Blood and Light

by Rue Volley

  Josh grinned. “I told you, girls and blades make for a bad combination, when they are pissed.”

  Johnathan stared at him for a moment and then relaxed. He stepped off of the porch and started to walk.

  Josh yelled out to him. “Where the hell are you going?”

  “For a walk!” Johnathan yelled back.

  Josh grinned. “God, you are such a girl,” he muttered under his breath.

  ******

  I heard a tap on my door. I had sat down on my bed and stared at my hands, a light was glowing in them and I felt like I could just push this energy out of me and destroy half the planet.

  “What do you want!” I yelled out.

  “It's me Rue, it's Sara,” she said in a gentle tone.

  “Sara, I really just want to be alone right now.” I yelled at the door.

  “Listen, let me in girlie, please,” she said in Sara talk.

  I sighed and walked to the door. I unlocked it, and walked back to my bed.

  She stepped in and looked around my room, stuff was everywhere. All my clothes were on the floor and my vanity mirror was cracked. She sighed and headed towards me. She sat down, minus the bounce that she usually caused from just dropping onto the bed.

  “Wow,” she said as she looked around my room.

  I sighed again. “Listen, I am really pissed right now.”

  She put her arm around me and hugged. “Yep, kinda figured that out...so what's the deal?” she asked me.

  “He, well...he had sex with this girl, Sara,” I said it out loud, it sucked to hear it.

  “WTF,” she whispered.

  “Well it's complicated, he didn't have any memory of me when he did it, or he thinks he did... I don't know...shit,” I said.

  “Okay, so he didn't remember you?” she said. “Wow, now that's original.”

  “No it's true, you know how they have all been debating about taking your memory? Well Johnathan had it done, he left with his Mom and sister. They had 366

  this bitch named Elin staying with them, but I saw pictures of them together at his house.”

  Sara looked at me. “Pictures of them doing it?”

  “No...oh God, no, it was just a normal picture...! Gross Sara!” I said as I stood up.

  She sighed and hit her hands on the bed. “Well I didn't know…! You said pictures and I thought you meant, you know...them doing the nasty.”

  “No...Johnathan and I went into the forest just now, I wanted to, ya know... Well when I touched him I felt it, I felt her...then I saw them…together, in my mind.”

  “Oh shit,.” Sara said in a whisper. “That sucks.”

  “Yea, just a little,” I said as I started to pick up my clothes and throw them into the closet.

  “Well…I'm jealous... God, to be able to just touch a guy and know if they cheated, that's something that girls would pay to be able to do.”

  I stopped and looked at her. “Oh yea, it's awesome...much better then words Sara.”

  “Well don't get mad honey, I'm just saying.” She raised her arms, and I couldn't be mad at her, I just couldn't.

  “Oh God,” I muttered.

  I dropped the clothes in my hands and just started to cry. It flowed out of me like I had never cried before. Sara jumped up and hugged me, I laid my head on her shoulder and just kinda collapsed on her. We sunk down into my clothes on the floor, and she let me mutter all kinds of crazy, as I cried. She wiped my tears and brushed my hair out of my face. I looked up and she grinned at me.

  “Guys suck,” she said.

  I smiled and half laughed at her.

  “Yea, they do, ” I whispered.

  I stood up and headed for the door. “I'm hungry,” I muttered.

  “How could you be hungry and pissed?” she asked me.

  “Long story,” I said.

  “Well, do you think that we could put some clothes on first?” she said as she grinned up at me.

  I looked down and realized that I was in my underwear.

  “Awesome,” I muttered.

  367

  Chapter 17

  Tuning Fork

  368

  We all ate in silence. I didn't ask where Johnathan was and no one said a word about him. I ate angry, well...pissed really. I didn't realize that I had eaten my weight in food, until Josh pointed it out. I glared at him and grabbed one more piece of bread, shoving it in my mouth. One thing was certain, I got more and more hungry everyday…eventually I would have to feed. I knew it...but I didn't want too. I had a few awful thoughts go through my mind like,“I hope he just disappears,” and “Why doesn't he just go and find his Mom and sister.” I knew that Elin was dead. Didn't help though, I didn't really know if anything would.

  Sometimes trust is more precious then anything else in the whole world and once it is broken, well...everything changes forever. I wanted it to be special, knowing that he had never been with anyone else made it that much more to me.

  I kept chewing and thinking, then I looked up when Sara dropped her fork.

  She was staring at me, kinda like a three year old does when she comes down the stairs Christmas morning, and sees all the presents under the tree. I stopped chewing my food and looked at my arms, they were swirling in color, not just blue...but silver... I held my hand up and could see the thin strands of mercury rolling like oil on my skin. My eyes got fixed on it and Josh cleared his throat.

  My eyes shot to him in an instant.

  “Are you thinking about something?” he said, as he leaned back on his chair.

  I lowered my hand and pushed myself from the table.

  “Yea, I didn't know that I was all lit up like a Christmas tree though.”

  Sara just sat there then she stood up and came around the table.

  “Can I touch your skin?” she asked as she reached at me.

  I suddenly felt like I was part of a circus show.

  “Maybe you shouldn't,” I said as I looked down.

  “Oh, I'm sorry...it's just so pretty Rue… I didn't mean too…” she said with somewhat of a tremor in her voice. I wondered why she could see the color on my skin... I looked back up at her, the look on her face melted my irritation away.

  I smiled at her.

  “Go ahead,” I said as I lifted my arm to her.

  She reached out and barely touched my skin, as she pulled her fingers up from my arm, color followed her. She rubbed her fingers together and said, “Wow.”

  I sighed. “What Sara?”

  “I can feel it...it kinda tickles,” She said as she stared at her fingers.

  “Amazing huh?” I asked. I didn't sound as excited as she was.

  “Yea, it's like the color is alive, like it's got a heart beat,” Sara said as she looked at me.

  Theodore stood up and walked to the sink. “Well, it does...it's a part of all of us, that is Rue's life energy... We just wear ours in color, unlike humans...but we can see it on you too.”

  Sara held her arms out and stared at her skin. “I can't see it on me,” she said.

  Theodore walked to her. “You won't be able too my dear, it is different than ours.”

  Josh laughed. “Oh, trust me...we can feel every human around us, it's annoying.”

  Sara looked at him and crinkled her eyebrows.

  “Why would it be annoying?” she said.

  369

  “Because, we feel it as food...it's energy, it's blood Sara,” Josh said as he flashed to her. She sucked in her breath and I felt her heart flutter. Josh stood there and leaned forward.

  “Like right now, your heart sped up...I can feel it in my palms.” He held up his hand to her face and a faint glow started to well up in it.

  Sara looked at it and up at his face. “Well, I know that you won't eat me.”

  Josh tilted his head and grinned at her. “Why are you so certain?”

  Sara looked at me. “Because Rue will kick your ass.”

  Everyone laughed and Josh walked from her, and dropped down on the couch
in the living room.

  “She could try,” he muttered.

  I flashed into the living room and stopped right in front of him.

  “Try?” I said as I put my hands on my hips.

  “Yea...you could try... Trying and doing are two different things,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  I knew he was baiting me, but I didn't care.

  “I just love your wisdom... Everything is „two different things" all of a sudden,” I said, as I grinned at him.

  He pushed himself up and stood tall over me. I didn't back up. “Well, whenever you need advice…you be sure to come to me, I will make everything clear for you.”

  “Don't try to change the subject, you think that I couldn't take you... I already did in the forest,” I said, just hellbent on picking a mock fight.

  Kai did the “whoo” in the kitchen and Sam hit him on the arm.

  “What?” he said to her. She muttered something to him and he stood up.

  “I am tired of you bitching at me,” he said.

  Sam stood up. “What did you say to me?” she asked as she stared at him.

  Kai stood his ground. “You heard me Sammy.”

  Josh and I both looked into the kitchen and then at each other. Josh grinned and we went in and sat down. This should be good.

  Sam crossed her arms. “Don't call me that, I told you that I don't like it,” she said to him.

  Kai grinned. “You liked it last night.”

  Sam crinkled her eyebrows. “Don't,” she said.

  “No listen, we have been together for almost a year and you have spent more time telling me to shut up, then anything else, I'm not a child,” Kai said with more authority to his voice, then I had ever heard before.

  Kai looked at all of us. “Sam and I have had sex, I just want everyone to know.”

  “Oh god,” I muttered under my breath. Sara giggled. I nudged her, she didn't know Sam, but we all knew that the hurricane was coming.

  “Nice, Kai...just for everyone's information, we have not,” Sam said as she shifted her weight to her other foot and lowered her arms.

  “Well...do you really think that no one has figured that out Sammy...? What do you mean that we haven't?” Kai said as he held his arms out.

  Sam rolled her eyes. “If that's what you call it,” she said like a coiled snake.

  “Ohhh…you've got to be kidding me,” Kai said as he stepped up to her.

  370

  “You don't even know what foreplay is Kai!” Sam blurted out.

  The room went silent. I waited for some whirl of wind and breaking glass, but Kai just stared at her. He stepped up to her and whispered, “Get your blades, we are going outside.”

  Sam's eyes got smaller. She grinned and I looked at Josh, he was grinning too.

  Sam flashed out of the room and so did Kai.

  I raised my hands. “Are they going to fight now?” I asked.

  “I think that Kai is going to try to assert himself with her,” Theodore said.

  “He's going to get his but kicked,” Josh said.

  I looked at him. “I don't think so,” I said as I frowned at him.

  “What...? You really think that he stands a chance at winning?” Josh said as he stood up.

  “What Josh...? Do you think that The Volleys can't kick the Barrington's ass...please,” I said mockingly.

  Josh flashed behind me and leaned in to my ear. “Absolutely not,” he whispered in my ear.

  My blood started to boil...well, it used to be a figure of speech, but my skin started to swirl in color.

  I rose up and turned to him. “I think you underestimate both of us,” I said.

  He looked at my arms and then to my face. “You should learn to hide your emotion, it's swirling all over your face.”

  “I don't care,” I said. “Get your blades, we are all going to the woods.”

  He grinned at me and flashed from the room. I stood there and looked down at my hands. Sara reached over and touched my arm.

  “Are you guy's fighting?” she asked me quietly.

  “No...we are going to play a game,” I said as I smiled at her.

  “With blades?” she said.

  “Yea...it's a protector thing Sara, nobody is going to die, trust me,” I said as I bit my lip.

  Sam, Kai, and Josh returned looking all kick ass in their battle gear. I looked down at my jeans and Tshirt. I looked at Josh, his chest looked like I had never torn through the leather with my blade. He looked down and back to me.

  “I fixed mine...yours too...go get it on,” he said as he stared me down.

  “K...good,” I said as I flashed upstairs. I got dressed in record time. I slid my blades in the holsters on my back and flashed downstairs. Everyone stood there like they didn't know who was going to move first.

  Sam flashed to Josh's side. “We can give you two a head start if you like,” she said as she put her hands on her hips.

  I flashed to Kai's side. “You two can go first...we will track you down,” I said as I looked over at him.

  Kai's mouth pulled into a wicked grin, the one that I loved on him...especially when it didn't concern me.

  Josh laughed... “Okay, fine...”

  Both Josh and Sam flashed out of the house. I stretched my hands, then clinched them. I leaned over to Kai. “Just had to piss her off, didn't you?” I said to him.

  Kai laughed. “She drives me crazy,” he said it like I wasn't even there.

  371

  “Ewwe,” I said.

  “Oh come on Rue…I'm trying to talk to you.”

  I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. “You"re serious,” I said to him.

  “As serious as it gets, Rue.”

  Kai flashed out of the house and I followed him.

  Theodore started to laugh and Sara looked at him.

  “WTF,” she muttered.

  Theodore laughed. “What does that even mean?” he said to her.

  She walked over and whispered in his ear. He laughed out loud.

  “Well then, I agree...WTF,” he said.

  ******

  Elin's body laid still on the wooden floor. A glow lit up the room and the light snaked over her naked body, a creaking sound filled the room and a foot stepped through the only remaining mirror in the room. The footsteps headed towards her, and mirror crunched under the intruder"s shoes. A hand reached down to her and turned her face upward. Her eyes were closed, dried blood on her lips. The shadowy figure started to etch symbols all around her, kicking Noble's body out of the way in the process.

  The symbols started to glow, white hot like the sun, and Elin sucked in her breath and arched her back. She rolled to her side and coughed up blood. She grabbed at her chest and watched as the cut started to heal itself, she looked up...squinting her eyes from the bright light coming from the hands reaching out to her. She raised her hand and the light started to fade. She grinned. The hand reached down to her and she took it.

  “My lord,” she whispered.

  Caine opened his arms and she hugged him.

  “You have done well, Elin,” Caine said as he looked down at Noble's body.

  “I have done everything that you have asked of me...including drinking Johnathan's blood.”

  Caine reached down and raised her face to his, he pressed his lips hard against hers and she almost collapsed in his arms.

  “I can taste him in your mouth,” Caine whispered as he pulled back from her.

  “Yes, I also had the mirror in place, but that idiot didn't get it to the house until it was too late,” Elin looked at Noble laying on the floor.

  “Now, be kind...seems that you also had your way with Clark here,” Caine said as he stared at her.

  “I was bored, Caine...it has been so long... I got hungry,” she said as she held onto him.

  “I am not angry, I know that you have needs.” He leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth again.

  They both started to sink to the floor. He l
aid her back and grabbed at her body...as he pressed down on her. She pulled at his hair and moaned. He bit her on the collar bone and she screamed out, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  372

  “Elin...” he whispered. Flashes of light started to pulsate from their bodies. Caine groaned and then everything went still. He stood up over her and she pushed herself up with her eyes wide open.

  “You look just like him,” she whispered.

  Caine walked to the mirror and stared at himself. He started to laugh as Johnathan's face stared back at him. Elin came up behind him and ran her hands over his chest. He turned to her.

  “We need to find him.” He closed his eyes and then looked at her. “Seems he is wandering in the woods. He is upset.”

  Elin grinned. “I'm going to kill him,” she said.

  Caine grabbed her wrist and squeezed it. She hissed and tried to struggle away from him.

  “You will do no such thing. You will take him through the mirror, and there he will remain...you understand?” he stared into her eyes, as he twisted her wrist harder.

  “Yes...yes, I will not kill him,” she said with pain in her voice.

  He released her wrist and turned back to the mirror. “Tell me Elin, do I feel like him?” he said as he stared at his reflection, turning his head from side to side.

  Elin looked back at the bed. “I won't know for sure until you lay down, my lord,”

  she said with a grin.

  He grabbed her and flashed to the bed. He threw her down and started to kiss her hard on the mouth. She cried out, “Johnathan!” Caine raised up and looked at her.

  She frowned. “I'm sorry, he frustrated me,” she said as she twisted on the bed.

  Caine grabbed her hands and raised them up over her head. He whispered,

  “bind” and she sucked in her breath.

  “Well, lets fix that,” he said as he bit her on the shoulder. She cried out and kicked her legs.

  He reached down in front of him and she gasped, “Johnathan...I've waited, for so long.”

  He smiled at her and pressed against her hard. She arched her back and cried out his name again.

  ******

  I stood in front of the house and closed my eyes. I had a sudden flash that confused me. It felt like static, tasted like metal in my mouth. I opened my eyes up and saw color swirling in the air. I looked at Kai and smiled. “They went this way,” I said. He grabbed my hand and we flashed forward.