Replacement

by Wojciech Cram

  "It's been a few days." Storm pointed out helpfully.

  "Give then?" Emerald countered.

  Storm didn't say anything, instead he reached over and took her outstretched hand in his, gently stroking the back of it. Emerald's hand twitched as if to pull away, but she stifled

  that urge. She didn't exactly like close contact like hugs (she only did it for the sake of her friends), or handholding. And it wasn't so bad. When all was said and done, his hand in

  hers was soothing and the benign strokes of his thumb, calming. So soothing and calm, in fact, it was starting to lull her into sleep.

  "It's just hard for me." Emerald murmured, her eyes drooping. A shudder ran through her body as those memories jerked forward.

  "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Storm told her quietly, squeezing her hand.

  "Emerald!" Carter's voice called.

  The sleepiness Emerald had been feeling a moment ago left her and she sat up, pulling her hand out of Storm's. She shook off the haze and turned to see her four friends walking

  up to her.

  "Hey, we got your board signed." Carter said coming up, handing Emerald her board back.

  "Which you'll thank us for later." Mackenzie added looking at Emerald expectantly.

  "Thanks." she quickly mumbled.

  "You really need to go see him. He's fun to talk to." Danny told her matteroffactly, nodding.

  But all three of them stopped short when they noticed the boy sitting at the table, quietly listening to their chatter.

  "Oh, who's this?" Carter asked her eyebrows rising, eyes full of accusations directed toward Emerald.

  It took around an hour for us all to get ready, and glitzed up for a night out in the clubs of Vegas. I'd picked out a dark purple, shimmery dress that fell to just above the knee. It

  had small cap sleeves and was covered in tiny gems that caught the light with every movement, and kind of looked like stars. I just couldn't help myself when I saw the dress in the

  shop. I applied only a little makeup, the only added extra was the silvery eye shadow Jade had lent me, upon deciding that I need more "pizazz".

  I made my way into the bathroom that Jade had just vacated to attempt to make something of my hair, which was messy after a day of travelling.

  "Hey, let me do that." The youngest Redfern sister came up behind me, her reflection smiling brightly at me in the mirror. Her little green number looked stunning. She'd swept her

  silvery blonde hair up into a ponytail, leaving her pale shoulders bare, making the most of the strapless dress.

  I watched her hands flutter around behind my head, mesmerised by the grace and fluidity in which they moved. A look of intense concentration crossed her features as she focused

  on her work, pulling individual strands of hair into some elaborate design on the back of my head, and occasionally grabbing hairgrips and other accessories. I stood staring at my

  appearance, as my hair transformed from a bird's nest, into a doo that was worthy of a princess.

  She stood back when she was done, smiling as she admired her work. I couldn't see the back, but from the front, I was amazed at the job she'd done, the end result was superb. I

  could make out two little braids starting from just above my temples, make their way around the back of my head and joining into a larger composition. She had left a few curling

  strands loose to frame my face, the dark brown standing in stark contrast to my pale skin.

  "I didn't know you were a hairdresser," I admired, turning my head from side to side, trying to grasp the full effect of what she'd done. She giggled, and a light rosy pink blush

  crept up her cheeks. "I wouldn't say that," she said, but clearly pleased with the compliment.

  "I would," I replied, turning around to give her a hug. "This is amazing." She pulled away, her face alight with excitement. "Do you want to see the back?" She asked, practically

  skipping to grab an extra mirror, barely noticing my eager nod.

  Holding the second mirror up to allow me a view of the back, she bit her lip, waiting nervously to gage my opinion on the final product. I gasped at what she'd achieved in the short

  time she'd been at work on my hair. I couldn't even begin to fathom how she'd created such a masterpiece in such a short amount of time.

  Small intricate braids entwined with each other, forming a crown like design, a sort of tiara made out of hair. The whole thing came into a larger plate that began where the tiara

  left of, and falling down to the top of my back. The plate itself was made up of smaller braids, weaved together in such a complicated, magnificent way that it was all hard to

  follow. Small sparkling pins kept everything in place, and dotted throughout the ensemble were tiny diamonds that matched the ones on my dress.

  "Wow," I breathed, my speechlessness giving Jade a tremendous amount of delight. "Thank you," I said, unable to come up with something better. "Any time," she replied, giving me one more smile that was brighter than the sun, before dancing into the other room, where I could hear her chastising Mark for his poor fashion choices.

  I took one last look in the mirror at myself, before following Jade where everyone was just about ready.

  At some point, Kestrel had emerged from the bathroom, looking striking in a tight fitting black dress the accentuated her curves in all the right places. She looked every bit the dark

  princess with smoky eyes, long flowing golden hair, and killer black heels that no one but her would be able to pull of.

  She gave me a look up and down, nodding her head in approval at my outfit. "Looking good, Carter. Carters," she adjusted as Mark strolled in with Jade on his arm. "Thanks," he

  said, pulling at the collar of the shirt he was wearing. Jade batted at his hand. "Stop," she said, stepping in front of him to rearrange the shirt, making it look artfully crumpled.

  "You'll mess it up if you keep doing that."

  "Is everyone ready?" Rowan asked, grabbing her purse off the nightstand and fluffing up her hair in the mirror. Her knee length flowy sky blue dress, with a halter neck, embroiled

  with silver gems, was simple but worked well on her model worthy figure. In fact, all three of the sisters looked as if they'd just stepped off the runway.

  "Yeah, lets get going," I said, opening the door and stepping out, ready for my first night in the city.

  We were spoilt for choice as to which club we'd be going in. The streets were overflowed with the echoes of pounding music and boozy smells. All of them seemed pretty similar to me, the same sorts of dance tracks, the same mass of writhing, sweaty bodies and the same flashing lights. However Kestrel was adamant that we find just the right one, that we

  were not to go in the first one we saw. Perhaps her vampire senses picked something up that I didn't, because the one she finally deemed suitable was much the same as the

  others. I obviously wasn't as skilled in the art of clubbing as she was.

  The music was deafening as all five of us tried to push our way through the crowded room, and I had to resist the urge to plug my ears with my fingers. People bumped into me

  from all sides, pushing me from side to side and into the other dancers. As our group was submerged deeper and deeper into the sea of bodies, the dance moves become more

  lethal, and the flashing lights more blinding, I was somehow separated from the others. I looked around me, desperate to catch a glimpse of silvery blonde hair, or flowing golden

  locks, but it was no use. The density of the crowd was just too thick for me to see clearly.

  I paused for a second, pushing down the panic that was beginning to rise in me. I needed to find my friends; I needed to escape the ocean that surrounded me, constantly thrashing me about, making it impossible for me to think clearly. I gained a few glares as I began to shove my way to the edge of the club, where fewer people seemed to be lingering. Maybe there I could think clearly, and spot my brother or one of the
sisters. They had to be somewhere; I just had to spot them.

  At the edge of the room it was darker, the shadows stretching out to cloak me. The frequent flashes of fluorescent lights only illuminated me for a few seconds, throwing me into a

  bath of colour before leaving me in darkness again. I tried to search the crowd for a familiar face, but with the continuous movement it was impossible to make out individuals.

  Scouring the crowd, I finally glimpsed a flash of gold on the other side of the room, as Kestrel prowled the shadows. She'd never looked more at home as she did then, stalking the

  crowd from the side lines with hungry eyes. She was a natural born hunter.

  It hadn't hit me until now that the sisters would have to find a means of getting blood, whilst here in Vegas. And unlike Briar Creek, there wasn't a large forest with lots of tasty

  deer to hunt. They'd have to find another source to feed off. The hordes of drunken partiers, their veins pumping temptingly, were very convenient. They probably wouldn't even

  remember a vampire sinking a pair of fangs into their necks, in the morning. Or if they did, they were so wasted that they'd pass it off as a hallucination.

  It was the perfect hunting ground for any vampire looking for an easy meal.

  Just as the thought entered my head, my vision seemed to expand, noticing other dark figures stalking the shadows, silver eyes glistening. My breath caught at the realisation that

  the club was actually swarming with vampires, their natural grace making them stick out to anyone who knew what to look for. I was surprised that I hadn't spotted them earlier, as

  they stood in stark contrast to the throng of clumsy dancers.

  No longer feeling that it was safe to hang around on the outskirts of the room, where I was easypickings, I hurried back onto the main dance floor.

  After stumbling around the club for a while, being knocked around, just as I had earlier, I somehow managed to free myself of the crush. I still hadn't spotted any of the others, and

  I'd lost sight of Kestrel the moment I'd entered the mob of dancers. I was quite relieved about that actually, I didn't want to know what she'd be getting up to.

  I saw the bar in front of me, so deciding that getting a drink would be safer than dancing, I moved towards it. The bar was still busy, but marginally calmer than the rest of the

  club, as people were more wary of not spilling their drinks.

  "Diet coke, please," I said to the bar tender, taking a seat on one of the stools. The guy nodded and produced a bottle, seemingly out of nowhere. "Thanks," I said, giving the money

  to pay for it. "No problem," he replied with a wink, before disappearing to serve another customer. I felt a slight flush creeping up my cheeks, so I ducked my head and took a sip

  of coke.

  From my position at the bar, I could see more of my surroundings. A few people milled around near me, chatting and laughing, but my line of sight was mostly clear in every

  direction. I kept a careful eye on the preying vampires, as I resumed my search for my friends.

  I was so caught up in my search that I didn't notice that someone had sat on the stool next to me, until she asked me a direct question. "Can I get you a drink?" She asked,

  breaking me out of my own little zone. I looked toward her as she spoke. "No thanks," I said, indicating the drink I'd just bought. "I have one already." She nodded her head,

  ordering a cocktail for herself.

  She looked a few years older than me, with a Spanish looking complexion. She had mounds of dark curls, falling to the bottom of her ribcage, and framing a face that would have

  no problem reeling in the men. Her red painted nails tapped the edge of her glass, making a soft tinkling noise.

  There were a few moments of awkward silence before she spoke again. Her voice was soft and lilting, but her stare was strangely intense. "I saw you come in with the Redferns,"

  she said, a look of curiosity on her face, mixed with something more sinister. I had to fight the urge to shy away from her; she radiated danger.

  "Yeah…" I hesitated, not knowing what to say next. From her expression I couldn't tell whether what she'd said was a good or bad thing in her opinion. Had the Redferns offended

  her in some way, or was she an old friend that was looking for a reunion? I was weighing towards the former.

  I decided it'd be safest to not finish the sentence at all. "What are you to them?" She asked, leaning in to me, propping her chin on her fist. As she leaned forward, I subconsciously

  shifted back a notch, not wanting her to invade my personal space.

  Again, I had no idea how to answer. Different scenarios raced across my mind at lightening speed. But considering how unsure I was of this girl, I didn't want to give her any

  information that she could use against the sisters or me. Admitting that I was a friend of theirs probably wasn't the wisest idea. They could get in trouble for befriending humans,

  and we all knew how that would end. The girl in front of me wasn't a vampire, but I had to assume she was part of the Night World. Who else would know the name Redfern?

  "It depends," I said craftily, leaning a casual elbow on the bar, in an attempt to make me look less nervous than I actually was. My heart was beating far too quickly. Each thump

  was probably loud enough for her to hear. "What are you to them?" I lifted an eyebrow, waiting for her to reply.

  She leaned back again in her stool, taking a sip of her cocktail, a thoughtful expression on her face. She took her time in answering my question, and for a while I thought she

  would dodge it, as I'd done with hers. After what felt like forever, she pouted her glossy red lips as if trying to find the right words. "I'm a mutual acquaintance of theirs, and I have

  some unfinished business with them."

  Her reply gave me painfully little information about who she was or what she wanted. All I knew was that "unfinished business" didn't sound too encouraging. I was still totally

  unprepared when she said, "So what about you? You're clearly not a vampire; in fact if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were human. But why would a family like the Redferns

  being hanging around with a human?" She tapped her chin with one of her red painted nails, pretending to think of an answer.

  I on the other hand, was completely at a loss for words. It was as if my throat had closed up, denying access to any sentence that wanted to pass through my lips. I could not have

  spoken if it was to save my life.

  I couldn't seem to create an answer that was both believable, and wouldn't get the sisters in to trouble. If they were under suspicion, it would only be a matter of time before the

  truth about Mark and Jade's relationship came out, resulting in death penalties all around.

  "What business?" I asked instead, hoping to change the subject, or at least buy some time to come up with a half decent explanation.

  The girl laughed at me, and my attempt to avoid her question once again. Shaking her head, she played along anyway, humouring me. "I don't necessarily have business with the

  girls themselves. I'm more interested in their brother…Ash." My heart skipped a beat when she said his name. It sounded strange coming from a stranger's lips.

  "What do you want with Ash?" I asked sharply, too sharply. Only once the question was out there did I realise my mistake. My defensiveness reinforced my connection to the

  vampires I'd come to love. If she wanted to harm them, that was bad. Still, I couldn't help but be protective of them, especially when my soul mate was involved.

  "So you know him then?" She jumped on my mistake quickly, pouncing like a cheetah on a gazelle. Excitement glinted in her eyes. I hastily tried to back track, but feared that it

  was already too late.

  "Well I don't know him personally," I attempted to negotiate. "I just know of him. The sisters speak highly of him." I could hear the lameness of my lie in my own ears. My respo
nse

  couldn't have sounded faker if I'd tried.

  From the girl's look of disbelief, it was clear that she thought so too. "Why are you so defensive then, of someone you've even met. He's their brother after all, even if you are close

  to the Redfern sisters, what does their brother have to do with you? He should be none of your concern, right?"

  I opened my mouth to comment, but the world was saved from one of my atrocious lies when the girl held her hand up, cutting me off. "Lets just cut the crap, MaryLynnette," she

  said, but I was too shocked to say anything. How the hell did she know my name?

  "How?" I spluttered, unable to come up with something better. I could tell that she was getting extreme satisfaction over my dismayed state. Confusion overruled any feelings of

  annoyance. If she knew who I was, what else did she know? The thought was more than a little worrying.

  "I know that you know Ash Redfern, not only by name, but in person," she said with narrowed eyes. They were a shade of blue that was almost purple. They'd be pretty if they

  weren't so scary at the moment. "I know that you met around six months ago when he came to retrieve his sisters. I also know that despite setting off to Briar Creek with all

  intents and purposes to take them back to the island, he returned empty handed. So now I have to wonder, what happened during his time in Briar Creek that made him change his mind so drastically? And not only that, but also what would have had to happen for him to change who he is as a person? What made Ash Redfern turn from vampire rebel, to

  vampire slayer?" She paused for breath, smiling at my wideeyed expression.

  My heart was beating way too fast, my head spinning in too many different directions. There was so much to worry about, so much to question, that I didn't know where to begin.

  She knew too much, how did she know so much? What else had she found out, and what did she intend to do with the information? Had she been stalking us, or was her information

  second hand? In that case, who else knew about Ash and me? Did the girl on the stool opposite me even know about us? She hadn't pointed it out specifically, if she did.

  "And then there's you," she said, so quietly that it was almost a whisper. If I hadn't been so focused on the words coming out of her mouth, I probably wouldn't have heard her over