Chapter 27: Blood lust

Tanner beat against the force field until his hands were bloody. He knew it was pointless but he couldn’t help it, he was frustrated and needed to take it out on something. He just wished he could place his anger at the right target. Unfortunately he had no clue who was to blame anymore; for all he knew his own mother could be in on it!
As he threw one final punch he fell forward as the force field dissipated. Getting to his feet he gazed around wearily but saw nothing to be alarmed about. Taking off at a run he headed towards Wynter’s house.
As he got closer he began shouting her name but no one answered him. Fear seized him and he moved faster. The back door had long claw marks gorged into it and it hung on by a single hinge.
Shifting it out of his way he went inside the house. The interior was totally demolished. “Wynter?” he called as he continued walking through the debris. All he heard was the mewing of the kitten.
Rounding a corner he saw that the front door was open; frowning at it he continued to make his way towards the stairs. Reaching the top he saw the same disarray that was on the main floor of the house. Nothing moved...
Muscles still tense he continued to search room by room. When he reached Wynter’s bedroom he paused. A shadow had passed underneath it. Silently he opened the door and was promptly hit on the head. “Ow!” he said as he held one hand over his forehead and glared at Shannon who had dropped the toilet plunger on the floor.
“Tanner” she exclaimed as she embraced him in a rib cracking hug. “Thank God! Where’s Wynter?” She looked up at him expectantly.
Tanner stepped back from her “She’s not here with you?” he demanded.
“No...I thought....Oh, God” she moaned and began fanning her face to keep the tears from falling. “They have her don’t they? I bet she went after Rayne...Oh God; they’re dead aren’t they? I knew it! I knew this fairy shit was dangerous! Why couldn’t they have just left us alone?”
“Shannon” began Tanner but she cut him off.
“We never did a thing to ‘em and here they is taking out some hundred year old grudge or whatever on us! Time to get over it! Really though! All dis killing and whatnot fer what; I asks you? It’s all so stupid! I want my friends back! I want everything to be like it was before...” she broke down and started to sob.
Tanner stared at her for a second and then turned away. He didn’t have time for this. If he followed Shannon’s broken thoughts correctly; both Wynter and her brother had gone into the woods. Which meant he was going to have to go rescue them “Damn it Wynter” he muttered under his breath as he headed towards the stairs.
“Wait! Wait for me!” called Shannon as she rushed to catch up with him.
Tanner kept going. “You can’t come with me Shannon. It’s too dangerous” he said not looking at her.
“But I don’t know what to do” she said it softly, almost a plea.
“Get out of here. Go to your house and keep something made of iron close to you” he instructed and walked out the front door.
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Rayne tried his best to creep quietly behind the burly fairy. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness he saw that there were recesses in the walls on either side of the narrow walkway. Every now and then a feral like glow would appear from within the dark depths making Rayne wish that he could hasten his steps.
Suddenly the path widened into a large circular room which had several doorways leading off into different directions. The fairy stopped and Rayne almost walked into him. When he shifted Rayne saw a round stone bowl sitting upon a pedestal made of the same grey stone, lit by a single shaft of sunlight it made him think of the Indiana Jones movies. “Follow me” said the fey.
“Like I have a choice” muttered Rayne but did as he was told. He watched as the fairy approached the bowl and wanted to laugh. It just all seemed so ridiculous...like he was cast in some cheesy horror movie. The moment passed however when the fairy waved him over with a knife in one hand; blood seeping from the other into the cup. “I’m not drinking it” he stated while crossing his arms over his chest.
“Give me your left hand, palm up” instructed the fairy lowly.
“Why” asked Rayne despite the answer being obvious and his hand moving without his consent. “What is the point in this?” he asked as the metal bit into his flesh making him take a hissing breath inwards.
“Do you wish to die” demanded the fairy barely above a whisper. Rayne shook his head. “Then I strongly suggest that you shut that mouth of yours”. Forcing Rayne’s hand over the bowl he squeezed it hard and Rayne yelped.
The sound reverberated within the stone walls and was answered by a piercing shriek. “Now you’ve done it!” Picking up the bowl the fairy tossed it towards one of the doorways and jumped through it “Come on!” Without another word the fairy disappeared from sight; leaving a terrified Rayne to catch up.
The shriek grew louder. Glancing over his shoulder Rayne saw thousands of glowing eyes racing towards him and the sound of beating wings. “Holy Shit” he exclaimed and tried to move faster but his injured leg wouldn’t allow him to move swift enough.
Needle like teeth dug into his shoulder and he screamed. Claws ripped his shirt and the flesh of his back as he fought his way to the door. Blood was gushing from his wounds and he could feel something like a bunch of tongues lap at it. Bile raising to his throat his fingers brushed the stone arch and he knew that he only had moments before the creatures overwhelmed him....
A glowing arm reached out and grabbed his shirt front, pulling him through the arch and into safety. He stumbled onto a grassy knoll where the sun beat down upon them and birds chirped happily.
“What the fuck was that?” demanded Rayne as he swayed on his feet. The pain in his shoulder and his back was causing little dots to swirl before his eyes so that the fairy was blocked by them.
The fairy never got a chance to reply as a woman came rushing over to them. “Cayden! What has happened?” she asked as she took Rayne firmly by the arm and began to lead him away.
“Who are you?” he asked drunkenly, the dots were becoming larger and he could see less and less.
“Take him....”she said and that was the last thing Rayne heard before passing out.