Page 95 of Blood Moon
At that, I took off, sprinting toward the Campus Center. It was then that I spotted lights at the Sutton Art Museum. Someone was there, perhaps a janitor, maybe even Abba, but it was promising.
Didn’t stop to look behind when I pulled on the doors to find they were unlocked.
I sighed, tears piercing my eyes. Inside, the smell of lemons and soap welcomed me. It was as I hoped: someone cleaning.
“Hello?” I called, rushing through the halls until I almost slammed into Abba. In her hands were a lunch box, her purse, and a large leather-bound book.
She quailed at the sight of me, startled as she dropped her belongings.
“Help me! I’m being chased!”
Abba gasped, eyes large as she dropped to the ground, fumbling in her purse until keys jingled. “Who?” she said, looking urgently into the night. “Who is after you?” She rushed to the door I’d entered from, hands on the handles.
“There are wolves chasing me,” I cried. “Werewolves, like the ones in the story!”
Her face crumpled, and she locked the door.“Wolves?”she hissed, a new kind of horror set in her features. That distress twisted into a sinister smile. “Sweet Mirabella,” she purred. “And what makes you think being in here is any better?”
CHAPTER47
What we became, brother, was unstoppable.
Article VI, Lost Letters from Aadan the First
I screamed and ran, but it was no use.
Every corner I turned, Abba was there, grinning at me. “Poor thing. It’s pathetic, really. Did Rena not tell you how fast Blood Lycans are?” she sneered, tongue brushing over fangs. “I’d kill you now, but it would be a waste of perfect blood.”
I bolted, wondering how she knew my mother, but this time, Aire and Sebastian entered the building. The three of them closed in on all sides, but it didn’t stop me from throwing artifacts while Abba shrieked for someone to seize me.
Sebastian lunged in my direction, arms out. The velocity sent me over, and before I knew it, his fangs were rooted in my collarbone. I screamed, blood spraying the white floor.
“Sebastian!” Abba yelled. “Away from her now! We mustn’t waste another drop! She’soff-limits!”
His sentence came slow, like cotton was in his mouth. “But she tastes so good.” He growled, about to bite again when Abba tackled him away.
I wiggled free, but then Aire was there, grabbing at me, lifting me to the air. My elbow struck into his jaw. He released me, and I kicked him below the belt, watched him crash to his knees with the sweetest satisfaction.
It didn’t last long. A sharp whistle sounded. In the next second, I’d been shot in the shoulder. Another fucking tranquilizer. This time, at the hands of Abba. I collapsed onto the marble, head smacking against the cool floor.
“I have to do everything myself around here!” she screeched. “You fools would all be dead without me.”
The men groaned, arguing with each other.
“Enough! Someone tie her up, so we can get this show on the road.”
The last things I heard were Abba’s heels clacking, and Aire and Sebastian scurrying toward me.
Someone threw water on me, and I woke, scrambled to my feet.
I was in a holding cell at the end of a dark hall that felt as though it was buried in the earth, in a basement of some sort. Standing in black leather on the other side of the bars was a girl. Shoulder-length black hair and olive skin. Eyeliner thick around chestnut eyes. Long, pointed nails. She was beautiful and menacing.
“Wake up,” she yelled, hitting the bars with the bucket. “They’ll be collecting you soon.”
She walked away, and I hurried forward, gripped the bars. “Wait!” I said in a panic. “Please! Where am I?”
“The last place anyone will find you,” she leered before continuing down the hall.
“But why?!” I screamed, and with a quickness, the bucket had been thrown at me, bouncing off the bars. I flinched, but the theatrics didn’t intimidate me. “Why go through the lengths of all of this for my blood? Why not kill me immediately?” And I swallowed down tears and snot and whatever else was on my face, throat throbbing as I held it all in.
