Untitled V- Chapter 3

         Iru frowned. What a terrible way to come home from a vacation.
         He hadn’t even been an hour unpacked, and already, a group of hunters sent after him? Ridiculous. Being popular sucks.
         A blade flashed past his face, glimmering in the moonlight as it breezed a few inches from his ear, and breaking his focus. Contorting himself backwards onto one hand to avoid another swing, he heard the click of a bolt sliding in place and lurched forward, smashing his fist into the knife-wielder’s face. Sliding past him, he raked his hardened, black-painted nails across the man’s throat hard enough to draw blood and shoved back, using the man as shield. This group was surprisingly inept. Usually, he ran the risk of losing a limb.
         For a few seconds, he stood still in the clearing, breathing harder than he would’ve liked. A third bolt sent his way was snatched from the air and flung back at the gunner. He could feel the heartbeats of five more humans. Given their lack of skill, not very intimidating.
         Until a steel spike pierced his right shoulder and nailed him to a tree behind him. Iru shrieked wildly and failed his way off the spike, falling to his hands and knees in the dark, clutching his shoulder. It wasn’t healing in the slightest, and blood was gushing out of it at a fairly rapid rate, thick and black.
         Iru forced himself to his feet, one hand on the spike still lodged in the tree. Any other vampire would most likely have panicked at worried why the hole in their arm wasn’t healing. Iru knew the cause of that. The wound itself wasn’t his concern.
         Like is ability to drain blood via an osmosis-like process through skin on skin contact and the flamability of his blood, many other vampires possessed unique abilities. Many of these mutations revolved around blood characteristics.
         Snow’s prevented healing.
         Another spike shot past his lower ribs, drawing blood. Iru bolted in the direction it had come from, assuming that was better trying to run from its source. Though, his current state would bring about plenty of lectures as it was. Any worse and Crim would probably beat him.
         No more spikes followed. Of the five heartbeats Iru had senses moments ago, none were in range. In their place was a single, much stronger beat.
         A vampire.
         Snow.
         Iru didn’t stop, even when he saw her. The sad smile on her face. Another spike was shot at him, but he was prepared this time. He scooped it from the air as he leaped at Snow, bringing the spike down against her surprised face. Blood poured from the two inch gash on her cheek.
         Iru held the spike up, gripping it tightly, hovering just in front of the other vampire. “Just because it won’t prevent you from healing doesn’t mean it’s useless.” He tried to pretend he was okay. That the drop in volume as natural, a result of anger.
         “I just…” Snow chocked, trying to stop coughing long enough to talk. “They know about Amber…” Iru’s face went blank, expecting her to smile wickedly, to laugh. She just stared at him, terrified.
         “… and they’ll kill you, because you want to help me.” He cautiously threw the spike to the side and took a step back from her. “I take it you’ve talked to Jass, then.” No answer. Her fear was genuine.
         Iru sighed. Looking down at his feet, he tried to gently push into Snow’s mind, but felt her notice almost instantly and pulled free. He frowned and looked back up, reaching out and wiping the blood away from her face. “Snow… everything that happened… I’ve sorry. And I forgive you too, once that’s necessary. I know what caused all the fighting.”
         Snow still hadn’t said anything, but now looked more sad than afraid. Iru move his hand to her waist and leaned a little closer to her. “Never regret turning me. Ever. I volunteered for this. I did it to save Crim.” He sighed again and gently bit the side of her neck. “I wish… I wish you would’ve told me sooner. Or… at all…”
         Still no response. Iru rested his chin on Snow’s shoulder. “Please Snow… say something…”
         “You have no idea…”
         “No, sweetheart, I do. Now, in any case. I know what you’ve felt for the past century and a half. You’ve been sharing an eternity with something you thought hated you. I’ve been spending it with my best friend by my side. I don’t hate you… never will.”
         She was crying. Had he not felt her tears on his neck, Iru wouldn’t have known. There wasn’t any other indication. He held her tighter, unsure of what to say at this point.
         I love you…
         Her voice in his head wasn’t shaky, like he’d expected. Still?
         As much as I did the day you asked for my help…
         “I love you too, Snow.” Iru’s voice, on the other hand, as unsteady. It was hard to breathe. Surprising. “You’ll never be alone again…
         “But…” Quiet, but still in control.
         “I cannot do this to her. Amber is the most perfect creature I’ve ever seen. To selfishly subject her to our fate for no reason other than my own happiness…” Iru closed his eyes. “I know when you turned me, I didn’t give you this option, but I didn’t do it because I wanted to. And I won’t do this to her just because I want to, either.”
Iru could feel Crim trying reach out to him from miles away. He ignored her for the time being. “Do what you have to. Talk to Jass, soon. Before I do. There’s…” He paused, trying to think.
         Gently kissed the marks he’d just made on Snow’s neck, he pulled away from her. “Things, for us, for our knd, are going to be a lot more urgent soon.”
         Iru…
         “Iru…”
         “Vampires… can’t be left unchecked. We’ve known for a while, this thought of the humans. Any efforts we make against any of theirs…
         “Will only prove their point…”
         And one of us will be wiped out…
         “It’s us or them.”
         “I chose this side. I became a vampire to protect Crim, to keep us together forever. And… to give my daughter the life she was born without…”
         Snow flinched. Crim’s presence in his mind disappeared instantly. Iru noticed how cold he felt. He swallowed hard. “Ashley Rayne Valentine… was born April 16, 1884. From the time she was two… until her twelfth birthday… she spent her life in an asylum…”
         By now, he’d back several yards away from Snow, step by shaking step. “They said there was no cure… that she would live and die without most of a mind… and…” A single snowflake fluttered past his face, racing several tears. “The hunters were the good guys back then. Like Jass. I married a distant aunt of his- how I know him. When she died, their family took over caring for Ash.”
         “Until Sara’s death, we visited Ash in the first hospital every day. I hadn’t found a cure by the time the hunter’s took over, and I still haven’t… but after talking to Jass… I don’t think I need to. I think that she’s different, and she needs help, but me and Crim can take care of her. And you, Snow…” He could feel Crim in his mind again. She wasn’t communicating, or doing anything, really. Just there. Something they did to comfort each other.
         “I don’t…”
         “Just think about it, okay?” He turned and started walking away. “I’m going home.”
         Snow watched Iru leave, unable to process everything that had just happened. In a few minutes, Iru had said everything she’d ever wanted him to, and most of all, had no negative feelings towards her.
         She turned as well and started walking away, tears running down her face. Maybe she could be happy again.