"Shy, we should go right now. This place is freaking me out," Lee tensely said.
"I am not leaving." He turned to look at the tomb. "Not until we look inside."
"What? You can't even get the top off, so how do you expect to look inside?"
"Sure we can get the top off.” He smiled to himself, not listening to a word being said to him. “We'll just have to use all of our strength."
"Hold up, where do you get this we stuff from? I'm not going to help you. Jade and I are leaving. If you want to stay down here and try to get a look inside that damn grave, go ahead, but count us out." He grabbed Jade’s arm to drag her away. We have to leave now, he told himself.
Not noticing the warm flesh gripping hers she stared at the tomb. Through the haze in her mind she felt something coming.
"Jade, let's go," he told her, needing to leave right now.
She easily slipped out of his grip as she was drawn closer to it. "No," she whispered, barely opening her mouth to get to word out.
"You heard her; she wants to stay," Shy pointed out as he moved towards them. "Now why don't you go home or back to school and let a real man take care of this." He smirked smugly at him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry about Jade. I'll take good care of her, I promise."
The cocky expression on his face was the last straw. Lee’s muscles tightened as his jaw set. "Get your hands off of my sister." He roughly grabbed hold of her hand to pull her back to him "She's coming with me rather she likes it or not."
Letting her go, Shy did as he was told. Darkness filled his eyes as he watched the younger man take his woman. Let‘s do this, he mentally said. He lowered his upper body before he lunged at Lee to tackle him to the ground.
Not wanting to drag Jade with him he let her go. He barely had time to brace himself as he hit the wall. Loose dust rained down on them. He gasped for air as Shy rammed his head into his stomach. He knew he had to do something. He pushed the pain deep down inside as he brought his right knee up to collided his face. Driven by pure rage he threw him off of him.
Shy's head painfully jerked back. He felt his anger well up inside of him, and he let it explode onto Lee.
Jade didn't see nor hear any of their fight. Her eyes were glued to the tomb as white light spilled from the crack in the middle of it. The floor rumbled as the walls shook. The boys stopped fighting. Confused, they glanced at each other for the answers neither knew. When they turned to ask Jade what was going on they saw the tomb and knew right away what was happening.
"Oh my God," Shy whispered. “It’s true." He glanced at Lee, half hoping he’d say it wasn’t.
Shaking his head, he turned to look at him "I hope not," he admitted as he wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. He looked at the tomb with a weary eye. "Because if it is, we just woke her up."
They watched in fear as cracks appeared all over the tomb. The light pouring from it quickly filled the room. "I'm getting out of here.” Shy reached for Jade. As soon as his fingers touched her cool skin she spun around to face him. With a vacant look in her eyes, and in a voice much harsher than her usually sweet one she said; "Let me go." Words spoken she turned away. The tomb rattled and small pieces tumbled off. Stunned by the wicked look on his sweet gentle girl’s face he did let her go.
Lee looked at her right hand. His concern filled him when he saw that it was swollen and irritated. The bite looked twice its original siz,e and he could literally see it throbbing. He moved closer to Shy. This is bad, he thought. Fear wrapped itself around his heart. This is really bad. He tapped Shy’s shoulder to get his attention. "See; I told you it wasn't a rat," he pointed to her hand.
"I think you'r-" He never got the chance to finish what he was going to say as the tomb finally exploded.
Huge pieces of shattered concrete flew everywhere. Lee was the closest to the crack in the wall. He could have easily made his escaped but he couldn’t leave his sister. She was still standing in her spot, and didn't seem to notice the football-sized piece of concrete flying towards her head. Mentally cursing to himself he covered his face with his arm as he went for his sister.
She‘s a fucking nut, he thought as a dime-sized piece hit his lip. Fresh blood quickly followed the pain he felt from it. Damn it. He closed his eyes as he wished this were all a bad dream. But it wasn’t, and he wasn’t going to be able to just wake up to make it all go away. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the ground with him. The piece heading towards her flew over them as they hit the floor.
It was hell for the following minutes before everything to calm down. The backside of Lee got hit with concrete as Jade beat on the front side of him. She needed to see what was happening. She needed to see her wake up. The air stilled around him. He no longer felt any pieces of the tomb adding to the welts on his back. It’s over, he thought as he relaxed. His arms felt like rubber as he pushed himself off of his sister to slowly rise. His back was to the ex-tomb as he scanned the room for Shy. "Your dick of a boyfriend ran off," he informed her. The room was lit with the light from the tomb. Dread filled him as he turned to see the source of it.
Though the air was thick with dust he was able to see her standing where the tomb had been. She was wearing a very simple white dress that fit her body perfectly. She was as beautiful as the legend had said. Her hair was wild from not being brushed and when she smiled he saw the teeth. Her canines were long and sharp, and then she lunged. The only thing he was able to say was, "God." Then she fed.
Food, power, life, was all Ragana could think as she felt the beautiful thick liquid flow down her throat. She had never enjoyed the taste of blood or a kill like she did now. When there was nothing left in him she tossed his body aside. It took her a few moments to notice the shocked girl sitting on the ground.
Sometime during the death of Lee Jade had fallen to her knees. She had watched as Ragana drained her brother of life. She couldn't believe she was real, that the story of the vampire princess was true. The thing standing before her was the most powerful being on earth. She could literally feel the power Ragana had, and it made her heart stop and her skin crawl.
"You're real," she whispered, feeling cold inside. What‘s happening, a distant part of her wondered.
"Yes I am," she replied as she stared down at her. Trousers, Ragana thought as she eyed the outfit Jade wore. Girls do not wear trousers? Something is not right here. "What year is this?" she asked in a demanding tone.
"2013.”
"2013." Now it was her turn to be shocked. "It cannot be. It was just 1850." Confused, Ragana wasn't looking at her anymore. She looked around the room as she tried to figure out how this could have happened. Then she remembered. She saw Dionsus, the only man she had ever loved, betraying her. She saw the wine he had put the spell in for Mandrake, the one person she truly hated. She felt the anger come back as she remembered lying on the ground while Mandrake stood over her laughing. She watched Dionsus stand there with Mahr, who had once been a friend. Hell, she thought she had loved him at one time but then he had also betrayed her.
Jade’s throat closed when she saw the darkness in her eyes. The savage hunger for blood sparked within it. Ragana wrapped her fingers around her throat as she lifted her off the ground and started to squeeze. Jade could feel the strength in her hand as she begun to tighten her fingers, cutting off her air. This was the first time today she realized the danger she was in. She felt her heart stop as Ragana’s fingers closed. Oh God this is it, she squeezed her eyes shut. Lee I'm coming.
Surprisingly, the tightening around her throat stopped. She refused to open her eyes until she heard Ragana speak. "Where am I and who are you?" Her eyes were as cold as ice as she stared into Jade's. "If you answer true then I shall let you live." She tightened her fingers again, but just enough to let Jade know she meant what she was about to say. "But if you lie, you shall join your brother." She nodded towards the mangled body.
It hurt Jade to swallow. "Brakerstin," she answered, trying to make her voice as sweet as possible.
Ragana’s eyebrows met in confusion, as questions filled her eyes. She didn’t know this town.
Jade was breathing fast. She licked her lips. "That's where you are. In Brakerstin, well, underneath it at least. You're in a sewer." Her heart was beating so hard she could've sworn it was going to pop out of her chest.
Ragana inclined her head to the right as she let the girl go. "A sewer?" She looked at Jade. "They put me in a sewer! Me? The ruler of all vampires, in a sewer?" She held her head high as she promised, "Oh, they are going to pay." It took a moment for her mind to get back on Jade. "And you? You have not told me whom you are yet."
"Jade," she answered as she rubbed her throat. "My name is Jade."
"Are you working for Mandrake?" She hovered over her, ready to strike.
She shot Ragana a queer look. "Who?"
A smile touched her lips for the first time since she woke up. "No one. 2013?" She sat down on a piece of concrete across from her. "Tell me about it. Or do you wish to die. Being the," she paused as her left eyebrow went up. "Person, shall we say that I am. I will let you choose."
Jade stayed on the ground as she put her hands in lap, and tried to stretch a fake smile across her face. She really didn't want to make Ragana mad. "2013 is great. There are cars, planes, and computers."
She didn't get any of it. "What? Rars, planes, and compoters."
She couldn't help but to laugh. This monster from the past didn't know a thing about today. "No cars, planes, and computers," she said it slow so she would be able to hear how to pronounce it. "See, cars are big and you sit in them. They take you places like horses did, only they’re smoother and faster."
She still had a lost look on her face. Gracefully she rose to walk to her. Looking up Jade wondered what this lost soul from the past was going to do. "This will be easier," she answered her unspoken question. She put her left hand on her forehead and she closed her eyes. "Just relax."
That was hard for her to do. It was like asking a deer to stay calm as a hunter pointed a gun at it but she did her best, and surprisingly enough she actually started to feel calm. It was as if a river of calmness was flowing through her, and it started at her forehead where Ragana's hand was. It worked its way through her body. Her eyes slid shut as shut and she felt a tingling sensation at the mouth of the river on her forehead.
Ragana was reading her mind. She saw a dark skin girl with two braids who looked about ten. Her lips were a little bigger then, but that was because she hadn't grown into them yet. She had the same deep brown puppy dog eyes as she did now. Only now they had more fear and sadness in them.
She used to be so innocent, she sadly thought. I cannot remember when I was as innocent as that. I wonder what happe-... Then she remembered. She had killed this girl's, Jade's, brother right in front of her. A stab of guilt burned through her.
She started a mental search for these cars, planes, and anything else of this time. She saw flashes of big metal machines with wheels going by. Cars, people use these to get around, she told herself. She was certain about this, after all, she had been reading minds for hundreds of years now. Next she saw huge flying machines called planes. The flashes started coming faster as she saw computers, television, clips of wars that Jade had learned about in history, and everything else she had every seen, heard, or learned.
Ragana let go of her as she stepped back. Jade swayed forward. She put her hands on the ground to keep herself from falling over. Her head was swarming with images of everything she could remember. Looking up, she slowly pushed herself back into a sitting position. She was still trying to get her head on straight when Ragana said, "Let's go. I have to get some clothes and find a place to stay." Her feet moved then stopped as she realized she would have to wait for young human.
Slowly, Jade got up. She froze when she saw how Ragana was looking at her. With such intensity that it made her go cold. "What?" she managed to get out. Her heart was sore and her body was tired, she was just wanted to go home.
"We have to take care of something first." She moved to stand in front of her.
Jade’s arms fell to her sides as fear held her in place. Ragana pulled her by the shoulders, and tilted her head to one side to expose her neck. Nervous sweat lightly covered her skin. She watched as her canines grew. Her eyes became more silver than blue, but the blue that you were able to see was the color of the sky. She thought she was going to die of fright.
"This is going to hurt," she warned her before she dug her teeth into her neck.
It stung at first. Jade could feel her sucking her blood. She wanted to fight but knew Ragana would kill her without hesitation. Closing her eyes, she let her finish.
When Ragana pulled away Jade swayed forward again. She caught her since the poor child was too dazed to help herself. "You'll be okay," she assured in a soft tone. Slicing her left wrist she placed it to her lips, "Drink." Jade did as she was told. Ragana’s blood had a sweetness to it that tasted like honey. Before she knew it, she was enjoying it. "That's enough. I don't want you getting sick." Ragana gently took her hand away. Feeling dizzier than ever, Jade suddenly felt weightless. The floor beneath her feet rocked as the walls continued to switch sides. Ragana had to carry her out of the sewer.
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