Hi everyone! Woots 100! And im thinking of a new book, a compilation of all-teenage things! will tell you more if I actually publish it!

“Hotel of Death.” Chantelle couldn’t help reading the words spray painted on.

It would have been too late to wait for the Clave’s backup to arrive, and they would take the easy way out anyway—putting the blame on Marissa. In Los Angeles, there were a group of vampires that barely had care for the Accords. They seized an old building they call “New Hotel Dumort” and live there. They don’t attack in the open, but they pick off on people. Marissa must have been captured when she was on duty today. They were a parody of a destroyed building for vampires in New York, the original Hotel Dumort. Meanwhlile, Laressa remembered Pablo’s words.

“Save her, please. I meant to stay, but her words were to get help. She was bloody, arms seizing her as she said it…”

Laressa’s only hope was that her sister was alive and not yet Turned.

“It’ll be fine.” Zachary said, guessing the girl’s thoughts.

“Zach, lead with me.” Called Chantelle quietly as she moved forward silently. Zachary moved up, Andre moving to bring up the rear. “Circle around.” They did a quick circle around the building, and all was clear except for that horrible stink. The abandoned building was an old haunted building, Chantelle heard from her mundane friends before she entered the Institute. There were always dares that people enter, and whoever entered truly never came out. Chantelle knew the official cause after questioning Ares on this when she was 14.

“How do we get in?” Laressa asked quietly from behind.

Chantelle scanned the area. “I say rooftop.”

Zachary gaped. “It’s Ares’ job to think of crazy plans, not you.” He said, clearly not expecting the girl to think up such a dangerous idea. The building had to be six storeys high, and it was positioned such that it was difficult to get good footing, and was way harder to climb, even though the Younghunters were not bad climbers.

“Two of us can take the chutes.” Suggested Andre. “Only two can fit.”

Chantelle scanned the four Shadowhunters. “I volunteer to take the top.” She said confidently. Chantelle was quite agile, and being a dancer, she could move pretty much delicately.

“If Chantelle’s going, so am I.” Zachary spoke.

Chantelle was alarmed. “It’s fine, you don’t have too…”

Zachary’s eyes were blazing with determination, the kind which would be hard to change decisions. “Sorry Channy, but it’s an oath I made to Ares that I would always take care of you lest he’s gone. You won’t be able to be rid of me, so I suggest you accept it.” He said, jumping onto a Dumpster, the highest around there.

Chantelle pursed her lips, as the other two headed for the chutes. She took her place next to Zachary, reaching higher and higher. They climbed higher and higher, till their fingers were bloody. Suddenly, Zachary cursed below Chantelle as he lost grip for one hand.

“Hold on.” Chantelle said, immediately reaching for Zachary’s hand.

“Hey! What are you two doing up there?” Down below, a policeman yelled, blowing into his whistle, but Chantelle paid no attention to him, hoisting Zachary up.

“I’m too heavy, Chantelle.” Zachary said, glancing up. That brief flicker told Chantelle everything. The fear in his eyes, how his hands were bloodier than hers, for he gripped tighter than he should, and the way he trembled just a little with that touch.

Fear of heights.

She pulled him up, resting onto a separate panel for support, legs on top, but in a super dangerous position, considering she was leaning forward. She finally managed to get him to rest his feet onto a brick that jutted out below, and he rested onto the panel she was sitting on.

Chantelle panted. “If you were afraid of heights, why did you follow me up?” She asked.

“I told you, I made an oath.” He denied it, but Chantelle widened her eyes. It couldn’t be…

“Come on.” He said, keeping a straight face as he swung himself onto the rooftop just beside. Boy, it was high up here. He was panting as he lowered himself into the building, squeezing through a hole in the ceiling.

“Dark.” He told Chantelle. The Younghunters trained themselves to use low voices in battle, so that no one could understand what they said other than themselves.

“Witch light.” Commanded Chantelle as Zachary shone his. It was empty.

“Are we really busting into a vampire lair?” Zachary asked, swinging down onto a table softly. Chantelle followed.

“I prefer to think that we are bursting into a haunted house.” She said. I mean, this was worse than going to haunted houses. At least in those you know you can actually make it out alive. This, she wasn’t so sure.

“Would be helpful to have walkie-talkies.” Zachary commented, spinning around.

“The only problem is, we would pick the sensors right up.”

And that wasn’t Chantelle’s voice.

Instinct told Chantelle to throw her knife before she registered danger. Her knife was positioned right at his heart, even with her late realisation. It was all instinct after years of training. But he was quick, and side-stepped so fast her knife whizzed right by. Zachary was ready before that though, he knocked the guy sideways, and he landed on the ground. Zachary lunged onto him.

“Fools.” He said, opening his mouth to display his vampire fangs. And they were stained with blood, though not Zachary’s blood. Not yet. The vampire shot up, aiming for Zachary, but Zachary swung sideways, off him.

Chantelle’s second knife caught the vampire in the shoulder, and he spun towards Chantelle, eyes red and barely fazed. “God, he’s good.” Chantelle stepped back, as Zachary barged in, killing him with a sword. Only blessed swords, like the one Zachary held, could kill them fully.

He pulled it out, turning towards Chantelle. “Since when did the Children of the Night get so good at fighting?”

“I think they were always good.” Chantelle said, retrieving her knives and walking forward. “Just that Ares isn’t here.”

They walked silently down, and luckily the vampire they killed hadn’t notified anyone. Probably thought he would be honored if he killed two Nephilim all by himself.

They turned and hid behind a shelf, just enough to see what was going on, and not too near the vampires could smell them. In the main area, there was a huge crowd. All the vampires were there.

“Whatever should we do with them?” Asked one of them, examining something.

“I say torture her.” Another one spoke, smirking.

“As if I’m afraid. Go ahead then, GO AHEAD!” Someone spat, and blood landed on the one who spoke earlier.

He shifted a little, just enough for Chantelle and Zachary to see who was it. It was Marissa, and it was her blood on the floor. Chantelle reached for a weapon, and used it to cut off a rope, and pulled a huge object slowly to her. It was heavy, and Zachary had to help her as they silently dragged it along, moving forward slowly. What they needed was a distraction.

But apparently someone beat them to a distraction. As they moved forward, something barely caught Chantelle’s eye. Andre and Laressa hid partially, and their gazes locked with Chantelle and Zachary. They weren’t far away, and the glint in Andre’s eye told Zachary everything.

“Don’t do it—“ Zachary warned, but it was too late. Andre swung himself over, plunging into whatever was below. Clearly Laressa wasn’t informed of the ‘plan’, for panic showed in her eyes briefly before she followed Andre. Zachary followed as well, leaving Chantelle to tie the object up. She set it on fire using a device recently created, and swung it so it was like a huge flaming wrecking ball above the vampires. This momentarily distracted them from their fight, and Chantelle threw a knife to sever the rope, catching them by surprise again. She jumped down, landing on her feet, and stabbed a vampire nearby.

“Look out!” Laressa called, as Chantelle spun. The vampire nearby was too close, but Chantelle shifted in time to take a blow meant for the heart in her collar. It missed her parabatai rune by a little, and she stabbed the attacker as blood flowed out. She held a hand to her collar, other hand throwing a knife at a vampire.

Laressa spotted a stray fan, probably a remain from the ex-owner of this house that the vampires didn’t bother to clear out. She dumped holy water onto it, switching the fan on. It sprayed holy water into the eyes of two vampires headed for her, and she took them out easily. She positioned herself near the fan, using that as a distraction.

Meanwhile, Zachary fought to get to his brother. “Andre?” He called out, searching for him. But he finally found Andre cornered by half a dozen vampires. Instantly, Zachary slid across a table, landing behind the attackers. He took out almost all, but one pointed a knife to Andre’s throat. Instinctively, Andre bit hard into the vampire to avoid a death, but biting was a mistake. He attempted spitting the blood out, and he did not see that the vampire was back. Zachary raced forward, but it was too late. The vampire swiftly ended his mortal life.

Chantelle was oblivious to the brother’s situation, and she raced to untie Marissa, who was coughing. No one bothered about her in the chaos.

“Is Pablo alive?” She asked, eyes wide with fear.

“And as worried as ever.” Chantelle confirmed, handing Marissa weapons. She looked around. Even with their skills, they were way outnumbered. Laressa would be soon cornered. Not long, they would all die. Die. They couldn’t do that, or who could Ares come back to for the remaining of his days? Who would be there to share his last moments on this world? She immediately climbed up the railings before she realised her plan. She swung forward, but on the second level, there was no one to fight. But she did the most unexpected thing.

She ran out of the place.

Quick, quick. She told herself, climbing not up, but sideways. She climbed into a balcony unreachable from the inside, and clung tight onto a huge curtain. She forced it down, and light shone into the building. Inside, the vampires screamed as they incinerated, but some took cover. She swung over, pulling off curtains as she went. They screamed, and this time all were gone. At least, she assumed so.

***

Down below, Laressa was stunned. She stared up to find that Chantelle had pulled off the curtains. So genius, she was jealous. But a bloodcurdling scream snapped her out of it. Andre crumbled to the ground. The only question Zachary had was if he had consumed enough blood or not. Right now, he couldn’t decide which option was better. Two vampires slid out of the shadows. The last ones alive. One knocked Zachary, for he was way too focussed on his brother, as the other dragged Andre away. Zachary and Laressa could have fought back, but they let him go.

“We must accept it.” Laressa said, watching them leave. She knew what the vampires were going to do next—bury Andre. Only if he was buried, he would Turn. And no matter what they said previously, Zachary and Laressa would rather Andre Turn than die, so they let him be buried. Zachary squatted on the floor. What am I going to do now, he thought. He was supposed to protect his brother, yet he lost him. He could only blame himself.

“Where’s Andre?” Asked Chantelle, who walked toward them.

Laressa didn’t answer. “Is that your blood?”

“What?”

Laressa pointed to her own head, as Chantelle reached up to her head. She lowered her palm to see fresh streaks of blood.

“Shit.” Chantelle muttered as stars danced across her vision. She fell to the ground, about to black out. “God damn it, tell me what happened to Andre before I black out.” She said, her voice cracking a little towards the end.

Laressa couldn’t meet the other girl’s eye as she leaned over the girl, worried for both Chantelle and Andre.

“TELL ME.” Chantelle said forcefully, seeing Zachary mourning amidst the weird spots that danced around.

Laressa looked up, to the sky or something. “Better for him to experience the light while he still can.” She hoped it was a hint, since she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it.

But Chantelle didn’t take the hint out of disbelief. “Huh?” She could feel herself sinking into darkness.

But before she passed out, she heard what Laressa had to say.

“Andre’s a vampire.”

*adds sound effects*

and yes, new hotel dumort. The name's not weird! (okay, it so is but whatever) hope this isn't copying too much of the original tmi escape. and when Chantelle's eyes widened when she climbed the building with Zach, it's up to you to think what I meant (wink)

bye!