Chapter 12

Movement was first, the flash of light, time showing as I saw Nick turn towards the light, the shattering glass as he started to move. There was no sound at first, just feeling the ground shake under my feet and finally the precussion and loud boom that made my lungs give out.

My ears rung, and my eyes were closed as I leaned down, waiting for the body blow of the blast. However it never came. Slowly I open my eyes and lift my head. Nick stood in front me, his body having shielded me. The giant table was gone, now sitting in the far right corner of the room, on its side and sorched by the blast. That's when I noticed everything was scorched, except where Nick's shadow lay, where I now crouched. He turns to me, his shirt a singed mass on his frame. He pulls the tatter clothes from his body and turns, his voice booming out, 'Guards!'

As he turns towards me, his eyes light up and he says, 'Brace yourself!'

His sheer power was overwhelming as another blast slams into the room, I close my eyes and feel a body cover me. The smell of smoke and fire filled the room as I hear Nick say in my ear, 'We need to get out if here.'

He grabs me out of my now burning seat and propels me towards the door. Smoke filled my lungs and I try desperately not to cough. I look for the other A rank who had been in the room and see nothing but burned bodies. None were moving and I heard no heart beats as we burst into the hall. Smoke bellowed around us as I hear in my mind, 'Crow, Aname, Lilac come!!!'

Never would I have thought I would get to experience the mind calling of a Pureblood. I could feel the deadly pheremones telling outsider vampire like me that death was imminent, and I choke back my scream of fear. He calls over his shoulder, 'Its not for you!'

Just then out of the shadows comes a figure and I scream again. Nick jerks me away, but then sees it's Crow and orders, 'Get the Jeep! Now!'

Crow doesn't even hesitate, running from us. Another bomb blows us off our feet and I land hard on my back, the wind knocked from me. I gasp, trying to fill my damaged lungs and hazy brain. I hear Lilac call out in Russian, 'Nicholas! Prince Nicholas!!'

My eyes widen as I turn and see Nick getting to his feet, a small cut on his face as Lilac comes rushing from the smoke. Her terrified face said it all as she continues in Russian, 'The Phantasma, it has to be, they are taking over the mansion, half our men are dead.'

Nick says in Russian to her, 'Get to the basement. Crow is getting the Jeep. Where is Aname?'

'I saw him fighting off several vampire minutes ago. He is likely dead!'

Nick's eyes flash that reptilian iris's and he says, 'Take Nina with you, I will get Aname.'

'But Prince!!!'

'Don't make me tell you twice.'

She flinches, grabs my arm, and pulls me away from Nick. Why had he protected me? I was nothing. But I don't question it as another bomb goes off further from us. She glares at me as she glances back and snarls, 'I don't understand why he needs you so! You are bringing this down on our heads!!!'

I couldn't agree more. Suddenly a gnarled hand reached out of a doorway, and the body follows suit as Lilac is slammed into the opposite wall. My eyes widen as I see a ghoul. It had been so many years since I have last seen one. It was terrifying, all it's teeth now points, it's hair gone, and it's eyes fully black, sclara and all.

Lilac pushes it away, and trusts her hands out towards it with a roar of anger. It goes flying backwards into the wall, breaking through and going on as it let's out a screach like nothing human.

That's when a flood of ghoul bodies, gray of skin from their transformation came through the hole. Lilac turns to me and screams, 'Run!!!'

Ghoul's are stronger than most vampire. A ranks can usually fend off a few at a time, but the hoard that now chased us down the hall was a reething mass.

Lilac was passing me, her A rank blood showing it's power as she ripped past me. The mass of ghoul we're on my heels. Lilac looks back and snarls, 'For heaven's sake!'

She grabs my hand and slings me down the hall a good 40 feet, making me land hard on my side and slide. She on the other hand had turned to the mass, looks back and yells, 'Go down the hall! The last door on your right leads down to the garage! Follow it!'

Then she turns to the mass and using her telecanesis pushes them back a bit. However I knew they would overwhelming her as she start to fight them one on one. They we're relentless as I stood and called, 'Lilac you can't win! Come on!'

She yells over her shoulder, 'Nicholas wants you! Not I. You are the key, now GO!!!'

I knew not to argue and turn away, running from the screaming hoard. When I reach the door, I look back and watch in horror as a ghoul finally gets to Lilac, his teeth slamming into her arm and wrenching it from her. She still fought, but I knew she only had moments left to live. I could not help her, I was strong, but I knew my weaknesses. This wasn't a fight I could win. I thank Lilac for her sacrifice, turn away from the ghouls about to rip into her, and run.