“Do not!” she yelled.
The book fell further and the flames hissed in excitement but died down when they noticed Olivia was still holding it by a single page.
“Whatever is in this book clearly has your love. You have never cared for anyone more than the pages in this ridiculous book.”
Mar swallowed hard and for a minute, she contemplated speaking but she was beyond words. Olivia began choking as she felt the kunai enter her throat and by the time she pulled it out and fell to the ground, Mar had already retrieved the book and was walking out with the faintest words of an apology. She hadn't noticed her mother's swift movements and wondered if she had turned despite what she knew to be true, but she was at least glad to have gotten the kunai from her. Olivia jumped up when she had gotten her strength back and once again met her mother at the door. Mar had already had another kunai ready and put it in the same hand as the book and with her free hand, she slammed Olivia into the door. “Stop this foolishness, I am trying to save you!”
Olivia found herself too deep into the struggle against her mother to stop. She fought hand to hand but could barely put a scratch on her mother as she walked backwards through the house, fending Olivia off with complete ease. They were further into the hall when her mother had grabbed onto her hand and flung her against the wall, a sharp pain shooting down her spine. She sank to the ground and her mother appeared in front of her quickly. She had her pinned to the wall, her foot now pressed into her neck. She dug her shoe deeper into her daughter's neck and Olivia clawed at her leg, her attempts yielding no result.
She pulled her hands away from her mother's leg and searched her pants for her pocket knife. When she pulled it out, she brought it to her mother's leg but Mar lifted her foot from her neck and kicked the knife away. She brought her foot back to Olivia's neck but her daughter had already escaped from the wall in the space of a glance. Olivia had her hand around the back of her mother's throat and despite being weakened to the point of having blurred eyesight and coughing up blood, she kept a tight grip around her.
“You can kill me to get revenge for Noah and Alexa but just know that my death will bring about the deaths of many others, including Troy's. In fact, he would be the first to die.”
Olivia's grip loosened and Mar turned on her once again with her kunai but Olivia's movements were so fluid that even she couldn't see what she was doing. The knife was finally knocked out of Mar's hand and her body dropped to the ground, everything between that a blur to Olivia. She closed her eyes as she dropped to the ground, passing out on her unmoving chest.
She felt herself being pulled into the arms of someone, the body warm as she buried her face into the crevice of the person's arm. It smelled of sweat and blood but she didn't have the urge to feed. All she wanted to do was rest and his soft words commanded her to do so, allowing her to fall back to sleep and be completely at peace with what she had done. He was still feeling the residual effects of being stabbed but had completely recovered as he moved quickly through the town to avoid the sun that was on the verge of peaking. Troy had already distanced them from the colony but even in her state she couldn't help but be pulled back to the house, back to her mother. It was like she was watching the world through her mother's eyes, red as they peeled back and bit into the neck of a familiar face.
She knew it was to be expected when she turned her mother into a vampire and died inside as she let Natalie walk into the house unaware. She didn't know where Natalie had come from and why she didn't hear her heartbeat when she was there but she begged for her forgiveness as she silently wept in Troy's arms.
****
Allison and Sam stood over Olivia who had been asleep for her third day straight. There wasn't enough magic in the world that could bring her back but Erika assured the two that she would wake up when she had the strength. Sam had asked Erika if she could help the children of the colony find homes in the absence of their parents but considering they were all teens and some on the verge of seventeen, they wouldn't have had much time before being displaced in the real world so David took in those who wanted to stay and allowed others to search for their parents after it had all been done. Before she let them go, she made sure to strip them of their memories of the fight and gave them a fresh start, saying they deserved at least that much after what they endured.
The sun was rising for a fourth day and so Allison and Sam bid Olivia a good day before turning in. Troy had been nice enough to allow them to stay and he figured if he could let one vampire into his home and life, he could find a place for her friends as well. He brought a chair from the kitchen and sat at Olivia's bedside as Erika brought the curtains down.
“To think you used to despise a single vampire,” she said when she turned to him.
“And now, here I am housing a bunch of wayward baby vampires. Oh, the irony.”
“Yep.”
“How did you know she was gonna kill her mom?” asked Troy as he watched Olivia closely.
She shrugged her shoulders, peering through the slits in the curtains. “When your dad single-handedly causes you to lose every part of your life and you want to kill him, think about Olivia. She didn't just lose the people in her life, she lost all feeling of being human and that was long before I came around.” She turned to him and continued. “I think the death of her best friend was the tipping point and maybe the fact that you could've died too if she didn't confront her mom. I don't think any normal person could've survived that much heartache so whether you believe she has a living, beating, feeling heart or not—she clearly has one.”
Troy nodded as he took in her words and then she left him to be alone with her. His fingers were stretched out as he ran them down the inside of her arm and when his tips met her palm, her fingers curled around his. Her eyes opened and were a mess of confusion as they darted back and forth. She sat up quickly and his hand was on her shoulders, guiding her back down.
“You're alright. You're in your bed, you're safe,” he assured her.
“What about my mother? Where is she?” she asked.
“Dead....” he said in a voice so soft it could barely be classified as a whisper.
She sank back into the pillow and nodded with realization. “She is,” she lied to herself and then felt the book on the other side of her.
As soon as the sun had forgone the sky and left it teetering between night and day, dark gray laced with a pale pink, she pulled herself out of bed and took a shower. She made sure to hide the book between the mattress before she met Bear downstairs and teased the hair under his mouth as she slipped her feet into her shoes.
“Where are you going?”
She looked down at Allison with warm eyes. “A brief walk.”
“But you just got out of a fight, I'd rather you stay here!” she protested.
“Don't worry Allison, I'll make sure she doesn't hurt herself too much on her walk,” said Troy as he stepped into his sneakers. The little girl wanted to protest the insanity of it considering he was in no better condition than her but let the two go, throwing her hands in the air, annoyed.
“How old is she again?”
“Eleven,” she replied with a sigh.
Their walk led them to the lake they had trained at and Olivia sat down on the pier with her legs criss-crossed while Troy had his submerged in the water. After nearly a month of having him despise her existence she thought Troy had finally gotten to a point where he could actually stand her but she didn't jump to conclusions. Instead she kept that revelation to herself as she peered at him from the corners of her eyes. His hair had grown over his eyes, forcing him to run his strands back every couple of minutes and she saw the faint red mark on his wrist as he did. She fought to take her eyes away and was successful but only for a minute as they brought themselves back against her will and settled on his profile.
She had been staring so intently at his profile, his jaw sharp and perfectly carved, that the faintest clench startled her eyes into a flurry of blinks.
He had cocked his head to the side and his eyes passively read her. Olivia wasn't sure of what she saw in those eyes or if she had seen anything at all, but before he turned away she felt the rush of water as she drowned in them. They had been there the whole time, blue some days and green on others and yet it was the first time she had seen them. They were honest, kind, nervous and marred with anger that he couldn't will away and it had all been directed at Olivia in just a single glance.
She looked up at the star scattered sky, the color briefly flashing red as she watched it through her mother's eyes before shaking it away. She had done what Erika had told her to do, her mother was in fact dead, but she couldn't help but be pained by the dishonesty knowing how undead she was and wondered if it actually counted. She couldn't get angry enough to shut off her love for her mother and figured the only way they could all win was by turning her and suffering the consequences later on. Still, she felt she had won a bit of her humanity back and that felt good enough her.
Troy let out a breath as he leaned back on his palms. “I will always forgive.”
“What?”
“You asked me what my tattoo says...I will always forgive,” he said and turned to her. “I couldn't tell you then because it was the first time I wasn't holding true to those words. I didn't want to forgive you—I couldn't, but despite everything, I know you didn't set out to kill her. So, I wanted to let you know that I forgive you but I was wondering if you forgive yourself?”
She shook her head. “I don't think I could ever erase it from my memory and I would hate myself if I tried. I know Alexa forgives me and I'm appreciative that you do as well but I will live with this burden for the rest of my undying life.”
He stayed quiet, not quite sure of what to say.
“I also hope that you can forgive me for the death of Vic Pulaski and know that I do owe him. I fed from him and I selfishly....” she stopped when Troy raised his hand.
“It was an all encompassing forgiveness so please don't apologize anymore.” There was sadness in his voice.
“Alright,” she said. “May I ask who you were before you met my sister? You projected your thoughts in my dreams and I saw you two.”
He let out out a faint laugh. “Yeah, I wasn't really anyone before I met her. I'm not saying my life hinged on her but she just gave me reasons to press on when I was all woe is me, I hate my life.”
Olivia nodded, running a hand through her hair. “Yes, she certainly has that affect on people.” She thought not of herself, but of Felicity who had grown in confidence and cruelty after being inspired by Alexa's passionate talks.
He tried to lighten up the mood which had quickly darkened when he thought of Alexa. “I never thanked you for saving me,” he said, almost with a chuckle. “I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you.”
“I'm sure your regenerative powers would have healed you.”
“Maybe,” he said, sliding his hands back further and tucking them under his head as he lie flat. He shuttered as he was thrown back into the fight. “It still would've hurt like hell.”
Even Olivia shuttered. “Yes, it was quite painful.”
“Sorry about that...” he said and rolled his head to the side.
“It's alright.”
“So, what will you do now?”
She thought about her mother and what she would have to deal with later in search of answers. She then thought of Erika and her secrets and the vampire who had filled her with the nightmares that killed her friend. Even though Troy gave her reprieve, she couldn't help but think of the others she killed. I have to right my mother's wrongs...and Felicity's and my own.... she thought but didn't dare speak the words, knowing it would only upset Troy. She willed away those dark thoughts and something light filled her head, bringing the smallest trace of a smile to her face. “There is something I have always looked forward to doing.”
“Yeah? And what's that?” he asked.
“I would like to feel the sun as I have never felt it in my life.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Wouldn't you burn to death?”
“Yes, but I couldn't think of a better way to die,” she said, “than to touch what I had longed for, for so long. I want to feel it no matter what so I will go to Georgia in one week. Apparently it's quite hot there.”
Troy was absolutely stunned by what he had heard and wondered if he had indeed heard her correctly. This girl, who had requested that she not be killed by him was now wanting to volunteer herself up to a permanent death? He wanted to tell her that indulging in the sun was an overrated experience but even he couldn't deny how nice it was to feel it's warmth, especially being stuck in a bleak autumn and winter. The silence between them had felt like an eternity as Troy pondered her words and the garbled mess of incoherent ones suspended in his throat. He kicked his feet back and forth and finally found the words to say. “Your plan is insane so I clearly have to go with you.”
She looked down at him with an unreadable expression and he continued. “I kinda gave vampire birth to you so now you're stuck with me or I'm stuck with you. Either way, we're hopelessly stuck with each other,” he said with a briefly sad smile that wore the regret in his words. His voice perked up a bit. “Besides, my reasons aren't completely unselfish. Erika said she last saw my mother in Atlanta and I'm pretty sure she's not going to be much help in finding her like she said. Sometimes I honestly think I hear my mom talking to me. I know she has to be around here somewhere, guiding me and probably wanting me to find her, so I'm gonna tag along and try to do that.”
Olivia was still stunned into silence, her wide eyes swallowing him whole as she watched him sit up. She didn't actually intend on dying, not yet at least, since she had a journey to begin, but she was speechless at his reaction.
“So, one week till we leave for Georgia,” he said, not allowing her to decline his company.
“Yes,” she finally said. She stood up and dusted the back of her pants off. When she extended her hand out to Troy, he took it and once again her body was taken over by his warmth and she briefly basked in the pleasant feeling.
“What is parkour?” she asked.
He grinned but kept his face turned away from her. Still, she could feel the shift in his demeanor and knew something had taken over him, whether it was enjoyment or annoyance—she wasn't sure. His hand was still tangled in hers when he answered. “I'll teach you when we get to Georgia.”
The water swished and swayed as he pulled his legs out of it and onto the pier. The sound was so loud it had nearly masked the next words spoken.
“Can I join you Olivia?” asked a familiar voice from behind.
Acknowledgments
I'd like to acknowledge my husband who took many hours away from his own writing to listen to my endless rambles and help fix up my plot and subplots when my brain could no longer compute. To my own mom for believing in me and those on the NaNoWriMo forum who helped on subjects that were way beyond me. And the greatest thanks to you who read it and I can only hope, enjoyed it.
LOVE IT, HATE IT, PLEASE RATE IT♥
Don't forget you can find out more about the books, characters and join the mailing list as well as find links to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads at: http://harlequin-ink.com
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