Book of the Hidden

by Annalynne Thorne

  "Akia, what's the matter?" Vivian pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it away behind her ears.

  "Vivian dear...." Akia sucked in a breath. "Astrid has taken Seth."

  First Vivian thought it might have been some cruel joke, but Akia never joked, constantly remaining serious. "What?" She forced the word out of her mouth, the only word her reeling mind could come up with to understand things.

  "I knew Seth kissed you last night dear. So I waited for you to go to bed. I knew Astrid was waiting outside the window, and I rushed there. Vivian dear, I tried to stop it from happening, but I was too late. It was fate."

  Vivian swung her feet onto the warm carpeted floor, her hands clutching the sheet covering her bed. "So it wasn't some dream... It was real...."

  "Dear what are you trying to say?" Akia asked anxiously.

  "I had this.... Vision, I guess you would call it. I saw Astrid with Seth in your room."

  "Vivian dear, I did not think you were psychic."

  Vivian shook her head. "I'm not. This is why it's so odd. I woke up with my hand around the necklace he had given me." Her fingertips lightly touched the still-warm rock.

  Akia walked over, bending low to inspect her necklace. She furrowed her eyebrows, and looked up at her. Vivian didn't expect to see her smile when just a minute ago she had been so serious and hectic.

  "Sometimes dear, when a person loves someone else, and they hold such a treasure received by them against their heart, they know when the other is in danger, or when they are needed. It is a bit of old magic, and a lot of true love." Akia stood straight and proud.

  "Makes sense..." Vivian said slowly, pondering over the word "love". That was a word that Seth had tried to tell her last night. Now she wished she would have let him say it. It would be beautiful to hear those words by someone who meant it.

  Vivian directed her thoughts elsewhere, somewhere more important now. "What does Astrid want with him?"

  "She does not want Seth dear.... She wants you."

  "She's using him as bait." It wasn't a question, but Akia answered.

  "No dear.... She was after you. You were not there, so she took the second best thing. The person that means everything to you."

  Vivian looked up at those words, and knowing that there was no denying them to a psychic. "Akia, you know where they are, right?"

  "Yes dear...." Akia nodded sadly. "It is where it all started."

  Frustrated by riddles, and needing a straight answer, she went to say that she didn't know where such a place was, but with a blink of her eyes, Akia was no longer there. Vivian stared at an empty doorway, hoping she would reappear again. No matter how many blinks, Akia did not show.

  Where it all started.... Where did what all start? If Akia is meaning when Astrid truly lost it, it would have been back at the shack. That's it! It's at the shack!

  Vivian smiled, proud of her brilliant mind, until that is, that she remembered the shack was no longer there. But that is where it all began, and what does it matter if the building is there or not? Akia could do whatever it is she wanted to do right there in the spot where it was. It was not like a lot of people drove by. In fact, you could sit on the side of that road for days, and not see another person.

  Jumping from the bed, she pulled on clean, worn jeans, and shirt. Slipping into her boots, she ran from her room, stopping abruptly at the entry to the circular room, thinking of Jean, if she should come along. But it occurred to her, that it wasn't Jean's fight. She may be the leader of the Underground too, but when it came to Astrid, and Seth, it was Vivian's fight. She found Seth, she had taken care of him, took him in, and now that he was in danger again, it was Vivian's responsibility to save him, like the hero she became.

  It wasn't long before she reached her jeep. Her strides were long, and her feet hit hard on the ground. By the time the engine started, and the seat vibrated below her, she was of course, out of breath. It did not stop her, she immediately stepped on the gas, turning the steering wheel right around in a half circle, and followed the dirt road.

  It was about twenty minutes before Vivian looked down at her gas tank. The pin pointed to the red 'e'. She cursed under her breath, holding the wheel tightly with one hand. She sat up, leaning out of the door, reaching her hand back as far as she could, while still touching the jeep. Taking a deep breath, she focused all of her energy, and magic into her left hand. Glancing down at the red pin, she saw it lift upwards to full. Sighing with satisfaction, and relief, she sat back down in her seat, massaging her sore ribs where the door had cut into them.

  It may have only been five more minutes until she reached the grave of the shack. She didn't know why, but she expected the ancient, falling-apart shack to be standing there, like a ghost, threatening to collapse at any moment. But all that was there in its place was burnt wood, and grass.

  It felt like an old friend had been lost. Vivian loved the shack for its mystery, and strange beauty. The place she had met Seth, now it was gone.

  Parking the jeep on the side of the dirt road, Vivian looked through the clutter, moving ashes, and shoving the darkened wood aside with the toe of her boot. Everything had been destroyed, and nothing like it would return. The chance of the city building a shack just like the one she loved was right there with the chance that her family would speak to her again.

  "The place where it began...." Vivian thought out-loud to herself, pacing the shack grave. "That's here.... So where's Seth? Or Astrid?"

  "Right here human lover."

  Astrid's voice sent chills down Vivian's spine, but it was nothing of what she felt when she turned around.

  There she stood, with the pale, pointed faced, with those creepy yellow eyes that reminded her so much of a bird. What punched Vivian in the stomach though, wasn't Astrid's usual look. It was the crimson blood trickling from her blood covered lips, to her chin, and down her throat.

  Astrid saw the look of horror on Vivian's face, and a wicked smile crossed her lips. "Do you think it's your human boy's blood?"

  Vivian took in a shuddering breath. Her blood ran cold. "I'll kill you if you bit him."

  "Awww.... No trust in me!" Astrid clapped a hand on her chest acting shocked.

  "Where's Seth?"

  "It really is cute Vivian, how you stand up for the pathetic, weak humans. I didn't think you would. You know, since your family is human, and you know their pigs."

  "Leave my family out of this - "

  "See? Sticking up for the humans. Even when they hate you, despise you even. Damn Vivian, they hated you so much they kicked you out."

  "Where's Seth?!" Vivian shouted.

  "Sweet, and absolutely sickening. You want your precious human? Here he is." Astrid looked back into the woods, into the shadows, but a figure of a dog chained up by a collar and a steel chain, tied to a thick tree. The dog did not appear to move though.

  "What did you do to him?" Vivian hated turning her back to Astrid, it was dangerous, especially in this situation, but she had to know he was okay. Her knees sunk into the earth, as she fell beside him.

  "He's just knocked out. Don't worry, no blood was shed. He makes a beautiful wolf, but he was no match."

  Vivian laid her hands on Seth's ribs. Please let him breathe. Then through the thick blonde fur, she could feel his chest rise and fall. It was the most reassuring thing in the world to her now.

  "Curious why I did this Vivian?" Astrid's voice broke her shot happiness.

  "Revenge," she said through gritted teeth.

  "Partially, revenge is sweet. But this is a perfect opportunity to strike a deal."

  This caught Vivian's attention. "Deal?"

  "Oh I have something of yours."

  "Seth? I think I have him right here. I don't care if I have to murder you to get him out of here. You know I'll do it Astrid."

  "Seth is part of it. You want him to be human right? For his little brother to have a normal life?"

  "Yes," Vivian said shortly. She stood then, facing her en
emy, ready to go into battle.

  "Then you'll need the Book of the Hidden."

  "Get to the point Astrid."

  "I have it. See, when your sister stupidly left it in the car while visiting the family, I took it. That was to be my revenge, my bribe back into the Underground. To make you take me seriously, I killed your two aunts. And yet, darling Seth here made it much more interesting. Wasn't part of the plan for you to take him in, and fall in love, but it worked well for me. But I must admit, the Thirteen Snakes was for fun."

  Vivian stared cold and disbelieving, and confused. Her mind was rewinding to all the times that she had with Seth, her aunts. It was all her fault that they were in this situation in the first place.

  "You killed my aunts?"

  "A bit slow aren't you, Vivian? Two aunts die, not so far apart from each other, both in car accidents. That's quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

  Vivian cursed, but her enemy only laughed.

  "Now you can take him," Astrid continued gesturing towards the wolf, "but think about him, and his brother living like this forever, subjected to hiding. But if you take my deal, him and his brother will live normal and happily. You'll have the book, and him, no fighting."

  "What's the deal?" She knew it couldn't be any good and that it would involve harm somehow, and she was right.

  Astrid smiled widely, the corners of her lips almost reaching her eyes. An odd sight to see.

  "You let me back in the Underground, forever, no kicking me out. Don't try to stop me from doing what I want. Even if it.... ummm.... Breaks the rules, even Maeve's rules." Astrid stood there, tall and proud like she caught a difficult running rabbit between her paws.

  "No," Vivian didn't need to think otherwise. If she took this deal, the Underground would be in jeopardy of being discovered. Not only that, everyone's lives, inhuman or not would be at risk, who knew who she would bite, or kill. It was a no-brainer.

  The smile slid off of Astrid's face. "No?" Her prize winning rabbit got away.

  "No."

  "You're making a mistake Vivian...."

  The sweet feeling of magic coursed through her, in her veins, gathering at her palms. "No Astrid, I think you are. You did a long time ago." With those words, she lifted her right hand, releasing the build-up magic at her.

  Three balls of white hot flashes of exploded between them, then hitting Astrid in the chest. Another spell lifted Astrid off the ground. Hovering a foot above the grassy floor, she couldn't transform into the wolf when trying, as she was held by Vivian's spell.

  She kept her palm upright, watching Astrid wither in pain from trying to change. It was time to end this, once and for all. The difficult part for her was one spell after another, and still being able to hold the person, or object for any length of time. This being something she was never good at, that Maeve hadn't succeeded teaching her.

  Vivian released the spell, and Astrid plummeted to the ground. She tried to put the next spell into action, but wasn't quick enough, and the spell disappeared in the darkness of the trees.

  Once colliding with the earth, Astrid quickly recovered. Still so much in pain, she still could not change, but with a face screwed up in agony, she ran (more like crawled) to Seth. Her eyes burned with revenge, and they never seemed to glow like they did now. It was bright, neon-yellow, shining in the dark, outshining the moon.

  Astrid had almost reached Seth. One of her hands stretched out, trying to grab fur, but occasionally she would only get grass, or dirt. Her body may have been wearing down, but it did not make her any less dangerous.

  Vivian turned on her heel aiming her hand again at her. Another flash of light, and Astrid lay on the ground unconscious. Vivian couldn't murder someone, no matter how much she despised them.

  The was some rustling in the trees that sparked vivians attention, and she held her palm up, preparing for it to be anyone, but hoping it wasn't a human. A human she could not explain this to, it would mean a trial. Oh please don't let it be human.

  "Miss Vivian?" A strong European accent greeted her.

  She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the shape. "Dirk?"

  "Yes m'dear. It's me."

  "Dirk what are you doing here?" She asked as he came out of the trees, moving under the light of the moon.

  The dwarf had a long gray beard that he tucked inside of his belt obscenely, two beady black eyes, and a squashed nose like it had been made of putty and someone smashed it on his face. The only thing people knew of him, aside that he was honorable, was that he was from Europe. He never spoke about his past, family, or friends.

  "Akia sent me m'dear, she was fearful," he explained, but as he looked down at Astrid's body he let out a low whistle. "Is she dead?"

  "No, I can't kill someone." Vivian was starting to feel ashamed of this, that she couldn't protect her own people.

  "She must be done with Miss Vivian."

  "I know, I know."

  Out of his belt, hidden beneath his beard he drew a short, jagged, knife that shone beautifully. The light wood handle he gripped tightly with both hands was engraved with words of his language. "You may not want to watch this m'dear," he added.

  Vivian looked at Astrid, sprawled out, feeling bad for her short, repulsive life. She could have been great, if only she didn't take a wrong turn. So long ago, when Vivian and Jean appeared at the Underground, Astrid became jealous. She wanted so bad to be ruler.

  Vivian pushed the thoughts out of her mind, nodded, and turned her back. The next thing she heard was the sickening sound of a knife driving into a chest and the effort of the push behind it.

  "It's over m'dear. I admire your heart."

  That's the last Vivian remembered, as she had passed out a moment after he said it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  True Realizations

  The sun had risen fully in the sky when Seth woke up. When Vivian had been revived herself, by the shack, she had laid Seth in his bed. Vivian slumped forward in the chair she had set by the bed. Her head was buried in her arms so the streaming light from the window didn't wake her. After all, she had only a few minutes to sleep, and when she did wake, she would have to deal with the others in the Underground, for it was almost empty with the exception of the Vampires, when she had walked in.

  It was only when Seth stirred, running his hand over her hair, that she woke sleepy-eyed, and tired. "Mmmm," was the only sound she could make, the course of events last night coming slowly back to her.

  "Are you awake?" Seth ran his hand down her neck so softly, chills went down her back.

  "Yeah," Vivian lifted her head reluctantly from her arms, squinting in the light.

  Seth didn't look well. He looked like he was recovering from a bad flu. Dark circles around his eyes made the bright blue stand out oddly, and his hair stuck out everywhere. The only clue that disproved he was not suffering from any cold or flu, was the blue and black bruise on the side of his face.

  "Oh, wow," Vivian gently touched the mark. He winced. "Sorry."

  "Please, don't be. Heck, if it wasn't for you, I'd be a lot worse off than this."

  The door had then swung open, Jake running towards his brother, and Jean coming to stand by her sister.

  "Akia told us...." Jean said, letting the sentence trail off into nothing.

  "Which part?" Vivian leaned back in the chair, rubbing her eyes.

  "That you didn't kill Astrid, and you have the book, also saving Seth. Regular old hero, aren’t you?"

  Vivian laughed. Hero? Yeah, right.

  "Are you okay dear?" Akia appeared at the door.

  "Yes. Thank you, and give Dirk my thanks too." Vivian smoothed out the blanket in front of her. "She killed two of my aunts. Both by car accidents, the irony being, they weren't accidents.

  "How are you feeling?" Jean asked when Jake had let go of Seth.

  "Fine, alive," Seth smirked.

  "So you're ready for tonight?" Jean smiled.

  "What's tonight?"

  Vivian stared
at her hand, still smoothing out the blanket. She felt Jean's, and Seth's eyes on her, waiting expectantly.

  "You didn't tell him?"

  "Tell me what? Vivian?" The look he gave her punched Vivian in the stomach. It was a mixture of confusion and fear. The fear that reminded her terribly of humans, it was so strong she could sense it in herself.

  "Tonight, you go back to being human."

  There was silence, Just as she expected. She wanted him to say something, and when he didn't, her eyes met with his. Suddenly, she could no longer sense the fear in him. He was defiant, and it showed in his eyes. He wasn't going to argue with her.

  "So Seth isn't going to be a werewolf anymore?" Jake's eyebrows furrowed, trying to figure out this concept.

  "Yeah, he will be human again, just like you." Vivian tried to sound cheerful, but inside she could feel her voice breaking.

  "Can we still live here?"

  Vivian knew Jake had grown accustomed to the place. He knew everyone, and the different smells from the kitchen no longer made him sick. He had even made a friend; Julian, an old vampire, he must be at least 200 now, going on nine.

  So it naturally hurt to break the news to Jake. "I'm sorry, you can't, but I will find a new home for you two."

  "You're not coming with us?"

  "My place is here," Vivian stood, and meant to walk out, but Jake's next words stopped her steps.

  "No! Your place is with us. You can't do this."

  She didn't look back. "I have to," and when she had her hand on the door, she said quietly, "it begins at nine. Afterwards you will have two days for recovery, then you leave." She shut the bedroom door behind her, stifling the cries of Jake, and leaving Jean there to heal Seth. Akia stood beside her, shaking her head sadly.

  "What Akia?" Vivian sounded exasperated, and tired. Standing up straight, she looked at her psychic friend, and sighed. "What?"

  "Dear...." Akia clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

  "What?!"

  "Dear, you know you love him."

  "I do not," she shook her head quickly.

  "Yes, you do."

  Vivian pursed her lips tightly in anger, and walked away. She was not necessarily mad at Akia, she was mad that Akia may be right.