Chapter 23 Olly #2
Hell fucking no! I clamp my hand over my forearm, feeling the trickle of blood running down to my palm, and mixing with my sweat.
I spare a quick, dangerous glance at the damage, and breathe a slight sigh of relief that it's just a shallow cut.
Fury fills me that this asshole has had the audacity to cut me.
I'm going to break every bone in the hand that holds the knife, to teach him a lesson about playing with sharp objects.
I'm quickly running out of options, and places to run, unless I take the stairs to the second-floor mezzanine of the library, which I'm loath to do, knowing full well that would be a death sentence as I'd be trapped with no way to escape.
Where the hell are all the staff? I can see the students being afraid of this monster, but what about the faculty?
"Why are you doing this? I don't even fucking know you?
" I demand as I overturn another table, and use it to stop his forward momentum.
My breathing is becoming increasingly labored with my fear and exertion, yet there's no way for me to stop, even for a second, without him being able to reach me.
Frantically, I search for a way out of this space.
The door leading out of the library beckons me with the promise of safety, but it is far out of my current reach.
"Because I can, because Mayhem rules here, and you came into our world without asking, and you have to pay the price.
" Pay the price; what the hell is this lunatic even talking about?
I make a fatal mistake as the backs of my ankles connect with the first step, pitching me off balance.
As my arms reach out frantically to stop myself from falling backward, he extends his muscular arm and grabs me by the neck, tightening his grip, and a loud, pained gasp exits me.
I'm suspended mid-fall by only his ruthless grip, my legs trembling with the weight of holding me up at an odd angle, as I fiercely rip at his hand and try to gouge his hazel eyes.
"You will learn that we’re without mercy.
You will bow at our feet, and crawl when we dictate it.
You will swallow our poison gladly, enjoying our corruption, and thank us for your sweet death. "
He leans forward, his lips mere inches from my own. "You will belong to us, craving our touch and words, and maybe one day we will release you, but that day isn't today, Olivia. Today, you're nothing but a pretty insect, I long to rip the wings off."
I dig my fingers into the surface of his hand, feeling his skin giving way under my nails, and the slippery feeling of his blood tainting my fingertips.
A sense of desperation, not only to flee, but to live, fills me.
"That's it, baby, make me bleed so I can return the favor," he moans as his mouth slides over my cheek, and his tongue licks me, like a reptile tasting its anticipated dinner.
A part of me observes his movements with sick fascination, even as my lack of air begins to cause white spots, and dark shadows, to close in on my vision.
Up close, he's even more beautiful, in a malignant and devastating way.
The way you know that the devil was likely the most beautiful of God's angels before his fall from grace, and he became tarnished, but no less enticing.
He's a promise of sin, pain, madness, and damnation, and even knowing all that, my treacherous core tightens with arousal.
"I can feel your heartbeat pounding rapidly underneath my fingers.
" His lips press against the side of my cheek, his deep voice rumbling against my skin.
"I wonder what you would look like if I slit open your throat, and allowed you to bleed out.
I bet you would look glorious covered in red. "
The vivid picture that he paints finally has me snapping out of the fog his presence and touch have placed me under.
I risk losing my balance completely, as I tangle one of my legs around his ankle.
I slam my other knee up into his groin and force my elbow to come down at an awkward angle on his forearm, causing him to release his hold on the blade, sending it crashing to the floor, and out of sight.
His grip on my neck weakens momentarily, allowing me to suck in a huge, ragged gasp of oxygen.
"You're... going... to pay... for that... bitch," he hisses in pain, but I don't give a shit. I slam my elbow down again, hitting his forearm in desperation, and I try to use my foot to take out his knee.
Just then, the door to the library opens with a bang.
I can't see who's there, but I hear rapid footsteps approaching, and before I can make sense of what’s happening, I'm slammed onto the stairs, my back taking the brunt of the fall, as the vampire's body lands heavily on top of me, and my head collides with the step above.
"RELEASE HER, DAMON!" The booming voice breaks through my pained whimper, as the marble step digs into my back.
Damon, his fucking name is Damon, my mind screams, as if that could help somehow in this messed-up situation.
Damon is yanked off of me, and I can finally take a deep breath.
When I'm able to raise my head, my vision momentarily swims before me.
I see two large men shoving each other, one trying to restrain the other.
My eyes narrow, and to my horror, I realize that it's Professor Jacob Rawdon doing his best, and failing to stop Damon.
"Run, run now!" He yells over his shoulder, as Damon takes a swing at him, which has his head bouncing to the side with the impact.
I don't hesitate. I stumble shakily to my feet, and drag my aching body toward the door of the library, my breathing laboring in my chest as sour bile rises up the back of my throat.
With one last look behind me, I escape the library, silent tears trickling from the corners of my eyes as the fresh air assails my skin, and I search to see if the other two are lying in wait to attack me.
My mind tries to reason with me for clarity, but my thoughts are all muddled together.
All I can clearly make sense of is that one of my monsters is now attacking another to save me.
Fuck.