Rayv: thanks chica!
Airlia de Lioncourt: an update! Remember to breathe… hope you like!
AN: feel free to review...
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The Inferno
Chapter 2: Noble sacrifices
Not aware of how many blocks they had ran in the short space of time, Cassia found herself now in front of Jonathan and dragging him along with her. He looked like shit, but she couldn't complain since she was the one torn up and bleeding. It was only when Jonathan almost collapsed that Cassia was willing to stop. She pulled him into the nearest alley and help prop him against a nearby Dumpster. She may have been the one bleeding and nauseous but it was Jonathan who found it difficult to cope with the running. It was probably all of the muscle he was carrying around with him Cassia concluded sarcastically. She scrambled back to the alley entrance to see if any Nightworlders had tracked them this far.
"They killed all of those people because of us." He said simply, breaking the tense silence. He was going into shock and that was something Cassia couldn't afford.
Cassia moved back to Jonathan and slapped him as hard as she could. He rocked back on his heels. "Listen to me Jonathan, they are dead and there's nothing we can do about it. Now focus. Because if we aren't as careful as hell then we'll be joining them." He stared at her for a long time, his face expressionless. Finally he nodded his understanding, only when she got this conformation did Cassia return to her vigil. "God Nish, I thought you were stronger than this?" She muttered to him as she settled her spine back against the alley wall trying to ignore the waves of agony rolling through her upper body.
"I am...but I can't...what was..."Jonathan replied, under his breath.
Cassia snapped her eyes back to Jonathan, he had his eyes closed and his breathing was ragged. "Well what..."She stopped abruptly when she heard the sounds of scrunching gravel. Cassia looked up two seconds too late as a vampire swooped down from the third storey roof of the building to her back. She was slender, Viking tall and had a mane of striking red hair, she struck Cassia during her free fall and then leapt toward Jonathan. Cassia recovered quickly, pain was a good motivator. She jumped up from the pavement round-housing the vamp so that she fell onto Jonathan and then yanked her back by the hair. It was a girlie thing to do and Cassia hated it but it was all she could think of to do at the time. Just as Jonathan was freed from reds grasp another vampire dropped from the roof followed by another of his immortal buddies. Now Jonathan was wedged between two vampires and the entrance where Cassia was waiting already in a fighting stance.
But to her heart sank with the silent knowledge that there was nothing she could do as another group of Night World scum advanced from the alley exit. Now Jonathan was caught between the two vampires and the advancing parasites. Jonathan inclined his head fractionally to indicate that he too was aware of the new arrivals. He looked at Cassia, a flawless full smile spread on his lips.
"Live long, fight strong and die well!" Jonathan said, still smiling. With that he launched himself forward and jumping the two vampires blocking his escape route. Cassia moved in to help him but he screamed at her while he wrestled the vamps. "Go! Run you stupid idiot!"
"NO! I won't leave you!" Cassia shouted back at him, forcing back potential tears.
"You can't save everyone, you said that. But just let me do this one thing and save you. Now piss off and RUN!" Jonathan barked back. Cassia watched horrified as the vampires began to overpower him. The others at his back were now running to help their comrades. "GO!" Jonathan roared at her. "I can't hold them much longer."
And with that Cassia ran, she ran blindly and wildly and with no purpose but to escape her best friends death.
