B008GMVYA4 EBOK (50 page)

Madison took a deep breath, bracing herself. Movement caught
the corner of her right eye. A solder jumped out from behind a desk, his gun
raised in the air. He brought it down forcefully, catching the top of her
skull. An immense pain filled the whole of her head and her vision became
blurred. Her head felt like it had grown twice its normal size and had become
extremely heavy. Black drew in all around her as she crashed to the floor.

Brendan face turned cold and hard as he watched Madison fall
in slow motion to the floor. Blood began to trickle down the side of her face,
down on to her neck.

His eyes grew fiery and his jaw tightened as anger raced
through him.

Brenan leapt up protectively, grabbing the solder and
punching him repeatedly in the face.

Unconsciousness tempted Madison eyes closed, her eyes rolled
back in her head but she forced them open, fighting it with all the strength
she had left. She had to stay awake; slipping into unconsciousness now would
kill her and Brendan.

Her hair was blood soaked, she was dizzy and disoriented.
Her vision was doubled and the strength that she had felt earlier had
completely disappeared.

A high pitched ringing sounded in her ears. It was too easy
to be tempted by darkness that urged to take her, to be completely absorbed by
the nothingness of sleep. No pain, no thoughts, no emotion, nothing.

Madison eyes flickered shut slowly, she felt the heaviness
of sleep weighing down on her. Her hand touched something hard and thick as she
moved it in her unconsciousness.  It stirred her. She used all her
strength to lift herself to her feet. Her eyes rolled open as the wave of
dizziness hit her from standing up to fast. Her head felt too large and heavy
for her to carry it, her hair and face were soaked in blood. There was a dull
pain at the back of her head from where the end of the gun handle had struck
her.  The double vision subsided and she caught a glimpse of dark brown
curly hair flying in the air. Trace had broken off from his fight with one of
the Coven guards. He twirled around to Brendan’s direction, his face full of
anger and hatred. His mouth-open wide as he screamed something to Brendan.

Splatters of blood covered his clothes, a few circles of
blood dotted around his body from bullet wounds – nothing life threatening
though.

Madison eyes shifted down towards the large shiny metal
object that Trace had gripped in his hands, a black barrel of the gun was
pointed at Brendan.

Brendan unknowingly, continued to fight the guard that had
struck Madison, his back to Trace who was approaching fast. Brendan had not
noticed Madison who had risen to her feet and was now watching what was about
to occur before her.

A disturbing, evil smile spread across Traces face, his eyes
glowed as if this had been the happiest moment of his life. His hand twitched
as he grabbed the trigger and squeezed it, the gun pointed at Brendan’s back.

Panic travelled through Madison at a speed she could not
comprehend. Adrenaline ran through her veins, sending a new wave of strength
pulsing its way through her.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The room seemed to fall silent around them. The few vampires
that were left stopped and watched as Madison grabbed the three diagonal bullet
wounds in her stomach.

Trace stared in horror for a second, then his features guess
calm as he realised he had killed the main target of all this madness.

Madison removed her hands from her stomach and stared at the
blood that covered them. Brendan turned around quickly, realising that
something was wrong.

“Madison!!” he shouted, his voice full of panic.

Madison stood behind him, he once massive effort she had
sprinted towards Brendan’s blindside and jumped in front of the bullets, saving
him.

Her legs suddenly became limp, unable to hold the weight of
her body any longer. She sensed the motion of fall, but her mind was too deep
in shock to process the information. Brendan pushed the guard he was fighting
aside and caught her before she could hit the floor, sweeping her off her feet.

Pain ripped through her from where the bullets had torn her
vital organs.

Madison wailed in pain, tears streaming down her face.

Brendan leapt backwards running past the solider, towards
the door at the end of the room. Gunshot erupted in their directions, breaking
the silence that had filled the room for that moment. The solider that had
struck Madison got caught in the gun fire, blocking Brendan from getting hit.
He fell to the floor and combust into flames. The Coven guards still alive
erupted into battle again.

Madison’s heart fluttered in my chest, it was struggling and
too many of her vital organs had been hit. Shock was being to set, causing her
to shiver violently against Brendan ice cold body. Brendan kicked the office
door open and hurried inside, kicking it shut behind him and twisting the lock.

“It’s okay. You are going to be alright” he said panicked.

The room was small. A few large grey filing cabinets stood
at the back wall.

One mahogany desk sat in front of the filing cabinets, a
computer and telephone placed exactly on the desk. The large plain of glass
that covered the right wall looked out onto the city of London; it was covered
with thick white pleated blinds.

Brendan ran towards the desk, knocking the items on the
surface off in one fowl swoop. Gently he laid Madison down onto the desk, being
careful not to hurt her further. The office door began to shake as a foot
impacted with it repeatedly.

Brendan’s eyes were wet with tears, he scanned her body
manically, unconcerned to who was trying to get in. He cleared his throat
several times, trying to remove the large ball that had formed.

Uncontrollable tears slid down Madison cheeks into her
already blood soaked hair. A stabbing pain filled her abdomen as her organs
ruptured eternally.

“It hurts” Madison wept, as Brendan carefully lifted up her
t-shirt to examine her injuries.

“It’s okay…” he whispered, emotion breaking his voice.

Three small holes dotted in a line in her stomach were
filled with sticky, red blood. Brendan’s face drained of coloured as he
realised the extent of her injuries. He threw both hands up other his mouth in
shock, he became still and his eyes widening in horror.

Madison read his reaction, a loud cry erupted from her
throat as she realised she was about to die. Her heart beat grew faster as it
tried to compensate for the fact that it soon would stop. She coughed. Blood
flew up out of her mouth and landed on the bear skin on my arm. She quickly
swallowed down the rest of the metal tasting blood in her mouth, crying
further. Brendan’s hands were quickly on her head, stroking her blood soaked
hair.

“Madison, are you okay?” he asked frantically, his voice
straining under the stress.

“Brendan, I don’t want to die” Madison cried, emotion raw in
my throat.

Gently Brendan lowered his head and kissed her hard on my
forehead.

Her skin tingled from his icy touch, and her mind span at
the realisation that
this
would be the last time they would ever be
together.

He straightened up, tears spilling uncontrollably down his
cheeks. At the moment, Brendan had given up – he had lost all hope.

There was a million things Madison she wanted to ask him,
and now she would never have the chance. The only satisfaction she could get
out of her death was the knowledge that she had save the man she loved.

Her breathing became delayed and she took deep gargling
breaths as blood filled her lungs. Choking, more blood rose in her mouth. She
forced it down, wincing at the disgusting metal taste in my mouth.

“I will not let you die” Brendan whispered now a complete
emotional wreck.

The door crackled as it became weaker with the impact of
some ones foot.

Brendan quickly raised his wrist to his mouth, revealing two
large canine teeth about an inch longer than the rest of his teeth. He pieced
the skin with his teeth. Blood oozed out of his flesh and dripped down onto the
floor.

Madison struggled to breath, watching him with scared eyes.
The sounds around her became distant, until all she could hear was the slowing
drone of her own thudding heart. Her body was tingly, and the pain was
beginning to ease.

Brendan placed his other arm around her shoulder, propping
her up slightly.

“Drink” he hissed through his elongated canine teeth.

Madison hesitated for a moment, his voice sounded muffled as
if someone had turned the volume right down. Staring at the small slit from
where Brendan’s razor sharp teeth had pieced the skin, she let the smell of the
cold sweet, appetizing blood fill my nostrils. It drew her in, urging her to
consume every last drop of it.

“Drink!” Brendan shouted more clearly now.

With her last ounce of strength she wrapped her lips around
the open wound, sucking the sweet blood into my mouth. She forced it down,
swallowing it unwillingly. The blood cooled her insides as it went down. A wave
of dizziness overcame her, a warm sensation burning at the pit of her stomach.
The blood tasted good, sweet and sugary like a warm cup of hot chocolate. Gripping
Brendan’s arm she his fist to her lips, drinking his blood like a staving man.
She swallowed the blood happily, letting wave upon wave of dizziness take her,
drawing her into the darkness, taking over her body, changing it.

The banging on the door grew louder. Vibrations from the
door travelled around the room and up the desk to where Madison led.

After a few more mouth falls Madison let go of Brendan’s
arm, gently he led her head back down onto the desk.

She coughed, more blood spraying out over her weak body.

Squeezing the wound on his wrist, Brendan squeezed some his
blood onto Madison wounds in her abdomen.

Brendan was terrified, his eyes ran along the three bullet
wounds, pouring more and more of his blood out into them.

Madison gasped. A sharp pain flew through her chest, causing
her to gasp for air. Panic erupted. She wheezed, trying to catch my breath but
not absorbing any oxygen. My hands shook at her side as her eyes scanned the
room frantically. Brendan watched in fear as the woman he loved started to slip
away, tears spilling out over his cheeks. He gripped her hand hopelessly.

Suddenly everything stopped. The pain, the fear, everything
disappeared. Madison mind went blank and for the first time in years, she
relaxed.

Brendan darted towards my head, his hands touching her face
and arms as he tried desperately to help.

“Please. Madison. Please…”  Brendan cried, falling to
his knees. Still tall enough for his head to be at the same level as her, he
cried uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry” Madison mouthed, but no sound came out.

The noise at the door grew increasingly louder as the wood
splintered.

Brendan looked up into her eyes.

 “Madison. Please,
Madison
. Just hold on. Let
the blood heal you. Hold
on
!” Brendan wept, now holding her head and
staring heartbreakingly into her eyes.

Her eyes grew heavy, she didn’t fight them. Her heart had
already slowed and it was just a matter of seconds. Madison stared into
Brendan’s crystal blue eyes; her last moment would be a good one, staring into
the eyes of the man she loved. She couldn’t say what she wanted to say, but
sometimes saying nothing is better than saying something. Slowly, Madison eyes
flickered closed as she let out a long breath – she was gone.

“I love you...” Brendan whispered, his head falling.

The door flew open with a load crack as the strong lock was
broken away from the doorframe. Brendan stood up instantly turning around to
face the killer of his soul mate. Trace stood in the doorway, one arm stretched
out gripping the doorframe to prop himself up. The weapon that had ripped
Madison from Brendan still clutched in his hand. Trace’s expressions were
curious, but smug at the same time. He stepped through the door way, closing
what was left of the door behind him. Cockily he stretched to peer over
Brendan’s shoulder, catching a glimpse of the cold, still body of Madison. A
disturbing, satisfied smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh. Oh sorry about that, Brendan. She leapt in the way. You
know I can’t control the bullets” Trace smirked.

Brendan remained still his eyes glued to the floor, anger,
revenge and hate raging through him. Nothing else mattered now Madison was
gone.

Brendan wished it was him lying on the desk; he would have
given anything to be in her place. So he decided; if he was going to die it
would be in her honor. She had sacrificed her life for his, so in turn he would
die to ensure that justice was served in her name.

Brendan jumped towards Trace, his fangs blazing behind his
soft pink lips.

He grabbed Trace by the shoulders, throwing him sideways.
The black gun slipped from Trace’s hands and slid across the room, under the
desk where Madison lay.

Brendan mounted Trace, punching him repeatedly in the face
as he lay on the carpet.

Trace responded, blocking Brendan’s fists and striking him
in the face.

Brendan fell back on the carpet dazed.

Trace was much older than Brendan, more experienced and a
lot stronger. Trace had been lived through thousands of fights and a couple of
world wars. He knew how to predict an opponent’s next move. Something that
Brendan had failed to master yet.

Trace stood up, swing his leg backwards and kicking Brendan
hard in the stomach.

Brendan shot backwards, his back colliding with the already
weak wooden door.

Trace kicked him again, in the face this time.

Brendan’s head rolled down onto his chest, blood pouring
from each nostril.

“What’s wrong with you Brendan? You used to be cool. You
didn’t take any of this bullshit they keep feeding us” Trace spat, kicking
Brendan in the face again.