Love, Layna Pt. 03

I opened the door to my room and sat on my bed. The room felt lonely, and I wished I could invite Violet over and talk to her like we used to, but with her feelings fresh on my mind, I was scared. I wished I could be in Heather's comforting arms again, but who knew if she would ever hold me like that again. I wished I could fall asleep and have it all be a bad dream.

I checked my phone, but the only message I had was from Connie. She was wondering why I was bailing on dinner, but I didn't want to deal with it at the moment. I threw my phone on the bed and flopped down next to it, burying my head in the pillow and letting my body relax into the covers. Soon, I was fast asleep.

***

It must have been a few hours before I woke up. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but as I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, the sound of my phone ringing became more clear. I rifled through the covers and found it, answering it before checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey Layna, how are you feeling?"

"Tired, but okay I guess. My head hurts like crazy though."

I turned and checked my alarm clock on the nightstand. It was almost midnight.

"Awww, poor baby. You'll never guess where I am."

"Wait, who is this?" I asked, taking my phone from my cheek and putting it on speaker phone. The caller ID said it was an unknown number.

"It's me, Minx of course. You still haven't guessed where I am."

"I don't know, the library? Why are you calling? And why on an unknown phone?"

"Ohhh, so close Layna. Let's see if you can get my second question right. Who am I with?"

I paused for a moment, totally confused and still trying to get myself out of bed. Then, I heard a muffled cry for help before it was cut off by a sharp clap of noise across the speakers.

"You might want to answer before I do something you won't like," Minx said, her voice oozing with evil intent. It sent shivers down my spine and things started to click into place.

"You're the killer..." I muttered, my skin growing cold.

"Ohhhh, the subby little girl finally figures it out! It's amazing what some little chemicals can do to make you never suspect me. But I guess they don't work over the phone, do they?"

"Fuck! Why are you doing this? Who is that with you?!" I screamed, my anger bubbling to the surface. Minx didn't reply. Instead, I heard a loud scream from across the hall, and it echoed through the phone speakers. I immediately dropped my phone and burst out my door and over to Violet's door. I tried the handle, but the door wasn't even shut and it swung open. Inside, under the light of a lamp was Violet, tied to a chair. Behind her was Minx, eyes glowing a deep red and claws extended from her fingers.

"Welcome to the party, Layna. Now, shut the door, lock it, and come sit down. That, or I might... slip." She slid one of the sharp bones across Violet's cheek, and Violet shivered in fear, holding back a cry for help behind a gag in her mouth. A small drop of blood collected and dripped down to her chin.

"Don't hurt her, Minx. This isn't about her." I said, my voice as level as I could make it. I did as Minx instructed, closing the door and locking it. I sat down in the chair she had pointed to.

"Good girl, Layna. Now, let me tell you a story," she meniachly purred, letting Violet go and moving toward me. By the looks of it, Violet's hands and ankles were tied to a chair, and mine were about to be too.

"I never knew my parents. From the first moment I can remember, I was in the foster care system. Do you know what that does to a child?" she asked, giving me time to answer, but as I opened my mouth, she shut me up and kept going. "No, you don't! It shows you everything wrong with the goddamn world! Family is bullshit! Friends are parasites. Love? Well, that's just delusional. All you have in life is power, and as I got passed around year after year, I managed to find that power. I became a vampire.

"At first, it was scary. I killed someone by accident and didn't feel a thing. I drank blood like it was water. I was a monster. But you know what? Being a vampire isn't what made me a monster. It was being human. That's when I started to accept who I was, and it was glorious. If I wanted a home, I took it. If I wanted a person, I made them addicted to me. If I wanted food, I lured it in. I learned to become dominant and not submit to anyone.

"I gained a fortune. I did everything I wanted. I learned about the Consortium and I planned on taking it just like everything else. And the best part? The key to it all was a submissive little slut at a fucking college. So I decided to have some fun with you, but with that bitch Sylvia on my trail, I had to speed things up a little. So here we are, at the moment I've been waiting for."

"Sounds like you're just a bitch through and through," I snarled. Minx quickly slapped me, leaving small claw marks on my cheek. I could feel a small tingle from her presence. It must have been the pheromones.

"Alright, storytime is over. Enough bullshit. I want to know how to access the Dreamscape. Apparently you and your doctor friend Jessica know how. So, start talking."

My breathing grew heavy. I knew very little about the specifics of the concept, and surely saying I knew nothing could get me, Violet, or both of us killed. Minx's claws reached around my neck. I was out of time to think.

"All I know is that Jessica bit me and said we were one in body and soul. Then, she started appearing in my dreams," I blurted, bracing for the feeling of the bone cutting into me. Thankfully, it didn't come. Violet's eyes were panicked, trying to comprehend what the fuck we were talking about. She was surely going to have a million questions when this was all done, but there was no way around it.

"Hmmmm, sounds hard to believe to me, but you were just a test subject. I can't expect the guinea pig to know everything that is happening to it," Minx cooed, running the blunt side of her claws along my jawline. "But here is a question you'll know: where does she live?"

I hesitated, my breathing growing more and more intense. I could see Violet's desperate gaze looking at me as she struggled. I could see Minx's gaze darken as I made her wait for her answer. She pulled back her claws and looked at me with impatience before tearing her claws through the top I had gone to sleep in. It fell away from my chest, revealing my breasts to the open air.

"Tell me, or I won't stop with your clothing, Layna," she growled, the sharp bones hovering centimeters away from my skin. Violet struggled harder in her seat to no avail.

"Okay, fine, she lives in America!" I blurted, closing my eyes. A moment passed and nothing happened. I peeked up and Minx looked unamused.

"Really? What a joke."

With a swift movement, she pulled her claws down and drove them into my leg. Violet's muffled cries grew in intensity. Blood spurted from the wound, and I cried out in pain for a split second before my mouth was stuffed with cloth and tied around my head.

"Now listen to me," Minx growled. "You either tell me an answer I like, or you get drained of your worthless blood. Understood?"

All I could do was grunt through the pain, and as Minx removed her claws from my leg, she sat in my lap facing me, only making the pain worse. She caressed my cheek, and I could feel the gentle urging of her pheromones. The pain started to mix with an uneasy pleasure, and my brain started to scramble. I could have sworn I smelled smoke.

"Come on, you know you want to be a good girl for me," she purred into my ear, pushing herself up against my chest. I could feel the warmth of her body through her clothing, and she gently pressed against my crotch. I tried to speak through the gag, but I couldn't say anything clearly. She pulled back and took the gag from my mouth.

"Baltimore. Baltimore, Maryland," I groaned, unable to stop myself. Tears streamed down my face, and my mind fought with itself in civil war. I had betrayed my beloved Jessica, but there was nothing I could do.

Minx's eyes lit up and one of her hands retracted its claws to caress my face. And lift my gaze to hers. She moved in close, our lips nearly touching.

"There you go, now was that so hard?" she whispered. I could feel my body collapsing under her pressure, terror wracking my system.

Then, her weight was lifted. When I opened my eyes, the room was hazy with smoke, and Violet was standing, her arm outstretched.

"Don't you fucking touch her Minx," she yelled, her eyes hot with anger. Her hands vaguely glowed orange and were the source of the smoke.

I turned around and saw Minx's body collapsed against the wall, dust collecting around her. Violet must have somehow thrown Minx across the room so hard that the wall had cracked and crumbled.

"Violet, I..." I stammered, unable to comprehend the situation.

"I don't know what's happening to be honest, but whatever this is, I'm going to save you with it," Violet said. She stepped forward and beside me. "Can you walk? Get as far back as you can."

I nodded, hobbling my way to the back of the room. I checked my pockets as I went and couldn't find the small tracker. I must have lost it or something. It was no good to me if it wasn't on my person.

As I set myself down on the floor as far as I could from Violet and Minx, I noticed the sounds of confused students in the hallway. Maybe if we were lucky, someone would be able to get in and save us.

Violet approached Minx as she tried to get to her feet.

"Who would have guessed that you had fucking magic. Looks like it may be my lucky day," Minx growled, spitting up some blood on the floor.

"Whatever you're going on about doesn't matter. Leave Layna alone." Violet said in her best confident voice. Minx merely laughed.

"You think I'm scared of a little girl like you? Don't make me laugh," Minx managed, standing up. Her claws were out stretched and nearly reached the floor. Her eyes glowed stronger than ever.

"You should be."

Violet's hand balled into a fist and Minx's feet hovered off the ground. Her suspended body shook with tension, and her voice grew strained.

"You know, she wouldn't want to date a monster like you. If anything, you should help me. I can get you anything you want. I can get you any girl you want," Minx managed. Violet's gaze didn't waver.

"No matter how she feels about me, I will not let you hurt her," Violet said, her voice shaking as she continued to hold up Minx. Minx's face started to grow pale.

"Funny coming from the girl who is her third choice. Once she's done here, she'll go running back to her ex," Minx breathed.

"Violet, that's not true!" I yelled through the pain in my leg. I could tell that Minx's words were getting to her. I had to do something.

"Don't listen to her, Violet. You know she would choose her friend Heather over you too. You're the bottom of her barrel, and there is nothing you can do about it. Just give it up."

Suddenly, there was a massive thud at the door of the room, and Violet lost her concentration. Minx fell to the ground and took no time at all to start running toward Violet. Her claws pushed forward and cut into her side as she tried to dive out of the way. In a few steps, Minx reached me and dove onto me, her claws missing my body and trapping me under her.

"Now, where were we," Minx growled as I tried to push her off. Her teeth were barred and covered in her own blood spilling from her mouth. Minx pushed down onto my wound and I lost my grip of her. She pinned me to the floor, and all I could smell was her vile breath. "Ah, yes, sucking you dry."

Minx reared back her head, her gaping maw preparing to descend on my neck. Another thud rang out from the door, louder than the last time. I slipped my arm out from under her weight and tried to deflect her strike, but it was no use. Her teeth sunk into my arm, sending hot sensations through my body. It felt euphoric and horrifying, ice cold and as hot as lava. All my senses fired in every direction, and as Minx ripped her teeth out of me, preparing to strike again, my vision started to fade.

The last things I saw were Minx's form flying off of me, then Violet kneeling beside me, saying something I couldn't understand. She looked absolutely horrified.

***

A week passed before I gained consciousness again. My body felt like it had been run over by a truck, and my head throbbed in time with my heartbeat. As I opened my eyes, I hoped that I would just be back in my dorm room, but my hopes were quickly dashed when I saw the smooth ceiling with metal support beams above me. I looked around, but there was little to see. The walls were bare and dark, and the only light in the room came from a lamp on a small table. The light made me squint, like I was looking into the sun.

I tried to sit up, but a few inches up, I was stopped by some sort of restraint. I lifted my arms and quickly realized I was shackled to the bed completely. I started to panic, completely unsure of where I was or what was happening. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but my throat was dry and no words could form.

As I was about to start struggling like my life depended on it, a small machine whirred to life and I felt the straps tighten around me. I was trapped, and there was nothing I could do but wait for someone to find me. I just hoped it wasn't Minx who would be finding me.

I vaguely remembered what had happened that night with Minx, but it was all a blur. I remember Violet's life being threatened, then Violet awoke to some kind of magic power, and the door crashed open before it all went black.

I could feel my emotions begin to bubble over as I recalled the scene. If only I hadn't been so oblivious, maybe I could have stopped Minx. If only I hadn't gone to college and just stayed with Jessica, I wouldn't have hurt Violet. If only I hadn't been born, nobody would have-

The door slowly opened and cut off my train of thought. A woman in a lab coat walked in, and my emotions poured out of me like a fountain.

"Jessica? Is that you?" I breathed. Tears were starting to drop down my cheeks. If it was her, I must have been dreaming. She was supposed to be off the grid to stay safe.

"Hey Layna, it's been a while," she smiled, but there was a sadness in her voice. She walked around the bed and pressed a button, loosening my restraints before sitting down in a chair.

"What's happening? Did I restrain myself in my own dream? Are you okay?" I asked, all of my questions firing off in my head at once. Jessica put her hand on mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Unfortunately, you're not dreaming. You're in the hospital. The Consortium hospital in Boston to be specific. It's been about eight days since we picked you up in London," Jessica said, trying to keep her voice even. She took a deep breath and pulled open a file to check some documents. I didn't know how to respond.

"The mission to capture Sophia L'verra, or Minx as you know her, was quite a mess, but successful in the end. We have her detained at a base in London and we are awaiting her trial," she continued, reading off the papers. "Violet made it out alive and well, and the Consortium Damage Control Team is working hard to clean things up at the university."

"So... what about me?" I asked quietly.

She paused. Flipping to the next page in the file and staring at it. She rubbed her face, as if letting the file sit while she composed herself would change what it said.

"You sustained a stab wound to the leg, multiple scratches and bruises, and a bit to the left arm. But..." she trailed off. I tried to reach out my hand to take her hand, but the restraint could only let me reach so far. Her hand met me halfway, and it was damp with sweat.

"Sophia was suffering from internal bleeding when she bit your arm. That means that the blood in her mouth mixed in with yours, and that turned you into a vampire."

My body grew numb. I trembled with anxiety and I turned away from Jessica's pained expression. I could still feel my heart beating, and I could still feel my breath in my lungs. Nothing felt different, but knowing that I was no longer an ordinary human made everything feel different.

"Did I do anything bad while I was out?" I asked timidly, scared to know what horrific things I may have done to those closest to me. Jessica's arms wrapped around me as I looked away.

"Nothing that we don't know how to handle. There were a couple days of changes and unrest, then a couple days of blood lust that we were able to contain, then a couple days of being unconscious. Now that you are awake, you'll be in control of yourself. You don't need to be scared."

"I know, I just... feel like I let you and everyone else down. I can't donate my blood, I let people get hurt, and I didn't get the chance to find myself and what I want to do. I feel more lost than ever before..." I muttered, starting to cry. Jessica unhooked the restraints and pulled me up and into her arms, cooing and running her fingers through my hair.

"It's not your fault. No matter what, I still love you and care about you, Layna. I'm just so glad you are alive."

I snuggled into her familiar arms, easing some of the pain in my heart. She was right. At least I was still alive.

"What about Violet? Is she here too?" I asked, not daring to remove myself from Jessica.

"Violet is waiting in the lobby with Heather. Normally we don't allow civilians in the facility, but Heather made it very clear that she was coming no matter what. She did tip off the agents that broke into her apartment that they should go to your dorm, so we kinda owe her."

I chuckled to myself. Typical Heather.

Part of me didn't want to see them. I was scared of what they thought of me now, and I was especially scared of how Heather felt about me. I could only hope that she grew to understand what I went through and forgive me.

Jessica got up and ushered in the two women. Violet immediately ran to my bedside and wrapped me in her arms, and Heather awkwardly stood a few feet away.

"I thought I would never see you again, Layna! Thank goodness you are okay!" she cried. I could feel her tears soaking through my hospital gown. I wrapped my arms around her and looked up to Heather. Our eyes met, but she looked away.

"Hey, um... I'm sorry that you got hurt Layna," she mumbled. Her cheeks were flushed. She must have felt just as awkward as I did in that moment.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be honest with you and I made you worry. I shouldn't have been silent, but..." I trailed off, but Heather waved her hand in the air.

"Someone was trying to kill you, I totally get it. I'm sorry I said that nasty shit in the library and wasn't more understanding."

"I deserved it, I'm sorry for-"

"Come on, we were all being lame. Can't we all just be okay at this point?" Violet interrupted, pulling herself back and looking between us both. We all laughed, and with that, called it even.

I could tell something else was on Heather's mind though as Violet kept an arm around me.

"Is there something else?" I asked her, wondering if anything she said would be worse than everything I had just learned.

"Well, I mean... Violet and I talked, and I just... want you to know that I support you two being together if that's what you want." Her face was flushed, and mine must have been even more bright red than hers.

"Wait, you don't need to do that! We haven't, like, decided on anything..." I managed, stumbling with my words. Sure, I really liked Violet, but I hadn't had any time to think about any of this.

"Oh come on, I've known you two would probably get together for the past few weeks. Remember that call you got from her and that other girl at my apartment?"

I looked down at Violet who was red as a beet.

"I seriously thought that was Connie being silly and drunk..." I muttered, feeling like a totally oblivious dult. Violet hid her face in my shoulder and Heather turned to the door.