69: You've Seen It In Your Cards. Us. Together.

The closed door doesn’t do much to block the sounds from the horrified city streets out. Shadows of people running, praying to make it home, pass by and as the minutes tick on more vampires fill the streets, among other things.

It isn’t supposed to happen like this. It happens in the middle of the day. An army of vampires, not vampires and demons flooding the street. More time, we need more time, I need more time.

“Did you finish lining the entry points? All of them?” Gretchen says into the room.

Avalos nods his head, unable to come up with the word, yes.

“Icky isn’t coming. He’s staying at Young & Restless.” Gretchen’s hand tugs at my sleeve. “Stay away from the doors and windows. Turn the lights out and keep quiet. The less attention we draw the better.” She always has had a way of taking charge.

Everyone slowly scatters, but we all stick closely together. I’m not sure how much time passes before there’s a knock on the door. It freezes everyone in place. When no one answers, the knocks get louder and faster. The door rattles on its hinges for only a second before it flies off. Wood splinters fly into the shop and we all shield our eyes and protect ourselves from wooden shards...for the most part.

Caleb shoves me so hard I stumble backwards barely staying on my feet. Once the dust settles Gabriel and two other vamps are perfectly framed in the now open doorway. My heart hitches. It’s different seeing him in person than in those visions in my head. It hurts more.

Caleb steps forward blocking me from Gabriel’s prying eyes. “You can’t have her, vampire.”

“She belongs with me. You know that. Deep down. This doesn’t have to be hard.”

“She isn’t yours. You should know by now that she isn’t anybody’s.” Caleb argues back.

Gabriel flashes him a toothy grin. “You’re upset, but you can argue with me all night and it won’t change a thing. She chose me over you.” His eyes dart to me. “Hazel, let’s go.” He holds out his hand.

My stomach tosses as I’m torn in two. I fight with myself on not taking a step forward and I lose the battle. One foot shuffles forward.

Caleb’s mouth is quick on the trigger stopping me from completing the step. “Just because you pump someone with blood against their will to the point of unconsciousness doesn’t make them yours. It makes you a monster.”

The two vamps flanking Gabriel’s side hiss their distaste with Caleb. Gabriel waves them back. “Filthy wolves always staking claim. How about this. Hazel,” he speaks directly to me again, “you come with me and I’ll make sure no one here gets hurt. They can even go to the luxury of their own homes, untouched.” He catches my face relax as I regrettably believe him. “Promise.”

“I…” my head is dizzy and my lungs burn as I fight with myself. “I…” I can’t seem to be able to say the words, the words telling him to get lost. It suddenly gets hard to breathe and I struggle to catch my breath as I’m conflicted with myself to the point of it hurting.

This time his face is the one to give away his disappointment. “You’ll forgive me.” He huffs.

“Forgive you for what?” Caleb snaps.

“Killing you.” Gabriel says as he steps back letting his two goons ram into the invincible barrier. Everyone flinches. “Last chance.” Gabriel says digging into his jacket pocket.

Caleb lets out a puff of laughter. “Good luck getting in.” He turns his back to him.

Caleb might miss it, but I don’t. Gabriel pulls out a vial and pours it along the threshold. There’s a small, minor reaction. A bubbling, a steam that seeps up from the floor. The repellent. Our eyes meet, Gabriel and I look right at each other as he steps over the threshold and comes to stand inside the shop.

“I knew it would come in handy.” He pockets the vial right as Caleb spins around.

I step forward to stop him, to stop Gabriel. He’s here for me and I won’t let my friends get hurt because of that. I’m side by side with Caleb before his hands grab me and shove me backwards. “Take her.” He shouts behind me.

Instead of stumbling into a shelf, I fall into a pair of hands, Monty’s hands. “Come on.” She says before ushering me to the back of the stop. To the basement. I fight against her hold wanting, needing to help, but her fingers dig into my arms. Before she overpowers me, I catch Gretchen and Quinn throwing out spell after spell. Caleb squares up against Gabriel.

Where’s Avery? Avalos? Another jolt of energy washes over me and I jerk my arm out of Monty’s grasp, but she’s quick and has a hold of me again before I can take two steps away.

I nearly fall down the stairs as she aggressively pushes me forward faster than my feet can keep up. “I have to-”

“Stay safe. You have to stay safe. Let them fight it out.”

Fight it out? Something those two should’ve done a long time ago, but it doesn’t feel right. Maybe because it’s more than just Gabriel and Caleb fighting it out. I kick a large pot that’s filled with dirt in my frustration.

But we both go silent as things crash above us, curses are shouted and footsteps get closer. To the top of the stairs closer.

“Hazel.” Gabriel calls through the clatter of noise and the shouts of fighting bodies. There has to be more than the two vamps that came with Gabriel up there. “Are you ready to come now?” He steps onto the first step. The second.

“Shit.” Monty mutters as she frantically searches the dusty shelves. She hoots in victory as she finds what she’s looking for.

I watch her whip a heavy, wooden table against the brick basement wall with a twitch of her fingers. I’m silent as I watch her draw a rectangle of sorts on the wall with a piece of chalk. She rushes me and latches onto my arm dragging me closer.

“What the hell is that?” I ask.

“A door.”

“And?” I say when she doesn’t say more.

“It’s way out. Go hide somewhere and one of us will find you.” She whispers.

“We’re underground, you know that, right?” I knock on the bricks. “Where is this going to take me?” I panic. Am I going to have to dig myself out. My nightmares of my own grave, being buried alive come back full force.

She pauses.

“Have you done this before?” I shout at her.

Meanwhile, Gabriel is reaching the bottom of the steps.

“No, but it isn’t advanced magic, so I’m fairly confident. It should lead you out back in the alley. I can’t transport you further than that.” She faces the wall and whispers a small incantation that I can’t hear.

It only takes a second before the bricks fade away, become invisible. We peer through the massive hole in the wall and see the alleyway. Gretchen’s car is parked just to the right. The garbage cans to the neighboring business are straight ahead. She did it.

“Hazel.” Gabriel says as he finally reaches the bottom of the steps.

I twist around and meet his eyes, struck by the pain in them. I'm running from him or at least it seems as if I'm running from him.

“Monty. Nice to see you again.” He chimes. “If there has to be anyone between us, I’m glad it’s you, because you know that Hazel and I belong together. You’ve seen it in your cards. Us. Together.”

Monty doesn’t say anything, because it’s somewhat true. But the cards can change. They don’t lie, but they can change. Finally, she gets the courage to shake her head. “You should go. If she’s meant to be with you, she will come.”

Gabriel laughs at this. “You’re right. You’re right.” He says, slowly taking small steps forward. “But, I’ve done some stuff that I regret doing and I’m not sure that holds true. She can only forgive me so much.” He speaks about me as if I’m not right here. “That’s why I have to make her see that I mean well, that everything I do, I do for her.” His eyes break away from Monty to stare at me. His gaze lowers to my midsection

I’m frozen in place before I'm knocked off my feet, taken off guard as Monty shoves me through the newly made door.

His bellow of ‘no’ is cut off as the bricks suddenly reappear. There’s no time to think about Monty’s wellbeing when the horrors of the outside instantly bombard me. What the hell was she thinking? I I may have escaped Gabriel’s clutches for a few extra minutes, but now I have a lot more run from.

People, vampires, I don’t know, so many things scurry down the street. The screams that were background noise to the useless help of officers are deafening now. Blue and red lights glow in the darkened sky. Go hide somewhere, go hide somewhere, I repeat Monty’s words in my head. But all that stops when something or someone knocks over the trash can behind me.

I can feel the heat without having to turn around. Demon.