in a shower of dust back down the tunnel.
Then one of them saw the wooden stakes slicing through the air at him and he leapt against the wall of the tunnel. To my amazement, it gripped hold of the wall and scurried along it like a huge spider. He crawled up the wall and came at me along the ceiling of the tunnel. Its face looked wizened as if contorted through pain. Its eyes burnt red as it lunged at me. Then, I felt an arm snake around my waist and drag me backwards. Looking back, I could see that it was Potter who had taken hold of me, and he pressed me against him. Images of what had happened between us in the gatehouse at the Hallowed Manor flashed across my mind. Before I’d had the chance to shove those memories of him away, Luke flew over my head and clattered into the vampire-cop that had lunged at me.
“Get off me,” I hissed at Potter as he held me close, and I could feel his unshaven face against mine. In the darkness, I could see his eyes and they were staring at me. Their intensity was almost frightening – but in his arms the fear didn’t last long and my feelings began to soften.
“This isn’t the time,” I said, looking back into his eyes. “Please, just let me go.”
And he did. There were no wisecracks. He just let go of me and that just confused me even more, and I think he knew that. Breaking our gaze, I looked away, to see Luke clawing and biting away at the cop, who only moments before, had nearly been upon me. Then I saw Isidor go down in a flurry of beating arms and legs, as he was swamped by a mass of vampire-cops.
Without looking at Potter, I said, “Help him!”
But instead of flying forward in defence of Isidor, Potter hesitated. Turning to face him again, I said, “Please, Potter. I know you don’t really like him, but do it for me!”
Then he was gone, and he moved so fast it was almost as if he had just disappeared before my eyes. Spinning around, I saw him dive through the air, slicing through the approaching cops as easily as if they were made from paper. I’d seen Potter lose his temper before, but today he seemed almost savage as he hacked, bit, and ripped at the approaching cops with his claws and fangs. Luke showed as much ferocity, but he moved with more precision as he hacked and bit, as if his anger, unlike Potter’s, was controlled.
Another vampire-cop broke free and scurried above me, throwing itself through the air. I ducked and it shot over my head clattering into the floor of the tunnel. Jumping over him, I raced towards Luke who was lunging down at one of the vampire-cop’s upturned faces. The tunnel was filled with the sound of screaming and it hurt my ears. Another sprung at Luke and I saw him topple over. With my heart racing, he looked back and I saw his eyes wide and green staring at me from out of the darkness. I reached for him and as I did, I could feel the burning sensation of hot breath against the back of my neck. Looking back again, I saw a hand reach out of the darkness and grab hold of my shoulder. I screamed and pushed out at the vampire with both of my hands. Then it was gone, flying backwards down the tunnel. At first, I wasn’t sure of what had happened and I half-expected to see Murphy standing in the place where the vampire had stood. But he wasn’t there. Then, I felt something warm and hot sliding through my fingers. I looked down to see that my right hand was covered in blood. I shook my hand and the vampire’s blood splattered against the tunnel wall.
How had that gotten there? my confused mind wondered. Had I really thrown that vampire so far down the tunnel? I couldn’t have done, right? Where had that sudden burst of strength come from?
Then from further down the tunnel I heard a voice.
“C’mon Kiera! Run!” Murphy roared at me, the flame from his Zippo bobbing to and fro.
He turned his back and raced away from me. In shock from the realisation that I had somehow launched that vampire down the tunnel with a shove of my
Then one of them saw the wooden stakes slicing through the air at him and he leapt against the wall of the tunnel. To my amazement, it gripped hold of the wall and scurried along it like a huge spider. He crawled up the wall and came at me along the ceiling of the tunnel. Its face looked wizened as if contorted through pain. Its eyes burnt red as it lunged at me. Then, I felt an arm snake around my waist and drag me backwards. Looking back, I could see that it was Potter who had taken hold of me, and he pressed me against him. Images of what had happened between us in the gatehouse at the Hallowed Manor flashed across my mind. Before I’d had the chance to shove those memories of him away, Luke flew over my head and clattered into the vampire-cop that had lunged at me.
“Get off me,” I hissed at Potter as he held me close, and I could feel his unshaven face against mine. In the darkness, I could see his eyes and they were staring at me. Their intensity was almost frightening – but in his arms the fear didn’t last long and my feelings began to soften.
“This isn’t the time,” I said, looking back into his eyes. “Please, just let me go.”
And he did. There were no wisecracks. He just let go of me and that just confused me even more, and I think he knew that. Breaking our gaze, I looked away, to see Luke clawing and biting away at the cop, who only moments before, had nearly been upon me. Then I saw Isidor go down in a flurry of beating arms and legs, as he was swamped by a mass of vampire-cops.
Without looking at Potter, I said, “Help him!”
But instead of flying forward in defence of Isidor, Potter hesitated. Turning to face him again, I said, “Please, Potter. I know you don’t really like him, but do it for me!”
Then he was gone, and he moved so fast it was almost as if he had just disappeared before my eyes. Spinning around, I saw him dive through the air, slicing through the approaching cops as easily as if they were made from paper. I’d seen Potter lose his temper before, but today he seemed almost savage as he hacked, bit, and ripped at the approaching cops with his claws and fangs. Luke showed as much ferocity, but he moved with more precision as he hacked and bit, as if his anger, unlike Potter’s, was controlled.
Another vampire-cop broke free and scurried above me, throwing itself through the air. I ducked and it shot over my head clattering into the floor of the tunnel. Jumping over him, I raced towards Luke who was lunging down at one of the vampire-cop’s upturned faces. The tunnel was filled with the sound of screaming and it hurt my ears. Another sprung at Luke and I saw him topple over. With my heart racing, he looked back and I saw his eyes wide and green staring at me from out of the darkness. I reached for him and as I did, I could feel the burning sensation of hot breath against the back of my neck. Looking back again, I saw a hand reach out of the darkness and grab hold of my shoulder. I screamed and pushed out at the vampire with both of my hands. Then it was gone, flying backwards down the tunnel. At first, I wasn’t sure of what had happened and I half-expected to see Murphy standing in the place where the vampire had stood. But he wasn’t there. Then, I felt something warm and hot sliding through my fingers. I looked down to see that my right hand was covered in blood. I shook my hand and the vampire’s blood splattered against the tunnel wall.
How had that gotten there? my confused mind wondered. Had I really thrown that vampire so far down the tunnel? I couldn’t have done, right? Where had that sudden burst of strength come from?
Then from further down the tunnel I heard a voice.
“C’mon Kiera! Run!” Murphy roared at me, the flame from his Zippo bobbing to and fro.
He turned his back and raced away from me. In shock from the realisation that I had somehow launched that vampire down the tunnel with a shove of my
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