About A Soldier

Part 6/10

Mutiny

Weeks after suffering the first big loss, Jasper finds that his hunting trips no longer leave him completely satisfied. Tonight he'd had three and still his eyes were dark. He kicks at a lone pebble in the dirt path on the way back to the house; he's not eager to return.

This changes, however, when a shift in the wind brings him the scent of smoke and a sensation of fear and anger and confusion. He looks up, and the sight of flames leaping towards the sky sends him sprinting down the path.

When he arrives, he finds everyone outside in a slight state of panic. Some are arguing with each other, others are simply standing and staring. Their coven base was going up in flames.

"Jasper!"

He turns. "Pete, what happened?!"

"I don't know. Charlotte came runnin' down the stairs like the devil himself was after her and started screaming for everyone to get whoever they could and get out."

He knew it wasn't as silly as it sounded – vampires didn't need to breathe, but if they were trapped and weakened, it could mean death. They can't afford anymore losses right now.

Another voice called his name and he turned. "Nettie?"

"Oh, Jasper… you're here… it's – I don't –"

A sudden wave of panic rises in him, and he isn't certain if it's coming from her or from him.

"…Nettie, where's Maria?"

"She… I-I thought she was right behind me…?"

Jasper stares at her; there's something in her voice he doesn't like. "Nettie, where is she?"

"She's in the house, Jasper," Nettie whispers, her voice trembling. "She's still inside."

She barely finishes her sentence before he's through the front door of the house. Forcing himself to hold his breath, he kneels low and squints against the smoke. "Maria?!"

He flinches, scrambling backwards as the old chandlier above the entrance crashes down. It's followed by a piercing shriek.

"Maria!"

He hurries up the stairs and down the hall. The door of her bedroom is shut. "Maria?!"

"Jasper? I'm in here!"

The door cracks off it's hinges in less than a second, and Jasper nearly stumbles over Maria when he enters. She's lying on the floor on her back, her arms and legs sprawled out as though she'd fallen and simply stayed there.

"Maria, what are you doing?"

"I can't… I'm too weak, Jasper. They attacked me, and…"

"Who attacked you?"

"I don't know," she gasps. His eyes travel over her body, locating a series of bite marks that number well over thirty. "I was caught off guard, I never even saw them. You know I like to lie down and rest? That's when it happened."

I should've been here, he thinks as he kneels down and scoops her up in his arms. "I'm sorry, Maria."

They're out of the house in a few moments, and by then, Maria's able to stand.

"Maria, he found you!"

Lucy is there, reaching for Maria, embracing her like sisters after a long separation. Jasper keeps his focus on Nettie.

Her eyes were locked on the ground.

* * *

"Hold it, little lady."

Nettie freezes in her tracks. Slowly, she turns to see Jasper leaning against an old oak tree a few yards away from her, his arms folded over his chest. She always found him more intimidating the others, and tonight is no exception. To top it off, he's angry with her.

"Yes…?"

"You knew Maria wasn't with you last night, Nettie. I'm not dumb."

She pats at a mound of dirt with her bare feet, tucking her arms behind her back. "I know you're not dumb, otherwise Maria would've never turned you."

"I am curious, though," he says. "Enlighten me."

Nettie sniffled. Though she was a few years older than Maria in human age, she acted like a young child. She often uses this trait to her advantage, but tonight she's simply afraid. "It was Lucy's idea…"

"To leave Maria?"

"And to set the fire." She watches his eyes narrow, and she looks away.

"Why?"

Nettie looks over her shoulder, back to the camp that's been set up in place of the house. Jasper walks towards her.

"I won't repeat a word of this, Nettie. Not if you tell me the truth."

"…She says we're losing. Lucy, I mean. She says Maria's losing her touch and her mind. If we keep going like this, we'll all be dead sooner or later. Lucy promised that if I helped her, she'd protect me. I don't like it when Lucy's angry; she scares me more than Maria does. I only want to do what's going to keep me alive, I don't want to die. I knew if I refused to help Lucy and she succeeded, she'd probably kill me, too."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. Normally I wouldn't side with Lucy, but I think she's right this time. Maria's costing us all more than we should be giving up. She's greedy, don't pretend you haven't noticed. I know you care for her, but think about this: she'll use you until she can't use you anymore. And then, what good are you to her?"

Jasper watches as Nettie stands there for a moment, letting what she said sink in. And then, she retreats back to camp. He stays where he is for the remainder of the night, thinking.

He does care for Maria, that's no secret to anyone including himself. Still… Nettie's words had truth. How long will it be before Maria grows tired of him, too?