Kisses From Death | Book 1

T W E N T Y - O N E

T W E N T Y - O N E
Seek Fuel, Lose Shelter

WHEN WE HAD finally reached the locked room in which the rest of our team were hiding in, I did not hesitate before pounding heavily against the door. My fists slammed against the wood, my panicked voice possibly tearing down the hallways as I screamed myself hoarse.

"Open the door!" I yelled, pleading as my heart beating at incredulous speeds.

In an instant, the lock clicked open before the door swung, allowing both Lucius and I to tumble into the room before quickly locking the door shut behind us. Leaning with my back against the door, I sighed in relief, sliding to the ground as I could finally take a breath of relief.

"Geez, Addison. What happened out there?" Minnie asked, walking over. I could feel Cassiel's cold hands wrapping themselves around my upper arm, hoisting me to my feet as I leaned into his comforting hold.

"And where are the drinks?" Bella called from the other side of the room, a mocking smirk on her face.

"We ran into another one of those things." Running a hand through his tousled platinum blond hair, Lucius looked every bit flustered as I did. His usually pale face was now a blushing vibrant ruby, hinted with a tint of gold. It seemed as though his blood was causing his skin to shimmer with a sort of iridescence. "It was War this time."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Cassiel's jaw clenched hard, his mind reeling with a thousand different thoughts as he gently let go of me. He had a scowl on, one with loathing and irritation as he folded his arms across his chest.

"It didn't get you guys, right? Not a single scratch?" He asked, eyes glancing me over as if to check for injuries.

"No no, we are fine. There was a man in the hallways though and he got torn up. Literally. War caused certain bruises and wounds to form with each passing second and all I could smell at that moment was the coppery pungent smell of blood." I answered, wrapping my arms around me to somewhat block me away from Cassiel's view. If he realized my small action, he did not say.

"What a waste of a trip, then." Bella scoffed from the other side of the room. She twisted her feet back and forth as if testing out the extent of her injury from earlier before. At her words, silence engulfed the room as the group of us plunged into an awkward tension.

A low grumble echoed through the room, breaking that silence immediately as Lucius blushed profusely before running his hand through his messy hair. "Sorry, that one's on me."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am starving. Is there a place here with food?" Beaming with the entire world's falsity, Minnie bubbled joyfully as she smiled brightly at everyone. It took a skilled eye, but her smile was faked, forced. She was only doing it for show, to ease the tension between Bella, Cassiel and me.

"We walked past a small kitchen before we met you guys," Gabriel spoke up for once, his eyes still emotionless and tone unmoving. "This place did use to be a town hall, and perhaps even a mansion before it was renovated. The fishermen might keep some food down in there for when they visit. After all, the rich stop here for replenishments. Besides, this had been a party before the turn of events. There had been food laying around."

"Wonderful idea, Gabe," Minnie chirped joyfully before pulling me towards the door, her other hand grabbing Gabriel's before she opened the wooden door to peek outside. Once she noticed that it was safe, she nodded her head outside, eager to get a move on.

The hall was quiet, containing an eerie silence that matched the creepy stillness of the night. No matter how brightly the sun shone from outside, there was an unexplainable darkness that had spread through the building. There were no screams, and no obvious murder though the hallways were covered with a thin layer of dried blood. It felt as though all the other party-goers were already dead, and we were the lone survivors.