Mina paused as the sound of footsteps caught her attention, her hand hovering over the gloves she had forgotten to put on in the nights earlier commotion.
The hall outside the thick wooden door was dark, save for the light streaming in from the window at the far end. The guests were still arriving to the party and she was sure that someone must have gotten lost. Grayson's home was large enough that it was a possibility.
She grabbed up her gloves and turned back for the door, pausing again, fingers over the knob when she heard a muffled cry.
The brunette's eyes widened and she leaned in closer to the door, pressing her ear to it. She could hear movement from the other side but only faintly. Steeling herself, Mina twisted the knob without a second thought.
"Hello? What is going on out here?" She asked, trying to keep her voice strong and authoritative.
She looked to her right first, back toward the party. She could see the light coming from it but there was no sign of any guests. Looking to the left, Mina felt her heart skip a beat.
There were two figures on the floor, one hunched over the other. The one closest to her was dressed in a gown, a long trail of black and crimson fabric laid out behind them. The moonlight seemed to glow off of their fair hair.
"Hello?" Mina repeated, a little weaker this time. "Is everything alright?"
The gown clad figure's shoulders stiffened and they seemed to pause in whatever it was that they were doing and straighten up.
"Mina?"
The brunette swallowed thickly, relief flooding her but anxiety twisting her stomach regardless. "Lucy, is that you?"
They hadn't spoken in days, not since the incident in the hospital. She took a hesitant step forward when there was no response, her heart aching as she fought the urge to remember why it was they weren't speaking.
An eerie gasp came from behind the blonde and Mina was reminded of the third presence in the shadows of the hall. Feeling more comfortable now that she knew one of the two strangers, she rushed forward to check on the man.
Mina gasped when she saw the dark spot on his neck that she presumed to be blood. Without looking to her friend, she dropped to her knees and moved to apply pressure.
"Did you see what happened? Did someone attack him?" The brunette's eyes widened when she felt the extent of the wound with her fingers. They were quickly slicked with blood and the exposed muscle and surrounding tissue was terribly torn beneath them.
"Lucy, we need to get him help-" Her words died on her lips as a cold hand pulled her own away from the wound. Blue eyes rose, locking with Lucy's. They were colder than she remembered, and their color was off.
Her eyes trailed lower almost of their own accord. She felt herself swallow thickly as she traced over Lucy's plump lips with her gaze. They were tinted red and there was a deeper smudge of color by the right corner of them.
Mina blinked, brought out of her staring as the very lips that had captured her attention pulled into a smile. She watched with rapt attention as Lucy brought her bloodied fingers to her mouth and then the blonde's eyes caught her own. Mina could swear that she saw flecks of crimson swimming in the usually hazel irises.
The brunette's mind went black, her breath catching in her throat as a cool tongue swept over her index finger. She wasn't one to have a weak stomach and the sight of gore no longer affected her due to her studies. Despite this knowledge, she was surprised to find that she had no aversion to Lucy's sudden taste for the liquid. In fact, she found that it was oddly hypnotizing to watch and it felt as if a haze had crept over her mind.
She watched as the deep red was lapped away slowly, leaving her skin pale in the moonlight.
And whenever Mina found the strength to will herself to look away, her eyes would find Lucy's. The other woman was watching her closely, an expression thick in her gaze that she had never allowed the brunette to see so fully.
It twisted Mina's stomach and lit it aflame, the feeling threatened to swallow her whole. And the cool feel of Lucy's mouth along her slender fingers only intensified the feeling.
Her own body betrayed her and a small gasp slipped free of her suddenly parted lips as Lucy slid her middle finger into her mouth down to the base. She could feel the softness of the blondes tongue but as her mouth slid back, felt the hard edge of her teeth.
Mina trembled, capturing her bottom lip between her own teeth as she eyed the elongated canines in Lucy's mouth that she had failed to notice before. Something about the sight of them excited her, the unfamiliarity of them and the fact she knew that the damage that they had inflicted. The evidence just inches away.
"Mina." Lucy breathed, releasing the brunette's wrist.
The taller woman's mouth opened but no response came. She watched as Lucy leaned in slowly, reminding her of the night the blonde had confessed her love. This time was different, this time Mina already knew of the feelings. This time, they were not alone.
She didn't push Lucy away, not at first. The soft lips brushing the corner her own was too distracting. Her body hummed and her heart jumped at the feather light touch as if an electrical current was moving through it. The experience, the emotions moving through her all seemed to be something she would find in a dream.
Lucy's fingers brushed her cheeks, cool breath moving across her mouth and bringing her back to reality. Back to the hallway where the two of them were not alone.
"Lucy," she said, pulling back slightly. "We can't-" She glanced to the left, her brow creasing and guilt dampening her mood when she saw the crumpled form again.
The other woman let out a huff, surprising Mina as she swept the brunette off of her feet. They were halfway down the hall in a matter of seconds, back in Grayson's study in no time at all. Lucy bypassed the furniture and instead pushed Mina up against the wall, knocking the wind out of her.
Mina's mind was a blur again, her heart hammering madly in her chest at the incredible speed and strength that her friend was exhibiting. She had quite literally been swept off her feet and that same haze had returned. She didn't want it to stop.
She gasped against Lucy's cheek as she felt the material of her gown rising against her thigh. She was so enthralled with the attention she didn't hear the hurried footsteps outside.
Unable to contain herself as Lucy's hands continued to wander, a loud moan cut through the silence on that side of the house. Within seconds the door to the study was thrown open again and the blonde's hands were gone.
Mina breathed heavily, her eyes flying toward the entrance to the room. Lady Jayne stood looking between the two younger women, her own chest rising and falling sharply.
"You?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as she took in Lucy's rather aggressive posturing.
The younger blonde let out a sound that was awfully similar to a growl before launching herself at the closest window. She tore the curtains aside and shattered the glass as she leapt through and into the night.
Two men rushed passed Jayne and after her, each brandishing a wicked looking blade.
"No!" Mina cried, moving to follow. She cried out again, her chest constricting as she felt a pair of strong arms hold her back.
"Don't worry yourself, girl. They will not catch her, she's long gone." Jayne whispered, her breath warm on Mina's neck. "But you, you need to tell me what you know."
To be continued...