Nine

                                    

                                          
I mess up the desk again and leave the room, running down the halls to the door, remembering the route.
                          
I bump into Pheonix. He smiles down at me and I force a grin.
                          
"Hey, I just want to check out the forest. It looks pretty cool." I say, stepping around him. He smiles back at me and nods, leaving. I wipe a tear. I shouldn'tve trusted the person who tried to kill me. Figures.
                          
I go on through the hallways, pushing outside and walking down the dirt and pebble road.
                          
"It's too late to apologize, it's too late." I sing softly, looking around as I speedwalk down the single lane. "I should probably shut up, probably." I smirk at myself but hold in my snicker.
                          
"No, she got my blood, I don't know what to do with her." Gale's voice rings out and I squirrel up a tree, my eyes zeroing in on him talking to what looks like a human-lizard hybrid.
                          
"Break her and leave the body to me." The voice is male. Identical to the lupus-infected-photographer's.
                          
"But if she has human blood and the hormone don't you think she'll be more useful alive?" I glare at Gale. Stop trying to bargain you dog.
                          
"No! Do not try and bargain with me. She is to die. If you fail, wash her memories away. I don't want this girl around us." I climb further up the tree and jump to the next, staying a good ways away from the road, but also keeping it in my perepheral vision.
                          
"She's back at my castle. How long should I keep her in the dark?"
                          
"Kill her immediately."
                          
"I don't think Pheonix will leave her alone for me to do that. He's become attached to her for some reason." I dig my fingernails into the bark, listening.
                          
"Kill Pheonix too."
                          
"Pretty hard to do that."
                          
"I don't care. You kill Pheonix and you kill the girl! NOW!" Running footsteps follow. "Stupid boy. All I need is betrayal to ruin everything. I'll give him a week until checkups. Then everyone's through. All that healthy Vampire blood..."
                          
I hide in my tree until I can't hear anything, then pound it back to the castle. If Pheonix is good I have to help him.
                          
I run into a brick wall, and cry out in pain, holding my face.
                          
"Domi-...Dom?" Gale corrects himself and turns to look at me curiously. I back away from him, but stumbled over something and fall back. My mind blanks out and I hiss at the threat. "Come here." The threat sighs, reaching out for me. I scratch the hand and growl. "Ow! How'd you do that?!" The threat holds his hand to his chest tightly. "Crap." He mutters, pulling his hand away. Blood swells at four parrallel lines across the back of his right hand.
                          
My mind comes back and I run my hand through my hair. Stupid Primal State.
                          
"How come you aren't healing?" I ask softly. Gale shakes his head.
                          
"Difficult subject. Come on, let's get you back home." He mumbles.
                          
"Home?" I repeat hopefully, perking up as I stand.
                          
"No. My castle." I slump again, crossing my arms
                          
"Your castle isn't my home. So don't get my hopes up like that." He nods, and looks to the ground. I stop, backing away once I realize that he could still attack at any moment.
                          
"I'm not going to hurt you. How many times do I have to tell you?" He snaps.
                          
"Until you actually mean it." I mumble, turning away and walking towards the forest, planning on losing him and going back to find Pheonix my own way.