by Lee Taylor
What the hell was going on out there? The door exploded inwards with a shower of splinters, shards scattered around the bar off the hard floor surface. The musky air wafted in my direction, and I could still smell the remains from the burned down police station that was stagnating in the breeze.
A figure stepped forward, shrouded in the musky aperture; my nostrils flared involuntarily, and I drew in a huge intake of the ruined air. A thick, full scent of gunpowder swirled around in my head enough to make my eyes water.
The large silhouette stood in the doorway for a moment, taking advantage of the confusion going on in the bar. Emerging from a light haze, I realised that it was the muscle-bound Goliath: Leon King.
He dragged in with him an unmoving soldier as if he was mere hand luggage. His hand clutched around the man's throat. The incapacitated soldier was kitted out with the same décor as the other three. Swiftly they turned on him, raising their weapons and began to fire. The sound was strange; it was high pitched and evidently metallic. The odd guns also emitted blue glows. The rifles were alien to me... Shit for all I knew they were alien.
Leon lifted the limp body; the projectiles punched holes through the poor guy and his armour, jerking with each entry. Leon threw the lifeless form towards two of them where they had bunched together in the surprise of his entrance. Tessa and I took the opportunity as it arose and sprung from the table. Christian shakily held his hand up and pointed at Leon, barking orders at the remaining soldier. I could feel the tension ease off of me as it was looking more likely that I was going to escape the bar and dodge the scalpel.
“Ursine is mine, and mine alone, you got that?” Leon's voice was low and husky, speaking through gritted teeth. My feeling of reprieve began to dissolve fast.
So, he is not my knight in shining armour. I looked to Tessa; she didn’t mess around she saw the opportunity as an out and was dragging me toward the back door.
It led into a sweaty, grease-smeared kitchen. Tessa barged through the door as a loud thud sounded beside me. I turned to see a hilt buried into the wall, skewering clean into the concrete. One guess as to who threw the blade.
“I don't remember saying you could leave did I?” Leon challenged; I paused and twitched uncomfortably with the voice screaming in my head, telling me to run. Spinning a second knife nimbly in his hand, he stared at me.
What the hell was he, some kind of circus performer? He changed his hold on the knife, shifting his balance from his left to his right leg. For a big guy he sure moved gracefully; compared to him I was a lumbering idiot. Tessa jerked me forward again, giving Leon a parting smile. I flashed my eyes, and we turned to run. More shots rang out from inside the bar. Leon had taken his eyes off the soldier and Christian to threaten me.
What a meathead, I jested to myself, amazed that we had gotten out of the bar without injury. A low snarl resonated from inside that sent chills rippling up my spine. I looked over to Tessa for further instructions.
Tessa's eyes were blank, looking ahead, refusing to turn back. Our heart's beat with the same rhythmic pumping. Fear and adrenaline fuelling our steps, I tried to spare a few thoughts while I ran. How had Christian found me so soon? I would have hoped that he would’ve given up for the time being and just lay up in hospital somewhere. The way that he looked at me when he entered wasn’t a warm expression. It wasn’t a “Thanks for saving me” it was more of a “YOU!?” Still, I couldn’t be angry that he caught up so soon. Hell, I had returned to the same bar I had been arrested at earlier, and there wasn’t really anywhere else that I could have gone in that town.
I looked to Tessa, I was relieved that she had understood what I was trying to do in the bar, of course that didn’t help now as we fled, but at least Christian didn’t shoot the both of us back there. We were sprinting through the shadowed backstreets of the town, still holding hands… I hadn’t realized. I didn’t think she had either. I felt my face begin to feel flustered. Tessa was really something else; she was incredibly violent, bad tempered, and for the most part, she wasn’t that easy to get on with. Saying that, of all the people that could have walked in the bar, I was glad that it was her.
“Wow, you’re… You’re beautiful!” I blurted. My cheeks glowed brighter, and I wasn’t sure if it was a chemical reaction, but my eyes began to ache, and before I knew it, my vision was bathed in red. Oh crap I hope this isn’t those rose-tinted glasses you hear about.
Tessa immediately looked uncomfortable at my comment. With another clucking noise she yanked me forwards again, urging me to go faster, slipping on rubbish that tarnished the gravelly back alleys. Leaping over discarded boxes and bags, we rushed through the night.
My hell vision was picking up everything living. At least that I could see around me: the odd mouse or cat that lurked in shadows, foraging for food. They glowed a dull pastel blue' they were pretty in their own right, but compared to Tessa... Nothing quite made the cut. I know some people say when you are in love that the whole world is awash with rose tinted glasses, but what about me... I couldn’t be in love... and yet absolutely everything was pulsing red. I was so fixated on the way her body shimmered with each step, that a couple of times I tripped, and she just kept on going, scuffing my newly acquired clothes as she dragged me back to my feet, not breaking a sweat. Well... That was until our concentration was disrupted as her pocket began to vibrate. I almost wet myself I was so shocked, diving for cover amongst sacks of trash... eww.
Tessa yanked out the phone and fumbled with it for a few seconds, trying to unlock and answer.
“What? When? He's with me. Yeah, right. How soon? Sure, whatever.” She put the phone back in her pocket and held her breath. I brushed myself off, practically bouncing on the spot, waiting for what seemed like decades. The tension was killing me.
“Well who was it... What's happening?”
“Lycaon,” she answered. She eyed me ruefully. “He said two things... One, Ivan found the Venetians...” My heart-rate stilled.
“And two... The estate was attacked in similar fashion to the police station... Lycaon was out hunting, and when he got back it was ablaze... He is looking to see if anyone was inside. So he said that we should find a safe place to hold up. I think that’s a good idea; we don’t need you doing something reckless.”
“Tessa...” I choked back tears, trying to convey my feelings of what were swirling around inside. Tessa's gaze softened sharing my emotion, and her eyes glimmered in the flickering street light above.
“It's really not a smart idea... But somehow I know I can't talk you out of it...” Tessa said, ending with a lamenting sigh. My dark passenger who had been surprisingly quiet rumbled in appreciation.
Moments went by whilst I thought of a plan of action on how we were going to get back. I wasn't sure if I would know the way... Maybe if I was lucky I would be able to follow a fire engine there... Unless of course there wasn't one called...
I grimaced and rubbed at my temples, digesting everything one piece at a time. There was one thing that kind of bugged me when Tessa was in the bar. She acted out of character. At least, it was different from how I had known her. She always seemed more to me as a scrappy kind of girl, and yet rather than stand and fight, she opted to turn tail and run. Hey, maybe she wasn’t as invulnerable as I thought she was. Hell, in my mind she was like freaking superman; a woman of steel... Okay so maybe Supergirl... I don't know. Flashes of images accosted my mind, and I momentarily relived the ordeal in the Ocean motel with the living barbed wire... Tessa laying helpless on the floor, flayed... and Tristan... The way he whimpered and squirmed as the coils drew tighter around him...The guttural rasping that he released in his last moments... Tristan. Nausea overcame me, and I found myself swaying on my feet. I wasn’t ready to see it then, and I wasn’t ready to deal with it now... That could happen later, as well as the therapy sessions that would surely be running into my sixties...
“You know, Ursine, I think the best thing you can do is change into your Lycan form; you m
ove faster as a quadruped.” Tessa chided.
I knew she was right. Every once in a while it was good to have someone around to snap me out of my flunk. I developed so many mental issues recently that it felt like my brain was going to dissolve. All of the different hormones floating inside were triggering mood swings (in case you haven't noticed).
I really hoped my chemicals would balance out soon; living through puberty the first time around was hard enough.
“What about you? How are you—” My question was cut short.
“I can run just as fast as you can, grizzly boy, now please, please stop with your cry baby routine. Honestly, you, are as bad as pregnant woman in her third trimester,” Tessa added. Her tone was light and mocking.
Okay, you know what I said about it being nice to have a proverbial wake-up call? Well forget it; Tessa was a slap in the face kind of girl. I turned and nodded. As much as I wanted to stand there and argue over her scalding, we were burning up time just standing there.
Tessa seemed to be enjoying herself' a broad smile was transfixed on her face; now you see that was the Tessa that I knew, smiling in the face of terror. Honestly, I knew I should have been more scared of her than any of the other guys, but I was encapsulated by her infectious grin. And found myself racing her, my heartbeat thrumming in my ears, and the various street lamps became hazy with a blanket of mist that had settled over the town. The tree line was within reach, and without another word Tessa simply took off into the undergrowth. I couldn't even hear a patter of her feet as she bounded out of view. Stopping to turn her head, she looked over her shoulder before disappearing entirely from sight and jested for me to follow in suit. I could feel the cool night breeze tickling my skin as I discarded my garments. I was amazed at how easily I had adjusted to wearing no clothes outdoors... a couple of months ago I was one of the guys at school that if we had to get into communal shower I would do so, wearing shorts. Now... well now I struggled to keep them on. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t a nudist... I just hated to waste money on clothes and would prefer to stay in my transformed state. That’s a good excuse right?
I began to shift, feeling my temperature climb to an almost unbearable level before soothing me. The only way I can explain it was that it was like stepping into a piping hot bath tub; the initial shock that creeps over us guys that takes out breath away, and we find ourselves cupping our dangly bits.... Well, it is just like that, but all over. Suddenly, accustomed to it, you would swear that you had just burned all your nerve endings away, and gradually as your bodies humming subsided, you are left feeling healthier than ever: complete with a thick pelt of fur. I stretched out, cracking my joints and straining my ligaments as I flexed, God it felt good. The sensation of my skin flaking away to ash with my pelt under was so incredibly satisfying, like having a face mask on for hours, and when you peeled it off the skin beneath felt fresh and tingly. I could kind of understand why some people would treat themselves to such an experience at a spa or a slumber party, but I digress.
I eagerly scented the air, picking up flecks of lavender and cinnamon: Tessa. My stomach juddered, almost trembling with the anticipation. I was going to hunt the shit out of her. I know it’s not exactly a normal thought to have, but I was elated that my dark passenger wasn’t thinking it. After all I was only joking, kind of. I locked all my attention onto her scent, blocking out the other odours from the charred town and the mossy earth and sharp pine needles that fought for my attention. It was so firmly implanted into my head that I was confident I could run after her with my eyes closed. Bouncing from trunk to trunk as she did there were also wafts of burning decay that filled the air. The night sky was still seriously over-clouded with smoke that bit into my nose, and the misty fragrance was drifting amply around. If I didn’t get a move on and stop sniffing, I would probably lose Tessa’s spicy fragrance. Hey at least I knew that eventually I would find the estate. Who needs a yellow brick road when you have yellow and red flames?
Tessa was scary fast, and by the time I set off, it smelled to me like she was miles away. Every now and then I would have to pause and guess what direction she was heading. She couldn’t simply run in a straight line... She had to be difficult. Tension grew as I neared the end to her scents trail; I could see the moon peeking through gaps in the sky, grimly illuminating the surroundings in a pale grey light that would make skin glow white as snow. I froze in place, calling out in frustration. Okay so it was more of a roar. Regardless, it echoed through the woodland. Deer that could hear me and were in the vicinity turned tail and ran faster and harder than they ever had before in their entire lives. I could make out the glow from an owl. It was tinted, and its aura was almost dripping with a wash of colours. The moon's glow ignited its eyes, gleaming amongst the shadows that it was swathed in. The owl was perched, fluttering and ruffling itself in a nearby tree, bobbing on its branch. I eyed it with intrigue for a moment, and it returned the curious stare. Almost enough for me to develop a complex, its eyes were too intelligent for a mere bird. I broke eye-contact, looking forward uncomfortably. It took flight as I did; apparently it was bored with my company, and silently fluttered away into the abysmal darkness.
I tilted my head upward, following its path; a cool breeze washed over me, and with it was a feint trace of Tessa's scent. An idea occurred to me; Tessa could have been up in the branches... No... I quickly disregarded the notion. I was fairly confident that wasn’t the case; hell, I would have been able to hear the rapid beating of her heart. Honestly I recalled that fleeting moment several nights ago where I thought that hiding up in the canopy was a stroke of genius... I couldn’t help but feel foolish for my attempt of outsmarting Lycaon and his pack. At the time I must have been a beacon. Rasping for air, I might as well of been body-popping on the branches with glow sticks, while blowing a freaking whistle.
Another waft of her scent invaded my nostrils. My dark passenger for as short a time, as it was, took control and had me sprinting in a direction involuntarily. The auto pilot that I was running on felt like that old bacon advert where the guy is being dragged along by his nose to the alluring scent of the bacon being fried except with me, I was chasing down Tessa’s alluring aroma. Finally slowing down, smoke rose into the air like massive, colossal pillars reaching into the heavens. I knew I was definitely headed in the right direction.
When I reached the edge of the estate, I could see Tessa and Lycaon having a very animated discussion.
I was so confused on how to feel. Part of me was happy that Ivan’s home had been destroyed; it meant the attention would have been taken off of me for acting like an emo. That only added to make me feel worse. Was this my fault? Did I make this happen? I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Tessa approach.
“I said, hey, slow-poke.” Tessa's voice chimed in my ears; she was holding a pair of trousers in her hands, bleakly waving them towards me. I growled and snorted, exhaling a gust of air. Lycaon looked to me and nodded. He was still in his human form. Well at least they had finished with their little tiff.
What Tessa said after the phone call was an understatement. The grand building was raised to the ground in places. Ash and mortar blew in the evening’s breeze; flames still hugged parts of the estate. Timber was slowly fizzling and popping away, expelling the left over moisture. Luckily there was enough space from the house to the surrounding woods, or with the breeze it could have picked up to a forest fire. I took a few moments to view the carnage, crunching the gravel as I sniffed around the outskirts to see if I picked anything up. I didn’t know what to say to Tessa or to Lycaon, so I avoided them while I searched for survivors.
I cautiously explored the ruined estate, pictures had blistered and blackened in areas closest to the flames. I didn’t even notice Tessa as she walked over to my side; I was trembling, fighting desperately to keep the dread from taking hold. I could barely see; smoke and the darkness in the estate made it nearly impossible to get a decent view of anything. I turned to face her, the fire w
as still crackling, embers drifted in between us, and I could feel my heartbeat incline as she drew near. At that moment I just wanted to smash everything, but with the surroundings already so damaged if I hit anything I would only make the vast construct collapse onto us like a house of cards.
She placed her hand on my head, and I shook with rage, her presence by my side was burning me more intensely than the flames ever could. I wanted to turn to her, wrap my arms around her, and cry at the frustration. It caused a physical pain, and it jolted right through me. Slowly, I slunk to the ground feeling defeated. I blinked tears away, forcing myself not to cry. It was the most human I had felt since before all the freaky stuff had begun. I felt like me again.
I slowly changed back to my human form; my dark passenger was uncharacteristically quiet. I lay on the floor, my arms spread out to my side, the heat burned my skin and I choked on the wedge of tears caught in my throat. I wish I could have blamed the toxic smoke... I looked around with my blurry vision; Tessa was sat beside me holding onto her knees that were tucked into her chest. The pants that she had been holding were perched on top of me. I looked at her for a moment as she studied the charred wall. Her features had changed from her pensive hard-expression to one of loss. She was looking more and more human. I was finding it hard to imagine her as the demonic badass that she was.
“Well... What do you think, Tessa? Do you think they got out?” I said, strained.
“Do you want my honest opinion, or do you want me to say what you want to hear?”
“The truth.”
“The truth is I don’t know... They could have made it out if they weren’t caught in the main blast that ripped the east wing up. But there’s no telling... The fire... it cleanses all,” Tessa said, adding to the melancholy of the smouldering ruins. Pops and whistles still crackled around us, and I paused for a moment... forgetting how to breathe.
“Did Lycaon find out from Ivan where the Venetian’s are?” There was a thud as more rubble crashed on to the ground just behind from where we were sitting, and for a moment it piqued my curiosity. I was hoping it was them.