Chapter 1, Mia's POV
It was another dark soundless night in the forest. No owls hooted. No bugs chirped. The wind rushed into my face as I stayed deathly still. I did not like this scenery, something was wrong. Ashley came up behind me, tense. She felt it too.
"Where are they? They were supposed to be here hours ago." She whispered as if the forest was listening. I shrugged, still gazing blankly out into the forest. A twig snapped. Both Ashley and I crouched low, waiting for the attack.
But it was only Viktor, followed by reinforcements. Their blurry outlines were hardly visible, making it hard to see detail. We stood up, relaxed now.
"Where have you been?" I asked Viktor, who was looking down at me from his perch on the horse. He wore armor and seemed as if he was recovering from battle. One of the vampires placed his sword back into it's' sheath, swinging the scent of blood through the air. Ashley growled low at the smell of the lycan blood and I tensed. She hated lycans.
"Complications." He responded. "I advise we go back to the castle before more attack." He gazed down at Ashley. I frowned. Why he liked her so much I wouldn't know. He always looked at her like she was something special, like she made him remember something…
Suddenly, low growling and lycans attacked from every angle. We were surrounded. I groaned and pulled out a dagger from my belt as Ashley stayed low. Viktor pulled out his sword and swung at an attacking lycan. A vampire screamed as one dug its claws into his flesh and bit him. I lunged at the closest lycan, taking it by surprise. It yelped and then its eyes grew big as it realized its fate.
All of a sudden, I was attacked by something behind me. I went flying as another lycan pounced on me and the other one scurried away to safety. My eyes turned black as I held the lycan away from me, trying to avoid its teeth. Then it fell limp on me, and I pushed it off. Ashley stood above me, smiling, her blue eyes glistening in the moonlight. He held out her hand and I took it gratefully.
Growling was heard, and we turned around. More lycans were surrounding us. Their eyes were menacing, and drool was coming from their mouths where large grotesque teeth were sticking out.
I glared at the creatures, ready for the attack. I braced myself and clenched my fists, preparing. Each one of them gave Ashley and I evil stares, and they looked at one another, giving signals for when to take us by surprise. But Ashley and I were fast, and we circled, sidestepping here and there, creating new moves. We were careful to make no repeats so they couldn't get to us easily.
Something distracted them though, and I realized quickly it was Viktor, coming to the rescue. He swung violently, and blood spattered everywhere. My eyes turned black and I growled, leaping at a lycan. It was taking totally by surprise and I ripped its throat out. Ashley was busy dueling 2 lycans at once, but she seemed to be holding her own.
I looked back over to Viktor who was slashing everything in site with his sword. Behind him a lycan crept. I gasped as it got closer and closer and I only had a few seconds to react.
"No!" I screamed as I ran forward and flung myself with all my might in front of the lycan just as it jumped.
Everything seemed to run in slow motion as the lycan, claws fully extended and teeth bared, ran straight into me. I went flying back again as Viktor got thrown off his horse and the beast and I went toppling to the ground, plunging my body into a sharp log that was out rooting from a tree.
The pain was horrible, my vision was shittier than ever; I screamed in agony, and the lycan still attacked. It was all I could do to hold it back. Blood was everywhere; and I realized it was mine. Then the lycan cried out in pain and ran off. Ashley was at my side again.
I murmured her name quietly as blood came sputtering out of my mouth. I choked and started coughing. Ashley's unclear concerned face was the last I was to see for a long time…