CHAPTER 21
YOUNG MUTTS

PERCY'S mortality was starting to become more of a problem. Not only was he talking about it twenty-four seven, but it seemed that it was a permanent thought on Elizabeth's mind as the days went on. The Countess was now questioning Hadley about it on their weekly hunts, bringing it up any chance she got. Hadley wondered why she was so eager to have another one part of the family, but the young vampire wasn't interested in turning him anytime soon, no matter how big of an issue it was.

But eventually, the Countess had gotten to her.

"Haven't you been keeping up with the news lately, dear?" Elizabeth asked, wiping the blood off her lips.

Hadley looked up. The streetlight above their heads flickered in and out. They had managed to find a young couple leaving a movie theater that night, and with a quick quirk of their lips, Elizabeth and Hadley lured them into a dark ally before finally devouring them. Hadley thought the male tasted like M&Ms and buttered popcorn.

After a moment of hesitation, Hadley rubbed at the crimson dotting her chin. She stood up and wiped the dirt off her jeans. "The news is depressing. You're only the second person to ask me this in a month."

"There have been a string of killings scattered across the city. Victims were identified as parents of young children." She grinned, plucking something from her teeth with her long nail. "Coincidentally, these have occurred after the catastrophe that took place at the Marva Jones Middle School. Do you know what that means?"

"No," Hadley snorted, sliding her switchblade into her back pocket.

The Countess rolled her eyes and gestured for her creation to follow. They carefully strode out into the moonlight, which cast a dark shadow behind their figures. "It means we have a pack of young mutts wandering around the city, threatening to expose our kind."

Hadley could only raise a brow.

"A group of wild children, draining their parents of all their blood because they're thirsty." Elizabeth scoffed, and it was the first time Hadley heard her speak of an inflicted child negatively. "I believe my new governess has decided to use her affliction to her own advantage. She turned one of her young patients, and he has now turned the others."

They began to walk through the deserted streets of Los Angeles. Elizabeth wore a silky, black gown, which made her look strange as they headed out of the dark alleyway. The outfit was unlike anything you'd see in this part of town, even though they were only blocks from the Cortez. Her dress dragged against the warm cement, but she still walked with a quick pace, causing Hadley's anxiety to heighten when her mother revealed the news.

"So what do we do?" Hadley's hands began to sweat. She thought of Percy sleeping soundly in their bed right now, and how he would scream if those violent children ever got their hands on him. She'd never let that happen – ever.

The Countess chuckled. "Silly girl, we aren't going to do anything." Crossing her arms over her chest, Elizabeth turned to glance at the moon, narrowing her eyes at its glare. "If my governess doesn't fix this problem, well ... proper matters will be taken care of."

Hadley hoped she wouldn't know what that meant.

But maybe she wished for the wrong thing. The last thing she wanted was for the children to be close to the Cortez, let alone inside of it. The universe didn't seem to be on her side.

They were returning from a happy date at their favorite coffee shop, Percy's Palace. The sun was bright and warm, causing Percy's honey curls to shine against the blue sky. His eyes always twinkled in the light, filled with happiness and humanity. Hadley would do anything to see him happy, even at the risk of gaining a killer migraine from going out into the light, allowing the brightness to absorb the little power she had. His blood always smelled better when they were outside in the daylight, and that's probably because the sun made her weaker. Nevertheless, she knew she could never turn down a day with him. It was scary how she became so wrapped around a boy – let alone a human.

Hadley felt a shift in the atmosphere once they arrived on Floor 6. It was different than usual, different than when another spirit appeared before them. Hadley stopped in place, tightening her grip on Percy's hand, before turning her head in several different directions. No Sally. No James. Nothing had changed. But something still felt different. Too different. Hadley was an expert in recognizing air stints and alters, but this was something new. There was an unusual aura, something she had never witnessed before.

There were new people in the hotel.

And then, the elevator doors open, revealing a pack in front of her very eyes. She stared at them, and they stared back. It was a group of children, blood dotting their faces and staining the sides of their mouths. They were small and weak, but she knew not to mistake age for fragility. Hadley could practically smell the newborn off of them, and she knew that it was this time that they were at their strongest.

The children slowly emerged from the elevator, enveloping the old hallway, covered wall-to-wall in dust and spiderwebs. The boy in front – light brown hair, honey stare – never let his eyes sway from Hadley's. They were accompanied by a blonde woman in regal dress with a high, lace collar and red lipstick, leaving Hadley to assume that this was Elizabeth's new governess. Behind the blonde was a grim face Hadley knew far too well – the face of the Ten Commandments Killer.

Hadley quickly shoved Percy behind her, sending John Lowe the scariest look he'd ever seen, one that could shake his backbone – if he had one to begin with. The elevator doors slammed behind the group, and the room filled with a tense silence.

"What are you doing here?" Hadley spat in John's direction. Percy's eyes shifted from his girlfriend to the young boy in front of the group, who was now staring at him with a cocked head.

"Just taking care of business," John huffed, slapping a hand on the governess' shoulder. "I live here with my wife. I'm here to help her because of your mother's orders."

She heard Elizabeth's voice in her head again, causing a shiver to run down her spine: It means we have a pack of young mutts wandering around the city. Hadley's breath hitched in her throat.

Their thirst was apparent as soon as they walked into the hotel. Hadley could practically feel it in the back of her mouth, causing bile to run up the base of her jugular. Their eyes were large and dark, exposing their addictive hunger for all to see. They weren't staring at her anymore. They were staring at Percy.

Hadley always wondered what the last straw would be. If getting captured by Aileen Wuornos or the Ten Commandments Killer hadn't sent him away, this might just do it. And if he wasn't going to leave himself, she would have to make him. This was their final boss.

"Is this the pack of mutts?" Hadley whispered, trying to maintain a cool demeanor, but it was difficult with the children licking their lips. She wanted to hide her fear. She couldn't even if she tried.

"They're not mutts," the governess argued, poison seeping from her red lips.

Hadley rolled her eyes. "That's what the Countess called them."

"She probably says the same about you," the blonde fired back, placing a firm hand on a young girl's back. Hadley wrinkled her nose. The governess' gesture seemed out of support, but her eyes screamed fear. "They're children. They're inflicted, just like you and me."

"And we're thirsty," the boy in the front added, eyes forming into slits.

Percy backed himself into the peeling wallpaper, hand never leaving Hadley's. She jabbed a finger in the boy's direction, jaw clenching with anger, and barked, "You touch him, and I rip your body to shreds."

The young boy giggled. It was full of childlike quality, but the threat of violence still remained. "Like you actually could," he laughed. "Aren't you kinda old? Don't you know that we're stronger than you right now? If anything, I could rip you to shreds."

Hadley swallowed hard, and it wasn't out of anger this time. It was because she knew he was right. "Cockiness will get you killed, kid."

"Why are you protecting a human anyways?" A girl asked, stepping up to bump shoulders with her friend. Her hair was dark, like chocolate, and her nose was small and button-like. She reminded Hadley of herself when she was younger. "Isn't that, like, against a rule or something? How have you not killed him already? I ate my parents the first day I came back. The thirst was too much."

"His blood smells really good. The cleanest we've had in days." The boy smile, lips quirking upward in a devilish fashion before he turned to the governess. "Is there any way you can give him to us? You promised to help us, after all."

The governess chewed on her bottom lip, wanting to rid herself of the situation as soon as possible. The last thing they needed was more blood staining their carpet. "I think you all need to just follow me –"

"No!" Hadley exclaimed, brow knitting together. "You are not allowed within a foot of him. If you do, I swear to god that I have no problem with killing a child –"

"I'm not scared of you," the young boy sneered, and it might've been the first time Hadley had ever been scared of a newborn.

The children around him laughed. John and the governess tried pushing them in another direction, but the main boy shrugged their grips away, pointing a stern finger in Hadley's direction. "We'll find a way to him," he promised. "I won't let clean blood get away."

•••

"What's the hub-bub about?" Liz asked cheerily as she clicked her heels into Room 66, stabbing a spoon into the juicy pomegranate that she held in her pretty-pink nails. She didn't expect to find Hadley sitting on the bed, foot jumping up and down with anxiety, while Percy stood far away from her in the corner, leaning against the small amount of light filtering in from the window. The two were practically inseparable. It was strange to see them even a few feet apart.

Hadley slowly looked up, biting the inside of her cheek. Percy scoffed from his corner and nodded in Hadley's direction. "Tell her," he urged. "Tell her of your dumb plan."

"We have a problem," Hadley whispered. She stood up from her seat and began to pace in front of Liz. "Elizabeth's new governess is trying to eliminate the newborn children that have been attacking innocent people around Los Angeles by bringing them here, to the hellmouth."

Liz arched a thin brow. "And?"

"And, what? Newborns are dangerous enough, but newborn children are the worst of them all." Biting down on the edge of her thumb, Hadley glanced at Liz with a pleading look in her eyes. "They've made a threat against Percy. Newborn children are smart – smarter than me. They will find a way to get to him without me around. I need you to help me to come up with a plan to get him out of the Cortez and out of sight of the police. Is there any way we can get him a new birth certificate? A fake I.D.?"

Percy shook his head. "No, I refuse to be a part of this." Hadley and Liz looked over their shoulders at him, realizing that he had straightened his back to appear more defiant. "I've survived this far as a human. I'm not scared of some group of kids."

Hadley pursed her lips, turning away before muttering under her breath, "You should be."

"Well," Liz drawled, shoving a spoonful of pomegranate seeds into her mouth, staining it red, "I think it is best to get him out of here while you can. Newborn children are a whole new level of crazy. Not even Hadley's siblings are that young."

Percy gulped, placing a hand on Hadley's shoulder. He wasn't scared. He swore he wasn't, but the shaking of his fingers defied him.

"Even if the children, somehow, don't get to Percy on their own," Liz continued, "knowing the Countess or Mr. March, they'll sacrifice him to the afflicted children because you have denied turning him so many times."

Hadley bit onto her bottom lip so hard that she believed it was bleeding. She could taste the salt and rust on her tongue, but it was nothing like drinking from a mortal. Spinning her head around to face Percy, she blinked her grey, doe eyes and pled without words for him to know what she was thinking. Thankfully, he did.

"No," Percy said, unaware that his voice was breaking. "You can't ask me to leave. Not again. I won't do it."

Liz popped a seed into her mouth. "You might have to this time, boy."

"Please," Hadley muttered. Her tone was so low that Liz wasn't sure if she heard it. "There is no good way that this will end, Perce. I know it. This is different than anything else we've faced."

Percy continued to shake his head, hoping that would stop her mouth from moving. It didn't.

"You have to go," she continued, "at least for a month. Six would be best, so I can eliminate all those newborns without a shred of evidence tied to me."

"There might not be a way to change his identity, though," Liz added. "You can change his name and information, but you can't change his face. People will recognize him from a mile away because of the papers. We have to come up with a good ass excuse for his family as to why he has shown up after being missing for half a year."

Hadley nodded. "You're right. Maybe we can –"

"I'm not leaving the Cortez, Hadley." Percy interrupted, stomping in between the two females. He stood in front of Liz, who rolled her eyes with annoyance, as he stared down at Hadley with insolence. "You're not my mom. You can't make me."

She wanted to bite her tongue, willing herself to make him stay, but she knew that was too dangerous. "You have to, okay? I don't care what you want –"

Before Hadley could register his actions, Percy whipped his hand out and yanked the pomegranate out of Liz's hands. He tore through the skin of the fruit with his teeth, pouring almost a dozen seeds into his mouth, allowing a thin trail of red juice to glide down his chin. When he looked back up, Hadley could've sworn that she was staring into a mirror. Percy dropped the pomegranate to the carpet.

Liz frowned, "Um ... I was eating that." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why did you take it?"

Hadley answered for him: "He thought it would make him magically stay here."

Percy stared at her, not bothering to wipe the juice that dribbled down his neck, and tears welled up in his eyes. Hadley bent down and grabbed the half-eaten pomegranate, taking a moment to toss it between her hands, before meeting his eyes. She parted her lips. "It doesn't work like that, Perce."

He knew she was right. He knew it wouldn't do anything all along. But Percy turned a blind eye simply because he wanted to believe in a miracle. Just this once.

Walking over to the corner of the room, Hadley zipped up his large, black suitcase and propped it up, ready to roll the luggage out. "It's for your protection," she whispered, lifting up the suitcase handle. Percy blinked and kept his two feet frozen in place. "It's time to pack up. Please."

Percy could only nod and agree. He didn't want to, but he was too whipped to care.

•••

A/N: ONLY THE EPILOGUE LEFT AAAAAAAAAA

Totally unrelated but.........I just finished my last class???? Like ever??????? All I have to do is write a final paper for my art history class and then I'm..................done with school.....................forever

THIS FEELS WEIRD