"Hi there,"
"Do I know you?" Lola asked and tilted her head to the side.
The smell of cotton candy filled the air as the machine started up next to them and her stomach let out a loud growl.
"I doubt that but I sure know you. I'm Cyrus," He said smilingly.
The guy leaned in, he pointed behind Lola and her eyes followed his finger's direction.
"There's your friend, Melissa, and her new sweetheart. Over there is Jax and Ash Blackwood, we'll try and steer clear of them," he winked, "and behind that pumpkin waffle station is Melissa's parents, am I right?" He asked.
Lola looked at all of the people she cared about, they could see them all clearly from where they stood.
"Yes," her voice hitched in her throat and the breath of fresh air stuck in her lungs reminded her of what it was like to not breathe. Her core clutched and her lungs shriveled up like raisins, at least that was the feeling of watching the people she loved being in the crossfire of her decisions.
"Good. Here's what we're going to do, you will walk with me over to that car parked by the roundabout- we get in and we go. Everyone here will continue to enjoy their night as long you don't cause any unnecessary problems." He smiled.
Lola watched as Ed reached out and grabbed a bouquet of flowers, Melissa was looking at ornaments, he paid the girl behind the table and handed the bouquet to Melissa when she turned around.
"Fine," Lola said and let Cyrus guide her towards the car.
They walked slowly, nobody thought any different of them as they passed by. Jax and Ash were busy with the mayor and she saw now that Mrs. Blackwood had joined them.
Everyone was preoccupied and for a moment she didn't mind being taken away. This was what she had asked for a few days ago, standing almost in this exact spot- she had begged for them to come and take her. It was in a moment of desperation, sure, but this would always be the only way to keep everyone safe.
The door to the black car opened and Cyrus smiled as he gestured for Lola to get inside.
She turned her head and tried to catch a peek of Melissa one last time but she had disappeared. Jax and Ash seemed to be gone too but Mrs. Blackwood was still there with the mayor.
Lola took a deep breath and turned back around.
"Let's go," Cyrus said.
She reached out her hand, the cold metal burning against her skin when it dawned on her that once she got in, she was never coming back. The choice, however, was taken from her when the door slammed shut in her face and a scream left her lips as she backed away.
The crimson drops fell down Cyrus's mouth and his nose shifted to the side with a loud crack.
He pinched his nose and pulled, the crack followed as his nose was pushed into place with a loud groan.
The two shadows standing in front of him were shielding him from the crowd so they wouldn't see.
A sharp blade was plunged into his gut and his knees buckled beneath him.
"You really shouldn't try to steal someone else's girl. You fangs always want what you can't have, it's sad," Ash pouted and twisted the knife.
Cyrus fell down on his knees and Ash stepped back, dropping the handle and leaving the blade deep inside him.
Lola was pushed back a step to make room as Jax stepped in front of her. He squatted down in front of Cyrus, the laced knife was sending him into a whirlpool of pain that he wouldn't escape until the blade was out of him.
"How did you know she was here?" Jax asked.
Sweat dripped from Cyrus's head as his eyes darted around.
"I know you're not alone, your friends have been taken care of. What I need to know is how you found her," Jax said.
Did they know that the vampires would show up tonight? Jax made it sound as though it was part of a well-known plan and if so- then where were the others?
Lola looked around, she caught a glimpse of Melissa's pink scarf by the ceramics exhibition and breathed out.
Jax grabbed the handle and twisted it twice. He pressed his hand over Cyrus's mouth, pressing his head so hard into the car door that it formed a dent.
"I'll ask again, tell me the truth and you can go-"
"What?!" Lola said.
"-How did you find her?" Jax asked.
Lola was held back by Ash's hand on her arm. His eyes bored into hers for a split second telling her to stay put. He looked at Cyrus who was writhing in pain, his eyes bleak as if he prepared to die.
"He won't tell," Ash said.
"Yes, he will." Jax pulled the knife out, Cyrus fell forward and begged for a breath while Jax swirled the knife in a mixture of herbs.
"Oh my god," Lola uttered under her breath. Her eyes bulged and the air in her lungs was slowly seeping out.
Cyrus stared wide-eyed, he watched the tip of the blade slipping against the neck of the glass bottle.
He knew that he was about to experience a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt.
"Jax," Lola put her hand on his arm to stop him. They had to remember where they were and all the witnesses that could see what they were doing.
"He needs to tell us, and if the promise of freedom isn't motivation enough then I bet this will be," Jax said. He was so blinded by the hatred that he barely acknowledged Lola's distress.
"Maybe here isn't the best place to do this," she said.
Jax leaned his head back and locked eyes with Ash while he bent down in front of Cyrus. He flicked his head in a silent order and Lola was grabbed and pulled back in one quick motion.
She was spun on her feet and forced to stand eye to eye with Ash as the sound of a thrust moved behind her.
Lola turned her head, only enough to see moments of what was happening behind her. Cyrus's widened eyes, his lips parted soundlessly, and Jax was on the ground with his hand around the handle of the knife. Though it was Cyrus who was tortured, in pain and he that she was supposed to be fearful of, she couldn't get herself to look away from Jax, and the pit of darkness brimming in his eyes.
"I will ask you again- only once- how did you find her?" Jax waited a beat before he pulled out the knife. Cyrus fell forward and gasped for a breath to fill his lungs.
"We- we've been watching her. We've always known she was here," Cyrus spat as saliva flew from his mouth with each word.
"You're lying. Listen to me," Jax's voice lowered, "I will gauge out your eyes, cut off your tongue, and pull the nails from your fingers over and over again. You will forget what it's like to not live under constant pain and I will do so until the day that you beg me to kill you. Now you tell me how the fuck you found my wife."
Cyrus was furiously shaking his lowered head, staring at the ground- in too much pain to even pretend that he was strong enough to withstand Jax's threat.
"I told you...we- we have been watching her for years. She never escaped him, he's been waiting for the right time to take her back. She- she's always been watched, that's it- I- I'm telling you," he stuttered.
"I'm afraid that's not the answer we're looking for," Jax said. The knife was jabbed back into Cyrus and held there, Jax twisted it every now and then to make the pain as excruciating as possible.
He looked like he was screaming, the veins in his face grew against his skin and it was a horrid expression frozen on his face.
"Please stop," Lola said under her breath but she couldn't look away.
"No," Jax said, not sparing her a glance.
"Jax, please,"
His fingers tightened around the handle and he pulled the knife out. The blood dripped quickly from the wound and the blade was covered in crimson gloss.
"I know for a fact that you didn't know she was here. You see, I had a friend put a spell on her, masking her scent and presence from everyone- I couldn't even sniff her out, so it's not possible that you did. You have another way of tracking her and I want to know what that way is." he leaned in, "You went after my wife so I'm begging you, lie to me again so I can seal your faith."
Cyrus's eyes turned with the black fog swirling in the red sea and he watched her.
"You can run from him but you can't outrun him," he said under his breath, "he will always find you because he knows- when others learn they will want you too. A little piece of advice, Lola Graves, don't get too attached to people you'll miss when they're gone,"
He reached back a shaking hand and took out a pill from his pocket.
The time it took for them to see it pinched between his fingers to him putting it between his teeth and biting down was less than a second.
the foam bubbled out between his lips and thickened at the corners of his mouth and his eyes rolled back into his head.
"No!" Jax said and held Cyrus's head up.
"Don't you dare die," he seethed, "tell me how the fuck you found her!" But it was too late. Cyrus's body fell against the car. His eyes wide open his mouth still foaming at the edges.