Chapter 14

Howleen and Draculaura were going back and forth, irritating me almost as much as Frankie's optimism and Grace's pessimism. My gut was flipping and I was somewhere between freezing to death, suicide by heat to relieve that, or throwing up into the fire because I simply could not establish a way to get myself out of this. Them too, but mostly myself. There was nothing noble in my intentions, I wanted out to keep Romulus alive. I wanted out to fix what was going on. Kill Van Helscream, save my boyfriend, collapse in bed and sleep for ten hours. I didn't want very much, just to return to my normal life. This was not in the plan!

The sawing over my head had finally driven me insane. I hit the top and watched the ice spread from my hand, cracking the surface. The cracks spread until the creature I'd frozen solid fell in and shattered on the floor, denting it. The forces of the universe were definitely on my side. Frankie broke into a grin as I grabbed ahold of the bars on the side closest to the ground. The ice trickled from my skin outward, glazing them and freezing them to my skin. It hurt. It felt like I was about to tear off my skin, but a little blood would be a decent sacrifice for him. Just the thought of it did something to the crystal and to me. Cold exploded outward, coating the entire set of bars fast enough to fracture them. With a sharp push, they fell away, taking a layer of skin with them. Draculaura tensed. I balled my hands into fists and glanced back to them, "Go." There wasn't time for flowery. I jumped onto the naturally temperate ground and started running. My hands were dripping. Frankie made the leap and ran after me. I heard the rip of fabric and she called, "Abbey, wait!"

I glanced back, slowing for her to catch up. She offered white strips of cloth from her shirt. I glanced at her desperately, "Do you remember way back?"

She was wrapping my hands in silence before nodding once, "It's easy to get turned around in here, though..."

I didn't have time for that. My hands stung and the bandages weren't helping. With the one hand she'd accomplished, I nudged her along, "Go."

Howleen, Grace and Draculaura followed us after a moment. Frankie was taking too long. I was forced to walk at her side while she debated and decided things, urging on my irritation until I wanted to scream for her to just move and let me go on my own. Finally, fed up with the slow pace, Howleen burst past us both and took off in a dead sprint up the stairs. I didn't glance back once to signal to them to follow, I just gave chase after her. I could hear little gasps for air while she sniffed, attempting to breathe in the odd, shallow way she was. When she paused, I caught on to where we were. She panted, trying to catch her breath. I met her butterscotch eyes once. She broke into a breathless, exhilarated grin, "Go. Go get him."

She knew as well as I did and I resisted the urge to hug her as I did just that. Eventually, running up flights of stairs, I found the door and burst out into the cold night air. My crystal was still falling, causing the further cold to drive cold stabs through my skin. My hands ached, but I heard in the distance the growling and hissing of vampires and werewolves. My lungs were burning; I couldn't push on this way. I wrenched off the crystal, shoved it in my bag and took off toward them. It was the longest distance I'd ever had to run before in my life.

They came into sight quickly. He was at the head of the wolves, Deugi and Kate on either of his flanks. Bram and Gory were at the head of theirs, the others following like equal servants. A few vampires' gazes darkened and I knew the blood had soaked through, but I didn't care. I pushed through the pack and threw myself against him, practically tackling him over, "No!"

Romulus took a step, nearly toppling but grasping me tightly. He felt cool. That probably wasn't a good thing. He took one look at my flushed face, heaving chest and bloody hands and turned away from the vampires. Rocco rushed up at the moment my knees gave out. It was like waves of heat were taking over, smothering me, pushing the air down in my chest. Romulus held me to his chest, lowering to his knees and shedding his jacket, "Abbey, stay with me."

"Where's your necklace?" Rocco asked. He wasn't as naive as I thought. I reached for the bag, but he got it for me. Romulus's fingers slipped through mine as Rocco wrapped the sturdy chain around my neck and restored my temperature control. My hands shook, clutched around Romulus's. Despite the cold, he held me anyway, his arm wrapped tightly around my back and keeping my body pressed into the protection of his chest. "Shh," he murmured, kissing my forehead lightly, "I've got you."

"Abbey!" Frankie shouted, her voice rising an octave as she ran toward us. Romulus's head snapped up when she was inches away, a fierce growl rising from his chest. I squeezed his hand and sat up a little more, "Am okay, Romy." His eyes were darker than usual with protective possessiveness. I released his hand and ran my fingers over his jaw. The cold on his skin seemed to put him at ease, his gaze returning to me and becoming more human again. "I'm taking you home," he said before I had the chance to object. I glanced back at the school and shook my head, "No. Not yet."

"Dammit Abbey, you're overheated. You need-"

I didn't need him to tell me what I needed. I got up and looked over at the vampires. Howleen was hanging back by Rocco while Draculaura slipped past, going over to Bram and Gory and standing in front of them. She bit the inside of her cheek, lowered her eyes and nodded, "I'm okay." Gory pulled her in tightly. Even I could hear that she wasn't, but they formed a protective enclosure around her, blocking her from us. Romulus stood, his eyes never once leaving me. It was his job to protect people, but it was mine to do what needed to be done.

"Frankie," I spoke up, "Take Mama and Howleen home."

"Actually-" Rocco spoke up just as my attention landed on the speeding car that pulled up at the edge of the parking lot. My brows raised, but I recognized the occupants immediately. Howleen's ears flattened and she cussed under her breath.

"Draculaura!" Clawd shouted, rising from inside the car's rear door. Howleen glanced to Rocco with a scowl and shuffled over to her parents and older siblings. I glanced back at Romulus. He nodded once and tossed a glance over his shoulder toward the vampires. Draculaura had partially emerged from their cover at the call of her name. Clawd seemed to relax as he took off toward her. A few inches from the vampires, he stopped, aware of their glares. She broke into a smile, though, and closed the distance to bury her face in his chest quickly. He wrapped her in his arms. I threw Romulus a look, to which he sheepishly looked away from.

"What did you do?" I asked, sure to add all the accusation I could possibly put in a tone.

"Can we cover that later?" he asked, almost in a whimper. I nodded, taking the path I'd come back toward the school. Casketball practice must've just let out, as a small congregation of boys stood by the steps. "Abbey," Deuce called out, "What's going on?"

"War is called off, go home," I replied. It was only when I heard Romulus's steps following me that I spun around and prepared to snap at him to go home. He grabbed ahold of me and yanked me aside. I felt a rush of heat, throwing a glance over my shoulder to the human wielding supernatural weapons. With him close, I knew the crystal would cause him discomfort, but at this rate it was hard enough to think of his well-being with my own at stake. I kissed Romulus's cheek and pulled free of his arms to retaliate. The cold strengthened in the very center of my body before I formed my own blood into ice. I glanced over my shoulder and took off, dodging the heat. Romulus called my name. I slid my makeshift weapon from under my tourniquet and took my plunge. In the very same moment, Van Helscream looked up. The irises of his eyes turned grey and it was all over before I could finish it myself. Letting out a scream of frustration, I drove it in anyway only to have it shatter in my hand against solid stone. The red chips of ice clattered to the floor musically, but the sound did nothing for my temper. I'd never felt stronger. I'd never felt more like a monster. My hands coated in ice as I struck the solid stone over and over again until it chipped and fractured. Romulus grabbed ahold of my shoulders, but that only drove the frenzy.
He nearly killed us both. He nearly destroyed everyone and everything we loved. There was no way I was going to just let him get away with it, whether he was next to dead now thanks to Deuce or not. He could come back from that and I wasn't about to let him. Romulus called my name over and over. I felt the impact bruise my knuckles, fracture my knuckles just a bit, but I kept it up. I kept it up until there was nothing left but shattered stone that couldn't be repaired. My feet ached. My hands were in agony. I finally fell back against Romy in exhaustion. He supported me for the shift it took to lift me. It was surprising to me that he could do it at all.

"You self-destructive little brat," he muttered, taking my hands as best he could, scowling, "That's not going to heal well, you know."

I laid my head against his shoulder, trying to muster words. He didn't need them, though. He shifted to wrap me in his jacket once more and I closed my eyes, just for a moment to savor the warmth. I didn't open them again until morning.