Some serious locklyle coming up! :)

LOCKWOOD & CO.: THE HOLLOW BOY

10: Blood

When the screams began, I'd leapt onto the banister and slid down to the bottom. I immediatly searched for Lockwood and Flo. Lockwood: I shoudn't have worried; he held hid own against two of Casper's men. Flo: I should have worried—she had no qualms about killing, especially when they're trying to kill her. Jack Carver had already stained the floor a few months ago, and it hadn't quite washed out. I don't think Lockwood needed more blood.

Then I saw a young man around the age of eighteen leap through a window into the kitchen. He strode to the door, his blue eyes scanning the fighting scene contentedly with a sharp awareness in his eyes, and then he strode right into my face.

"Lucy!" Casper's voice was a mix of surprise and exasperation.

We both drew our rapiers.

Casper growled. "It's high time you get your nose out of my business."

I flashed my teeth. "By the end of this, you won't have a business."

Then he attacked and all I could think about was Lockwood and how good he was. Our swords flashed as we tried ward knots and spins and crazily-invented thrusts that usually missed entirely. We were both too good-or both too bad.

It never mattered because then, as I shifted my feet before Casper's blade ripped through the sleeve of my jacket, I lifted up my rapier and took a swift whip at Casper's face. He flinced, and then blood started pouring from a long cut on his left cheek. Casper stumbled, then touched the blood on his face and held up his hand, his expression a mix of wonder and fear.

And I would've won then, but a huge bulk bulldozed into me. I lost my grip on my rapier and crashed sideways into one of Lockwood's cabinets. Gourds and books rained down on me as I blearily lifted my head. Sybil loomed over me, a giant with white bandages wrapped around his middle, with a gun. He hit me over the head, on the arms, stomach, again and again and again, until the world pooled into read and I was numb and I nearly thought my name was Dead.

After a few dull seconds, I realized sluggishly that someone was standing above me, and the clash of iron on iron rang clearly through the hall's cacophony.

I tried to stand up, but my legs collapsed. Determined, I heaved myself up and stumbled. I ended up falling against Lockwood's chest.

Lockwood disengaged his sword from Sybil's, one arm wrapped around me protectively, and sent Sybil crashing into the wall with a kick. Lockwood turned and looked down on me. He dropped his sword and cupped my bloody cheek.

"Are you all right?" Lockwood asked sincerely. I felt a quesiness in my stomach but it had nothing to do with my ordeal.

"I'm fine." Weakly, I tried to push him away. His gaze became intense.

"I told you not to mess with them," Lockwood reprimanded me.

I suddenly got angry, at my weakness, at Lockwood, at Sybil's brutality and Casper.

I pushed against Lockwood, but he was strong, and I was still weak, so it didn't have much of an effect.

"Right, Lockwood," I growled. "Thanks for you help. Can you let. me. Go now?" I struggled against Lockwood's arm as he swiftly snatched up his rapier and fended off two more of Casper's men.

Lockwood blew air between his lips. I suddenly found myself staring at them.

"Oh, Lucy."

Then in one swift motion, still restraining me, Lockwood cast his rapier away and spun me around. His dark eyes were intense, and I could see some slick strands of dark hair clinging to Lockwood's forehead from his exertion. It didn't make him any less handsome. If possible, it made him more so. One of Lockwood's hands was pressed against my back. That was good because my legs were feeling so weak, without Lockwood supporting me, I would've collapsed. Lockwood's other hand touched the back of my hair. My hands were pressed against Lockwood's chest, my face tilted up to Lockwood's. Lockwood bent down, and I suddenly found myself taking a breath, licking my lips, and closing my eyes.

Our faces jerked apart, my eyes flew open, as something, a bullet, whistled between us.

I looked to my left to see Casper dragging a screaming Holly out the window. He paused and turned back momentarily to look straight at me. Casper gave me a smart salute, but before I could figure out the flash in his sharp blue eyes, Casper whirled on his heels and dragged Holly along closer to the broken window.

Lockwood stiffened. I looked up at him and followed his gaze, but he wasn't looking at Casper,

He was looking at Holly.

Something went off inside of me, making me feel hot and cold at the same time. All the screams, grunts, and yells of the chaotic night faded away, until my thoughts flashed before my eyes. I had been wrong.

Lockwood did care about Holly.

I felt like crying, I felt like laughing, I felt like doing both. But what I ended up doing was tearing my arm out of Lockwood's grip and sprinting towards the window Casper and Holly had gone through. I couldn't sort my own feelings but I knew one thing. Lockwood cared about Holly. I wasn't about to let her die. If there's one thing I know, it's how much a person matters to you after they're gone.

I wasn't about to let Lockwood experience that for the fourth time.

I launched myself through the window, then halted.

Who had fired the gun? Casper didn't use guns; he preferred knives and a blood-red rose.

And before I could turn around, someone struck me on the back of the head and I blacked out.

End of Chapter 10

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