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Cleo smiled as she walked towards the town with Martyn and Pearl by her side. Sure she could have flown, it would be much faster to do so, however they decided it would be best and get the best reaction to all arrive together as one. They left together, they'd burn it down together. Shelby flew above them, for her part in their plan it was best that she remained unseen for now. By the time they arrived there would be bats in the trees nearby watching.
When they arrived at the wall Cleo smiled as she heard a shout from the tower they seemed to be using as a bit of a watch tower. How fun, an audience.
Cleo walked to the wall with Martyn to their right, Pearl watched from the woods, they wouldn't put her in danger that way. She'd stay out of their sight for now. Her job was to make sure they were awake when the walls went up.
Cleo noticed a curtain move in the one house outside of the walls. Good, Ren wouldn't get caught in the fire. It'd be a shame if the man who did all he could to make sure they were safe got caught in the fire meant for those who shunned them.
Cleo stopped just shy of the town, a smile on her face when Avid and Drift appeared at the town entrance. They wouldn't cross the line the wall made, not now, not when they said they'd stay out of the walls. Stay out they would. They'd make sure there were no walls, nowhere to hide.
Avid had a bottle of holy water in his hand and Cleo couldn't help but laugh, of course he did. Of course he had something he thought would help save everyone in his hands.
Avid startled and stepped back as Cleo laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"You. You think that little bottle will do anything to stop the path you set yourself on. Oh that's cute, it really is."
Drift stepped forwards, not far enough to be outside of the walls but close enough to reach out towards Cleo and Martyn.
"Cleo, Martyn. Why?"
It was Martyn's turn to laugh, a laugh that was loud and just a bit unhinged.
"Why what? We haven't even done anything yet. You watched as Avid tried to kill Pearl. You saw what he did, you watched as he trapped them in their own house. You know he almost burnt it before we left. He almost killed them because he thinks they're monsters."
"Why did you leave with them?"
"Because they're my friends, because they're my partners, because sunflowers stick together. They trusted me with their secrets. Never once have they harmed a human. They have saved you several times! They kept you safe and you threatened them! I won't be part of a town that greets kindness with violence."
"So you join them?"
"Them?"
"The castle group-"
Cleo smiled as they corrected Drift.
"Coven."
This time Avid spoke, fear and betrayal and anger filled his words as he stepped in front of Drift.
"Coven. You joined the castle coven? Are you one of them then? A vampire? A werewolf?"
Martyn smiled at Avid, it wasn't a kind smile, no it held venom and was sharp enough to cut someone.
"No. No, I'm still human. You've shown how monstrous humans can be, let me show you what you showed me."
With that Martyn took a torch and threw it to the top of the wall and all hell broke loose.
~~~~
Ren was getting ready for bed and going to close his curtains for the night when he noticed something that could only spell trouble.
Ren watched as Cleo and Martyn made their way towards the town. Martyn stood on Cleo's right, a sight that pulled at Ren's heart for reasons he didn't understand. There was something strangely wrong about watching Martyn walk on Cleo's right while she was dressed as if they were the owner of the castle they no doubt had looked for sanctuary inside.
Ren shut his curtains when he saw the fire begin to eat at the walls. Better he be the man who slept through disaster than the one who watched it because he saw the reason it was done.
~~~~
Pearl watched as Martyn's torch hit the top of the wall. She heard the shouts distantly and she howled.
Pearl watched as Martyn walked away from the wall while Cleo, Scott, Pyro and Owen and Shelby moved in lighting the wall from all around it and flying into the town to cause chaos as the fire raged.
Pearl watched from the woods, no longer a wolf, as the town wall was swallowed in fire and smoke, she listened to their screams and shouts. She watched as a bat flew away from the town and towards the woods alone. Seems like Apo decided on her plan then.
Pearl smiled softly at Martyn as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Ren's in his house."
Good. He was kind, he was the only one who saw her and greeted her without fear. It was nice to know he was safe within his house.
"Good."
~~~~
Drift was terrified.
Avid had come running from the tower he used as a watch tower screaming about vampires approaching. Drift accompanied him to the town entrance to see Cleo end Martyn stood outside of the walls. Cleo was dressed like royalty, the only thing they were missing was a crown on their head, though the flowers she wore gave the illusion of a crown. Martyn didn't look all too different, something that made Drift hope that maybe, just maybe, that meant he was still human.
The conversation with Cleo and Martyn was a disaster, a complete and utter disaster. Before Drift knew it the wall was on fire, Pearl was howling and more fire followed.
The fire was spreading quickly, too quickly.
Avid ran to grab water with Sausage running after him to help while Drift stood there just inside of the walls. She'd backed up when the fires started, but she was frozen in place as she watched it spread.
Frozen in fear as a bat swooped in and landed in front of her while she coughed from the smoke.
Frozen in fear as Shelby landed in front of her and promised she'd be okay.
~~~~
Shelby saw Drift stood still as the fires rose and the smoke seemed to try and choke out the town. She watched as Drift was left alone to stand there as the smoke got closer and closer.
How could they leave her to stand there?
The smoke would swallow her and choke her out before long. The walls could fall on her. She was frozen in fear and no one was trying to help her.
No one was trying to help Drift. Drift who was kind to everyone, Drift who didn't seem to hate vampires as much as Avid. Drift who had apologized for watching as Avid burned down her house. Drift who was about to be choked out by a fire she'd tried so hard to stop before it started.
Drift who was Shelby's friend.
Shelby wouldn't watch as her friend died, she wouldn't stand to the side and watched as the fire choked out a woman who had been nothing but friendly and helpful to her.
How could she just stand by when Drift could die to the smoke?
She wouldn't lose Drift.
Shelby landed in front of Drift and hoped that the fear in her eyes was due to the fire and smoke around her and not because Shelby had just landed in front of her.
"Don't worry Drift, you'll be okay. I'll make sure you're safe."
Shelby bit into Drift near the base of her neck and began to drink. She'd make sure Drift stayed safe.
Drift fought weakly.
"Shelby. Shelby stop."
She couldn't stop. Not yet, not when Drift could die if she didn't help.
Once Drift was turned Shelby took out one of the silk sunflowers that Cleo had set in her hair before they left and she set it into Drift's hair.
Then she flew off. Better not worry the others into thinking she was caught by the fire.
~~~~
Avid returned home hours later to find Drift asleep, tears running down her face and something yellow in her hand.
He'd check in with her in the morning, he should let her sleep.