Book One Chapter Fourteen: Lauren's Kindness

Nick finds that the vampire guarding them, Lauren, hates Saja and hates being a vampire. Can Nick use this in his favor?

Chapter Fourteen Lauren’s Kindness: Lauren didn't seem too loyal to Saja, so I decided to go for it.

“Lauren?” I asked.

“Yes?” she replied.

“Do you like being a vampire?” I asked.

Lauren shook her head quickly.

“No. I hate killing things to survive.” She said.

She was taking the bait so far.

“How much did you like your human life?” I pressed cautiously.  

Lauren’s expression softened, she was lost in nostalgia.

“I liked it very much. I miss seeing the sunlight, I miss feeling the warmth on my skin. I had a pretty good life, which is until Saja changed me.” Lauren said with a sad tone to her voice.

I lowered my voice. This was the crucial moment. These next few words would decide if we escaped or not. I worded my sentence carefully. I worried that if Lauren didn’t take the deal, she would tell Saja and we would all be in trouble.

“If you help us escape, we will find a way to change you back to a human.” I said.

Lauren seemed doubtful, but she smiled with joy.

"Is that possible?" She asked.

I shrugged.

"I don't know, but if you don’t believe us, you can stay with us until that happens.” I added.

Lauren nodded.

"I will help you. I hate Saja, and I will one day reclaim my lost life." Lauren said.

Yes! She did it Lauren would help us escape!

“I will need the keys from Saja.” Lauren said.

“Can’t you just ask for them?” I asked.

“No, she doesn’t trust anyone really.” Lauren said.

“We’ll have to steal them.” I said.

“Saja doesn’t sleep so that will be difficult.” Lauren added glumly.

“Luna, please tell me you’re an expert pickpocket.” I said.

Luna smiled sadly and shook her head. “Well, no. And even if I was, I am still chained here." Luna sighed as she spoke.

A thought then hit me.

“Lauren, what happens to vampires in sunlight?” I asked her.

 Lauren thought for a moment, then spoke.

“They lose almost all of their energy and strength, but prolonged exposure to the sun can kill them, or so I've heard.” Lauren replied. She then froze.

She smiled and I think that she had the same idea as me.

“They get very weak.” She repeated, this time with an even greater smile.

“Alright. Here’s the plan. We send Lauren to find Saja. Lauren gets her near the entrance and she drags her outside. She will then have to restrain her and get the keys. But Lauren, you have to be stronger than Saja for the plan to work.” I told Lauren.

“I am.” She said with absolute confidence.

“This is suicide.” Said Luna.

“Even when Saja is restrained and Lauren manages to get the keys Saja will have to run back here and free us before Saja gets too close.” The queen said.

“Like I said before, Lauren has to be stronger than Saja for the plan to work.” I reminded her.

Lauren glared at us.

“I will do what it takes to regain my old life.” She said.

“We should wait until morning.” I suggested.

“Agreed.” Lauren told us, nodding.

 

The next few hours passed fairly quickly, they were spent ironing out the plan. After we had worked out the details, we slept until the morning. When we woke up and glanced at Lauren.

“I am ready.” She said firmly.

Lauren went out of the room to go find Saja. Lauren found Saja wandering the halls.

“I have to talk to you.” Lauren said to Saja.

“It’s about the prisoners.” Lauren added.

Saja turned to face Lauren.

“Alright what is it?” Saja asked.

“I can’t tell you here.” Said Lauren.

“I’ll tell you in the dining hall.” Lauren added.

She was nervous. Saja would kill her at the first sign of treachery. Saja seemed to agree because she went with Lauren. The two entered the dining room right by the entrance of the castle.

“I think the prisoners are planning to escape.” Lauren said.

Saja shook her head.

“They can’t. The jail is perfect.” Saja said arrogantly.

Lauren shook her head fiercly.

“That is the problem.” Contradicted Lauren.

“They will find small flaws to throw you off. Then when you are wondering what those flaws are, and wondering how to prevent them, they will escape.” Lauren explained. Saja turned to leave and check on her prisoners.

“I had better go check on the prisoners then.” Said Saja.

Lauren followed the plan. As Saja walked out of the room Lauren pinned Saja outside and restrained her. They could both feel the warmth of the sun's rays weakening them.

“What on earth are you doing?” Screamed Saja.

 

The two vampires wrestled for control over the other, and the keys to the prisoner's bonds. Lauren tried to snatch the keys but only caught a handful of air. Her strength was vanishing rapidly. The keys were hung on a loop in Saja's pants. Lauren grabbed once more and caught the rim of the keychain! She tugged with all of her strength, which was not much at this point, and pulled the loop off. She had secured the keys! She then kicked Saja backwards about half a mile. Lauren then sprinted back down the hall, feeling her strength returning as she entered the castle. She was then tackled to the ground. She could hear Nick shouting something.

“Lauren, be strong!”

 

Lauren rolled over onto her back and punched Saja in the face.

“Traitor!” Saja yelled at Lauren.

Lauren punched Saja In the face yet again and Saja screamed. Lauren delivered three more crippling blows to Saja and she fell off of her, dazed. Lauren ran across the wall and grabbed onto their chains, so as not to fall into the pit. She went over to Nick and the others and freed them of their bonds. They swung across and went through the hole in the wall, and down the hallway.

 

I smiled and Luna beamed. Her parents were silent.

“Thank you so much.” I told Lauren.

“My thanks.” Said Luna.

“I’ve held up my end of the bargain, now hold up yours.” Lauren said. I nodded.

“We will restore your human form as soon as possible.” I assured her.

“I will stay with you until such time.” Added Lauren.

“You can. We would be glad to have you.” I told Lauren.

Lauren smiled.

We heard something behind us. It was Saja! She had gotten back up! Fear filled me and Lauren snarled. Saja ran up kicked Lauren into the far wall. She did the same to me and Luna and her parents. We had no time to react, Saja had done that so quickly! I felt the impact of Saja’s kick to my ribs, and I flew back against the far wall. I hit it at a considerable speed and it had knocked the wind out of me. I grunted and fell to the floor face first. Saja ran up to me and held me up to the wall by my neck. I couldn’t breathe. I punched and kicked at Saja but nothing changed. I then got an idea. My vision was changing to a yellowish tinge from lack of oxygen, so I had to move quickly.

 

I grabbed Saja’s neck as she did mine and she smiled. I kicked at her as hard as I could. Nothing changed. Darkness ate at the corners of my vision, but before I fainted, Luna shifted into a wolf and threw Saja off of me. Saja turned around and punched Luna on the forehead. Luna yelped and retreated. Her parents weren't far behind their daughter. I shoved Saja into the wall before she could attack me again and ran back to the others. I think I was getting over my fear of Saja.

“We have to get out of here!” I told them.

“But Luna…” said the king.

I glanced to her and saw that she was unconscious. I ran back for her and carried her over my shoulder, she was back in human form so she didn't weigh much thanks to her petite form. I saw a small room and pointed it out to the others. We changed course and barricaded the door. I grabbed a sword from a chest, it wasn't silver, but it would hold Saja off.

“I cannot kill her but I can hold her off." I said, battle rage was swirling inside of me.

“King, can you fight?” I asked.

“Whatever it takes to protect my daughter.” He said gravelly.

Our makeshift barrier on the door didn’t hold long. Saja pounded through it. I ran up and charged her. She smiled.

“Let me cut that smile off your face!” I yelled.

I was definitely getting over my fear of Saja.

“I’d like to see you try.” Saja challenged.

I swung my sword at her and it bounced off. I thought that the sword would at least do some harm to Saja. I looked around and saw a shield on the wall. Saja caught my eye and lunged for it. I tackled her in midair and she fell to the ground. I stabbed her over and over again with the sword but nothing happened.

“How do you plan to kill me with that blade?” Saja asked arrogantly.

I dove for the shield and Saja wasn’t quick enough to stop me.

“Too slow, you pathetic leech!” I taunted Saja.

She scowled at me and lunged at the unconscious Luna. I saw her and Lunged at her, shield first. I knocked her off course and she crashed to the ground.

“Step up your game a little more, Saja.” I taunted again.

Saja got up and tackled me to the ground. She threw her hand to my neck and started choking me. Rage filled me, giving me strength. I couldn’t breathe once again. I thrashed and I kicked in rage but despite the extra strength given to me by anger, I couldn’t throw her off.

 

The king was tending to Luna, and the queen battered Saja with a sword, but in the end it was Luna who came through for me. She was in her wolf form and she lifted Saja off of me and threw her out the door. I gasped for air, my vision returned to normal and I was still light headed from lack of oxygen. I looked up at Saja. She lunged at me again. I was still getting my oxygen back and was too slow to react and I felt two needle like fangs sink into my right shoulder. I was so exhausted, and her bite just made it worse. My breath was taken away from me, things were getting dark, and it was getting harder to breathe. I saw my surroundings rise a little as I collapsed to the floor.

 

***

 

 

When I woke up, I was still in the room that Saja bit me in, I was sure that I would wake up in a cell. I looked around at the people surrounding me. There was Luna, now awake, her parents and Lauren. But there was another, a man who was garbed in a black robe. He was a little taller than me and his robe covered his entire body like a trench coat. He had black hair and tan skin, his eyes were brown. He didn’t look like he had a whole lot of muscle going, but he looked strong enough to handle himself in a basic fist fight.

“Ah, you are awake my friend.” He said in a Spanish accent.

“I am Carlos.” The man said.

Who was this guy?

“It is okay. You can tell him your name.” The king said.

“I am Nick. What of Saja?” I asked, confused. Who was this guy?

“She will be back.” Said Carlos.

I wondered how long it would take Saja to come back and attack us.

“Are the others alright?” I asked.

“They will survive.” Was his blunt answer.

I examined him. He had a small gun strapped to his belt. It was a pistol. The pistol had a black body, and it had faintly glowing parts on either side of the handle. The sight was small, consisting of a V as the rear sight and a stick on the end of the barrel.

“What will that do against vampires?” I asked, motioning to the gun.

“More than you think.” he said bluntly.

I didn't like his blunt answers.

“So who are you?” I asked.

"Let's just say that I am a rebel with a bone to pick with Saja.” He said.

Thinking of rebels a thought hit me: where is Kai?

 

“Luna! Lauren!” I shouted, my fear rising.

“Have any of you seen Kai?” I asked. They looked worried.

“I have not seen Kai since we were captured.” Said Luna.

I turned to the king and queen.

“Have you two seen him?” I questioned.

“No, we have not.” said the king.

“Saja planned this!” I yelled.

“She knew that if we escaped we would forget Kai!” I continued on.

“We have to go back for him!” I yelled again.

“That would not be wise.” Said Luna.

Hearing her voice calmed me slightly.

“Neither would letting him suffer like I had.” I said, a tad calmer.

“We cannot afford to lose any more time.” Said Carlos.

“We have to move on, he is one rebel. We have to advance and find more rebels before we are found and captured again.” Carlos reasoned.

“I understand.” I said, thoroughly dismayed. I hated to leave Kai behind but Carlos was right, we had to focus on the future and not dwell in the past.

Author's Note

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