Chapter 9- Escape

Cassandra

Anna made a minor cut on my hand, instructing me to heal it. I took a deep breath and focused all my attention on mending the damaged tissues and bringing the skin together. The skin began to pull together as the blood seized to seep from the injured area.

I smiled victoriously as I looked down at the pale skin of my arm, which held no signs of the previous injury. "I did it" My smile grew as I looked back at Anna, who held a look of pride and admiration. "That's amazing. You learned that pretty quickly", she said with a proud smile. "Drake would have helped you too, but he's been busy lately".

"How are the investigations going, by the way?" I asked, wanting to feed my curiosity about the witch from earlier.

She seemed surprised that I knew about what was going on but she seemed to assume that either Duke or Drake had told me.

"I don't know much," she replied, "but so far, they haven't found a lot", I simply nodded. Anna said she had some stuff to sort out and we said our goodbyes before she left.

Anna didn't live in the mansion for some reason, but I never bothered to ask, not wanting to get into her privacy. She would drop by occasionally to see Drake, but mostly kept her distance from Duke. I'm not sure what is going on between the siblings, but whatever it was, it didn't seem like my business and I didn't want to interfere.

Not having anything else to do, I made my way toward the large living room. It was late, but I didn't want to go to the ‘room’ that had been prepared for me, so instead I sat on the couch, taking in the warmth that the fireplace provided before turning on the television. I don't remember the last time I watched television. It's probably been months.

Watching Vampire Dairies now that I’m a vampire felt weird but relatable. I understood what it was like to have fangs, I knew what it was like to snarl when you’re annoyed and even though I didn’t have all the special abilities like speed and hearing and instincts like bloodlust though I can slowly feel them developing.

I missed being human though, if I knew it was going to be taken away from me so abruptly I would have appreciated every moment. I missed not knowing about the supernatural world, this revelation of a new world made life a lot more confusing to me.

I closed my eyes to hold back tears as memories of my brothers began to flood my mind. How Blake found me, how my brothers took me in and took care of me, How Donald would tease me and steal my food, how Zane tried to protect me from the world they belonged to I still got involved despite his efforts.

… How I ran away while they got arrested.

I choked back a sob. Not too long ago, while helping the maids in the kitchen I overheard some of them talking about three human boys who had been arrested.

I politely asked for more information without being suspicious.

“Well, you see miss, there’s this security agency, quite well known around these parts. They arrested these mortal band of criminals a while back, the Vipers, that’s what they call them. Their arrest caused an uproar in the mortal and supernatural community alike”.

Another maid took the dish I was holding and dried it off before adding, “and news has been going around that the criminals are holding back information and the agency is considering execution”.

The Vipers had been the name the society had developed for my brothers, associating their behavior with that of cunning snakes.

They called Zane, Anaconda; called Donald, Mamba, and called Blake, Taipan. I was never a part of the Vipers but I did make my impact in society, most were by accident though. Still people don’t tend to like someone that sets property on fire.

Once, I had wandered into an abandoned building filled with criminals, they tried to kill me, I freaked out in a matter of time the house was nothing but ashes and rubble.

How exactly that happened, I have no idea. That night was sort of a blur.

And that was how I earned the name Blaze. Society’s nickname for a young criminal arsonist.

In a very twisted way, society had begun to fan over us. They followed every crime we did in the same manner that one would follow the life of a celebrity. A broken laugh escaped me at the thought. Tears began to build up in my eyes before flowing down my face, leaving a trail of wet streaks.

I needed to find them. I needed to save them.

Before I could think of an escape plan, a guard approached me and reminded me about the curfew. The one Duke made that didn't let me be out of my room past eleven at night. I sighed heavily before following the guard toward my 'bedroom'.

The hallways were quiet as I walked towards my room, which surprised me since vampires are inherently nocturnal. There were a few guards, though, and they seemed more alert than usual.

We reached my 'room' and the guard proceeded to unlock the door. I winced at the painful screeching the door made as it opened.

I took in the state of the run-down 'room' that I had been recently staying in. Noticing the chipped paint on the walls, the lack of blankets or comforters on the bed, and the broken window allowing cold air to seep through the broken glass, making me shiver and pull the coat closer to my body. I wondered how such a beautiful manor could have such a run-down room. It didn't make sense.

But I could sense something in the air, like magic. It seemed the state of the room was an illusion that felt a little too real. I had a feeling that Anna set it up- against her will.

Duke had decided to put me in this room when I kept persisting about not being in his. He put me in a room that he knew I wouldn't like just so I would come running back to him. What he didn’t realize was that I would never do such a thing as that would be a huge blow to my ego.

I sat on the bed and groaned in discomfort at how hard the bed was. The cold air blew harsher, making me long for a fuzzy and comfortable blanket to wrap myself in. An annoyed snarl pushed past my lips.

Enough was enough. I won't tolerate living here like a prisoner, deprived of my rights as a human- I mean vampire.

Do vampires have rights?

It doesn't matter. It was finally time to leave this dump and save my family. I lay on the hard bed, waiting for a sign to move. I heard the guard lock the door and his footsteps padding down the hallway shortly after, probably to move to a new station. I waited until I couldn't hear the footsteps anymore, immediately knowing this was my cue to move.

It was finally time to escape this prison hell. I pulled a hairpin from my strands before tying it into a ponytail. I opened a drawer, pulled out a knife and lighter I had stolen from the kitchen a while back, and put it in my pocket.

I made my way toward the door, using my hairpin to unlock it, which was something my brothers had taught me. I took a deep breath as I recalled everything they had done for me, but now wasn't the time to be weak. It was time to find them. It was time to escape and save them.

I got into the hallway, inspecting the premises for any guards. I avoided the security cameras as I quietly tiptoed down the hallway. I made my way toward the entrance of the manor, being careful to ensure that no one spotted me. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side because I somehow bumped into a vase, causing it to fall and crash to the ground.

The guards heard it and immediately turned towards me. I took off running. "Stop her!" I heard one of them shout. I immediately found myself being chased by vampire guards.

I ran with all my might, but obviously, they were faster and caught up with me effortlessly. One of them grabbed my hand and began to pull me away. On instinct, I grabbed the knife in my pocket and scraped over the guard's arm. He let me go, not because of any damage caused, but more out of shock.

Another one reached to grab my hand, and I remembered how Donald had taught me to knock someone unconscious. I aimed my elbow, hitting the guard's nose hard, and heard the sound of it breaking. I threw my fists and landed a solid punch, making the guard drop, unconscious.

I was surprised that even worked.

"Get her!" another guard shouted. I swear the number of guards chasing me increased.

As they ran after me, I pulled the lighter from my pocket and grabbed hold of a plant decor in the hallway as I ran past it. I lit the lighter and brought it toward the leaf of the plant. As it caught in flames, I threw it over to the side of the hallway.

'Do not play with fire' isn't a rule for me.

The smoke alarms triggered, and the sprinklers released water. The guards continued to chase me as I slid through the wet floors, using them to my advantage. The guards who weren't able to maintain proper friction ended up slipping and falling as they tried to catch me.

I planned to run towards the entrance, but I knew they would easily catch me since I'm pretty sure they had notified all the guards about my escape attempt by now.

I ran up some spiral stairs to the top floor of the building with as much speed as I could muster. I ran to the balcony that was located down the hall with the guards still hot on my heels.

My breathing sped and my legs ached, but I tried my best to ignore the surge of pain I was currently feeling. By the time I got to the balcony, I was surrounded. The only way out was down- I looked down, contemplating my choices- or up.

I took a running start before grabbing onto the ledge of the roof and hoisting myself onto it. The guards screamed in protest, but I ignored them as I tried to gain some footing on the slippery rooftop.

"Miss, please get down", one of them practically begged. “You could get hurt”.

“Sorry, that’s not happening", I replied. I wasn't just about to give up all my hard work.

The same guard that spoke also grabbed the ledge and pushed himself to the top of the roof. He carefully stalked toward me and I moved back slowly, trying to avoid him as much as possible. "Miss, this is dangerous. Please come with me", he begged.

Being in the same building with Duke is a lot more dangerous than being on the roof of a building, and that's a fact.

"Don't come near me," I snarled as I gave the guard a threatening glare. He let out an exhausted sigh before giving me a pleading look, "Please, the manor is under attack right now", he confessed before grimacing, proving that he wasn't supposed to tell me that.

"What?" it was then I noticed the distant sound of screaming and yelling. The overall sound of chaos that I had let blend into the background prior.

I looked down from the roof where I stood and watched in fear at the sight in the distance. My stomach churned as I watched blood spill and heard the distant screams of pain.

From the distance, I could see Duke fighting off some people I could only assume were vampires as he yelled orders. Drake stood close behind him, also fighting off the vampires that had attacked.

Duke turned to his brother and told him something. It seemed like he was giving orders. Drake nodded and ran from the fight at full speed. As he got closer to the building, I tried to get closer to the edge of the roof to call out to him, but ended up losing my footing.

I screamed as I fell off the edge, feeling the fingers of the guard brush mine as he desperately tried to catch me. He wasn't fast enough, though, and I felt the cold air hit my skin as the wind pushed my hair in different directions.

The floor got closer to me and I felt my life flash right before my eyes. I can't die like this. I can't die before seeing my brothers again.

Just when I was sure I was going to collide with the ground below and meet my end, I felt my body drop into a pair of sturdy arms that tightened around me the moment I landed in them.

"What the hell were you doing on the roof?" Drake's worry and shock filled voice reached my ears, and I immediately felt guilty.

"I- "My mind couldn't think of what to say. I was trying to run away from you. I just wasn't thinking straight. I hate it here. I...

"can't do this," I ended up going with as I looked up at him with tear-glistening eyes. "I can't stay here".

He pressed his lips and nodded before setting me down to stand on my own. "Then let's get you out of here". He grabbed my hand, and we ran to the other side of the manor's garden. "There's a hatch that would take us to the other side of the fence," Drake explained. "The entrance is blocked, so this is the best we've got".

As we continued towards where the hatch was located, bullets were shot in our direction. "Don't let them get away!" I heard someone yell over the chaos.

Drake put himself in front of me and growled threateningly at the figures that were now approaching us. "I'll hold them off. You'll have to make a break for it", he whispered. I nodded, "Okay".

"It doesn't have to come to this," one of the vampires said as he looked Drake over. "Just give us what we want".

"Now", Drake whispered the command, and I took off in the direction of the hatch. I felt bad for leaving him, but there was nothing I could do.

Why did it seem like I always left people at crucial moments?

I ran towards the direction Drake had told me the hatch was located. I noticed the patch of grass that was a bit higher than the rest. Looks like I found what I'm looking for.

My heart pounded hard in my chest as I willed myself to move faster. The sound of people falling and the screams of pain grew louder. The scent of blood became more pungent, making my nose scrunch up and my stomach churn a little.

Almost there. Just a bit more.

As I willed my leg to move faster, I felt a sudden sharp pain at the base of my neck. With the pain came the seizing of my muscles. My legs refused to move. I stood frozen to a spot as my body refused to listen to my brain. I internally screamed at my body to move as I heard rapid footsteps get closer to me with each passing second.

My mind became a haze as my vision began to blur. Fatigue hit me like a truck and I felt my body fall hard to the ground. I heard more shouting. Shouts of aggression, anger, and of worry.

Tranquilizer.

"Cassandra, keep your eyes open... please", I heard someone frantically rush out as they cradled my body. It took me a while before I identified the voice as Drake's. Though my vision was fast becoming blurry, I could still see Duke standing protectively in front of us. His stance was tense and his shoulders were squared as he let out a threatening snarl at the attackers.

Some guards stood close beside him, ready to pounce if need be. I felt Drake's arms leave my body as he made his way to stand beside his brother.

"I advice you to get the fuck out of here before I lose my temper", Duke's voice was dangerously low as he spoke. He let out his claws as he glared at the attackers. Drake backed him up by standing beside him, ready to tear and slice, a sound between a growl and a snarl rippling from his throat. His eyes seemed to turn yellow and Duke’s seemed to turn red.

Some guards also took their stances around the two vampires as they prepared to attack.

"Our apologizes" the one who I think is the leader apologized as he bowed to Duke, which just heightened my confusion. "We were tasked to carry out this job efficiently so we must go through you".

The attackers suddenly lunged at them, starting a full-on brawl. Everything to me was a blur as I felt the hold on my consciousness slipping.

I heard a sound similar to a gunshot. I heard a cry of pain. I heard someone fall to the ground.

I couldn't quite completely make out what was happening around me, nor could I completely comprehend their speech.

"Hold on... get help

"Take her... run"

"Not going... leave you"

"I'll... fine"

"GO!"

I felt someone wrap their arms around me, lifting me off the ground before taking off in a sprint. I felt my vision blur before the darkness consumed me.