B008GMVYA4 EBOK (49 page)

“Why did the guards attack us? I thought they would be
looking for Trace and Gabby?” Madison asked, looking back at Brendan.

“I don’t know. Something’s not right, we need to get out of
here” he said, rolling his shelve back down. 

Brendan placed his hand gently on her knee. A warm wave of
pleasure flow up her spine, she urged for him to hold her, to feel his cold,
strong body against her own. For his lips to be against hers and to taste his
sweet breathe in her mouth.

They stared at each for a long moment, their faces soft.

“What about Fred?” Madison said sadly.

Brendan’s face fell; he hadn’t even begun to think how he
was going to break the news to Fred. This was something she would never recover
from, Leon had been her life.

Brendan’s face suddenly hardened, he looked up, his eyes
shifted to the door behind Madison. His vampire hearing had picked up on
something that was too quiet for her human ears to hear.

Brendan grabbed her arm, pulling her up with him.

“Who is it?” Madison whispered nervously.

Brendan pulled her to the end of the desk, gesturing for her
to duck down behind the side of the desk. She did so without hesitating.

“Stay here” Brendan whispered, grabbing the machine gun.

The door which led out into the corridor flew open. Trace
stepped through the door, followed closely by Gabby and four other guards dress
completely in black combat.

“Brendan” Trace said, surprised to see him.

“Where’s the bint?” Gabby asked harshly.

Her words hurt feelings Madison a little, but she remained
still and silent.

“She had to step out” Brendan said sarcastically.

“Don’t treat me like I’m an idiot. I could find her if she
was a needle in a hay stack, she has a scent I will never forget” Gabby spat.

Trace’s eyes fell towards the pile of ash that lay in the
other doorway, the remains of what was left of the guard. His body had
decomposed until only a pile of ash was left on the carpet.

“Your friend snuck up on me” Brendan said catching Trace’s
gaze.

“You didn’t think we done all of this on our own, did you?”
a smile stretching across Trace’s face.

 Brendan eyes scanned over the four guards, trying to
identify any of them under the cover of their black balaclavas.

“
Traitors
” he muttered under his breath.

“No, Brendan. You’re the traitor. You
all
are.
Traitors to your existences, living out your lives with the humans - pretending
to be like them. It’s sickening. Well we’re
not
like them. There was a
time when we were top of the food chain. Now we’re scavengers, relying on prey
to sell their blood to us. It’s pathetic” Trace spat in disgust.

Gabby nodded, totally brainwashed by Trace’s views.

“It time we retake our place at the top of the food chain
and live the way we were meant too. Like the animal inside us needs too” he
continued.

The four guards agreed, nodding their head enthusiastically.

It was clear that Trace had brainwashes them and probably
countless other to his way of thinking.

“There’s a war waging from the inside, Brendan. There are
more of us, older ones, fed up of hiding. They are unhappy with the way of life
that has been decided for us. The cards have not yet been laid out, but when
they do…you don’t want to be standing on the wrong side” Trace threatened.

Brendan eyes scanned the vampires as he absorbed the
information.

Madison thought she could almost see the mechanism of his
brain ticking, like the wheels of a clock. It was obvious that he was piecing
together pieces of a much larger puzzle, one that he was not likely to share at
this moment in time.

“It’s not too late to join the right side” Gabby whispered,
a flicker of hope in her voice.

Trace shot a warning look at Gabby. She lowered her head
like a dog with its tail between its legs.

“I’ve already chosen the right side” Brendan said, certainty
in his voice.

“Really? Because you seemed to be the only one that is
standing on the ‘right side’. Where are your friends? Leon? Fred?” Trace
smirked.

Brendan blinked. The pain was still too raw to hear Leon’s
name being mentioned. Fred was still within The Coven somewhere, but he had no
idea where or if she was alright? She was totally unaware of what had happened
to Leon.

A large ball rose in Madison’s throat again, she tried to
swallow it down but it wouldn’t budge.

Brendan didn’t answer, he remained still. Not giving
anything away.

“Don’t you know? Did they run off and leave you? And at the
finale as well… That’s a shame” Trace mocked.

“Where’s the Black Orchid? Did they run off and leave you?”
Brendan asked sarcastically.

“As a matter of fact – yes. We caught up with one of the
boys in the corridor, talking to his so called “
Master
” again. He legged
it, though. Well disappeared, you know what they’re like. Probably gone off to plot
their next attack, I’m sure that won’t be the last we hear from them. I think
we have royally pissed them off this time! You know what the Black Orchid our
like. Their like ants, first there’s one, then two, then
BAM
”
Trace clapped his hands together “Picnic’s ruined”.

“Brendan” said an unknown voice from the back of the room.

Brendan twisted his body to see who had called him. A tall
man dressed in a black robe, like the ones Leon and Fred had been wearing stood
in the door way. He had long light brown hair that was tied into a low pony
tail. A brown goatee circled around his mouth, his eyes were dark blue and
hidden by his thick, bushy eyebrows. His face was thin with distinctive cheek
bones that curved his cheeks. His nose was long and thin, that end in a sharp
point.

An estranged expression spread across his face, causing the
lines on his face to seem deeper than they actually were.

“Jonas sent us” the man said, walking across the room to
join Brendan followed by four other men dressed in the same attire.

Trace’s scanned the men uneasily, his eyes flashed wildly
with fear and anger.

“Kill them” Trace roared.

Gunshot flew in all directions.

Two of The Covens guards fell to the floor, bursting into
flames before there was nothing left but ash.

Brendan and the other guards ran off in all direction,
trying to dodge the bullets.

Gabby ducked down into a crawl and disappeared within the
many desks. Trace shot off left, followed by a couple of the men dressed in
black combat.

The other guards responded by empting there round towards
the other Vampires.

Madison threw her hands up over her head. Terror ranged
through her, paralyzing her. She knew she could not out run the gun shot if she
was to move.

The long glass window to the left of the room cracked and
shattered, spraying glass all over where Madison sat. A screamed erupted from
her throat as glass showered down all around her.

“Madison!” Brendan shouted, sprinting towards her instantly
as he still tried to dodge the gunshot which flew randomly around the room.

A stray bullet collided with his right shoulder, piercing
the skin and burying itself in. Brendan collapsed to the floor two desks to the
left of her; he was now injured on both arms, although his left arm had
probably healed by now.

“Brendan” Madison screamed in mass panic, unsure where the
bullet had hit him.

Instinct kicked in, pulling me to her to her feet. She
wouldn’t allow anymore of her loved ones to die, she had a new strength that
she had never felt before and it would push her forwards to stand up and save
the ones she loved.

She stayed low, covering her head with her arms as she
pasted the gangway between the desks. Bullets zoomed past her head, missing her
by inches. One of the down falls of being humans was that, if she was hit by a bullet,
she wouldn’t be as lucky as Brendan.

Although she knew Brendan would heal once he had removed the
bullet, he needed her now. And If the tables were turned, there was not a
shadow of a doubt that he wouldn’t fight his way through to get to her.

Madison heart raced in her chest as terror ripped through
her. Adrenaline pumped around her body, causing my whole body to tremble.

She reached the next desk, crouching with her back again the
strong wooden side, breaching the distance to get to Brendan.

Slowly, she peered around the side of the desk, down the
gangway. It was clear.

Moving fast, still staying low. She crawled the few feet
towards where Brendan was led on his side injured, his hand already underneath
his t-shirt, extracting the bullet from underneath his skin.

“Brendan!” Madison cried, as she reached him.

Kneeing over his head and gently pressing the palms of her
hands on either side of his cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Madison asked, unable to keep the emotion
from breaking through in her voice. The right side of his t-shirt was drench in
blood and Brendan appeared paler than usual.

Madison lowered her head, brushing her lips against his
forehead – unsure what to do.

Brendan closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of her warm
lips against his cold skin. She heard his teeth grind together and his body
tightened as he pulled the small silver bullet from his flesh.

The rest of the room seemed to fade away around them, unless
only Madison and Brendan were left. When Madison was with Brendan, everything
always seemed to melt away around them. The hell that they had been through to
be together had only made their bond stronger. The loose that had occurred had
been great and horrific and guilt would be with them both for however long they
both shall live. Madison realised now, more than ever. That no matter how long
we both lived, they would be together. There was no one else she would rather
spend the rest of her days or hours with.

A sharp pain throbbed from Madison’s scalp as someone
grabbed a handful of her hair and threw her backwards. Madison slid backwards
across the floor a few feet. She was thrown backwards in such force it made her
feel dizzy. Gasping she caught her breath as the wind was knocked out of her.

Brendan jumped to his feet as she was ripped from his side.

Gabby stood before him, her eyes flashing wildly. Blood ran
down her face from an open cut of her forehead, probably a bullet scrap. Her
normal flawless skin seemed duller than before, a few lines creased her
forehead and the deep cut flawed her skin. She grabbed Brendan by his silky,
black hair, scratching at his face and eyes. Anger rumbled through Gabby, like
the trembles of an earthquake. Her whole body shook, and her normally pale faced
looked flushed.

A loud and piecing scream erupted from her lungs as she
continued to attack Brendan like a wild cat.

Madison jumped to her feet, not really thinking about the
bullets that were still flying around the room and the fights that erupted
throughout the room.

Leaping towards Gabby and grabbing a hand full of her pretty
blonde hair.

“See how you like it, Bitch!” Madison spat furiously.

Gabby whimpered, letting go of Brendan instantly, not
wanting to lose any of her perfect hair. Brendan face was covered with small
thin scratches from Gabby’s finger nails as he watched Madison with
astonishment.

Using all her strength Madison tried to pull Gabby
backwards, like she had done to her. It was difficult and she was a lot weaker
then what she thought.

Gabby moved unwillingly back a few paces, persuaded only, by
the pain of her hair being ripped from its roots.

Gabby wailed as Madison tug at her hair, urging her back
further. Gabby grabbed at her shoulders, pushing her backwards. Madison
stumbled, letting go of her hair and falling to the floor.

She lunged at Brendan again, striking him in the face and
stomach.

Brendan fell back against the desk, gripping his stomach
from the impact.

Jumping to her feet again, Madison swung at her. Her fist
painfully impacting with her left cheek, Gabby fell to the floor, out cold.

“Owe…” Madison cried, trying to shake of the pain in my
hand.

“How the hell did you do that?!” Brendan asked confused,
watching Madison as she danced shaking her hand from the pain of the impact.

Madison felt ecstatic. She had finally fought back, giving
Gabby exactly what she deserved – a good hard smack to the face. Madison would
have jumped for joy if she hadn’t been in excruciating pain.

Brendan stared at her in disbelief, a smug smile twitching
the corners of his mouth. He gripped his stomach, his crystal blue eyes burning
brighter from where he remained perched against the desk.

“Wow” he muttered under his breath, eyeing her from top to
bottom but confused to where her new found strength had come from.

Madison turned towards him, grabbing his arm to help him up.
Although, Brendan didn’t really need it, he allowed her to help him – standing
up easily, without much effort.

 “Come on...” Brendan said grabbing her arm and leading
her towards the back of the room, away from some of the gun fire.

One of The Covens guards fell over a table at their feet, as
he was shot several times by a machine gun. Brendan pulled Madison out of the
way before the guard could collide with her, they staggered around the alight
body of the guard and raced down the gangway between the desks staying ahead of
the bullets.

The door was insight. A few guards and Trace in mid fight,
blocked their way.

Madison heart raced, her head felt a little hazy but she was
unharmed. She trembled, from the intense fear and trauma.

They reached the end of the desks, Brendan crouched down low
as the gun fire scattered the room - Madison followed. This was as far as they
could go, there was no way they could pass their enemies without them both
getting shot in the process. It was becoming apparent that they would have to
fight their way out.