#Thread made me so sad I had to resort to vampires

[h31fd3ad]

A Medics Hunger.

(Au inspired by this thread)

Ratchet is a spark eater and has been able to keep it under wraps for centuries, but his façade is slipping.

He has managed to keep an iron grip control on his hunger by snacking on a vehicon every once in a while (They always get battered no one will notice)

He goes out and picks up the corpses when no one’s looking. (he’s usually the one making sure they don’t sneak out.)

I would love to hear anyone’s ideas :)

[yellowmagicalgirl]

Sanguine Masquerade

Hey, @shitpostsfromarcadiahigh, were you trying to force me to write a vampire au? Because it feels like you were trying to force me to write a vampire au for Clairy.

There, there’s the evidence! (In all honesty thanks for the prompt that I’ve been sitting on for months.)

Also, I would like to apologize to everyone using a screenreader for my abhorrent excuses for line breaks; due to tumblr getting rid of it as a feature I resorted to three bolded dashes.

AO3

FFN

---

“Thank you, Mary,” Claire said as her lady’s maid pinned her hair flat to her head. Mary had been working for the Nuñez family since she was nine, though “working” was really another term for “you’ve been hired to both help and play with our daughter who’s the same age as you.” A task she had come to know well was managing Claire’s unruly curls. When not pinned down and brushed with a hot comb every once in a while, they would make the young Lady Nuñez look like a gorgon from Greek Mythology.

“I do wish you could come with me to... to court,” Claire said, stuttering slightly. Oh, her mother would not like that, not at all. Claire had been raised to be a perfect, prim, and proper young lady. She had confided to Mary that keeping up the masquerade was stressful for her, and that she feared that it would only get worse as time went on. Mary could sympathize, but she got the feeling that the only reason why she could tell when the young Lady Nuñez was frightened in public was because they had known each other for so long.

“It’d be lovely if we could have gone to court together,” Mary sighed. “I bet the lady’s maid assigned to you won’t be as good as me.” She won’t get you like I do.

Claire’s smile was sad, but she looked like she knew far more than she was willing to say. “I know. It’s too bad that you won’t even be able to attend tonight’s ball.”

She stood up, and walked to her wardrobe. She pulled a dress out. “I want you to have this, as thanks.”

“Are you sure?” Mary asked. It was red, with a striped pattern. It was also a simpler dress, one that could technically be put on by ones self. “It’s beautiful, I can’t take this.”

“You’ve been my friend for nine years, I insist on giving you a parting gift.”

“Thank you, then.” Mary knew the type of good use she would put this dress to.

As a farewell to their daughter before seing her off to serve in the court, Lord and Lady Nuñez were throwing a masquerade ball.

Due to the time she had spent as Claire’s lady’s maid, Mary had almost every needed piece for an outfit befitting such an event. The last piece, the mask was easy enough to procure. Mardi Gras was coming up.

Mary knew the easy ways in to the Nuñez estate, the ways that no one would notice.

By the time she made her way to the grand hall, there was no shortage of masked people. Mary could barely see Claire, which meant she couldn’t see the dress that her friend and former employer was wearing. It was a good thing that she was not yet wearing a mask, or else Mary would not have been able to recognize her.

Claire raised a goblet of red wine and drank from it.

She immediately doubled over coughing. There was only a hint of concern from Lord and Lady Nuñez’s faces, and none from the crowd. Mary gripped her skirt; would she have to be the one to save Claire? There were so many people, though. Getting to her would be difficult.

Before Mary could begin making her way through the crowd, Claire straightened up and grinned. Something about her smile made those closest to her start clapping, and Mary started clapping as well to blend in. She didn’t understand most of the nobility, but she would pretend to for just one night.

After the clapping had ended, Lady Nuñez had made a speech of how proud she was of her daughter (a speech that could have been said in private to Claire when she was much younger, in Mary’s opinion), and how honored she and her family were that Claire would go to serve their queen now that Claire had come of age.

In all honesty, Mary had zoned out a little when listening to her former employer speak. Only a little, and only until the part of the ball she had been hoping for came: the dance. Why go to a masquerade ball for anything else?

A young women approached Mary. “May I have this dance?” she asked. Her hair was pinned close to her head, and despite her mask Mary could see a white streak in her bangs. Perhaps she wasn’t so young, but she was ravishing in her ballgown. It was black with amethysts and golden thread embroidered into the hem. And her eyes, they were a warm, almost familiar shade of brown.

“Y-yes,” Mary stuttered, taking the woman’s hand and letting herself be lead to the dance floor. The woman twirled her, and Mary loved the way her skirt flowed around her. Claire had chosen well.

Mary looked behind herself into the mirror as she twirled again. According to the mirror, she was the only person. But that couldn’t be true, she could feel the other woman’s grip on her hand. She could hear the low murmur of conversation.

What was going on?

The woman dancing with her pulled her close. “We should go,” she whispered, and there was something urgent and familiar in her voice.

The woman pulled Mary into a darkened corridor. She knew the Nuñez Manor as well as Mary did, better, perhaps.

“Mary, what are you doing here?” she asked, pulling off her mask. Able to properly see her face, Mary knew the young woman must have been Claire. She couldn’t be Claire, though. Claire’s hair was an even dark brown, it couldn’t turn white in a manner of hours.

More importantly, Claire had a reflection. Mary knew this because she had helped her get dressed every day for years in front of a mirror.

“What’s going on?”

“I didn’t give you that dress so you could sneak in; you need to get out here! This place is dangerous for people like - ow!” Claire’s canines caught on her lips and blood came close to splattering on their dresses.

“People like me, as opposed to what you are?” Mary balled her hands into fists to keep them from trembling. “What did you do to Claire?”

“I’m still me,” Claire said, though she did so with the slightest of lisps. “I... I’ve always been a vampire, Mary. Both of my parents are vampires, it’s impossible for me not to be. I haven’t drank human blood until tonight, though, so I didn’t have to deal with any of the side effects. I was too young.”

“Your parents, though, they have reflections!”

“It’s a glamour.” Claire ran one of her hands through her hair. “They don’t really look like what you’ve always seen them as, though I guess they’ll look more human than I will when the transformation’s complete. That’s probably what they meant by, when Lord Strickler figured out that I’d be powerful enough to serve our queen.”

“Right, the court...” Mary mused before the realization struck her. “Wait, Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s a vampire too?”

“No, no, not her. The Eldritch Queen is the queen of all vampires; I think she’s the eldest of all of us and I really shouldn’t be telling you this. Please, you need to go,” Claire pleaded. There was sincerity in her eyes, even as violet spread throughout them like blood through the water. “And please don’t tell anyone. For your safety, and for mine.”

“Be careful,” Mary said, taking in one last look at her friend before running to the exit of the Nuñez Manor.

---

BTW, I only did minimal research on Victorian English lady's maids and Mardi Gras, so sorry if I got some stuff wrong.

[modernbookfae]

ILLYRIAN BAT PT.3

After weeks since Nesta brought Cass home life has been surprisingly brighter for Nesta. Sure Cass can get on her nerves, but she has learned to love his antics. But things are about to change when a surprise enters through her balcony door.

Part 1 Here     Part 2     Part 3 Here     Part 4 Here

Nesta awaked by a rustle of movement and something barely grazing her arm. She groaned into her pillow knowing exactly who had woken her before the sunset.

“Cass it’s not time to get up,” Nesta mumbled into her pillow. Sleep still trying to tug her back into bliss. For sometime now her nightmares of being turned into a vampire by Hybern were diminishing with each passing day. It had started not long after Cass arrived two weeks ago. Perhaps having another living being close by that offered comfort instead of loneliness made sleep easier to bear.

Fluttering of wings sounded over Nesta’s head. Cass was ready to get the night started. He was eager to be let out on the balcony to stretch his wings and fly around the building before returning to Nesta for whatever tasks she had in store today.

Nesta rolled onto her side and tugged the covers tighter over her head. Only the top of her head with wild dark golden strands peeked out from the thick fabric. She felt Cass’s body land at her feet on the bed. This was a sort of game he always seemed to play. Nesta was determined not to lose this round so she tried to ignore him.

Slowly he began crawling up the length of her body. She could feel the tips of his claws through the covers as he moved up. His wings would flap occasionally to warn Nesta that he was getting closer to his intended destination.

“Flap around like a pigeon all you want,” Nesta grumbled darkly as she closed her eyes. “I’m not getting up.”

Cass released a noise of disagreement. He inched over her hip and kept moving until he stopped at her shoulder. Still Nesta did not move from the comfort of bed.

At this point Cass resorted to his next plan of attack. He sniffed around the top of her head and top of her ears that were ticklish. Nesta fidgeted and burrowed into her covers for safety.

“Cass,” Nesta whined when he still wouldn’t stop sniffing around her head. She could feel his weight shift as he huffed out a breath that Nesta could only assume was his form of a laugh.

Finally Cass did the only thing that always guaranteed to make Nesta get out of bed. He tucked his furry head under the covers and gave the tip of her ear a lick.

Nesta jolted from the wet sensation and burst from the covers. Cass quickly took flight to get out of dodge of the flying fabric and settled on the small dresser beside the bed.

“Why do you always feel the need to do that,” Nesta rubbed the saliva off her ear and shot Cass a scathing glare. He merely shrugged to the best of his ability with the look of innocence draping his features.

“One of these days you are going to regret not letting me sleep in,” Nesta moved to her dresser and pulled out a pair of black leggings before grabbing an oversized sweater. The dark azure color of the threads had begun to fade from years of use. It was Nesta’s favorite sweater and she couldn’t find the heart to leave it behind with the rest of her meager belongings back in the Night Court.

She changed quickly in her bedroom. Cass was silent behind her as Nesta removed her pajamas and shimmied her leggings on over her simple black underwear. Next she put on her bra and reached for the sweater hanging in her closet.

“Well shoot,” Nesta realized she had forgotten to grab socks. She turned around and saw Cass jolt his head away from her direction. She had caught the bat curiously watching her in the narrow mirror in her room lately. At first he always looked elsewhere when she was changing, but recently it seemed he was intrigued to watch her evening routine.

Now Cass acted bashful as Nesta strode back to the dresser and bent down to reach for socks in a drawer. His bright eyes would flicker to her and then somewhere else in the room.

It was adorable to see how flustered he became.

After taking a moment to put on her socks and sweater Nesta silently strode into the living room. Cass followed her using his wings to glide between the space of her room and onto the back of the sofa.

“Want to go outside?” Nesta stood beside him already knowing what is answer would be.

Cass gave an affirmative squeak and climbed into Nesta’s outstretched arms. He was practically an overgrown puppy with large wings. He clung to her tight enough for a good grip, yet not too hard for his claws to leave marks on her skin.

It was a guilty pleasure of Nesta’s to hold him like this. She loved how he looked up at her with an expression of happiness. Like she was not a monster or a sister who had let her younger siblings down.

The weight of him in her arms felt right. Or maybe it was just his presence that made her feel safe and warm. Nesta got the feeling of belonging when Cass was curled up next to her either on the sofa or when she carried. Sometimes she would even allow him on the bed when she was reading a book. He would cuddle against her hip and rest his head near her heart during those times when she read. A few times he slept against her. Falling asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. Nesta would indulge in the moment and give him a few extra minutes of peace before nudging him awake.

During the day though she made sure he had time to himself to stretch his wings and get fresh air outside. That is what Nesta planned on doing right now. She held him a bit tighter to her body before unlocking the balcony door and bringing them outside to greet the recently darkened night sky.

“Be safe and come home soon,” Nesta said. It had become a habit to say those words. That parting sentiment was always spoken when Cass would take off into the night for a couple of hours. He always returned though. Many times he was gone for two or three hours. On occasion he may return within an hour or four. Yet he still came back. Much to Nesta’s relief.

Cass gently rubbed his head against her cheek. Another thing that had become a norm during this brief goodbyes. His hazel eyes held the promise of return.

Slowly Nesta outstretched her arms and Cass took flight. His wings beat into the night as he flew higher and farther across the city.

Nesta went back inside and shut the balcony door. She would hear Cass outside when he made it back so she made sure to keep the door closed until then.

Today was dedicated toward cleaning the apartment. Although there was not much to clean considering how bare the place looked. Nesta didn’t see the need in having so many items. Even her own personal possessions she brought were very few. And most of the time those possessions brought back a mix of painful and happy memories of a life she had been forced to leave behind.

Having a routine kept Nesta distracted from worries. She adjusted her routine to include Cass and thankfully the nights went by faster with him around. When she went out shopping he would fly nearby within eyesight. If Nesta was fixing a meal Cass would be watching and huffing in disapproval at the dismal ways she prepared a meal. Nesta imagined that her bat wondered how she had lived this long without food poisoning.

The best times of the day were when Nesta curled up on the sofa or bed. Cass would snuggle with her for hours. Nesta would run her fingers across his dark fur that was slightly longer than usual for an Illyrian bat. Cass would make little noises that were a mixture between a purr and a moan.

It was during these moments that Nesta let down her walls. Last night she talked to Cass about her family and how she missed them. Nesta swallowed down pain as she told him the words she wished she had told her sisters.

“I’m sorry. For not protecting you. For not being the person you could rely on or even wanted as an older sister.”

Nesta released her bottled emotions. Cass had gone silent listening to her.

“I said such horrible things when I just wanted to keep them safe. I hurt them and I hurt the only male in my life who ever really saw the real me.”

Cass looked up in astonishment, but Nesta couldn’t see for her eyes had begun to water with unshed tears.

“He hates me now I bet. The way I called him names and acted like he was beneath when really I was the one who didn’t deserve him,” Nesta curled in on herself, but was mindful of not crushing Cass. She attempted to hold herself together as pieces were falling apart.

“I miss him,” Nesta hiccupped and hated how pitiful she sounded though no one else, but a bat witnessed her breaking. “His stupid cocky smile, his idiotic attempts to flirt and –” Nesta’s throat clenched. She bit her lip to hold back a sob and used a hand to cover her crying eyes.

Cass leaned up and made a consoling noise. He nudged Nesta’s hand that was shielding her eyes from him. Or perhaps she was trying to shield herself from the world.

“Cassian,” Nesta breathed his name shakily as her emotions began to drown her. She spoke the Illyrian Army Commander’s name like a plea. But Nesta knew it was impossible for him to answer as he was surely either in the Illyrian mountains with his warriors or at the House of Wind with the Night Court’s Inner Circle.

“Cassian,” Nesta whispered brokenly again. Feeling her heart finally beginning to shatter under the stress these past months have created.

Another firm nudge and squeak captured Nesta’s attention. She felt warm fur push against her hand until she finally lowered it. Her breath escaping in tiny gasping bursts as she tried to reign in her emotions.

Cass watched her. Sadness and pain filling those eyes that were almost always mirthful.

“I’m sorry,” Nesta wiped her eyes and sniffled. “It’s been so long since I cried and it just gets out of control when it happens.”

Hazel eyes never wavered in their gaze. Cass moved forward slowly in an effort to not startle Nesta. He paused when he was only a few inches from her face.

“What’s are you –” Nesta’s expression morphed into confusion and then shock in the next instant as Cass closed the space between them.

His tongue licked a long tear trail that went down Nesta’s cheek. He steadily worked up until almost reached Nesta’s eyelash. During this Nesta sat frozen wondering what to do. There were not guidelines for reacting to a large Illyrian bat and his tongue ridding fallen tears from her cheeks.

After two more long gentle licks Cass shifted backward to watch Nesta’s reaction. She was motionless, but her eyes were trained on the bat wondering if this was the moment he would try something else out of the blue. Or maybe at this point Nesta had become delusional and this was a figment of her emotionally charged imagination.

A few simple squeaks from Cass snapped Nesta out of her state.

“That…you just…” Nesta searched for words to say. “Were you…trying to comfort me?” Disbelief seeped into her voice.

Cass gave a soft squeak in affirmation and rested his head in the crook of her neck. Wings wrapped around Nesta’s shoulder in a hug.

Nesta blinked. She calmly raised both her hands up. One cradled Cass closer and the other repeatedly brushed down his neck and back.

“I guess this is the part where I thank you,” Nesta smiled and received another snuggling movement from the bat. A tiny chuckle came from Nesta and she rose to walk into the bedroom. The sun was rising and it was time to retire for the day.

She placed Cass on his usual hanging spot before swapping her clothes out for sleep. After Nesta pulled the covers over her body she turned to watch Cass adjusting himself for sleep as well. He paused and looked at her as if he could sense her eyes on him.

Hazel meeting blue-grey.

“Thank you Cass,” Nesta said.

A calm silence settled over Nesta that lulled her into a deep sleep. Faintly she thought she could hear a deep voice whispering her name. It was all in her head, but Nesta could have sworn that the voice called to her down a bond she had felt tugging at her and offering warmth for months. It was one of the few things that had brought comfort in her new life.

“Nesta.”

With a start Nesta jolted out of last night’s memory. The empty apartment served as a reminder that no one was here. Alone. But a warm faint presence lingered in her mind.

Nesta smiled briefly at the comfort of that warmth. She then began cleaning her apartment. She scrubbed the kitchen down and brushed by the shopping list stuck on the refrigerator. A trip to the grocery store was needed either tonight or tomorrow. Food had been running low and Nesta had to get more fruit for Cass with how fast he was devouring them.

“I should probably do laundry while I clean so tomorrow can be a solely an outside errand day,” Nesta thought aloud. She went to the bathroom and started sorting clothes from the hamper.

She had just started separating her jeans from the pile when she heard a slight noise from outside. Her ears barely caught the noise.

Nesta checked her phone and saw that Cass had been out for a little over an hour. This must have been one of his early days that he returned from his little excursions around the city.

“Hang on a second Cass!” Nesta shoved jeans out of the way when the click of the back door opening stopped her dead in her tracks. Cass couldn’t open the door.

Instincts washed over Nesta as she prepared herself against the intruder. Weapons were in short supply in the bathroom. Perhaps she should risk shattering the mirror for something sharp, but then that would give her enemy plenty of time to find her.

Footsteps began to tread inside.

Nesta’s heart began to pound as she was trapped in the bathroom with the door opened wide for anyone to easily spot her. The male scent smelled slightly familiar, but unease settled deep within Nesta. Something dangerous waited for her.

With quick speed Nesta dove out of the bathroom and faced the intruder with fangs bared.

Seething brown eyes shone with morbid glee as the vampire bared his fangs in return.

“There you are little girl.” The male said and prowled closer as he finally found his prey within reach. “You’ve been quite bothersome to track down.”

“Who the hell are you?” Nesta growled and positioned herself at a better angle to defend herself.

“Do you not remember me?” The male laughed and the sound churned Nesta’s stomach. Recognition of this male slipped through her fingers as she tried to recall who he was.

“You must not have left that much of an impression,” Nesta masked the nervousness that was rising swiftly.

“Or perhaps the trauma of being turned into a vampire made you forget that day,” the male matched her steps as they began to circle each other.

Nesta’s steps faltered. His face and that sneer spurned a memory forth.

“You’re Jurian, Hybern’s lackey.”

“And you’re going to be dead soon if you don’t comply,” Jurian knuckles crackled as he flexed his hands.

“I think you must be the one whose memory is failing them,” Nesta shifted. Inching closer to the backdoor. “I helped the Night Court defeat Hybern and his army. You’ve got another thing coming if you think I’ll go with you bastard.”

“I was hoping you would say that,” Jurian said.

Three loud thuds on the balcony distracted Nesta. She glanced and saw three males enter her apartment through the open door.

One of the males was her nightmare come to life. He licked his lips and glowing green eyes looked Nesta’s body up and down in appraisal.

“Thomas…” Nesta whispered in disbelief.

“It’s been too long Nesta dear,” Thomas smiled showing his elongated canines. He had been turned into a vampire.

“How?” Nesta tried to shake off the initial shock, but her emotions were rushing forth. Fear and anger swirled at a dizzying speed. Nesta battled with herself to stay calm.

This can’t be real. This can’t be happening. He shouldn’t be here.

Nesta’s thoughts echoed and bounced off each other.

“Mr. Mandray here as offered his services,” Jurian said. “In exchange for immortality.”

“You fool,” Nesta spat at the man she had once known from her town. He had always been a monstrous human with the way he treated others. Even Nesta had almost fallen too far into his clutches, but luckily she was able to break free with a ripped dress and bruises to serve as a reminder of how easily it was for someone to use Nesta’s weakness against her. Her wounded pride and nightmares served as scars of when Thomas had tried to force himself onto her.

“Don’t be like that Nesta,” Thomas moved in a flash and Nesta leapt out of the way. “We didn’t get to finish what was started that one evening.”

“Touch me again and I swear you’ll get more than a few scratches this time,” Nesta threatened.

“You’re no match against the four of us,” Thomas said. “But I get you first and then the others can have their turn.”

The males approached with deadly intent. Nesta was trapped, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.

One of the unknown males moved to face her and Nesta was quick to retaliate. Fists and kicks met in the air as Nesta threw her weight into her assailant. He was clumsy and reckless. Nesta smashed him into the wall and snapped his neck before the others converged. She felt their punches and a blade graze her skin.

Nesta armed herself with two small sharp knives from the kitchen.  She had barely grasped the second handle when the second male almost cut her down with his own wicked blade.

Too bad for him that he had no idea that he was facing one of the strongest female vampires that had served in the Illyrian Army and had been personally trained by it’s commander.

Let them underestimate you Nesta. Then use surprise and agility to complete a swift kill.

Nesta ducked and the male’s blade swung above her head. With lightening fast speed she twirled her body and sliced through the male’s neck before he had the chance to pull his blade back. Death instantly took him.

A hand blindingly backhanded Nesta across the room and into a large landscape painting that was protected by glass. Nesta arm shattered the glass and red blood dripped onto the painted green trees. Dimly Nesta thought it was a shame to ruin the picture considering it reminded her of Feyre and her paintings.

Another hand flew toward her armed with a blade, but Nesta deflected it kicked Jurian away from her body.

Nesta fought off the three vampires to the best of her ability. They were strong. And Nesta was not in her best condition considering her diet didn’t consist of human blood, which provided more strength and stamina.

She cut Jurian across his face with her knife. The gash ran over one of his eyes and he howled in pain.

“You bitch!” Jurian gripped her wrist and twisted it with a quick snap.

The flash of pain distracted Nesta long enough that Thomas saw his chance and pulled out a blade with ashwood inlaid in the center of shining steel. He jammed the blade into Nesta’s chest and it burned with a deep wound just below her right breast.

Nesta couldn’t scream because the pain was so terrible that oxygen escaped her lungs.

But her mind cried out in agony. Constant pain rippled through her body as the wound poured blood.

Keep fighting. Cassian’s voice filtered in through the pain. Don’t give up sweetheart. Nesta was too occupied to realize that the words didn’t come from her memory. They traveled down a bond she had never considered could be a possibility.

Nesta’s body was pushed to the ground and she felt Thomas’s heavy weight on top of her.

“You don’t get to die until I get a taste of you first,” Thomas’s tongue ran over his fangs. Nesta would have heaved at the look he gave her, but she grit her teeth.

“I’ll be the one killing the bitch for what she did to my eye,” Jurian stalked to them grabbed Nesta’s hair in a jarring jerk. “Have your fun and then she’s mine.”

Thomas laughed and Nesta truly thought she was going to be sick. She tried to throw his body off of hers, but it was useless.

Nesta glared at Thomas in hatred. Her unbroken hand crackled with lightning that danced underneath her skin. It would be a weak attempt with the ashwood buried in her chest, but Nesta was willing to give it a shot.

Her hand rose and Thomas was quick to snatch it. His grip tightened to the point of almost breaking.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Thomas said with a laugh. “Only my hands get to play now. And I plan on a little bit more pain in the near future.”

“Then you’ll love this,” Nesta’s lightning shot out and struck Thomas and Jurian both. The attack was weak, but it bought Nesta precious seconds. She lurched to the door, but was knocked backward as Jurian recovered and gave her a kick sending her into a wall.

Blood seeped out of the wound that still had the ashwood blade. Nesta reached to pull it out, but Thomas jumped on her.

“You’re not escaping this time,” Thomas leaned forward with fangs bared to rip her apart.

No. No. No. Nesta thought frantically as she struggled to keep fighting. Silently she pleaded as she continued to rage against the attack.

Somebody please hel-!

Thomas pushed the ashwood blade deeper and Nesta couldn’t stop the scream that broke through her lips.

A hollow boom of wings and a growl was the only warning Jurian had before he turned around to an unexpected sight. A sword cleaved across his chest as Jurian tried to block the attack. Blood sprayed high onto the ceiling and the sound of Jurian’s body hitting the floor startled Thomas to look up.

Before him stood a large vampire that radiated power and anger. Seven red stones shone against the black fighting leathers fit for a battlefield. He held a long sword still dripping with Jurian’s blood.

But his eyes were what caused Thomas to quake in fear.

Hazel eyes burned like wildfire. That gaze seethed as it took in the scene. The male focused on Nesta as she weakly tried to prevent Thomas from pushing the blade clean to the floor she was sprawled on.

Nesta hissed and a small pained sound escaped her.

The sight before him and that tiny noise of pain sent him into a murderous calm.

“Get away from her,” the guttural voice was barely understandable, but the promise of death spoke clearly in his eyes.

“Who do you think you-” Thomas began, but was cut off when a large hand gripped his throat and pushed him into the wooden floor. It happened so fast that Thomas barely registered the male squeezing his windpipe tighter. The boards cracked underneath the pressure and Thomas attempted to fight back. Another hard smash into the boards had him reeling.

“You dare hurt her? My mate?” The male growled and tightened his hand to suffocate the vampire. “You deserve more pain and suffering. But I have a more important priority than filth like you.” He released Thomas who wheezed with each intake of breath.

“I wasn’t really going to kill her,” Thomas lied. “Just give her a scare since we had unfinished business when we were humans.”

The male paused at the words. Foreboding silence filled the air.  “You were the male who tried to rape Nesta.” It wasn’t a question. It was a death sentence.

Thomas faltered as the male put his sword back into the sheath strapped to his back. Thomas had no time to react when the red siphons on the male began to glow. He punched Thomas and his jaw cracked under the force. Then blazing heat raced through Thomas as an inferno of flames engulfed him.

Screams filled the air as Thomas tried to claw and escape the fire that covered his body.

The other male ignored him as siphons dimmed from the use of his power and he approached Nesta. He quickly examined her and the expanding bloodstain that darkened her sweater. The ashwood blade needed to be pulled out before they left leave the city.

“Nesta,” the male ran his fingers across her cheeks. Her blue grey eyes focused on the form hovering protectively over her.

His scent hit her and she almost cried in relief.

“Cassian,” Nesta croaked out with wince.

“I need to remove the blade and then we are flying out of here,” Cassian said still stroking her cheeks. “It will hurt, but I promise it’ll be quick.”

Nesta nodded and Cassian gripped the blade protruding from his mate’s body. It made him sick to see her in this condition. He had to get them to safety in case Jurian had backup.

“Ok Nesta deep breath,” Cassian warned before pulling out the blade in one quick motion.

Nesta groaned in pain and the sound was a twisted dagger to Cassian’s heart.

“Alright sweetheart it’s time to go,” Cassian made quick work to wrap the small table runner off the living room coffee table. Nesta didn’t fidget under his touch as he tied the cloth around her body and tied a knot to keep it in place to prevent more blood loss.

Cassian gently scooped her into his arms. Nesta cradled into his chest where she could hear his heartbeat pounding under her ear. Her fingers found his fighting leathers and she latched on tightly.

The exhaustion of the fight along with feelings of safety and protection coaxed Nesta to rest against the warmth of Cassian’s body. Cassian watched her closely as she succumbed to sleep. He walked to the balcony leaving the morbid scene as Thomas became a pile of ash. The flames burned out the moment Cassian stretched out his wings and leapt from the balcony.

Wind rushed up and soon Cassian was flying north into the night with Nesta clutched preciously in his arms.

He needed to find secure location so he could attend to Nesta’s injuries. Cassian wasn’t going to lose her. Not again.