Chapter 18

As soon as I nod towards Shinoa I knew she understood what I wanted her to do. She bit her lip, her eyes scanning my face and the others. Still trying to come up with a better solution than to leave me behind. There wasn't one and we both knew it. If they tried to help me they would for sure be killed, or worse, captured and used as living blood bags. Out of nowhere Shinya appeared, he seemed battered and ready to collapse any moment. Shinoa quickly came to his aid, supporting his weight with her body.

The leather whip around my ankle constricted, I realized I was slowly being pulled back towards the vampires. In one last desperate attempt to flee I used all the strength I had left in my body to get to my knees and jump forward.The sudden pull seemed to have surprised Horn who stumbled a step forward before regaining her balance and dragging me back again. But it had been enough, I had managed to get ahold of my weapon. I quickly rolling onto my back, intent on slicing the whip around my ankle to free myself, but Chess's sword was there in an instant. She blocked my staff with her sword before stepping on my hand, hard enough to force me to release my weapon. I hissed in pain as her heeled shoe stayed on my hand, for sure bruising it, but Crowley soon interfered."I don't want her damaged Chess" he said threateningly from behind us. Chess huffed out a breath, clearly annoyed, but stepped off my hand. I didn't have the time to try to get to my weapon again before I was dragged backward again, this time more urgently. I was pulled up by the back of my uniform, once I stood I was hold tightly from behind by Horn. She seemed intent on not letting me go anytime soon. Her grip was tight around my arms but not hard enough to leave a bruise. Now that I was fully in their possession Crowley's attention turned to the group again, and so did mine. Yu was still struggling to get free from Kimizuki's grip. Shinoa was glaring at the vampires as if she could make them fall dead if only she stared hard enough. I noticed Yoichi had his hands on his bow, an arrow ready to be knocked. I knew they would fight for me if I asked them to, they would die for me without hesitation. But I couldn't allow it, not again. So instead, I shouted "Run guys! You have to leave me behind!" Before I could say more Horn's hand covered my mouth, effectively silencing me.Crowley ignored my little outburst and instead looked at my comrades. His eyes suddenly brightened in recognition."Hey, you're that weird kid from Shinjuku, the one who freaked out and almost killed a bunch of our troops." He said in a slightly interested but still scarily calm tone.Chess turned to Crowley, "please my lord may I kill him?" She questions. Her behavior was almost child like compared to Horn's, who seemed to be more serious.Crowley seemed to wonder for a moment but then said, "I'm afraid not, I'm betting lord Ferid would want the kid alive." Yu seemed ready to try and fight again but Shinya who had been quite this whole time stopped him, they talked for a moment, too silent for me to hear from where I was standing. Yu suddenly rushes forward, away from the squad, entirely intent on freeing me and Guren. I try desperately to shout at him, to warn him to stay away, to run. But only muffled sounds come out because of Horn's hand covering my mouth. Yoichi and Kimizuki jump on him, stopping Yu from coming any closer. The group all seemed to argue as how to proceed.I could hear a helicopter closing in in the distance, probably vampire reinforcement. If they did not leave now they would all be captured.Shinya's voice pulled me attention back to what was happening, "Everyone retreat! That's an order! Move!" I looked on in relief as I watch my comrades run off. But that relief is quickly crushed as two big male hands take me from Horn's grip. "I love a chase" I hear Chess say to Horn as the two of them start running after my friends. I can only watch, feeling utterly helpless.Crowley has put one arm around me, enough to cage me in between his arm and his broad chest. I try to pull away from him, to at least give me an inch of space from him but he only pulls me to him harder. His head dips down to mine from behind, I feel his breath tickle my ear as he speaks."See, I promised you I would get you." He sounded smug. I gritted my teeth, ready to come up with some snarky reply when the floor suddenly erupted in lava. The walls turned into that of a cave.Both Chess and Horn had stopped their pursuit, seeming a bit confused as to how to proceed. The heat of the lava hit my skin and it was only the fact that I knew that this was an illusion that helped me stay calm. Guren's squad was finally here. With some luck I would manage to escape.The cave like walls erupted with more lava, quickly filling the room. "An illusionary spell, one strong enough that manages to affect even a noble's brain." I hear Crowley say from behind me. I glance up at him. He is looking around the room, seeming to inspect it. "Humans shouldn't be able to control spells as powerful as this one, so then, I wonder who's teaching you all these new magic tricks." He says, still looking around him. He seems to have found what he was looking for because he suddenly throws me to the ground next to Guren.