Chapter 52
will it open
or close
will it scar or
keep bleeding
- Lucille Clifton
Warnings/Bonuses: Adult themes. Coarse language. Violence. Innuendo.
245 Piccadilly Road, Greenhill. November 27, 2005. 02:16 am
Daniel twisted his hand up through red hair and yanked. It took Sophie by surprise, she stumbled backwards and fell against the table, her arm snapping against the edge as her body slammed against it. Sophie slumped to the floor, gripping her arm to her body while she registered what had just happened. She saw the horrified expression on Katia's face and her own twisted in agony as she realised what she had nearly done.
Sophie turned away, ashamed, and it was then she noticed the strange angle her arm was in. She blinked several times before the dull thud of pain suddenly hit her. Daniel glanced back at Kieran and ordered, “Take her downstairs and see if you can set that.”
Kieran shook his head, clearly annoyed, but he didn't argue. He gently scooped up the whimpering girl and carried her down to the basement.
Katia made a move to follow them, but Daniel stepped into her path. On her third attempt to dodge him, she clenched her fists in frustration and growled at him, “Move.”
“You never, ever go past that door there,” he hissed, pointing at the door Kieran and Sophie were disappearing through.
Katia glared back, her nails digging into her palms as she growled, “She's hurt.”
“And that is why I am not going to let you go near her. Injured she is even more dangerous.”
Her eyes narrowed, “And who's fault is that?” she replied.
Daniel thrust his hands out, exasperated, “She tried to attack you. Was I suppose to tap her on her shoulder and ask her nicely to not feed off you?”
Katia's voice warbled as she shook her head. “She wouldn't have hurt me,” she said, sounding unconvinced herself.
“She was acting purely on instinct, there would have been no distinction between you or any random human she may have preyed on,” he explained. Katia looked away, to flustered by the thought of Sophie wanting to feed on her. She rubbed her neck as Daniel continued, “She is young, she is still learning to control her impulses, its not safe for you if she stays here. I will be taking her with me when I leave tomorrow.”
“You are leaving me alone here with Kieran? How do I know he won't do the same thing?”
Daniel snatched Katia's hand and pinned her body against the counter with his shoulder. She twisted trying to break free, but he moved quickly, pulling the nearest drawer open, pulling out a knife and using it jab into the tip of her finger.
“Ow,” she yelped, “What did you do that for?”
He slid the knife across the counter, letting it skid to a stop after it clanged against the wall. He said, looking at her intently, “Just a precaution.”
“I'm bleeding,” she complained, staring at her finger.
“Yes you are,” he nodded with a cocky smirk.
She sucked on the tip of her finger and mumbled, “I thought you liked blood.”
Daniel stared at her mouth as a tiny bit of diluted blood pooled on her bottom lip. He cleared his throat, “Not yours. When that heals, do it again.”
She shook her finger, “It hurts.”
“It is better than the alternative.” He pulled her finger up to where he could see it, and blew on it gently. Katia shivered at the slight chill it caused.
“No telling what sort of disease I'm going to get from that knife,” she grumbled, frowning.
Daniel examined the small bump of dried blood, and glanced at her. “I think you will live,” he said with a impetuous grin.
“Bastard,” she grumbled, shaking her hand free.
He leaned in even closer and purred, “What is the matter princess, afraid of a prick? I am sure you have had at least one before now.”
She shot him a warning look and grumbled, “You always have to go there don't you?”
He feigned innocence, “What ever do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I'm talking about,” she said.
He was about to reply, when they heard a sharp anguished scream issue from the basement. Katia, shoved him back, “Get off me.”
He caught her arm and jerked, “No.” When she looked back at him venomously, he whispered, “You don't need to go down there to know what is happening to her.”
She stared at him, not sure of his meaning at first, but then it clicked. He wanted her to try and sense Sophie. Katia nodded and tried to relax.
She closed here eyes and tried to concentrate but she was painfully aware of Daniel watching her, how the counter top bit into her lower back and how the kettle pinged as the metal cooled. She was also listening for any other sounds coming from below. Katia shifted and closed her eves even tighter. “Stop looking at me,” she griped, not bothering to open her eyes.
She listened to the sound of his boots on the tiles as he made deliberate steps away from her. Wooden chair legs scraped across the floor before it creaked under the weight of someone sitting down. She peeked out of one eye and then shut it again when she was satisfied he was not looking at her.
Breathing out she imagined letting go of everything around her and thought about her and Sophie as children. That was the only time they had ever really gotten along. It was before work and responsibility and her always being the one to take the burden of everything. It was before they knew about vampires. They were happy then.
It was like hooking onto a large fish and feeling it fight her back. She fought the pull at first but then let herself follow the ebb as it took her out slowly at first and then gained momentum. She couldn't explain how she knew it was Sophie. Not only Sophie though, not like she remembered, it was her sister plus a jumble of other feelings. A pain shot through her arm, instinctively her hand ran across her arm before Katia realised it wasn't her own pain that she was feeling. It ached down deep, it felt like searing white hot tentacles as the bone had started to knit together. Katia tried to pull away from it, but was instead held tightly in place as both she and Sophie let out a wail together.
As the agony in her arm began to subside, she became aware of a constant thrumming in her head. It was an intense desire for blood, and for a moment she could taste slick over her tongue. She held it in her mouth refusing to give into the impulse to swallow, her nausea snapping her back. Katia opened her eyes and raced to the sink to spit out the mouthful of blood but nothing came out. Turning on the tap, she rinsed her mouth out a dozen or more times trying to make the taste go away and to convince herself that there had been nothing in there.
When she was satisfied, she wiped her mouth with her shirt, glancing at the wet patch to make sure it was clean. Daniel hovered behind her, caught in mid movement, uncertain whether or not he should attempt to comfort her. It was to his relief that she ignored him completely and walked across the kitchen and up the stairs.