A Trail Of Roses

Bloody Fight

I whip through streets and pass by buildings with nothing but the moon and her stars as witness to this chase.

With a little chant my speed has increased to match his, and with his presence locked in my mind I wasn't about to lose him.

My heart was thundering against my ribcage, like a bird begging to be freed and fighting against its restraints as I turned down small alleyways only to break out into wide busy streets once more.

My mind keeps trying to go back.

Back to that place three years ago and back to that scene that has been plaguing my mind every night since it happened.

His cold hands.

His lifeless eyes.

And the red. So much red...

It was everywhere. On the ground, against the walls and all over his body that held the gaping hole where his chest was supposed to be. His heart, liver and stomach missing as he hung there for who knows how long.

Subjected to the horrors he had been forced to face at the hands of a monster that had no name. That left no evidence except a trail of bright red roses of unknown origin.

My heart burned with hatred at the thought of the thing that took away everything I held dear within a blink of an eye.

It took away the most important person to me before I even got a chance to mend anything.

Before I could tell him...

Before I could say goodbye...

It ripped him away and left me this broken mess, forcing me to live this life without him here.

My sight became blurry, whilst my heart twisted. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve to suffer that way.

And I was going to avenge him. No matter the cost I was going to end this thing.

Tonight.

Slipping through another alley way I pass an elderly couple as they walked down the street carefully, blind to my presence as I turned down another bout of darkness. My eyes adjusted almost instantly as my legs carried me across the ground and shortened the distance between my prey and I.

Light calls at the end of the alley but it made my warning bells go off once again causing me to slow down as his presence suddenly became close.

Too close almost.

Walking out into the bright moonlight, I bask in her glow as my eyes find the one, I had been searching for.

I didn't notice it before, but we have managed to make our way out to the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The large structure towering off to my right and stretching across the waters that glistened beneath the moon's glow.

His silhouette stood tall beneath the moon as he gazed out at the waters. Only turning to face me once I take a step forward, alerting him of my presence.

The wind played with long dark strands as he trained those bloody orbs on me. They were intense and belonged to a face with sharp features and snow-white skin.

If not for his pale skin one could mistake him for a shadow, for he was fully clad in darkness. From his hair to his shirt, as well as his jeans and the long overcoat he wore, darkness clung to him-and he wore it well.

My breath came out in fast puffs that I quickly levelled with a deep breath as my eyes narrowed in on the creature before me.

"Why are you chasing me?'' His voice was deep, holding a sharp edge whilst his face remained impassive. "Caster."

He knew what I was but then again, I knew what he was as well. Those eyes, although slightly different, belonged to only one clan.

The Dark Blood.

Vampires.

"Are you going to act like you don't know?" I ask, my voice devoid of its usual calmness as I felt anger shimmering beneath my veins.

"Vampire.''

The word tasted foul in my mouth, as if I had eaten something unpleasant and I wanted him to know it. I made no secret of my contempt for him.

But even if he senses it, his face remains impassive. Never changing or even twisting with a shred of emotion.

"I wouldn't ask you if I knew," He replies almost condescendingly, stoking the flames of my angry fire even more.

I narrow my eyes at him before taking another step forward. "You, an unknown man, were on the scene of a murder-fleeing the scene in fact. Seems a little suspicious don't you think?''

Only then does his eyes narrow, a stray strand flitting across his face. "So were you."

I had to stop myself from just leaping at him as my hands clenched into fists whilst my anger spiked, my chest burning.

"I am a guardian." I answer.

"And I am not but I did not murder that boy," He counters before turning around, seemingly ending our conversation. "Return back to where you've come from and stop wasting my time."

And that's it.

That's the last straw needed to fuel my temper as my blade appears within my hand. Silver steel biting through my palm with its cold even through my fingerless gloves.

"Stop." I say before crossing the distance between us and swinging my blade at his head.

Before even touching an inch of hair he suddenly spins around and catches my steel within a bare grasp, his eyes flashing in warning before he pushes back, forcing me to take two steps away. But I wasn't about to be merciful, so I swing my blade once more, this time aiming for his face.

"Enough." His command filled the air as he stepped back, missing my blade by a hair width before regaining his posture and hissing at me, baring those venomous fangs. His mask of indifference finally shattered.

"Stop, for I will not warn you again."

I scoff before summoning my other sword as well and going in for another strike, my blades cutting through the air in an array of fast, swift attacks.

Catching his upper arm, steel tears through his coat and leaves a cut in its wake that freezes up instantly. The magic of my swords already doing their work.

He stumbles back before gripping his arm and looking at the wound. A low growl leaves his lips before those crimson orbs are once again trained on me, anger swirling within those bloody eyes.

"Foolish girl," He snarls, straightening before his own sword appears within his hand. It was just like its Master, completely tainted with darkness. The black steel stole the moon's light as it neither gleamed nor shined beneath her gaze. "I suppose we shall do this the hard way then."

He's suddenly gone from my sight making my heart skip a beat as I turned, my eyes searching for his form. My heart thundered and my skin pricked as warning bells screamed within my head, this morning's hangover nothing compared to what went on in my head skull right now.

A sudden shift in the air alerts me moments before I'm finally able to sense his presence again, latching onto him and moving to the left with a raised sword just as the undeniable sound of steel cutting through air reaches my ears and a black blade barely graces my face. It connects with my own steel before he disappears again, the impact causing me to stumble back lightly.

Shit.

He appears again off to my right and once again I manage to save my neck with only a split second to spare before he vanishes.

He was fast.

"Are you willing to give in yet?'' Cool air tickled the back of my neck, an array of shivers shooting down my spine as the hair at my nape stood on end.

Spinning around I swing my sword, bringing the other up and settling into a defensive stance.

He was toying with me.

"Stop playing games." I growl, my eyes scanning the large open space for even a sliver of movement.

If we kept this up, I might end up being the one on the losing side here.

That or reinforcements could arrive before I've gotten a chance to end him. Knowing Darius, he might've called my uncle by now and his appearance could stand in the way of my vengeance.

I wasn't about to give anyone the chance to save him.

I had to get the upper hand.

So, with a deep breath I feel my power start to stir within my body, magic flowing through my veins in stronger currents as I expanded it outwards. Warmth wrapped around my body in a tight embrace and my vision starts to shift as red electric currents start to flow and crack around me.

Hitting the ground, they became brighter and stronger as I drew my strength from within, tapping into the magic stored inside my body as the skies became darker. Thick thunder clouds start to form, obscuring the moon and her light and covering everything beneath a blanket of darkness.

Giving way to the approaching storm.

"Because two can play if that's what you want."