she didn’t belong in this new world. She was nothing more than food for a much stronger race of creatures. She was lucky to have lasted as long as she did.
“You’re wrong about that. He only did those things, said those things because he thinks he cares for you. I hated watching every minute of it. He thought it would save you, that he was protecting you. In all actuality, though, it did the opposite. His actions made your death come that much quicker. Soon you’ll be out of the picture, and he can concentrate on me.” The vampire’s finger smoothed along the side of her neck before the sharp pierce of fangs cut through her skin.
Gaijryc stopped in a clearing and inhaled deeply. Even with his keen hearing and smelling it was hard to keep Helina’s trail. Everything was still, the wind not even blowing through the thick trees. As if the wind had read his mind, a small gust blew passed him, bringing with it the sweet smell of Helina. Along with her beautiful scent was the aroma of freshly fallen blood. He inhaled again, his fist clenching and his jaw tensing as he realized it was Helina’s fallen blood. He inhaled deeply again as he moved quicker through the forest. He smelled someone else with Helina, a female DarkShine.
“Do you smell that, Ryce?”
Ryce kept pace with him as he raced across the ground. “Is that who I think it is?”
They both smelled the same thing: a female of their kind, a female they both knew all too well. “Why is her scent out here? She should be at the mansion preparing for the ceremony.”
He agreed with Ryce, and if her scent and the scent of Helina’s blood was anything to go by, than something horrible was happening. Something neither of them had ever imagined. They both ran faster, Helina’s blood smelling thicker and thicker with every mile their feet ate up.
To say it was strange to be drained dry was an understatement. It wasn’t the wonderful feeling Helina got when Gaijryc did it. With this vampire, this murderer, it seemed so cold, so distant. With her lips pressed against Helina’s neck and her teeth far into her flesh, Helina felt repulsed. She could feel the blood rushing toward those two little marks on her neck. Her whole body felt cold and she was getting so very tired. So many things rushed through her mind, the main one being she wished she had one last chance to say goodbye to Gaijryc.
Her gaze traveled to the crystal clear water that ran right next to her. It was beautiful with its calmness and serenity. Warm blood slid down her arm and dripped into the clarity of the water. Swirls of red mixed in the liquid, as if her sustenance were escaping without her.
Their reflection was a wavy blur, but Helina could see her reflection staring back. She felt the vampire tear her mouth away from her neck. She felt her pulse, that steady beat that slowly started to become less fierce. Helina turned and looked at her killer. In the pale moonlight her teeth were stained black, little droplets dripping down her lips and chin. Her tongue snaked out, licking a path up her throat and around the twin puncture marks. Helina winced in pain as she pierced her neck again, a different place than the last. She turned her attention to the trees, her mind conjuring up images that soothed her.
Lizzy stood mere feet from her and wore the most beautiful dress, all dark lace and silk. She walked out from behind the tree line, her dress brushing against the ground and swirling the deadened leaves around her. Helina didn’t know why she found the sight so captivating, but she couldn’t pry her eyes away from those circles in the dirt. She smiled at her sister, not able to feel the muscles moving, but her mind telling her she was doing the motion. Lizzy smiled back, a sad tilt of her lips that reminded Helina of when she used to tell her everything was okay. Helina tried to move her hand toward her sister, but the act proved too hard. If this was what death was like then Helina was thankful for the mercy. She was grateful for her last visions being of her beautiful sister.