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Mina darted forward and snatched the girl up off the floor before she could do much more than let out a surprised wail. She cradled her against her shoulder and turned back to the window. Alaric leaned in, and she passed the girl over into his waiting hands.
He passed her down off the roof to someone else she couldn’t see, and then turned back to offer her help out the window.
She reached for his hand, and a white-hot pain burned through the center of her gut. Looking down she saw something black and burning wrap around her midsection, and then just as her eyes met Alaric’s surprised gaze, the creature that had her jerked her back, pulling her clean off her feet and down through the floorboards of the house as they shattered beneath her weight.
Mina didn’t have time to scream. From one second to the next her world dissolved into a world of smoke, heat, and flame. Her side slammed into something hard, and the rope disappeared from around her, letting her roll to the side as she fell fully to the ground floor on her back.
The world spun. Black spots danced in her vision, and something foul slid through the flames around her. In the haze of her fall, she could feel its eyes on her, see its shadow looming over her.
Pushing up on the ground, she tried to slide away from the figure, but the fire curled around her hands and she winced, pulling back.
A deep voice bellowed from the creature. “Foolish little witch, I warned you what would happen. I warned you!”
Mina squinted up at the creature in time to see its arm reaching back, getting ready to strike at her with long vicious-looking claws. She put her arms up, and as it screeched at her once again her ears popped around the word. “Evangeline!”
Her ears popped a second time, and the air around her abruptly cooled. Lowering her arms, she looked around and her heart dropped. She was outside. Sitting in the middle of the road a few paces away from the house.
Gasping for air, tears burst from her eyes. How had she—
“Mina?” Gasped a familiar voice, and before she could move even an inch, Erik had her by the arms. Pulling her roughly to her feet, he shook her hard. “Are you insane? What were you thinking?”
Mina’s head rocked violently, and the ground swayed under her. She looked up to see his fangs glistening in the firelight, and she acted on instinct. Reaching for the dagger he kept at his belt she pulled it free as he shook her again, transferring his grip from her arms to her face. His nails dug into her skin.
“Tell me,” he hissed, and she drove the dagger up into his gut below his ribs.
Erik cried out in pain and staggered back letting her go. Mina staggered into another set of waiting arms. Gentle arms. Lucy’s arms.
“Don’t you ever touch me like that again,” she snarled, leaning into her cousin’s embrace.
“Mina, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Lucy asked, brushing the hair back from her face.
Meeting her eye, Mina exhaled. “Get me back to my rooms. I need a bath.”
She nodded and started corralling her away as Erik saw to his wound, the wolves pulling in close around them. Alaric stepped in front of them for a second to bar their progress, but Harker shoved him back and let them pass, falling into step behind them.
“I’ll escort you, make sure it's safe all the way back up,” he said.
Mina didn’t have the heart or the strength to protest. Of all the people she’d encountered so far, Harker ’s easy nature, and Lucy’s jovial smile made them both the least objectionable of companions.
“You know, you were pretty wild when we were kids, but that…that right there was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do,” Lucy said, ushering her through the town, away from the crowd, and back up to the gates Erik had originally carried her through.
“What do you mean?” she asked, leaning away from her, feeling steadier on her own feet.
Lucy stopped moving and glared at her. “Do you not realize what you just did, and have seemingly gotten away with?”
Harker snorted. “It takes some serious balls to stab the king. He’s not usually so forgiving.”
“Forgiving?” Mina laughed. “I’m not worried about his forgiveness. I was simply defending myself.”
Lucy shook her head. “Alright, let’s go. Let’s get you into the castle, and into a bath. I’m sure you need to rest after that.”
“You have no idea.” Mina sighed, and the three of them fell into silence as they escorted her back to her room. Her body throbbed with every breath. She’d only been awake for a few hours, and already she wanted to sleep for a week.
It didn’t take long for Lucy to arrange a bath for her. Once the water was warm, she undid her corset for her, helped her strip down, and Mina sank into the water leaning back against one side of the copper tub.
“Want me to brush out your hair?” Lucy offered, spreading more rose petals into the water.
Mina shook her head. “No, I think…I just want to be alone for a little bit. If that’s okay. I need time to think, to process.”
