Butterfly Rising

Chapter Eight

Before I can stop myself, words are spilling from my mouth. "There's no way you could have been in-"

But the ground shakes, effectively cutting me off. Unlike before, this tremor is much more tremendous. The cabinets in the kitchen burst open and dishes come flying out. Despite us being unsteady on our feet, Alexei grabs hold of me, anchoring me down with her. I wrap my arms around her and tighten them, afraid to let go. From the corner of my eye, I can just make out Ingrid nearly falling to the ground, but steadying herself on the refrigerator.

Cal dodges a plate that comes falling towards him. There's not many places he can go as letting go of the counter will cause him to lose his balance and fall to the ground that's littered with glass. All the while, James remains sitting. He looks up at the ceiling, as if he's gauging something the rest of us are failing to see.

This continues for longer than two minutes. At some point, a crack forms on the walls, starting from the base and working its way to the ceiling. Seeing the break in drywall causes me to bury myself further into Alexei, afraid the structure will crush us.

Once the quake finally ends, my legs are like jelly. Unclenching my fists from Alexei's shirt is a hassle and I have to force my fingers open. Taking a deep breath, I look around at everybody to see they're all doing well. Though they're all just as baffled as I am by the massive earthquake we've just experienced.

The room is now a mess. Some cabinets hang open with half of the doors of their hinges. Broken plates and cups sit in despair on the hardwood floors. Even non-perishable items that were in any of the cabinets sit in disarray on the ground. And above us, the light blinks on and off, letting us know that some wires somewhere have been ruined by the shock.

"It's starting," James mumbles. It's a wonder how he was able to stay grounded in his seat the whole time. "We need to get away from here."

He stands to his feet and brushes himself off. Pieces of the wall drop from his clothing as he gives himself a good shake. Then he begins his way toward me, only to stop midway. Like an animal sniffing out its prey, he narrows his eyes and turns his head towards the door. His nostrils flare ever so slightly as he sniffs the air.

"It's time to go," his deep voice booms before the door of the kitchen bursts open, flying off its hinges.

A scream tears from my mouth as the large block of wood flies towards Alexei and I. My body is pulled to the side and I hear the item breaking. With Alexei's height and my body being pressed against hers, for now, my vision is obstructed.

"What is that smell?" The voice is that of a woman, high pitched and scratchy. "Where is it?"

Forcing my body away, I turn to see who and how many people have come here. Five vampires stand in the doorway. They look crazed and sick with the same thing as James from before. As if all possessed by the same thing, their eyes zero in on me. My heart seizes in my chest and it drops to the very pit of my stomach.

One of them lunges, then another, before the last three go at the same time. My original attacker is the first to spring forward and tackle the first to the ground. He bares his fangs and hisses loudly. Then as if he's a piece of paper, his body flies back, though his hand comes out quickly and he grabs the woman by her neck, taking her with him. Their standoff doesn't last long as just the two of them as the second person is pulled in.

Cal shoots past us to apprehend the others. Ingrid stays where she is, watching the scene with wide eyes.

"You guys go," Cal commands, not taking the chance to look back at us. He grunts as the other vampires begin to bite at his arms as he holds the back. The sight of his blood dripping down his skin makes my stomach turn in both guilt and disgust. "We'll hold them back, but you need to get Sophia-Grace out of here."