Chapter 24 pt. 2

I woke up to the smell of blood and jolted upright.

Kris was holding my shoulders.

“Easy Raven,” he spoke.

“What’s going on?” I gasped against my dry raspy throat.

“Drink first, then we’ll talk,” he said picking up a packet from the bed next to me and pushing it into my hands.

I drank. I sucked as much blood as I could from the packet and when it was gone, I looked up for more from Kris. He nodded and handed me another packet without words. I drank it like my life depended on it through that packet and 3 more like it before coming up for air and realizing that I was seeing things in black and white.

“What happened?” I breathed.

“You were poisoned a little. Alizya pulled out as much as she could.”

“With what? Where’s Leo?”

“Leo’s working. I only came to make sure you didn’t go crazy with blood lust and I have to go again. Take it easy today and stay out of witch territory.”

He stood to go and I was confused. “Kris, wait! What was the poison?”

“Alizya can explain. I have to go.”

Before I could complain, he was out the door. I tried to get up to follow him but I was stiff and got dizzy the instant I was on my feet. I fell back onto the bed and sighed because I couldn’t go after him.

I rubbed my eyes, hoping to see in color again but it took a few minutes before I could. It was strange that my vision was in black and white at all but I didn't dwell on it because I wanted to know what happened at the salon. Luckily, Alizya came to check on me shortly after I sat down.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” she asked carefully.

“A little sick to be honest. What was that?”

“You were hit with a dart. It had a poison in it that’s illegal here but not in the U.S. My friend had it spelled to attack any vampire who entered the salon. I didn’t think she of all people would have something like that.”

“Kris said you got most of it out of me.”

“Most but not all, which is why you’re not feeling well. Do you think you can come down for dinner with your aunt and cousin? You don’t have to eat but it would be nice to have you down there with us.”

“I’ll come down if I can without falling down. I’m really dizzy. That’s why I haven’t left the bed yet.”

“I’ll move you to the kitchen so you can relax until they arrive. You can take the trash can with you just in case.”

“Can I just try the stairs? I think I can make it if I go slowly and I don’t really like ...”

Before I could finish my sentence I was moved downstairs to sit on the couch and was instantly throwing up. I caught it in a bowl that we had been using to scry then slumped back into the couch craving blood again despite having had so much when Kris was there.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Alizya asked carefully.

I was shaking and felt like I was going to explode, so naturally, I was grouchy and snapped back at her. “No, I’m not okay. I don’t know how you think that I would be okay after all of that!”

“Just try to relax. Your body needs to heal.”

My heart was pounding in my chest. I wanted to run and hunt but Alizya would not have allowed it, so I was digging my fingers into the couch. When the doorbell rang, I jumped out of my skin and all the way to my feet out of my body. I was separate again for a moment until Alizya grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back into my body.

“Take a deep breath and try to center yourself, Raven. Your panic will only make this harder to control.”

I couldn’t reply. She didn’t understand what I felt. I wasn’t in control anymore and the body separation had only made my need to run even worse.

I stood and plotted my route in mind while Alizya looked me over.

“Raven, you need to sit back down and calm yourself. I’m going to go let your aunt and cousin in. When we come back we will go straight to dinner.”

I stood still just long enough for her to get to the door with her back to me before I took off out a kitchen window and into the cool twilight air.

~~~
Colors and smells blurred together as I sped through the city, only stopping to take what I needed from vampires who were attacking humans. I became some kind of strange vigilante who was trying to swim in vampire blood. I couldn’t distinguish one event from another until the human spoke my name and paused the frenzy.

It was my brother.

He was standing there staring at me with confusion and fear on his face. My heart was racing and I could taste blood in my mouth but I gaped at him, unable to think straight. There was only blood and the search for more.

“Raven, what’s going on?” he spoke gently. I could hear the tremble of fear that he was trying to hide.

I turned back to the vampire I was holding and ripped off his head in one quick motion. With that, dust floated to the ground at my feet and I was ready to leave but my brother touched my arm.

I turned to face him over my shoulder with an involuntary growl. He flinched but didn’t step away from me.

“Raven, come with me somewhere safe.”

I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn’t produce words. They were beyond my abilities.

“It’s okay, no one will hurt you, just come with me,” my brother continued, offering me his hand.

I had enough sense to reach out for it but as soon as I started the motion, my eyes rolled back and I was going unconscious.