The Escape

Sera's POV

“I am not your bride, leech,” I yelled right into Cassian's face. My tone was scathing, just as I wanted it. He was a leech, and I had to let him know that.

My fingers tightened on the sword, and I kept it right in the air. Whenever he tries anything funny, I would be ready.

But he just leaned back, touching his lower lip as his upper lip rose in a sly, mischievous smirk that lit up his face, just as an amusing glint lit up his eyes.

The icy blue orbs deepened as he took in me and my sword. “You are not just a human, bride. You are a hunter.” The amusing glint in his eyes grew stronger. “That makes it better. I have always wanted a strong witch or a fellow vampire as a bride.” His eyes trailed over my exposed arms and legs. “You should do… you know how to wield your sword.”

I should do. I have never heard a more derogatory statement. He made it sound like I was a product with a price tag.

Sure—I can wield my sword. I am a Grand Hunter, one of a very few in the whole fucking world. And soon, his neck was going to be testifying to that, even if not today.

“I’ll be coming back for your necks,” I said, throwing my gaze to cover both brothers. Adrian was by the restroom entrance, and Cassian in the corridor.

I pushed Cassian away from my front with my sword and began marching forward. My sword was still raised high and ready should any of the vampires wish to start trouble.

Cassian traced to before me, blocking off my path with his big body. Unlike Adrian, who was lean and scraggly, Cassian seemed to be hitting the gym during his spare time. He had a broad chest, wide shoulders, and large, toned biceps that stretched and strained the sleeves of his jacket.

I swung my sword high, so fast, it sliced the air with a sharp whistling noise. Yet, it hung just an inch from his neck. I couldn't go further, even when I wanted to—because I was a fucking bride.

He stared at the sword, and a self-satisfied grin filled his lips. He slapped the sword away with a finger. He was strong, or perhaps my grip had faltered—because the sword flew from my hands. I leaned forward fast to reclaim the sword in the air.

He traced to me again. This time, he planted his powerful self just a breath from me. He was so inexperienced with breathing that I could hear him breathe. His nostrils spread wide as air whizzed in and out like an asthmatic's.

His breath was clogged with the putrid smell of blood. He must have drunk off a human before he came to the club.

That made him more repulsive to me. I stepped back from him, glaring at him, my jaw clenched tight and set in a grim twist.

“Get off my path, leech. I have no use for you.”

He brushed his lips with his thumb. It seemed like a habit. He repeated it, grinning me down. “But I have use for you, bride. I have waited centuries for just this moment, for you. You are coming with me to your new home—my castle,” he declared proudly.

Coming with him. I scoffed, my fingers tightening on the sword. For a vampire, he certainly has wild imaginations. I held the sword ready, observing him and his men closely. “I’d love to see you and men try to take me."

He just grinned again. Fuck. I wished I could wipe that bloody grin from his lip. Why does he always find everything amusing?

“You either come the nice, jolly way or the hard way.”

“How about neither?” I mocked, flashing him a grin in return.

“If that's the way you want to play it, bride,”

He shuffled his feet for a split second. About to trace. I doubled my speed, slicing the air with my sword for his neck, and praying this time, I would be able to kill him.

Before my sword could land, Adrian materialized between us. He caught my sword mid-air. His long, lean fingers folded tight around the sword. The sharp edge cut into his palm, and thick black blood flowed down the steel length of the sword.

His lean, straight back was to me as he faced Cassian. “You can't take her away, Cassian. She is also my bride. She’d blooded me as she blooded you.”

“That can be,” I heard Cassian growl. “We can never share a bride.”

I jerked my sword from Adrian. The sword sliced his palm, spraying black blood on my clothes and on the white walls of the corridor. Yet, Adrian didn't flinch. His back remained to me as he spoke with Cassian.

“I am afraid it is, Cassian. It seems we don't only have to share the throne. We have to share her too,” Adrian said casually.

I moved away from Adrian's back to have a better view of Cassian. His face was tight, his grin abandoned for a frown. The first time he wasn't grinning tonight. His eyes shifted in their sockets as he glared intensely at his brother, carefully watching his brother breathe. With each draw of breath that Adrian made, the intensity of Cassian’s glare grew.

“How can we possibly share a bride? How is that even possible?” Cassian demanded, an unnatural edge to his voice.

“Perhaps it has to be because we are twins. It's not a new occurrence for vampire twins to share a bride.” Adrian explained.

“I am not some filthy ordinary vampire. I am a prince, pure blood, royalty, and I don't share; I own. She is mine and mine alone.” Cassian declared, baring his fangs—long, thick fangs with very pointy tips and stained with blood from his last meal. “I have been reluctant for a war to claim the throne, but for my bride, you are looking at a full-blown war if I do not leave here with her tonight.”

I could feel it. The prickling sensation that crawled over my skin, the tension gripping the air between the two brothers. Cassian flexed his muscles in readiness for battle, while Adrian swapped his stance in defense for it.

I remained behind Adrian, watching quietly and enjoying the turn of events. The more they are at each other's throats, the better for me.

“I don't want war, Cassian. But I am not letting you take her. I have also waited seven painful centuries for her. We either work things out between the three of us—”

“Save your breath. We are working nothing out,” Cassian growled, then he let out his claws.

“Alright then.” Adrian growled too, a harsh, loud growl that resounded in the tiny corridor. He bared out his own fangs and claws too. “Because I don't want to fight doesn't mean I would back away from one, not when it involves our bride.”

“My bride—” Cassian corrected, then like a blur, he traced to Adrian, swinging his claws for his head.

I could have stayed to watch how the soap opera ends. But it was an opportunity to escape without being chased by either of the brothers. And I'll be damned if I didn't take it.

I sighed, inhaling and exhaling long, feeling a wave of calm flush through my veins, as I turned gently to Cassian's guards behind me, counting six of them with a calculated jerk of my eyes.

I snatched from between my breasts a tiny bottle of potion I had gotten from Nix.

I tipped the cork and poured the hot greenish liquid down my throat, feeling it burn through me, igniting my veins with more strength and speed, as it always does.

It was an energy boost for hunters. Most hunters have witch friends to make us potions. As hunters, potions help us keep up with vampires’ strength and speed.

In one quick move, I swept fast into the midst of the vampire guards. I slashed and cut with a deadly speed, avoiding their claws and fangs with ease. They weren't a match for my dexterity, as I swept cleanly through them, as light as paper, yet still fast and agile on my feet.

I didn't know where the men came from, but suddenly, Cassian's vampire guards had doubled—no, tripled—no, they were a fucking horde now. Somehow the guards had seemed to call on their colleagues for help. I gasped, googly-eyed as I watched six guards become hundreds before me in the blink of an eye, filling up the whole corridor.

Yet, I didn't stop. I cut through them with ease, whilst still avoiding their claws and fangs charging for me.

“She is my bride, fools. Don't you dare hurt a hair on her.” Cassian barked from behind me, still heavily engaged with Adrian.

The vampire guards withdrew their attacks on me instantly, drawing back a little. Blessed with that momentary lapse of indecision from the guards, I jumped high and caught a ledge. Jumping again, I grabbed onto a higher one. Then with a duly calculated and practiced move, I spun in the air to land just behind Cassian.

He reached for me, but with Adrian's fist coming fast for his face. He had just one choice: grab me or get hit. He chose wisely, as he swung back his arm, using it to deflect Adrian's attack.

“You fools. Get her. Don't let her get away!” Cassian barked again at his guards. They struggled through another lapse of indecision before they began tracing to me once again.

They barely swung at me, throwing their claws feebly for my neck, trying to scratch and not to harm me.

Fine—I made myself a sly grin as I sliced and cut through the first barge to come at me, and the rest chased me down the corridor. I grabbed a railing at the end of the corridor and lifted myself onto the upper landing of the club, in the midst of hundreds of hungry vampire elites.

Cold tremors ran through my veins, and for a moment I froze on the spot. My heart leapt high, hammering against my ears, as I looked around at the angry vampiric eyes staring at me.

“Hunter,” the vampire elites screamed, jumping from their various booths. They traced fast to me. Vampire guards were one thing, but elites, especially this many, were a big problem. I spotted a window and threw myself against it, breaking through the glass, a loud shattering cry following me as I was suspended in the air for a moment.

I snatched my UV light from my skirt, flashing it towards the window to keep the vampires away. The UV light worked just like sunlight. It burns the fucking leeches to crisp.

I heard some wails of pain as I crash-landed on the cold asphalt. I refused to give in to the pain whacking through my body, making my limbs throb hard. I picked myself up from the floor immediately, sprinting fast down the street, the noisy winter breeze lashing around me.

I had no idea how I got back to my condo. But when I did, I was panting hard. I leaned my back on the wall beside my door, my palm on my chest, guiding my breathing as my breast rose and fell.

I instinctively reached for my sword when the door shot open. I relaxed my grip as Nix appeared in the doorway. Her jade green eyes twinkling with amusement as they moved over me.

God! I was going to fucking strangle the bitchy witch.