Chapter 92 - 91

You can read the novel online free at novelhall.com

Soran had heard fighting. While he scanned the whole hotel his ears caught a sound, underneath his feet. At first he was a bit confused, not thinking about the possibility of them being held underground but as the sounds got more intense he rushed down, finding himself in the humid basement. The hotel was obviously huge, with many floors and endless rooms. The same went for the basement. It was vast, with dim lights that flickered. Some of the doors seemed new, probably the ones that were used the most while they had staff only signs on them. 

As he stepped deeper into the basement the lights were fewer. He didn't really mind that though, his hearing was what guided him. It was faint, the uproar had stopped for a while now probably because of the spell. He hoped that the two vampires would be alright. That the spell wouldn't simply be a childish idea and that Kai would be right. He was a very good strategist once, but now, as time passed and he chose to remain in the shadows, idle, his friend couldn't help but have some restrictions. He believed in him of course, he would follow him everywhere, he loved him after all but sometimes the change in his eyes was too obvious. 

The white haired man took a sharp turn, facing another corridor. He walked slowly, approaching the door the sounds came from. The closer he moved the easier it was for him to recognize Xan's and Lun's voices. They were alive and they sounded fine. He thought and a faint smile appeared on his face. He felt something on his shoe and he stopped, looking down to find a sleeping man. He crouched, moving his face close and noticed that the werewolf who had fainted, affected by the spell, was Mika. He chuckled, seeing his awkward position and grabbed him, making him sit on the side gently so he wouldn't get hurt. 

The door of their prison opened, revealing the two men escaping in the dim light and meeting with him. 

"Well, it took you a while." Xan scoffed and his cold eyes noticed Mika, sleeping on the floor. He kicked his arm with his hand, wanting to see if he was alive and the sleeping boy frowned. "What is this?" he asked with a disgusted expression. 

"This was Kai's plan so we could get you out without a bloodbath. They have all been enchanted by a friend of mine." he explained and a smile appeared on Lun's face. He was happy, knowing that Kai tried to save him. Slowly, bit by bit he hoped that his best friend would return. Stop hiding. 

"My brother really has a tendency of avoiding things. We will have to kill them at some point anyway so why would we…"

"Let's just go." Lun said, interrupting him.

"I think that Kai is great for thinking like that." Soran said. "Killing others, that's the easiest thing, what we're taught. Another way, I think that's the hardest way of thinking." he said and the crown prince scoffed before he began walking. Lun looked at Xan, giving him a cheeky smile, satisfied that he had annoyed the prince and his friend shrugged his shoulders. 

"We need to get out, fast. Before the spell worms out. I imagine a spell of this caliber won't last long." Lun said. Soran nodded agreeing with him but he chose not to follow them. 

He decided to head upstairs, find Kai and John so they wouldn't have to search in vain. The faster all of them left the better for their group. Xan and Lun were safely outside so their mission was over. 

Unfortunately, the sound that led the handsome vampire to the prince and the werewolf was once more the sound of clashing. He heard grunts and swears, recognizing John's voice and without thinking about it, worried that they might have faced something really dangerous he flashed upstairs. 

They were not in danger but somehow Soran was not relieved. He wasn't noticed at first, Kai was on the side lines, observing while John was fighting, he looked as if someone had possessed him, something evil. He was beating up a child, Soran realized as he heard Kai warn him. He couldn't understand why the prince was not interfering. 

He was perplexed, unable to decide if he should stop this or not. John always looked so kind, a creature that would never want to harm anyone but now, now he looked satisfied as that child's blood coated his fists, like some kind of trophy for his actions. The child began to beg, realizing his own death would come soon and the vampire, unable to watch this any longer, stepped in. Soran grabbed John's arm, helping the boy manage to run away. 

"Let go of me!" John shouted, not fully realizing who had stopped him until his hand was released and he raised his head. "What…"

"Did you really try to kill a child?" 

"Soran…he…" Kai called, trying to defend the young man but his friend gave him a deadly glare. 

"We will talk later about why you didn't try to stop this but you, John, tell me, did you really try to kill a child?" He asked him, raising the tone of his voice. 

John froze. His feet rooted to the ground like some kind of old and tired tree. His warm eyes were showing utter shock as he met with Soran's angered expression. He didn't know what to feel, what to think first. The person he had liked, the man he had admired from the first moment, was angry at him. The white haired man was staring at him, a frown deforming his usually calm expression and John's heart began to race. He would hate him, Soran would hate him and he would be left alone again. Like back then, he would be kicked out. Alone. Alone.

"I…I…" The young werewolf mumbled as Soran pushed his hand down with force. 

"Soran…." Kai stepped in, getting in the middle of them two. "That was the kid that turned John. he bit him with the intention of killing him. Of course he is angry, he would want to get revenge." he told him, trying to defend John. Soran looked at his friend, a disappointed expression on his face before he started talking. 

"That's fine. It's fine to be angry, It's fine to want to get revenge, it is fine to be bitter but kill? Kill a fucking teenager? Maybe that's okay for you Kai, for your brother and Lun, maybe it's even okay for me but have you thought what it would do to him? He is practically a child himself! Do you want to ruin him like that? Why didn't you cut in?" Soran asked, directing his anger towards Kai. 

"In this world it's better that we make our decisions ourselves and pay the price." he told Soran and his eyes widened. 

"Are you serious? Did you like it when they did that to us? Back home? Watch us fail, watch us get humiliated just because you should know the cruelty of this world? How many things do you regret about Kai? How many horrible memories could you have avoided if there was someone there to stop you, advise you? Tell me." Soran scolded him. Kai looked down, feeling guilty about what he had just done. Many times he had said he hated BloodBound, their way of thinking, their malice but as it seemed, during the most critical moments he showed so well where he came from. It was embarrassing and he felt like a fool. 

Soran sighed, pushing back his hair. His eyes landed on a digital clock that had fallen on the floor. Time, their time was almost up. He noticed. 

"There is no need to talk about this right now. We need to go. Xan and Lun are outside the hotel and they are fine. The spell will wear off in a while." he warned him and the blonde prince nodded, unable to look his friend in the eye. 

"Sorry." Kai mumbled, not knowing what else he should say and walked away, leaving John standing in front of Soran, exposed. 

While they argued, John could think only of one thing. He didn't want to be hated. Not by him, not by Kai, not by anyone. He didn't want to feel like he had a few years back, alone, abandoned, dying in the cold winter. Soran would definitely not like him after what he had seen, after the beautiful porcelain mask he wore broke into pieces. He had tried so hard, he had hurt so much just to be what he had to but in only one moment, a mere second when he couldn't control himself took everything away from him. 

"Are you not coming?" Soran asked him. He had reached the door, while the young werewolf was still frozen, looking on the floor. There were dark spots on the carpet. Spots that previously weren't there. Blood. Not his, or maybe his too. He didn't know. It looked disgusting though, dirty and it smelled. He cursed his keen smell, he cursed that his life changed like that. He cursed that he had been so easily exposed and the tears flooded his eyes without him knowing. 

Mixing with the spots on the carpet, small salty drops. Their pattering sound drew Soran's attention. 

"We need to go." he repeated. The vampire wished that he could walk towards him, soothe the pain he was feeling, reassure him but he couldn't, he wasn't perfect after all. No one was. He shook his head, grabbing rudely his arm and pulling him out. John didn't say anything nor did he try to stop him. All he did was cry silently, for reasons unknown. Soran couldn't help but wonder, what could he be thinking and why did he look like that. He didn't want to ask though, actually he didn't want to speak at all. 

Their first little mission had ended well. No one was hurt, at least physically and Xan and Lun were fine. John though felt like he would die. He couldn't look at Soran, his judgemental expression was just too cruel, too similar to the one his parents had while they looked at him like an utter failure. 

Kai was embarrassed. Disappointed with himself about what he had done. He shouldn't be like this. He should reject every little piece that he had brought with him from BloodBound but sometimes it was so hard. He rested his back on his seat, sitting alone in the back of the car for now and he sighed. Looking outside as the cars rushed by. He hadn't been able to find Philip, he had no idea where he was or if he was alright. The pain on his chest became stronger, his eyes filled with sorrow. 

They had succeeded but why did he feel as if he had failed?

You can read the novel online free at novelhall.com