Chapter 54

Nick swirls with a ungodly growl as the ghoul leaps from the wall above him. More seemed to materialize from the wall and Ki yells out, 'Run!'

I didn't argue as I run deeper into the tunnel. As I had turned away, I saw Ki pull two flashing daggers from a belt under his jacket at the small of his back. He moved like the wind was two ghouls converged on him. I didn't have any more than that glimpse.

My breathing was haggard, not from exhaustion but true fear. We were trapped in a tunnel with ghoul and I had seen at least ten forms start moving before I had turned away from Nick and Ki. Being a C rank would not help me, even my speed was dampened by my low rank.

Suddenly something jumps down in front of me and lets out a hiss that made the hair raise on my neck and arms. I stumble back a few steps and the ghoul couches there, staring before it pounces. With a swift roundhouse I send it flying into the wall. It slides down the tunnels rocky wall, black sluggy blood oozing from a cut on its head. It didn't seem fazed and memories slam into me.

The creature screaming as I race through the forests of Virginia. The sound of musket fire and deep rumble of cannons far off. The ghoul was after me. It had been a week since my last feeding and I was trying desperately to outrun this monster. It had been stalking a group of soldiers for days and had picked off a few. But I had lured it away, hoping to protect the humans before more died at the hands of the monster.

Suddenly I'm back in the present as the creature lunged again. I scream out in rage as I slam my fist into its face. Its head snaps around for only a second and then it whirls on me. All I see is flashing teeth, sod down to points coming towards my face. I scream again, one word of complete desperation, 'No!'

The forest, the leaping creature faster than I. My dress snagging on branch as the creature bounds towards me. Its mouth see-sawing open, a gapping hole. No time to react as its teeth since into my neck and clawed fingers into my ribs.

This time, however, I react without fear paralyzing me. The past experience sweeping away like a mirage. My arm raises just as the creatures mouth comes down. It bites down hard into my arm and I yelp. The pain fuels my rage as I scream, 'Oh no you don't!'

Power surges inside of me and using my other hand I push him away with wind that blasts past me. I feel muscle and tendons pull away with him. Agony courses through me as the creature flies back, taking a chunk of my arm with it. I twist away, landing on one knee and cradle my arm. Blood was pouring from the wound as I gasp from the pain. I could hear the sound of fighting ahead, but it was just out of my sight range in this pitch black cavernous tunnel.

The banshee cry of the ghoul came from behind me. My head pounded my ability to manipulate wind spent from so little food, and I look straight ahead, a strange calm in both mind and body. Sensing its final jump, I scream into my head, STOP!!!

I wait for the bite, but sense no movement behind me. Slowly I turn, seeing the wild eyed creature staring down at me, in mid-grab, fingers like claws as it stares down at me. Its mouth was wide, panting as it stared. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button and I stumble back.

Its black soulless eyes staring as another surge of power builds in me and I scream in rage, wind swirls around me, whipping my hair, and using my hurt arm I thrust it forward, sending the creature flying back, rolling, and finally sliding.

Running footsteps make me jump and look back. Nick was running towards me and slides to a stop, dropping to one knee asking in a commanding voice, 'Are you ok?'

'Hurts,' I saw hoarse from my own screaming.

The creature stirs with a growl and starts to sit up when Nick growls as well. His hand flings out, power surging from him like a black hole, almost making me pass out. One second the creature was there, the next there was bothing but a splash of black, like a can of paint on a highway, stretching out from where the ghoul had been.

I was panting softly as I slowly look back at Nick, eyes wide with sudden fear and realization. This had to be what he had done back when I had been chained in that room. He didn't look hurt, or even disheveled. Slowly I feel myself sinking in exhaustion. Nick grabs me before I flop to the ground.

His eyes looked panicked for a moment, his pheremones strong with an unfamiliar scent as well as the rusty smell of rage. I wanted to say something as he looked at my craddled arm. Ki was running up to us and says, 'The area seems cleared of ghoul. Is... is she ok?'

'Attacked.'

It was a short clipped response as he suddenly sweeps me off my feet into his arms and turns to where we had come. It startled me and my good arm wraps around his neck. He looks at Ki and says in the voice of a man in command, 'Call your Night Hunters and call my brother. A can of worms has been opened.'

Ki nods saying, 'I'll stay here, just in case more show up.'

Nick nods and walks away. Panting, I murmur hoarsely, 'I can walk Nick. I'm not an invilid.'

But one sharp look from him told me to stop talking. He looked murderous, but calm. A hurricane of rage boiled just below the surface and I wasn't going to be Pandora.

--D--

The medical van sat quiet in the street. I was sitting there as the medic wrapped my arm. The ghoul had taken a sizable chunk as the medic says, 'I would say in your condition you should be healed in three or four days, depending on your last feeding.'

She looks at me, liquid silver eyes in slanted sockets. She was waiting for a response and I lie, 'Last night.'

A nod as she continues, 'Then definitely three if your a C rank. Keep it clean, though its unlikely you will get an infection, don't tempt fate.'

I nod, knowing how if it did get infected my days would be numbered. It could be like rabies, a slow decent into madness and finally ghoul-dom. Nick was talking with one of his A ranked subordinates, Gregor or the like, a burly man, more muscle than anything, with a thick beard and thick brows in a prepetual frown.

Ki was talking with some of his Night Hunter commrades - more fae than muscle - some already jumping down into the pit. One handed him a towel to wipe the black sludge like blood off his face and hands.

My worry though was stronger as I look down at my arm. A C rank bitten by ghoul could get infected, but what scared me most was the hunger burning like fire deep into my bones. I needed to eat, I needed blood.

The asphalt I stared at morphed back to me slamming the ghoul into a tree back in Virginia. It had saved me as I finally reached the river limping and jumped in, leaving an angry, but hurt ghoul behind. It had been days before I could move, the ghoul having taken blood and broken bones. It had been terrifying, but there was something even more terrifying than that.

My mind plays back to the moment the ghoul had stopped as if on command, as if paused by my inner voice. What had happened? What had I done? How?

'Nina?'

My eyes snap up to see Ki standing there. He had gotten a majority of the blood off his face, a few streaks still miring his pale skin. I reach up and wipe them away and ask, noticing the glistening on his clothes, 'Do Night Hunter's wear black to hide the fact you kill?'

Ki chuckles as he hands me the towel already stained with black to wipe my hand, saying humorously, 'Yes and thankfully you really can't stain black.'

I laugh at that, but the laughter slowly fades as I look down at my arm. Fear pulsed through me as Ki asks, 'Are you ok?'

'Not really.'

There was only a deep throb of pain in my arm and the slight tingle of healing already trying to take place. What if I had just condemned myself to a fate worse than death? What if all of this was in vein? What if Dante was right?

'Stop worrying,' Ki says, putting his hand on my shoulder as reassurance.

I look up at him, knowing my fear showed in my eyes and eeked out of my pours from my pheremones, 'Are you sure I shouldn't?'

Just then I hear fast and heavy footfalls. My head snaps towards them and I see Nick coming towards us. He didn't look happy. Ki steps back, hand popping off my shoulder as Nick says, 'Ki can you take over from here.'

Ki nods instantly. Nick turns to me and says, 'I have a car waiting to take us back to the hotel. You need to recover.'

His eyes jump from my bandage to my face in a flash and I nod. You never say no to a Dracul Pureblood.