I looked at Sam and suddenly got the urge to run my fingers along his face, through his luscious looking hair.
I frowned and scowled at the floor, banishing that thought before anybody could read it on my face and see my shame.
“What about her parents?” I asked quietly.
“We will take care of that,” Peter said to me reassuringly.
I nodded and there was a short silence before anyone spoke.
“When will you leave?” Sam asked, his face solemn.
“We will pack and leave today. I cannot give you an exact date for our return, but if anything happens to go astray, call us. We will have our cell phones,” Peter said.
Elane, Jane, James and Sam nodded.
I somehow felt a wave of sadness inside me, along with guilt and anguish. This was my fault again and everybody probably knew it.
We were all out the front of the house now, standing in the courtyard and we were saying goodbye to Peter and Summer. Rosetta was still unconscious in the backseat of the blue Holden HV8, laying across the seat blindfold and rope bound.
Jane and Elane had embraced their mother and father but they didn't shed a tear, if it was me I would have cried a river, but that just shows how brave they are.
James had given his mother a hug and shook his fathers hand and Sam had done the same.
Summer kissed all her childrens foreheads and then it stunned me a little when she pulled me into her warm delicate arms and kissed my forehead too. She just smiled as she pulled back and hopped into the car.
Peter came and put one arm around me and said there was nothing to worry about, then he smiled earnestly and they drove off, us all staring at the car wordlessly as we were left alone. Seven uncanny teenagers.
We all were waiting inside the Archer house silently, most of us staring at nothing. It was kind of awkward.
After about ten minutes I couldn't take it, the tension filled the room and gave it an uncomfortable edge. I stood up from sitting on the couch suddenly, without meeting everyones curious gaze, and I walked out of the room and through the house. I opened a door to the ballroom and shut it quietly behind me. I went over to the beautiful grand piano at the bend of the room and wondered curiously if Sam was good at playing it. I ran my fingers around the sides until I got to the edge of the keys, they were as smooth as satin and yet they werent cold, they were warm. I sat on the long black leather piano stool and gazed unseeingly out the huge window wall, admiring the beautiful forest and all its wonders. Even though it was the middle of the day and the house was heated, as I stared out the window I felt a chill run down my spine, remembering the feel of the cold.
I had long since the accident with the knife, gotten changed into a shirt of Elanes for my old school one had a hole in it, and my blood stained it. I didnt need to worry about the jacket though because it was warm inside the house, but I knew that when I would go outside it would be another story.
“Mesmerizing, isn't it?” I heard a quiet voice behind me say, but I did not jump at this voice because it filled me with feelings that were… foreign to me, I think.
I don't know what it was but I didnt mind being around him now, things were different.
He had managed to come into the room with no warning noise of his approach.
“Yeah, it is,” I answered, just as quietly, not turning around to look at him.
He came and sat next to me on the stool but I still didnt turn to face him. I knew he was close enough to touch now, I could feel his body heat seep through my clothes and it made Goosebumps appear on my skin.
We both sat silently looking out towards the forest. I was still intently aware of him being close enough to touch, it was driving me crazy that I had to restrain so I focused on the forest outside very hard to distract me.
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered, hiding my pain.
He didn't answer at first, but after a long moment he whispered back. “I cannot explain now,” he paused, “If I told you I could explain in a few days would you give me that?” I felt his grave eyes on my face so I turned slowly to meet his gaze.
I tried to think clearly while looking into his strange light green eyes, they were almost transparent, enough to be emeralds but lighter than that. I secretly thought that as long as we were alone I could question him about things I didnt understand, which was basically everything, and then maybe get to know more about him. It was only a few days though, I could be patient.
“Okay,” I answered, lost in his dazzling eyes.
“I will tell you soon then.”
“Do you promise?” I asked.
“You have my word,” he answered, earnest.
We stared into each others eyes, and for that moment of my life I felt whole, like something was missing before this moment. I tried to read his expression; it was somewhere in between confused and warm.
He reached his hand up and stroked the side of my face very lightly with his fingertips. From my cheekbone to my chin, my lips started quivering though he was barely touching me I could feel the same jolt of electricity running through my body from his warm touch. I could see his eyes contained kindness and something else, something almost like pain.
He dropped his hand and I could feel something new in the air between us, I didnt know what it was but it felt strange in a good way. It wasnt like the way he sat next to me in Biology, it was different, like the opposite.
“Can you play?” I asked, wanting to hear his voice.
This is pathetic, I told myself. One minute Im scared to death of him because he wants to kill me, and now, well I feel completely the opposite way now.
He smiled sheepishly, looking impossibly handsome. “I'm not very good,” he said honestly.
“Can you play for me, please?” I smiled encouragingly.
He smiled and it left me breathless. Then he turned towards the keys and started playing fluently.
I listened to the gentle flow of the music, the notes weaving elegantly into a song I didn't recognised. It was beautiful, it sounded almost as beautiful as his voice.
Ugh, I sound pathetic, even to myself.
I kept silent so I could fully appreciate the gentle rhythm of the music. I watched his fingers move over the keys and it was almost impossible to believe that he was not very good. It was amazing, he was amazing.
He looked at me innocently and I narrowed my eyes. “Not very good my arse,” I said to him.
He chuckled. It's sound was like the music, and thats when I realised I had never seen him like this before. I was use to his grim expressions and murderous glare. He was more open now, revealing himself to me more, oddly enough.
Oh god, I sounded like a little school girl with a crush, while making googly eyes at him. He was cute, I know girls at school would like him a lot, but because he doesnt talk much that would probably scare them off. Not me though, not after this.
“I am okay,” he said modestly.
“I think you can play very well. Better than me.”
The song broke off and he burst into laughter. This startled me because he looked totally different and acted different too, it was like he was another person.
I looked at him curiously and he finished laughing and met my gaze. “What?” he asked curiously with a small smile, tilting his head to one side.
So adorable, I thought to myself.
I shook my head. “I'm trying to figure out if you hate me or not.”
He frowned a little and looked down. “I'm sorry, my behaviour towards you has not been very polite,” he said in a disgusted tone. “I had no reason to treat you the way I did, sometimes people do stupid things when they are scared.”
“Does that mean you don't hate me?” I asked a little cheerier.
“Yes, I don't hate you,” he said and smirked, but he was still looking down, his face full of shame.
So I went for the daring; I reached my right hand towards him and put my hand on his. I felt him stiffen but he didnt pull away.
“It's okay, as long as you don't hate me I'm fine with that,” I said softly, looking at him.
He got up abruptly, ripping his hand away and stared at me, his expression tortured. I didn't want him to look like that because somehow I felt his pain when he displayed it.
“I'm sorry, I have to go.” He walked out of the room, nearly jogging and closed the door behind him.
I stared after him yet again.
Damn it. Why do I have to do everything wrong, its not normal.
I sighed and turned back to the keys. I was feeling empty, like when he left the room he took my happiness with him.
I thrummed the piano keys softly and the beautiful sound echoed throughout the room.
Something inside me rose to my fingers and I was suddenly playing the most beautiful piece of music. I wasnt doing this, I watched in shock as my hands moved swiftly and gracefully over the keys. I pulled back, trying to regain control of my hands but they were still playing, disobeying my orders. I leaned my body as farther back as I could and suddenly I could feel my hands again as I fell off the back of the piano stool and hit the ground with a huff.
“Ouch,” I said, but I had the wind knocked out of me so it came out in just a whisper.
I closed my eyes to try to breathe. I felt someone stroking the side of my face and I opened my eyes slowly.
“Are you alright?” Sam asked, his eyes were as tender as his voice.
He had yet again managed to come back in with no sound of his re-entry.
I nodded, lost in his eyes. I wasnt sure what got me most, was it the fact that he was really hot or because he wasn't normal?
“I'm sorry I acted like that before. Will you forgive me?” he said softly.
His face just inches away from mine and his hand still stroking my cheek.
“I forgive you,” I said quietly, yet somehow I was in disbelief that something could scare him.
Damn, he had to stop doing this to me, making me feel like he wants something else to become of us.
I stayed still on the ground, just looking at him and ignoring what my mind had to say, it felt like I didn't mind if I was going to get hurt in the long run because I was happy being right here with him right now.
“Where did you get this from?” he asked suddenly.
His hand moved from my face and he picked up the dark blue pendant on the necklace around my neck and studied it curiously.
I sat up slowly and faced him while he sat down cross-legged.
“My brother gave it to me after he left,” I said quietly, looking at my hands fold and unfold in my lap.
“Why did he leave?” he asked.
I looked up and his face was honestly curious, but why was what puzzled me.
“I don't know,” I said. “I think he didn't want me in danger from him being around.”
“Wouldn't your mother and father be upset?” he asked, still engrossed in my life.
“My dad doesn't care anymore to me, and my mother…” I took a deep breath to steady myself.
I looked up at him and he was waiting patiently for me to continue. “My mother passed a few years back.” I frowned a bit.
I felt his hand on mine and I looked up and he was smiling warmly.
“I'm sorry,” he said sincerely.
“Don't worry about it,” I said, shrugging it off.
“Why do you think your brother left?” he asked, removing his hand slowly.
He waited patiently again for me to gather an answer. I must seem retarded to him because Im so slow to answer, but it's the only way I could speak coherently.
“At first, I thought it was because I made him take me to a party about a year ago. I got drunk and had a fight with him because I wanted to ride with some friends. I hurt him that night, saying it was his fault mum died, but it wasn't, I just wanted him to leave me alone.” I felt my eyes start to water and sniffled to suck it up.
He took both my hands in his this time and smiled at me. “Go on,” he urged.
I bet he wasn't even aware of how bad my heart was misbehaving. And for me to feel the touch of his skin... it soothed me, it was so soft and warm yet very hard and tough. My mind was getting sidetracked so I had to concentrate to continue my story.
“The driver was drunk, but I didn't exactly know that and we ended up in an accident. All of them died that night, but I survived, I didn't even have any broken bones, or was even bleeding...” I trailed off.
Something clicked. The car accident, the knife, I had already had my power before I knew about it.
“Then what?”
“Then I woke up in the emergency room and they said I was somehow unscathed, except I was covered in red marks and my blood soaked my ripped clothes.” I looked past him trying to remember. “Adam picked me up that night, he didnt say anything to me, he did nothing. Later that night I heard dad and him fighting. This was when dad still cared enough to be concerned that I was in an accident, and then after that night we never really spoke about it again.
“I regained his trust back through the past couple of months, I had to, he was the only one there for me and the one I could rely on. Then one afternoon he up and left, giving me no explanations. I guess thats all really,” I finished saying, looking at his face for some sign of emotion.
“It's a beautiful necklace, I see why he left it to you,” he said thoughtfully, looking me back in the eyes.
I half smiled. Oh, I remembered I still had his ring. “It's not as beautiful as this,” I said, pulling the small silver vine ring out of my pocket.
He looked surprised when I held his silver ring up in front of him.
“Elane told me to wear it,” I explained to him.
He grinned, muttering Elanes name to himself. “You keep it,” he said, still grinning, somewhat lop sided, making him look extra gorgeous.
“Don't you want it back?” I asked him, confused. “Elane said you didnt know she had it.”
I held the ring out for him to take it but he didnt. He put his hands around mine instead, making my hand curl around the ring.
“It doesn't matter, I want you to keep it,” he smiled and I almost forgot to breathe.
I put the ring on my finger and looked at him, he was looking back at me. His face was calculating, I think.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. It just suits you, thats all,” he said.
His tone made me suspicious. I stared at him doubtful for a moment but let it go.
“So… can you tell me about your family?” I asked lightly.
He smiled wistfully. “Well, what do you want to know?”
“What does your family do?”
“Basically, we go around the world and look for Supernatural beings, people like ourselves. They've either broken the law, new to the world of the supernatural, or are about to get involved in Dark business,” he explained with a smile at my confused look. “It is sort of like a race, Dark against Light. Obviously we are Light but we still have to get to the beings before Dark covens, like the Warrigal coven, do.”
“Is there more than one Dark coven?” I asked.
What he was telling me was extremely intriguing and I wanted to know more, even if I was afraid of it.
“Of course, but the Warrigal have made it more prominent that they are determined to take control of all Supernatural beings, therefore dominating... well… I guess you could say earth or clementia; humanity in Latin. Most words are in Latin but still, you see my point.” He looked at me for some sign of emotion, my face was frozen, while the information was processing through my brain very slowly.
“So you're saying theyre pretty much convincing powerful beings to join their coven so they can enslave mankind,” I defined, it was what I could gather from his explanation.
“Yep, pretty much,” he said, smiling.
“Hmm.” It was farfetched.
He had his intense eyes on mine, and for a minute I think he started leaning towards me slowly, almost as if he was going to k
iss me. I dont know what made me lean in as well, but before I knew it, we were so close to each other now that his nose was touching mine, with his lips only too close. I could feel as his warm hand rested on the side of my arm, and with how close his body was, their was something flowing between us, something that made me want to move in that extra centimetre so our lips met. I hated to admit it but I wanted Sam to kiss me, to hold me, I dont know what changed but I wasnt afraid of him, he was different and he made me feel special.
“Come on, we better get you home. You must be tired,” he suggested with a slight smile, pulling away slowly as his gaze kept me trapped.
“Yeah,” I coherently agreed a bit slowly, pulling back and standing up, still in a daze.
6. Sylar
Monday was very tiring emotionally and physically. After I hugged nearly everybody and said goodbye, Sam surprisingly walked me home and gave me his jacket when we were out the door. We had forgotten about the cold, and as soon as we were half way down the driveway, you could hear my teeth chattering, thats why he lent me his jacket.
His long jacket was black leather and very warm, it had a nice smell to it, but I didn't think it was cologne, it was more of him.
We walked up my driveway, side by side and to the doorstep, then we stopped and we faced each other. As he looked at me with his piercing green eyes, he lent in cautiously so I held still. He kissed my cheek ever so tenderly, his warm full lips lingering longer than they should, making my heart beat erratically, but as he was pulling back he whispered in my ear. “Goodnight Layla, sleep well,” was what he said before he pulled away completely and walked off down the driveway.
He left me feeling breathless and all warm inside, and it wasn't his jacket, it was him and how he acted towards me now. I couldnt believe he would kiss my cheek, though I cant say Im not happy about that.
****
I dragged myself out of bed. I was still exhausted from my very vivid dream.
I was in the ballroom at the Archer house and I was wearing a fancy ice blue coloured dress. Sam was there, he was looking sharp in a classic black tuxedo. He came over and offered me his hand to dance, and I took it. We were twirling away on the dance floor alone, we were the only ones there but the music was flowing loudly from somewhere in the room, sounding like an orchestra. He pulled me closer when I could sense the song was coming to an end and as it softened. I could feel his extraordinary breath caressing my face, his warm body against every crevasse of mine, his strong arms holding me closer to him. It sent a thrill of excitement through me. He leant his beautiful face in slowly, closer and closer towards mine, always keeping his strange green eyes on me, then…
The Hidden Revelations: First Light Page 12