by Rue Volley
“No… not you,” I said to her. She turned and looked behind her.
“I am the only one here with you, I assure you.”
I laughed as another wave of pain went through me. I tasted metal in my mouth. I didn’t realize that I bit my lip. The blood ran down my chin.
“What are you doing?” she asked me.
I opened my eyes. “Well, it looks like I am kicking my own ass,” I said as I laughed.
She waved her hand and the mirror started to lower. It floated to the edge and I slipped off of it to the floor. I sat there for a split second and then stood up in a flash. Sophia stepped back. I raised my head and stared at her.
“Why did you take me off of the mirror? I felt like we were just starting to have some fun Sophia,” I said. She looked at me and waved her hand, as she muttered, “Bind.”
I stood there and nothing happened. I raised my hands and felt a light start to build in me. I clinched them shut and the light glowed from in between my fingers. Sophia raised her hands in front of her and an orb started to form. I watched it instead of running. I thought I could hear it whispering to me. I stood there waiting to see if this would also prove to be nothing.
She hurled it at me and I raised my hands and it stopped in between mine. I stared at it in wonder. It looked like swirling water traced with metal and bright white. Suddenly it flashed right at me, hitting my chest. I stumbled backward and tried to balance myself on the edge of the circle. I felt myself start to fall and suddenly my mind flooded with all my memory at record speed. I sucked in my breath and screamed out.
“Josh!”
I dropped into the black water and it sucked me under.
Chapter Two
Three Big Words
Samantha spent the next three hours paging through the black book that Elin claimed held all the answers she needed to retrieve Johnathan and wake Josh up. Elin sat across from her, playing with her hair. Sam peeked up at her from time to time to make sure that she didn’t move. Elin sighed.
“I cannot go anywhere Samantha,” she muttered as she held up her arm and showed Sam the symbol cut into her arm. “Remember?” she added. Sam grinned.
“Yes, I remember, I did it to you.”
Elin smiled, it pissed Sam off. Sam stood up and slammed the book closed. “I don’t understand any of this Elin,” she said. Elin grinned at her.
“You said that you could help me Elin, if I feel that you cannot I will throw you off of a cliff.” Elin raised her eyebrows.
“A cliff?” she asked.
“Don’t be a smart ass,” Sam said as she threw the book at her. Elin ducked and it hit the bookcase behind her. She sat up slowly and looked back at Sam.
Sam leaned forward. “I swear to you that I will let you rot in that flesh.”
Elin sighed.
“Perhaps we should enlist your brother, I mean the one who has not had me,” she said, as she went back to playing with her hair.
Sam flashed to her and picked her up by her shirt. Elin’s feet dangled under her. Sam bit her lip and lowered her, suddenly realizing that Elin was a necessary evil.
“God Damn it!” she yelled as she dropped her back into her chair. Elin straightened her shirt and looked up at her.
“Are we leaving?” Elin asked as she looked at her nails. Sam wanted to knock her across the room, but she knew she shouldn’t.
“Yes, we are leaving. You stay by my side or I will watch you bleed slowly, and then I will save you, to stick you again.” Elin stared at her.
“Josh needs my blood Samantha. I am the only one who can wake him because Caine poisoned the blade with me.”
Sam grabbed her arm and started to walk towards the door in a hurry.
“Why the fuck didn’t you say that to begin with Elin?” Elin grinned as Sam dragged her out through the lobby.
Brooke looked up and stood up as she saw Sam dragging Elin by her side. Sam looked at her and smiled, it was obviously fake. Brooke sat back down and looked back at the room and then to them as they walked out the front doors. She raised her book and shook her head.
Sam pulled up to the house and slammed on her brakes. Elin hit her head on the dashboard. “Ouch,” she said grabbing her forehead. She looked at Sam who grumbled, opened her door and slammed it loudly behind her. She flashed to Elin’s side and opened the door up then looked down at her. Elin crossed her arms.
“I am not saying that I am sorry, so forget it,” Sam said as she reached in and grabbed her.
Elin pulled her arm away from her and got out on her own. Sam pointed a finger at her and Elin grinned.
“Listen, just keep your mouth shut, let me explain why you, of all people, are here,” Sam said as she stared her down. Elin nodded.
They stepped onto the porch and Sam turned to her, giving her one last warning.
“I swear to God Elin, I will let them kill you.” Elin crossed her arms again and followed her into the house.
They stepped into the living room and it was empty. Sam yelled out, “Theodore?” She got no response.
They heard a scream come from upstairs and Sam flashed up the steps with Elin followed as quickly as she could. They ran into the room just in time to see Kai fly across it and hit the wall. He fell to the floor and rolled on his side. Sam flashed to him and then quickly looked at Theodore, who was trying to hold Josh in place. Josh was thrashing on the bed, the light binding him flashing on and off like Christmas lights. Sam flashed to his side and Josh hit her in the face, she fell to the floor and shook it off. Elin stood there grinning. Theodore looked behind him and saw her, a light immediately started to form in his hand and Sam grabbed his hand and pulled it down by her side. Theodore looked at her in confusion.
“We need her to help Josh,” she yelled at him. He rolled his eyes.
“Of course,” he muttered. He looked at Elin and waved her over.
“Get over here you harlot,” he yelled at her.
Elin smiled and walked over to Josh’s side. She leaned over and placed her hand on his head. Josh started to relax as he looked at her. His eyes were black as night. Elin grinned as she touched his face.
“I am here,” she said to him calmly. Josh looked at her and his face relaxed.
Elin held out her hand to Sam. Sam looked at her. Elin turned to her and raised her eyebrows. “Give me your blade Samantha.”
Sam hesitated and Theodore pulled his out for her. He stared at her as he placed it in her hand. Elin took it and went to slice it across her palm. Sam grabbed her hand and Elin looked at her.
“You really think that I would try to kill him, with all of you in the room? I would be dead before him.”
Sam grinned at her. “Got that right,” she muttered.
Elin raised the blade to her palm and sliced it across. She handed the blade back to Theodore and then placed her hand to Josh’s mouth. He closed his eyes and drank her blood in deep, moaning under her hand while Elin rubbed his head gently. Then Josh started to scream out arching his back. He threw his head back and started to chant furiously in Latin. Elin backed away from him while Sam helped Kai off of the floor. She looked at Josh as he yelled out a mixture of Latin and curse words. She started to smile and stepped toward him.
He suddenly sat straight up in the bed and took a deep breath. He leaned over the side of the bed and hurled all over the floor. Then he sat up, cleared his throat, scanned the room and stared at Elin. When she came into focus…
“Fuck you,” he muttered at her. Elin frowned.
Sam ran to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her. She grinned at him and he winked back at her.
“You okay?” she asked him. Josh pushed himself up and threw his legs over the side of the bed.
“Where is she?” he asked.
Sam tilted her head and looked back at Theodore. Then she looked back at Josh.
“We do not know Josh,” she muttered. Josh coughed and spit on the floor. Elin crossed her arms.
Josh look
ed up at her. “What?” he asked, sarcastically.
Elin sighed. “You could say ‘thank you’ or ask me where Rue is,” Elin said as she raised her eyebrows.
Josh flashed up and spun as he pulled Sam’s blade from her back. He flashed up to Elin and slammed her against the wall. He held the blade to her throat and grinned at her. Elin’s heartbeat fluttered. Josh leaned in to her face.
“You will tell me everything,” he whispered. Elin relaxed a little. She kept her eyes locked on his.
He smiled and tilted his head. “Well?” he asked.
Elin looked at his blade and he grumbled but lowered it. He stood in front of her, quickly losing his temper.
“What will you give me?” she asked him. He smiled.
“Your life,” he muttered.
“You know that I don’t care about that, the thought of you killing me would be nothing compared to the knowledge that you would have to live with not knowing,” Elin said with spite.
Josh gripped his blade and looked at Sam.
“Leave us alone,” he said as he turned back to Elin. Elin smiled as she looked at Sam. Sam stepped to his side.
“Josh, you don’t have to do anything with her, let me torture her. I will find out for you.”
Josh lowered his head.
“No, she would enjoy that, just leave us alone, I have to do this.”
Kai stood up and rubbed his head. “What the hell happened?” he asked.
Theodore turned to him. “I told you not to feed him Kai… you never listen.”
Kai grinned. “Well, he’s awake now!”
Sam shot him a look. “He is not awake because of you! You are lucky that Theodore came to your side. Josh would have killed you,” she said as she flashed to his side.
Kai rubbed his head and looked at the floor. “I’m sorry Sam, you were getting so sick, I just wanted to help…” Sam leaned towards him and placed her hand on his face, lifting his chin to her.
“I love you Kai,” she muttered. Theodore raised his eyebrows and Josh grumbled again.
“Listen, I am so glad that I woke up to this, could everyone leave the room now?” Josh said.
Sam, Kai and Theodore left the room. Josh watched the door close behind them. He looked at Elin.
“Take your clothes off,” he muttered. Elin grinned.
“Well, you could be more enthusiastic, I find it hard to get into the mood when you act as if it’s a chore.”
“Shut up Elin,” Josh muttered as he walked to the bed and sat down. Elin shed her clothing and walked up to him, she placed her hand on his face and he kept his eyes down.
“Must be awful for you, to not be able to just suck the memory out of me,” Elin said in a low tone.
“I don’t have time to discuss it. You know that I will not be able to do that right now, considering that I have been poisoned,” Josh said as he looked up at her.
Elin tilted her head and sat down next to him. He looked at her.
“Well, let’s get this over with,” he said to her, sounding disgusted.
Elin stood back up and grabbed her clothes from the floor. She started to put them back on. Josh looked at her with a look of confusion on his face.
“What are you doing? I need to know what is going on. I don’t have time for your games Elin!”
She looked at him and walked to the window. “I know that you think that I am a monster Josh,” she said quietly as she stared out. Josh stood up and looked at her.
“I am not playing your games Elin. I will do what you want, just lay down,” Josh said, trying to sound more convincing.
She looked at him. “Why did you kick me out of your house Josh?” she asked him. He rubbed his hand through his hair and looked at her.
“Because, you tried to feed on me Elin.”
She walked up to him and took his hand. “I wanted to stay with you; regardless of your lack of affection… I wanted to stay,” she said as she stared into his eyes. Josh crinkled his eyebrows.
“You need to stop,” he said to her as he felt a vibration in his hands.
He pulled his hand out of hers and started to take off his shirt. She looked at his chest and put her mouth to it, letting her tongue trace a line from his heart to his ribs. He sucked in his breath. Regardless of how much he hated her, her touch was intoxicating to him. He kept his hands at his side, fighting the urge to grab her and throw her on the bed. She lifted her mouth from his skin and looked up at him.
“I just want for someone to want me,” she whispered. Josh looked down at her.
“I want you Elin,” he muttered against his will.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her. He felt the heat coming from her and he controlled his breathing. Elin loosened her grip from his waist and lay down on the bed. She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it open as she stared at him. He sighed and sat down on the bed next to her. He stared at her skin, watching the bright orange color swirling across her stomach, trailing down under the top of her pants. He lay down on his side and she rolled on hers to look at him. He lifted his hand and traced his fingers across her collarbone. The color held to his fingers as he lifted them from her skin.
She leaned forward and started to talk to him in Latin, her mouth was close to his. He sucked in his breath and she grinned pushing him on his back. She sat on top of him and looked down at his chest. The color was swirling, chaotically over his skin. She watched as black started to slowly turn to orange. She bit into her hand and the blood ran over the side of her hand and it dripped onto his chest. He moaned as it started to move in the pattern of the swirling color. He grabbed her by the waist and rolled her under him, he bit into her neck, breaking the skin. Elin cried out.
Downstairs Kai looked up at the ceiling and grinned. “Damn,” he muttered. Sam hit him and he laughed.
“What?” he said as they heard another loud cry come from the bedroom upstairs. Sam grumbled. She stood up and walked out the door. Kai looked at Theodore.
“He is messing her up,” he said to Theodore.
Theodore sat down on the couch next to him. He looked at him and grimaced. They both looked up as Elin screamed out, “Oh my God!” Theodore stood up.
“I cannot listen to this, makes my stomach turn,” he said as he headed for the door.
Kai turned on the T.V. and started to play a game. Theodore stopped and flinched when he heard something crash upstairs. Kai looked at the ceiling and grinned.
“Listen, I am not happy that it is Elin, but I’m not going to say that I’m not impressed. She is freaking out up there.” Theodore shook his head and stepped out.
Josh and Elin lay on the bed breathing hard. Elin pushed herself up and swayed. Her head was spinning. Josh was covered in sweat and color was swirling all around the room. Elin stood up and looked down at her body, it was covered in bite marks. She looked back up at Josh and grinned. He sighed and rolled off of the bed.
“You didn’t know very much Elin,” he said to her. She smiled and started to get dressed.
“But I knew enough to help you,” she said. He rubbed his forehead and wiped his hand on his jeans.
“I feel dirty,” he said as he stood up and walked towards the door. Elin flashed up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He grabbed her hands and pulled them off of him.
“That was purely academic,” he said as he looked down.
“Oh, I know, but I especially enjoyed it when you screamed out Rue’s name. Josh, does she know how much you want her?” Elin said as she stared at his back.
Josh turned around and grabbed her wrists. She collapsed a little as his grip cut circulation off to her hands. He stared at her.
“You need to leave, run, I will kill you if you stay,” he said with anger. She grinned at him. “Okay, I will leave now, try not to hurt her too much Josh,” she whispered to him. Josh let her hands go and Elin opened the door.
She walked out and bit her lip. She could still taste his blood in her mouth. She
ran down the stairs and stopped to look at Kai. Kai looked up and stared at her. She smiled and looked back at Josh, as he came down the stairs. Josh walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He pulled out the orange juice and chugged it down quickly. Elin stared at him. He lowered the container and slammed it down. She flinched.
“Get out, before I change my mind Elin,” he said.
Elin ran to the door and flashed out past Sam and Theodore who stood up as she flashed into the woods. Sam pulled her blade and jumped down from the porch. Josh flashed out to her and grabbed her blade.
“No,” he said. Sam looked at him and back to Theodore. Josh relaxed his hand and let Sam put her blade away.
“What? You just let her go, Josh?” Sam said as she stared at him. Josh clinched his fists.
“She let me see everything she knows, it isn’t much, but it’s enough to help,” he said.
“That does not mean that you set her free,” Sam said as she stared out into the woods.
“She cannot leave this town Sam, you etched a binding symbol into her skin,” Josh said as he walked towards the house. Sam laughed.
Josh turned to look at her. “What?” he said.
“You feel bad,” Sam said to him. He looked at her and grinned.
“I don’t feel bad. I did what had to be done. I took one for the team.” Sam looked at Josh.
“Oh, you poor baby. What? You did her, thinking about Rue?” Sam said before she thought it through. Theodore stood up as Josh started to turn to her.
“I would suggest that you watch your mouth,” he muttered. Sam gripped her blade and stared at him. Josh turned to Theodore.
“We need a large mirror, I know where Johnathan is,” Josh said, ignoring Sam.
Sam looked at him, waiting for a fight, but nothing. She sighed. This is not the Josh that she wanted. She flashed up to him and looked into his face.
“You need to yell at me,” she said. Josh looked away from her and started to open the front door. Sam hit him in the back and he stopped.
“What the hell are you doing Sam?” he asked her.
“I am looking for my asshole of a brother. Have you seen him by any chance?” she said.