Holocaust - Rachel M Raithby Page 0,3

just the bare mention of his name brought.

“But unlike me, Lex, you won’t survive. The way you feel, the love you have for him, you can’t run from it forever.”

“I can’t run from my mother forever either… It’s this or he dies.”

“Don’t fool yourself. There’s a storm coming, and no one can escape it.”

Maybe not, but I plan on Lincoln escaping. She’d felt it too, the growing tension, the whispers of unease. Lucy Hunter’s grip on the hunters was slipping, and when the leash slipped, the world would be plunged into war.

She stopped the car in front of the house, the two other jeeps parking beside her. They’d even stopped with the surprise attacks since she joined them. She’d made them arrogant. She’d made them indestructible.

“Stay.” Lexia looked over at Derrick as he shut his door, leaving her in the car in her safe bubble. He walked with purpose toward the others. They glanced from him to her, but stepped into line. Derrick was a leader; no one questioned him.

Fighting started inside the house. She tried not to take note of the auras, yet she couldn’t help it. Call it a sick fascination or a habit of torturing herself, or maybe Maura liked to feel Lexia squirm and ache inside of her.

There were four in the house against five hunters. They had no chance.

One. Two. Each light went out like a fist to her gut.

Three. She clenched her hands around the steering wheel; her two halves at war with each other.

Four. She let out her breath. It’s over. It’s… Wait.

She’d made a mistake, missed a crucial part. Lexia burst through the darkness. Out of the car, she ran across the lawn.

This wasn’t a pack. This was a family. A home.

The hunter’s head rolled from his shoulders as her sword sliced cleanly through his neck; thumping to the floor, it rolled to a stop in front of four children who the hunter had sought to kill.

Her knees wobbled as she looked upon the child who stood protectively in front of the others. The child willing to fight a hunter to protect them. Older than the others, he’d shifted into his animal form. He was a panther, a black panther.

Emotions swirled to life within her; dark against light, clashing together in chaos. She never sensed the hunter behind her, never moved as he thrust his sword through her back. She screamed in pain, her head falling back as she dropped to her knees. Maura, however, won the battle.

Her leg whipped out, knocking the hunter who’d crossed her to the floor. She wrapped her hands around his neck and took pleasure in slowly strangling the life from him. Watching as his skin turned blue, his eyes lost their fight for life.

Leaping from the floor, a wild cry rose from her lips. She flung herself at the female hunter who stood stunned behind her; Maura snapped her neck with ease, letting her drop to the floor with disgust.

Maura didn’t stop there, too caught up in her bloodlust. Derrick stood wide-eyed at the door, his hands up, palms forward as she marched toward him. Maura was furious; furious she’d been injured; furious she’d never felt it coming. She’d become weak and lost the battle with Lexia. Her fury unleashed itself on Derrick.

“Lex, please… please don’t do this.” He blocked her punch, doubled over from a kick to his stomach.

“Lexia, fight her. Fight Maura.” She had him on the floor, cutting his airway off. “Fight for Lincoln,” he wheezed.

Lincoln.

The red haze around her cleared and her hands released their grip from Derrick’s throat. “Get out!” she screamed as she scrambled away from him.

“Lex, what are you going to do?”

“I. Said. Get. Out!”

Derrick scrambled back, his back hitting the door. Looking at her for a second longer, he then left the house. Lexia turned and stared at the four children huddled in the corner. Walking toward them slowly, the little black panther growled.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” she whispered. Dropping to her knees, overcome with emotion, she was at war with herself.

Though he was scared, the cub lashed out at her hand, his eyes flashing golden with bravery, and Lexia finally won the battle against Maura.

She collapsed forward onto her hands, sensing the energy, the power leave her.

The panther cub shifted.

“Your eyes have changed,” the naked boy said.

Lexia smiled at him, at the small, brave boy who’d stood up to a hunter, who reminded her so much of him, of Lincoln.

“Have they?” she asked, sitting up,