Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Sean busts in the door. “Get out here and help us control the people while Oracle clears minds.”
“But we need to make sure Scar is secured. How is Oracle here?” I ask, my body suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the fight.
“He and Ettie showed up two minutes ago. Oracle was carrying Grace, who seems to be unconscious.”
“I’m fine,” I hear her insist before my heart can stop beating. “I’ll meet you out there.”
“I don’t want to leave Scar’s body. I don’t like that idea.”
Sean stares at it. “He isn’t going anywhere. With the blood loss, he will be dead soon. He’s not even coherent. But if we don’t get this under control, we’re in deep shit. There are five police cars outside and more on the way.”
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, following Sean and closing the door behind me.
43
#5
SCAR
I faintly hear my name, but I can’t place it. It sounds so far away. I try to open my eyes, but my body has nothing to give. It feels good to just lie here. No pain. Nothing but blackness opening its arms to me.
“Open your eyes! Please! We’re running out of time,” a female voice says, between sobs.
I pry my eyes open as pain rushes to the surface. I hurt everywhere. Holding my eyes open is hard when they are so heavy. I come through enough to see Glenna staring down at me. She has tears running down her face. I don’t know that anyone has ever cried for me.
I grunt, unable to speak. I feel myself fading.
“You need to drink from me. We’re running out of time. You need to take enough to get us out of here. All of them are downstairs dealing with the police. I caused a scene, but it won’t take them long to figure it out.”
I faintly remember telling my little doll to wait in the car and not to move until I came out with Grace. I would’ve expected her to run off when the police showed up and chaos began, but instead she came up to save me. How surprising.
Glenna holds up her arm to my lips and I struggle to bite down. I’m so far gone I can’t even make my fangs come out. I’m ready to give up and tell her to save herself when she pushes her arm against my teeth and scores the skin herself. Soon, I feel her blood slide down my throat. I’m so far gone that it’s not going to help me too much, but if I take enough, it may help me find the strength to get out of here. I’ll need more than she can give me, but I’ll take what I can. I hope I don’t kill her. There’s something about her. I can’t put my finger on it, but now is not the time for that. Why do I care if it just hurt her? I continue to pull her warm blood into my mouth, taking long gulps as I watch the color drain from her face. Her eyes start to roll as she loses consciousness and falls into the floor next to me. What I’ve drank from her should heal me, but it’s not, although I do have a little more strength. Fuck, time might not heal these wounds. I glance at the open window behind the desk. I might be able to jump out of it. That’s my only option.
I pick Glenna up, swaying as dizziness slams into my already weakened body. The only thing pushing me to keep going is my need to fight for survival. I push my power to enhance my hearing, knowing they are around. I can’t tell what they are saying, but they are close. I’m running out of time.
I walk to the window, debating leaving her behind to look like a victim, but I do it. What is it about this human? It takes me three times to get myself on the ledge. After glancing at the ground, I jump. Only then do I wonder if I was on the second or third floor.
I’ll be lucky to survive the landing from one floor so hopefully it’s not more than that. My body thuds against the concrete as I curse under my breath. I land painfully on my side, dislocating my shoulder with a loud crack, and likely breaking a few bones, but even as I lie there a second, I can feel them try to right themselves. My doll is tucked into my arms, still looking weak from blood loss, but otherwise unharmed.
I scramble to my feet, knowing my car is still parked down the alley. I throw Glenna over my other shoulder, hobbling along the uneven pavement, dragging my leg as I go. Once I get to the car, I have to lean awkwardly on it as I toss Glenna onto the back seat. I growl out and pain shoots through me when I get in the vehicle. Dizziness hits me and it takes all my willpower to stay alert enough to drive out onto the main road. I grip the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles go white. If I had more strength, it would break it. It doesn’t even crack this time. It’s obvious that whatever that knife was made of, it’s something I haven’t encountered before. I have a feeling that I won’t know in what way it will affect me for a long time.