The ring of the phone was what brought me out of unconsciousness. My eyes opened slowly to a blurry upside down view of the shattered front window of the car. What the fuck just happened? One minute I was driving, and the next Scar was casting a spell. Then the truck...FUCK!
"Scar?!” I choked, whipping my head to my left to see Scarlet. The seat belt was the probably the only reason why she was alive, and I noticed her side of the car was dented in.
My eyes widened when I spotted the large amount of blood pooling on the right side of her stomach. Her white tank was soaked with dark red liquid; more blood dripped from her head. I followed the trail of droplets to a large bump on the left side of her skull.
"Scar!" I shouted, reaching out to press my hand on her pulse. I ignored the phone that continued to ring over and over again in the background. The sound was nothing compared to how fast and loud my heart pumped as I tried not to panic. My breaths came out in quick puffs as I tried to feel her pulse.
"C'mon, Scar baby. C'mon...don't die on me. Don't do this to me!" I begged, tears forming in my eyes as my hands trembled. I tried again, lowering my fingers on her neck as I tried to find her pulse.
"Meow!" I heard Moonlight hissing in the back seat. I quickly looked back to see him tangled up in the seat belt. I noticed a gash on his left front paw, but he didn't look too beat up otherwise, which I thought was probably due to Scarlet's quick thinking. I didn't care about not revealing that I knew he was a Starlight god. He had to save Scarlet.
"Risuki! Scar's not breathing!" I called. He froze mid-struggle, his turquoise eyes meeting mine before he glanced over at Scarlet. I realized if he wanted to save Scarlet, he would need to get out of the tangled web he was in.
I moved my fingers from Scar's skin, already noticing how cold she was, but I knew Risuki could do something. He was a fucking god, he had to do something. He wouldn't let Scarlet die. It wasn't her time, my heart told me it wasn't.
I reached back, cursing at the pain that shot through my right leg, but ignored it. I was able to reach the grey seat belt and quickly untangled Moonlight's little body. He immediately jumped and clung to the seat to avoid falling down to the ceiling, which was covered with glass shards and other scraps from the car. Then he clung to Scar's jacket and made his way to her neck.
"Meow!" He nudged at her neck, but there was no response, blood continuing to drip down to the roof.
"Meow!" Moonlight nudged his head at her neck, but this time a large blue magic circle emerged beneath him. Then an electric current went around Scar and into her body. She jolted from the shock, but remained otherwise unresponsive. Fuck.
I reached out and picked Moonlight up, who was already trying to get out of my hold and back to Scarlet.
"Stop struggling for a second. I have an idea," I huffed, placing my hand directly on Scarlet's chest, just above her heart like Michael had done when her heart had stopped at her place.
"I want you to send the energy through me and I’ll add the energy from the crystal and send it into her like what Michael did," I quickly explained.
Risuki went still and I lifted him up so his eyes could meet mine. I saw everything: his sadness, his fear. The vulnerability in those little blue orbs reminded me of my dark past, reminded me of the last moment I had as a human all those years ago.
I knew from day one how much Risuki cared for Scarlet. It didn't matter that he was a Starlight god. Scarlet loved him and took care of him for years. Even though Cyrus and I knew his secret and pretended like we didn't, it was obvious that the reality was beginning to sink into Risuki's mind about what might happen to her. That fear was preventing him from utilizing his abilities.
"I need you to do this, Risuki. I...none of us will get through this if Scar dies. Please, I need your help," I sobbed, tears rolling down my cheeks. We shared a look and he nodded quickly. I closed my eyes, deciding to let my instincts take control. I felt the crystal bracelet on my wrist grow hot with immense power.
"Please...save my Scarlet. Please give me enough power to restart her heart. Please," I begged out loud before concentrating the pool of energy in my hand.
"Meow." Risuki's body grew hot in my hand and I felt his wave of energy hit me, running down my arm and collecting in my hand that was resting on Scarlet's chest.
I opened my eyes slightly to see the ball of energy grow stronger and stronger until little sparks flickered out, which gave me the hint it was at its breaking point.
"Now," I declared. I let go of the burst of energy, which jolted into Scarlet's body. Her body trembled with the energy that coursed through her. The majority of it centered on her heart, then branched down her arms and legs.
I moved my hand away from her and her body was still, both Risuki and I waiting in fear that our efforts were pointless. I felt my heart drop as tears pooled in my eyes. My lip trembled as a wave of sadness and defeat ran through me.
"Scar..." I whimpered. That’s when she gasped, coughing up blood. Then I heard her rapid breathing. Fuck, yes!
"Scarlet." I reached out, moving her hair out of the way so I could get a good look at her face, watching her nostrils open up as she inhaled and exhaled at a rapid pace. Her breathing was labored, which meant I didn't have much time, but at least she was alive.
"Thank you Starlight gods," I prayed before the ringing of the phone caught my attention.
"Meow." Risuki attempted to claw his way out of my hold, clearly wanting me to place him on Scarlet. I put him down on her shoulder, petting him once.
"Thank you," I whispered, hoping he could hear in my voice how much I owed him after this. He met my gaze and licked my hand before nuzzling into Scar's neck.
Suddenly, a soft blue glow wrapped around her body. She seemed to relax, her shoulders sinking as her breathing began to even out.
I reached for the phone, having to really stretch to get it from where it had fallen into a pile of glass on the ceiling. I quickly picked it up and answered, placing it on speaker.
"Fucking shit! Christian! What the fuck just happened? Where's Scar? Are you two alright?" Ethan snapped, firing off questions rapidly. He sounded like he was driving, and from the swerve of the tires in the background, I figured he was definitely not following the speed limit.
"I don't know. One minute we were driving just fine, the next minute Scarlet...Scar cast a spell and when I woke...up..." I struggled to speak, sobs escaping me. I cursed, trying to force myself to stay calm.
I was struggling more than I should and I knew exactly why. All the emotions and urges running through my mind as I tried to ignore the growing anger pulsing through me at our current situation, only made me cry harder.
Ethan was silent for a few seconds before he spoke. "Is Scar alive?" Nyx’s hard voice questioned.
"Yes...but barely. We had to restart...we had to do what Michael did back at her place," I explained as my lip trembled.
"Christian. Take a deep breath."
"Nyx...I...I can't last long right now. I can't. You guys have to come to take Scarlet. She...I can't...she can't die dammit. It felt like my heart fucking stopped. Just like back then. Please," I begged, still trying to hold back my sobs.
"Christian! Michael and Junho are coming! They'll get you guys out," Nyx announced. "Just breathe. Scar's gonna be okay."
"She saved me...and Moonlight. She...died...Nyx. Fucking died for us. Fuck..." I cursed, my brain just now putting all these pieces together.
Something told me she must have had a vision of some kind, and her response was to ensure Moonlight and I were protected. But she only had two hands and we hadn't even taught her how to be able to protect herself in an event like this if she needed to.
We didn't prepare her enough and she died because of it. If we hadn’t been able to revive her heart, it would have been our fault for not teaching her properly. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened.
"Christian, it will be okay. Hold on tight. How bad are Scar's injuries? Michael's asking," Nyx stated.
"She's bleeding real bad from a wound in her stomach. Something must have punctured her and she hit her head really hard and is bleeding a lot," I explained quickly, biting my lip. I needed them to get her, or I'd lose control.
"Christian! Scar!" Junho called out, arriving on the scene.
I looked to my left to see him crouch down and cursed when his eyes landed on us. "Fucking shit! Christian, what the fuck happened?" Junho snapped before his eyes flickered and glowed a bright purple.
"Who the fuck did this?" Eun snapped, his Russian accent thick as he immediately ran from my side to the other side of the vehicle.
Eun's Russian accent had always thrown me off, reminding me that he'd been a spirit Junho had acquired later on. They had trained with another snow tiger who spoke both Japanese and Russian. Eun had somehow picked up the accent while Hyun had kept his Korean accent.
I could hear the flapping of powerful wings, which made me realize Michael had arrived. I turned my head to see Eun reaching out to feel Scar's pulse, but noticed Moonlight cuddled around her neck protectively. Eun paused and stared at Moonlight, who didn't move, his little body trembling.
Eun sighed, taking a deep breath.
"I know who you are. I won't say anything, but we need to get Scarlet to safety. People are coming here. We need to move far out and heal Scar. Then get Christian before anyone notices the accident. I swear Scarlet will not die. She will live, but we need to see how weak her pulse is and move her out of here. Please," he urged.
Moonlight slowly nodded, quickly licking Scar's cheek before he moved, jumping onto my chest and clinging to my shirt. I placed a protective hand on him, holding him in place. We both watched as Eun closed his eyes; a large purple magic circle formed beneath him.
In seconds, vines and flowers blossomed along the ground and the vines moved upward, slowly wrapping around Scar's body as if to hold her in place. Once he knew she was secure in the vines he created, Eun undid her seatbelt and slowly moved Scar out of the car through the shattered window, keeping her body in a secure position with the vines. Once her body was out, Michael was on his knees, with his hands glowing brightly. I noticed the bright intense glow in his normally gold orbs, making me realize Ezriel was in control and working hard to heal Scar's major wounds.
"She'll be okay, but we need to move her from here and I need to work fast. She's lost way too much blood and she's on the verge of coding again. Eun, I need your help to keep her body aligned until we move to a safe spot," Michael declared.
"On it. Let's move. Christian, we’ll be right back. Hold on tight," Eun urged. I met his purple eyes and he nodded to me. "She'll live," he mouthed. I nodded, watching Eun double check that Scar was securely in his vines. Then Michael picked Eun up and flew swiftly ahead, carrying them both while staying low to the ground for the sake of keeping Scar in alignment.
"Meow..." Moonlight pawed at my chest. I lifted my head up to look into his wide eyes. "It's fine. She'll be okay," I whispered. I decided I better get out of the car as well, unsure if there had been a gas leak.
"I'll be there in two minutes, Christian," Ethan's voice returned. I could hear the acceleration of the engine in the background. Ethan wasn't the type to go Nascar racer mode unless that switch in his mind went off, which made him a real threat because he went from a clumsy genius to a genius at everything who could perfect any skill.
"I'm gonna get out of the car. I don't know if there's a leak," I confessed, picking Moonlight up and setting him down near the window where there was no sharp glass that would harm him. "Moonlight, out you go. Be careful or Scar's gonna kill me," I mumbled, already imagining Scar's upset face and scolding that would follow if I wasn't nice to Moonlight, especially in this situation.
I don't think she realized I didn't have anything against Moonlight. He just reminded me of the past and my youth with my family. The time before everything fucked up.
"Meow.” Moonlight jumped, landing on a clear patch of sand before he turned to look at me.
"Good," I complimented. Then I unlocked my seatbelt, bracing myself for the fall. I cursed as I crashed to the ceiling, but the pain was nothing compared to what I'd experienced moments ago. I grabbed the phone and quickly crawled out, squinting my eyes at the intense sunlight. My leg was numb and realized I'd broken something, but I knew Michael could fix it once he rested for a bit after taking care of Scar.
Moonlight began to hiss loudly, getting my attention as his black hairs began to flare up and his tail wagged furiously.
"Shit! Christian, you got five people approaching you," Ethan announced. He must have had the radar on all those in the area and noticed the five body heat images on his monitor. I bit my lip as I was hit with a wave of dizziness. Fuck...not now.
I could feel Cyrus in the back of mind, wanting to come out and help, but neither of us could. We'd done enough and further struggling would have put us in an even worse situation than we were already in.
"Ethan...I can't...Code Red," I mumbled, staying completely still as I fought to stay conscious. I narrowed my eyes on the approaching group that began to look just like a blurry blob. I tried to focus and figure out what type of shifters were approaching me.
"Fuck. Michael, Junho!" Ethan called out. It sounded like he was sprinting. I heard the headset go on, Junho's voice on the line.
"Ezriel couldn't finish! Michael's working on her now. What’s wrong?" Junho questioned.
"Vamps! Approaching Christian. He's gone Code Red," Ethan snapped back.
I heard Junho curse. "How close?"
"Too close," I mumbled, fighting to keep my eyes open. I watched the tall man in the middle signal for the others to stop. They lifted their rifles, aiming them at Moonlight and I. The leader grinned confidently as he made his way towards us. Moonlight moved back to stand right in front of me protectively.
"Risuki...no...run. I'm dead meat...please," I begged. I flashed back to that moment in the rain, watching my cat stand protectively in front of me as those evil men intruded our village. That cold night that changed my life forever.
The man stopped two steps away from Moonlight who continued to hiss, tapping his uninjured paw on the floor, which made the man laugh.
"Awww, how adorable. This cute little kitty protecting this low life. It's been a long time, Ross. I guess that Demon Queen of yours isn't here to protect your ass from your true roots. " He laughed, and the other men that were standing there with their guns also joined in on the mockery.
"Fuck off," I huffed, trying my best to move, but found myself frozen in place.
"Aww. You must be in such a rough position. That beautiful delicious smell. Is that the blood of that beautiful woman that was in the car with you? I'm surprised you were able to resist so long when you’re in this state," the man continued to mock. My hand gripped the ground in anger as I tried to get my body to cooperate.
The man tried to take a step forward, but Moonlight hissed loudly which only made the man laugh harder. "Easy there, kitty cat. This isn't your battle. Why don't you scurry along and find a new owner to protect? This vamp will be dead in a moment and I won't hesitate to take you with me,” he declared.
"Moonlight, go," I whispered, wishing he'd heed my request, but he remained in place. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to look. I couldn't watch him die. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for his death.
"Why don't we finish this nice and quick? I'll make sure I let your little Queen know that we finally got payback for her snatching you up all those years ago. Oh, and after we're done with you, I think I'll check in on your beloved girlfriend. I think she'd taste rather lovely."
My eyes snapped opened and they burned with anger. I watched him grin in response. "Oh, those red eyes. I haven't seen those since the day we slaughtered your family. Ah, to think it was decades ago and now, I'm finally killing the last of the Ross family. I'll make sure to savor every drop of that girl's blood. In fact, I think she'd make the perfect slave. A good fucking before I drain her till she's on the verge of death, and then we can start the cycle again. Oh, I'll make your pathetic ghost wish for life back so you could seek vengeance," he whispered, his eyes glowing red as he raised his hand.
I braced myself, ready to cast a quick wind spell that Ethan had taught me in order to blow Moonlight out of the way. But just then, a loud sound of gunfire rang through the air. I heard a gut-wrenching scream. My gaze landed on one of the men on the far left who dropped to the ground, blood beginning to pool beneath him.
"Wha-" the leader shouted, but was cut off by two more gunshots that hit each of the middle two men. They both cried out before they fell to the ground. Before the last guy could aim his gun at me, a shot went right through his head. He didn't even make a sound as his body dropped to the ground.
"Fucking shi-" the main man snarled, but was cut off as Moonlight darted at him, launching off the ground and straight at his face. Moonlight latched on and began to scratch at the man's face, not caring that his paw was injured.
"FUCKING CAT! SHIT! Get the fuck off me!" the man snarled, struggling to pull Moonlight off his bleeding face. He turned around, his back to me. Then he cried out as a bullet went through his spine. He staggered, but fought to stay upright. Moonlight jumped off him and raced to my side just before another shot went through his back, followed by another. It took one last shot before he finally fell to his knees; blood poured out of the four bullet holes.
A final shot rang out, going straight into his head and that was the deal breaker. His body fell to the ground, convulsing as blood pooled around him. It took about six seconds before his body stilled and he was finally dead.
I heard footsteps, unsure who was approaching, but the stench of blood was getting to me. Moonlight snuggled against my face and I smiled. "So stubborn, just like Scarlet," I struggled to say. Just then, I spotted a familiar person who walked in front of me.
I lifted my eyes up to see Ethan's darkened gaze, that switch in his brain clearly on and evil intent in his eyes, which were now a dark midnight blue. They weren't glowing, which was how I knew Ethan was still in control, but I knew this side of him was the most deadly and no one would want to deal with him if it could be avoided.
He reloaded his gun before walking up to the four shifters. I watched as he shot each of them again. The magic bullets caused their bodies to freeze into blocks of ice. He finished up with them before walking back to the main guy. I watched him change his bullets once more. I didn't need to look to know what he was planning. With a final shot, the bullet went through the main guy's head and his body burned until it was nothing but ash.
"Should have hunted your ass down and murdered you long ago," he grumbled. Then his phone rang. He slid his hand into his pocket and took it out. He slid his finger across the screen and placed the phone to his ear.
"What?" He spoke in a such a cool tone, it sent shivers through my weak body.
"Too bad. He’s ash now. The others are frozen. I don't give a flying fuck and if anyone has a problem with it, they can say it to my fucking face. Christian needs serious help, Michael's knocked out, Junho can barely stay awake, and Jaxson is on his way with Vinzent. Was I supposed to let him kill Christian? Oh, may I add Moonlight's here too and basically risked his little kitty life to protect Christian? And now you're calling my phone to try and lecture me? Get your fucking priorities straight and if you have a problem, talk to Kendrick. Now get a fucking medical team ready and four bags of O negative and three of AB negative blood. The AB is Scar's blood type. Also, make sure we have a private sector at the hospital," Ethan ordered before he hung up the phone.
"Fucking idiots,” he grumbled before he turned and walked towards me. I gulped as I fought to stay awake just a little longer. I had to thank him, to say how he just saved our whole damn team and how he stopped them getting their hands on Scar. Now that I knew her blood type, she'd be a vampire's coven's prized possession. Everything the man, Haslam, said would come to pass. He would have used her, not just for his own blood needs, but he'd make her his personal sex slave, the same thing he'd done all those decades ago to my first crush.
Ethan came over to where I lay and crouched down. He looked at Moonlight, who was snuggled up next to me and he gently stroked the sulking cat. "Scar's going to be okay. Michael and Ezriel have stabilized her and she'll survive long enough for help to arrive,” he reassured, his eyes meeting my heavy ones.
"Ethan..." I whispered, my eyes unable to stay open any longer. They slowly came to a close. I felt something pat my shoulder, squeezing it gently.
"It's okay, Christian. Let go. You'll be all good when you wake up, and don't you dare say it. That's why we're a team. You’ll just owe me a smooth drive next time were on a case," Ethan declared and I found enough energy to smile.
It took everything in me to say those two words, knowing Ethan would hate it, but with my consciousness already falling into the dark abyss, I knew it would be a while till I woke up, so I needed to say it now.
"Thank you."