by Tanya Dawson
“Give me a minute.” I proclaimed, and he removed his hand and the door shut and the latch closed. I gave myself the once over and straightened my jacket and grabbed my backpack. I could see his boots as he stepped back from the stall and heard him moving towards the middle of the bathroom.
“You were in the woods outside of my house the other day,” I said still safe in the stall.
“Yes, I’ve been in the woods by your house since that night.” He said barely loud enough to hear.
“Why?” I walked to the stall door and put my ear next to the small opening to hear him better.
“I’m not leaving your side until you pledge. I don’t trust my family.” He said, and I heard a plop, him likely sitting on the floor.
I knew I couldn’t stay locked in the stall forever, and if he wanted to, he could easily come in at any time. I slowly unlocked the lock, took a deep breath and walked out into the bathroom. Henry was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He looked like he hadn’t slept for days. He didn’t look up when I walked out.
“Why did you take me back to my family?” I wasn’t sure what to say to him. I hated him, yet I was somewhat in love with him. I shook my head at the thought of it. What did I know about love?
“That was the only way to save you.” His head hung low, and he didn’t look up at me as I approached.
“Why did you save me?” It came out almost in a whisper. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know or not.
“Because I love you.” His gaze remained on the floor, his legs were bent and his arms on his knees.
I swallowed hard and wondered if I could make it to the door, unlock it and run before he got up. But he was a vampire, so of course, he could outrun me. I focused on a getaway instead of his words because I didn’t want to tell him I felt the same way.
“You barely know me.” Was all I could muster.
“I know you, Olivia. And you know me.” This time he looked up towards me, and I could see his eyes were red and watery.
“I’m not sure I do.” I looked away, uncomfortable under his gaze, and within seconds, he was up and had me against the wall. His cold hand softly lifted my chin until our eyes met, then it slowly moved down my neck to where my bandage was, and he gently lifted part of it off.
“I thought they would have healed you fully.” His voice cracked a little.
“I’m still human.” I took advantage of his gaze being on my wound and studied his face up close. His lips were a deep berry red and plump. His chin was squared with a cleft. His eyes were wide and a calming green.
“You’re perfect.” He whispered. I stood entranced as his lips made their way to mine and crashed into them. I was a willing participant and under his spell. His hot, wet tongue dipped into my mouth with a thrust that left me breathless.
He pulled back, and my immediate response was to follow that tongue. My lips made their way back to his for a few seconds, and his hands slid down my back slowly until he grabbed my bum and hoisted me up against the wall. I wrapped my legs around him, and his lush lips kissed my neck and my wound.
Suddenly, he pulled back and gently lowered me to the ground.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, confused at his change in mood.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t do this.” He stepped back with his hands in the air and looked at anything but me.
“I don’t understand.” I stepped closer to him and reached out to touch his arm, but he backed away.
“You need a clear mind to pledge Olivia. I won’t mess that up for you.” He looked sincere in his judgment.
I didn’t have time to think or respond as someone began pounding on the bathroom door fiercely.
“Olivia! Are you in there?” an angry voice yelled. My heart started beating faster as soon as I realized who it was – Skylar.
CHAPTER 15: HENRY
OLIVIA’S EYES NARROWED, and her forehead scrunched up with her nose. Her chest heaved up and down as she hesitantly placed her hand on the doorknob. We both knew the person on the other side of that door would not be happy to see me locked in a room with his precious Olivia.
Skylar and I were never friends, and we certainly weren’t going to be now. He had a clear interest in Olivia, and she was struggling with herself over the both of us.
I leaned back against the counter as I heard the lock click and next came a gust of air as he entered the door ready for a fight. Olivia was quick to stand between us as she tried to manage the brute.
“Skylar, please. Don’t make a scene for nothing.” It stung to see the allegiance she had for him. Her eyes pleaded with me to not hurt him then she turned her attention to him, and her eyes changed. Her expression was different with him. She was different.
“If he did anything...” Skylar squared his shoulders and puffed his chest out to intimidate me, but it only made me laugh. I would gladly push his buttons.
“Olivia’s protector.” I hissed as I taunted him.
“Henry! Enough.” Olivia was not pleased with my response. However, I couldn’t help but take a hit at the big jock.
“Nothing happened soldier. We were just discussing her accident and how to prevent it from happening again.” I sauntered to the middle of the room.
Skylar rushed me and with his two fists, shoved me against the same wall I had just had Olivia against. The memory made me smile.
“If you ever touch her again.” Skylar pressed his knuckles into me as his face and neck turned redder.
“I think you might just pop that vein there kiddo.” I hissed at him again.
Olivia somehow wedged herself between us and pulled the brute off of me. She looked disappointed in the both of us, however, in our minds we were fair game.
“I’m not going to listen to this again. I will make friends with whoever I wish, and I can take care of myself.” She scolded both of us. Suddenly her complexion grew white, and she looked like she could drop at any minute. She leaned back on the counter to steady herself as her body began to sway back and forth.
Skylar was quick to be by her side and caught her as she almost fell to the ground. As much as I loved to taunt him, I had to be on my best behavior for her sake. She was still weak from the attack as much as she didn’t want to believe.
“Take it easy now.” He gently helped her to the ground and laid her back against the wall to help her recover.
“I’m OK.” She waved us both away but remained on the floor.
“Should I call Ruby?” Skylar asked as he reached for his cell phone.
She was hesitant, but after a few seconds, she nodded for him to call. I wanted to grab her and take her to her bed to rest and make her stay there until she was ready to be out.
Skylar called Ruby but stayed hovering over Olivia because I was there. The intruder. I wondered how much he actually knew.
“She’s on her way. She will text when she is here. Take a moment to get your strength up. I’ll help you out when she gets here.” He emphasized “I’ll.”
“I just need a minute. Do you think you can both be in the same room without fighting that long?” She eyed us both with a frown.
She had so much on her mind, so I kept my manners in check for her. Despite Skylar hanging around, I would see to it that she was safe. That was my main mission until she pledged.
Truthfully, it may be the only time I am allowed to be around her if she chooses to pledge to the fae. But I didn’t want to think about that. A life without having Olivia by my side made me feel ill.
“I think I can manage as long as the brute can.” One last punch line then I’ll be good.
Skylar looked up from Olivia to show me his discontent. Then his attention went back to her as he grabbed her backpack and placed the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. I glanced away and fought the urge to plow him into the wall, for her sake.
“You’re warm.” He took his place sitting next to her and kept his hand on her leg, and all I could notice is that she didn’t pus
h it away.
The thought of them being closer burned me from the inside out. I’m not sure I could manage if that brute were by her side for the rest of her life.
“I’ll be fine once I get home to rest.” She muttered as her breathing was labored and her face flushed.
“You should stay home until you’re healed.” I offered ready for the brute to attack my words.
Olivia looked up at me, her eyes soft and lingering on mine. “I’ll rest.”
I paced the floor back and forth, trying to keep my anger at bay as the two of them sat closely together on the floor. I noticed my breathing becoming shorter and shorter as my lungs filled with air and anger. I had to get out of there. The thought of turning when I was angry was all I could do to push it deep inside.
“I will leave you in the good hands of Mr. Duncan.” With that, I left the bathroom not looking back, unsure of where I stood with Olivia.
I entered the hallway and made my way to the main entrance when I caught the distinct smell of another vampire. It caught me off guard, as this was Sabean territory and this vampire was not part of our clan.
I looked around the hallway trying to figure out where the vampire was, but they must have a protection spell on them, which meant they were working with a coven or a rogue witch. Not only did I have to keep my Father away from her, now I had to protect her from some unknowns.
It made sense other vampires would be here as Olivia’s pledge night would be soon, especially given the attack. The only way to keep her safe was for her to pledge.
My guard was up, and it would be hard to turn if I needed to with so many people around. I had to make sure Olivia got out of the school safely. I scanned everyone as they walked past me for any indication of them being the vampire.
The sweet scent of fae entered my nostrils, and I knew Ruby had just arrived. I waited behind a pillar as Skylar and Olivia exited the bathroom. No one seemed to notice them, so I knew the vampire was watching me. I followed them to the front door and watched as Olivia was delivered to the safety of Ruby’s car.
I turned my attention back to the hallway, but the scent was gone. Whoever it was, slipped past me and was after Olivia.
CHAPTER 16: LILY
THEY BEGAN ARRIVING late last night, taking up space in the woods surrounding the house. Their eyes glowed dimly at the edges of the yard where the tree line started. I had sat on the window seat for hours watching them move effortlessly in the woods.
“How many are there now?” My grandmother asked as she entered the room with a tray of tea and cookies.
“Hundreds,” I said not even bothering to look at her.
“I see,” She began to pour two cups of tea and brought one over to me. “We figured this might happen. Now that it has, we will deal with it.” She peeked out of the curtain to get a glimpse of them for herself. She shook her head, likely at the thought of all these Vampires perched on Whitby land.
“I’m about to let them have her at this point, Grandma.” I was half joking and half not. Ever since she came to live with us, she had been causing us nothing but problems, on top of the problems we already had.
“Oh, you don’t mean that.” She fanned her hand at me as she took a seat in the large antique winged back chair. “She’s a Whitby first, and we owe it to your mother to keep her safe.”
I owed my mother nothing for leaving us, but it wasn’t something I would bring up in front of Grandmother. I kept my feelings to myself for the most part, as thinking of her made me vulnerable.
Ruby entered with sandwiches on a tray and placed them next to the tea grandmother had brought. “She’s settled in her room for now. I don’t think she will want to leave for a while.”
“Does she know about her fan club outside?” I prodded as I reached for a sandwich.
“No. I thought it best not to inform her.” Ruby slapped my hand away until she could arrange the sandwiches on a plate. That was her thing when she was stressed. To control whatever she could.
“It will be hard for her not to notice. They aren’t exactly trying to hide very well.” I glanced out of the window again to make sure they were staying in the woods. “Let’s do shift work watches for now. I’ll call in the Fae Council and beef up security here.”
“No vampires have ever entered this house. We’re safe here.” Ruby delved out our plates with the appropriate amount of mixed sandwich squares while Grandmother and I shared a look of concern.
“Yes, we are safe from the vampires, but there are more creatures out there. It wouldn’t hurt to have more protection. I’ve called in for help; they should be arriving soon.” Grandmother placed her plate down and took a sip of her tea. “There is also another issue we need to discuss.”
Her mood changed, and I watched her sit in silence trying to figure out a way to tell us whatever was on her mind. My grandmother was always fresh with her thoughts, so I knew this would be a doozy.
“There is strength in numbers my dears, and we are missing one.” Grandmother’s head hung low, and Ruby pushed herself to the edge of her seat. I knew who she was thinking and I wasn’t ready for her to come back.
“We are missing more than one.” I put my attention towards the window and held back tears that desperately wanted to fall.
“I second trying to call Amelia back.” Ruby was quick to add.
Amelia was the youngest sister before we found out about Olivia. She left us two years ago in the middle of the night just like our mother had. There were rumors over the years that she joined a coven to be their guide, or she had run off with a demon and was wanted by the council.
The truth was, no one knew where she went because she had gone dark. Her social media had no activity, and we never heard from her again. It was inevitable she was caught up in some scheme as she was gullible and would fall for any man that paid her attention, much like our mother.
“If she wanted to be here she would. She would have called to see how we were. If we needed help. I don’t trust her.” I countered. Ruby knew my position well.
“I understand why you’re upset Lily, but we need her right now.” Ruby walked over to me and glanced out the curtain, her face showed fear as eyes peeked back at her from the woods. “We aren’t ready to handle a war of this magnitude.”
She was right; we weren’t. But I was the oldest, and I needed to keep everyone safe. With the help of the council, we should have enough creatures to keep them at bay until Olivia pledged.
“She needs to pledge.” I turned back to them quickly. “Her pledge makes this all go away.”
Olivia would have until she turns nineteen to pledge, after that time, her abilities would go away, and she would never have a chance to regain them.
“That’s impossible. She has just learned about our world and what she is.” Grandmother sat back in her chair firmly, her lips drawn into a straight line. She was old school.
“We can’t live for another year and a half like this. Always looking over our shoulders.” I raised my voice to her for the first time, and she ignored me, looking straight past me at the wall.
“Lily is right. We need her to pledge soon. But she needs to know everything so she can make a sound choice.” Ruby backing me on this matter made our bond closer. She often didn’t agree with me on hard decisions, so when she did, it assured me I was on the right path.
“We will give her a week to decide, on the condition that everything is revealed. And it must be done in good faith. We cannot guide her choice. It’s important that she pleads right for herself. I will plan the proceedings.” Grandmother said as she put her glasses on and walked out of the room.
“She knows better than us,” Ruby stated taking another peek out of the window.
Our Grandmother was the last Fae Vampire mix to pledge. Our pledge was simple, either we wanted to be fae, or we wanted to be human. The choice was easy. If Olivia wanted to be a creature, she had to choose between being Fae or Vampire, and each had their consequences.
&nb
sp; “It’s not an easy choice,” I stated so Ruby would know that I also understood, even if I wasn’t close to Olivia.
“I want to reach out to Amelia, and I don’t want you to try to stop me,” Ruby said quickly and sincerely. It was something I had known she wanted to do for a while. She didn’t need my permission to do it, but she wanted me to be ok with it.
“I won’t try to stop you.” I stepped back with my hands up in a surrender position.
“We don’t know why she left, Lily. She told me some things right before she disappeared. There is just more to the story than you think, but it’s not my place to share them with you.”
Ruby looked sleep deprived and was very thin. She wasn’t handling this very well, and that was partly why I wasn’t on board with Olivia staying here. It all started two years ago when Amelia went missing or left. They were much closer than Amelia and I. I always had to be the sensible one because I would be in charge one day. Amelia and Ruby could go out and have fun, and nothing was expected of them. I envied that.
“Let’s just get through this. Put a call out and see if she comes. But don’t get upset if we hear nothing back. Promise me.” We linked our baby fingers together in a hook and pulled.
“I promise.” Ruby smiled at me and we both knew that wouldn’t happen.
“Now plan B. Let’s call all the fae and hope they show up,” I said.
“Agreed.” Ruby took a sip of her tea and whipped out her phone and started texting. She was a social butterfly and would know more people to call than I would.
I went back to the window and turned off the lamp in hopes of getting a better look outside. It was getting darker, and they appeared to have no problem letting us know they had set up camp.
There were too many little fires to count. Each fire likely represented at least two vampires. From the light of the fires, I could see them moving about more; they were strategizing.
All of this excitement was based on one pledge. When Olivia finally made her pledge to one side, there was a small chance she would receive both powers from her line. It had never happened before, but there was a chance it could, and that was why so many vampires had come to camp on our lawn.