A small bird chirped in the corner of the woods that I walked in. The avian didn’t present itself, but I could feel the presence around me. I smiled lightly and entered a meadow.

I found my sister, dead and torn apart.

I gasped awake.

That dream had been short but all too real. No, she was safe. I licked my dry lips as Al’Wy’En shook his head and looked at me in curiosity. I curled up under the covers of Austin’s bed and closed my eyes again.

But that image never faded.

I couldn’t ever imagine sweet little Sparrow like that. No, she was so innocent! So young! I loved her to death, even if I couldn’t physically be next to her right now. Whatever happens to me, I was just glad it wasn’t her.

“Hello, darling.” Austin walked in the room as if on cue. I turned over and smiled to him. He came and sat on the edge of the bed. I blinked back sleepy blurred visions.

“Hello, Master.” I yawned. He stroked a stray piece of hair and grinned.

“I trust you slept well?”

“Yes.” I responded slightly. He raised an eyebrow, knowing I was lying, but he never pushed me further.

The little battle had been over yesterday. I saw from a high up crack in the bricks that it was just morning. Only a small stream of sunlight peeked through into the dull room and the small fire.

I was just happy that through everything, Austin was still alive.

“So today, I need you to stay up here.” He told me, patting my hand. I sat up a little, giving him a questioning look. This was unusual for him.

“Why, sir?”

“I have a surprise for you and the other feed-subs, but for your safety, you must stay up here.” He quietly patted my hand again. His reassuring touch never dulled my interest in this surprise.

“Safety?

“Yes, it’s a very…dangerous….process sometimes. I don’t want anything to happen to my girl.” He kissed my nose before standing up and walking away. I was left with even more questions than before.

“O-okay.” I stuttered a little.

“I’ll come up to get you in a little bit.” And with that, Austin walked out the door, closing it behind him. Al’Wy’En whined a little and I hoped out of bed.

I wonder what this surprise was….

“So how about a book?” I asked the night hound. As much as I wanted to go out and peek around the corner, I knew it was against the rules. I need not get in more trouble!

“Woof!” The night hound barked happily, wagging his tail in extra effect. He nudged up against my knee as I went to the book case, taking a gold covered tale in my hands. Sitting down on a chair by the fireplace, I opened up the pages.

“This one’s called A Curse of Tongues. Hmm….It looks like a poem.” I squinted at the author’s name, now smudged by years of wear and tear. As I quickly skimmed through the yellowed pages, I noticed everything was written in verses.

“I guess Blue could’ve written this book!” I chuckled. Al’Wy’En settled down, his head in my lap as I stroked his cold muzzle.

“A wanderer will never
Take an endeavor
To heavy or stout for his flavor.
Yet I was the fool,
Too careful and cool,
To take up a task for the Reckless and the Brave.

When I took upon myself
To read black books on a shelf,
I summoned a demon too crazed to control.
Asking for a truce
From the demon, Auruce,
Will lead to a tongue of poetry and rhyme

So now I am cursed
With the blessing of verse
And may only speak of rhythmic lines.
To reverse this spell
And send it back to Hell,
Auruce must be banished somehow!” I finished. Wow, this sounded so familiar, yet so diverse….

“HELP ME!!” A little voice screamed in agony and terror. I shot up, sending the book flying. Al’Wy’En was at my side as I clawed at the door.

I knew that voice.

So familiar…

So young….

So innocent….

And it was Sparrow.

“SPARROW!” I screamed back. I don’t care how dangerous Master Carlile claimed it to be, I was going down to my sister. She sounded like she was in trouble and I wouldn’t let anything hurt her.

Al’Wy’En, sensing my fear and being as loyal as ever, slammed his furry body into the door. Eventually the lock broke and I was sent tumbling outside. I sprinted downstairs.

“JYNX! MOMMA! HELP ME!” It was surely Sparrow now. I could imagine that dead body on the floor.

No, that wouldn’t be her!

I ran down the stairs as fast as I could. There were cheers and rumbles of approval coming from the Main Hall. It seemed to be that everyone was gathered there.

I ran through the library and stopped short at the opening to the Main Hall. Everyone was sipping from goblets and standing on the edges of the main area. In the middle was a man.

An older man.

A vicious, vampire man.

So this must be my surprise. This was a new vampire to meet. I hurriedly searched the room from my corner. No one had spotted me yet. Al’Wy’En hung behind me, ready for any sense of danger.

“Let the feast…begin!” Chris waved his arms and smiled.

The new vampire leapt up. His eyes were bloodshot red and crazed. He had a vicious look of hunger upon him. Suddenly, they were locked onto a target. His body hunched over, fingers clawed. It was if the only thing on his mind was blood and his target. I followed the line of sight to where the victim was.

It was Sparrow, crying in the corner. Balz and Ghost roughly tossed her to the ground.

“JYNX! Someone, help me!” She sobbed, tears streaming down her face. A little streak of blood marred her pale skin.

And it all clicked. The man was hungry, she was the feast, and I was the witness to my little sister’s death.

Out of all the people in the world, why her!?

NO! NO! She’s only ten years old! She can’t be killed now! I screamed to myself.

Before I could think, I ran out of my hiding corner, into full view of everyone. I don’t care the punishment, I don’t care what happens to me.

She. Won’t. Die.

“SPARROW!” I screamed to her. Her little eyes shot up to me, arms reaching out for me to pick her up and take her away from the scary man.

I was racing the immortal creature. It was all a race to see who could get to her first.

And I was the loser.

He swooped down upon her just as another man swooped down and caught me. I struggled and screamed in his arms. I don’t care if screaming was childish, I just cared for my sister. Alan had caught me around my waist as I beat at him to let me go.

Tears were running down my cheeks as I saw what happened next.

The man with brown hair slammed her to the floor and she yelped in pain. Al’Wy’En growled at Alan to let me go. Other night hounds howled in the background. The man bit down upon my sister, ripping into her neck and exposing precious blood that flowed out onto the stone. His fingers ripped gashes in her sides and arms. It was if a wild wolf was attacking a baby fawn.

“NO!!!” I howled and punched Alan in the chest. He winced but didn’t let me go. The man with his hunger slurped on my little sister’s blood.

That was innocent blood!

I watched as he devoured what kept her alive and left a hollow shell on the ground.

That was a young child, no more than ten years!

That was, most of all, my sister.

“LET ME GO!” I howled through the tears and punched Alan in the face, fully knowing I would be punished for this later on. I don’t care right now. I just lost my little bird.

Wrenching away from the ginger in a brief moment of hesitation, I raced to my sister, tackling the man and shielding the body with my own. The man stumbled off, looking dazed and full on innocent blood.

“Get away!” I howled as the other vampires surround me, trying to pull me off. Austin’s arms grabbed me and a flurry of words attempted to calm me down.

I kicked him in the chest as he attempted to pull me off of Sparrow. I saw her pale eyes staring at the ceiling. I saw her spirit lifted away on angel wings. I saw her last look, her desperation.

And I was unable to save her.

“JYNX!” Chris roared. His arms clasped onto mine, but I elbowed his side and he immediately dropped me. Suddenly, all seven vampires were attempting to fight off one brutally enraged sister.

“WHY DID YOU KILL HER!? SHE WAS INNOCENT! SHE WAS YOUNG! SHE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!” I screamed in agony.

I knew the pain of losing your family, of losing someone close. I bawled harder, letting the tears flow down from my cheeks. They dropped onto Sparrow’s open palm, now bleeding and torn. I nearly puked at the sight of the monster that did this to her.

I continued to fight as Alex and Jack dragged me off of Sparrow. Al’Wy’En yowled and snapped at anyone who came close to me. Even my night hound had joined to help me fight them off. He must’ve sensed my pain.

“Get off of me!” I yelled as Austin pulled my arms behind me and bit down on my neck. He didn’t bleed me dry, as I expect, nor did he feed. All I felt was that paralyzing sensation that always accompanied a feeding.

Tears continued to fall. They crashed around me.

I may have been unable to fight back, to be paralyzed, but I was still sobbing and heavily breathing for my sister. Austin scooped me up and started to walk me back down to the cells. But before I left, I saw the damaged I had caused.

Alex was bleeding from his lip. Balz looked out of breath. Ghost was limping a little. Chris and Jack both looked a little bruised. I don’t care about their pain because they had caused my sister and me much worse!

As soon as the door to the prison opened, everyone looked up. It was obvious they had heard the commotion above. Austin set me down in my cell, closing the door behind him without a word. I started to regain my movement as Austin began to leave.

“No, don’t….why?” I mumbled, still sobbing and in pain.

He stared at me mournfully before going back upstairs. I guess it had occurred to him too little too late that it was my sister he had fed to the new vampire.

“What happened?”

“We heard fighting!”

“Why are you bleeding?” Everyone asked at once. Five minutes later, I was able to speak completely and stumbled to my feet.

“Sparrow!” I sobbed, collapsing into utter dismay. Everyone erupted into concern. Even silent Luna was murmuring sad questions.

“Who?”

“MY SISTER! YOU BASTARDS, YOU KILLED HER! YOU SLAUGHTERED HER LIKE A PIG! SHE’S NOT FOOD, SHE’S MY SISTER! HOW COULD YOU!?” I screamed from the top of my lungs.

It felt like all I was experiencing was pain. I felt the anxiety of being trapped in a small cell build up inside of me. I felt everything crowd around me. Nothing was right and all I could do to release my anger was scream to the world and to the immortals a single question:

Why?

“Calm down, Jynx!” Grey-Girl loudly soothed. I paced back and forth in the cell, Lynn looking at me curiously. I shook the bars angrily, still sobbing loudly.

“HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT!?” I yelled as if the others would hear me. I ignored Kellin’s pleas of me to not anger the others.

“NO, KELLIN. THOSE VAMPIRES KILLED HER! THEY KILLED MY SISTER!” I howled loudly. I shook the bars, wanting Austin to come down so I could beat him senseless and take back my sister. The others, the realization dawning on them at what had happened, fell silent to my shouts of anger and sadness. They bowed their heads sadly.

And so, I screamed for everything I had lost.

Notes

;_;

Sparrow died. I'm sorry, but this was the big moment you were all anxiously awaiting. I apologize that this was a fairly long chapter, but I attempted to include as many feels as possible in it. On the bright side, we're only 19 votes away from being at 45 and at the contest!

Well....*hands you all a tissue* Take these and wipe away your tears. You'll need to save them for later....

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