Chapter 22 - A Win And A Loss

                                    

                                          
             
                          
Less then a second after the door crashed open I'm crouched in a defensive position in front of Gideon, teeth barred and a low snarl ripping out of my throat. The figure stalks into the room without hesitation to reveal Christian's irate face. His crystal blue eyes flicker from me to Gideon, and for a brief moment, I swear I can see a mix of confusion and betrayal flash behind them before they go back to furious.
                          
"They know you're here. We have to leave." He says with a growl and tossing my leather jacket at me. 
                          
I relax my stance just enough to catch the jacket, my mind racing with what preparations are needed for our escape. 
                          
"What?" Gideon asks, terror lacing his tone. 
                          
"Are you daft?!" Christian screams, moving so fast that Gideon's human eyes would never see him until he was in his face. "I said they know where you are and they're coming for you both!" 
                          
"Hey!" I shout, a strange heat building in my chest in reaction to Christian's aggressive behavior. "He's scared enough. We heard you. Let's go!"
                          
He looks exquisite, even when he's incensed past reason and for a few heated seconds we stand off. A series of emotions pass behind Christian's eyes as we stare each other down. His chest is straining against the simple white t-shirt he's wearing beneath a black knee-length trench coat. His eyes glance over at Gideon one more time before he turns on his heel to run out of the room in a flash.  
                          
I fly around collecting our passports and the money that Christian gave us, as Gideon stands frozen. He looks absolutely terrified and a little like a lost boy. 
                          
"What can I do?" He whispers. 
                          
"Nothing." I spit back. "Just try and stay out of the way." 
                          
We both run downstairs to find Christian, doctor Blanc, Elodie, and Sophie all waiting for us. Christian's face is twisted in anger as he avoids my eyes and quickly evaluates the bottom floor of the house. 
                          
A snap somewhere in the depths of the woods, steals the attention of every vampire in the room and we share stressed glances between the four of us. Sophie and Gideon look perplexed as they watch us ready ourselves for whatever made that noise. 
                          
"What's wrong?" Sophie's asks as I'm flattening myself against the kitchen wall to peek out the window. 
                          
"Stay low!" Christian hisses back at his daughter. 
                          
Both Gideon and Sophie drop to the floor while the rest of us convene in the kitchen using voices too low for human ears. 
                          
"I'm going to out to sweep the area." Christian tells us in a flat voice. 
                          
"I'm going with you." I assert.
                          
"The hell you are!" He hisses back with a look of ire. "Stay here and protect my daughter and your mark."
                          
Before I have a chance to argue Christian is out the door racing towards the danger that's tracking us just outside. 
                          
"The hell I'm am!" I yell back. "Elodie, Doctor Blanc, stay here and guard Sophie and Gideon."
                          
"Be safe." Doctor Blanc whispers with a nod. 
                          
I give him a grim smile before slipping out the door and running at top speed towards the silence of the trees. 
                          
The impact of two bodies alerts me to some sort of scuffle going on due west of my position and I follow the sound keeping myself low. As the grunts and claps of blows get louder I spring upward into a tree to get the element of surprise.