Author's Note: I'm doing this chapter from a new character's point of view. Also, I forgot to proof read it, so I fixed some mistakes. Sorry!
Theo
Ellie looked horrible. Worse than after she and Ryan had fought a Earthen at age eleven. Worse than after falling out of that tree at age eight. Worse than after her first hand to hand combat lesson, where Regan had been her partner. And that was saying something. She looked even worse than when she and Ryan had almost drowned.
That had been a day. What looked like two slime monsters had dragged themselves up from the lake. Dai and Ira had dragged me out to see, unable to tell me what was happening because they'd been laughing so hard. Dai, unshakeable, and Ira, who just didn't find things funny, had been speechless with laughter. Kiera had gotten them in the first place. Kiera, who went out of her way to be silent and creepy. Seeing her shaking with laughter, her usually solemn face light with mirth had been a one time thing. Never since that day had I seen her even smile.
Ryan would kill me if I didn't try to get Ellie out of there. But the sheer number of shapeshifters and vampyrs had me hesitating. Getting killed wasn't going to help anyone.
On the other hand, Ellie looked almost dead. She was slung over a big vampyr's shoulder, unmoving. Of all the things, that was what scared me most. Ellie was very…vocal. That was the nice word for what she was. If she didn't like something, you knew. I couldn't imagine what would cause her to be so...still. She must have been shaken to her very core. Her golden brown skin was paler than I'd ever seen it. She was covered in small scratches. Her eyes were open, and for the first time, it didn't look like she was thinking of some clever plan or sarcastic remark.
To be honest, Ellie looked like a Shell. If she was, nothing in this world could help her. She was worse than dead. If she wasn't...
But going down might set up a hostage situation. I knew enough to know that those never worked out for the hostage. I made up my mind. I would follow them, see where they took Ellie. Once I had a plan that didn't involve me getting myself killed, we'd rescue her.
I turned, and began walking back to where Kiera was waiting.