Why's it always //darkest// ℛight ℬefore the ☀dawn☀? Locket

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Mira sat in the back seat of Doru's armored car, next to her best friend, Dima. Another Moroi who she didn't know sat in the front seat. He was also under Doru's protection, apparently. She stared boredly out the window, just wishing the car ride to be over. This was worse than the fancy Moroi party they'd driven to the Royal Court for. Dima was a prince, so he had to be there. She had come because she was intent on becoming his guardian, and because he'd been allowed to bring one friend. So now she was stuck in a car with three males, silence reigning, only second to awkwardness.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Colton leaned back in the passenger's seat, yawning. That party had been dead boring and he was glad they were going back to the Academy.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

(Colton. I like that name xD)

Simira leaned forward and poked Doru's shoulder. "Are we almost there?" The guardian glared at her in the rearview window. "Kresimira, we've been over this. We will be there in thirty more minutes."

"But I'm so BORED," Mira complained. "We've been driving for like... hours."

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

The Tarus prince chuckled softly, glancing back at Simira and Dima, "The car ride hasn't been /so/ bad. Just..quiet."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"I was kind of enjoying it," Dima agreed. "Sit back and relax, Mira." His eyes twinkled even as he said it; he knew his friend well enough to know that she never 'sat back and relaxed.'

Mira huffed and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "This sucks royally."

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

"Hey, look at it this way," Colton told her, looking out the window, "We're almost there."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Mira stuck her tongue out at him--very mature--and glowered at the back of Doru's seat. That was when the armored car jerked and went flying off the road. It rolled twice before coming to a stop, upside down.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

As an instinct, Colton braced himself on the car. His seat belt locked in place and kept him from bouncing around. When it stopped, he swore loudly, "Is everyone alright?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Fine," Mira said with a groan. Her head stung, and she could feel warm blood trickling down the side of her face. "Fine," Dima said quietly. "We need to get out now," Doru said from the front. His muscles strained as he forced open his door. He unbuckled his seatbelt and swiftly rolled to the side. Then he got to making sure everyone else got out of the car.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Colton rolled out onto the grass, looking up at the sky, "What hit us?" he groaned. He was sure he'd be feeling pain in his neck the next day.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Nothing good," Doru replied gruffly. Right after he said that, a shadow approached him with lightning speed and grabbed him. He was thrown twenty feet away into a tall oak tree. He remained there, unconscious. Dima shouted as he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. Mira, on the other hand, the only one who could fight the Strigoi, was stuck. "Help!" she called frantically as the evil vampire advanced on her. She could worry about her dignity later. "Somebody get me out of here!"

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Colton ducked back into the wreckage of the car and crawled under it. Groping around, the Moroi found Simira's seat belt and wrenched it out. Then he held out his hand, "Grab my hand; I'll try and pull you out." He said urgently.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Mira grasped Colton's hand as tightly as she could. "Hurry!" She said. She sounded terrified, which she never ever did. She was usually too proud for that. In the face of a strigoi, though, she couldn't control her terror.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

He grunted and pulled her out from beneath the car. Being Moroi, he wasn't as muscular as dhampirs, but he still had some lithe muscles in his arms.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Mira screamed as a shadow blocked out the moon. The strigoi had jumped right over the upside down car and was about to land right on top of her. Duma drove forward and pulled both Colton and Mira out of the vampire's way.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

The Tarus Prince cursed as his elbows scraped against the ground. Colton rolled to his feet, sending an appreciative glance Dima's way, and faced the Strigoi. He could see Doru's body crumpled on the ground not far away and knew that they were without their Guardian at the moment.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Mira scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest, and looked around wildly for something to use as a weapon. Her eyes fell on Doru. The guardian had to have a silver steak on him somewhere. He seemed like he was a mile away, though, with a strigoi standing between her and him.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Colton seemed to realize what she was thinking and nodded, "I'll distract it," he told her quickly, "So you can get past him."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Thanks," Mira breathed. She waited for Colton's move, tensing her body to sprint toward Doru.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

The Moroi lunged for the Strigoi in one swift movement. He wasn't quite sure how he expected to fight it off, but he had to try.