Silent World

by Natalie Warren

  Allison and Gwen sat with Raven and Elaise and the four girls engaged in conversation. Raven looked across to the end of the long table and frowned when she saw Anthony sitting alone. She wished she could tell him about the vampires so he would know how his girlfriend really died. Surely Anthony could keep it a secret too…

  The boy looked up at her with eyes that made Raven's heart want to shatter and she opened her mouth to try and say something and gesture him over but he looked back down at his tray, miserably toying with his food.

  Someone patted Raven's shoulder and she looked back at Elaise. "Give him some more time," she whispered. "He'll talk when he's ready."

  Raven nodded and they all finished their dinner before calling it a night. The two best friends left the hall and made their way back to their dorm. After finishing their Science homework, Elaise went to bed and Raven had a shower. She towel dried her hair and brushed her teeth, always checking behind her with the mirror as paranoia got the best of her.

  She didn't stay in her room any longer than she needed to and she grabbed a blanket and pillow, dragging them out to the couch. She made herself comfortable but couldn't keep back the sigh when she thought of sleeping in Jason's dorm. She was always warm all night and she was finally used to being cuddled so much. She missed the secure feeling she always had in Jason's arms and she wanted to be in them now.

  She shrugged the thought away and curled up on the couch, soaking up as much warmth from the blanket as she could. She let her eyes droop and sleep engulfed her, uneasily at first, but at last she fell into a world of dreams.

  *.*.*

  "Why won't you trust me?"

  "Because you disgrace me!" Evan snapped, glaring down at Speed who sat beside Boulder, patting his furry head endlessly. "You betrayed your own coven!"

  "I made friends with them," Speed protested. "I didn't want to hurt them. And Raven was Jason's partner!"

  "I gave the order to kill her!" Evan snarled. "You ignored that order when Jason told you to keep her safe! You are not loyal; you're just a lovesick puppy willing to do everything your precious Jason asks you to do!"

  "I'm not a lovesick puppy!" Speed grumbled, crossing his arms. Boulder growled at him and rested his muzzle on his front paws. "Jason was my friend-"

  "Jason is now your enemy!" Evan reminded the young vampire.

  "I think he should prove himself," Snake scowled. "He betrayed us and now he should earn his trust back."

  "You're right," Boulder said, reverting back to his human form and getting to his feet, stepping away from the child. Evan narrowed his eyes at the side of Boulder's head where he was missing his ear, thanks to the green-eyed pup. "He was brought here by Jason and was cared for by Jason; how do we know he hasn't been on the pup's side the whole time?"

  Evan pondered this for a moment and found himself smiling at the suggestion. "Boulder has a good point. Speed, do you deny an alliance with Jason?"

  "Yes," Speed nodded. "Jason's my friend but I'm not one of his spies. I'm still loyal to the coven."

  "Well I don't know about you," Evan snorted and leaned against the railings of the top of the staircase, right beside the spot where Jason was thrown through them, "but I find that so hard to believe. If you want me to believe it, you're going to have to prove it."

  "How?" Speed asked, getting to his feet and looking scared.

  "I want you to go to the school and kill Raven and her chanting friend," the head vampire grinned. "If you return with their blood on your hands you will be welcomed back among us. If not, we will throw you into the sunlight so you can die a traitor's death."

  "But it's almost dawn," Speed took a few steps away as the coven moved to stand in front of him, blocking his way to the staircase.

  Evan faked a sympathetic smile. "Then you better get moving."

  Speed blinked at his companions for a few moments and locked eyes with Evan. With one quick gulp, Speed dashed out of the house and into the night.

  Harboring a Friend

  Raven jumped as a low knocking came at the door. She blinked and looked up over the back of the couch as the knocks continued. Confusion swept over her as she looked up at the clock Elaise had bought last Saturday and wondered who would be at the door at five in the morning.

  She untangled herself from her blanket and got to her feet, slowly making her way over to the door to answer it. She stifled a yawn and unlocked the door, pulling it open and blinking at the newcomer.

  She nearly screamed when she saw the young vampire standing in her doorway, his hand raised to keep knocking. She took a quick step back and tried to calm her racing heart. "Speed?" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

  The boy frowned and chewed his lip. "I need help," he kept his voice low, looking up and down the corridor. "Evan sent me here…"

  "To kill me," Raven guessed and Speed nodded.

  "But I don't want to!" he insisted. "He told me I had to kill you and Elaise or they'll throw me into sunlight."

  The blonde checked the time again and took a deep breath. "It's almost dawn… Why are you here now?"

  He shrugged and they both looked up as Elaise's bedroom door opened and the brunette made her appearance. She took one look at Speed and all grogginess must have evaporated. She ran to the door and looked the vampire up and down. "I never thought I'd see you again!" she gasped. "What in G- What are you doing here?" she changed her words.

  "Evan sent him to kill us," Raven tried to remember how to breathe when she told herself she had been right when she guessed the vampires weren't done with the girls. "He doesn't want to. They'll give him the death sentence if he goes back with us still alive."

  "What should we do?" Speed frowned, looking scared. "I don't want to kill you and I don't want to die."

  Raven thought for a moment and nodded to herself. "We'll go get Jason; he'll know what to do."

  Elaise sighed and they stepped out of the dorm where it was safe from any vampire. Raven now knew that vampires couldn't walk into a human's living quarters without being invited, and she had just stepped out of safety. She didn't know why she trusted Speed, but she knew Jason did.

  They were about to make their way towards the boys dormitories but they were frozen in place when they were suddenly faced with Kyle and two of his friends. Raven's heart nearly burst out of her chest and ran screaming for the hills as she locked eyes with Kyle. "Oh fuck," she breathed.

  "Well lookie here," Kyle chuckled, looking at Speed. "We have a vampire in the building."

  "And we have three male lycans that just happen to be near our dorm," Elaise crossed her arms. "Why do I get the feeling you were planning on invading our room?"

  "That's for you to figure out," Kyle snorted. "But right now our plan is to get rid of this leech."

  "No, he's not a threat here," Raven told him, despite her fear of him. "He's a friend."

  "He's a vampire," one of Kyle's friends growled. "He shouldn't be here."

  "Let's get him, boys," Kyle raised his chin and his two companions squared their shoulders.

  "Speed, run!" Elaise shoved the vampire just as the werewolves moved. Speed turned and raced down the hallway with the three school bullies after him. Raven and Elaise exchanged scared glances and found their feet, running after them.

  Kyle and his friends would kill Speed, Raven thought. She knew all too well that Jason wouldn't appreciate that at all if Kyle sunk his teeth into Speed's flesh. She had no idea how she and Elaise were going to stop the werewolves but she couldn't let Speed out of her sight when it was almost dawn!

  They took the stairs down to the bottom floor and Raven was out of breath by the time they reached the bottom and chased the boys down the empty halls. They were heading towards the doors to the oval, the blonde realized and tried her best to pick up speed. She glanced at Elaise with her skin prickling with dread and she looked up, seeing Speed burst through the doors, skidding to a stop. Kyle and his friends stopped just at the doorway and Raven got over all hatred for K
yle and joined the werewolves with Elaise beside her. Raven ignored Kyle as his hands rested on her shoulders and she stared out to where Speed was standing, his eyes wide, staring out into the horizon.

  Raven looked up and automatically knew what the young boy was scared of.

  The sun was peeking over the horizon.

  "Speed?" everyone looked to the other side of the oval where Jason and Der stood with their shirts missing. Jason looked absolutely stunned to see his vampire friend but even his eyes shone with fear when he saw the sunlight.

  "He's gonna melt into dust," Kyle chuckled, tightening his grip on Raven's shoulders.

  "It'll kill him!" Elaise whimpered.

  Speed's whole body convulsed as the sunlight fell on him and he raised his arms to try and hide his face but Raven had to bite back a scream when she saw his skin starting to burn. Smoke rose up and Jason and Der ran towards the boy to try and save him, but they would never get there in time to save Speed. Raven heard Kyle and his friends chuckling and she growled.

  She shook Kyle's hands from her shoulders and she gave him a shove, not caring that he didn't move at all; like trying to push a tree. She was closer to Speed and she ran forward, jumping in front of the boy and putting herself between him and the sun. She breathed deeply and looked down at the vampire, huddling up in front of her to hide from the sun. Raven put her arms around him and quickly ushered him back to the safety of the building, pushing past Kyle and his two friends until Speed was safely within the shade. Elaise joined them and Raven forced herself to keep breathing.

  "Is he alright?" Jason demanded, completely ignoring Kyle and checking Speed over. Already the young boy was healing up.

  "I'm okay," Speed whispered.

  "Let's get him back to your dorm," Jason said, looking down at Raven. She nodded and followed Jason, Der and Elaise as they rushed Speed back to the girls' dorm, leaving the three dumbfounded werewolves behind.

  They hurried back to the dorm and Raven was relieved when they made it. She frowned when Speed stopped at the door. Elaise and Jason went to the windows and shut them to make sure no sunlight could get in the room and Raven turned back to the vampire.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  "I can't physically enter the room," he reminded her.

  "Oh, right!" she shook her head roughly. "Come on in." Speed smiled and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.

  "Have a seat," Jason told him and Speed moved over to the couch, sitting in the middle. The green-eyed boy sat on the recliner chair to the right and Der sat on the wooden coffee table in front of the vampire. Elaise fell onto the couch beside Speed and Raven remained standing. "Why are you here?" Jason asked.

  "He has to kill us," Elaise explained.

  "Or the vampires will kill him," Raven added, seeing Der' eyes widen.

  "I don't want to kill," Speed mumbled. "I was hoping you could help me."

  "How can we do that though?" Der sighed. "The headmaster would never let you stay here and trying to find another coven could take weeks."

  Raven looked over at Jason who seemed lost in thought as he stared at Speed. She wondered what the green-eyed boy was thinking but she didn't dare ask. It was Elaise who spoke.

  "What if we hid him here for a few days?" the Christian girl suggested. "It couldn't hurt…"

  "He needs blood," Jason said lightly.

  "Not necessarily," Raven pointed out and everyone looked up at her. She turned to Jason. "You were the one who got him hooked on drugs to keep his hunger at bay."

  "I do know this," he nodded. "But we don't carry drugs around to give to him."

  "Who said we needed to?"

  "Raven, please don't argue with me," Jason pursed his lips. "We really have to think this through."

  "If I can get him drugs, will you let him stay?" Raven raised her chin. "Just until you find another coven?" Speed glanced around the room and the air seemed thick with tension.

  "Only if you can get it without leaving the school building," Jason leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms, looking smug.

  "Deal," Raven crossed her arms in return. "You three boys stay here. Elaise, come with me."

  "Okay," Elaise looked confused and followed Raven to the door. The blonde checked over her shoulder to see if Jason would make a move to stop her but he simply sat in the chair watching her. Der looked confused and Speed kept his head down. Raven snorted and left the room with her friend.

  They walked down the hallway in silence and kept an eye out for teachers. It was at least five minutes before Elaise spoke again. "So how are we planning to get these… sugars… for Speed?"

  By the time Elaise finished talking, they had already reached room number '205' in the boys' dormitories. Raven grinned at her friend and knocked on the door. "I'm not as stupid as Jason must take me for."

  Elaise jumped as the door opened and the girls looked up at a blinking Jake, rubbing sleep from his eyes with his bare chest slowly rising and falling. He froze when he recognized them. "Morning," he greeted them. "Is there a problem?"

  "Morning," Raven smiled. "Can we come in?"

  "Sure," he nodded and stepped to the side, gesturing for the girls to enter. Raven went first and Elaise followed. Jake shut the door and the blonde spun around to face him. "So what brings you two to my dorm at this hour?"

  "We need some of your drugs," Raven announced and held back laughter as Jake's jaw dropped.

  "I'm sorry… what?" he asked, looking at her as if she had just lost her mind.

  "We know how much of a crack-head you are so we need some," Raven sighed. "It's not for us, but for a friend that kinda needs it. Please?"

  Jake stood in front of her and crossed his arms, looking down at her sternly. "Does Jason know?"

  "He knows I'm out to get drugs but he doesn't know who my new dealer is," she told him. "He said if I can get them without leaving the building it's alright."

  "Who's this friend that needs it?" Jake demanded.

  "Speed," Elaise spoke up. "Jason's vampire friend. It's drugs or blood!" she added as Jake set his jaw, not looking happy.

  "The vampires kicked him out of the coven and he needs to stay with us for a few days until we can find a new group of vampires that he can join," Raven frowned. "Drugs will keep his hunger for blood at bay."

  The brunette-boy didn't look pleased but he exhaled loudly. "Fine! What does he prefer?"

  "What have you got?" Raven smiled.

  He inclined his head to his room and the girls followed him through the next door. Elaise looked around. "It's cleaner than I imagined."

  "I could have told you that," Raven giggled. "I've been in here before." Jake looked over his shoulder at her and she smirked, remembering when he tried to seduce her on the first couple of days she was at White Grass.

  Jake choked on laughter and pulled open a drawer from his dresser. "I've got ice, cocaine, pot-"

  "Cocaine," Raven interrupted. "Speed snorts it."

  Jake snatched a small packet filled with white powder and threw it in the blonde's direction. She caught it and smiled when Jake held up a straw. "He'll need this too. But," he added as Raven reached her hand out to take it, "it's going to cost you."

  "We don't have money," Elaise told him.

  "I know," he chuckled. "I want a kiss from Raven."

  Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know I can't do that."

  "Hey, it's not like you and Jason are dating, so you wouldn't be cheating on him," the lycan shrugged his broad shoulders. "All I'm asking is for one kiss. Just one and that's it."

  He had a point, the blonde thought. She and Jason weren't dating so it would be okay. She nodded and stepped forward, ignoring Elaise's scowl. She glared up at Jake playfully. "No funny stuff," she warned him.

  "I promise," he held his arms out and Raven gave in, rising up on her toes but she had forgotten how tall he was. He smirked when he noticed and leaned his head down, pressing his lips softly against hers. Raven was nerved by the o
dd feeling it brought when she kissed him and she pulled away, falling flat on her feet again. Her skin prickled with discomfort and was surprised at how dead that kiss had felt. With Jason, the kisses were firm, sure and passionate, almost hungry. With Jake, there was none of that; no emotion at all.