The Vessel

by Felicia Tatum

  All desire and playfulness washed away with her statement. I couldn’t help but think of The Destroyers and everything Grandma revealed to me. I looked around, panic spreading through my body. I didn’t want to lose Livvie again. “Get your stuff, get his stuff, and let’s go.”

  She nodded. “Kyle?” she called out.

  He came to the entry way, standing awkwardly with his hands clenched together. “Yeah?”

  “We’re going to go stay with Scott. Do you mind to follow us to his apartment? This is where we were all abducted…so I don’t think it’s safe here…” she explained.

  His face lit in acknowledgement. “Ok. Sure.” He turned to gather his belongings.

  “We’re having a barbeque at my house tonight, Kyle. We’d love if you’d come and meet everyone,” I vocalized after his retreating form.

  “We’re having a barbeque? With everything going on?” Livvie questioned beside me.

  “Yep. We all need a break, and we have things to discuss with Grandma, so we can do that after,” I explained.

  “Hmm…ok,” she said, hesitating. “What…if the people following Kyle follow us there?” Her face was stricken. I could see the fear in her eyes.

  Holding her close, I caressed her hair and whispered, “I let you down once, I won’t do it again. I will protect you, my love.”

  Quickly, she extracted herself from my arms. Shock was the best description for her expression, and I wondered what I did wrong. I furrowed my brows.

  “You never let me down, Scott. You couldn’t have known anyone was there. Don’t think like that. And you…you rescued me. Never forget that.” Her hands were balanced on her hips, and her lips in a tight line, eyes hard, glaring at me.

  “Ok. I’m sorry…I’ve felt like a failure all this time, and your parents are still missing, and I can’t seem to do anything about it. I’m sorry.”

  Her soft hands found my cheek. She gazed deeply into my eyes, and said, “Scott…Mr. Sexy…you have helped me so much. We will find them. I have faith. I know we will. Please, you have to believe too.”

  The intensity of her words and the expression she gave broke me down. I nodded in agreement. Pressing her closer, I rested my chin on the top of her head. “I promise, Livvie. I’ll do anything for you. I hope you know that.”

  I meant every word. Finding her parents was a top priority.

  Olivia

  Anna and Sadie transformed Anna’s backyard to a barbeque extravaganza. Picnic tables scattered throughout, each with those red and white checkered cloth covers on top. A large red grill, like something right out of a magazine photo, sat in the middle of the area, with a small table nearby holding the grilling supplies. Hot dog, hamburger, and steak smells lingering in the air attacked my senses as soon as we stepped out of Scott’s truck.

  My hand was grasped in his, the warmth of him seeping into my soul. Kyle was not far behind us, being as awkward as ever. I don’t know why he was so socially weird. Scott kept quiet for most of the ride. Something in the pit of my stomach told me he was keeping secrets. I hoped he would let me in on them soon.

  “Olivia, darling! I heard your brother was in town, is this him?” Anna asked, pulling me away from Scott to hold me tightly.

  I hugged her back, catching a whiff of lavender. She released me, a smile shining on her face. I’d kill Kyle if he was rude to her. “Yes, ma’am, this is Kyle. My older brother,” I introduced.

  He stepped forward, hesitantly holding his hand out to greet her. My eyes widened as I glanced at Scott. He appeared to be holding in a laugh, as both of his lips were turned under and his eyes danced.

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I believe I know you from when I lived here,” he said, gently taking her hand.

  She smiled at him in her grandmotherly way and pulled him in for a hug. His eyes almost popped out of his head. I couldn’t contain my laughter, gaining a glare from him.

  “Oh, yes. I remember you. How have you been?”

  “I’m well, thanks. Yourself?”

  “Oh, you know. Come now, we’re about to eat, and you can help me grill,” she declared, lugging him after her.

  I laughed again, stepping closer to Scott. Placing my arm around his back, I leaned into him, cherishing the safety I felt in his arms. We trudged over to the table where Juniper, Mark, and Aiden sat. I was a little surprised to see Aiden looking so at home with my friends, but it was a nice change to the way they had been treating him. He smiled, looking comfortable with them. Delighted, I squeezed closer to Scott.

  “Hey, guys. What’s up?” Scott asked, returning my gesture.

  “Not much, just waiting for you all,” Mark replied.

  Juniper looked at me, eyebrows raised. I smirked, reaching my hand out to her. She grasped mine, pulling me too quickly after her.

  “J! You’re too strong, slow down,” I yelled while trying to keep up with her.

  She slowed, giving me a mischievous grin, “Sorry.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t break my arm next time, ok?” I rubbed my arm dramatically for effect.

  She laughed, loudly, catching glimpses from everyone around us. I shook my head, following her towards the back door.

  “Where are we going?” I questioned.

  “Here. Now, spill. Why is he here?”

  “Kyle?” I asked, playing dumb.

  “Duh. He’s all rude and mean with us, and boy next door with Anna. What’s up with that?”

  “I dunno, but he says people are following him, J. And you wouldn’t believe what he told me about our parents…I think I’m in danger too.”

  Her pupils dilated, making the red trim look even stranger. “More danger, Liv? Really?”

  My mouth fell as I gasped. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I exclaimed.

  “The past few months…it’s been crazy, Liv. I don’t know what in the heck is going on. We go from boring to adventure packed days in two seconds flat. Don’t you think that’s a little…insane?” she asked, exasperated.

  My heart hammered as I considered her words. She was right. The past few months were nothing short of insanity. I’d met the man of my dreams literally in my dreams. My best friend had been murdered in front of me, then brought back to life as an immortal. I discovered I had powers, only to almost kill an innocent guy with them which technically wasn’t my fault, since an evil sorcerer took over his body in order to get to me. After that, I’d learned I was doomed to die since I met Scott too soon, only to be kidnapped shortly after. The powers I’d suddenly gained were useless during those months. No wonder I was constantly overwhelmed. “What do we do, J?” I asked, collapsing into her arms for a hug.

  “There, there, Liv. Nothing we can do but deal. Luckily, you’re super awesome bestie is a lot more helpful these days,” She laughed, releasing our hug.

  Her smile was contagious. My eyes surveyed the backyard, seeing how everyone interacted. Kyle still stood with Anna, helping her grill. His body was at ease, his tone light. Realizing there was a lot about my brother I didn’t know made me want to know more. I mean, we were related. Scott and Mark sat chatting with Aiden. Scott deliberately ignored him, causing a singe of anger to course through me.

  “J…we have to go save Aiden. Scott’s being mean again.”

  She giggled, “He’s jealous, Liv.”

  I snapped my head to face her, “What? Why?”

  “Because Aiden totally has the hots for you.”

  “No he doesn’t, Juniper. Don’t even think that.”

  “Uhh…yes he does. Have you not seen the way he looks at you? Come on, you’re not blind.”

  Her words played like a song in my mind. A song on repeat. Aiden…surely she was wrong about him. I hadn’t given him any indication I was interested. I’d even told him about Scott. I snuck a peek at them, noticing he was watching us. My head jerked quickly as I dodged his gaze. I could hear Juniper stifle her laughter.

  “And now you’ve thought about it,” she declared.

  “What
, can you read minds now, too?” I snapped, not meaning to sound angry. This was a lot to take it. I wanted to help Aiden…it was my fault he was in his health condition. He lost years and his family. It wasn’t fair to him. Anyone decent would want be there for him. “Sorry, didn’t mean it like that. We should go over there, though.”

  She hooked our arms together, taking care to walk slower this time. “Let’s go.”

  Aiden

  This picnic thing wasn’t as much fun as I hoped. Olivia brought her brother, causing all kinds of random chatter about his appearance in town. She and Juniper ran off to talk, leaving me with her oh-so-pleasant boyfriend and Mark. Mark wasn’t so bad, but Scott…really couldn’t stand that guy. He was cocky and snobby. The table we sat at wasn’t that large, making us squished together more than I would like. Scott rambled on about some football team he’d played on years ago, so I tuned out.

  I glanced in Olivia’s direction. She looked beautiful in her jean shorts and sheer white shirt. Her hair was pulled back in some complicated thing girls did that made them look amazing. Her neck was visible…the skin looked as soft as silk, and I wanted to run my fingers down it then, across her collarbone, and back.

  Someone clearing their throat snapped me out of it. My eyes became my own again, and I looked up to see another beautiful girl. “Sadie,” I said, nodding my head.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, looking at Olivia.

  She had caught me.

  “Nothing. What are you doing?”

  She looked nervously at Scott, then motioned for me to follow her.

  I reluctantly followed. She guided me around to the front of the house, perching herself on one of the porch steps. I sat right below her, then turned expectantly. “Yes?”

  “You have to be careful. My brother doesn’t like you, Aiden. Now, I’m not exactly your number one fan, but I do realize the whole dance thing wasn’t you.”

  “I don’t care if he likes me,” I told her.

  Her already big eyes widened. In the moonlight, her dark hair blended in with the night. The light shone off it, making her look like she had a glow about her. Her pale skin was luminous, showing off the lovely brown eyes she possessed.

  “You should care. Play nice, Aiden. We don’t know what to do with you yet.”

  This caught my attention, making me a little angry. “What you’re going to do with me?”

  Her face fell, realizing how badly her words sounded. “I didn’t mean it…”

  Placing my hand directly in front of her face, I cut her off. “No, Sadie. I don’t need anyone to figure out what to do with me. Yeah, I lost some years, but I’ll be fine. My family thinks I’m dead, so I’ll just find a way to contact them and fix everything.”

  “And if The Crimson Calamitous comes back for you? What then?” she questioned, a distant hurt burning in her gaze.

  “Why do you care?” I spat at her.

  “I don’t exactly care. I just think it sucks what happened to you is all. I’d hate for it to happen again,” she admitted, turning her face away from mine.

  I watched her for a few minutes. She mesmerized me in ways, angered me in others. Her dark locks cascaded down her back, covering her and eclipsing the moonlit glow. The words she said cut me deeply, reminding me of how hopeless my situation truly was. Her body was still angled away from me, her face not visible. Hesitantly, I extended my hand and patted her back.

  “Thanks for kind of caring. I didn’t mean to snap at you, it’s just a lot to deal with.”

  “It’s fine,” she said quietly.

  I got up, patiently waiting for her to turn back to me. When she didn’t, I gave one last gaze and trudged through the grass, back to the festivities.

  Scott

  My mind was overwhelmed with questions. Everyone was leaving the barbeque, their tones much lighter and happier than they had been in a while. Livvie stood scratching at her neck, her fingers trailing over her skin made me want to be alone with her desperately. She was telling Juniper goodbye, and it was taking forever. She stood on her tippy toes, her leg muscles tightened as she lengthened. The sight of her pressed into Juniper’s hug made me long for her to be pressed into me instead. She finally bound away, turning to wave when she reached me.

  “That was fun,” she sighed, clasping her arms around me.

  I held her tightly, lifting to swing her around. “Yes, it was, my love.”

  She gave me a wistful glance and a coy smile. I leaned into her. Soft lips gave way, allowing mine to take over. We moved our mouths in sync while my hand trailed up her back and to her neck. Her tongue shyly met with mine, causing a groan to belt out. Nails dug into my shoulders, her fingers trailing lightly to my hair. Tugging on the ends, she broke her lips free to nibble on my neck. Closing my eyes, I relaxed into her, thinking of a million things I wanted to do once we got back to my apartment.

  “Excuse me?”

  Livvie jumped back at the sound of Grandma’s voice. Eyes widened as her hands covered her mouth. A deep red crept over her cheeks, and she bowed her head.

  Grandma laughed, a rich sound in the night air. “Now, now, dear Olivia. It’s alright. I remember being young and in love.”

  Livvie peeked up at me, her eyes barely visible between her fingers. I couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled out. She looked so adorable, trying to hide her embarrassment.

  “Stop it,” she exclaimed, burying her face once more. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Anna,” she quietly said.

  “It’s fine, Olivia. Now, let’s forget about all this and head inside to talk about what’s going on.”

  She walked to the house, disappearing inside. Livvie moved closer, her face still resembling a tomato. I caressed her cheek with my finger, tracing a circle around the blush that still grew.

  “Livvie, you’re so beautiful when you get all embarrassed,” I admitted, dropping my hand.

  “Scott! She saw us kissing…like intensely kissing. She is your grandmother,” she whispered harshly.

  “I know she is,” I laughed. “She doesn’t care, Livvie. Now stop worrying about it. I want to know more about what’s going on with Kyle,” I said, glancing around. “Speaking of, where did he go?”

  “Back to our house. He didn’t want to intrude.”

  “Oh, ok, well let’s get this over with so we can spend some time together,” I said with a wink as I slipped my arm around her back. We walked side by side to the house.

  ###

  The five of us were seated around the oak table. Livvie and I sat close, my arm around the back of her chair. Sadie was on the other side of me, Aiden beside Livvie, which left Grandma in the direct line of everyone. I felt like we were in a very important meeting and she was the CEO in charge of us. In a way, I guessed she was.

  “Ok, Olivia, please tell us what’s going on with your brother,” Grandma started.

  “Ok,” she said uncertainly. “Well, he came here to talk to our parents. He’s been followed lately. He doesn’t know who it is…but he also told me what I am.” She looked around, her eyes wide, voice low.

  Grandma perked up. Leaning on her arms, she rested on the table. “Do tell us, dear.”

  Sadie nodded in agreement, eagerness shining in her eyes.

  Livvie twisted her hands in her lap. Her eyes were cast down as she spoke. “My parents…” she paused, looking at me for reassurance.

  I moved my arm to grasp her hand, squeezing it for comfort. Urging her on with my smile, I pulled her hand up to kiss her knuckles.

  “My parents…they are a mix of beings. My father was a sorcerer and my mother is a vampire.”

  Her voice rang out, loud and clear. None of us breathed. None of us spoke. Sadie’s mouth fell open, her eyes staring at a random spot on the table. Grandma was shaking, I could see it even from where I sat. Aiden only studied Livvie curiously.

  “Kyle said that our powers were bound when we were young, a year or so old, but apparently my binding didn’t work. He doesn’t have any powe
rs. I can’t help but wonder…do you think this council he talked about is who took me after the dance?” she asked desperately. She looked at Grandma, her face full of worry and concern.

  Grandma’s bright blue eyes were weak and looked almost defeated. She stood, motioning for Livvie to join her. Reluctantly, I released her from my grip, not letting her out of my line of vision. She slowly made her way to Grandma, whose arms were open wide for her when she collapsed into them. Grandma stood caressing her hair and mumbling soothing words. Livvie’s body was tense, and I shot out of the chair when I heard the first sob. I covered her with my body, holding her and Grandma tightly. I stared at them, wanting…no, needing answers. There was something else going on here.

  “Tell us,” Sadie demanded from behind me.

  I nodded, stepping back, but keeping my hand tight on her hip.

  Grandma released her, wiping tears from her own eyes. She turned to face the room. “Remember when I saw that Olivia’s parents were with The Destroyers? Well, they are the opposition to this council Kyle told her about. Olivia was never meant to have powers. When her parents decided to break the mold and come together, knowing it was frowned upon, they had to take an oath that any offspring produced would be bound. The Harmonious Gathering…they have worked very hard for many, many years to ensure no children have gone unbound. And now that Olivia has somehow broken the binding….” She looked at Livvie, reaching out to squeeze her arm.

  “Now they want me,” Livvie said, her voice breaking.

  Grandma nodded, “Yes, it seems that they want to see why it didn’t work. I think that’s why they took your parents, Olivia, to lure you to them. The council will just come find you, but The Destroyers don’t like vampire/sorcerer unions. They will be out to get you.”

  “If The Destroyers took me after the dance, why didn’t they harm me? And why would they have Aiden?” she questioned. She looked around the room, her eyes falling on me. I could see the pain…the anxiety. She was afraid.

  “Maybe they didn’t take you, Olivia,” Sadie suggested, her voice full of emotion.