by Lea Davies
Her eyes narrowed, and she shook with anger. “I'm going to kill her, Matt.” She growled. “I bet it was her that attacked my mother. I wasn't sure before, but if she's capable of doing this…” Again, she gestured to the ruined bakery and left the rest of the sentence hanging in the air. The look on her face told him that she meant every word she said, and he worried that if he were unable to reason with her and she actually carried out her threat, the situation would rapidly spiral out of control.
“You don't know for sure that it was her, Ruth.” He argued. “You have to calm down and think before you go and do anything stupid.” Ruth's hands flew to her face. “Matt,” she said, “what if Lizzie was in there when it happened?” She got back into the car and fastened her seat belt. “Quick, let's get around to her house; I have to make sure she's OK.” She pressed the contacts button on her mobile, then tapped the icon for Lizzie's number. Relief washed over her when her friend answered.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she said, “how are you?” “More importantly, Lizzie,” Ruth answered, “how are you? We were on our way round to see you, and have just driven past the bakery. What happened? No, wait,” she said, “we’re only around the corner from your house; tell us when we get there.” Lizzie smiled for the first time in days. “Oh, that’ll be lovely.” She said. “I'll put the kettle on.” “OK,” Ruth said. “we’ll see you in a few minutes.”
She wondered why people's first instinct was always to run and put the kettle on in times of trouble, and in spite of the situation, she found herself smiling. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the worries of the world could be solved with a nice cup of tea!
Matthew followed Ruth's directions, and a few minutes later, parked the car in front of the house just as Lizzie opened the front door to greet them. She opened her arms wide as Ruth walked up the pathway towards her and hugged her warmly. Ruth stepped back. “This is my boyfriend, Matthew,” she said, “is it ok if he comes in too?” Lizzie looked over her shoulder, and her eyes met Matthew's. “Any friend of yours is a friend of mine,” she said, smiling, “especially when he’s as handsome as that. Now, both of you come inside.” She closed the door behind Matthew as he stepped into the hallway, then led them to a large kitchen at the back of the old Victorian semi-detached house where she had lived for most of her life.
“I'm glad you dropped by,” she said, “we need to have a chat.” Feeling sure of what Lizzie was referring to, Ruth nodded. She felt so guilty; this was all her fault.
When they got inside, Ruth looked around the room in open admiration of Lizzie's modern kitchen. Flawless white granite worktops, sat on beautiful light grey, high gloss base units, and several glass jars, holding a wide variety of different herbs and spices, sat proudly on the brightly lit glass shelving that lined the walls. Matching white, high gloss tiles covered both the walls and the floor. “Wow, Lizzie,” she said, “your home is beautiful.” Lizzie beamed. She was proud of her inner designer.
Steam rose to the ceiling as the kettle came to the boil, and Lizzie poured hot water into a glass teapot containing four tea bags. Tears she had been holding back formed in her eyes, and hoping that they wouldn’t notice, she put her back to them, but Ruth sensed that she was upset and turned her friend around to face her. Lizzie buried her face in Ruth's chest and cried. “Lizzie, talk to me,” she said, “do you know who did it?” She held her friend at arm's length. “Tell me the truth,” She said, “was it the girl from the other day? She said that you’d regret helping me, didn't she; Was it her? Lizzie nodded. “Yes, dear,” she said, “I’m afraid it was.”
Matthew stepped forward. “Are you sure?” he asked, “we can’t just surmise that’s what happened because of what she said to you in a moment of anger.”
She looked at him and again thought of how handsome he was. “Oh yes,” she said, “she told me so herself. Emergency services called to tell me that the bakery had been destroyed by fire, and when I got there, she was in the crowd watching.” Lizzie opened a drawer, took out a tissue, and dabbed at her tears. “She ran her thumb across her throat and mouthed the words you’re next.” She added, looking pointedly at Matthew, then back at Ruth. “And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” she continued, “there's dark wickedness in that girl, Ruth, and I’m worried about you. Remember her parting words to us?” Ruth nodded as she remembered Jessica's warning that she would be coming for them. Both.
She squared her shoulders. “Don't worry about me, Lizzie,” she reassured, “things have changed, and I'm a much stronger person now.” Matthew shot her a warning glance, but she continued unfazed. “I can easily deal with the likes of her,” she promised, “she’s no match for me.” Lizzie closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “Please don't take her on Ruth,” she begged, “I don't mean you any offense, but she’s not scared of anything or anyone, and that makes her a very dangerous individual.” She held Ruth's hands gently between hers. “As you told me before, you've moved out of the area, so you'll never have to see or deal with her again.” Lizzie looked at Matthew for back-up, and he nodded in agreement. “Just let it go.” She pleaded. “For me.”
Ruth knew she had to be very careful of what she said and chose her words carefully. “No, Lizzie,” she said, “I give you my word that she will never bother you again. Ok? Besides, after everything you did for me that day, there is no way I’m gonna leave you to deal with this on your own. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Matthew's disapproval of her comment was so palpable that she couldn't trust herself to look at him as she continued. “Lizzie, have you heard any gossip about a woman being attacked on the estate where my mother lives?” She asked.
Lizzie shook her head. “No,” she replied, “Why, what happened?” Rage smoldered in the pit of Ruth’s stomach.
“My mother was attacked and beaten up so badly that she nearly died.” Lizzie's eye’s widened as her hand flew to her mouth. “And I just wondered if there had been any talk of it in your tea-room,” Ruth continued, “You know how people like to go there for a good old gossip.” Lizzie shook her head. “No, this is the first I've heard about it; Is she going to be ok?” Ruth nodded. “Yeah, she will be; We've been told she should make a full recovery.” Ruth stepped closer, hugged her friend, and received one in return. “Don't worry about the tea Lizzie,” she said, “we'd better be off now, but I’ll come back and see you soon.”
Lizzie had barely closed the door behind them before Matthew reeled on her. “What game are you playing, Ruth?” He said forcefully, “you can't make promises like that.” Tears of anger stung her eyes as she stormed past him and got into the passenger seat of the car. Matthew got in next to her, and it was her turn to reel on him. “I’m very well aware of what I'm up against Matthew,” she said through gritted teeth, “how dare you speak to me like I'm a child?” You could see the whites of his knuckles as he gripped onto the steering wheel with both hands, and desperately tried to keep his growing anger in check.
“I dare because that’s exactly how your behaving. Like a child.” He added for emphasis. “Acting all big in front of Lizzie, and bragging that you’re well equipped to deal with the likes of Jessica now because you’re all super-powered up when all you are is inexperienced. Didn’t you hear a single word I said to you when we were training in the park the other night? Having supernatural abilities doesn’t mean you can start throwing your weight around Ruth. We have to bide our time and find out exactly what happened to your mother and the bakery before you go rushing in all guns blazing. I understand why you’re so pissed off, but if you're not careful, what was supposed to be a new start, could end up becoming your worst nightmare.”
He paused to let the dire nature of his words sink in. “Do you remember the conversation we had before you transformed about keeping rogue vampires under control?” She glared at him but stayed quiet. “Well, do you, Ruth?” He persisted, “If you're really serious about killing Jessica, you will instantly come onto the council's r
adar, and that's the last thing you want to happen, I promise you. It'll blow up in your face, and you will be the one who will end up dead...For real this time.”
Her eyes moistened slightly, but defiance covered her face. “Right now, I don’t care.” She said with a casual shrug. “You're old and experienced; surely, you can protect me.” Her petulant manner enraged him; He worried that her newfound abilities had gone to her head, and she had become overconfident. It was the only reason that he could think of for her immature way of thinking. Besides, he had seen this behavior before, and it had never ended well.
“I'm a vampire assassin Ruth,” He yelled angrily. “In fact, I'm the chief executioner, and as I'm your Uno Parente, who do you think they would order to kill you?” She looked at him in total shock. “Answer me.” He growled. Ruth stayed quiet; she couldn't trust herself to speak after hearing his revelation, so he continued to rant. “But my role on the council isn’t important,” he said, “remember when I told you that all Uno Parente's were held responsible for their children's actions for the first five years of their existence?” He said. “You made a joke of it by calling me daddy, remember?” He fought hard to calm down and lowered his voice. “Making me destroy you would be my punishment, Ruth.”
If she had been standing, her legs would have given way, and she would have fallen to her knees. Matthew ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hadn't wanted it to come out like that, and he tried to hug her, but she pushed him away. She was hurt and angry. “Here we go again,” she bit back, “I don’t know why I’m so shocked; It’s not the first time you’ve withheld important information from me is it, so while we're at it, is there anything else you’ve left out?”
He felt worn out and rested his head on the steering wheel. After a few moments of awkward silence, he straightened and turned the key, bringing the engine to life. He felt defeated. “I'm tired, and I need to feed Ruth.” He said. “I'll drop you home.”
Scene Thirty - Frustration
Ruth cried quietly into her pillow. She couldn't believe how harshly Matthew had spoken to her, and although she was annoyed that he couldn't see her side of the argument, she felt heartbroken. She sat up on the bed as Victoria gently tapped on the door and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Come in Tor.” She said, trying to keep her voice from breaking. Tori handed her a tissue and sat down next to her. “What happened?” She asked. “Have you and Matt had an argument?”
She nodded as a fresh wave of tears spilled from her eyes, and she buried her face in Tori's shoulder. “It's been a terrible night Tor.” She sobbed. Tori put her arms around her. “Why?” She asked, “what happened?” Ruth pulled away. “Two things,” she said. “One; My mother was assaulted so severely that she almost died, and two, my friend‘s business has been destroyed by fire, but here’s the thing; I think they’re both connected.” “Oh, that’s terrible, Ruth,” she said. “I’m so sorry, but connected? How.” Ruth worked to regain her composure. “Has Matthew ever told you the story of how and why I became a vampire?” She asked. Nodding sympathetically, Tori picked up Ruth's hand and held it in hers. “Yes, he did.” She said. “He told me about all of it: About your parent's separation, your mother's alcoholism and prostitution, and about the torment you went through when you were bullied at school. I understand that you were hurt so badly that your injuries would have resulted in your death if you hadn’t met Matthew, but what does that have to do with what’s happened?”
Ruth nodded as anger and determination covered her face. “Well,” she said, “my friend intervened when my bully and I had an altercation outside her shop, and she told her then that she would pay for interfering.” Her eyes narrowed. “Then tonight, Lizzie told me that on the night her shop burned, Jessica was there in the crowd and that the bitch actually had the audacity to run her thumb across her throat, so yeah; She definitely did it, so now I’m thinking that if she’s capable of doing something that drastic, then maybe she’s responsible for my mothers' assault as well. Maybe she went to my flat to beat me up again, and when I wasn’t there, she took it out on my mother.”
A sense of unease settled into the pit of Tori’s stomach. “OK,” she said, “I agree about your friend's business, but I’m not so sure about the assault on your mother. I know she's a bully, but they don't usually upgrade to attempted murder.
She almost killed you, I know, and I'm definitely not trying to defend her, but surely that wasn't her actual intention.”
Ruth nodded. “I get what you're saying Tor, and I’m not one hundred percent sure about that myself, but she should at least pay for ruining Lizzie’s business.” Her eyes narrowed. “She has to be taught a lesson, and I’m going to be the one who makes sure that happens.”
Tori didn’t like where this conversation was going and knew that she had to keep Ruth calm and grounded. “This girl sounds like a real nasty piece of work,” she admitted, “and I agree that she needs to be taught a lesson, but you need to stay calm and let the police deal with what she did because if you were to get involved, and were planning to use your supernatural abilities; You can’t. We as vampires have a duty to protect each other by limiting the knowledge of our existence to the human race as much as possible, but more importantly, if the council found out about any of this, they would come down on you and Matthew like a ton of bricks.”
She stopped short. “Matthew has told you about the vampire council, hasn't he?” She asked. “Oh yes,” Ruth replied, “but what he didn’t tell me is that he's their most senior vampire assassin.” She looked pointedly at Tori. ”Chief executioner,” he called himself.” Tori looked puzzled at her annoyance. “Why does that upset you so much?” she asked, “It has absolutely nothing to do with your relationship or how much he loves you.”
Tired of being lectured about her desire for payback, and being constantly reminded of her inexperience, Ruth closed her eyes in frustration. “No,” she said, “but it makes me wonder if there’s anything else he’s kept from me. Don't forget that he deliberately decided not to tell me that I would kill the first person I fed on when I transformed.” She lowered her voice. “I ripped out a man's throat Tor.” She shook her head in disbelief.
Although Tori had to admit that even to this day, the memory of feeding on her own father still gave her nightmares, she found herself becoming aggravated at Ruth's ungrateful attitude and felt the need to defend her brother.
“I thought Matthew had explained his reasons for doing that, and you said that you understood.” “I do,” She bit back, “but not telling me something as important as that is a huge deal for me Tor; How do I know I can trust him? But it's not only that,” she continued, “he pointed out that things would become very difficult for us if I were to do anything to Jessica. He said that he would be ordered to kill me.”
Tori's growing frustration became more evident as she stood from the bed. “That’s exactly what the council would expect of him, Ruth.” She said. “If they were to find out that you had hurt, or even killed Jessica, he, as your Uno Parente, would be held accountable for your actions, and whether he's chief executioner or not, he would still be ordered to destroy you, so I say again, it’s important that you stay calm; The council must never find out about your vendetta Ruth.” She said firmly. “Things are different for you now.”
Ruth rolled her eyes. Now Tori was angry with her too, but she was sick and tired of being told to stay calm and argued back defiantly. “I don't understand why you and Matthew keep saying this to me,” she said, “how would you feel if you were in the same situation that I’m in now, and suspected that your bully had hurt your mother? Come on, Tor; Tell me what you would do if you were me?” Tori clenched her teeth angrily. “Well, I can't answer that,” she said. “We didn't know our mother; she died while giving birth to us.” Sadness covered her face. “We were mostly raised by our grandparents because our abusive father hated us. I mean, he really hated us. To him, we murdered our mother, and because of that,
he very often used to beat Matthew for no good reason, and his cruelty towards me knew no bounds. Our lives were a complete misery.”
Ruth realized that she knew next to nothing about Matthew's life before he became a vampire, but although she was sad to know how unhappy he and Tori’s lives had been, she remained greatly irritated. “I'm sorry to hear that,” she said, “it must have been a horrible way to live, but surely you can understand why I’m so angry.”
Tori's smile was tight and not one of amusement. ”Matthew and I speak with four hundred years worth of vampire experience between us, Ruth,” she said, “and all that we are asking is for you to be patient. All good things come to those who wait, so just take a moment to think this through properly, and when you have a plan, we will act accordingly.”
Callie's car was a welcome distraction as it pulled onto the driveway, ready to take Ruth to visit her mother in the hospital. She stood, slipped on her shoes, and picked up the small suitcase she had packed when Matthew had first dropped her home to his house earlier in the evening. She didn't want to lie but felt that she had no choice.
“If that's what you want.” She said petulantly, already knowing that she was still going to do exactly what she wanted. This wasn't only about her mother and Lizzie; it was also about her and Jessica.
Tori's eyes landed on the suitcase in her hand, but she said nothing as Ruth turned and made her way out of the house without even saying goodbye.