by Mela Zen
“Yes, but I was really bad. I was frustrated and angry at myself for not believing such proclamations yet it happened to me. You’d find it funny on what mere thoughts can do to a person’s head.”
“Like what?”
“Well, when talking to Jac, I just mentioned that you are probably making out with some random girl I nearly broke the furniture in my room. Some mates can be possessive, obsessive, and in some cases over protective. I manage to calm myself but I seen others do drastic things.”
“Possessive?” He cocks his eyebrows at me.
“Possessive,” I mumble.
“What happens after, should the person accept their mates or whatever.”
“They usually get marked,” I sigh.
“Marked as in...?”
“If you were to accept me as your mate, I would mark you on the left wrist where your heart connects with. If you were a vampire you would do the same, biting my left wrist. Then skin color matching tattoos would appear, claiming that you are someone’s mate. It could be anything; Jac and Francis were dandelions covered in lace markings on their petals.”
“But I am not a vampire?”
“I would just mark you. It’s not really a big deal, my mark would soon appear anyways, but it’ll take longer.”
“Does marking have its perks?”
“No not really other than letting people know that you are someone’s.”
“What do you mean no?”
“Marking infuses our spirits together and our mind. Like we are one but not literally. For example, if you somehow got into trouble and you are feeling pain, I would too feel your pain. If I were to suddenly to get hurt, you would then feel my pain. But we would not share thoughts or anything of that sort.”
“Oh,” he looks down.
“On the plus side, drinking your mates blood is like being on drugs. You get all strong and fierceless, wanting to take on everybody who dares to touch their mates.”
“What happens if you don’t get marked,” he totally ignored my remarks.
“If mates aren’t marked, well we don’t know exactly what happens. Everybody just falls in love and get their matching tattoos. I know that when werewolves reject their mates, they are no longer able to mate again nor bare children. My guess is that vampires will get mated again for another 100 years or never get mated. We don’t have to worry about bearing children for we cannot.”
“You were mated with a witch, a human. Is that possible?”
“Yup. We are mated with anybody, really. If they are human well the human has the choice to turn, but that have to be over 21 to turn, vampire laws. Or they can live together until the human dies. If they are marked, however, they can’t be mated. Most make the sacrifice and turn into a vampire due to either of the parties not wanting to lose their love one.”
“Annabelle,” he gets up coming closer to me, “I love you. You know that right?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well, lets settle this, shall we,” he hands me the glass of blood which I gladly devour it.
***
Elijah
As we board the plane, my wrist begins to tingle hurting me in multple ways. Most importantly my chest begins hurting, but I am not the one who is in pain. I look over to Annabelle who is talking with the captain, slowly paying attention and not.
She makes her way back to her sit, beginning to sit down when I pull her on my lap, masking her scented vanilla shampoo. She furrows her eyebrow in confusion, looking at me.
“Stop blaming yourself. You have to stop doing that, its hurting me,” I chuckle, “Quite literally.”
“Fuck sorry,” she mumbles.
“You know,” the plane begins to move, “We never really made it official.”
“Made what official?”
“You being my girlfriend? My mate?”
“Oh,” she looks away, “I thought the sex made it official.”
“Oh it did, you, Annabelle, are mine forever. But I wanted to ask you. Will you be my girlfriend?”
“Of course, Elijah, I would love to be your girlfriend.”
“And will you join the mile high club?”
“The mile what,” her eyes widen and she gasps, “Elijah,” she lightly smacks my chest.
“Come on now, i know you want too,” I whisper in her ear, planting small kisses.
The plane ascends and we are in the air, “Fine. I won’t go easy,” she mutters then kisses me.
***
“Annabelle!” Anna screams out Annabelle’s name running to her, attacking her with a hug.
“I miss you so much. I wish I could stop time and kick his ass,” she cries deeply into her.
“Anna. How about we find Freddie? You know I saw his death...in a dream,” Annabelle admits, “I think it is time you guys to finally say goodbye.”
“Why is that?” I ask.
“My mother has told me when people dream of those close to you died in a hoorific way, that is their way of saying that they need closure. Maybe not from the person dreaming them, but they need to make things right. Have you been dreaming about him, Anna?”
“Yes,” she looks to the side were Jax hangs his head low, “I have.”
“Lets give Freddie some closure.”
Chapter 21
Annabelle
“So how are we going to bring him here?” Anna looks at the ingredients on the table.
“I am surprised that a witch like you doesn’t know a simple spell to bring the spirit of a lost soul,” I smile at her.
“Should I know?”
“You should, given the age that you are in now. But considering that we are kind of bit in a bind I guess we should let it pass since you been through enough.”
All she does is smile then looks away. Knowing the pain, I continue on with my work. I had to practically force Elijah to stay with Kenzie, by all means since she has to been shaken up. I grab the box, containing Freddie’s hair and the comb containing his prints. I cleared the room from any forms of miasmas, which is essentially any foul spirits lingering.
I grab some of the dandelions and sage I had Jax to fish out, he went far for those ingredients seeing as picking fresh ones in Southern California is essentially nonexistent. I created a large circle around me, only bringing Anna into the circle seeing that she is a true witch here.
“Adplica quoque,” I begin lighting up the candles around me.
“Convenient anime,” I whisper again, feeling the circle being shut in, air densing. I look to Anna her eyes curiously wander throughout the circle.
“Cuius coma pectine,” now a fog appears blocking the eyes of Jax, Danni, and Zeke. The air clears up but we only see a white fog. I knew the spell worked due to the fog being white and not black for black brings in evil.
“So where is he?” Anna whispers to me.
“He’s coming,” I smile as a white stream twirls vigorously and a shape of a body forms. It finally disappears and Freddie’s body is in fruition.
“Freddie,” Anna whispers.
“Hey Anna,” he chuckles, “You look horrible. Annabelle,” he nods to me.
“Hey kid, sorry that you had to pay your life,” my smile broke into a frown.
“Honestly, living was getting too tough. I mean adulting is freaking hard and I am kind of glad my time was cut short.”
“Seriously Freddie,” Anna scolds him.
“I have become more honest, Anna.”
“I’ll let you two make up, but right now I need you to explain to me what I dreamt is true?”
“Pretty much, but I never really paid attention and I am glad that you managed to figure that out. Truthfully, all I heard was getting blood from a mortal that is friends with the person whose blood they already have. I assume it is your blood, seeing as that you have been a target for a long time.”
“How do they have my blood?”
“That one day at the ball, when you turn a ripper. You fought a lot and bleed some, I think that is when th
ey took your blood,” Anna says softly.
“Well, now I know that they are really going for it, I will leave you two to it. I will exit the circle, Anna you will only have five minutes to say your goodbyes before Freddie embarks on his journey to the afterlife.”
“Five minutes?”
“Five.”
I step out of the circle, the fog still consuming the area, looking back at the circle. I walk away from it, sitting on the couch, thinking about what are my next steps, what do I have to do in order to stop this madness.
Most importantly.
What are Daryl and Co are planning?
Anna
“Have you been okay?” I ask him.
“Been better. My heart aches though, I need to apologize, Anna,” he grabs my hand and looks at me.
“Sorry about what?”
“Well, you know I am not really good about this quirky and cute stuff. But here goes and who knows I might actually be okay.
After we broke up, well more like I broke up with you, I thought about it hard. I thought about how things went, how it hurt you and me and well this whole supernatural thing. I honestly thought you let that stupid TV show get into your head. But then I replayed a lot of things in my head.
Like when you first told me about witches at the carnival two years ago. You were so into that crap, I listened for your sake. Then when minor inconveniences happened, somehow in someway you always fixed it up. Or that one time somebody told us about vampires raging the streets, I acted a spooky and scared while you seemed nonchalant about it.
Anyways, I didn’t break up with you because I didn’t want to be a part of that world or I was turned off by it. No. I think that it is pretty dope to have a girlfriend and friends that are part of that life. I broke up with you because..because..I started to not have those same type of feelings for you. I know it sounds like an asshole move, but I used the supernatural thing as an excused because I didn’t really know how to explain it top you.
So after that happened, I began to regret it alot. Like how can I hurt this beautiful soul you know? You are important to me Anna, but not in the way you think. You have become more of a friend than a girlfriend. I know it was a stupid way to express that and that is what I am sorry for.
But I am not sorry for breaking up with you. You and I both know I can’t fake things I don’t want you to get hurt by me. That is why I’M broke up with you. I am sorry how it ended, turly. So, friends even though I am dead?”
“It was going good until that last part you jerk,” I punch his arm.
“You see, I am not good at this stuff,” he chuckles.
“I forgive you. I forgive you as long as you forgive me.”
“Forgive you for what?”
“The moment I laid eyes on Jax, my heart flutter and bloomed like Spring. Love, at first sight, is what people call it, but then I remembered us and oh my god I thought I was cursed.”
“Anna, he is your mate. Even I were alive I probably wouldn’t stop that. I have explained that mates are hard to come by, so I understand. If you want my forgiveness then you can have it. But there isn’t anything to forgive.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. That power of love is weird.”
“Did you really say the power of love?”
“You watched too many Sailor Moon dubs, of course, I would have picked up on it.”
“Shut up.”
“Times up,” I hear Annabelle’s voice.
“At least I won’t be a ghost.”
“Thank god.”
“Bye love.”
“Bye Freddie.”
“Oh and tell Annabelle that this is not her doing. I know she beats herself up about it, but she is forgiven. Tell her to beat the living hell out of them.”
“Okay!!!”
The smoke clears out showing the modern furnishings of the house we are occupied in. I look to find Annabelle furrying her brows, then cleaning up the mess around the table. That is when she stops mid-grab, her fangs retracting as she looks up to see haunting figures above the staircase.
Then Elijah is thrown out flying across the room, he would have hit the table if it weren’t for Annabelle running to grab him in time. She settles him down and my eyes look at the figures.
“ANNABELLE!!!!!” Kenzie screams and squirms underneath the grasp.
“Ah yes, Annabelle, we meet,” the disgusting voice calls.
Chapter 22
Annabelle
“Really Daryl, a little girl? You are seriously going to harm a defenseless child just for the sake of pissing me off?” I growl at him.
“Annabelle, Annabelle, Annabelle you should be more polite to me if you want to see this weakling live. Who knows if you piss me off just as much, she’ll join that other friends of yours...what was it...Francisco? Frankie? Ah beats me, point is you need to be nice,” he holds Kenzie by her shirt, dragging her down the steps.
Coming down the steps with Daryl are three other figures appearing. I look in closer to see Daryl’s brother Lorenzo and his wife Amelia grinning sickly as they watch the child squirm under their gaze. Finally the last one appears to be Lukus, the shamed and banned witch from the Diamond Coven.
“Well, well, isn’t it the ‘greatest’ witch of all, Lulus Maldonado. Tell me, how does being the greatest sooth you? Surely you must be powerful, right Lukus,” I tease him.
Lukus, the all too cocky and stupid son of a bitch on the planet. His silver locks make him look all wise and all powerful but his brain is nearly not as much. He was once a gracious and masterful instructor, teaching those whose magic is still not in fruition. The blue eyes can make any girl swoon, but those eyes only locked on Madeline.
Then Madeline poisoned his mind.
Thus he wanted power, money, and of course royalty. He was already respected as being in the Diamond Coven means you are automatically respected. However, he attempted to kill those on the council, only the Diamond Coven has, in order to be the only successor to Grace. Grace, of course, knew about his treachery, and henceforth he was shunned forever.
Now he can only do basic spells.
“Shut up runt!” He growls at me.
“My, my. Should I apologize for being rude to our savior? Then again, it is beneath me to even look at the shunned witch from the Diamond Coven.”
“You’re pushing it, Annabelle,” Daryl’s voice beams at me. No matter how much I hate the guy, his voice always requires full attention.
“What is it that you seek, Daryl?” I ask.
“You, obviously. I need you in order to complete the ritual.”
“What ritual?”
“Now, now Annabelle, I need you to come in order to see it. Otherwise telling you right now is essentially a waste of precious time.”
“Why does Lorenzo and Amelia have to be here, you could have asked nicely.”
“We both know that is not you way Annabelle. Stop playing dumb, just come with us if you want this child to live,” Lukus puts a knife next to Kenzie’s throat, she whimpering at its coldness.
Suddenly Amelia disappears with her speed, she is known for it, grabbing Anna and taking her next to Kenzie. That is when Lorenzo scratches Anna, she screaming in the process calling Jax. Jax makes the bold move to run towards the group only to be heavily casted in a spell from Lukus that puts him in place.
“A vampire mated with a mere mortal. How quaint. You really should turn your mate, otherwise she is a a useless being,” Amelia coos at Jax who is struggling in his constraints.
“Elijah, I told you that this would happen if you didn’t give me what I want. Now your poor sister has to pay the price. It sucks knowing that all you had to do was to get Annabelle to me, shame.”
“Let my sister go, you fool,” Elijah tries to get up only to be shut down by his own body.
“Too late. Maybe I can make her my witch, then again after I kill you there wont be any reason to bribe her.”
“Kenzie,” I half whisper, half mouthed. It cau
ght her attention.
“Remember the spell?”
She thinks about it hard while attend to Elijah. I give him a little of my blood to help with the concussion while Daryl goes on his spiel. I swear that man thinks he is high and mighty like King George or some shit like that.
Then Kenzie smiles.
“Say it,” I whisper, she close her eyes taking in a deep breath.
“Elijah. Kenzie is going to say a spell. You need to get her and Anna right away and go outside. Danni and Zeke should be there already, leave. Get away as far as possible.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me, worry about her.”
“I am sure you guys aren’t planning something,” Lorenzo chimes in, “It would be a shame to kill a child.”
“Has your extra hearing ability deteriorate along with your charm, Lorenzo? No wonder you are the ugliest one out of you and Daryl.”
“Why you little-” he stops mid sentence, looking around for that slow ringing.
“Magnum tamquam,” Kenzie chants a little louder. The ringing has become more high pitched.
“Campanis, et excelsum fluctus,” it is closer now, Daryl and company are still searching for the cause. Little do they know the little girl in front of them is very powerful.
“Nocere lamia in via!” She shouts the last lines and that is when the ringing becomes forceful and apparent.
The downside to this spell is that it affects every vampire in the room, including Jax and I. My ears starting ringing intensely blurring my vision and even taking away a few sounds. That is when Elijah takes his que and runs towards Anna and Kenzie, who are unfazed.
She is strong. But she will be weak once the spell is gone, too much on her little body.
That is when my body along with the other vampires in the room fall hard to the ground. I see Danni coming in knocking out Lukus and helping Elijah and Kenzi to escape. I hope they get away far, far where I can’t see them or sense them.
Flashback
“Kenzie! Kenzie! Elijah says it’s time to do homework or whatever that thing is called,” I called out. She sometimes wonders a bit too much around these woods, dangerous for a girl like her.