“What do you mean… for hiding me?”
Alistair grinned like this brought him so much delight, tearing down her world one brick at a time. “Oh, no one told you? I knew your family. We were friends. The reason your father had your family moved here is because of me. I saw what you were capable of and he was scared of you. Threatened of your power. He saw that I could give you what he couldn’t and so he left. Taking you with him.”
Anger and pain swelled within her, like a wound being reopened. She still hunted for her father, to keep his legacy going but Tabitha had put aside her grief a year ago. She'd gotten over the sudden changes in her life. And now it felt as if Alistair was ripping the heavily fortified and reinforced band-aid off her heart.
She touched her chest where her heart beat wildly. It all came rushing back. Her father had been the glue in her family. The one who had held everyone together with his love and warmth and strength. In the first few months and then year after his death, she had exhausted herself trying to take his place and become the glue that kept her family together. It hadn't worked. And now Alistair was standing in front of her telling her he was the reason for all of the pain in her life.
Tabitha’s hands clenched into fists, her chin jutted up as she glared up at Alistair from where he smirked down at her with such condensation it made her blood boil. Her teeth ground together. “I won’t let you get away with this,” she whispered, her voice broiling with anger.
He folded his arms over his black silk shirt as if Tabitha posed no threat at all to him. As if he thought she couldn’t touch him. Well Tabitha was going to prove him wrong. He thought he was Zeus sitting atop Mount Olympus. Alistair thought he was an all-powerful titan. Well Tabitha would make sure he remembered he had blood running through his veins even if it was stolen. She would make sure he remembered his morality. He had taken everything from her. Her father and now her mother. And for what? Because he wanted her on his side? Because he had some messed up fixation with her?
“I already have,” he whispered back, as smug and suave as ever.
Tabitha’s eyes narrowed. “No you haven’t. You will never have me. Ever. I’d rather kill myself then let you use me for your psychotic plan to what? Become the dominate species on the planet? Is that what you want? To expose yourself and your kind to the whole world?” she shouted, gesturing with her stake to make sure he knew she still had a weapon. With one move she could kill him. If she was fast enough and had the element of surprise on her side.
A feverish anger lit up his eyes and for a moment blood red leaked into his pupils, making him look like the monster he truly was. He took a step toward her, but Tabitha held her ground, her stake still raised. “I,” he murmured, his voice shaking with rage, “do not want to expose my kind to the monstrosity that is humankind. But I will stand by no longer while I watch my kind and others be stripped of their dignity and treated like animals because of the way we are. The way some of us are born.”
Tabitha paused, taken aback by his words. His kind and others like them? What did he mean by that? The confusion and surprise must have been written all over her face because his lips twitched up into a smug smirk, green eyes giving her a slow, assessing once over. “They never told you, did they? They never trusted you. You’re Tabitha Sterling. The loose cannon. The girl who could make or break their entire fragile little system with a single shift in allegiance. Of course they wouldn’t tell you the truth.”
“What truth?” Tabitha asked, her voice hard, hating that she was out of the loop. That he could wield such information against her and make her feel so weak and vulnerable.
As if he had realized he had the upper hand once more, Alistair stepped back, sliding his hands over his shirt to get rid of the wrinkles. He turned his back on her, unconcerned that she could pounce on him at any moment.
“There’s more to this world than you could have ever imagined,” he explained, sliding a hand over the marble countertop of the island counter as he turned to face her. “Did you really think vampires were the only creatures in this world? That the world was as small a place as that?”
Tabitha’s free hand balled into a fist, her lips pressing together. “What are you saying?” she whispered.
Alistair smirked at her. “I’m saying that the Moirai don’t just hunt vampires. There are things out there that you never would have guessed.”
“I already know about the Soothsayers,” Tabitha snapped, folding her arms.
“Well isn’t that a surprise. But it seems whoever told you about them didn’t fill you in on the rest, did they? Soothsayers and vampires aren’t the only things lurking in the shadows.”
“Werewolves?” Tabitha asked, unable to help herself. Ever since she was little, she had always wondered if there were other things out there. She had always found it strange that there were vampires and that was it. The world had to have been a bigger, more mysterious place than she’d thought. And if Alistair was to be trusted, she had been right.
He raised his eyebrows at her. “They call themselves Loup Garou. Most of them live in Louisiana.”
Tabitha’s mouth went dry, hating how much he rattled her confidence. Why would her mother hide this from her? Did Jonas know? Had he been hiding this from her too? Did… did Sebastian know? She didn’t want to believe he would lie to her but… he had been alive for a hundred years. How could he not know that these things existed?
“What else?”
Alistair shrugged. “Why don’t you go ask your mother? Or better yet, that boyfriend of yours.”
Tabitha scowled at him calling Sebastian her boyfriend and glanced at the door and then back at him. “You’re just going to let me go?”
“I said what I needed to say,” he said simply, placing both hands on the counter with his intense eyes focused on her.
Suspicion crept up on her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “You went to all that trouble to kidnap me and drag me here to talk? We could have met at a coffee shop to do that,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Alistair cocked his head, smirking. “I like your sense of humor Tabitha. I knew you wouldn’t meet with me, but I also knew you deserved to know the truth. Everyone you’ve ever known has been lying to you.”
“If you think that’s going to turn me against my own mother and brother and friends then you’re going to have to try a whole lot harder,” Tabitha snapped, inching toward the door.
Not that she didn’t itch to take him on again, but she knew she was too weak. Alistair would overpower her. She’d have another chance. Tabitha promised herself that. She would come back and kill him. After she got answers and got whatever he had given her out of her system.
“I’m prepared to play the long game. I want you on my side Tabitha. Willingly.”
“Well that will never happen. Not in a million years,” she promised, almost to the door.
Alistair didn’t make a single move as she grabbed the door knob and pulled the door open. “We’ll see,” was all he said as Tabitha strode out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
Once the door was shut, she raced through the pristine apartment complex and bounded down the stairs. She didn’t stop running until she was outside and a few miles across the street. Only then, once she stopped in front of a small restaurant, did she stop to give herself a breather. Tabitha couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so out of breath just by running a little bit. She racked a hand through her hair as she straightened and then felt her pockets for her phone. Seemed he really hadn’t intended to keep her there. Her phone was still in her back pocket.
Tabitha pulled it out just as a whish of wind made her hair fly back and suddenly Sebastian was right there in front of her, a wild glint in his eyes. He grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Tabitha,” he gasped out. “Are you alright? I’ve looked everywhere for you.”
Tabitha stared at him, her mind taking a minute to process the fact that he was right there in front of her. “U
h… yeah. I’m fine… for the most part. How did you find me?” she stuttered, putting her phone in her front pocket.
Sebastian’s face melted with relief and if she wasn’t so confused and angry at everyone for lying to her his relief would have made her heart do the happy dance.
“Keller. That information he gave us… I guess it was right. The flats he talked about are down the street, which I am figuring is where you came from,” he explained.
Tabitha nodded but before she could say anything, he pulled her into a crushing hug that normally wouldn’t have bothered her but with whatever Alistair had given her in her system his bear hug felt like he was crushing the air out of her.
“Sebastian,” Tabitha gasped, wriggling her hands in between them and pushing against his chest. “I can’t breathe.”
“Oh, sorry.” He quickly let go and stepped back. “I was so worried about you.”
“Well,” she said, flicking a strand of hair out of her face. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“I know… But that doesn’t stop me from worrying. What did Alistair want with you? How did you escape?” A flash of anger lit up his eyes at the mention of Alistair.
Tabitha frowned and glanced across the street. “He wanted to talk.”
“To talk? That’s it?”
“Yeah… he had a lot to say you know. Turns out I’ve been as oblivious as the people all around us. I’ve had no idea about the world I live in.”
When she turned to face him again, she found Sebastian’s forehead crinkled with confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that everyone has been lying to me all my life. Loup Garou? Soothsayers? Vampires aren’t the only things out there, are they? And… and Alistair told me…” Tabitha didn’t want to say it. If she said it and Sebastian confirmed it, she wasn’t sure what she would do. “And Alistair told me that he had Emmeline kill my father.”
Sebastian’s face paled and he stepped back as if needing space from that accusation. He shook his head. “No, she wouldn’t do that.”
“Really? Because last time I checked, your sister was a killer. All vampires are killers and she is a vampire. That’s what she does.”
Hurt flashed across his face but Tabitha steeled herself, not letting herself feel bad for her words. “I don’t,” he said, pressing a hand to his chest.
“Maybe not anymore but Emmeline has fallen in with a bad crowd. Alistair wants to destroy my life Sebastian, and she is in on it,” she shouted, throwing her hands up. Thankfully the street they were on seemed to be pretty quiet. No one was around to hear their little argument.
Sebastian reached out, touching her shoulder. Any anger and shock he had had on his face bled away, replaced with apprehension. “Please don’t go after my sister. I’ll handle her.”
Her eyes widened as their gazes collided and she opened and closed her mouth several times. Hurting Emmeline had crossed her mind. She had killed her dad after all. Helped destroy her life. “She should pay for what she did.”
Sebastian nodded. “I know that. I know she killed your dad and is partly to blame for your current problems but… I know you don’t see it this way but she’s a victim too. A victim of Alistair. She has the same… diet as him. So please… let me handle it. Will you let me take care of her?”
Tabitha paused before answering. “Fine but… as long as you tell her that if I ever see her again, I will hunt her down and kill her. I know she’s your sister Sebastian, and I know you love her but… she ruined my family.”
They fell into tense silence, neither one of them moving or looking away from each other. Neither of them willing to break their staring contest and be the first to say something. Tabitha knew she needed to, though. She could still feel whatever Alistair had given her working its way through her body. “Alistair gave me something,” she blurted.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed and gave her a worried once over. “What? Are you alright? What was it?”
“I don’t know. It was when I was unconscious. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like it’s drained my strength and energy. It should wear off… I hope.”
“It will,” Sebastian said, giving her shoulder a confident squeeze. “I’m sure of it. But we should figure out what he did give you just in case he decides to use it again.”
“Yeah… but first, my mom has some explaining to do. Let’s get out of here. I need some answers. Now.”
Sebastian nodded and slipped his hand down her arm to intertwine his fingers with hers. “I parked the car down the street.”
She let him lead her across the street and down the road as she tried to gather her thoughts and figure out what to ask him first. Her mom would have more answers, but Tabitha needed to know if Sebastian had been lying to her too. “Did you know about the Loup Garou and the Soothsayers?”
Sebastian’s jaw flexed and he stared straight ahead, giving her all the answers, she needed. “Yes,” was all he said.
Tabitha scowled, pulling her hand free from his. He’d been keeping this from her just like everyone else. Did they all think she was so fragile that she couldn’t handle information like that? “So, you’ve been keeping things from me. Important things that I deserve to know.”
“It never got brought up,” he said, glancing sheepishly at her.
Anger boiled up inside her. Her jaw set. “That’s not a good enough excuse. Why didn’t you tell me? Why hasn’t anyone told me?”
“Because of your talents, your strengths Tabitha. Honestly, I’m not sure how that information could sway you to the dark side or make you want to become a vampire, but they obviously thought you couldn’t handle it.”
“Do I look like I can’t handle it?” she shouted, gesturing at herself as they walked across a street and toward a parking lot.
Sebastian gave her a once over, his lips twitching upward. “No. No, you do not.”
“Good.”
Sebastian smirked at that and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked into the parking lot toward his shiny silver car. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Tabitha. I’m not even sure myself why I didn’t.”
Tabitha didn’t have anything to say back to that. They lapsed into silence for a few minutes and then Sebastian cleared his throat. “There’s something else… I think Alistair took you for another reason than just to talk.”
Tabitha’s head whipped around to face him. “What? What happened?”
“While you were gone and while I was coming for you… there were reports of a golden-haired vampire who attacked the Carter’s place and stole a bunch of files. Almost all of which are on known Soothsayers, vampires and Loup Garou.”
“Emmeline,” Tabitha growled.
Sebastian nodded, grimacing. “Yes… It seems Alistair had you taken to distract both of us to make sure she could get in and steal what he wanted.”
“What could he want with those?”
“Nothing good…” he muttered. “I hope your mother has a good explanation for you.”
Tabitha frowned and folded her arms, slumping in her seat. “I hope so too cus I’m getting real sick of being in the dark.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“You sure you’re ok?” Sebastian asked, putting the car in park and giving her his undivided attention as they stopped in front of her house. The car ride back had been a quiet, seldom one, both of them having a lot on their mind. Sebastian, no doubt, thinking about what Tabitha had said about Emmeline and Tabitha trying to figure out what to say to her mom when she got home and what all this meant for her. When it came down to it, did knowing that there were other creatures out there really change things? Not at this moment. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that her brother and mother had kept this from her all her life because they thought she couldn’t handle it. That Tabitha was not OK with.
She smiled and nodded, touching his cheek with her hand. “Yeah I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok? And if I need anything, I’ll
call you or the house phone… if you have one.”
He nodded and grinned. “I do. Weird, right?”
Tabitha shook her head and leaned forward, her eyes flicking from his eyes to his lips. “No not weird,” she murmured as she pressed her lips against his. His chest exhaled against her hand and they parted. She grinned and lurched back, straightened her ponytail and slid out of the car.
“You really need to stop doing that,” Sebastian said leaning toward her, across the passenger seat.
“Doing what?” she asked innocently.
He smirked. “You know what. No more kissing and leaving.” He pointed a finger at her, and Tabitha pointed a finger right back at him, winking. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She shut the door and left Sebastian… in the car and headed inside to get answers. Her mother and brother had a lot of explaining to do.
The instant she opened the door her mom flew from the kitchen and threw her arms around Tabitha. “Oh my gosh, I was so worried,” she gasped. “Are you alright?”
Tabitha pulled free from her mother, finding Derrick behind her. She nodded. “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me. But… he told me some pretty interesting things that I want to know the truth about.”
Derrick’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he stepped forward next to their mother. “What did he say?”
“That vampires aren’t the only creatures around. There are others and no one told me about them because you were afraid for some reason that it would affect me in some way. As if knowing that there were Soothsayers and Loup Garou would make me want to become a vampire or something,” Tabitha said, a sharp edge to her voice. “Which I don’t even understand anyways. How is it even a thing that people are worried that I would want to turn into a vampire? This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, and I don’t understand how the Carters convinced you guys that it was real in the first place.”
Sterling Silver: (Sterling Hunter 1) Page 16