rooms.
Leslie’s power rolled out of her and over the house. She warded the doors; there was
so much blood in the house that it fed her power. It brought a gasp from her. All
the hair on her body stood on end as the magic rode through her like lightning. She
took in three deep breaths and sucked in the magic. It wouldn’t stay down.
“Go,” she choked out to Patrick.
“Are you—"
She waved him off before he could say another word. She watched him leave, balling
her hands into fists. She had never been in so much human blood, but the tainted blood
seemed to be affecting her. She looked down at her bare arms and noticed the blood
on her skin. She took in a deep breath, but her magic would not calm down. She did
the only thing she could, she let it ride. She gave in to the magic; three bodies
in the house felt it.
Blood. Magic.
Collin’s eyes turned into white orbs as Patrick’s turned into a sea green, his bear
eyes, and the Rogue licked his lips.
“What is she doing?” Collin asked Patrick.
“I think it’s the blood. She warded the doors so the rogue wouldn’t get out, and she
seemed to let out more than she wanted.”
“Fuck,” Collin said. Patrick nodded.
A noise like scratching above them drew their attention. “Five bucks says I know where
he’s going,” Patrick said at Collin's back, holding a large, silver knife.
Collin pulled out his 9mm, but Patrick stopped him from leaving the carpet, pointing
to the blood coating the tiles. They both looked at Leslie. He clicked off the safety.
Her hair seemed alive, her dark eyes were watching the roof, but she seemed to not
be there. The scratching turned into loud bangs. Collin aimed. A huge piece of the
roof fell into the blood, splashing more on Leslie.
Then it sprang at her. She held her hand out and the vampire twisted in the air as
if being strung up like a giant puppet. “I almost forget how normal they look,” Leslie
said in a far off voice.
The vampire looked so human, but the paper-thin, very white skin, the small black
dead veins. Its hair, long and greasy, matched its dirty, shredded cloths. The eyes,
unlike in vampire stories, were quite normal and plain. Leslie knew it was the mouth
you had to stay away from, by experience. The two little teeth were sharp like a snake's,
and just like a snake, they had little venom bags. A vampire's bites could paralyze
the prey, making it lie helplessly while they feasted.
“Leslie, let’s just kill it and get out of here,” Collin said.
“Did you have fun making this mess?” Leslie asked the hissing creature.
“Les,” Patrick said in a calm voice, debating the idea of using his bear power to
help calm her. He would, but he was worried it might make the situation worse.
“Talk,” she said in a bland voice, ignoring her friends. Her hand clenched. The vampire
hissed.
“I didn’t kill. I came to the blood, but it’s dirty. I will not touch this blood.
It’s sick, tainted.”
“Collin,” she growled.
He aimed and took the shot. Leslie let her hand fall to her side. The vampire’s body
hit the blood thickened tiles with a small splash. The blood hit the skin on her arm,
and it burned. It brought up more power, and she felt as if she would explode. She
collapsed to her knees, the pressure in her too much. She held her arms over her chest,
trying to hold in the terrifying power, as she struggled to hold it at bay.
“I’ll get the head and call in clean up. Get her out,” Patrick said.
Collin came over to her and grabbed her. Her magic touched him, she could feel it
didn't like him; it bit at him. He gave a very inhuman hiss and stepped back as she
struggled to her feet.
“Don’t touch me,” she said as she slowly walked out of the kitchen. “There is something
in the blood, and it is all over me. I can’t stop it.”
Collin followed after her, but her power slapped at him if he came too close. Outside,
she