Chapter 10

"I know she is here." I can hear Meranda choking and Lisa nudges me with her foot. "You have three seconds to come out, Evelyn, or I kill your friend," Thaddeus growls out before hearing the sound of chairs moving and the bell going off as people run from the cafe. Standing up, I walk out of the kitchen. Thaddeus has Meranda by the throat, letting her go when I walk out and she stumbles back clutching her throat, her red hair half pulled from its bun. She had tears on her cheeks. I felt so guilty. I shouldn t have run, or at least shouldn t have come here. But where did I have to go? I was hoping they wouldn t make a scene here, seeing as it is a pretty popular cafe on this side of town. Thaddeus moved around the counter before reaching for me and ripping me towards him, making me stumble into his chest. His hand going into my hair as he yanks my head back, making me cry out. "You re going to regret running," he growls below my ear before tugging me and shoving me toward Orion. "Now, all their deaths will be on your hands," Thaddeus bellows before his eyes go black. And the air thickens, the lights flickering. At first I was confused until the windows starting bursting. Orion shoving me to the ground, and Ryland ducks down also, dropping over the top of me. Gun fire sounds from every direction, and I watched horrified as Thaddeus gets hit in the chest and shoulder. He growls loudly before walking through the door and heading outside. I cover my ears. The noise is deafening, and I could just make out Lisa screaming hysterically. When suddenly the ground moves like a wave and I hear metal on metal and the sound of buildings exploding before suddenly everything goes silent, eerily so. Smoke and dust fills the cafe, and I can hear electricity zapping loudly. I hear a crash and look up just in time to see the roof in the kitchen collapse in on itself. Lisa screaming for Meranda, sobbing loudly. I try to see where she is but can t see her through the dust and smoke. Alarms are going off in neighbouring shops. Car alarms blaring loudly outside, hear people screaming. I try to get up when Ryland shoves me back down before rolling me over onto my back. His eyes pitch black orbs and his canines protruding. "You shouldn t have run," he said so calmly I shivered by the coldness of his voice. I hear the crunching of glass, making me squint into the dust. Thaddeus boots stop next to my face. Ryland hops off me, and Thaddeus grips the collar of my shirt, yanking me to my feet. I cough on the dust when the shrill sound of Lisa screaming hysterically hits my ears, making me look in her direction. I can t see her but recognise the blue shoes and legs of Meranda behind the counter. Getting out of Thaddeus s grip, I run over to them and see that Meranda has been shot in the stomach. Lisa's hands putting pressure on the wound as she bleeds out on the floor. "No, no, no" I scream, dropping to the floor. This is my fault. "Orion comes over trying to pull me to my feet, but I grip onto Meranda, refusing to let go. "No, please help her," I tell him, but he continues trying to pry my finger from her arm. Thaddeus growls loudly before walking over and gripping me and ripping me away from her. I try to fight him off as he drags me away, kicking and screaming. "Please, please help her." "No, you did this. I warned you not to run. Ryland and Orion warned you not to run," Thaddeus screamed in my face. "Please, Thaddeus. Help her. I will do what you want just please don t let my friend die because of me." Thaddeus growls and was about to pull me away when Ryland speaks. "He helps her, you let him mark you." "What?" I say, looking over my shoulder. "Your friend is about to die, choose, Evelyn," he says, and Thaddeus shakes me, making me look at him. "What s it going to be, choose." "Evelyn please," Lisa sings out to me. I nod, "Please help her" I beg, and Thaddeus lets me go before walking over to her. Following him over, Lisa jumps back, moving out of his way. I watch as he bites into his wrist and places it over her mouth. When he pulls his hand away, he then shoves his finger into the bullet hole and I scream, rushing over. "You re killing her!" Meranda groans in pain. "Move, I am helping her. She won t heal with the bullet still in her," he growls before Orion pulls me back. He drops the bullet on the ground before lifting her shirt. The bullet hole closes before my eyes and Meranda takes a deep breath like she has been under water for a while. Her eyes snapping open, and she crawls away from him in fear although he just saved her. Thaddeus growls before standing up and yanking me from Orion. "Wait, stop," I call out to him as he pulls me toward the door. Thaddeus growls before tossing me over his shoulder, kicking and screaming. Kicking, wanting to go back to my friends, I felt his hand come down on my ass. The slap stinging and I feel his handprint bruising. "Enough Evelyn, we need to leave," he growls before placing me on the ground and grabbing my wrist. Looking around, I gasp. The entire street was in ruins, a car even impaled on a light pole. Bodies strewn everywhere and the road was split down the middle, buildings on fire and torn to pieces. It looked like a hurricane had swept through the city, destroying everything in its path. When suddenly I see Orion grab me. The sound of wind rushing around me and I struggle to breathe from the pressure. Everything moves by in a blur of destruction. I felt myself becoming dizzy from the motion and was on the verge of passing out when he suddenly stopped, knocking the little air in my lungs out of me. Orion placed me on my feet, and I collapsed, the ground rushing towards me as my body went limp. "Shit," Orion yells, scoping me up in his arms. He places me on something soft and as soon as my body touched it, I lurched forward, throwing up. Orion jumped back, and I barely missed him. He pulls my hair from my face, my ears ringing loudly. Something cold touches my face and my eyes snap open as I flop back onto what they placed me on. When the dizziness subsides, I look around and find we are back in the apartment. Ryland is cleaning the floor beside me with a towel. Thaddeus comes into my line of vision and glares down at me. "Grab her. Ryland grab the bags in the room with me." Orion scoops me up and starts walking. The motion making my stomach turn and the dizziness to return before I am placed on leather, and I realise I am in a car. Orion then leaves and I slide onto my side before I feel hands grip my shoulders making my eyes open and I see Thaddeus sit beside me placing my head on his lap. Hearing car doors close before I feel the car start. Thaddeus brushes my hair out of my face, and I feel myself slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness.