CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

Kayla’s eyes were wide in shock. “We need to go.” She urged Nikki.

“What is it K? What happened?” Scarlet could feel the panic rise inside her.

“They want him!” she broke out of the group and ran towards the clearing. Scarlet and Nikki ran after her.

“Solara doesn’t. SJ come back.” Kayla yelled to the top of her lungs as she ran towards them.

Stephan and Solara turned to look at her, wondering why she sounded hysterical.

It was too late, SJ leaped out of his uncle’s arms before he could stop him. He ran towards his father but did not get to him. Marquis intercepted him, she swooped him up in her arms and headed into the trees.

Scarlet watched as her son was taken. “No!”

For that one second, her eyes met with Stephan, the reason they were there and the reason their son had snatched away.

She didn’t stop to embrace him, instead, she followed Kayla and Nikki into the forest. After her son and the crazy vampire that had him.

Stephan started after them but was cut off by Zen when he rammed into him. Xavier and Solara advanced and the vampire army took that as a sign to attack. They all rushed forward into the beast army.

Leo stood there watching as it all unfolded, he was thinking of a way to stop the fight before they killed each other.

***

Kayla, Nikki, and Scarlet froze when they were surrounded by darkness. There wasn’t a single light in sight. It wasn’t the usual darkness of the night that they could easily go around in, this was different.

“How do you like the darkness?” Marquis’s evil laughter seared through the mid-night air. “Hallo Scarlet I must say Zen’s memory of you didn’t do you any justice at all. And you aren’t human are you?” she made a sound of disappointment, “tsk tsk tsk. Zen is such an idiot.”

Scarlet could feel her cold breath on the back of her head, but when she turned to grab her she was nowhere to be found. She was worried because she hadn’t heard a single sound from her son.

“I know you. You are the female who has Zen scared. Nice moves by the way.” She pulled on Kayla’s curly hair.

Nikki took a step back and lurched forward towards Marquis’s scent, but missed her.

“Clever beast.” She laughed. “I want to kill Scarlet, but I guess I could kill you too.”

“Not if I kill you first.” Kayla got inside her head, so instead of getting to her with her eyes, she used her head.

She lurched for her and was able to grab hold of her.

Marquis was stunned she had never seen anyone make their way around her gift. She was so stunned she dropped the blanket of darkness that she had over them. She managed to wiggle out of Kayla’s hold.

They got their sight back and simultaneously rushed for her.

“Where is my son?” She screamed as she stalked towards her.

“Ever played hide and seek?” she chuckled, “Well I hid him and you need to find him.”

“If you hurt him-,”

“Let me guess you will kill me. You need to find new material, that one is old and tired.” She turned to face Nikki, the amusement in her tone gone. “Don’t you dare?”

Is that a threat?

Marquis looked at them shocked, “Who said that? It isn’t the animal. That leaves you two.” She tapped her finger on her chin, “But something tells me it’s the mop head. Scarlet still has a heartbeat, so she isn’t enough of a vampire to have such a talent.”

“Stop stalling where is my son?” Scarlet hissed through clenched teeth.

“I was thinking I could have him as a midnight snack. That is after I have you for supper.” Marquis turned to Kayla, “Stop fishing through my head. I have been around way longer than you have, I know all the tricks.”

“What do you want for him?” Scarlet decided to compromise with her.

“What I have always had before you and that dead vampire came along.” She screamed.

“You want Stephan.” Kayla eyed her and if she had lost her mind.

“Amongst other things.”

“What else do you want?” Scarlet was getting desperate and would give her anything she asked for at that point.

“I want Stephan, I want your son and I want you dead.” She used her fingers to count out her list of demands, “And I want to be a family with your family.”

“You are crazy,” Kayla exclaimed.

“Let’s see how about you give us the kid or we kill you. Or, I like this one,” Nikki taunted, “There are three of us, we could easily kill you and find the boy on our own.”

Stephan struggled against Zen, he was distracted. His mind was in the forest where Marquis had his son and where Scarlet had run into after them.

Leo and Xavier were able to pull their men apart. Now they watched Stephan and Zen beat each other up.

“Enough of this.” Stephan knew he had wasted enough time-fighting Zen and he needed to bring it to an end fast.

With every second he wasted with him, the more danger Scarlet and SJ were dragged into. He knew she was crazy and that she would do anything to make sure he was with her.

In one flowing series of movements, he was behind Zen and twisted his head off. He dropped it on the ground and kicked his body away from him and into the crowd of vampires.

“Vincent, Victor, find them.” He followed the two trackers into the forest. Solara and Eric ran behind him, Leo, Xavier, and Sam stayed behind to make sure they wouldn’t be any more fighting. A battle was the least of their concerns at the moment.

The twins stopped dead, a few meters away from where the women stood. They had managed to surround Marquis and trapped her in the small triangle they had formed around her.

Marquis turned every second, making sure that none of them attacked her. “You know my demands, it’s up to you Scarlet. Your life in exchange for your son’s life.”

“Or, how about we do it my way.” They all turned towards the direction of the booming voice.