《Kidnapped By The Vampire Prince》 1 My heart was beating a million miles a minute as I watched the scene being yed out before me. The sight I was beholding was terrifyingly dark and wicked. My palms were sweating profusely and I trembled uncontrobly, biting on my lip to try to calm myself. ¡°Please,¡± a young, average woman pleaded, stepping away from the menacing man in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick,¡± the man responded, his lips curling back into a smirk as he closed in on her. A shudder ran through me as I caught sight of the two gleaming, pointed, unnatural canines that protruded from his mouth. My eyes stayed wide open, no matter how much I wanted to close them. Fear incessantly filled my veins as I continued to watch the atrocious spectacle in front of me. It was like one of the car crashes that were so horrendous you couldn¡¯t look away. In the blink of the eye, the man was on the woman, and a snapping sound was heard soon after. A strangled scream escaped my throat as the body of the woman fell to the ground, lying lifeless. Suddenly there was a stinging p on my back, and I jumped violently, twisting around to face the person who had inflicted the pain, ready to scream again. ¡°Emily!¡± my friend Leah scolded in a harsh whisper, her eyes narrowed in irritation. ¡°Shh! There are people trying to watch a movie!¡± Relief washed through me at the sight of my friend. ¡°You¡¯re the one that dragged me here,¡± I finally snapped back, my heart pounding a mile a minute. ¡°You know I¡¯m terrified of horror movies and vampires!¡± Leah rolled her eyes. ¡°Vampires aren¡¯t even real, Em.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still scary,¡± I muttered, leaning back in my cinema seat and ncing back up at the screen where the vampire was now devouring the woman¡¯s blood. I cringed and looked away, shaking my hair over my pale face so I didn¡¯t have to see the scene. Leah sighed quietly and I heard her mutter under her breath, but couldn¡¯t quite make out exactly what she said. Now it was my turn to sigh. She was the one who dragged me here in the first ce. She shouldn¡¯t be the one sighing! ¡°Are you okay?¡± a new voice asked quietly, making me jump again. I turned to see my other friend, Alli, giving me a concerned look. ¡°You¡¯re really pale¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the movie,¡± I assured her quietly, now hearing the sounds of fighting from the screen. ¡°You know how I am with horror movies¡­¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Alli smiled knowingly and then bent over, retrieving something from her bag. She ced a little, stic package in my hand. I nced down at it, then back at her with a frown. ¡°Your mom told me to make sure you ate these,¡± she admitted, putting her head close to mine so we wouldn¡¯t be shushed. I groaned quietly. ¡°But I hate dried apricots and raisins!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Alli responded, a small smile of amusement on her face. ¡°But they were your mom¡¯s orders¡­¡± ¡°But they¡¯re gross!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± someone from behind me hushed, obviously annoyed. My face heated up in embarrassment and I quickly shoved a dried apricot into my mouth to keep myself quiet. As soon as the vor reached my tongue I wanted to spit it out. Dried fruit was disgusting! But I knew if I didn¡¯t eat my mom would find out somehow and scold me¡­. and then make me eat double the amount that she had originally ordered. I¡¯d have to grin and bare it . . By the time I finished the disgusting bag of fruit the movie credits were rolling. The lights came on and people around me stood up, heading towards the exit. I took my time getting up and stretching, d the horror flick was finally finished. Leah sighed contently from behind me. ¡°That was an awesome movie,¡± shemented, turning to watch the credits. ¡°Definitely got my adrenaline pumping. Perfect for Halloween night.¡± ¡°It was horrifying,¡± I responded in a t voice, now making my way out of the aisle. ¡°I¡¯d rather be trick-or-treating right now!¡± This seriously was a waste of my Halloween night. ¡°Why do you drag me to horror movies when you know I don¡¯t like them?¡± Leah scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t drag you to every single horror movie¡­¡± I gave her a t stare. She grinned back at me sheepishly. ¡°Okay, maybe I do drag you to most of them,¡± she admitted. ¡°Mostly all the vampire ones,¡± Alli interjected, throwing her empty bag of popcorn into the trashcan by the theatre exit. ¡°She makes me go to every single horror movie, so you should feel lucky Emily.¡± ¡°The vampire ones are the worst ones,¡± I muttered, pushing the theater door open and squinting at sudden brightness from the hallway lights. ¡°You guys both know they scare me.¡± Leah rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s about time you got over that fear. You¡¯re seventeen, Em.¡± ¡°You know what they say,¡± I responded defensively, ¡°you can¡¯t ever grow out childhood fears.¡± ¡°Emily, watch out-¡± Before Alli could finish her warning, I collided with something hard and nearly knocked it over. My hands grasped the cardboard before the cutout could fall over, and I set it back up straight. Sighing, I nced at the cutout and nearly jumped a mile in shock. It was a cut out of the vampire from the movie we had just seen. I let out a ragged breath, putting my hand to my heart. Leah and Alli started cracking up behind me, and I turned to re at the pair. ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Leah apologized, quieting herughter. ¡°But it actually is funny. It¡¯s such an ludicrous fear¡­¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± I snapped. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°So? It¡¯s still a scary thought!¡± ¡°You do understand I¡¯m only trying to help you with your fear by taking you to movies like this, right?¡± Leah continued, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. ¡°You must be the only person to have a serious fear of vampires.¡± ¡°I think vampires could be scary,¡± Alli pitched in, defending me. ¡°I mean, in all the movies we watch the vampires kill everyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because that¡¯s the best kind!¡± Leah argued. ¡°Who¡¯d want to see a movie about vampires falling in love with each other? We have movies that don¡¯t involve vampires for that.¡± ¡°But watching movies where everyone dies isn¡¯t really helping Emily¡¯s fear.¡± ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s an irrational fear. Vampires. Don¡¯t. Exist.¡± ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t even say that. You¡¯re afraid of aliens!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a legit fear,¡± Leah huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°Aliens are actually real. And when theye to abduct the non-believers, guess who¡¯s going to go first?¡± ¡°Vampires are as real as aliens,¡± Alli muttered, rolling her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t see Emily forcing you to see Alien movies.¡± ¡°Like I said, aliens and vampires are two different-¡± . . ¡°Just drop it,¡± I snapped, tiring of their bickering. ¡°I know it¡¯s a stupid fear, but it¡¯s not so easy to not be afraid of something you¡¯ve been terrified of since you were three!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Leah apologized, a frown appearing on her face. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I told her. ¡°I want to get over my fear as much as you want me to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think watching vampire movies is going to help,¡± Alli interjected, pushing open the cinema doors and stepping out into the mall. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what gave you the fear anyway?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I grumbled, ¡°ever since Jake forced me to watch them when I was little. I swear I watched one every day, sometimes twice a day, and then afterwards he¡¯d pretend to be a vampireing to kill me. I¡¯d be worried if I didn¡¯t a fear of vampires. I was like, five. The perfect age to gain childhood fears. Jake, my older brother, had an obsession with vampire movies. Not vampires themselves, just vampire movies. He had wanted to share that obsession with me when I was younger, but ended up just making me terrified of the non-existent creature. And everyday he mocked me for it. A wry smile of annoyance slipped onto my face. ¡°One day I¡¯ll get him back,¡± I promised myself. ¡°When he¡¯s least expecting it, I¡¯ll get him. Somehow.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Alli said with augh. ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t scared of anything.¡± As much as I hated to admit it, Alli was right. There seriously was nothing that could scare my brother. Alli and I would know. We¡¯ve tried every possible fear; spiders, heights, the dark, small dogs, bugs¡­ you name it. Nothing. Not even the slightest reaction. It was incredibly annoying. I attempted to push open the door to the outside, but ended up smacking my face against the ss when it didn¡¯t budge. Alli and Leah burst outughing behind me as I pulled away from the door, flushed. On the door, inrge, red letters was the word ¡°pull¡±. ¡°We¡¯ve been going to this theater for how long and you still try to push that door?¡± Alli asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re so blonde,¡± Leah said with augh. I rolled my eyes at her. ¡°Uh, maybe because I am blonde.¡± ¡°Dirty blonde,¡± Alli corrected, opening the door and gesturing for me to exit. Cold air bit at my exposed skin as we left the movie theater. Shivering, I pulled my jacket tighter around myself, moving my hair so it was covering the skin by the base of my throat that wasn¡¯t covered. ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Leahined, retracting her hands into her sleeves. ¡°I feel bad for all the trick-or-treaters.¡± ¡°Well they¡¯re walking around, and in costume, so they¡¯re probably warm,¡± Alli pointed out, taking a deep breath of air. ¡°I personally think it¡¯s nice out right now.¡± Both Leah and I gave her a crazy look, which she returned with a grin. Shaking my head, I rubbed my hands together briskly to give them some warmth. We crossed the parking lot to where Leah and I had parked out cars. As soon as mine was in sight it took all I had not to run to it, jump in, and turn the heat on full st. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want toe to the sleepover?¡± Leah asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be missing out.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t be, since you¡¯ll be watching vampire movies all night long,¡± I returned, pursing my lips. ¡°Anyway, I have to work in the morning.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± Leah pouted. ¡°You¡¯d know how important going to work is if you actually had a job,¡± Alli interjected, sticking up for me once again. Leah rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m trying, I¡¯m trying!¡± ¡°Sure you are,¡± I said with augh, another shiver wracking my body. ¡°So, as much as I¡¯d love to stand here and freeze to death with you guys, I¡¯m going to head out.¡± . . ¡°I¡¯d like to as well,¡± Alli responded, shooting at look at Leah. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stand out in the cold any longer either. I might get frost bite.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you two tomorrow. Have fun at your sleepover.¡± ¡°Have fun at your job,¡± Alli responded with a wave. ¡°Bye Leah,¡± I responded, going to my car, and pulling open the door. ¡°I¡¯ll call you twoter.¡± ¡°Sound good,¡± Alli responded. ¡°Drive safely.¡± ¡°You too,¡± I responded with a small grin. ¡°Don¡¯t hit any little children roaming around.¡± Leah snorted, rolling her eyes at me. ¡°Like I would do that¡­¡± Laughing, I climbed into my car, nearly jumping back out from the feel of the icy air inside it. I could literally see my breath! The cold from the seats were already seeping through my jeans. Jamming the key into the engine and starting the car, I swiftly turned the heat on as high as it could go. For a second it blew cold air out, but it slowly grew warmer. With onest wave to my friends, I proceeded to pull out of the parking lot and onto the road. Luckily I only lived about twenty minutes away from the movie theater, and with the back streets I took, I could easily go past the speed limit and reach my destination faster. Which is exactly what I nned to do. Turning left, I entered a dimly lit street, pressing harder on the gas pedal. I switched the stereo on and it started ying my favorite CD. In a matter of seconds I was singing along and drumming my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat. As I was passing the deserted school that was on the way to my house, my attention was drawn to it. It looked like something taken straight out of a horror story. Without warning, something stepped out in front of my car, getting caught in the headlights. With a loud curse, I mmed on my breaks, being thrown forward in my seat. My engine cut out, and I had to squint to see what was in front of my car. It was a group of teenagers in vampire costumes. They flipped me off as they crossed the road, and I was tempted to throw a few choice words at them, but ended up just ring my horn. ¡°I should have just hit them,¡± I muttered to myself, taking my key out of the ignition. I put it back in and turned. My car didn¡¯t start. I tried again, and still nothing. A groan escaped my lips as I tried again and again. I thumped my hand on the steering wheel in frustration. ¡°Come on! Start!¡± I cried, turning the key again. ¡°It¡¯s cold! We¡¯re like three blocks from home!¡± Ten minutester, I finally realized my car wasn¡¯t going to start. With a heavy sigh, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. A dryugh escaped my mouth when I realized it was dead. Tossing the useless item onto the passenger¡¯s seat, I opened my car door and climbed out, feeling the chilly air against my skin once more. ¡°Stupid piece of junk,¡± I muttered, storming angrily to my hood. ¡°Now is not the time!¡± With a scowl, I opened my hood and stared down at my engine. After a few minutes of doing so, I realized I had no idea what I was looking for. I wasn¡¯t a car person. Shutting the hood again, I decided my best option was to find someone who had a phone I could use. On the other side of the abandoned school, there was a variety store that probably had one. With my destination determined, I set off in pursuit of it. Unfortunately in order to get there, I had to pass the school. Just the sight of it gave me goosebumps. Wild ivy grew over all sides, reaching to the top of the building. The windows were broken and haphazardly covered by boards, which barely even covered half of the holes themselves. To bepletely honest, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it was haunted. As much as I wanted to ignore the nerve-wracking building, I found my attention attracted to it as I walked by. I didn¡¯t even notice theck of trick-or-treaters. . . 2 Two figures caught my attention against one of the walls. They were extremely close to each other and it took me a minute to realize they were embracing. A small smile graced my lips. It was times like these that I wished I had a boyfriend to do something like that with. After a minute more of gawking at them, I realized how awkward I was being, and quickly began to walk away. Not even five secondster, an ear-piercing scream tore through the frigid air. My blood turned cold as I froze up, my eyes wide in surprise. It sounded like it¡¯d came from right behind me. Slowly, I turned to see a young girl with pale blonde hair running towards me, a look of horror on her face. Horror spread onto my face when I realized her torso was covered in blood. ¡°Help me!¡± she shrieked, only feet away from me now. Panic surged through me as I looked around wildly. What was happening? Why was she running towards me? What could I do? Why was she coved in blood? A shudder ran through me when I realized a murderer, or the like, probably attacked her. But the most important question was: Where was the culprit who did this to her? My hands shook violently as my thoughts raced. Should I run? I couldn¡¯t just leave her here! But there was a chance I could be killed if I stayed. My heart pounded frantically as the girl came closer. I couldn¡¯t even begin to form a coherent word in my mind. My body was screaming at me to run, but I could only stand there in terror, gaping at the bloodied girl now only feet away from me. ¡°Please!¡± she begged, reaching out a hand and grabbing the front of my jacket. Oh god, I thought, looking down to see her blood soaked hand grasping my jacket. I fought the urge to be sick. Blood was not my thing. Focusing my attention back to her face, I realized the blood wasing from her neck. ¡°That guy!¡± she cried, her eyes wide with panic. ¡°H-he-¡± Suddenly a hand appeared on the arm of the girl who was holding up to me. A startled gasp escaped my lips from the sudden appearance of the new hand. The girl screamed and I nced up to see a figure of a man re at the blonde girl. He tugged her hand away from me, and she let go of my jacket. I stumbled back a few steps, too shocked to say anything. ¡°No!¡± the girl shrieked, trying to pull away from the man. ¡°Let me go, you sicko! Monster!¡± The mystery man brought a hand to the blonde girl¡¯s face and for a terrorizing second I thought he was going to p her. When his hand stopped inches from her face, I rxed slightly. The girl¡¯s screaming stopped promptly, and an eerily calm expression came onto it. Her eyes slid out of focus, and her arms fell limp at her sides. I watched in confusion as the scene yed out before me. Why wasn¡¯t she panicking anymore? What happened? Who was this guy? Why was I still standing here? Thest thought almost made meugh. ¡°Joel,¡± a quiet, suave, and calm voice spoke suddenly in amanding tone. A rustle of air from my left made me jump, and secondster a second man appeared next to the first. My eyes shot wide in surprise, and I took a step back from the shock. Where had hee from? Why hadn¡¯t I heard him approach? ¡°Yes?¡± the second man, who I assumed to be Joel, responded, standing next to the first man. They both had their backs to me, so I couldn¡¯t get a good look of their faces. Not that I wanted to. I wanted to run far away, and fast. But there were two things keeping me pinned to where I was. The first being that my legs wouldn¡¯t obey me, and the second being I wanted to make sure that girl was okay. Her sudden calmness worried me. ¡°Clean her up and leave her by the school¡¯s entrance,¡± the first man ordered, handing the unfocused girl to Joel. ¡°I¡¯ve already wiped her memories.¡± Whoa, what? Wiped her memories? What was this guy ying at? I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Was this some weird ult? ¡°And the girl behind us?¡± My eyes widened slightly when I realized Joel was talking about me. I cautiously prepared myself to run. It was just my luck to run into two weirdoes on Halloween night. ¡°I¡¯ll handle her, you go get that one cleaned up,¡± the first man ordered. ¡°Gotcha.¡± With that Joel disappeared from my vision in the blink of the eye. Another startled gasp left my lips and my eyes nearly bulged out of my eye sockets. That was impossible! No one could move that fast! The other man now turned to face me. The first things I noticed were his piercing, sapphire eyes. For a moment I was lost in their sea of blue, unable to pull myself away. The next thing I noticed was his perfect jaw structure- chiseled with low cheekbones. Then reality came back and I noticed the crimson dripping down his chin, staining his white shirt. My blood rand cold as I realized this was the murderer who attacked the blonde girl. ¡°Now don¡¯t run,¡± the young man advised, his eyes hardening. Like hell I wouldn¡¯t run. Now with control back in my legs, I twisted on my heel and began to t out sprint. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, spurring me to run faster. I needed to get away from this psycho! I needed to draw attention! A sharp scream escaped my lips as I continued to run around the abandoned school building. Where were all the trick-or-treaters when you needed them? Suddenly something hard smashed into my stomach, winding me, and making my feet fly out from under me. Before I could hit the ground I felt an arm wrap around my waist. Air whooshed past my ears and a cry of pain escaped my lips as my back was suddenly pressed up against the cool brick of the school building. Sapphire eyes pierced into mine once more as I gasped for breath. The young man scowled at me, his unruly, chestnut hair falling into his face. With a flick of his head, the hair was moved out of his eyes and I realized he was ring at me. I stared at him speechlessly, too much in shock to be able to speak. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say not to run?¡± ¡°I-I-I¡­¡± I stuttered, staring at him in horror. Tears sprung to my eyes now as I struggled to release myself from his grasp. My mind was racing again, plotting a way to get out of this mess. A murderer was holding me against a wall with strength I couldn¡¯t wish to out match. Why did my car have to break down? Why did that blonde girl have toe to me of all people? I just wanted to get use someone¡¯s phone and go home! ¡°Since you interrupted my meal earlier, you can be the substitute,¡± the man with blue eyesmented, a smirk slipping onto his face. Meal? Dread filled my veins. This guy was a cannibal! I was going to be eaten by some freak! ¡°Who are you, Hannibal Lector?¡± The guy snorted. ¡°Not quite, but close.¡± Now I struggled twice as hard to make him release me, but this only amused him. Heughed once, a quick bark ofughter. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think you can escape me,¡± he told me, bringing a freezing hand to my cheek. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt¡­ okay, that¡¯s a lie. But if you rx it won¡¯t hurt as much.¡± This wasn¡¯t happening. This was not happening! I shook my head, my mouth too dry to form a word. This guy wasn¡¯t even going to kill me before eating me? I almostughed at how insane my thoughts sounded. This was crazy! The young man smirked, his eyes amused. ¡°You have many expressions.¡± My eyes snapped back to his, and then dropped to his blood stained chin and shirt. He was seriously going to kill me! The manughed again, and what my eyes caught next made me scream in absolute terror. Fangs. This guy had fangs . And they were definitely not the cheap stic kind little kids bought toplete their Halloween costumes. A cool hand roughly covered my mouth, but I continued to shriek in hysteria into it, my eyes wide with fright. Vampires didn¡¯t exist! There was no such thing! They only existed in those awful movies! My heart felt like it was going to burst. I could feel myself on the edge of hyperventting. ¡°You¡¯re quite the vocalist, aren¡¯t you?¡± the man growled, bringing his head closer. With unnecessary force, he knotted his hand in my hair, forcing my head to the side, revealing my neck. My female instincts swung in, and I violently struggled against the man again, pounding on his back with my hands in tight fists. He only chuckled in amusement; his face merely inches from my own. ¡°This should calm you down.¡± My heart stopped beating as I felt hot breath at my neck. It resumed with considerable pace as something sharp brushed against my soft skin. There was a small prick, and then a piercing pain. I screamed into the hand covering my mouth, not being able toprehend what was happening. The pain stayed with me as I felt my blood being drained from my neck. Horror filled every inch of me. A vampire was sucking my blood. A vampire! My worst nightmare. A mythical creature that should only exist in movies or novels. Something that shouldn¡¯t even exist was draining my life from me! Eventually I stopped struggling, suddenly ovee with weariness. Time escaped me, and I had no idea how much had passed when the blue-eyed man finally pulled away. My vision was sliding in and out of focus, but I managed to catch the fresh blood on the mouth of the man. The sight made a wave of nausea sweep over me. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad was it?¡± he asked, grinning. As soon as he stepped away from me, I copsed to the ground, unable to support myself. I was caught between a state of denial and utter exhaustion. Vampires didn¡¯t exist! But how could I say that when one had just bitten me? My vision blurred as I fought to push myself back to my feet. I needed to get away. I took a few shaky steps, bringing out my arms for support. Damn it! It was so hard to keep my bnce. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re being over dramatic,¡± the blue-eyed man said, rolling his eyes at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink that much blood.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. My vision blurred once again as I continued my attempt to escape. The world was spinning as I fought to keep my bnce. No! I had lost too much blood! But I had to get away. After two more shaky steps, my feet suddenly gave out from under me and I stumbled to the ground, smacking my head against the frozen pavement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± the vampire snapped, sounding irritated. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink that much blood! Why are you acting like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m anemic,¡± I murmured feebly before my world turned ck. 3 ¡°Vivi, what have you done?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything!¡± ¡°Why is there a human girl in the back seat then?¡± ¡°What girl?¡± ¡°Vivi!¡± ¡°Stop calling me that!¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± My head pounded ufortably as voices filled my ears. I clenched my jaw in pain as the throbbing continued to cause me difort. The quiet hum of an engine told me I was in a car, and the gentle bumps every now and then told me I was in a moving car. Weariness swept over me and I had to fight the urge to go back to sleep. As tired as I was, I had to figure out whom these voices belonged to and why I was in a car. It hurt, but after a few moments I was able to force open my eyes. A young man with pale blonde hair and chocte colored eyes was staring back at me. I inhaled sharply in surprise, quickly sitting up in my seat. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I brought a hand up to my mouth, feeling as though I was going to be sick. The blonde blinked at me, narrowing his brown eyes. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded, suddenly alert. I looked out the window and realized I couldn¡¯t see anything but a ck forest whizzing by. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Joel,¡± the blonde responded, pointing to himself. ¡°And you¡¯re in a car.¡± ¡°Thanks for pointing out the obvious,¡± I snapped, not in the mood for sarcasm. ¡°Why am I here?¡± ¡°Well, Vivi randomly brought you to the car and threw you in the back¡­ I¡¯m curious as to why you are here too.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Vivi?¡± ¡°My name isn¡¯t Vivi,¡± a smooth voicemented from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t just leave her there.¡± My eyes snapped to the man who had spoken. He nced at me through the rearview mirror. Piercing blue eyes met my gaze and I felt my heart skip a beat. Memories from earlier suddenly flooded my mind. The school, the bloody girl, his fangs ¡­ ¡°V-v-vampire!¡± I stuttered, staring at him in horror. ¡°Bingo.¡± Oh my god¡­ ¡°No¡­ no!¡± I shook my head violently. ¡°No! Vampires don¡¯t exist!¡± ¡°Well you¡¯re looking at two right now,¡± Joel said, grinning and showing his over-sized canines. A scream escaped my lips, making the blonde jump in surprise. This was too much for me to handle. My worst nightmare was sitting in front of me! And there were two of them! I frantically grabbed the door handle of the car, shoving it as hard as I could. ¡°Joel!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Joel responded immediately, still grinning in amusement at me. ¡°Child lock is on.¡± Desperately, I attempted to open the door again. When that didn¡¯t work I began to pound on the windows. ¡°Let me out!¡± I shrieked, mming my fist down on the ss as hard as I could. ¡°No! No!¡± ¡°She¡¯s quite the noisy one, isn¡¯t she, Vivi?¡± Joelmented, watching me curiously. ¡°My name is Vincent,¡± the blue-eyed one snapped, his eyes flickering to Joel to give him a short re. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Vivi!¡± ¡°Whatever. Can we do something about her?¡± ¡°Since she¡¯s finally awake, yes.¡± Without warning, Vincent mmed on the breaks, making me pitch forwards, off my seat. I fell to the floor of the car,nding on my wrist ufortably. A small groan of pain escaped my lips and I quickly pulled my wrist out from under me. The car door opened behind me and there was suddenly a rough tug on the back of my jacket, and I was yanked backwards and out of the car. A rough hand captured my wrist, preventing me from running. . . ¡°Let me go!¡± I cried, attempting to yank my hand back. ¡°Stay still, or I¡¯ll break your wrist,¡± Vincent growled, his eyes prating into mine. I froze, narrowing my eyes at him. As much as I wanted to ignore him, I couldn¡¯t afford to have my wrist broken. Not to mention that would probably hurt. A lot. So I stood stock still, barely even daring to breathe. Vincent raised a pale hand to my face and I immediately closed my eyes, shying away from him. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Slowly I did as he said, and found my eyes once again entranced by his sapphire orbs. For a few moments we stared at each other. Vincent¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed, and he pulled his hand away, dropping my wrist. ¡°Joel,¡± he snapped and the blonde vampire appeared next to him before I could blink. ¡°Try to erase her memory.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Joel responded, a flicker of amusement appearing in his eyes. ¡°The master at erasing memories can¡¯t erase a memory?¡± ¡°Just try.¡± ¡°Right away!¡± Joel stepped up to me, and put his pale hand in front of my face. This time I took a step back in surprise. He chuckled,ing closer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°Stay away,¡± I warned, wondering why I had let Vincent so close to me in the first ce. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t exist!¡± ¡°Keep saying that,¡± Vincentmented in a snide voice. ¡°There¡¯s living proof right in front of you. Well, technically not living¡­¡± ¡°If you let me erase your memories, vampires won¡¯t exist,¡± Joel said coaxingly, putting his hand to my face again. I watched him distrustfully, but let him do so. I would give anything to have my memories erased. Not knowing about vampires would leave me much better off¡­ No wait, what was I thinking? They didn¡¯t exist! They couldn¡¯t exist! I didn¡¯t care if these two imed to be vampires! It was impossible! After a moment a frown appeared oh Joel¡¯s face. He pulled his hand away and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°Vivi, who is this girl?¡± I turned my eyes to Vincent, who shrugged. ¡°I have no idea.¡± My head throbbed painfully again and I scrunched up my eyes in pain, bringing a hand to my forehead. Another wave of nausea crashed through me and I tottered on my feet for a second. Joel¡¯s hand shot out to steady me. Surprised, I jumped violently, taking a quick step away from him. ¡°D-don¡¯t touch me!¡± I warned, trying to figure out which blonde man to re at. My vision was showing me two. ¡°Dude, how much blood did you drink? She looks sickly.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drink much at all!¡± Vincent snapped ring at me as if it was my fault I looked sick. I did my best to re back at him, but the pain from my head made it a hard feat, and I ended up just closing my eyes to ease the ache. It was bing a hard task just to stand on my feet. I backed up until I could lean against the car for support. I needed to escape. ¡°But she¡¯s so pale!¡± ¡°She said something about being anemic or something.¡± There was a short silence before Joel suddenly startedughing. ¡°Are you kidding me right now? You drank blood from and kidnapped an anemic, human girl? How ironic can you get?¡± . . . ¡°It¡¯s not like I knew she was anemic,¡± Vincent retorted. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have had to¡­ take her if she hadn¡¯t passed out.¡± ¡°What are we going to do with her then?¡± It was really starting to irritate me how they kept talking as if I wasn¡¯t standing three feet behind them. But, I could use that to my advantage. I took deep, long breath, trying to make my vision normal again. While they were distracted, I could make my break. ¡°We can¡¯t let her go,¡± Joel continued. ¡°If someone finds out a human whose mind we can¡¯t erase knows about us then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fully aware of the consequences, thank you,¡± Vincent snapped in an irritated tone. ¡°It¡¯s even worse for you, considering your position,¡± Joelughed. ¡°You should have thought twice, Vivi.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that!¡± Vincent growled. ¡°For now, we keep the girl with us. Maybe Sebastian can sort this all out. Whatever happens, we do not let my dad know.¡± Vampires had families? That surprised me. I thought all vampires were turned¡­ I shook my head quickly. Thinking wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere. I needed to escape before I was dragged off to who knows where. Checking to see if Joel or Vincent were watching, I slowly began to creep along the edge of the car, ready to start sprinting.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I do not want to die,¡± Joel told Vincent, ¡°so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let him know.¡± ¡°Good.¡± By now I was at the back of the car. I had no idea which way to go. After only a second of hesitation I made a break for it, dashing as silently as possible down the dark road. My vision was still blurry, but I did my best to ignore it. Hopefully they wouldn¡¯t notice¡­ Maybe a car woulde by and I could stop it and they would take me to safety- ¡°Trying to run away again, are we?¡± A pair of stone hard arms wrapped around my waist, making mee to aplete halt. A groan of frustration and hopelessness left my mouth. The one holding me chuckled and I realized it was Vincent. He let me go, but kept a vice-like grip on my shoulder to stop me from running again. ¡°You¡¯re causing me enough trouble as it is, don¡¯t push it by trying to escape again,¡± he warned, dragging me back to the car. ¡°Get in. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°No!¡± I cried, ducking out of his grasp. ¡°I won¡¯t go! I can¡¯t! You don¡¯t exist!¡± Joelughed while Vincent gave me a harsh re. ¡°I¡¯d hate to break it to you, love, but there¡¯s no way you can deny our existence since we¡¯re standing right in front of you, and Vince has already drank from you,¡± Joel told me, smiling. ¡°I refuse to believe,¡± I stated stubbornly. ¡°Should I remind you then?¡± Vincent asked, suddenly pressed up against me again. ¡°No!¡± I screamed, swatting a hand out and making contact with his face. Immediately I dropped my arm, staring at him in horror. Joel startedughing again. ¡°She totally bitch-pped you, Vivi.¡± ¡°Get in the car,¡± Vincent growled, pulling me roughly by the front of my bloodstained sweatshirt. He opened the backseat door and threw me in roughly, cramming my legs in so he could m the door. . . . 4 ¡°No!¡± I shouted, lunging for the door, but he managed to close it just before I could stop it. I tried the handle, only to find it child-locked again. Twisting in my seat, I attempted to climb to the front and escape from there, but the two vampires seemed to guess my n and before I could blink Vincent was in the driver¡¯s seat, and Joel was in passenger¡¯s, grinning back at me. ¡°Rx,¡± he told me. ¡°Rx?¡± I repeated shrilly, staring at him open-mouthed. ¡°You¡­ you monsters are kidnapping me! How can I rx?¡± ¡°Lean back and close your eyes?¡± Joel suggested, a smirk ying at his lips. ¡°Let me out! Let me out of this car right now!¡± I cried, resorting to mming on the windows again. ¡°This is crazy!¡± ¡°Well, Vivi, you really know how to pick your girls.¡± ¡°Just shut up,¡± Vincent responded, keeping his eyes on the road. ¡°She¡¯ll shut up eventually too. Just ignore her.¡± ¡°My parents will definitely file a missing person report!¡± I warned them. ¡°They knew I wasing home tonight after the movies! They¡¯ll definitely¡­ definitely¡­¡± I trailed off, a hand automatically going to my pocket. My phone¡­ it was still in my car. Unbelievable. ¡°Love, we¡¯re vampires. People don¡¯t know we exist,¡± Joel responded, giving me a pitying look. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll care if you be a missing person? No one knows you¡¯re with us, and no one knows who we are.¡± ¡°The¡­ the blonde girl from before does!¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± Vincent interjected, ncing at me through the rearview mirror. ¡°Like any normal human, her memory has been wiped of the ident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you can¡¯t erase my memory!¡± ¡°Ignore Vivi,¡± Joel said, gaining my attention. ¡°He just made a mistake and knows he¡¯ll have to admit it so he¡¯s in a bad mood.¡± ¡°My name isn¡¯t Vivi ,¡± Vincent growled. Tears sprang to my eyes as I realized there was no way I could get myself out of this mess. Vampires, my worst nightmare, were kidnapping me. And there was no way I would be saved. I sniffed, rubbing my eyes frantically to stop the tears from spilling out. I couldn¡¯t act so weak in front of these monsters! Joel looked at me, his expression soft. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I know it¡¯s a lot to take in, love, but we aren¡¯t actually that bad¡­¡± ¡°Emily.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My name is Emily,¡± I told him, swallowing the lump in my throat. ¡°Stop calling me love ¡°. Joel grinned at me. ¡°Okay then, Emily.¡± ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I asked, ncing at the window. ¡°Are you going to kill me? I want to go home!¡± ¡°To answer your questions in order; we¡¯re taking you back to Vivi¡¯s ce, I don¡¯t know, and for right now, that¡¯s not happening.¡± ¡°But my parents-¡± ¡°Will survive without you,¡± Vincent said coldly, ncing at me through the rearview window. I looked at him in rm. Joel sighed from the passenger¡¯s seat. . . . ¡°Ignore him, like I said, he¡¯s in a bad mood,¡± Joel told me, rolling his eyes. ¡°He can¡¯t ept he made a mistake.¡± A grin came onto Joel¡¯s face, and I caught glimpse of his fangs. Immediately I pressed myself back into the seat as far as I could, staring at the canines in terror. Vampires¡­ out of all the mythical creatures that existed, it had to be vampires, didn¡¯t it? The one thing I was scared of the most. And they were kidnapping me. Why couldn¡¯t it be unicorns, or leprechauns? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joel asked me, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. ¡°Your heart rate just spiked.¡± I stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I can hear it,¡± Joel responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Super sensitive hearing, remember?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t, since vampires don¡¯t exist!¡± I snapped back at him. ¡°Please,¡± Vincent snorted, ncing at me through the rearview window again. ¡°You may be happy in your state of denial, but it¡¯s pissing me off.¡± ¡°Pissing you¡­¡± I reiterated, staring at him in disbelief. ¡°Pissing you off? That¡¯s funny. You know what¡¯s pissing me off? The fact that I¡¯m being kidnapped by something that shouldn¡¯t exist! And you¡¯re angry because I want to deny that little fact! Oh, that¡¯s grand.¡± Joel started chuckling as Vincent rolled his eyes. This was unbelievable. I was going to go crazy! How could they act so normal when they were kidnapping someone? Did they not realize how serious the situation was? It was against thew! They were taking me from my friends and family! What was worse was that they looked like they were my age. How could people so young participate in such a hefty crime? But then again, they were vampires. Who knew how old they were. Or what they would or wouldn¡¯t do. A new thought popped into my head. What was going to happen to me? From the movies I¡¯d seen, I figured vampires were capable of anything. Including killing. Panic began to rise in my chest. Was I going to be killed? Because they couldn¡¯t erase my mind, or whatever? That was hardly my fault! ¡°If you¡¯re thinking that we are going to kill you, we aren¡¯t,¡± Vincent suddenly stated, once again looking at me through the rear view mirror. Looking away from this piercing gaze, I pressed my lips into a thin line. ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t?¡± ¡°Vampires havews too,¡± he said simply. ¡°Murder is just as big a deal for us as it is for you humans. ¡°But you were going to kill the girl from before!¡± I protested, looking back into his mesmerizing eyes.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°She was covered in blood!¡± Vincent red at me through the mirror. ¡°That¡¯s because some idiot interrupted us, and she fled before I could heal her and erase her memory.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t interrupt you,¡± I responded. ¡°I walked by.¡± ¡°And she saw you.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with interrupting you.¡± ¡°Yes it does.¡± ¡°The point is,¡± Joel interjected, turning around to look at me again, ¡°that while we are allowed to feed on humans, killing them is out of the question. Killing a human can result in a sentence to death.¡± ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not lying?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re very mistrusting,¡± Joelmented, a small smile gracing his face. . . I stared at him skeptically. ¡°Am I wrong not to trust you guys? You¡¯re kidnapping me! How can I trust you?¡± ¡°Ow, it hurts,¡± Joel said, putting a hand to his heart in mock pain. ¡°She thinks we¡¯re untrustworthy, Vince.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Vincent responded tly. Joel frowned for a moment before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Vivi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Call me that,¡± Joel finished for him. ¡°You can say that as many times as you want, but I¡¯m still going to call you Vivi.¡± Vincent didn¡¯t respond, making Joel chuckle quietly. For a moment they amused me, but a smile still couldn¡¯t find its way to my face. Not that I actually expected one to. I mean I was being kidnapped. How could I smile? I was happy enough that I wasn¡¯t hyperventting. Suddenly the smooth motion of the car became rough, making me bounce in my seat. I nced out my window for the first time in what felt like ages and realized woods now surrounded the car. The road the car was traveling down was uneven and made of dirt. Obviously we were on some sort of back road or trail. After a few minutes of being jostled in the car by the uneven road, we switched over onto a paved road. Confusion ran through me as I stared into the pitch ck forest that still surrounded us. Why pave a random road in the middle of the forest? It seemed like a waste of money. Surely no one used this road¡­ My thoughts were suddenly lost as an immense, Gothic mansion entered my vision. The building was at least four stories high, and twice as wide as my school. As we grew closer I noticed a towering, ck, speared fence surrounded the estate. The building looked like it had been taken straight out of 12th century Europe! Vincent drove the car all the way up to the fence, and through an open gate that was attached to it. The mansion looked even more staggering as we grew closer. I could make out vines climbing the edges, but instead of making it look unkempt, it made it look more breathtaking. However, the mansion still had an eldritch air to it. Goosebumps rose on my skin. Creepy. Vincent pulled the car all the way up to the front of the estate before cutting the engine. Immediately Joel was out of the car, opening my door, and pulling me out roughly. ¡°Let go!¡± I cried as a reaction, flinching away from him as he set me on the ground. ¡°Take off your jacket,¡± he ordered, keeping a tight grasp on my shoulder. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because you smell too human,¡± a condescending voicemented from behind me. I turned to Vincent with a frown. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just take it off.¡± ¡°No!¡± Before I could blink Vincent was in front of me, his hands at the base of my jacket. In one swift movement he had the article of clothing over my head, and off my body. He tossed it into the car, and turned to Joel, gesturing towards me. ¡°Put this on,¡± Joel ordered, handing me the coat he was wearing five seconds before. ¡°No,¡± I stated stubbornly. ¡°Do it,¡± Vincent growled. ¡°Or I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± After a short ring match with Vincent, I finally took the jacket out of Joel¡¯s hands and put it on. A shudder made its way through me as I pulled it around me tighter. It was freezing! ¡°Let¡¯s go find Sebastian,¡± Vincent said, turning back to Joel. ¡°Hopefully he can sort things out.¡± I looked up at the building again, bing entranced by its height once more. It was actually a very awe-inspiring building. ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked without even realizing it. ¡°My house,¡± Vincent responded, our eyesing in contact again. ¡°Your house?¡± I repeated, my eyes widening. ¡°Wee to the Rutherford manor,¡± Joel said, sweeping his arms out in a weing gesture. I stared from Joel, to Vincent, to the house, and then back to Joel again. This definitely wasn¡¯t a very weing wee. ¡°Now let¡¯s go find Sebastian,¡± Vincent said, grabbing me by the upper arm and dragging me towards the magnificent estate. 5 The interior of the building was just as stunning as the exterior. The ceilings were high and painted white. Stained ssed windows littered the maroon wallpapered halls, and chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a yellow glow upon everything it could. We entered what I assumed to be a living room because rose and chocte colored furniture littered the area and there was a gigantic t screen against one of the walls. The walls in this room seemed to be made out of old oak. I was actually a little impressed. Everything was decorated and styled extravagantly. Vincent and Joel didn¡¯t allow me to look in each room good enough for me to really be able to take in the full impressiveness, but I could just imagine what they held. Vincent tugged me through hall after endless hall, keeping a wary eye open. Joel did the same, ncing over his back every few moments. It was hard to keep up with their fast pace, and I found myself almost out of breath. We soon came to arge, oak door that had gold engravings on it. I stared at it in shock. Gold engravings on a door? Where was I again? Vincent knocked on the door three times consecutively, before stepping away. Not even five secondster the door opened, revealing a man that bore a conspicuous resemnce to Vincent, shaggy brown hair and all, but instead of having sapphire eyes, this man had emerald eyes. Despite their color difference, this man¡¯s eyes still held the intensity of Vincent¡¯s. They widened slightly when theynded on me. ¡°Vince, what is this?¡± the emerald-eyed man asked, turning his shocked gaze onto Vincent. ¡°Can wee in, Sebastian?¡± Vincent asked, ignoring his doppelganger¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s important. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Sebastian nodded, stepping out of the way, and letting Vincent drag me in. Joel followed after and I heard him murmur a polite greeting to Sebastian. Vincent shoved me towards arge ck bed in the center of the room, and I fell onto it in surprise. I quickly righted myself and red at him, my head spinning yet again. ¡°Is she a human?¡± Sebastian asked, staring at me curiously. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I snapped, irritated that he was talking about me like I wasn¡¯t there. I really hated when people did that. ¡°I can¡¯t erase her memory,¡± Vincent told Sebastian, a scowl on his face. ¡°I tried twice. Joel tried. She still has her memory.¡± ¡°You drank from her?¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°She interrupted my first meal.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sebastian came over to me, kneeling down to my height. Immediately, I scooted myself backwards on the bed, wanting to put as much distance between him and myself as possible. He raised an eyebrow in amusement at my actions. When I was a considerable distance away I stopped and watched him warily. ¡°She¡¯s terrified,¡± Sebastianmented with a small smile. ¡°How cute.¡± Cute? How was being terrified cute? Was this guy some kind of weirdo? If he were it would be a shame since he was so handsome¡­ My eyes widened as I realized what I just thought. Handsome? What was I doing? Checking out the enemy? I narrowed my eyes at Sebastian. It was his fault for sharing the same looks as Vincent. Even that perfect jaw structure¡­ ¡°Out of pure curiosity, why did you bring her back to the mansion?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to do,¡± Vincent admitted in an irritated voice. ¡°This is the first time something like this has ever happened. Then she passed out before I could figure out what to do back at the school.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t my fault,¡± I insisted, ring at the vampire before me. ¡°You know, learning vampires are real and having one drink your blood in one night is a lot to take in. Not to mention I¡¯m anemic! I could have died!¡± ¡°You¡¯re anemic?¡± I turned to Sebastian, who had an amused look on his face. ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡°How ironic. A vampire kidnapping an anemic human,¡± he mused with a smallugh. ¡°Great choice, Vince.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Joel added, grinning. ¡°Just try to erase her memory,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°As you wish, brother.¡± As Sebastian said those words, something clicked in my head. Brothers! That exined it. How did I not realize that before? It was so obvious! Well, I thought dryly, the fact that I wanted topletely deny that vampires existed, let alone had families, might be one of the leading factors¡­ Suddenly Sebastian was on the bed with me, kneeling about a foot away. His face was only inches away from mine. Immediately I moved backwards again, letting out a gasp of surprise as I pitched backwards off the bed. Before my head could make contact with the floor, I felt someone catch me, and proceed to rectify me. Now on my feet, off the bed, I nced behind me and saw Joel smirking. ¡°You almost had a nasty crash there, love.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± ¡°Why not¡­ love ?¡± ¡°Because,¡± I started, frowning at him. ¡°You sound like one of those cheesy British people that someone would read about in a book.¡± Joel grinned. ¡°But I am British.¡± For a moment, I was caught off guard. ¡°Huh?¡± Joelughed at my expression. ¡°Just because I don¡¯t have a heavy ent doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not British,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ve been here so long, I¡¯ve lost it. And ¡®love¡¯ is a friendly form of address and is used a lot, actually.¡± Now that I was listening more closely for his ent, I could catch a British ent hinting at each word. ¡°Oh,¡± I finally saidmely. ¡°You two can chatter, but for now, we have to see if we can erase this idiot¡¯s memory,¡± Vincent growled, narrowing his eyes at Joel. ¡°If her memory is erased, we won¡¯t be able to chatter, Vivi,¡± Joel responded, rolling his eyes. ¡°Yeah, Vivi,¡± I teased just to annoy him. Vincent red at me, and if looks could kill, I¡¯d be dead ten times over. I inhaled sharply, frightened by his intimidating gaze. Without warning, Sebastian was in front of me, cutting off my eye contact with Vincent. I jumped violently in shock, taking a step away from him. When Sebastian raised his hand, I flinched, bringing my hands to my face. ¡°Vince, what did you do to her?¡± Sebastian inquired, watching me curiously. ¡°What do you mean? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Then why is she so terrified?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± Vincent said with a scowl. ¡°Just try to erase her mind, damn it.¡± ¡°Even more so considering your status.¡± ¡°I realize this.¡± ¡°Joel,¡± Sebastian said, addressing the blonde vampire. ¡°News about her must not be spread outside of the family and those who live here, understood?¡± Joel bowed deeply. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°I think you mean she stays a secret between the three of us,¡± Vincent interjected, narrowing his eyes at his brother. ¡°Vince, we have to tell mom and dad. Do you not understand how much trouble you¡¯ve brought upon yourself?¡± ¡°I understand it fine!¡± ¡°Then we have to let our parents know.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be so much simpler to just kill her¡­¡± I gawked at Vincent, my eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Joel raised an eyebrow at my reaction, while Vincent didn¡¯t even spare me a nce. Sebastian sighed, shaking his head. ¡°First, that is against thew, and second, considering your position and mine, going against thew is practically suicide. You have to think of your status and image, not only for you, but for the family as well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what other people think of me,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°And I didn¡¯t say I was going to kill her, I just said it¡¯d be easier if I had.¡± I rxed somewhat now. As long as I wasn¡¯t going to die¡­ Wait, no. I couldn¡¯t rx! What was I thinking? This ce was probably full of creatures that shouldn¡¯t exist! These dangerous, horrifying, and stunning creatures. A small frown slipped onto my face. No matter how much vampires scared me, I had to admit they were definitely eye-catching. It was funny how nature worked. It gave one of the worst predators in the world the exact advantage it needed to capture its prey. In this case, the vampires acquired inhumanly good looks. But hey, it¡¯d be unnatural for someone, especially a woman, not to think people who looked like the three men before me were attractive. Somebody could be both a serial killer and a gorgeous guy. It was the same thing¡­ Except these serial killers imed they didn¡¯t actually kill, and they sucked blood. And they kidnapped me. Which was kind of a downer. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± My attention snapped away from my thoughts and onto Sebastian. For a second I debated on ignoring him, but decided it wouldn¡¯t be my wisest choice. ¡°Emily.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sebastian,¡± he responded, holding out a hand to me. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± I stared at him like he was crazy. He wanted me to shake his hand? I could barely stand being five feet away from him, let alone touch him! And did he expect me to say it was nice to meet him back? His brother kidnapped me! Finally Sebastian dropped his hand, a frown appearing on his face. To my surprise, I actually felt a little guilty for turning him down. I bit my lip, scolding myself. There was nothing to feel guilty about! It wasn¡¯t my fault I was terrified of vampires and didn¡¯t want to touch them. Just trying to realize they really did exist was hard! It was like my mind was trying to reject the entire idea- not that I wouldn¡¯t mind that, but now I was aware. And they weren¡¯t going away. ¡°Sebastian may not mind if you don¡¯t shake his hand, but when we go to see my parents you will treat them with respect,¡± a low voicemanded in my ear. My head whipped around and I found Vincent not even a foot away from me. I staggered to the side, trying to put space between us. Was he trying to give me a heart attack? He smirked at me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re just like a kitten that has been taken home for the first time,¡± Joelmented, smiling at me. ¡°Except I¡¯ve been kidnapped and this is not my home,¡± I responded, frowning at the blonde man. ¡°For now it is,¡± Vincent interjected. ¡°And probably for awhile.¡± ¡°For awhile? I need to go home!¡± ¡°Too bad.¡± ¡°My family is going to be worried sick!¡± ¡°And?¡± I stared at him, my mouth open in disbelief. ¡°They might think I¡¯m dead! I can¡¯t do that to my parents! I need to go home!¡± Once more tears were burning in my eyes, but I refused to let them spill. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Not happening,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°You¡¯re staying here whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°Vivi, don¡¯t be so harsh,¡± Joel reprimanded. ¡°What? I¡¯m just telling her the truth! It¡¯s better not to have her get her hopes up and then crush them.¡± ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t have to do it like that,¡± Sebastian cut in, sending Vincent a disapproving look. The lump in my throat was growing as I fought to control my emotions. Somewhere in my mind I knew I wasn¡¯t going to be going home any time soon. But I really didn¡¯t want to face that fact. I had no idea what was going to happen to me now. Was Sebastian telling the truth when he had said that it was against theirw to kill a human? ¡°Tell me honestly,¡± I started, looking into Sebastian¡¯s emerald eyes. ¡°Am I going to die?¡± Sebastian looked surprised for a moment, but then he shook his head. ¡°Not by our hands, no.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°He means that the only way you¡¯ll die is if you kill yourself,¡± Vincent informed me in a bored tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard us earlier. It¡¯s illegal to kill a human.¡± Surprisingly, hearing that again made me feel more rxed. There was nothing that could ever make me want to kill myself, not even being kidnapped, and hearing that they couldn¡¯t kill me made a little calmer. I still hated the whole part about me being kidnapped though. It wasn¡¯t exactly my idea of a good time. ¡°Well, it¡¯d be best not to defer informing our parents about our¡­ guest,¡± Sebastian stated, his eyes flicking to me for a split-second. ¡°They¡¯ll only be more upset if we wait.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Vincent agreed in an irksome tone. He then turned to me and I felt myself cringe away from his prating gaze. ¡°You,¡± he started, addressing me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°When we enter whatever room my parents are in, you will bow. Don¡¯t move or speak after that unless spoken to,¡± Vincent ordered. I stared at him incredulously. I had been kidnapped, and he wanted me to show respect to his parents? Was he kidding me? ¡°You want me to bow¡­ to my kidnapper¡¯s parents?¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll do as you¡¯re told.¡± Iughed without humor. ¡°What makes you think that I¡¯ll listen to you?¡± Before I could blink I was on the bed again with my back pressed against the mattress and Vincent on top of me, holding me down by my throat. A quivery breath escaped my lips as my heart went into a frenzy from the sudden proximity of the vampire above me. I couldn¡¯t even scream. His sapphire eyes bore into mine menacingly, making my pounding heart stop momentarily. ¡°Vincent,¡± I heard Sebastian say in a reproachful tone. ¡°Stop being so physical. You¡¯ll identally kill the poor girl.¡± Vincent ignored his brother and continued to glower at me. ¡°Just because we can¡¯t kill you doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t make you wish you were dead,¡± he said quietly. ¡°The best thing for you to do is obey us.¡± A lump formed in my throat while I stayed stock-still, waiting for Vincent to move off of me. I wanted to go home. I wanted to leave this ce and nevere back. I wanted my mom and dad. What in the world could I have done to deserve this? Was this some kind of joke some god was ying on me because my fear of vampires was supposedly nonsensical? Finally Vincent pulled away from me, but not before grabbing my forearm and dragging me up with him as well. ¡°You will address my mother and father only if they speak directly to you and if you¡¯re even the slightest bit rude to them I¡¯ll make sure you regret it,¡± he warned me, letting go of my arm. ¡°Why?¡± I asked quietly, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about your parents? Why do I have to bow to them and address them with respect?¡± Vincent looked at me like I was the stupidest person in the world. ¡°Are you stupid? You can¡¯t figure it out?¡± A scowl of annoyance forced its¡¯ way onto my face as I red at Vincent. ¡°If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be asking.¡± Joel snickered from the other side of the room, earning a death look from Vincent. Joel stoppedughing immediately. Vincent turned back to me, his expression caught between amusement and irritation. ¡°My family is royalty,¡± Vincent told me, a smug smirk now appearing on his face. ¡°You¡¯re about to meet the queen and king of the vampire world.¡± 6 My mind raced as Vincent, Joel, Sebastian, and I made our way down the halls in search of Sebastian and Vincent¡¯s parents. They were royalty? I was about to meet the king and queen of the vampire world? My mind felt like it was going to explode. Never in my life would I have guessed that vampires had royalty. And yet here I was, going to meet the queen and king¡­ Dizziness swept over me and I staggered slightly, my vision blurring. I knew immediately that it wasn¡¯t due to my anxiety of meeting more vampires, but due to my anemia. How much blood had I lostst night? Was itst night that I¡¯d been¡­ drunk from? As nausea continued to sweep over me I fought to keep myself up right. That battle was lost when I suddenly lost my bnce and fell to the side. A pair of hard hands caught me and set me up straight. I looked over my shoulder to see two Sebastians peering at me with worried expressions. After a moment of focusing I managed to get Sebastian back into one person. He furrowed his eyebrows, waving a hand in front of my face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± I told him honestly, too dizzy to swat his hands away. ¡°My anemia¡­¡± ¡°Oh shoot, that¡¯s right!¡± Joel responded with realization. ¡°Vivi, how much-¡± ¡°Call me Vivi one more time and I swear-¡± ¡°How much blood did you drink?¡± Sebastian inquired, cutting of Vincent. ¡°Can you give me an estimate?¡± Vincent scowled at his brother for a moment, and then shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. A pint and a half probably.¡± My eyes flew open. ¡°A pint and a half?¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°I usually drink two quarts.¡± ¡°Vincent, a quart is a lot to an anemic person,¡± Joelmented in a worried tone. ¡°How the hell was I supposed to know she was anemic? It¡¯s not like there was a shing sign above her head saying, ¡®Look! I¡¯m anemic!''¡± Joel grinned. ¡°Very true.¡± ¡°Emily, what¡¯s your blood type?¡± Sebastian asked after sending a disapproving look at Vincent and Joel. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I asked suspiciously. ¡°In order to help you.¡± ¡°Why do you want to help me?¡± ¡°Because we can¡¯t let you die, stupid,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°Stop asking stupid questions.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Stupid questions? I was kidnapped here against my will, and now I¡¯m being told you want to help me? If you want to help, let me go home! I can eat my disgusting dried fruit and everything will be fine!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to do a blood transfusionter,¡± Sebastianmented, keeping a hand on my back. ¡°I can tell just by looking at her she lost too much bloodst night.¡± ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± I demanded angrily. ¡°I was!¡± Joel told me with a grin. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you!¡± ¡°Shut up. We¡¯ll deal with your anemiater. Right now, we¡¯re going to tell my parents about you,¡± Vincent told me shortly. . . ¡°Way to take charge, Vivi!¡± Joel cheered, elbowing his friend in the shoulder. Vincent jammed his elbow back at Joel with enough force to make him have to stagger back a few steps back. I figured that if Vincent had one that to a human, every bone close to the hit point would be broken. The thought scared me. What would happen to me if one of the vampires got violent? ¡°Can you walk by yourself?¡± Sebastian asked and I felt him remove his hand from me. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like us touching you.¡± I blinked in surprise. I totally forgot Sebastian was touching me this whole time! How did I manage that? Finally his question processed in my mind and I nodded my head vigorously, making the room spin momentarily again. ¡°I can walk by myself.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Vincent growled and started walking down the hallway again. ¡°I want to get this over and done with.¡± ¡°I believe they are in the lounge,¡± Sebastian told Vincent. ¡°At least that¡¯s where they were thest time I saw them.¡± Vincent didn¡¯t respond, but took a sudden right turn. I felt like I was being herded like cattle. Joel was behind me, and Vincent and Sebastian were on either side of me, making sure I kept up with them. Not that I was nning to runaway. Who knew who and what were in this house? I didn¡¯t want to take any chances and end up killed by running amuck. As much as I hated to admit it, I actually felt safe having Sebastian around. When we arrived at what I assumed to be the lounge Vincent nced at Sebastian, who nodded, before opening the door. Vincent went in first, followed by Joel. Finally, Sebastian urged me in with a light push to my back. I flinched away from his touch and stumbled into the room, looking up anding face-to-butt with Vincent. Immediately I erected myself, blushing slightly. But as soon as I was straight again, Joel pushed me into a deep bow, and then bowed deeply himself. ¡°Good evening, your majesty,¡± he greeted before letting me stand straight again. I couldn¡¯t see anything besides Vincent¡¯s back. ¡°Vivi,¡± a woman¡¯s voice started, sounding very surprised. ¡°What-¡± ¡°I have a problem,¡± I heard Vincent tell the woman who had spoke first. Curious, I poked my head around Vincent and my eyesnded on a stunningly beautiful woman. She had long, curly brte hair and the same piercing sapphire eyes as Vincent. Her face was heart-shaped and she had pale, wless skin. Her beauty almost took the breath away from me. I thought it was only in cheesy vampire novels that vampires were so beautiful. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t happen to be your problem, would it?¡± the beautiful woman asked, her eyes flickering to me for a moment. ¡°It would.¡± ¡°Do I want to know¡­?¡± ¡°No,¡± Vincent responded honestly. ¡°But she¡¯s causing quite a problem,¡± Sebastian interjected, frowning at the woman. ¡°I¡¯ll let Vince exin.¡± ¡°Vivi?¡± Vincent sighed in irritation, grabbing my arm and pulling me in front of him. ¡°I drank from this humanst night and when I tried to erase her memory, it didn¡¯t work. Joel and Sebastian tried as well, and yet she still has her memory.¡± . . 7 For some reason I felt happy that she referred to me by name instead of just ¡°her¡±. For a vampire, this woman was far from what I expected. Her demeanor and tone were as gentle as her eyes. Definitely not what I could ever have imagined a vampire to be. Where did the stereotype for vampires evene from? It was pleasing to know not all of them were bloodthirsty beasts. However, that still didn¡¯te the beating of my heart. It was just as frantic as before. Lue sighed quietly again. ¡°You¡¯ve always had bad luck, Vivi.¡± ¡°Just tell me what I need to do to fix this, mom.¡± ¡°Vivi, darling, there¡¯s nothing you can do to fix this right now,¡± she responded, frowning at Vincent. ¡°We can¡¯t turn Emily loose while she stills has her memory.¡± ¡°Nobody will know she has her memory besides us!¡± ¡°And what if she tells someone about us?¡± Now it was my turn to jump in. ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise!¡± Lue smiled slightly at me. ¡°Emily, you can promise as much as you want, but there¡¯s still a chance you could let it slip.¡± ¡°No one would believe me though. They¡¯d think I was crazy,¡± I replied quickly, trying to hold on to myst thread of hope. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For right now, you¡¯ll have to stay here, and stay a secret.¡± I stared at her disbelievingly. So much for thinking she¡¯d have a shred of empathy for me. What did she mean by saying I¡¯d have to stay here and a secret? Were they going to throw me in the cer and look me there until the problem was resolved? ¡°Knowledge of Emily¡¯s existence stays within the manor boundaries,¡± Lue ordered turning to the other three men in the room. ¡°Did you hear me, Vivi?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Vivi growled, narrowing his eyes at his mother. ¡°I will talk to your father about this and decide what to do, since I don¡¯t know what we can do,¡± she continued, running a hand through her silky brte hair. ¡°Vivi, sometimes I wish you were more like Sebastian. You¡¯ve always been the trouble maker.¡± Sebastian shifted ufortably next to me, sending his eyes downcast as Vincent threw him a harsh re. For a second I felt sympathy for Vincent. When my mom wouldpare my brother to me I would get very annoyed. But now she probably wouldn¡¯t have a chance to do that again. I¡¯d probably be locked up in this mansion until I died, or the vampires finally decided to break the rules and just kill me. Misery suddenly washed over me and I felt my eyes moisten. I blinked rapidly to make the wetness go away. Why did it have to be my mind they couldn¡¯t erase? Out of all the people in the entire world, it really had to be me? What could I have possibly done to deserve this? To deserve being taken away from my friends and family? ¡°I think we could avoid all of these problems and just kill her,¡± Vincentmented in an off-hand tone. My eyes widened as I stared at him in shock. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had said that, but the casual way he kept saying it kept surprising me. How could someone talk about death so lightly? Especially when the person who they were talking about dying was in the room? ¡°Vivi, don¡¯t talk about death so lightly,¡± Lue snapped, a sudden hard edge to her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I want.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Emily is your responsibility now, Vincent. It¡¯s your job to keep her safe and a secret from now on.¡± Vincent red at his mother. ¡°Why should I-¡± ¡°Because you drank from her and you brought her here, Vivi. She¡¯s your responsibility,¡± Lue repeated firmly. I frowned in annoyance. I wasn¡¯t some child that had to be babysat. ¡°Whatever,¡± Vincent finally snapped, his eyes flickering to mine for a brief moment. The vexation in them threw me off guard. The intensity of the re literally sent my heart rate spiking. He was looking at me like it was my fault all this happened. I resisted the urge to scream at him. This wasn¡¯t my fault at all! ¡°I¡¯ll summon you when your father returns so we can figure out what to do¡­ Without any burdens¡­¡± Lue¡¯s eyes drifted to me for a second before quickly returning to Vincent. I raised an eyebrow. So they didn¡¯t want to talk about what was going to happen to me while I was around? I wasn¡¯t sure whether I liked that idea or not. It would suck if they randomly decided it was best to kill me, but who knows? Maybe they would decide to let me go home. Somewhere deep inside me doubted that, but I pushed it away. I could at least hope. ¡°Mother, should I set up the guest room for her?¡± Sebastian asked, breaking the silence that had settled in. Lue nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to throw me in the basement and lock me up?¡± I asked in surprise. Lue, Sebastian and Joel each raised an eyebrow at me. Vincent just rolled his eyes. ¡°Why would we do that?¡± Sebastian inquired with a puzzled look.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well you kidnapped me¡­¡± ¡°Emily,¡± Lue started in a gently voice. ¡°You¡¯re not a prisoner. We aren¡¯t holding you hostage. We just have to keep you here until we can sort out what to do about this¡­ incident.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it while I¡¯m at home?¡± I asked, not liking how whiny my tone sounded. Lue sighed. ¡°We just can¡¯t. I know you don¡¯t understand, but vampirews are a bit different than humanws. And because we are royalty, it takes on a whole new level.¡± ¡°But I want to go home!¡± I nearly shouted, suddenly feeling angry. ¡°Emily!¡± Sebastian scolded quietly. ¡°Do not raise your voice to-¡± Lue shook her head at her son. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this! I don¡¯t deserve this! I don¡¯t care about your stupid, vampire rules! If you haven¡¯t figured it out yet, I¡¯m human! They don¡¯t apply to me! And do you think people would actually believe me if I started sprouting out nonsense about vampires? I¡¯d probably be sent to a Looney house!¡± I ranted, ring at the queen. ¡°Just let me go home,¡± I added, almost as a whisper as my emotions caught up to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she responded, her eyes gentle. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I just can¡¯t¡­¡± Anger swelled up in me again, but before I could yell, dizziness swept over me. I lost my bnce and felt myself pitch backwards. Immediately two pairs of hands were touching me, pushing me back to my feet. My vision swam as I raised a hand to my head, suddenly feeling like I was going to be sick. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± I heard Lue ask. I¡¯m not sure which one though; my vision was showing me three of her. ¡°She¡¯s anemic,¡± Sebastian exined. ¡°Vince got a little carried away¡­¡± ¡°I did not,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°Anemic?¡± Lue repeated sounding amused. ¡°Out of all the humans in the world¡­ Well, why don¡¯t you bring her to the guest room for now? I¡¯m sure she could use some sleep.¡± I wanted to protest, but I found I actually was really tired. Not to mention I couldn¡¯t even see straight. Maybe after I slept I would be able to put up a better argument and have a slight chance of being allowed to leave here. Or better yet- I could try to escape. ¡°Yes mother,¡± Sebastian responded, nodding to her. ¡°Vince, are you going to carry her, or should I?¡± Vincent red at him. ¡°I¡¯m not touching her. I¡¯m going to bed,¡± he hissed, his angry gaze meeting mine for a split-second as he turned to the door. ¡°Vivi!¡± Lue called after him. ¡°Vivi!¡± ¡°Goodnight mother,¡± he said curtly before exiting the room. Lue sighed. ¡°He¡¯s in one of his moods again¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯ll get over it,¡± Sebastian insisted. ¡°He¡¯s just upset he made a mistake.¡± ¡°Exactly what I said,¡± Joel interjected. ¡°I know he will, but I still hate seeing him like that,¡± Lueined, her eyesnding on me once again. They widened in surprise. ¡°Oh my! Emily, are you okay?¡± ¡°Tired,¡± I mumbled as another wave of weariness washed over me. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to her room now,¡± Sebastianmented. Suddenly my feet left the ground. My eyes flew open in surprise as I was shifted bridal style in Sebastian¡¯s arms. My heart rate increased tenfold, and I tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he wasn¡¯t letting go. ¡°Have a good rest,¡± Lue bid me, a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Put me down,¡± I demanded as Sebastian turned, and started walking towards the door. ¡°Now!¡± A small smirk spread across his face as he looked down at me. ¡°So you can walk into walls while going through the hallway? I think not. Joel can you-?¡± ¡°Right away, your majesty,¡± Joel chirped, and I watched as he opened the door that led to the hallway. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To your room so you can rest.¡± ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t kill me if I fall asleep?¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°We can¡¯t kill you. How many times do we have to reiterate that?¡± As many as I could get them to. It made me feel a lot safer knowing it was against thew to kill me. And they were royalty, so it was even more rxing. ¡°The beds are reallyfortable,¡± Joel interjected, tapping my leg. I jerked in surprise, staring at Joel. He grinned, and once again dizziness washed over me and I leaned back against Sebastian¡¯s arm. ¡°I want to go home,¡± I mumbled pathetically, closing my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sebastian responded, sympathy in his voice. ¡°I really am.¡± ¡°I hate this ce,¡± I continued, not really aware of what I was saying. ¡°I hate Vincent too.¡± Sebastian chuckled again. ¡°I could see why.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I responded, letting my arms hang limply now. Rest was what I needed right now. I could plot when I woke up. There had to be some way to let them let me go home, I was sure of it. I just needed to figure out what it was. And with those thoughts, I slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep. 8 Myforter was the perfect temperature when I woke in the morning. I kept my eyes closed for a few moments, enjoying the perfect warmth. It felt like I had slept forever, and my rm clock still hadn¡¯t gone off. My hand slithered out of theforter, reaching for my side table where my phone was. When my hand met nothing but air, I lowered it slightly. Still nothing. I reached it out further, and a small tingle of pain ran though my wrist. Almost like¡­ My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up, throwing theforter away from my face. A gasp escaped my lips when I realized there was an I. V attached to a drip in my wrist. My gaze wandered around the room briefly. I was definitely not in a hospital. Last nights memories suddenly came whizzing by me and panic rose up in my throat. Stay calm, I told myself, keeping my breathing regr. I wasn¡¯t dead. I had survived the night. Someone had also given me a drip; recing the blood I lost two nights before. Or was it two nights before? I had no idea what the time or date was. Maybe I had only been out for an hour, or maybe a few days? My attention turned back to the drip and I realized it was almost done. Suddenly there was the sound of a door opening and my head snapped in the direction of it. A girl who looked about my age came waltzing in, humming to her self. She had medium length chocte colored hair, and a lithe body. She skipped over to me, still humming. When our gazes met I let sucked in a quick breath. Her eyes were the same piercing sapphire color as Vincent¡¯s. ¡°Morning, Emily!¡± she chirped, going over to the drip. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I- How do you know my name?¡± ¡± Everyone knows your name.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Everyone?¡± The girl with the same eyes as Vincent nodded. ¡°Well, everyone in the manor. It¡¯s not everyday wee across a human whose memory even Seb can¡¯t erase.¡± ¡°Sebastian?¡± I repeated. ¡°Yep. He¡¯s the master mind-eraser. Last night he was pretty mystified as to why he couldn¡¯t erase your memory. Give me your wrist,¡± she ordered. ¡°I need to take the I. V out.¡± I gave her a wary look before hesitantly giving her my arm. She grinned at me, showing off her oversized canines. A shudder ran through me at the sight, and I immediately retracted my arm. ¡°Y-you¡¯re a vampire too?¡± She cocked her head to the side. ¡°Everyone here is.¡± ¡°Everyone?¡± I mouthed in disbelief. ¡°This is a vampire house¡­ Don¡¯t worry,¡± she added, seeing my horrified expression. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to hurt you.¡± I almostughed. ¡°How can I trust you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t my mom tell you thatst night?¡± ¡°Your mom? The queen?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°The one and only. You can believe her. Now give me your arm.¡± After a moment I finally held out my hand to her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to¡­ bite me, right?¡± The brteughed, shaking her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m full at the moment.¡± I gave her a wry smile. Nice word choice. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± When I tried to retract my wrist she held it tighter,ughing quietly. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m kidding.¡± I turned my head away as she began taking out the needle. ¡°What blood type did you give me?¡± ¡°O.¡± ¡°How did you know I was O?¡± ¡°Well Vince knew since he drank from you.¡± I winced at the memory. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty lucky to have an O blood type. Have you ever gotten a blood transfusion before?¡± the brte asked, putting a square band-aid over the puncture in my skin. ¡°About every two weeks.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± I nced at her, wondering why she sounded so surprised. ¡°What?¡± She shook her head, trying to mask her surprise. ¡°Um, nothing. I¡¯ve just never heard of a human needing to receive blood transfusions so often. It¡¯s really weird¡­¡± She trailed off, looking thoughtful. Crossing my arms defensively, I frowned at her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with me.¡± She held up her hands defensively. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s just so weird . Never in my life- and I¡¯ve lived a long time ¨C have I heard of that¡­Well that¡¯s a lie. Actually, I have but¡­¡± She paused, shaking her head. ¡°No. That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Never mind. Do you have sickle cell or something?¡± Now it was my turn to shake my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just anemic.¡± ¡°Do your hands get cold?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What about your feet?¡± ¡°Yeah, that too.¡± ¡°Obviously you¡¯re pale,¡± shemented, her eyes running down my exposed neck and face. ¡°Do you ever have the urge to eat ice?¡± ¡°Um, yeah,¡± I responded, cocking an eyebrow. ¡°How did you know all that?¡± ¡°I was studying to be a doctor when I was still alive,¡± she informed me with a small smile. ¡°Anemia was one of the things we had to learn about. I remember chewing ice was a symptom I thought was particrly funny.¡± My heart skipped a beat. When I was still alive . It sounded incredibly creepy. I almost forgot she was a vampire too. I really needed to stop letting down my guard. But it was so different with female vampires. They were so calm and soothing- I wasn¡¯t that scared by them. ¡°Here, um, I went out and got you some iron supplements,¡± the brte told me, holding out a thin, pale, fragile looking hand. ¡°Do you usually take them?¡± I was a bit taken aback by her thoughtfulness. ¡°You went out to get them for me?¡± She nodded. ¡°Well, Vincent told me to, but I was the one who went out.¡± That surprised me even more. ¡°Vincent did?¡± ¡°You are his responsibility,¡± she responded with augh. ¡°Not mine. But here, take these. There¡¯s a ss of water on your night stand too.¡± I let her drop the pills in my hand and I quickly looked them over to make sure they were really iron pills. When I recognized the logo printed on them I rxed. ¡°Thanks, um¡­¡± ¡°Fiona,¡± the brte told me with another shy smile. ¡°Fiona Rutherford.¡± ¡°Fiona?¡± I echoed. Fiona shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It was amon name when I was alive.¡± I made a face. She just had to remind me she was a vampire, didn¡¯t she? Fiona handed me a bottle of water and I took it, swinging my legs off the bed I was on so I could sit up. I popped the pills into my mouth, quickly taking a long swig of water to swallow them with. When they were gone I took another drink of water to wash out the powdery taste they left on my tongue. ¡°By the way, I poisoned that.¡± Immediately I spat the water out, choking. My hands shot to my throat as I waited for the burning sensation to start. Or for my limbs to go numb. Or something. Fiona startedughing, reaching over to pat me on my leg. ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± I jerked away from her, feeling my heart leap into my throat. She pulled her hand back so fast it was there one moment and when I blinked it was gone. An expression of hurt was on her face. Guilt washed through me. She wasn¡¯t hurting me- in fact she helped me. And yet I still flinched away from her, just because she was a vampire. But was it wrong to feel guilty about that? Ugh, too much thinking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized, rxing my position. ¡°I¡¯ve just been terrified by vampires since I was a little kid, so I can¡¯t handle being around you guys¡­ Not to mention Vincent scares the crap out of me.¡± Fiona blinked in realization. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of vampires?¡± ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± ¡°That makes me feel so much better!¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°It does?¡± She nodded excitedly. ¡°I thought maybe you hated me or something. My mom was thinking the same thing earlier too.¡± ¡°The queen?¡± ¡°Yeah, wait until she hears about your fear. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be as relieved as me,¡± Fiona told me, smiling widely. I dropped my gaze, focusing my attention on a small crack in the floor by the far right corner. ¡°Has she said anything about me going home?¡± ¡°Well we had a family meeting about itst night,¡± Fiona responded, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. I forced myself to stay still, not allowing myself to move away. She wasn¡¯t going to do anything. ¡°What was the verdict?¡± I questioned, feeling nervousness spreading in the pit of my stomach. ¡°Well it¡¯s not just up to us to decide,¡± Fiona started slowly, cing her hands in herp. ¡°We may be royalty, but we¡¯re not exactly thew. There are some things we can decide ourselves, but since this has never happened before, we have to run it by the court.¡± ¡°A vampire court?¡± ¡± The vampire court.¡± ¡°Vampire¡¯s have courts?¡± She gave me a duh look. ¡°We have the same government humans do. Just¡­ different. Instead of a president we have a Queen and King. But we have everything else the same. Including court systems.¡± My mouth suddenly felt dry. ¡°Do I¡­ Do I have to go?¡± Fiona shook her head, a small chuckle escaping her lips. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. In fact, it will be better if you stay here. But there¡¯s one problem¡­¡± I bit my lip. Of course there was a problem. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The court appointment isn¡¯t until next week.¡± My eyes shot open and I turned to stare at Fiona. ¡°What? A week?¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± she apologized, bowing her head. ¡°We tried to get an earlier one, but there¡¯s been a lot of stuff happening.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be here for a week!¡± I cried, feeling panic course in my veins. ¡°My parents don¡¯t even know where I am! You guys are vampires! I won¡¯t be safe!¡± Fiona looked back up at me, frowning. ¡°Emily-¡± ¡°I have to go home! Now!¡± 9 Without further ado, I pushed myself off the bed, and began sprinting towards the door, which Fiona had fortunately left open. She called after me and I knew within the next few seconds she would capture me, but I didn¡¯t stop. When those few seconds passed and I was still running freely down the hallway, relief washed through me. She was letting me go. She understood my situation. I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that if I kept looking, eventually I¡¯d find the exit. Then I could escape, forget any of this ever happened, and live my peaceful, ignorant life. I could tell my parents I actually ended up sleeping at Alli¡¯s and just forgot to tell them, that way they wouldn¡¯t worry over me. Everything was going to work out okay. Just as I thought that, I crashed into something hard. My head ricocheted off whatever I hit and I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to cry out in pain. ¡°Emily? What are you doing?¡± a familiar voice questioned. I looked up to see Joel gazing down at me with a confused expression. My heart dropped into my gut and I took a few wary steps back, getting ready to run again. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything¡­¡± ¡°Obviously you¡¯re up to something.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Joel gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°Then why are you running?¡± Instead of responding, I twisted on my heel, running back the other way. In a sh Joel was in front of me, causing me to m into his chest. My body ricocheted off his, my head mming against his jaw painfully. The hallway spun in front of my eyes and before I knew it I was on the ground. Joel hovered above me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Need some help?¡± he inquired, holding out his hand. I slid myself backwards, across the red carpet that lined the hallway. Joel followed me, taking the smallest steps possible, an amused expression on his face. I did my best to re up at him. ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Go away?¡± he parroted, grinning widely. ¡°Those are some mighty bossy words for a human.¡± Holding his gaze, I slowly pushed myself back to my feet. ¡°I¡¯m going home,¡± I said slowly. Joel cocked his head to the side. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Uh-uh.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Yes, I am, and you¡¯re going to let me.¡± ¡°Actually, I do believe the King would like to see you,¡± hemented, tapping his chin with a slim, pale finger. ¡°Vincent was sent out about half an hour to retrieve you but I guess he forgot.¡± The King wanted to see me now? What about? I couldn¡¯t stop anxiety from creeping up on me again. What if they decided the best course of action was to kill me? There was no way I was going to see the King. With that thought, I began to sprint down the hallway again. Joel kept up easily. ¡°I can just follow you until you tire out. Vampires have great stamina.¡± Ignoring him, I abruptly took a right, continuing down the maze-like hallways. Unfortunately for me, it led to a dead end. Joel snickered from beside me as I came to a dead stop. Unbelievable. ¡°Give up yet?¡± he questioned, leaning casually against the wall. ¡°Unless you can pull walking through walls out of your hat, I think you¡¯re stuck.¡± After giving him a sarcastic look, I quickly surveyed my surroundings. There was a door behind Joel, but other than that, the only way to escape was to go back the way I came. Joel faked a yawn, putting his arms up to stretch. I took the chance to duck under his arms and leap towards the door. ¡°Emily, I wouldn¡¯t go in there-¡± Ignoring his warning, I yanked open the door; looking back to make sure Joel wasn¡¯t right behind me. Instead of meeting my gaze, his eyes shot past me, widening slightly. I turned to see what he was so surprised about, but as I turned back around I mmed into something hard. My head ricocheted off what felt like a wall and I stumbled to the ground, shouting out in pain. What kind of house was this? Who put fake doors in their houses? ¡°There you are Vivi!¡± Vivi? I slowly raised my eyes to see Vincent gazing down at me with an amused smirk on his face. So he was the wall I walked into. Flushing, I immediately pushed myself back to my feet. ¡°I hope you do realize you were just about to enter my room without my permission,¡± hemented, snapping the door shut behind him. ¡°You are not allowed to go in there.¡± Swallowing nervously, I used all my courage to re back at him. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know it was your room.¡± ¡°Now you do,¡± he responded simply. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He abruptly grabbed me by my upper arm, dragging me down the hallway.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey! Let me go!¡± I cried, staggering backwards in order to keep my bnce. ¡°Vincent, let go!¡± He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°You remembered my name?¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°Nope,¡± he responded casually. ¡°We have to go see my father. I have things to do today, so I don¡¯t want to have to hunt you down as you try to run away. Now I suggest you keep up or I¡¯ll be forced to throw you over my shoulder.¡± I red at the back of his head, once again attempting to rip my arm out of his grasp. ¡°Let go of me! Ugh!¡± Joel suddenly appeared at my side, falling into step with Vincent. ¡°You¡¯re in a better mood today I see.¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°More or less.¡± Scowling at the two of them, I finally managed to break free from Vincent. It was obvious he let me though- there was no way a human would be able to escape his vice-like grip. Joel shed to my right side, scaring me half to death. He grinned sheepishly as I choked on air, flinching away from him. ¡°You know what you remind me of?¡± he inquired, giving me a rough p to my back. A small hiss of pain left my lips. ¡°That hurt!¡± ¡°The girl who is afraid of pickles,¡± Joel continued, ignoring me. ¡°You basically act around us the same way she acts around pickles.¡± For a second, I was taken aback. Joel saw that video? Vampires watched normal television? But¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t act like her!¡± I protested, narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°She¡¯s totally paranoid.¡± ¡°So are you,¡± Vincent pointed out. ¡°Well there¡¯s the fact that you guys could kill me at any moment that puts a new edge to my fear!¡± I snapped, irritated. ¡°Not to mention I¡¯ve only known that vampires exist for¡­ How long have I been here for?¡± Joel grinned mischievously. ¡°Only about two weeks.¡± I stopped dead, feeling my heart drop into my gut. Two weeks? How was that possible? What did my parents think? What if they though I was dead? And Leah and Alli? Tears sprung to my eyes before I could help it. Two weeks¡­ Vincent suddenly punched Joel in the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be a prick.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± Joel mumbled moodily, rubbing the ce where Vincent punched him. ¡°Sorry, Emily. I lied.¡± I sobered up instantly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been out for a night.¡± Instead of feeling angry with Joel, I almostughed. He fooled me so easily. Though the best part was the fact I¡¯d only been gone for my day. If I could convince the King to let me go home today, my parents wouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about. There was a chance everything could be fine again. ¡°This way,¡± Vincent ordered, yanking on my arm. I jerked away in surprise, my breath catching in my throat. He held on tightly, rolling his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a chicken.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I retorted sarcastically. ¡°It¡¯s obviously expected that I knew you were going to randomly grab me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Joel smiled in amusement, his brown eyes meeting mine. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to like you, Em.¡± ¡°Em?¡± ¡°My new nickname for you.¡± I frowned at him. A nickname? Usually only close friends called each other by their nicknames. But if it was Joel¡­ No Emily , I told myself firmly. Even if Joel came off as a friendly person, he was still a vampire. And vampires were dangerous. I couldn¡¯t let down my guard that easily! ¡°The same rules that applied while talking to my mother apply to my father,¡± Vincent told me. ¡°Be careful what you say.¡± I turned my head and gave Joel a questioning look. Be careful what I say? What was that supposed to mean? Joel gave me a half-smile. ¡°The King is an interesting man¡­ He¡¯ll probably scare you more than the rest of us.¡± Suddenly I felt like I was going to be sick. Just what type of man was the King? 10 Father!¡± Vincent called, stepping into the lounge. Joel pushed me in after him, shutting the door behind us. My gaze swept across the room. A gigantic firece that held a zing fire was against the furthest wall, and around it were a few rouge, Victorian styled chairs. On either side of the firece was a tall, wide window-pained window. Paintings of very handsome men and beautiful women lined the other walls, and an immense bookshelf took up half of the wall to my right. But there was something missing¡­ The King . As if on some kind of cue, as soon as I thought those words a pair of hands grasped onto my shoulders. Without warning, I was spun around, and pressed against the wall. Piercing emerald eyes- exactly like Sebastian¡¯s- gazed into my own, amusement flickering in them. The man pinning me against the wall grinned, revealing sharp, snowy canines. My breath caught in my throat and my heart stopped, standing immobile in the grasp of this vampire. ¡°Is this bring-your-father-dinner day?¡± he inquired, bringing his head closer to me. ¡°How marvelous.¡± ¡°S-stop it!¡± I cried, finally finding my voice. ¡°Let me go!¡± Vincent¡¯s gaze met mine and I sent him a pleading look. He rolled his eyes, looking extremely annoyed. ¡°Father, cut it out.¡± Father? The vampire pinning me to the wall abruptly pulled away, his dark hair falling into his face. I stared at him in disbelief. This man was the King? He barely looked ten years older than me! ¡°Vivi, you really like to ruin my fun, don¡¯t you?¡± heined, turning to face his son. Vincent scowled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Vivi.¡± ¡°Your mom does.¡± ¡°She¡¯s different.¡± The King ced a hand on his heart. ¡°Ouch¡­ Emily, dear, you can move away from the wall now.¡± Once again I found myself looking into emerald eyes. The King grinned at me, showing his fangs to me once again. I pressed myself harder to the wall, my heart rate spiking again. That swept the grin right off his face. He turned to Vincent, crossing his arms. ¡°What did you do, Vince?¡± Vincent clenched his fists. ¡°Why do you always think I did something?¡± ¡°Well you are the trouble child¡­¡± ¡°Actually, Emily is afraid of vampires, Your Majesty,¡± Joel interjected, sending me a cheeky smile. ¡°Apparently since she was a child.¡± The King turned back to me, looking interested. ¡°Really now? That¡¯s going to be a hassle. But you know what they say, right?¡± I slowly shook my head, not sure whether he was talking to me or not. ¡°The only way to get over your fears is to face them head on. So when you¡¯re out of here, you won¡¯t be scared anymore!¡± ¡°Out of here?¡± I echoed. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a chance I might not be able to go home?¡± The King smiled widely. ¡°And so she speaks! What a pleasant voice! Like doves cooing!¡± Vincent snorted, rolling his eyes while I flushed in embarrassment. From Joel¡¯s earlier words and Vincent¡¯s actions, I assumed the King was going to be an unpleasant person. It was rxing to know he didn¡¯t seem that bad¡­ But he did seem kind of un-king like. ¡°I¡¯m King Solomon Rutherford, like thete King Solomon of Israel. Except this is America¡­ But I do have the wise part down,¡± he told me with a wink. ¡°You can¡¯t be King without knowing anything. Right, Vivi?¡± Vincent red at his father. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, father. I¡¯m not going to be King.¡± Solomon frowned. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not the heir, you still need to know how to rule.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be King either, so I¡¯m fine,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°Sebastian has it handled.¡± I peered at Vincent from around the King curiously. It didn¡¯t ur to me that Vincent or Sebastian could be the heir to the¡­ kingdom, or whatever vampires had. Wasn¡¯t Vincent at least the tiniest bit upset he wouldn¡¯t be King? A grimace crossed my face. What was I thinking? I didn¡¯t care how Vincent felt. What I cared about was whether or not I was going home. Joel coughed, breaking the silence. ¡°Your Majesty, if you would be so kind as to excuse me. The human has to eat at some point.¡± My head snapped to Joel. Food? When was thest time I¡¯d eaten? For the first time, I was aware of just how hungry I felt. The empty feeling in my stomach felt ufortable now. ¡°You may go,¡± Solomon responded, shooing Joel with his hands. ¡°Pull out some dried fruit for our anemic friend as well.¡± Finally allowing myself to push away from the wall, I tried to rx my stance. Solomon didn¡¯t seem like the person who would hurt me. ¡°Er, Your Majesty¡­¡± The words felt awkwarding off my tongue. ¡°Call me Solomon,¡± he responded with a polite smile. ¡°I am not your King.¡± I suddenly felt extremely shy. ¡°A-about me going home¡­ Is there any possible way that I can go home sooner?¡± His expression fell quickly. ¡°Emily¡­¡± ¡°I know you have a court system and all, but while that¡¯s all fine and dandy my parents are probably worried sick!¡± I babbled, giving him a desperate look. ¡°I can¡¯t wait a week! I need to go home now!¡± Solomon pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t allow you to go home-¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°However,¡± he continued forcefully, cutting me off, ¡°there is something we can do about your parents. You¡¯ll have to consent to it though first.¡± Ignoring the anger that was beginning to boil in me, I gave him a questioning look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Memory altercation.¡± The words hung heavy in the air. Vincent drifted off towards the firece, looking extremely bored. I stared at Solomon nkly. Memory altercation? ¡°What does that mean?¡± I finally inquired. ¡°Sebastian can go to your house and alter your parents minds so that they think you¡¯re at your Aunt¡¯s house for the week.¡± My eyebrows furrowed together. ¡°My aunts live in California¡­¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It stops them from worrying, doesn¡¯t it? I hate to make you choose something, but it¡¯s either that or having them worry about you for a week straight. They could think you were kidnapped, or murdered. And then when youe back there will be questions and police investigations and-¡± I held up my hand. ¡°No, I get it¡­¡± Solomon frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you were pulled into this mess¡­ Vincent-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault,¡± Vincent growled at the same time I said, ¡°It¡¯s not his fault.¡± He nced at me in surprise, his eyes widening the fraction of an inch. I stared back at him for a moment before abruptly looking away, turning back to the King. His eyes searched mine for a moment while I stayed silent. I knew I didn¡¯t have a choice. If I had to stay here, I had to stay here. There was no point in making my parents worry unnecessarily. But if they could alter their minds so that they think I¡¯m with my aunt, couldn¡¯t they also change them so they didn¡¯t know they had a daughter? What if the courts decided it was best just to kill me? Or force me to be one of¡­ I shuddered at the thought. ¡°I can¡¯t trust vampires,¡± I stated boldly, causing the King to look at me in rm. ¡°I¡¯ve been terrified of them since I was little. So¡­¡± My voice cracked and I had to pause for a moment, waiting until I had it under control. ¡°Please, if there¡¯s a chance that I won¡¯t be able to go home, tell me. I want to know now.¡± Vincent unexpectedly appeared at my side. I jumped violently, taking a step away from him. He followed, giving me an impatient look. ¡°Look, stupid. You¡¯re going home in a week. We aren¡¯t keeping you here for any longer than you are supposed to. To hell if we do because you¡¯re still my responsibility and I don¡¯t want you here as much as you don¡¯t want to be here!¡± My eyes were unable to pull themselves away from Vincent¡¯s grim face. He narrowed his eyes, backing away from me. I rxed my stance, trying to calm my heart. If I was going to stay here, I needed to get used to these vampires as soon as possible. ¡°Do you want Sebastian to go to your parents?¡± Solomon asked in a quiet voice. ¡°Yes.¡± He let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good choice, Emily. I promise that while you are here no one will hurt you. Vincent will do his all to keep you safe.¡± Vincent gave his father a sour look. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone set up a guest room for you¡­ And as for clothing, I¡¯ll tell Sebastian to bring along some of your things. After all, you did go on vacation for a week,¡± Solomon prattled, furrowing his eyebrows together. ¡°If you want anything else, you should tell him¡­¡± I bit my lip and kept my gaze on the floor. An overwhelming desire to cry hade out of the blue. It was only a week. One week with vampires¡­ I clenched my fist to stop my hand from shaking. There was nothing to be scared of. The Queen and King were very amiable people, as well as Sebastian and Fiona. Joel didn¡¯t seem that dangerous either and Vincent¡­ As if he knew I was thinking about him, his sapphire eyes turned to me. I stared back, my breath catching in my throat for the second time. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Vincent yet. ¡°I¡¯m going out,¡± he dered abruptly. ¡°See youter, Father.¡± ¡°Vivi!¡± Solomon called as Vincent suddenly disappeared from my view. He let out a small sigh, shaking his head. ¡°That boy¡­¡± I stood stock-still in front of the King, an awkward silence filling the air. To make things worse, my stomach let out an obnoxious growl. Blushing furiously, I twisted my head away from Solomon. He chuckled. ¡°Joel will be back momentarily. He¡¯ll show you to the kitchen.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Emily?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Remember, you¡¯re not a captive,¡± Solomon told me. ¡°We won¡¯t hurt you. You can have free run of the manor. Please don¡¯t think badly of us because of this¡­¡± My mouth went dry. Please don¡¯t think badly of us . Don¡¯t think badly of my kidnappers? Was that even possible? Yes , a voice in the back of my mind stated. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I promised, letting out my breath. ¡°It¡¯s only for a week, right? I can handle it as long as my parents don¡¯t worry.¡± Solomon beamed at me. ¡°Good girl!¡± he cried, pping my back. I stumbled forwards, nearly falling over my feet. A stinging pain crossed my back and I winced, putting my hand to it. ¡°Ow¡­¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Solomon apologized quickly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I told him, letting out a huff of air. ¡°No problem¡­¡± I would have to get used to this. ¡°You know, you¡¯re not very king like.¡± As soon as the words left my mouth, I gasped, staring at him with wide eyes. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t mean-¡± He chuckled deeply, cutting me off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It seems were even now. You¡¯re correct,pared to my father, my grandfather, and all the kings before, I¡¯m not King like. But I don¡¯t want to rule the kingdom as a dictator. I want to rule as¡­ forck of better words, an elder brother.¡± I almost snorted. Almost . If they king knew my older brother, he wouldn¡¯t want to govern like that. There was a knock on the door and Joel appeared in the room again, bowing to the King. ¡°A meal is ready for Emily now.¡± Solomon nodded. ¡°Very well. Emily, please enjoy your stay. Don¡¯t hesitate toe talk to me or Lue if you need anything.¡± ¡°Um, thanks,¡± I responded, a bit taken aback by his easygoingness. Joel shed to my side, shooting me a suave smile. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Together we left the lounge, heading down the dimly lit hallways again. This time I paid attentions to the twists and turns we took. Joel kept his distance from me, unlike earlier when he was within touching distance. I smiled at the gesture. ¡°If you want, after you¡¯re done eating I can show you around a bit,¡± Joel offered, ncing at me. ¡°Unless you¡¯re morefortable going around by yourself. Or if you just want to retire to your room.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like it if you showed me around,¡± I responded, swallowing nervously. Joel was a nice guy. If I could get used to being here, we could even be friends. I just had to swallow my silly fear. Joel grinned widely. ¡°Sure! Now I¡¯m not a great cook, so all I could so is cook you some canned soup.¡± I gave him a questioning look. ¡°Vampires eat human food?¡± ¡°Duh,¡± he responded in a sarcastic tone. ¡°We can¡¯t survive on just blood. That¡¯s just stupid.¡± ¡°Well sorry for being uninformed.¡± ¡°Apology epted.¡± I gave him a t look. ¡°So for the next week am I going to have to live off can soup or what?¡± ¡°Vivi is a very good cook,¡± Joel told me. ¡°Make him make you something. Or you can get one of the kitchen help to do it.¡± ¡°Kitchen help?¡± ¡°The cooks,¡± he rified. ¡°They¡¯re off tonight, but they¡¯ll be back tomorrow. I¡¯m sure if you request something they can make it.¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°So what¡¯s with the sudden change in attitude?¡± Joel asked, suddenly changing the topic. ¡°You were all ¡®ah, vampires!¡¯ and now you¡¯re pretty calm.¡± A wry smile crossed my face. ¡°I figure I¡¯m wrong about vampires. You guys are nothing like the movies.¡± Joel made a face. ¡°No, we¡¯re not. But Emily, you¡¯d do well to remember there are vampires out there like that.¡± ¡°There are?¡± ¡°Yeah. Really dangerous ones.¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Oh.¡± Joel sent me a gentle smile. ¡°But forget about that. The kitchen is through here.¡± He pushed open arge, swinging door, ushering me inside. The smell of chicken noodle soup filled the air, and my stomach rumbled again. Joel smirked and I blushed, awkwardly standing by the door as he went over to a pot on the stove. After a moment he motioned for me to sit at the table that was against the far wall. I did as he said, taking a seat on the high stools. ¡°Bon app¨¦tit,¡± Joelmented, cing a porcin bowl full of soup in front of me. ¡°Enjoy, because I¡¯m not making you anything else until dinner.¡± I blinked at him. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Around noon,¡± he informed me. ¡°Sunday, if you¡¯re curious¡­¡± I stared down at my soup, frowning. It hadn¡¯t even been one day since I arrived at the manor. If this was what one day felt like, what would one week feel like? An unpleasant feeling spread through my chest. Guess I was going to find out. 11 What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°I get to choose?¡± ¡°Not if you don¡¯t answer me within the next ten seconds.¡± I nked at Vincent, trying desperately to think of something I wanted to eat. Nothing wasing to mind. ¡°Um, chicken?¡± I finally asked, more than said. Vincent snorted. ¡°Chicken? Really?¡± ¡°I-I can choose something else then,¡± I murmured, biting my lip. Did he have to be such a jerk? ¡°Ohe on, it was a joke. You know, since you act like a chicken.¡± Vincent rolled his eyes as he moved towards the fridge. ¡°Are you always like that?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°So passive .¡± A frown crossed my face. ¡°I¡¯m not passive. I just-¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I abruptly shut my mouth, grinding my teeth in annoyance. What a jerk! ¡°See? Passive,¡± Vincent pointed out. ¡°If you weren¡¯t you wouldn¡¯t have shut up just then, would you?¡± ¡°Actually, I would, since you¡¯re a fricking vampire who could kill me if I didn¡¯t obey you!¡± I snapped back at him, feeling my cheeks warm up in embarrassment. He smirked at me. ¡°Passive and yet feisty. You don¡¯t get many vampires like that around here. Most are just flirtatious whores that want you because of your status.¡± I blinked at his harsh words, yet amused face. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Do you want any seasoning on your chicken?¡± he asked, changing the subject. ¡°You actually have chicken?¡± He gave me an ¡°are-you-stupid?¡± look. ¡°It¡¯s not like we try to starve to death. I thought you already knew we ate regr food too? Or are you as stupid as you look and forgot already?¡± Would it kill him to be nice for three seconds? ¡°I¡¯d like seasoning¡­ Please,¡± I added as a second thought. ¡°So if you guys eat human food, why do you need blood to survive?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t make enough blood to keep ourselves alive,¡± Vincent responded simply. That threw me off guard. ¡°But aren¡¯t you dead?¡± Vincent¡¯s head snapped towards me and he gave me the re he gave me when we first met. My breath caught in my throat and I took a step back, suddenly terrified of the vampire before me. After a few seconds he set his jaw and rxed, closing his eyes for a moment. I tried to rx as well, but found I couldn¡¯t calm my heart. ¡°We¡¯re not dead,¡± he told me calmly. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not?¡± Without warning, he was in front of me, barely an inch away. My eyes grew wide as I took in his emerald orbs. His cool hand gripped my roughly. I tried to pull it away, but he held it tight, making me wince. . . ¡°Feel carefully,¡± he growled, pressing my palm to his chest, where his heart was supposed to be. I held my breath, my eyes unable to break from his gaze. After a few moments, I grew confused. What was I supposed to be feeling for? His nonexistent heartbeat? Was this supposed to prove something? Why¡­ A quiet gasp of surprise left my lips as I felt the tiniest, feeblest reverberation through his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know who taught you about vampires,¡± Vincent started in a dangerously low voice. ¡°But whatever you do know, I can guarantee it¡¯s wrong. Humans know nothing about us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I breathed, unable to pull my hand away from his chest. In fact, I couldn¡¯t even move. Something was rooting me to the spot. Vincent abruptly dropped my hand, shing away from me. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault humanity is ignorant.¡± I licked my lips, trying to make the dry feeling in my mouth disappear. ¡°No, I should apologize. I¡¯m just as benighted as every other human. Before I met you and your family, I just assumed vampires were exactly how they are portrayed in movies.¡± ¡°Sparkly?¡± I smiled. ¡°I was thinking more 30 Days of Night than Twilight .¡± ¡± 30 Days of Night is more correct,¡± Vincent responded tly. ¡°While it may not bepletely correct, there are vampires that do live by brutally attacking humans. The rouges.¡± ¡°Rouges?¡± He gave me an irritated look. ¡°Look, I¡¯m here to cook you dinner, not answer all your stupid questions.¡± ¡°Well sorry for asking stupid questions! You said yourself humans know nothing about your kind! I was just trying to learn something! What is with you? You¡¯re talkative one second and then the next you¡¯re an arrogant jerk!¡± Vincent scowled at me. ¡°I think I liked you better when you were the timid mouse.¡± I stared at him in outrage. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t like you having to baby sit me just as much as you don¡¯t, but I¡¯m your responsibility! If we just argue all the time it¡¯s not going to be a pleasant experience for either of us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard not to argue with an idiot.¡± ¡°You are such a-¡± ¡°Vampires that don¡¯t follow ourws,¡± he cut me off, turning the knob on the oven so fast I barely caught it. ¡°That¡¯s a rogue.¡± I abruptly shut my mouth, cutting off any retort. Now he decides to answer my question . ¡°Are rouges illegal?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way,¡± I started slowly, debating whether I should ask my next question or not. ¡°But¡­ Why do you have a heartbeat? Why is it so slow? I mean I understand you¡¯re not dead. But if you¡¯re not dead, why¡­?¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Vincent snapped the oven closed with a loud bang. I flinched at the loud noise. I hadn¡¯t even seen him open the oven. He came over to me again, stopping at an ufortable proximity. ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason why our heartbeat is so slow, but it¡¯s probably because we have much less blood than humans,¡± he told me. ¡°The reason as to why we have one is because we are alive. It¡¯s not like you can be born dead from a dead person. That¡¯s more like a zombie.¡± . . So vampires were born from other vampires¡­ ¡°Wait a second.¡± ¡°No what?¡± ¡°Fiona mentioned she was human at one point,¡± I notified him, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°How can she-¡± My air was unexpectedly cut off as Vincent mmed me against the wall, holding me by my neck. I gasped for air as he gave me another of his death res. ¡°Don¡¯t ever speak about that again.¡± My eyes were beginning to water from myck of oxygen. ¡°I-I won¡¯t,¡± I gasped, grasping at his hands. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± Vincent immediately let me go and I copsed to my knees, taking in deep breaths. Did he have to be so physical? I was going to die before this week was over if he kept up like that! Maybe even earlier- I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I ended up having a heart attack after one of his surprise attacks! ¡°Emily, are you okay?¡± a soft voice said from beside me. My head snapped in the direction of the voice and I found myself staring at Sebastian. He gave me a concerned look, putting a hand to the small of my back, and helping me to stand. I rubbed my sore neck, silently praying there wouldn¡¯t be a bruise in the morning. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I heard Vincent demand. ¡°I came to make sure Emily wasn¡¯t dead,¡± his brother responded, frowning. ¡°I guess I came at the right time.¡± I shook my head. ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to kill me, Sebastian.¡± ¡°Then what exactly was going on?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± My voice caught as I remembered Vincent¡¯s words. Would it count if I told Sebastian what we were talking about? It was better not to risk it. ¡°He was just showing me how strong vampires were because I told him he couldn¡¯t beat me in a wrestling match.¡± Sebastian¡¯s brow wrinkled in confusion. ¡°You were talking about wrestling?¡± ¡°I was nning on escaping,¡± I lied. He sighed lightly. ¡°Emily, there¡¯s no way to escape. I really am sorry, but you just can¡¯t go home right now.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I responded, frowning. I probably knew that better than he did. ¡°As everything goes ording to n, you¡¯ll be out of here by this time next week,¡± he encouraged cheerfully. ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad, I promise. That is of course as long as you don¡¯t ask me to make you dinner. Unless you like the taste of charcoal.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Vincent muttered, rolling his eyes. I ignored Vincent, feeling a grin slip onto my mouth as I stared at Sebastian. Why did he have to be such a good guy? ¡°Well I don¡¯t hate it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a sight to see?¡± Vincentmented in an amused voice. ¡°The heir to the throne cooking dinner for a lowly human?¡± ¡°Lowly?¡± I repeated, narrowing my eyes at him. Did vampires think they were better than humans or something? He smirked back at me. ¡°If you¡¯re the heir to a throne in human society, then forgive me, but since you¡¯re obviously not, yes, you¡¯re lowly.¡± . . 12 ¡°You¡¯re really a jerk!¡± ¡°I take that as apliment.¡± Sebastian sighed again. ¡°Em, just ignore Vince. I think his status is getting to his head.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than someone who acts like they don¡¯t have any at all,¡± Vincent snapped back at his brother. I nced back and forth between the brothers, feeling an awkward tension. ¡°But then again, I guess you do since you don¡¯t really go near Fiona in public.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for her own safety,¡± Sebastian growled, suddenly looking furious. ¡°And you know it, Vincent.¡± Vincent scoffed. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°No wonder you weren¡¯t chosen as the heir. Juvenile doesn¡¯t begin to describe your attitude,¡± Sebastian responded smoothly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave before you¡¯re caught with my mistake?¡± My eyes widened when I realized he was talking about me. Then my attention shifted from Vincent to his brother, who looked guilty. Our gazes met and he gave me an apologetic look. ¡°Is there something I¡¯m missing here¡­?¡± Besides the fact that you two obviously don¡¯t get along well . ¡°You¡¯re bad for our image,¡± Vincent told me tly. The corners of my lips twitched in annoyance. ¡°Oh. We¡¯ll sorry.¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Em. No one mes you at all¡­¡± He trailed off, sending a meaningful look towards Vincent. ¡°Although there are those who didn¡¯t agree when they heard a human was staying with the Rutherfords, there were those who understood.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay,¡± I responded slowly, wondering why he was bothering with telling me this. I didn¡¯t really care what vampires thought of me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he continued, obviously not noticing myck of interest. He ruffled my head for a moment. ¡°We won¡¯t let anything happen.¡± That threw me off guard. ¡°Wait? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Chicken¡¯s done,¡± Vincent grunted and a secondter the oven dinged. ¡°You can leave now, Sebastian. I¡¯ve got her covered.¡± Sebastian looked relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter then. Bye, Emily.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I called as he shed away from the room. For a second I was too shocked to move my eyes away from the empty ce Sebastian had been upying moments before. Vampires were fast . ¡°Do you need salt or pepper?¡± ¡°You have that?¡± Vincent gave me a condescending look. ¡°Don¡¯t you have salt and pepper at your house?¡± ¡°Well yeah, sure, but-¡± ¡°We¡¯re no different here,¡± he told me tly, sticking his hand into the oven. ¡°So stop looking so shocked when-¡± . . ¡°What are you doing?¡± I demanded, stepping forwards and trying to yank his hand out of the oven. ¡°You don¡¯t have a mitt on!¡± For a second Vincent looked at me in surprise, and then he chuckled, pulling out the chicken pan with his bare hand. ¡°We don¡¯t need oven mitts, stupid.¡± ¡°My name is Emily,¡± I snapped.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s stupid backwards.¡± I nked. ¡°Wait, it is?¡± He snickered. I scowled, letting go of his arm. ¡°You¡¯re a jerk, you know that? Shouldn¡¯t you try being a little nicer seeing as how I¡¯m a guest here?¡± ¡°Guest?¡± he repeated, cocking his head to the side. ¡°I was under the impression that you considered yourself a prisoner.¡± ¡°Your mom told me not to think that way, so I won¡¯t. And in that case, guests should be treated courteously.¡± Vincent shrugged, stabbing the piece of chicken with a fork and putting it on a te for me. ¡°You want courteous?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then go find Sebastian.¡± With that, he thrust the te he was carrying into my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love yourpany.¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m going to find Fiona.¡± Vincent paused, ncing at me over his shoulder. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± He nodded approvingly. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll show you the way then.¡± I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Why so helpful now?¡± ¡°Fiona could use a friend,¡± he responded simply. ¡°Even one as stupid like you will make her happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid!¡± ¡°Stupid enough to get yourself kidnapped.¡± ¡°By fricking paranormal beasts!¡± He gave me a curious look. ¡°Paranormal beasts¡­ I think I like that.¡± A heavy sigh escaped my lips. You really couldn¡¯t put out a narcissist. Vincent let out a loudugh, gesturing for me to follow him down the hallway. I obeyed him, clutching my te tightly so I wouldn¡¯t identally drop it. With the amount of twists and turns we took while walking down the hallway, I knew I¡¯d never be able to find my way back to the kitchen or my bedroom. A frown took its ce on my face when I realized I¡¯d have to ask Vincent for help. Without warning, Vincent stopped, effectively tree stumping me. He didn¡¯t seem to notice. Oblivious to my annoyed look, he rapped on the door we were in front of three times consecutively. Not even five secondster the door flew open and Fiona appeared, her eyes brightening as theynded on me. ¡°Emily!¡± ¡°Hello to you too,¡± Vincent muttered. Fiona grinned at him. ¡°Hi, Vivi.¡± I waited for a moment, expecting Vincent to snap at her, but he didn¡¯t. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Didn¡¯t he hate when people called him that? Howe he wasn¡¯t yelling at Fiona? ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Fiona inquired when she realized neither of us was going to speak up. I held up the te in my hand. ¡°Do you mind if I keep you somepany?¡± ¡°Sick of Vincent already?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like the other way around,¡± Vincent interjected. ¡°Hey!¡± Fionaughed. ¡°I¡¯d love to take her off your hands, Vince. I haven¡¯t had any girl time in a very long time¡­¡± Vincent held up his hands. ¡°That¡¯s my cue to leave. Don¡¯t cause too much trouble. And stupid?¡± I red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call me stupid!¡± ¡°Try not to be too much of an idiot.¡± I gritted my teeth as Vincent smirked at me. In the blink of an eye he was gone and Fiona was ushering me inside her room. For a second I was taken aback as bright pink entered my vision. I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes to the color. Fiona definitely took girly to an extreme in her room. Almost everything was pink and white, from the carpet, to the walls, to the bedspread, to the window curtains. It was almost like Valentine¡¯s Day! She caught me staring and blushed. ¡°Er¡­ It¡¯s a little girly.¡± I pressed my lips together to keep fromughing. ¡°A little?¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind!¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all!¡± She gave me a relieved smile. ¡°Good. When I was alive I was brought up as a boy would, so I never really got to experience the girly side of things¡­ I really missed out.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded distractedly. When she was alive¡­ Curiosity bubbled up in me, but I hastily forced it away. If Vincent had a problem talking about Fiona, I was sure Fiona would also have one. It was better not to tread in dark water. ¡°So do you want to y Barbie?¡± I blinked at her. ¡°Um¡­¡± Sheughed, rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Emily. Why don¡¯t you eat? We can watch some T. V too.¡± She gestured towards the wall, where a gigantic t screen was. My jaw nearly dropped. ¡°That¡¯s bigger than my house!¡± ¡°You must have a very small house then,¡± shemented, her eyes as wide as saucers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Not literally,¡± I responded, trying not tough. ¡°Oh¡­ I knew that.¡± She smiled sheepishly. ¡°So¡­ Up for some T. V?¡± I nodded. ¡°Sounds good. It¡¯s nice to do something normal.¡± Fiona grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll do lots of normal things together. Trust me, being here will be no different than being at home¡­ Well, besides the constant risk of being attacked by a hungry vampire.¡± I made a face. ¡°Thanks for reminding me.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± she responded, pping my back none too gently. ¡°Now take a seat.¡± 13 Emily? Emily, wake up.¡± My eyes snapped open when I heard my name being called. Disgruntled, I sat up too quickly, sending my head reeling. A soft chuckled erupted from the person hovering above me and I found myself staring into a pair of brilliant emerald eyes. ¡°Good morning Sleeping Beauty,¡± the br greeted me, his eyes twinkling in amusement. ¡°Congrattions! You survived your first night, if you don¡¯t count the night you first arrived here.¡± Blinking in confusion I took in my surroundings. Everything was pink. Suddenly memories came back to me in a rush, and my mouth dropped open. Sebastian raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at my reaction. I gawked at him, unable to believe it. He was right. I didn¡¯t remember when I¡¯d fallen asleep, but I made it through the night without a problem. In fact, I¡¯d gotten probably the best sleep that I had in a long while. ¡°Ah, morning,¡± I responded, remembering my manners. ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but why are you here? And where¡¯s Fiona?¡± Sebastian chuckled again. ¡°I¡¯vee to wake you up. You wouldn¡¯t want to miss breakfast would you? Especially since Vince might not be so willing to cook twice in a three hour time span.¡± A yawn escaped my lips and I rubbed my eyes tiredly. Hearing vampires ate breakfast still threw me off guard a little. It was hard to believe how human they were. All those horror movies were so misleading¡­ Fiona¡¯s warning ran through my head, but I quickly shook it away. Even if those types of vampires did exist, I could pretend they didn¡¯t. ¡°Who¡¯s eating with us?¡± I questioned, pushing myself off Fiona¡¯s shy couch. ¡°Just Fiona and Vince,¡± Sebastian responded, leading me out of the room. ¡°Only the whole family gets together for dinner.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How many people are in the whole family?¡± ¡°Around thirty.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Thirty? Do they all live here?¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°No, they live on our estate though. We quite a few acres ofnd.¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked, realizing I had no clue where they¡¯d taken me. You¡¯d think I¡¯d ask that sooner? I thought with a grimace. ¡°Massachusetts.¡± My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. We were still in Massachusetts? Well, maybe it shouldn¡¯t have been such a surprise. When Vince and Joel kidnapped me, we weren¡¯t in the van for too long. ¡°Where in Massachusetts?¡± ¡°Look Park.¡± I froze, a startled gasp leaving my lips. ¡± What? ¡± Sebastian gave me a concerned look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why are you lying to me?¡± I demanded, feeling a little hurt. Sebastian seemed so nice. ¡°Why does it matter if you tell me where you are? Vincent told me a little about you guys!¡± ¡°Emily, I¡¯m not lying,¡± Sebastian responded smoothly, looking confused. ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to lie about it.¡± I shook my head at him. ¡°We can¡¯t be in Look Park. It¡¯s barely big enough for the house, let alone the many acres you say you im.¡± . . A mysterious smirk appeared on his lips. ¡°This might not be something a human canprehend.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a little bit of magic involved,¡± Sebastian exined. ¡°You can¡¯t get to our estate if you¡¯re human.¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± He smiled in amusement. ¡°Since you¡¯re human, if you were to take a walk around theke before meeting us, you¡¯d just be walking around theke. If you walk around this building, you¡¯d be taking the same path. But since a vampire brought you here, you¡¯d walk around theke¡­¡± He trailed off, his cheeks reddening. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I shouldn¡¯t even try to exin things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± I rushed, feeling my own blushing on upon seeing him blush. Could he get any cuter? No , I admonished myself roughly. He¡¯s a vampire . No thoughts like that. I huffed at myself. Now that my fear was gone for the most part, wasn¡¯t it okay for me to be a normal human for a moment? People were still good looking whether they were human or not! ¡°I guess in simpler words why I¡¯m trying to say is our estate can¡¯t essed if you¡¯re human,¡± Sebastian continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. ¡°You¡¯d walk right through it.¡± I nodded my head slowly. ¡°I gotcha. Is it okay for me to know that?¡± Sebastianughed. ¡°You¡¯re a human who knows that vampires exist. You¡¯re free to know anything about us that you want. It¡¯s not like we have to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± I hesitated for a moment, trying to choose my words carefully. Vincent nearly bit my head off when I asked, but surely Sebastian would be more amodating. ¡°About Fiona-¡± Sebastian suddenly stopped, making me run into him. Pain spread through my nose at contact with his hard body. Another shock ran through me when I realized Sebastian was opening the door to the kitchen. I hadn¡¯t even realized we¡¯d started walking again! My mind raced back over the past few minutes, trying to remember when I started walking, but nothing came to mind. ¡°Taboo subject,¡± Sebastian whispered in my ear as he brushed past me. I stared after him, my heart speeding up the slightest bit. So even Sebastian wouldn¡¯t talk about it? I clenched my fist. Even though it wasn¡¯t any of my business, I was now extremely curious. ¡°Are youing in or are you just going to stand there?¡± an irritated voice snapped. My eyes shot to Vincent, who was scowling at me, a spat in his hand. I glowered back at him. Did he have to be a jerk so early in the morning? Fiona flittered towards me, smiling widely. ¡°Did you know you talk in your sleep?¡± she inquired. ¡°You must have been dreaming about your boyfriend.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Jake?¡± The name made me nk. Jake¡­ Jake ! Panic coursed through me now and my eyes widened significantly. Sebastian said he could change my parents¡¯ memories, but what about my brother¡¯s? Did he think I was on vacation too? Or did he think I¡¯d been kidnapped and my parents were crazy? What about Leah and Alli? How could I have not thought about them once this whole time? What was wrong with me? . . ¡°Emily?¡± Fiona called, cing a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Me! That¡¯s what!¡± Vincent snorted from the corner, earning a re from me. He gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°Maybe your brain is the problem.¡± Sebastian gave his brother a disapproving look. ¡°Vince, can¡¯t you see Emily is upset?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m not interested?¡± Fiona sighed lightly. ¡°Is it something you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about the family and friends I¡¯ve seemed to forgotten,¡± I muttered darkly. How could I not have worried about them? She smiled gently at me. ¡°Emily, I think you¡¯re over-thinking it¡­¡± I gave her a deadpan look. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You were kidnapped to a house full of vampires¡­ I think you¡¯re excused.¡± I blinked at her. Was I excused? That was a pretty good reason¡­ And it¡¯d only been two days since I¡¯d left. Technically only one since I¡¯d been asleep most of the time. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be too hard on myself¡­ After all, I still had been kidnapped. ¡°So,¡± I started, deciding to change the subject, ¡°what¡¯s for breakfast?¡± ¡°You are.¡± Before my mind could process the words, somebody mmed into my back with enough force to send me sprawling. Just as my feet slipped out from under me a hard arm wrapped around my waist, setting me straight again. I turned, the top of my head bumping into someone¡¯s incredibly hard jaw. A chuckle erupted from the person holding onto me and I raised my eyes to see Joel smiling at me in amusement. ¡°I expected more of a reaction than that.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± I responded, quickly pushing myself away from him. His brown eyes twinkled mischievously. ¡°I said you are .¡± ¡°What, are you resorting to cannibalism?¡± I joked, and then paused when I realized that was close to the truth. An awkward silence washed over us. ¡°Er¡­ That was too close to home te, huh?¡± Joel pursed his lips at me. ¡°We¡¯re not cannibals.¡± ¡°You suck other people¡¯s blood. That¡¯s cannibalistic,¡±I pointed out, half grossed out at my new concept, half-amused. ¡°Cannibals eat human flesh, stupid.¡± I turned to scowl at Vincent. ¡°Stop calling me stupid!¡± ¡°Does it irritate you, stupid?¡± he responded with a self-satisfied smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me, Vivi .¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever, stupid.¡± ¡°Vivi-¡± ¡°Call me Vivi again and I will put poison in your mean,¡± he snapped, shooting me daggers. I resisted the urge to blow a raspberry at him. No, I was too mature for that, so I settled on glowering at the back of his head as he returned his attention to the frying pan on the stove. ¡°What are we even eating?¡± . . ¡°Food.¡± I ignored, Vincent, turning to Fiona. She smiled at me. ¡°Bacon, eggs, and ham.¡± ¡°You guys eat that?¡± Joel pped me on the back, none too gently. ¡°We eat normal food, Em. If you don¡¯t consider that normal food, you aren¡¯t a true American.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t,¡± I shot back. ¡°Remember?¡± Joel gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean true that way.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He frowned. ¡°You know, for a prisoner you¡¯re awfully mouthy.¡± ¡°You think?¡± Vincent interjected loudly. I squared my shoulders. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not a prisoner. I¡¯m a guest. The queen said so herself.¡± ¡°You are a guest,¡± Sebastian told me with a smile. ¡°Joel¡¯s just joking around with you.¡± ¡°Food¡¯s done. Sit,¡± Vincentmanded, turning toward our group. ¡°Last one seated has to do the dishes.¡± A gust of air ruffled my hair, and I swatted away, noticing how greasy it felt. I definitely needed a shower. When I looked up again, all three vampires who had been standing around me were now seated at the table. Joel snickered while Fiona simpered. I blinked at them. Vincent appeared in my field of vision, taking a seat next to Joel, acent expression on his face. ¡°Looks like the human does the dishes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have maids for something like that?¡± I protested. I didn¡¯t even do dishes at my own house! Vincent nodded. ¡°Sure. We recently got a brand new maid too. She¡¯s a human. Named Emily.¡± ¡°Haha,¡± Iughed sarcastically, stomping over to the table, and taking a seat between Fiona and Sebastian. ¡°Do you guys eat breakfast together every day?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Our parents like us to.¡± ¡°Force us to,¡± Vincent corrected him, ¡°because apparently we don¡¯t see Sebastian enough. Personally, I think I see him more than enough.¡± Sebastian sent him a disapproving look. ¡°We hardly see each other, Vince.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with it.¡± I copied Sebastian¡¯s look. Why was Vincent so cold to his own brother? He was civil to Fiona! ¡°Why don¡¯t your parents eat with you guys?¡± ¡°They¡¯re busier than me,¡± Sebastian informed me. ¡°Being King and Queen isn¡¯t all fun and games.¡± ¡°I know that¡­¡± Fiona lightly pped Sebastian on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Sebastian tensed, stealing a quick look at Fiona. She smiled at him and he slowly rxed his stance. ¡°Fine.¡± My eyebrows furrowed at the silent exchange between the two of them. Joel and Vincent seemed to not have noticed it. Sebastian caught me staring at him and offered me a small smile. ¡°Would you like some eggs, Emily?¡± ¡°Ah, sure,¡± I responded quickly, adverting my gaze. ¡°So what do you n to do today?¡± My eyes snapped back to him. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to allow you to wallow in your room the whole day again,¡± he informed me with another gentle smile. ¡°There are lots of things to do in this house. I¡¯ll have Vincent show you around-¡± ¡°Not happening.¡± Sebastian frowned. Joel quickly spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it, Sebastian?¡± I questioned, throwing Joel a quick look. ¡°No offence!¡± He held up his hands. ¡°None taken.¡± ¡°I would love to show you around, Emily, but I have matters to attend to,¡± Sebastian responded forlornly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I quickly shook my head. ¡°No! It¡¯s fine. Joel will be fine!¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°Devloping a crush?¡± ¡°No,¡± I stated firmly. On a vampire ? Ha . It was impossible for me to develop a crush on a vampire. Even if he was handsome and talked so gently and his eyes were the one of the prettiest colors¡­ I shook my head. No. Impossible. I caught Vincent staring at me and I cocked an eyebrow curiously. He gave me a hard look. Taken aback, my heart skipped a beat. What was that look for? ¡°Eat your food before it gets cold,¡± he demanded. ¡°And afterwards take your iron supplements.¡± ¡°You remembered?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid like you.¡± I held back my retort. This was going to be hard to get used to. 14 Joel? Joel? Where are you?¡± I called, meandering mindlessly through thebyrinth of hallways in the Rutherford manor. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny anymore!¡± The only sounds that could be heard were my own footfalls as I continued to search for the vampire who was supposed to be showing me around the ce. Ten minutes prior he¡¯d up and disappeared while leading me to the pool was. While I¡¯d been in shock about finding out they owned an indoor pool, he¡¯d somehow slipped away from me. A scowl crossed my face. He was probably watching me inconspicuouslyandughing. ¡°Joel!¡± No answer. Sighing in frustration, I twisted to the right, marching down the next hallway. My eyes grew wide when I realized somehow I¡¯d managed to make it to the hallway where my room was located. I made a beeline for it. Even though Sebastian didn¡¯t want me in my room all day, it was better than making my feet sore by wandering around lost for hours on end. With a small sigh, I pushed open the door to my room. Maybe I could take a nap¡­ ¡°Vivi! Vivi! How do I look?¡± I froze, staring at the scene that met my eyes. A young man with shockingly white hair stood before me, wearing acy ck bra and a white and ck id shirt. A gasp left my lips when I realized they were mine. My mind raced. How in the world had he gotten a hold of things I left at home? The only clothing I had here were the-very dirty- ones on my back! Suddenly the white haired man¡¯s eyes snapped to mine, an amused grin ying across his face. ¡°You must be Emily,¡± he started, holding out a hand and walking towards me. ¡°I¡¯m Samuel.¡± He stopped about a foot away, towering a good foot over me. For a second I was unable to respond- partly because he was wearing my bra, and partly because his eyes were a shiny silver color. Just by that I could tell he was a vampire. When he realized I wasn¡¯t going to shake his hand, he took the initiative and grabbed my hand from my side, shaking it roughly. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me trying on your clothing,¡± he said, still violently joggling my hand. ¡°Sebastian told me to put your stuff in your room and I was merely curious as to what he meant and then I found this fancy ¡­ Vivi told me I should try it on-¡± ¡°I did not.¡± My gaze shot past Samuel to where Vincent was, leaning against the wall casually with his arms crossed. ¡°What are you doing in my room?¡± I demanded. ¡°Dropping off some your things,¡± he responded simply. ¡°You do want them, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure if you don¡¯t, Samuel does.¡± I flushed as Samuel cupped his chest with a wink. ¡°I think it suits me.¡± ¡°Take it off!¡± I cried, not sure how more embarrassing the situation could be. ¡°How¡¯d you even get that?¡± ¡°Sebastian brought it here,¡± Samuel responded, a frown slipping onto his face. ¡°Do I really have to take it off?¡± I nodded my head vigorously. ¡°He only brought a bra and shirt?¡± ¡°No, stupid. He brought what you supposedly took on vacation with you,¡± Vincent interjected, gesturing towards my bed where my traveling case was, lying open. After throwing an annoyed look at Vincent, I headed for the bed. Samuel appeared beside me dropping my bra and shirt back into it. I peered into the bag, feeling relieved at the sight of my clothing. Now I wouldn¡¯t have to walk around in dirty clothes anymore. Along with my clothes were my toothbrush (how did he know that one was mine?), my hairbrush, myptop, my iPod, a few books, and my only other pair of shoes. All the things I would take to my aunt¡¯s if I went. Sebastian did a good job. . . ¡°Samuel, put on a shirt.¡± ¡°I would, Vivi, but I don¡¯t know where it is¡­¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°You¡¯re a moron.¡± I gave Samuel a pitying look. It was kind of nice to know Vincent didn¡¯t only make fun of me. My gaze then dropped to his bare chest. Immediately I looked away. I guess vampires being well defined isn¡¯t a myth¡­ ¡°It¡¯s under the bed,¡± Vincent continued, unfolding his arms. ¡°Put it on and let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°None of your business.¡± I scowled at him. Samuel spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re going to put the cars in the garage,¡± he informed me. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain.¡± His head turned towards therge window in my room. I followed, noticing the dark grey sky. It was only four in the afternoon. ¡°Although I can¡¯t see why the menservants can¡¯t do it¡­¡± Samuel continued as an after thought. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know how to drive,¡± Vincent responded in a belittling tone. I stared at him. ¡°Wait, you do have maids?¡± ¡°And menservants,¡± Samuel added. ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t!¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°No, I never said we didn¡¯t. My mom just doesn¡¯t let us get away with having them do everything for us. During the morning we have to clean up after ourselves. After that the maids will do everything.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a maid.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t left you room much.¡± ¡°Surely I would have seen-¡± Vincent cut me off. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Samuel. I don¡¯t want to be caught in the rain.¡± Samuel nodded, following him to the door. After a moment of staring after them I hastened after them. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can Ie?¡± Samuel raised an eyebrow while Vincent shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m nning on going to the store,¡± he told me. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave the premises.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Iined. ¡°I¡¯m bored. Joel ditched me and I don¡¯t know where he is. I won¡¯t try to run away!¡± Samuel offered me a smile. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good in Vivi got in trouble with his parents¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Vincent hissed, punching his friend in the shoulder. ¡°And I don¡¯t care if I get in trouble with my parents.¡± ¡°You know you¡¯d never take Emily out without their permission,¡± Samuel replied, smirking. ¡°You¡¯d be too scared.¡± Vincent red at him. ¡°No I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well the opportunity has arose¡­¡± I stared at Vincent determinedly as he contemted the idea, a scowl appearing on his face. After a few more minutes a smug expression appeared. ¡°Okay, fine, Emily you cane,¡± he announced. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Do you want me to change my mind?¡± I quickly shook my head. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then get on a coat,¡± he ordered. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I responded cheerfully, turning towards my bag. Vincent could be surprisingly considerate sometimes. After a few moments of pawing through my clothes I found my peacoat, snatching it up, and throwing it on. ¡°Ready.¡± . . Samuel pressed his lips together. ¡°You sure you want toe, greasy hair?¡± My gaze dropped to my hair and I almost gagged when I noticed how clumped together and greasy it was. It was to be expected though because I hadn¡¯t showered in about three days. ¡°Actually¡­ Can I take a shower?¡± Vincent gave me an impatient look. ¡°Are you kidding?¡± ¡°Come on Vince, she¡¯s a girl. Let her do her thing. We can move our cars and Fiona¡¯s too while we wait,¡± Samuel suggested, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Vincent immediately shoved him off. ¡°Put a shirt on before you do that. And stop gawking and get in the shower, stupid.¡± My lip twitched in annoyance and I bit back my response. ¡°Fine,¡± I muttered, twisting on my heel and heading towards the bathroom attached to my room. ¡°Don¡¯t leave without me!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± I mmed the bathroom door behind me, not bothering to respond with words. There was no way I was going to let them leave without me. I at least needed to go outside for a few moments. Being cooped up in a mansion was incredibly suffocating. Especially when you were with a bunch of vampires who could snap and kill you at any second. I kept my shower short, speedily washing my hair and body. When I was done I stepped out and searched for a towel in the bathroom for a few moments, locating one in the closet by the door, and swiftly drying myself off. After I finished dressing I stepped out of the bathroom just in time to see Vincent returning. He took in my dripping hair with an annoyed expression. ¡°You do realize you¡¯ll catch a cold if you go out with your hair like that, right?¡± ¡°Are you going to wait for it to dry?¡± He snorted. I rolled my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Let me just slip my shoes on and then we can go¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re going out the back way,¡± he informed me. ¡°My mom is in the living room by the front door so it¡¯s too risky to go that way. Now hurry up.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. For a second I rethought the idea of leaving with them. What if the queen did find out? Would she be angry with me? Or with Vincent? Would it really matter if I left if I came back? It wasn¡¯t like I could go home; my parents thought I was all the way across the country. 15 ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming,¡± I responded, snapping myself from the thoughts. ¡°Sorry.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Vincent turned and began walking down the hallway. I followed after him without hesitation. The halls werepletely empty like always as we traversed through them. A frown set on my face again. If there really were maids and menservants, where were they? Hiding? I almost snorted at the thought. ¡°I¡¯m putting the child lock on, so don¡¯t try to jump out of the car,¡± Vincent warned me as he opened the door that led to the outside. A burst of freezing air met my face and I shivered instantly. Even though I¡¯d only been out of it for three days, it was still surprising hold could it was. I hadn¡¯t missed that at all. The sky was still a dark grey- a telltale sign of rain. My stomach twisted ufortably. Rain I was okay with. Thunderstorms on the other hand¡­ ¡°Did you hear me stupid?¡± I clenched my fist. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. Yes, I heard you. I just chose not to respond.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still stupid.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t jump out of a moving car,¡± I snapped at him. ¡°You¡¯ve tried it before,¡± he responded smartly. . . He had me there. I settled for giving him a disapproving look as he led me to the car. He went to the driver¡¯s side, leaving me by myself. I stood still for a moment, wondering what would happen if I decided to run. There wasn¡¯t any way I could make it very far, but the thought crossed my mind. Would Vincent chase after me? A sharp re from the horn made me jump in surprise. Vincent gestured with his hand for me to get in the car. Sighing, I opened the door and slipped in. Samuel turned to grin at me. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded. As soon as the words left my mouth I was forced back into my seat as Vincent mmed on the gas pedal. Terror washed over me and I quickly fumbled for my seatbelt. The forest whizzed by as Vincent sped down the road. Samuel stayed calm, seemingly unaffected by Vincent¡¯s velocity as he searched through the radio stations. I clutched the side of the door, forcing myself to keep my gaze on anything but the outside. Vincent nced at me through the rear-view mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared of driving fast.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you¡¯re heart says.¡± At first I thought he¡¯d said some cheesy line until I realized that my heart was pounding furiously in my chest. I tried to calm it down, pressing my palm to it roughly. Samuel snickered from his seat. ¡°He may drive fast, but Vivi¡¯s an excellent driver,¡± he apprised me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Call me Vivi again and I will purposely crash the car.¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still hurt.¡± I peered at Samuel curiously. ¡°How do you know you won¡¯t die, Samuel?¡± He turned to me. ¡°Vampires are pretty much indestructible. There are only a few ways to kill us.¡± ¡°How?¡± Vincent jammed his elbow into his friend¡¯s side. Samuel winced, rubbing his side. ¡°Man, why do you have to be so abusive?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you know how to shut up?¡± ¡°She asked a question.¡± ¡°A stupid one.¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°What? Is that the only word you know, Vivi?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Nope. I know plenty of insults that are close to that. Shall I list a few?¡± ¡°No-¡± ¡°Fool, idiot, ass, blockhead, dunce, imbecile, cretin, durd, halfwit, ke, dipshit.¡± Samuel smiled wryly at him. ¡°I think she gets it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± I added, giving him the same look as Samuel. ¡°You really have quite the vocabry.¡± He abruptly took a sharp left, causing me to m my head into the window. I winced, pushing myself away. Samuelughed at me from the front seat. ¡°You¡¯re funny,¡± hemented. ¡°I like you.¡± How was banging my head into the window funny? ¡°Thanks¡­ I think.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± he responded. ¡°So how¡¯s being kidnapped?¡± ¡°Terrifying at the time,¡± I responded slowly, confused at how rxed he was about talking about kidnap. ¡°Isn¡¯t it illegal for vampires too?¡± Samuel nodded. ¡°Yep.¡± I turned to Vincent. ¡°Did you get in trouble for that?¡± He stayed silent, ignoring me. Feeling a little put out, I turned back to Samuel. ¡°So are you part of the royal family?¡± . . Samuel shook his head. ¡°No way. Even though the blood of Vincent¡¯s family runs through mostly everyone around here I¡¯m one of those people thate from a different blood line,¡± he informed me. ¡°From Canada.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really,¡± he told me. ¡°I bet you never thought you¡¯d meet a Canadian vampire.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d meet any kind of vampire. I have another question though. Do you dye your hair, or is that your natural color?¡± A smirk crossed his face. ¡°You know there is a way you can find that out yourself¡­¡± Vincent swerved roughly again, this time causing Samuel to crash into the window. ¡°Don¡¯t be a pervert.¡± Samuel grinned sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s true though. And hey, I can¡¯t help but to hit on cutedies.¡± ¡°You only think she¡¯s cute because she¡¯s a human.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I blinked at the two. ¡°Did I miss something? What did you mean before, Samuel?¡± Samuel stared at me for a moment, his mouth slightly open. ¡°Oh my¡­ Vivi, you got yourself a keeper. She¡¯s so cute! How innocent! If I coulde back there and hug you I would.¡± My gaze met Vincent¡¯s in the mirror, and even he looked a little surprised. When he caught me staring he looked away, almost looking embarrassed. Now more confused than before, I leaned further up in my seat. ¡°Samuel, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show youter-¡± ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°Drop it.¡± I squared my shoulders. ¡°No, I want to know.¡± ¡°She wants to know, Vince,¡± Samuel repeated in an amused voice. ¡°It¡¯s her choice.¡± ¡°No, Samuel,¡± Vincent said with an air of finality. Suddenly his eyes lit up in amusement. ¡°Ask Sebastian.¡± Samuel¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°Why Sebastian?¡± I inquired. Vincent continued smirking, not bothering to reply to my question. Samuel fell back into his seat, looking unhappy. Silence settled in the car and I shrugged, turning to look out the window. Vincent was still driving at a dangerous pace, but I was used to it know. The rain started and Vincent switched on his windshield wipers, interrupting the silence. Fifteen minutester, we were driving through a ce I recognized all too much. The downtown area about five minutes away from where my car had broken down and the creepy old school house. My heart began to pound a little harder in my chest when I saw the restaurant Leah and Alli would go to every Friday. Part of me was tempted to open the door to the car and jump out. Maybe it as a good idea on Vincent¡¯s part to put the child¡¯s lock on. ¡°Hey Vincent?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What ever happened to my car? Didn¡¯t someone find it?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, after you passed out Joel brought it back to your house.¡± ¡°But it died¡­¡± ¡°No, it just stalled. And you put the wrong key into the ignition. Another reason you¡¯re stupid.¡± I nked. Did I seriously put in the wrong key? Was that the whole reason? I¡¯d been kidnapped because I was stupid enough to use the wrong key? I resisted the urge to p myself. Vincent was right. I was stupid. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, deciding to change the subject. ¡°Walmart.¡± My eyes widened slightly. ¡°You can go there?¡± ¡°Only you know we¡¯re vampires,¡± Samuel informed me. ¡°To humans, we¡¯re humans.¡± ¡°But what about me?¡± ¡°You can wait in the car,¡± Vincent replied. ¡°I¡¯m not a dog!¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not waiting in the car! Let mee in!¡± He shook his head. ¡°What if someone you know sees you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°No can do.¡± I grasped the back of his seat, bringing my head closer to his. ¡°Please, Vincent? It¡¯s¡­ What day is it? Monday? No one I know would be at Walmart at this time.¡± He leaned forward in his seat away from me. ¡°No means no.¡± ¡°I said please!¡± ¡°I said no!¡± Samuel gave Vincent a sly look. ¡°You¡¯re afraid you might see someone you know, too, Vivi?¡± ¡°No,¡± he growled. ¡°Sure. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t want Emily to go in. You might get caught. Shoulda known you were a chicken.¡± Vincent mmed on the breaks, causing both Samuel and I to jolt forwards in our seats. I scowled, removing my face from the leather I¡¯d smacked into. I had to remember when driving with Vincent, he liked to make you smash into things. ¡°Fine,¡± he snapped, his gaze shifting to me. ¡°But if you¡¯re seen, it¡¯s your fault.¡± I grinned. ¡°Okay.¡± A Walmart adventure with Vampires. That could be fun. 16 what do you do if you see anyone?¡± ¡°Duck and run.¡± Samuel nodded approvingly. ¡°Very good. What if they chase after you?¡± I hesitated. ¡°Stop and make up an excuse?¡± ¡°Wrong,¡± Vincent responded, turning around to look at me. ¡°Keeping running.¡± ¡°But that will make it more suspicious!¡± ¡°That will make it more suspicious,¡± he mimicked, changing his pitch to match mine. ¡°Keep your head low and that¡¯s that. Now get out of the car and let¡¯s go.¡± A scowl crossed my face. Maybe Vincent didn¡¯t even know the definition of nice. Nevertheless, I climbed out of the car and into the chilly winter rain. After pulling up my hood, I followed Vincent and Samuel towards the entrance of Walmart. Feelings of nostalgia washed over me as I went through the entrance. Even though the Rutherford¡¯s mansion was only about half an hour away, it felt like I¡¯d been all the way across the country while there and I wasing back home after a long vacation. ¡°So what are you getting?¡± I asked Vincent, ncing at him. He kept his gaze straight ahead, heading towards the back of the store. ¡°Stuff.¡± Resisting the urge to re at him, I kept a polite expression on. ¡°Like?¡± ¡°The stuff you buy here.¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± I snapped. ¡°I thought it¡¯d be easier if I helped by getting a few things for you.¡± He gazed at me thoughtfully for a second. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not a bad idea. Samuel, you go get the toothpaste, toilet paper, floss, and whatever else is over there that we need.¡± ¡°Aye, aye, sir!¡± Samuel responded with a hand salute. ¡°What about me? What should I get?¡± Vincent raised an eyebrow. ¡°You think I¡¯d let you go off alone? Nice try. But I, unlike you, am not stupid. You¡¯ll try to run away if I let you do that.¡± I shook my head in denial. ¡°No I won¡¯t!¡± ¡°You think that now,¡± Samuel interjected. ¡°But I¡¯m with Vivi on this-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Vincent growled. I pursed my lips at them. ¡°You¡¯re making me feel like a captive. The Queen said I was a guest.¡± Vincent gave me a mocking look. ¡°That sucks. For today you¡¯re my captive then,¡± he said, pushing me forwards. ¡°Sounds kinky,¡± Samuelmented in a teasing tone. Vincent sent him a hard re while I blushed in embarrassment. He had to make it awkward, didn¡¯t he? Vincent gave him a hard shove before stalking off in the other direction, snatching up my wrist and towing me along. I immediately tried to pull it free, remembering the first night with him. I still had bruises on my other hand. He didn¡¯t let go. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, Vincent. Don¡¯t drag me around like one!¡± I finally burst, nting my feet firmly into the ground. He rolled his eyes at me, but let go of my wrist. ¡°Stay within five feet of me.¡± Narrowing my eyes, I crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡± He ignored my stubbornness. ¡°What do you like for snacks?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Obviously to buy something for you to, I don¡¯t know¡­ snack on?¡± I ground my teeth together. A ghost of a smirk danced on his face, causing me to be more irritated. Instead of snapping back at him like he expected, I swallowed my anger and nodded. ¡°Oh. I like grapes.¡± . He frowned, obviously disappointed in my reaction. ¡°They don¡¯t sell grapes here.¡± ¡°Oh. I like apples.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t sell apples here either,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t youe here often?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Oh. I like bananas.¡± He scowled. ¡°Stop being stupid.¡± ¡°What am I doing wrong?¡± I asked with an innocent look. ¡°They don¡¯t sell fruit here!¡± he growled. I blinked. ¡°Oh. In that case, I like carrots¡­¡± He sent me an annoyed look. ¡°Shut up. Never mind, you¡¯re getting whatever I get you.¡± He muttered something else that sounded suspiciously like a curse. ¡°Trail mix is fine,¡± I told him, dropping my game. It was fun while itsted, but I didn¡¯t want to end up with tuna fish or something like that. ¡°The breakfast kind¡­¡± He didn¡¯t reply and began walking again. I kept up with him, deciding it¡¯d be best to follow his rules. After all, he was taking me out even though I wasn¡¯t allowed to. That counted for something. Keeping pace with him, I quickly stole a nce at his face. His mouth was set in a frown, but it still made him look attractive. I smiled wryly. Why couldn¡¯t vampires be ugly like in the movies? Then it¡¯d be easier to actually harbor ill feelings towards them-even though they¡¯d kidnapped me, I was finding it harder and harder to dislike them. The Queen and King were nice, and so were Fiona, Sebastian, Samuel, and Joel. Even Vincent had his moments. I even felt like I¡¯d known them for months, not just a few days. But they still did kidnap me. A little part of my mind was telling me to hate them, while the rest was telling me to not worry about it. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. It didn¡¯t matter whether or not I was supposed to hate them. I didn¡¯t, and that was that. Maybe at first I did, but it was a different story then. They weren¡¯t doing anything to harm me. This predicament was just as troubling for them as for me, if not more. The least I could do was try and keep out of trouble the best I could. ¡°Do you want anything else?¡± Vincent asked, plucking a box of trail mix off of the shelf. ¡°Cereal?¡± ¡°Honey Bunches of Oats.¡± He cocked an eyebrow at me. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, taking a defensive stance. Was he going to make fun of my cereal choice? Heughed through his nose. ¡°You have boring food taste.¡± ¡°What do you eat? Count Choc?¡± I snorted. He rolled his eyes at my joke. ¡°Of course not. Can¡¯t you guess I¡¯m a Lucky Charms person?¡± ¡°I actually think you¡¯re more of a Fruit Loop,¡± I responded,ughing at my own joke. ¡°Out of all the cereal jokes in the world¡­ You would choose the Fruit Loops one,¡± he muttered to himself, pulling down a box of Fruit Loops of the shelf. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually had these in awhile.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. I watched him in surprise. He was actually getting Fruit Loops? It didn¡¯t seem fitting at all. No, the whole vampires eating human food thing didn¡¯t fit at all. It was incredibly mystifying. ¡°Do you like Nute?¡± he asked in a bored tone, grabbing my cereal from the shelf and sticking both his and mine under his arm. ¡°Fiona loves that stuff.¡± I grinned. ¡°I do too.¡± Vincent made a face. ¡°That stuff is gross.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not!¡± ¡°I hate chocte,¡± he told me tly. ¡°And anything rted to it.¡± I almost gasped. How could he hate chocte? The only other person I knew that didn¡¯t like chocte was a girl named Kate in my grade, but she was strange to begin with. ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡± He scoffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be talking. No normal human can resist having their memory erased.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t resist it,¡± I snapped. I¡¯d been practically begging for it! ¡°It just didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Either way, it¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°You know what¡¯s also weird?¡± He didn¡¯t look interested, but yed along anyway. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Going on a Walmart trip with the vampire who kidnapped you,¡± I told him, pursing my lips. ¡°Who gets along with their kidnapper?¡± The corners of his lips twitched into a small smile. ¡°Apparently you do, stupid.¡± I glowered at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call me-¡± ¡°Move,¡± he ordered, pushing me forwards. ¡°We¡¯re getting bread and than leaving. The kitchen help will get the other groceries.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they get all of them?¡± He gave me a frustrated look. ¡°Because they never buy any good snacks, that¡¯s why. Now go.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± I muttered, sweeping into a low bow. When I erected myself, Vincent was standing rigid, his eyes hard. ¡°What?¡± I questioned, unnerved by his look. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again,¡± he hissed, pushing me forwards again. ¡°I¡¯m not a king.¡± Stumbling from the force he was putting on my back, I nced over my shoulder, confused. ¡°I was only kidding!¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Who shoved the stick up your butt today?¡± ¡°It never was taken out,¡± he snapped back. ¡°Now shut up and walk. Evidently you can¡¯t do both at the same time.¡± I twisted away from Vincent and made a face at him as he passed me. He had some serious mood swings. We went straight to the bread aisle, silence passing between us. I made a mental note to never joke about royalty to him. It seemed like that was a taboo subject to him. For a moment I debated on apologizing to him, but it wasn¡¯t my fault he got his panties in a twist, so I decided not to. ¡°Wheat or white?¡± ¡°Wheat,¡± I responded quietly. ¡°Ah, so just like Vivi, huh?¡± My heart leapt into my throat as I felt a firm pair of handsnd on my shoulders. Vincent¡¯s head snapped behind me, his eyes narrowing at the person holding on to me. I stood stock still, trying to calm my now racing heartbeat. Whoever was holding onto me didn¡¯t sound like Samuel. ¡°Phillip, what are you doing here?¡± The guy holding onto me finally let go of my shoulders and I twisted around to see a young man with shaggy ck hair grinning at me. His eyes were as dark as his hair, but his skin was as pale as Vincent¡¯s. Their face structures looked eerily alike as well. My eyes widened. Another sibling? ¡°You don¡¯t sound too excited to see your favorite elder cousin,¡± Phillipined, batting his eyshes. Cousin. That exined it. ¡°Stop acting like that,¡± Vincent demanded. ¡°Who are you, Joel? Samuel?¡± Phillipughed, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I just wondered how you¡¯d react if I acted like them. ¡°I¡¯d have to kill you. Those two are enough.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Phillip said, suddenly turning serious. ¡°Why is Emily out of the main manor? She shouldn¡¯t be here, let alone off the premises.¡± Vincent clenched his jaw. ¡°She¡¯s not bothering anyone or trying to escape. It¡¯s no big deal. No one knows, anyway.¡± Phillip looked dubious. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not going to tell anyone, right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, but my father is with me as well¡­ You¡¯d do best to leave before you¡¯re found out.¡± ¡°Phillip!¡± For the second time I jumped in surprise, turning to see a pretty brteing towards us. She looked irritated. When her gazended on me, her brows furrowed deeply in confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were interested in girls, Vincent¡­¡± ¡°Haha ire,¡± he responded sarcastically. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could actuallyst more than a week with a guy.¡± She smiled politely at him. ¡°Is she a human? Can¡¯t get a vampire?¡± ¡°Going after royalty again?¡± he retorted. Phillip rolled his eyes. ¡°Come on you two. You don¡¯t have to argue every time you see each other.¡± ¡°He starts it,¡± ire cried the same time Vincent said, ¡°She starts it.¡± I looked between the three of them, feeling thoroughly perplexed. They were all vampires? ire didn¡¯t know who I was? It seemed like every vampire knew who I was. But the King did mention no one outside the family was supposed to know I existed, so that was probably why¡­ ¡°My father¡¯sing,¡± Phillip suddenly started. ¡°You should go.¡± Vincent nodded, grabbing my arm with his free hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I said, trying to pull my hand free. ¡°Now.¡± ¡°Bye Emily! See you soon!¡± Phillip called after me. I stared back at him, unsure how to respond. ire gave me another curious gaze as Vincent dragged me away. I adverted my gaze, turning forwards again. As I did so, my gazended on a very familiar blonde head. I froze, causing Vincent toe to a stop. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he demanded. ¡°We have to go.¡± I swallowed nervously, watching the blonde maneuver through the men¡¯s clothing. ¡°Jake¡­¡± 17 ¡°Who¡¯s Jake?¡± ¡°My brother!¡± I responded, abruptly bolting forwards. Like a sh, Vincent¡¯s hand was around my waist, effectively pulling me to a stop. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk to him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t talk to him!¡± I promised. ¡°Just let me go closer.¡± ¡°No,¡± he responded, dragging me in the opposite direction. ¡°We need to go before I get caught.¡± I struggled to free myself. ¡°No! Vincent, just wait one moment!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°Stop being a brat,¡± he growled. I elbowed him as hard as I could in his chest, but ended up only hurting myself. Wincing in pain, I tried to duck under his arm. He tightened it, ruining my n of escape. ¡°Just one moment,¡± I pleaded with him. ¡°Please? I just need to look at him¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Tears began to form at my eyes now. I was so close to him¡­ Even if we hardly get along, it felt like I hadn¡¯t seen him in a year, and now he was right there. I needed to at least hear his voice. Just for a second¡­ Vincent seemed to guess my motives and moved faster, now heading towards the cash registers. ¡°Stop struggling, stupid. You¡¯ll make a scene.¡± ¡°Just one moment!¡± I cried. ¡°No means no!¡± I red at him, clenching my fists. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to talk to him!¡± ¡°I told you before you came in if you see anyone you knew you couldn¡¯te in contact with him,¡± he told me coldly. ¡°That goes for your brother as well.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Samuel¡¯s already in line.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such an insensitive asshole!¡± I nearly shouted. He gave me a warning re. ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re being too loud.¡± mping my mouth shut, I followed him to where Samuel was standing. I blinked furiously to make the wetness in my eyes go away. There was no way I¡¯d cry in front of these two. It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. I¡¯d see my brother at the end of the week anyway¡­ But the least Vincent could do was at least allow me to look at him a little longer. I clenched my jaw in anger. ¡°Something happen?¡± Samuel inquired, watching me with an amused face. ¡°You look upset.¡± I turned my back on him, crossing my arms. It wasn¡¯t his fault, but I didn¡¯t feel like talking.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°She¡¯s just being a brat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to guess you did something then, Vivi.¡± A smirk crossed my face. Samuel was smarter than he let on. ¡°Pay for the damn groceries,¡± Vincent responded, sounding tired. ¡°Let¡¯s just go home.¡± My muteness continued the rest of the time we were in Walmart, and in the car on the ride home. The rain was heavier now, pounding loudly on the roof of the car. I sat in the back, my head resting against the cool windowpane. My earlier anger at Vincent hadn¡¯t gone away, but it had died down a little. He was right. I wasn¡¯t supposed to make contact with anyone at the store. It would have actually been bad if I¡¯d let Jake see me- I was supposed to be across the country. He¡¯d know something was up, and it wasn¡¯t like I could exin what was happening. Holding in a groan, I lightly banged my head against the window. I shouldn¡¯t have called Vincent an insensitive asshole. My face warmed up at my immaturity. I was too embarrassed to apologize for it too. By the time we reached the mansion, thunder was rumbling in the sky. Unease washed through me as I nced at the sky. Thunderstorms and me didn¡¯t mix. Another crash of thunder sounded in the sky, causing my heart rate to spike. No lightening came, which calmed me a little. Maybe it¡¯d just pass quickly. Vincent stayed quiet as he unloaded the groceries from the trunk, carrying them in one hand with ease. Samuel noticed the tension between us and whistled awkwardly to himself as we trudged towards the house. Rain soaked my jacket and hair the whole way, so when I finally entered the building I was dripping. My face mmed into something hard and I looked up to see Vincent¡¯s back. Just as I was about to say something insulting, a different voice spoke up. ¡°Where did you go?¡± My eyes moved past Vincent to where Solomon was standing, a frown etched into his face. Crap. I swallowed nervously. ¡°Walmart,¡± Vincent muttered. ¡°With Emily?¡± ¡°She insisted.¡± Solomon gave him a disapproving look. ¡°Vincent, I specifically told you no one outside the manor could know she was here. I also told you she couldn¡¯t leave here.¡± Vincent squared his shoulders. ¡°The only person we saw there was Phillip, and he knows about her.¡± ¡°Just Phillip?¡± Solomon questioned skeptically. ¡°Just Phillip.¡± I stared at Vincent¡¯s back in surprise. He was lying so tantly to his father! What if it was important to mention ire? She didn¡¯t know who I was¡­ Maybe it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Samuel, why didn¡¯t you try to stop him?¡± Samuel chuckled sheepishly. ¡°I actually kind of egged him on¡­¡± Solomon sighed deeply. ¡°I should have known¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, Sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it again,¡± the King ordered seriously. ¡°If I catch you taking Emily out again, you¡¯re grounded.¡± Vincent snorted. I bit my cheek to keep from smiling. Hearing Vincent being threatened with grounding was unexpectedly amusing. ¡°Fiona made dinner for you guys. Why don¡¯t you go join her?¡± Vincent didn¡¯t respond. He just moved past his father, heading down the hallway. After a moment I decided to follow him, bidding adieu to the King. I hastened to keep up with Vincent, who was walking at a quick pace. Thunder cracked overhead, surprisingly loud through the mansion. I winced, taking longer strides so I was right behind him. ¡°Um, sorry you got caught,¡± I started, trying to lessen the awkwardness. He ignored me. I scowled. Whatever. When we entered the kitchen, Fiona nearly tackled me in a hug. ¡°You¡¯re back! I thought something happened when I couldn¡¯t find you!¡± I patted her back clumsily. It was still surprising having such a touchy-feely person around. ¡°I just went to Walmart¡­ no big deal.¡± ¡°Is that Emily?¡± a new voice inquired and momentster Sebastian appeared from the door on the other side of the room. Relief washed across his face. ¡°Good. You¡¯re okay.¡± He turned to Vincent. ¡°That was really stupid, Vince.¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°Save it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky nothing happened to her! Imagine if you¡¯d run into someone who doesn¡¯t like the idea of having a human stay with us? She could have been hurt!¡± M eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What?¡± Sebastian turned back to me, his eyes softening. ¡°There are vampires that don¡¯t exactly like us that know you¡¯re here and they aren¡¯t happy about it. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯d do to you if they found you¡­¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have done anything,¡± Vincent interjected angrily. ¡°I was with her the whole time. It¡¯s no big deal. Father didn¡¯t make anything out of it, so neither should you.¡± Sebastian returned his gaze to Vincent, looking stern. ¡°Unlike you, I am worried about her safety. And so is Fiona.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Vincent growled, twisting on his heel, and walking out of the kitchen again. ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡± I stared after him for a moment while Fiona tried calling him back. Sebastian sighed lightly, shaking his head. ¡°Sebastian,¡± Fiona scolded, narrowing his eyes at him. ¡°You know Vincent gets upset easily.¡± ¡°Well he should think about this one,¡± he responded tly. ¡°Emily was put in danger.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°You know he¡¯ll get over it, Fiona.¡± She sighed. ¡°I know¡­ But still.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just eat,¡± Sebastian offered. ¡°Emily, are you hungry?¡± I nodded my head slowly. ¡°Yeah. If I¡¯m in danger while going out now, what about when I leave for good?¡± He hesitated a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± I nked. That wasn¡¯t good. Dinner passed by quickly. It was a silent asion. When it was finished, Sebastian led me back to my room. Now tired, I said goodnight and went over to my bed, plopping down on it heavily. A yawn left my lips and I stretched. Thunder was still rumbling outside, causing my feeling of uneasiness to return. It¡¯d be hard to get to sleep tonight. Nevertheless, I stripped and changed into a pair of pajamas from my house. After shutting off the lights, I slipped under the covers. Just as I did so, a bright sh of lightning streaked across the sky, almost immediately followed by a crash of thunder that nearly shook the house. I bolted up in my bed, my heart pounding a mile a minute. The storm would officially start when I was about to go to sleep. The wind changed so now the rain was pounding against my window. Another burst of lightning tore through the ckness outside, illuminating the dark trees in the distance. A groan escaped my lips and I fell back against my pillows roughly. I mped my hand around my ears to try to block out the sound of the storm, but I could still hear it perfectly clear. Swallowing, I bit my lip, wishing I were at home. Jake would always let me sleep in his room during a thunderstorm because he knew I was terrified of them. But now I was stuck in a house full of vampires that probably didn¡¯t even think twice of the storm, let alone were afraid. Suddenly the door to my bedroom opened and I quickly unmped my ears, trying to lie as still as possible. Maybe I feigned sleep, whoever it was would go away. I wasn¡¯t going to let any of the vampires here know my childish fear. Light flooded the room and I fought to make my breathing calm and regr. The frantic beating of m heart was making it a hard feat. ¡°I know you¡¯re awake, stupid.¡± My eyes snapped open. It had to be Vincent, didn¡¯t it? I turned to re at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He shrugged, plopping himself down in a chair. ¡°Sebastian¡¯s looking for me so I figured this was the safest ce to hide from him.¡± ¡°Why is he looking for you?¡± ¡°Probably to scold me for earlier,¡± he told me, his voice dripping with anger. ¡°It¡¯s none of his business.¡± I lowered my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wouldn¡¯t have pestered you to take me out if I knew it¡¯d be so troublesome¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. Sebastian¡¯s just trying too hard to act King-like.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Whatever. I put you in danger so we¡¯re equal.¡± My eyes snapped back up to him. ¡°So I was in danger?¡± He gave me a t look. ¡°I would have protected you if something happened. I highly doubt anyone will ever attack you though. You don¡¯t pose any threat.¡± I could tell that was meant to be an insult, but I let it slide. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Go back to bed,¡± he ordered. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Stay here until the storm dies out,¡± he informed me. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± I stared at him. He couldn¡¯t know I was afraid of thunderstorms¡­ Could he? He noticed my wary look and smirked, pointing to his chest. ¡°I could hear your heart beat. I guess most child fears stay with you, huh?¡± I blushed, turning away from him. ¡°Shut up.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Fine. But just so you know, I won¡¯t let you live this down. Boom,¡± he said just as the thunder cracked overhead again. My heart skipped a beat at the loud noise. ¡°Haha.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really that scared, I won¡¯t be opposed to hold you in your sleep tonight.¡± I turned my heated face to scowl at him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± He smirked at me. ¡°I take it it¡¯s okay to leave the room then?¡± ¡°No wait,¡± I responded quickly as he stood up. ¡°You can stay. In that chair¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± he said triumphantly, dragging the chair to my bedside. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the scaredy-catpany.¡± Ignoring his jibe, once more I turned to my other side, this time morefortable than before. Even with the thunder booming outside and the lightning filling the sky, I felt safe. It was weird to say it was because of Vincent. But that was the truth. Eventually tiredness swept over me and I closed my eyes, finally managing to fall asleep. 18 Morning sleepyhead,¡± Sebastian greeted as I trudged into the kitchen the next morning. ¡°You look like death. Did the storm keep you up?¡± My eyes shot to Vincent, who was at the table already, eating a te of scrambled eggs. ¡°A little bit,¡± I murmured, dropping my gaze. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°I thought so. Your heart was beating awfully fast. I would have kept youfort but¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s okay,¡± I responded quickly. ¡°You probably had more important things to do.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± he replied nomittally. ¡°If you ever need someone, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. I¡¯ll hear you.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Well thank you.¡± Vincent snorted loudly, earning a re from his brother. Ignoring him, I headed towards the stove where a pan of scrambled eggs resided. After scooping a generous helping onto a convenient te, I sat down across from Vincent. He pushed the saltshaker towards me. I gave him a quizzical look. ¡°It needs salt. Sebastian can¡¯t cook.¡± ¡°I never imed I could,¡± Sebastian interjected smoothly. ¡°Emily, have a nice day. Don¡¯t let Vincent take you out of the manor again though, next time you won¡¯t get away with it so easily. I have to go see the court.¡± My ears perked up. ¡°The court?¡± He gave me a sympathetic smile. ¡°Not about you.¡± My shoulders sagged. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized, ruffling my hair. ¡°A few more days and then you can go home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give her so much hope,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°There¡¯s the chance she might not be able to.¡± I glowered at him. ¡°If that happens, I¡¯m running away. I¡¯m not staying here forever!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°You think you can outrun any of us?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Em, I¡¯ll make sure you can go home,¡± Sebastian cut in, sending his brother a disapproving look. ¡°I promise.¡± I stared at him, the corners of my lips turning down into a frown. For reasons I wasn¡¯t aware of, he lookedpletely determined to make his words pull through. After throwing me another gentle smile he left the kitchen. Blinking in confusion, I returned to my breakfast. ¡°So I was watching a movie yesterday,¡± Vincent started, breaking the silence that had settled in. I raised an eyebrow. Since when did Vincent chat so easily with me? ¡°And?¡± ¡°It was about this girl that got kidnapped,¡± he continued, his lips curling up into a smirk. ¡°She reminded me quite a bit of you. Screaming and fighting at first, but then almost immediately she becamefortable with her kidnappers.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be an insult?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just figured you would like to know you aren¡¯t abnormal foring to be amiable with your kidnappers.¡± I pushed my eggs around with my fork for a moment, licking my lips. ¡°It is a little weird, huh.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯d be different if you guys were actually causing harm to me. That and the fact you look around my age. It¡¯s hard to take a kidnapper my age serious.¡± His smug grin grew wider. ¡°You were taking it pretty serious at first. Screaming and crying.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°I think that was more about the fact you guys are vampires.¡± ¡°You were dead set on not believing we existed.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well I thought you were all like the vampires in the movie. You know, dead? Or changed or something. But apparently you¡¯re noting like that at all¡­ Wait. Do you guys age the same as humans?¡± Vincent shook his head. ¡°If we did, my dad would be long dead.¡± I waited for him to borate, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Well what?¡± ¡°How do you age?¡± I snapped, frustrated at his teasing. He leaned back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling. ¡°You know how our hearts beat so slow? It¡¯s like the same with aging. Except, the older you get as a vampire, the slower you age. Understand?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re stupid.¡± I shot him an annoyed look. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°All you need to know is that we age slowly.¡± ¡°So how old are you?¡± He nced at me. ¡°In human years?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Neen.¡± I opened my mouth to ask how old he¡¯d be in vampire years, but decided not to bother. It¡¯d probably freak me out too much. Especially since he really did look neen in human years. A very handsome neen year old. My face heated at the thought and I quickly dispelled it. ¡°How old are you?¡± I blinked at him. He didn¡¯t know my age? That was surprising. ¡°In human years or¡­?¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, stupid.¡± ¡°Seventeen,¡± I told him, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re Fiona¡¯s age.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He nodded. ¡°Um¡­ How old is Sebastian?¡± ¡°Too old for you.¡± Heat rose to my cheeks and I glowered at him. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t even mean it that way!¡± He smirked. ¡°Or did you?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°He¡¯s twenty-one, human years, but in vampire years he¡¯s-¡± I pped my hands over my ears quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If I hear your age, I might pass out,¡± I told him honestly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Whatever. But hey, since you¡¯re answering questions so freely right now can I ask you another?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± he responded smoothly, sliding out of the stool he was on. ¡°I have some princely duties to do.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Stuff.¡± I sighed lightly. ¡°Way to be vague.¡± ¡°Leave your dishes on the table,¡± he ordered. ¡°The kitchen ves will clean it up.¡± Frowning, I nced at him. ¡°Kitchen ves?¡± ¡°Yeah. The kitchen help.¡± ¡°Why did you say ves then?¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s funnier.¡± I snorted. ¡°That¡¯s like calling the mailman a mail ve.¡± ¡°No that just sounds stupid, stupid.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± I demanded, ring at him. ¡°I¡¯d like to enjoy my breakfast without your annoying presence.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was so annoyingst night.¡± Dropping my gaze, I decided to just ignore him. As much as I wanted to deny that little fact, I knew I couldn¡¯t. Without him, I probably would have been terrified all night. I almostughed. Somehow I felt safe during one of my biggest fears with my old biggest fear with me. It wasical. ¡°There¡¯s going to be another storm tonight,¡± he warned me. ¡°I won¡¯t be back untilter, so just stay with Fiona or Joel until I get back.¡± My head snapped back up to him. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s this thing called the weather channel. You should watch it sometime.¡± ¡°Jerk,¡± I called as he exited the room, snickering. I turned back to my breakfast, angrily stuffing a forkful of eggs into my mouth. Vincent was incredibly annoying. And confusing. He was a total jerk one moment, then surprisingly sweet, and then back to aplete dick. It didn¡¯t make sense. He didn¡¯t make sense. But yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued by him. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Hit down B!¡± ¡°What¡¯s down B?¡± ¡°Button mash!¡± ¡°How do you jump?¡± I cried, doing as Joel suggested and button mashing. ¡°Erg! How do you jump?¡± Joel quickly snatched the GameCube controller from my hand, making Kirby float back onto the ying field. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back, Em. Fiona, you¡¯re going down.¡± Fionaughed haughtily. ¡°You know you can¡¯t beat me when I¡¯m Link.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± I muttered disdainfully. ¡°But then again, you guys decided not to teach me how to y! Why can¡¯t we y the Wii? I¡¯m actually okay at that!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Joel and Fiona responded simultaneously. Crossing my arms, I slumped further back into the couch. It had been like this for the past two hours. Every videogame we yed I sucked at, so when I started to do bad Joel stepped in and I didn¡¯t get to y again. Sure, it was amusing watching Fiona kick Joel¡¯s butt, but I was getting bored. I popped a watermelon vored Jolly Rancher into my mouth, watching Joel and Fiona duke it out. ¡°Stop using that spinning attack!¡± Joel cried. ¡°What? A little puff like you can¡¯t handle it?¡± Joel elbowed her. She elbowed him back. He pushed her over. She pushed him back. Then he tried to steal her controller. She not only smacked him upside the head. I smiled wryly at their immaturity. ¡°I win,¡± Fiona dered smugly. ¡°You cheated!¡± ¡°You started it.¡± Joel crossed his arms grumpily. ¡°Let¡¯s y something else.¡± I quickly interjected. ¡°Do you guys have an easier games? Like¡­ Pokemon Stadium or something?¡± ¡°Pokemon, really?¡± Joel questioned, smirking. ¡°I guess everyone keeps a little bit of their kid side.¡± I gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°I¡¯m just saying because that¡¯s a game I could actually y¡­ Since you two won¡¯t take the time to teach me anything.¡± ¡°You wanna y?¡± Fiona asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Joel shrugged. ¡°Okay, here.¡± Without any warning, he chucked his controller at me. As I gasped, I lost grip on my Jolly Ranched andmenced to choke on it. Luckily the controller only nicked my shoulder. Fiona hopped up at once, scurrying over to me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I hacked, feeling my eyes start to water. Before I knew it, Fiona had me on my feet and in position for the Heimlich maneuver. Immediately my eyes widened in fear- and not because I was choking. ¡°Fiona,¡± Joel warned but it was toote. She squeezed my abdomen violently. It felt like my back broke in two. The Jolly Rancher dislodged itself and I quickly spit it to the floor, sinking back onto the couch with a groan. Fiona blinked at me. ¡°I think your broke my ribs,¡± I stated, putting a hand on my sore back. ¡°Ow¡­¡± She grinned sheepishly. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not used to being around humans¡­ I can fix that though.¡± ¡°No!¡± She frowned. ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t hurt you this time. I was a doctor when I was alive, remember?¡± ¡°Did you die because you tried to give yourself the Heimlich maneuver?¡± I joked. When I realized what I¡¯d said, I paled. Death wasn¡¯t something to joke about. ¡°I-¡± ¡°No,¡± Fiona cut me off, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Sebastian killed me.¡± My breath caught in my throat. Sebastian¡­? Taken a back, my hand shot to my mouth to cover up a gasp of surprise. Sebastian was a killer? The King-to-be was a murderer? 19 Fiona!¡± Joel hissed, looking rmed. Fiona looked at him, looking confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to tell her!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He sent me apologetic look. ¡°Nothing against you, Em, but Fiona, she¡¯s human. She¡¯s not part of the immediate family. No one is supposed to know out of it. I¡¯m not even supposed to know. You know that.¡± ¡°But Emily-¡± ¡°Can¡¯t know! Shit. What are we supposed to do now?¡± Joel inquired, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. I stared at both of them, eyes wide. ¡°Sebastian killed you, Fiona?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why it¡¯s kind of awkward between us. And also why most of the family doesn¡¯t like me- because I¡¯m not a pure blood, but I¡¯m still part of the royal family.¡± ¡°Why did he kill you?¡± I asked, feeling my stomach twist ufortably. Sebastian was a killer? That was impossible¡­ ¡°He-¡± ¡°Fiona!¡± She red at Joel. ¡°I can tell her if I want to!¡± ¡°No you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Yes I can!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t Fiona. You could put Emily in danger.¡± I nked at Joel. ¡°Danger? Why?¡± ¡°Because Sebastian is going to be the next king. If someone ever found out he murdered a human, that¡¯s the end of it. Then the crown would move to a different rtive since neither Fiona nor Vincent can be the heir.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Why can¡¯t Vincent be heir?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not qualified,¡± Fiona and Joel told me simultaneously. ¡°Oh.¡± Joel nodded. ¡°So no one can know what Sebastian did. However, now that Fiona has opened her back mouth¡­¡± She huffed at him. ¡°It¡¯s just Emily!¡± ¡°A human! Who¡¯s not even the slightest bit rted to us!¡± I held up my hands defensively. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡± ¡°And we won¡¯t tell anyone you know either,¡± he stated firmly, his gaze switching to Fiona. ¡°Right?¡± She pouted at him. ¡°Fine. But-¡± ¡°No buts.¡± ¡°What if¡­ What if someone finds out I know?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Then what?¡± Joel pulled his eyebrows together. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Just like how we¡¯ve never ran into a human whose memory we can¡¯t erase, no one has found out about our little royal problem. You¡¯re a really troublesome human, huh?¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s super anemic. Almost like¡­¡± Fiona paused, a curious expression crossing her face. ¡°Em, when was thest time you took your iron supplements?¡± ¡°Yesterday at breakfast,¡± I responded slowly. ¡°Why?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Just wondering. You know, it¡¯s best to take them at the same time so you can grow ustomed to-¡± ¡°Stop trying to change the subject, Fiona.¡± She pouted, turning to Joel with a petnt mien. ¡°Emily already said she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone¡­¡± ¡°I think we have to tell the King and Queen.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Fiona.¡± ¡°If they find out then Sebastian finds out! I don¡¯t want him to know!¡± she cried, a hint of urgency to her voice. ¡°Please Joel!¡± He dropped his head back, heaving a heavy sigh. ¡°Fiona, Sebastian has the right to know. It¡¯s his secret too, you know.¡± She shook her head vigorously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him! Em, tell Joel not to tell him!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I hesitated, my wide eyes moving from Fiona to Joel. He had a good point. It was Sebastian¡¯s secret too. Would he be angry if he knew I found out? Would he do something if he found out that I knew? Like try to silence me¡­ I bit the inside of my cheek as hard as I could. Sebastian wouldn¡¯t do that. How could I even think that? He was one of the nicest people I¡¯d met, killer or not. There was no way I¡¯d think of him badly now. I didn¡¯t know the whole story behind it. ¡°He should be allowed to know,¡± Joel insisted. Fiona red at him. ¡°No, Joel! He¡¯ll be angry.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be angrier if you wait to tell him.¡± ¡°Joel!¡± ¡°Fiona.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be unreasonable,¡± she pouted. He pursed his lips. ¡°Either you¡¯re telling him, Em¡¯s telling him, or I am.¡± I held up my hands. ¡°Not me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to be angry,¡± Fiona moaned, her face twisting into a grimace. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to be mad.¡± With a heavy sigh, she copsed onto the sofa dramatically. ¡°The King will be angry too.¡± I blinked. How could I not have realized Fiona didn¡¯t call the King Father? The gears in my mind started turning. ¡°Fiona¡­ You¡¯re not rted to Vincent and Sebastian, are you?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she responded simply, a sad smile shing across her face. ¡°Not even the slightest. It¡¯s just coincidence I look simr to them.¡± My eyebrows pulled together, creating a cease on my forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Does anyone know you¡¯re not rted?¡± ¡°That would be the immediate family and me,¡± Joel interjected, falling onto the couch besides Fiona. ¡°The King made some cock-and-bull story about having a hidden heiress and everyone else believed him. Well, almost everyone. There are the few skeptics; including the would-be heir.¡± ¡°Would-be heir?¡± ¡°You met Phillip, yes?¡± Memories from the previous Wal-Mart shed by my eyes, a certain dark-haired man springing forth. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Phillip¡¯s younger brother.¡± ¡°Younger brother?¡± Joel nodded. ¡°By the time the King steps down from the thrown Phillip will be too old. Besides, Phillip hasn¡¯t had any training to be King like his brother has.¡± ¡°I hate his brother,¡± Fiona muttered darkly. I nced at her, my eyes widening in surprise. Could Fiona even feel hate? ¡°Why?¡± She sighed lightly. ¡°You know in all those books you read in grade school when there¡¯s the evil brother or cousin that wants to be King for reasons that won¡¯t benefit his kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s Ashton for you.¡± I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°I thought that only happened in movies.¡± ¡°A lot of things that people think only happen in movies happen in real life,¡± Joel interjected with augh. ¡°For example¡­ Vampires?¡± I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Yeah but those shouldn¡¯t exist. Ah¡­¡± My smile faltered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean-¡± . . ¡°No worries,¡± Joel and Fiona chorused. ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized again, scratching my neck sheepishly. ¡°I sometimes forget you guys are, you know, not human¡­¡± Fiona smiled gently at me. ¡°Sometimes I forget you¡¯re not a vampire.¡± She gestured to my abdomen. ¡°Example A.¡± A small chuckle of relief left my lips. She really knew how to make people feel better about themselves. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Suddenly there was the sound of a door being mmed and heavy footstepsing down the basement stairs. Three pairs of eyes snapped towards the back of the room, where Vincent was storming towards us- or more precisely, me. He stopped about a foot away, scowling deeply. ¡°You¡¯re back already, Vivi?¡± Joel inquired, cocking his head to the side. Vincent ignored his friend, his eyes never leaving mine. ¡°Did you say anything to ire?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°ire,¡± he snapped, an expression of irateness crossing his face. ¡°The one with my cousin at the store the other day.¡± I slowly turned my head from side-to-side. ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°Because she knows.¡± ¡°She knows?¡± Fiona repeated, her voice colored with incredulity. ¡°She knows about Emily? How?¡± Vincent threw up his hands in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t know! But someone she found out Emily is staying with us and that we can¡¯t erase her memory.¡± My heart began to pound a little faster in my chest. Why was Vincent so anxious about this? His agitation was seeping into me and I didn¡¯t even know what was going on. Joel beat me to asking the one question that popped into my head. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means we¡¯re in deep shit.¡± ¡°We? As in you and me?¡± I asked. ¡°As in you and my whole family,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go in front of the court and they¡¯ll decide what to do with you.¡± My mouth felt dry. ¡°Decide? What do you mean, Vincent?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. This hasn¡¯t ever happened before. I can¡¯t say for sure what will happen to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be killed am I? It¡¯s illegal right? Right?¡± I repeated, turning to Joel when Vincent refused to respond. He gave me an ufortable look. ¡°I can¡¯t say, Em¡­¡± My mouth opened, but no words came out. Sebastian assured me I wouldn¡¯t be killed! Was he lying then? Wasn¡¯t it illegal to kill a human? I clutched the front of my shirt, trying to calm myself down. ¡°Vincent, you¡¯re scaring her!¡± Fiona used, putting a slender arm around me. ¡°Emily, you won¡¯t be killed.¡± Joel nodded. ¡°Yeah. The courts wouldn¡¯t kill a human.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be too sure about that.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± he argued, looking frustrated. ¡°Damn ire¡­ Phillip will never hear the end of this from Sebastian.¡± My ears perked up. ¡°Sebastian? Where is he?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I scowled at him. ¡°I just do.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± I said, slowly enunciating every syble. ¡°I need to talk to him.¡± Joel and Fiona gave me cautious sidelong nces. I tried to surreptitious shake my head at them to signal it wasn¡¯t anything they should worry about. Vincent didn¡¯t miss the sly gesture. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°What happened down here?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Fiona, Joel, and I all said quickly, adverting our gazes. Suddenly I was forcibly lifted off the couch. A gasp of shock escaped my mouth as Vincent yanked me towards the stairs. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°Vivi, where are you going?¡± Vincent turned his head to re at Joel. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Vivi!¡± ¡°Sure, Vivi.¡± Ignoring the other blonde in the room, Vincent jerked me up the stairs. I stumbled after him, doing my best to liberate myself. After a few moments I realized it was impossible and settled for being dragged along. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Kitchen.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I told him. He shrugged. ¡°Whatever. I am.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me then? I was having fun with Joel and Fiona!¡± ¡°You guys were obviously arguing about something before I came in. Fiona had her stubborn face on. And knowing you, you¡¯re in trouble about something. I can guess it¡¯s got to do with Sebastian.¡± I nked at him. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°That was the biggest secret our family has. I figured you¡¯d find out, seeing as you like to cause trouble for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I mean to.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± I scowled. ¡°Why do you have to be a jerk all the time? It gets old!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You want me to be nice?¡± he asked mockingly. ¡°Yes!¡± He nodded. ¡°Alright. Ready for it?¡± I watched him curiously. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Prepare to be amazed.¡± He stopped, opening the kitchen door for me. ¡°Ladies first.¡± A smile slipped onto my face before I could stop it. ¡°How sweet of you.¡± ¡°Get in before I close the door.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled, walking into the kitchen. To my surprise, it was filled with a bunch of people I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°That¡¯s the kitchen help,¡± Vincent informed me, pushing me forward. ¡°They won¡¯t bother you. Hurry up.¡± I shrugged out from under his hands. ¡°Why do I have toe with you?¡± He ignored me. ¡°Vincent!¡± Once again, he disregarded me. Half of me was tempted to escape while he wasn¡¯t paying attention and return to Joel and Fiona, but the other half figured it¡¯d be safer just to stay with him. Not to mention I was curious as to why he wanted me around so badly anyway. ¡°Want some ice cream?¡± he offered tly. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a sundae.¡± ¡°Er¡­ Sure,¡± I replied, growing more confused. Vincent eating ice cream? That was also on my list of things I would never imagine seeing in my lifetime. Ten minutester we were both seated in what I assumed to be one of the living rooms, bowls of ice cream in our hands. He had turned on the television, flipping it to some food show I didn¡¯t know. It was almost amusing how interested in the show he was. I was half-expecting him to miss his mouth while taking a spoonful of his sundae. ¡°So¡­ Is there a reason we¡¯re eating ice cream together?¡± He shot an annoyed look at me. ¡°Does there have to be a reason?¡± ¡°Well since you¡¯re usually a jerk, yes.¡± ¡°Well there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± I frowned at him, but let it drop. Maybe he was having one of his personable moments- like the night he stayed with me during the thunderstorm. The thought made my frown flip upside down. The more amiable he was, the more I could see myself liking him. I blinked. Liking him? Like a friend, I told myself firmly. It was almostughable. Me liking a vampire more than a friend, especially one I hardly knew? Yeah, okay. I returned my attention back to my ice cream, shoving more than I could handle into my mouth so it would take my mind off things I didn¡¯t want to think about. ¡°Vincent!¡± The sudden, thundering voice startled me, causing the bowl of ice cream to drop from my hands. Itnded on the floor with a raucous crash as I choked, regretting consuming so much of the freezing treat. Vincent spared a quick, amused nce at me before turning toward the door, where the owner of the voice stood. And he did not look happy. Immediately I understood why Vincent wanted me to stay with him. I shot him an using look. He needed me here so his father wouldn¡¯t go so hard on him. His mouth quirked into a crooked smirk as he caught onto my gaze. ¡°Emily?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I turned towards the King, offering him a polite smile. When I caught his facial expression, my smile almost faded, but I held it. He looked pissed. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± ¡°Afternoon,¡± he responded, nodding tersely. ¡°Vincent, could I talk to you for a moment? Alone?¡± Vincent shrugged, slinging an arm around my shoulder. ¡°You can talk to me. Just not alone. I wouldn¡¯t want Emily getting into any more trouble, Father.¡± My head snapped towards him. Since when did he call me Emily instead of Stupid? The King let out a heavy sigh, running a hand down his face. ¡°Very well, Vivi. You¡¯ll have to excuse me though, Emily. I may make you ufortable.¡± I almost smirked. Guess Vincent wasn¡¯t getting off scot free. 20 Seeing Vincent get yelled at by his father was one of the most horrifying and most amusing things ever. On one hand the King was a force to be reckoned with, while on the other, watching Vincent be scolded by him was worth it. Fortunately or unfortunately the worst of it was over. Saying the King was furious was an understatement. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d seen anyone as angry as him. I sunk further into the couch as Solomon raised his voice again. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, Vincent!¡± Vincent waved him off. ¡°I¡¯m not. I just chose not to reply. You never shut up.¡± I grimaced. If I ever talked to my dad like that I¡¯d probably get my head chopped off. My heart clenched at the thought of him. How was he? How was my mom? My brother? Did they miss me? I wondered what they¡¯d think if they found out what was really going on and I wasn¡¯t in California like they thought. ¡°I¡¯m going to the court tomorrow-¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I gasped, pulling myself from my thoughts. ¡°What? But I thought that you had to wait a week to talk to them? It¡¯s only been¡­¡± Counting on my fingers, I tried to figure out how many days it¡¯d been since I¡¯d arrived. ¡°Four days? I think?¡± Solomon nced at me, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Things have changed now. Since vampires outside of the main family now know of your presence here, they¡¯ve allowed us a sooner date.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Do I have to go?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± he responded immediately, shaking his head. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Oh good,¡± I breathed in relief. ¡°I think I would have passed out.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised. The court has some very¡­ interesting people, to say the least.¡± ¡°How many people are in it?¡± I inquired, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°Seven total,¡± he responded. ¡°For this court, at least. The other courts work the same way as yours.¡± I nodded my head in understanding. ¡°So these seven are different then the rest?¡± Vincent muttered something that sounded suspiciously like duh, stupid under his breath. I ignored him. ¡°Yes,¡± the King responded, either ignoring Vincent as well, or not catching his muttering. ¡°These vampires deal with special cases, such as yours. Having you go through the other court processes would be too much trouble, seeing as how you¡¯re not a criminal in any way.¡± ¡°I see,¡± I responded slowly. I couldn¡¯t think of anything we had in the human world like that¡­ ¡°So do these guys decide my punishment too?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a punishment¡­¡± ¡°Do they?¡± After a second he nodded. ¡°The will, yes.¡± ¡°Do you have any say in it? You¡¯re the King after all,¡± I said, feeling my pulse quicken. Would the King really not be able to have his input? ¡°I¡¯ll have some say, but it really depends on what they choose to do,¡± he responded vaguely.¡± I hesitated a moment before asking my next question. ¡°What do you think is going to happen to me?¡± He pursed his lips, his emerald eyes narrowing. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. The court could decide anything.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ Do you think I could be killed?¡± He didn¡¯t reply. My throat constricted. ¡°Are they going to kill me? Is it that bad? Isn¡¯t it fine if I promise to keep my mouth shut? I haven¡¯t told anyone the whole time I¡¯ve been here!¡± . ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t had anyone to tell,¡± Vincent interjected tly. I red at him. ¡°No one asked you, asshole!¡± ¡°Emily,¡± the King said, frowning at me. I turned back to him, doing my best to keep my emotions under control. Luckily for me, they were manageable. For once I was able to refrain my eyes from tearing up. ¡°Sorry, I-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, I understand,¡± he cut me off, smiling gently. ¡°Sorry to scare you. Since it is technically illegal to kill a human, I highly doubt they¡¯lle to that conclusion.¡± His words did little to relieve me. My heartbeat increased at the thought that there was a slight chance I actually could die. I was too young to die. What would my parents do? What would they be told? What¡­ ¡°Wait a second,¡± I started, staring at the King. ¡°If I die-¡± ¡°You won¡¯t die,¡± Vincent snorted, rolling his eyes. ¡°Stop being so overdramatic.¡± After shooting him a harsh look, I returned my attention to the king. ¡°What about my parents? Would they be told I¡¯d been kidnapped in California or something? There are no records for my flight so no one would know anything. Wouldn¡¯t that give you guys away?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let any harme to you, Emily,¡± Solomon told me, cing a hand lightly on my shoulder. ¡°Everything will be fine. If¡­ Well let¡¯s not even say if. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I stared at him warily. How could I forget about it? It was my life we were talking about. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Now Vivi-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± ¡°You¡¯re to apany me tomorrow,¡± Solomon continued, ignoring Vincent¡¯s death re. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell the court what happened. Joel¡¯sing along as well. ire will be there too because she¡¯s the instigator in all this.¡± Vincent crossed his arms. ¡°I knew it was her. How could she have found out Emily was staying with us though?¡± ¡°Phillip let it slip,¡± Solomon responded solemnly. ¡°He didn¡¯t think ire would run off and tell everyone though.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a bitch.¡± ¡°Vivi.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he snapped. ¡°I hate her. Ever since she dated Ashton she¡¯s been such a-¡± ¡°Ashton?¡± I butted in. ¡°The person in line to be King if Sebastian somehow isn¡¯t able to?¡± Both men¡¯s gazes shot to me. The King spoke first. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± My face warmed and I smiled sheepishly. ¡°Ah, Fiona was talking about him earlier¡­¡± ¡°She knows Sebastian killed Fiona.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± A look of shock passed Solomon¡¯s face. ¡°Is this true, Emily?¡± I adverted my gaze shamefully. ¡°That¡¯s all I know, I swear. Fiona gave the game away, but we didn¡¯t talk about it anymore.¡± Or more like Joel wouldn¡¯t let us¡­ ¡°Emily,¡± he breathed, running a hand down his face. ¡°You¡¯re one troublesome human¡­ I¡¯m frightened to see what other surprises you have in store for us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any more, I promise,¡± I responded,ughing nervously. At least I hoped I didn¡¯t. ¡°Back to the main topic,¡± Vincent interposed, looking bored. ¡°I¡¯m busy tomorrow, so have Sebastian go.¡± The King shook his head. ¡°Sebastian is staying with Emily tomorrow.¡± ¡°He is?¡± I said, a feeling of excitement washing through me. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have his princely duties?¡± . . Solomonughed. ¡°No. He has a free day so he requested to spend it with you.¡± ¡°How cute,¡± Vincent sneered. ¡°Too bad he¡¯s going to court now.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re going to court, Vince.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°You have no choice.¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°Isn¡¯t Joel enough? He was there!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going and that¡¯s final,¡± Solomon stated firmly. ¡°You were ignorant enough to take Emily out of the house in the first ce, so this is your responsibility.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Be ready by seven tomorrow morning. As your punishment, you¡¯re grounded for the next month.¡± ¡°Grounded?¡± Vincent repeated dubiously. ¡°You¡¯re grounding me?¡± The King gave him a disapproving look. ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t know if you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± Vincentughed without humor. ¡°Okay, Father.¡± ¡°I have to go have a word with Joel, so I¡¯ll take my leave now. Don¡¯t forget to eat dinner, Emily.¡± I gave him a thumbs up to show him I¡¯d heard. ¡°Ice cream doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Ah ha ha,¡± Iughed nervously, ncing at the upside-down bowl on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll clean that up¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure Vincent wouldn¡¯t mind doing it for you.¡± Vincent gave his dad a sarcastic look. ¡°Of course. My life revolves around cleaning spilled ice cream.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect then,¡± Solomon replied, just as sarcastic. ¡°Have a nice night, Emily.¡± ¡°Night!¡± I called as he turned his back to leave the room. When he was gone, I turned to Vincent. ¡°I can clean up my own bowl.¡± ¡°I know, stupid.¡± A frown crossed my face. He was going to go back to calling me stupid? ¡°Jerk.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Goodeback.¡± ¡°Sorry about this,¡± I apologized, turning away so I wouldn¡¯t have to face him. ¡°You know, being so bothersome to you. I wouldn¡¯t have gone to Walmart if I knew it was going to cause you this much trouble.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let you gone.¡± My lips twitched in irritation. He couldn¡¯t just ept my apology? This technically wasn¡¯t my fault, so I didn¡¯t need to apologize, but I decided to be a nicer person and do so, and yet he couldn¡¯t even ept it? Why did I even bother? I huffed angrily, ring at the corner. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I paused. ¡°It¡¯s not like you told ire you were living here,¡± he continued, sounding tired. ¡°If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault, it¡¯s mine, so you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± I turned to him now, smiling. ¡°I think this is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard you say something was your fault.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡­¡± I trailed off, deciding just to let it drop. If he wanted to be modest, I¡¯d let him. ¡°So do you have to dress up fancy for court?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Have you ever gone before?¡± ¡°No. We don¡¯t usually have humans whose memories we can¡¯t erase around.¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Those court shows on television always have people formally dressed, so I¡¯m going to guess that I have to, especially since I¡¯m a prince and everything,¡± he muttered, looking irritated again. He said the word ¡°prince¡± like it caused him pain. ¡°What do you think is going to happen?¡± I inquired before I could stop myself. He cocked an eyebrow at me. ¡°They¡¯ll decide just to kill you. It¡¯s the easiest way.¡± It took a second for his words to set in. Then horror washed over me. ¡°Are you serious? Is that what you think? How could you say that so calmly?¡± I cried, my mind starting to race. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Suddenly he startedughing. I red at him. ¡°How could youugh? You may hate me, but dying is still a sad thing, Vincent!¡± He shook his head at me, covering his mouth. He coughed a few times,ing out of hisughing fit. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± I repeated.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Quite the contrary,¡± he told me, a smirk crossing his face. ¡°Like I said before, you add a bit of fun to this hellhole. And you¡¯re a much better sight to see then all these men all the time.¡± I flushed in embarrassment. ¡°D-do you really think I¡¯m going to be killed?¡± ¡°No,¡± he responded simply. ¡°I was just being a jerk.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t promise you there¡¯s not a chance they might just decide to punish you.¡± My face paled. ¡°So there¡¯s a chance I could die.¡± Vincent shook his head. ¡°You won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°If they decide to silence me, obviously I¡¯m going to die,¡± I snapped at him. He rolled his eyes. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is I won¡¯t let you die.¡± My mind nked at his words. He wouldn¡¯t let me die? What did that mean? ¡°What are you¡­?¡± ¡°I got you into this mess. I¡¯m going to get you out alive,¡± he told me tly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die.¡± A small chuckle left my mouth. ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯re in some sort of romance-action movie.¡± He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Romance?¡± ¡°Well what you just said sounded romantic,¡± I muttered, sending my eyes downcast. ¡°You know?¡± ¡°I was only saying it because I don¡¯t want a death on my conscious.¡± Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Of course. ¡°You always take the fun out of anything, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± When I looked up at him, he was smiling. Not smirking, or simpering, or smiling in his smug manner, but actually smiling. The sight took me aback. I didn¡¯t think it was possible for him to be any more handsome, but when he smiled like that¡­ It made my heart race just looking at him. His next words however, ruined the feeling. ¡°Seeing Sebastian with his conscious of killing someone made wary of killing someone. I wouldn¡¯t want that guilt. Though, I¡¯m sure it was worse before he decided to turn her.¡± My prior light feeling disappeared, reced with a crushing feeling. ¡°Vincent, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°You just did,¡± he pointed out. I ignored his jibe. ¡°What was Fiona and Sebastian¡¯s rtionship while she was alive? Why did he¡­ um, kill her?¡± Vincent¡¯s friendly demeanor dropped instantly. ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be asking me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you,¡± he snapped at me. ¡°Drop it.¡± I held up my hands defensively. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Another frown appeared on my face as he let out a sigh. Obviously it was touchy subject. Which made me all the more curious. What happened with Fiona and Sebastian? ¡°The storm will be starting soon,¡± Vincent spoke up. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± I bit my lip for a moment. ¡°Um¡­ Can I stay with you?¡± He turned to face me. A smug expression crossed his face. ¡°Of course you can, scaredy-cat. You can sleep with me too, if you want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± I retorted, abashed at his suggestion. ¡°Just an offer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a pig.¡± ¡°Better than a scaredy-cat.¡± I grit my teeth together, but didn¡¯t reply. It¡¯d gone on all night if we kept at it. Instead, I sunk back into the couch, trying to get into the program we were watching- another cooking show. _________________________ 21 The sound of something heavy ttering to floor jolted me from my slumber. My eyes snapped and searched around, trying to locate the source of the mor. The first thing I noticed was that I was in my temporary room. The second thing was Sebastian, giving me a sheepish look. He held up a book- the reason for the noise. ¡°Where¡¯s Vincent?¡± The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Sebastian frowned the slightest bit. ¡°He left for court, why?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± I responded quickly, looking around my room again. When had I fallen asleep? Had Vincent carried me here from the living room? ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Sebastian asked, setting the book he¡¯d been reading back on the shelf. ¡°I¡¯m not a good cook, but I can try¡­¡± I shook my head, throwing the covers off me so I could get up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I can make myself something. Thanks though.¡± He frowned deeper. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to be a hassle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a hassle,¡± he told me, crossing his arms. ¡°I really wish you¡¯d stop being so formal to me.¡± I blinked at him. ¡°Formal?¡± ¡°You can joke around and get angry with Vince, but you¡¯re always so polite to me,¡± he exined. ¡°But you¡¯re the next King¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to act that way around me.¡± Smiling, I shook my head at him. ¡°I only act like that toward Vincent because he deserves it because he¡¯s a jerk. It¡¯s not something you really want¡­¡± Sebastian¡¯s lips twitched into a crooked smile. ¡°I see. In that case, you¡¯re not allowed into the kitchen to make yourself breakfast.¡± ¡°Why no-¡± ¡°I¡¯m making it and it¡¯s final.¡± ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t cook?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I never said I was going to make any thing fancy. Why don¡¯t you shower and change then meet me in the kitchen?¡± I nced down, realizing I was in my pajamas. When did I¡­? I didn¡¯t. My face med when I realized the only other person who could have changed me was Vincent. That pervert! When he got back I was going to p him so hard¡­ ¡°Emily?¡± I ripped myself from my violent thoughts to wave Sebastian away. ¡°Sounds good. See you soon.¡± He left, and I went over to the duffle bag of my clothing he¡¯d brought here a few days prior. Myptop was on top of everything. Picking it up, I brought it over to the empty desk in the corner of the room to get it out of the way. Just as I was about to walk away from it, a thought hit me. Was there Inte here? ncing at the door to make Sebastian had shut it, I booted up myputer. It was an agonizing twenty seconds before I reached the home screen. I clicked the Firefox symbol, bringing up the Inte. To my amazement, it loaded. So Vampires used the Inte¡­ I clicked Facebook, going to my profile. To my surprise, my wall was covered with my friends asking how California was going. My eyebrows pulled together in confusion. How many minds had Sebastian altered? The What¡¯s On Your Mind? space was tempting me. Should I update my status? Thest one was going to the movies. I hesitated a moment. What would my status be? Oh, I¡¯m really not in California. Vampires kidnapped me a few days ago, and there¡¯s a chance I could die, but beside all that I¡¯m dandy? A smile broke across my face. I couldn¡¯t write that. After typing out It¡¯s hot in California, I hit share, closing the Inte and shutting off myptop again. Might as well go with the flow. I trudged back to the duffle bag, pulling out a pair of washed jeans and a tank top. For a few seconds I searched for a sweatshirt and eventually pulled out a cardigan. Shrugging, I piled it with the rest of my clothes and headed for the shower. By the time I entered the kitchen, Sebastian was nearly finished cooking. tes were already set out on the table, filled with burnt bacon, charred home fries, and slushy scrambled eggs. There was a small pop from behind me, causing me to start. Sebastian turned, his making a face at me. ¡°What?¡± I questioned, raising a hand to my face. He came over to me, sighing lightly. ¡°If you let your hair dry like that you¡¯ll catch a cold,¡± he warned me, taking the towel that was around my shoulders and covering my head with it. Before I could protest he started drying my hair, running the part in it I¡¯d made earlier. When he finished I emerged from underneath the towel, pursing my lips at him. ¡°What are you, my father?¡± ¡°No. But I¡¯m old enough¡­¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m old enough to be your-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± I said quickly before he could continue. He grinned, moving around me to the toaster, where he pulled out the first thing he¡¯d cooked that didn¡¯t look burnt. With an arrogant look, he ced the two pieces of toast on a te, gesturing for me to sit in front of it. ¡°This looks¡­ appetizing,¡± I said slowly, taking a seat at the ce he¡¯d indicated. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to eat it if you don¡¯t like it,¡± he told me. ¡°It might just kill you.¡± Iughed, pushing the soggy pile of eggs around my te. ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage.¡± He sat down across from me, smiling. ¡°Very well.¡± A silence settled throughout the kitchen. Cautiously, I ced a forkful of the eggs into my mouth. He watched me intently, waiting for my reaction. I mped my mouth down on the fork, tasting the eggs for the first time. After the initial shock of the taste of runny eggs, I managed to swallow, holding up my thumb. Relief flooded across his face. I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him they were undercooked and that I could catch salmone. ¡°I should probably ask Vince to teach me how to cook, but he¡¯d probably refuse,¡± Sebastian suddenly spoke up, now putting some of his own eggs into his own mouth. ¡°You think?¡± ¡°I know,¡± he corrected. ¡°Vincent doesn¡¯t exactly love me. Not that I can me him. He is put through a lot because of me.¡± I frowned at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Whenever I do something I¡¯m not supposed to, all the me goes to Vincent.¡± ¡°Why-¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the next King,¡± Sebastian cut me off, looking aggravated. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything that will cause problems for me when Iter be King. When I mess up, Vincent is held responsible.¡± I gawked at Sebastian. ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± He nodded solemnly. ¡°Which is why he hates me.¡± ¡°Why would he hate you if there¡¯s just the chance? You haven¡¯t done anything, right?¡± The corners of his lips pulled down and he stayed silent. ¡°I have.¡± His eyes met mine. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know the whole story behind why Fiona¡¯s here?¡± ¡°No,¡± I responded quickly, hopeful that he¡¯d borate on the topic. ¡°Well-¡± Suddenly the kitchen door opened, causing Sebastian to snap his mouth shut. Disappointed, I turned to glower at whoever was there. My frown dropped when I realized it was Fiona. Speak of the devil. She stared at me curiously for a moment. ¡°Morning, Em.¡± ¡°Good morning, Fiona,¡± I responded. ¡°Have you seen Mom, Seb?¡± she inquired, turning to her brother. He dropped his gaze. ¡°No, sorry.¡± Her face fell. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s um, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Want some breakfast?¡± Sebastian offered, gesturing towards his ce, his head still bowed. ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I need to find Mom,¡± she declined, taking slow, backward steps out the doorway. ¡°See youter, Em. Bye, Seb.¡± I nced at Sebastian, seeing his face tightened as if he was in pain. Bewildered, I turned back to Fiona, but she was gone. Sebastian let out a deep sigh, cing his fork down on the table. With weary eyes, he stared at the floor. ¡°Sebastian?¡± I said hesitantly. His gaze snapped to mine. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can I¡­ Is it okay if I ask what happened between you and Fiona?¡± The frown on his face deepened, but he didn¡¯t reply. After a few minutes he slowly nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± My heart jumped in excitement. I tried to keep calm, but it was hard. Curiosity always got the best of me. For all I knew, Sebastian could have killed Fiona just for the fun of it¡­ Was that something I really wanted to know? I already knew the answer to that. I was dying to know. ¡°Why don¡¯t you apany me to my room?¡± he suggested, pushing his te away from him. ¡°You can bring your breakfast along if you¡¯d like. I¡¯ve lost my appetite.¡± Pushing my te away from me as well, I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not that hungry anyway.¡± He smiled. ¡°Or is it you don¡¯t want to eat my cooking?¡± ¡°It might be a little of both,¡± I responded yfully, trying to keep the smile on his face. It worked. Together we made our way out of the kitchen, making kittenish banter throughout thebyrinth of halls. Obviously the story behind Fiona and Sebastian wasn¡¯t going to be a cheery one. I wanted to keep Sebastian¡¯s spirits up for at least a little while before he revealed probably one of his deepest secrets. ¡°Through here,¡± he suddenly spoke, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve never been to my room before, have you?¡± I shook my head, following him through a door to our right. ¡°I can¡¯t say I have¡­¡± ¡°Excuse the mess, then.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Mess? He stepped aside, allowing me to see the entirety of his room. Like almost every other room in the manor, this one was perfectly themed. The floor was made out of oak wood panels, which matched the color of the couch nestled in the corner and also the bedspread on his King sized bed. The walls were painted white, and brown curtains hung from the gigantic window on the far side of the room. There wasn¡¯t one thing that looked out of ce. Whatever ¡°mess¡± Sebastian was talking about, was obviously not in his room. ¡°Want to take a seat?¡± he offered, pushing me towards the couch. ¡°Make yourselffortable.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I responded, awkwardly taking a seat on the leather couch. My eyes widened in surprise when I sunk just about five feet into it. Sebastian chuckled, taking a seat next to me. ¡°Feathers,¡± he told me before I could question him. ¡°Comfortable, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, struggling to push myself into a morefortable position. ¡°It must have been expensive¡­¡± ¡°Money is a problem.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He chuckled, sinking back into the couch. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone know I¡¯m telling you this. No one is supposed to know but the immediate family.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I said quickly. Joel made that clear. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say one word.¡± ¡°Good girl,¡± hemented with a smile. ¡°Now where should I start¡­?¡± ¡°The beginning?¡± He shook his head at me, chuckling. ¡°I should have you beheaded for your impudence.¡± ¡°You can have people beheaded?¡± 22 He stared at me, blinking his eyes. ¡°Wait¡­ You believed me?¡± My face flushed. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a funny human,¡± heplimented with a grin. ¡°You remind me of Fiona when¡­¡± He trailed off, looking ufortable. ¡°I guess I found the ce to start.¡± ¡°Please do,¡± I insisted, leaning closer to him. ¡°Fiona was studying to be a doctor when I met her,¡± he started, turning his head to look at the ceiling. ¡°You know that, right?¡± I nodded, but then realized he wasn¡¯t looking at me and said, ¡°yep.¡± ¡°Well the day I met her was one of those rare days off, like today, where I didn¡¯t have to do anything dealing with royalty. Vince and I decided to leave the manor and go clubbing.¡± My brows furrowed together. ¡°Clubbing?¡± A smile crossed his face. ¡°We¡¯re still young¡­ in body and heart.¡± ¡°Did you hook up with Fiona at a club?¡± I joked, nudging him in the side. ¡°Not exactly.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± The smile slipped of his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll believe me or not, but Vince used to get into a lot of trouble when we went out.¡± ¡°No!¡± I gasped sarcastically. Solemnly, Sebastian nodded his head. ¡°He would have got away with it too, if it wasn¡¯t for that meddling Fiona.¡± ¡°Fiona?¡± ¡°Vince got into this really serious fight one night. It wasn¡¯t fair to the other guy- when pairing a vampire against of a human, there¡¯s not even the slightest chance a human can win. He nearly killed the guy. Luckily for both of them, Fiona was there to stop the bleeding.¡± I nodded. ¡°What does that have to do with you though?¡± ¡°Well, being the gentleman I am, I offered to buy the kind, young woman who saved that guy¡¯s life a drink.¡± ¡°You erased her memory of helping the human, right?¡± I guessed, figuring Fiona would have told the cops if she found someone beaten half to death in an ally way.¡± He smiled slyly. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± ¡°Anyway, one drink turned into four and the alcohol began to takes its affect on both of us.¡± I stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°Alcohol affects vampires?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you identally killed her when you were drunk¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, no. Of course not.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°But I did the one thing a vampire royalty is not allowed to do under any circumstance.¡± I cocked my head to the side. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Sleeping with a human.¡± ¡°You slept with her?¡± An embarrassed look crossed his face. ¡°I was drunk¡­¡± ¡°What happened after that? Did she find out you were a vampire? How did she survive that? Oh my god! Did she get pregnant? Can humans be pregnant with a vampire baby? Oh! Did you identally-¡± Sebastian covered my mouth with his hand. ¡°Slow down. No she didn¡¯t find out I was a vampire, no she didn¡¯t get pregnant- vampires can¡¯t get humans pregnant, and no, I didn¡¯t identally kill her from panicking the morning after.¡± Pulling his hand from my mouth, I looked at him in surprise. ¡°How¡¯d you know I was going to say that?¡± ¡°Just a feeling.¡± ¡°Well what happened then? How¡¯d you¡­ er, kill her?¡± He grinned at my impatience. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her right away. We started seeing each other.¡± ¡°You guys were involved romantically?¡± I questioned. That made sense. The reason why they acted so strange around each other now. He nodded. ¡°For about a year.¡± ¡°Were you guys¡­ in love?¡± He stayed silent for a minute. ¡°Yes, I suppose you could say that,¡± he admitted quietly. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, lowering my voice to match his. ¡°Somehow my family found out about us. One day everything was perfectly fine, the next day, Vince was in a shitload of trouble. Our parents made him take the me, saying it was him who was in the rtionship with the human.¡± ¡°What about Fiona?¡± ¡°This was before we changed thews,¡± Sebastian warned me. ¡°There was now saying you couldn¡¯t kill a human¡­¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Fiona was going to be killed because of me,¡± he said, confirming my thoughts. ¡°She did absolutely nothing, but still gained a death sentence. Meanwhile Vince was banned from ever having the chance to be King- he was too troublesome. So not only did Vince hate me from that moment on, Fiona was going to die and it was all my fault.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. He smiled sadly. ¡°The only thing I could do.¡± ¡°Kill her yourself?¡± ¡°No,¡± he responded, shaking his head. ¡°I was going to runaway with her. I thought it¡¯d be romantic- and it was the only way of keeping her safe.¡± He clenched his jaw. ¡°But¡­?¡± Heughed without humor. ¡°It was no good. I couldn¡¯t do that to Vince.¡± My eyebrows furrowed together. ¡°To Vincent?¡± ¡°If I left, everything would be on him. My faults, the kingdom, the wrath from the family¡­ I couldn¡¯t put Fiona over my brother.¡± ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°It was my choice. However, I didn¡¯t want Fiona to die, so my new n was just to tell her everything and ship her off.¡± ¡°How did that go?¡± ¡°Shepletely freaked. She tried running before I could tell her everything, so I tried to stop her but¡­ Well I was panicking too. If she didn¡¯t believe me and if she ran, she was going to be killed. No matter what I said couldn¡¯t convince her so I did the only thing I could do to prove to her I was a vampire.¡± ¡°You sucked her blood.¡± He nodded. ¡°I was just going to drink enough to make her weak enough so she couldn¡¯t run away, but¡­¡± I stayed quiet, not wanting to prod him anymore. After a few moments of silence he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I got carried away.¡± My heart sunk. ¡°Is that how you killed her?¡± His shoulders sagged. ¡°Yes. But I couldn¡¯t let it end like that. I couldn¡¯t have a death on my shoulders. It was mostly my selfishness that decided made me turn her, but the hope that maybe she could live as a normal vampire and we could be together helped too. So I changed her.¡± He paused for a second, a ghost of a smile on his face. ¡°She freaked out about it for awhile. It was actually kind of funny. When she got used to the idea of being a vampire, she seemed okay with it. I think she was more happy about the fact we could be together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Imented, the corners of my lips turning up. ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± he agreed. ¡°However, my father had different ns. Technically, changing humans without reason is illegal, so once again I was bringing more problems to the family. My father decided Fiona was going to be part of the family because if anyone found out she was the human I¡¯d, or rather Vincent had been, seeing, she¡¯d still be killed.¡± I frowned. ¡°So she became your sister?¡± Heughed through his nose. ¡°It¡¯s strange isn¡¯t it? Being in love with your own sister?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in love with her again?¡± ¡°I was never out,¡± he admitted, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be King. I¡¯d give anything to run away with Fiona¡­¡± I swallowed nervously. ¡°But you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°No. Fiona seems to like it here enough, though. Even if there are those bastards who don¡¯t even spare her a nce,¡± he added, clenching his fists. ¡°You said thews were different back then,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Is it legal to have a rtionship with a human now?¡± He shrugged. ¡°It depends. There are plenty of vampires that do, but it¡¯s harder when your royalty. For example, if you and I had a rtionship, there would be an uproar. A turned vampire cannot rule the kingdom. You have to be pure blood.¡± So there rtionship would have never worked out¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized, setting my eyes downcast. ¡°That must¡­ Forck of a better word, suck.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It does suck, but it¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Do you think maybe one day you and Fiona can be together again¡­?¡± Another sad smile crossed his face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Instead of saying anything, I threw my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He returned in, breathing deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sebastian,¡± I reiterated. ¡°It¡¯d be easier if she didn¡¯t call me Seb,¡± he murmured into my shoulder. ¡°It brings back a lot of memories.¡± I didn¡¯t respond; I didn¡¯t need to. Quiet settled in again, but this time it was afortable one. Sebastian eventually moved away from me, looking a lot more rxed than before. I smiled at him and he returned it, suddenly looking embarrassed. ¡°That was a lot to unload¡­¡± ¡°Everyone needs to unload,¡± I told him with augh. ¡°I¡¯m d you told me. You probably don¡¯t care, but in my opinion, but I feel that you killed Fiona more humanely than whoever else was going to kill her would.¡± Heughed again. ¡°That¡¯s very true.¡± He hesitated a moment before speaking again. ¡°Emily, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re a human¡­ Would you ever agree to, as you put it, be romantically involved with a vampire?¡± My mind nked at his question. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Like for example if Joel or Vincent fell for you¡­¡± ¡°I, um¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I responded quickly, my heart rate increasing. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± He held up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not insinuating anything. I was just wondering how Fiona might have felt at first.¡± I rxed again, scratching the back of my head. ¡°Well I guess it wouldn¡¯t be a horrible thing. As long as she never found out your true age.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± he replied softly. ¡°But hey. Let¡¯s stop with all this depressing talk. Want to go y video games?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m probably as good at ying video games as you are.¡± I grinned. ¡°Okay, that sounds fine then.¡± _______________________________________ 23 My shoulder ached ufortably as I sat on the couch, watching the rest of The Brothers Grimm- Sebastian¡¯s choice. After growing bored of ying videogames, he¡¯d popped in the movie, iming it was his favorite. Now he was currently dead asleep, his head against my shoulder, his angr jaw pressing right into the hollow spot on my neck. Heaviness weighed upon my eyes as I fought to keep myself awake. The day was almost over- that meant Vincent, Fiona, and Joel would be back with the King and Queen to let me know how the trial went. Anxiety washed over me at the thought. What was the verdict? Was it good¡­ or bad? I shook my head vehemently, not allowing myself to think negatively. Positive thoughts led to positive oues. I winced as Sebastian jerked in his sleep, digging further into my skin. As much as I wanted to shove him off me, the more rational side of me figured he needed sleep, so I left him alone. Shifting slowly, I tried to move his jaw from my shoulder to my arm. To my annoyance, my movement only caused him to lean even more on me. ¡°Dang,¡± I muttered, making a face in difort. Sebastian¡¯s head suddenly snapped up, a wild expression adorning his face. He blinked a few times, looking confused. A sigh of relief left my lips as feeling began to return to the numb spot where his jaw had been. ¡°Did I fall asleep?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He frowned. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± I responded with a shrug. ¡°Next time just choose a better movie,¡± I added jokingly. Rolling his eyes, he turned back to the television, just as the credits started rolling. ¡°Figures. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± I hesitated. Thest thing I wanted was a repeat of this morning. He seemed to sense my unease and a wry smile spread across his face. ¡°Right. Why don¡¯t we just let Vincent cook for you when he gets back?¡± A sheepish smile crossed my face. ¡°Sorry, Seb.¡± When I realized I¡¯d called him by his old pet name, my face flushed. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he responded with a deep chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you call me Seb. It¡¯s only Fiona.¡± A frown quickly reced my sheepish look. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know if I should say this or not, but¡­ Maybe¡­ Do you think Fiona still calls you by your pet name because she might still have feelings for you?¡± His face went nk at my words. For a moment we sat in an awkward silence. My heart pace began to quicken as I realized maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I-¡± ¡°You think so?¡± I blinked. ¡°What?¡± Sebastian gave me a serious look. ¡°Do you think Fiona might have feelings for me?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t say for sure,¡± I replied, my eyes widening. ¡°It¡¯s just a thought- don¡¯t base any reasoning off of it. It¡¯s just¡­ Well if she didn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t she revert to calling you Sebastian?¡± He looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°You know, I could try to find out for you¡­¡± ¡°Find out what?¡± ¡°If she likes you,¡± I exined, dropping my gaze. ¡°I might not be here for much longer, but¡­¡± A wary expression passed over his face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± . . I cocked my head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What if the answer is no?¡± A moment of silence passed between us. ¡°I highly doubt it will be a no,¡± I told him quietly. ¡°You two were in love and then forced apart. If you never fell out of love, then Fiona probably didn¡¯t either. It also exins the awkward interactions between you two. Maybe she doesn¡¯t want anyone to think she still loves you in case they try to force you two apart even more. It could also be that she feels as though it isn¡¯t right to still love you, even though it causes you problems¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing Sebastian was looking at me nkly. Warmth spread across my face. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m babbling¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, no. You have some interesting points.¡± The corners of his lips twitched up. ¡°It¡¯s a nice thought- thinking Fiona might still have feelings for me.¡± ¡°But?¡± His smile grew. ¡°How did you know there was a but?¡± ¡°I could hear it in your voice.¡± ¡°I will still be King,¡± he started, his face sagging. ¡°There¡¯s no way around it. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to be King-I¡¯m proud to have gained the title-, but because of it, there¡¯s no way to be with Fiona. If it was up to me I¡¯d drop the crown in a minute, however, I can¡¯t let Ashton have it.¡± My stomach twisted ufortably. That wasn¡¯t very fair. He had to choose between the kingdom and Fiona? ¡°Why can¡¯t Ashton have it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not fit to be a ruler.¡± The sudden edge to Sebastian¡¯s voice threw me off guard. I stared at him for a moment, trying to form a coherent thought. ¡°I heard he wasn¡¯t¡­ exactly good,¡± I finally mumbled ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Sebastian agreed. ¡°It¡¯d be a bad idea to let him be King.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s no way for you and Fiona to be together again?¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± ¡°What if you were a surreptitious couple?¡± I inquired, my eyes widening. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to let anyone know! That way you guys could be together without a problem!¡± The smile on his face faltered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how that would work¡­¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t it though? You two would just have to be careful!¡± ¡°What if someone found out?¡± ¡°What if?¡± I repeated. He nodded. ¡°There¡¯s the chance. If we were to get together, we could be found out. There¡¯s no guarantee it will work out in our favor, Em. Besides, obviously fate isn¡¯t in my favor.¡± ¡°There is no way of guaranteeing anything! The mystery of fate is solved the moment it bes now, and never before then!¡± I protested, clenching my fists. For a moment Sebastian stayed quiet, eyeing me. ¡°That¡¯s quite a thing to say, Em.¡± I blushed in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s true though¡­¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± he concurred, nodding his head. ¡°As appealing as that sounds, I don¡¯t know if I could take the chance. It¡¯d be putting everything on the nk.¡± I frowned. ¡°I think it could work out.¡± ¡°Are you a hopeless romantic?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I think you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that Fiona and I should have a¡­ proscriptive rtionship?¡± . . 24 I stared at him. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Forbidden,¡± he informed me. ¡°Especially byw. It¡¯s fitting, is it not?¡± A grin shed across my face. ¡°Very much so.¡± He sighed, letting his shoulders sag. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Em¡­¡± ¡°I think-¡± ¡°They¡¯re back,¡± he suddenly stated, sitting up right. My eyes widened. ¡°They?¡± ¡°My parents and the rest,¡± he exined, pushing himself off of the couch. ¡°Come on, Emily.¡± I took his outstretched hand and he swiftly pulled me to my feet, immediately dragging me towards the stairs. Stumbling a bit, I managed to rectify myself and follow after him quickly. His hand never let go of mine as we ascended the stairs and headed down the hallway. I had no idea where we were going, so I allowed Sebastian to tug me along. Eventually we entered the main living room, where the rest of Sebastian¡¯s family was gathered. All eyes snapped to me at once. Vincent¡¯s gaze dropped down to my hand that was still intertwined with Sebastian¡¯s. He snorted, looking away again. I glowered at him, slowly pulling my hand out of Sebastian¡¯s. ¡°Where¡¯s Joel?¡± I questioned, deciding to break the silence. I wasn¡¯t ready to bring up the main subject yet. ¡°He went off with his friends,¡± Lue informed me, a gentle smile gracing her face. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile, Emily. How are you?¡± I smiled back at her to the best of my ability. ¡°It has. I¡¯ve been okay. How about yourself?¡± ¡°Busy,¡± she responded with a small chuckle. ¡°Understandable.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all take a seat,¡± Solomon suggested, leading his wife towards one of the couches. Sebastian started to steer me to one of the couches as well, but I ducked out from under his arm, staggering towards Vincent. Before anyone could protest, I plopped down in the seat next to him. He cocked an eyebrow, gazing at me curiously. I ignored him, looking toward Fiona who, like I¡¯d nned, had sat next to Sebastian. A small, satisfied smile took ce on my face. ¡°What are you smiling at, stupid?¡± ¡°Oh, Vincent. How I missed your sarcastic self. I actually had a lot of fun today without you around.¡± ¡°And I had a lot of fun deciding your fate,¡± he snapped back. I pursed my lips at him. ¡°Whatever.¡± The King chuckled. ¡°Now children¡­¡± ¡°So what was the verdict?¡± I blurted out before I could stop myself.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. All the vampires before me exchanged surprised nces. I waited patiently, my hands clenched into tense fists. There were a few moments of quiet before someone decided to speak. ¡°They¡¯ve decided to silence you,¡± Vincent dered gravely. My head snapped towards him, my eyes growing wide. ¡°What? Are you serious? They¡¯re going to kill me? Why? What happened? What¡¯s-¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± Lue cried, cutting me off. ¡°Stop teasing her!¡± He snickered as my mouth dropped. ¡°You¡¯re a jerk!¡± He smirked. ¡°Thanks.¡± I red at him, but felt relieved. Since he¡¯d joked about it, the verdict obviously wasn¡¯t death for me. ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen?¡± . . ¡°Before you get upset, I promise I tried every thing possible in order for them to let you go home,¡± Solomon started, his green eyes piercing into mine. ¡°They were really tough to budge. What they say goes¡­¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°W-what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You¡¯re stuck here forever,¡± Vincent deadpanned. It felt like a bus had plowed me down. Forever? Tears sprung to my eyes at just the thought. ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°Vincent,¡± the Queen said scolding. ¡°Stop teasing her!¡± ¡°Yeah, Vivi,y off,¡± Fiona added, smiling despite her words. Sebastian, on the other hand, didn¡¯t look even slightly amused. His expression probably represented mine- but mine was probably more murderous. ¡°You¡¯re such an ass!¡± I cried, ring at Vincent with as much hate as I could gather. ¡°Why do you keep doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amusing,¡± he responded simply. ¡°No it¡¯s not!¡± The King frowned. ¡°Vivi, stop harassing Emily.¡± He waved his hand at his dad in dismissal. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the real verdict?¡± I inquired, already feeling worn out. I wasn¡¯t sure I could deal with it now. ¡°As of right now, they¡¯re talking about letting you go home. There are a few things that have to be discussed seeing as a human whose memory we can¡¯t erase doesn¡¯te along very often. I can promise you that you are certainly going to be able to go home,¡± he continued, smiling gently. ¡°For the next week though, you¡¯ll have to remain here.¡± I gazed at him, processing his words. ¡°Just a week?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized. I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize!¡± A relievedugh left my lips. ¡°I thought you were going to say that I¡¯d have to remain here for a year. A week I can handle easily!¡± Lue smiled at me. ¡°You¡¯re taking this much better than I¡¯d anticipated. Especially as seeing how the first time you were told you¡¯d be staying here for a week you were nearly hysterical. I ducked my head. ¡°Well¡­¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°It was different back then, right? You thought we were all blood sucking monsters.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I muttered, feeling my face grow hot. ¡°I really have been afraid of vampires since I was little.¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± Solomon responded amicably. ¡°A week won¡¯t be so bad.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ Wait. What about my family?¡± ¡°Another week in California?¡± I grimaced. ¡°So much math homework¡­¡± Chuckles filled the room. Iughed along with them, even though on the inside I wanted to cry. Two weeks of math homework was an inconceivable amount. Especially since I was horrid at it in the first ce. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± Luemented, sighing quietly. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go to sleep.¡± The King murmured his agreement, standing up from his seat. ¡°We¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Emily.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Emily,¡± Lue added as she and her husband exited the room. ¡°Night!¡± I called after them, waving. Fiona hopped to her feet. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to go as well. Night Vivi, Emily. Sweet dreams, Seb,¡± she added, grinning cheekily at him, as if it was an inside joke. He smiled at her, his emerald eyes twinkling with mischievous. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m tired myself, so I¡¯ll apany you.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Positive,¡± he responded, pushing himself off the couch. ¡°Night you two.¡± ¡°Night,¡± I said, doing my best not to smile at them. They definitely made a cute couple. Sebastian paused before exiting. ¡°Thank you, Emily.¡± ¡°Thank you?¡± ¡°For today,¡± he responded with a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m taking your words into ount¡­ Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Seb.¡± When they left the room I sighed contently, sinking back into the sofa and sying out my arms. My left armnded on something warm and hard and I jumped violently. Vincent rolled his eyes at me as my heart leapt into my throat. ¡°I forgot you were here,¡± I admitted breathlessly. ¡°Obviously.¡± I twitched. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m going to bed too.¡± Irritated, I shoved myself away from the couch, not sparing him a nce. ¡°Sorry.¡± I paused. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°For deluding you earlier,¡± he rified, keeping his voice low. ¡°It was a dick move.¡± ¡°Not to be unexpected from you.¡± He snorted. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Apology epted though,¡± I continued, refusing to look at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe you anyway.¡± ¡°Yes you did.¡± ¡°No I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes you did.¡± I froze, suddenly feeling his cool breath caressing my ear. My gaze shifted to my right side, where Vincent was standing. A smirk formed on his face as my face flushed. I took a step away from him, frowning. ¡°Are you really tired?¡± he questioned. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Um isn¡¯t an eptable response.¡± I gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s go eat something,¡± he ordered, grabbing me by the elbow. ¡°I¡¯m starving and wantpany while I eat.¡± I stumbled after him, surprised. ¡°You want mypany?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He ignored me, continuing to drag me down the hallway. I stared at the back of his head curiously. Did he really want me to go with him? The thought made my heart feel lighter. If he kept his up, we could actually be friends¡­ ¡°Wait a second.¡± He nced over his shoulder. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you really want mypany, or is it because everyone else is sleeping?¡± A wicked smile crossed his face. ¡°Who knows.¡± ___________________________________ 25 An explosive crack of thunder sent me jolting awake. My eyes were wide and alert as I nced around the room wildly, confused. When lightning shed by my window I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat. Immediately my gaze went to my bedside, but Vincent wasn¡¯t there. Anxiety crept over me as another crash rang through my room. After a few moments of sitting up in bed, feeling the pounding of my heart, I decided I¡¯d try to block the noise and fall back asleep. Pressing my hands over my ears as tightly as I could, I slipped under the covers and closed my eyes. It didn¡¯t help. The thunder was so loud it nearly shook the manor. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± I muttered irately, emerging from my nkets again. ¡°How many times must it storm here? I¡¯m sick of it!¡± My gaze was attracted back to the window, where I watched a fantastic bolt of lightning light up the dark sky. For a moment I was mesmerized, but when the thunder came, I was terrified again. There was no way I could fall back asleep. Grumbling to myself, I pushed myself out of my bed, and onto the freezing wood floor. Shivering, I padded to the door, slipping out into the hall silently. It was eerily silent as I traversed through the empty halls. Especially since vampires were supposedly creatures of the night. A smile crossed my face. They were about as much of creatures of the night as humans were. I stumbled through the hallways blindly, knowing where I wanted to go, but not knowing how to get there. It was incredibly hard finding my way around the maze of halls¡­ I paused when I realized something rather important. I had no idea where Vincent¡¯s room was. Thunder rumbled through the hallway, causing my pulse to quicken again. I started walking again, mentally cursing myself. Why hadn¡¯t I thought about that before I left my room? Vincent had never showed me his room before! Scowling to myself, I decided to just got whosever¡¯s room I came across first. They¡¯d have to put up with me. A morous crash came from the left, literally making me jump. For a moment I thought it was an unreasonably loud crack of thunder until I heard a grunt of pain. Curious, I came to a halt, turning in the direction the sound had came from. I came face-to-face with a door. Listening hard, I slowly moved closer to it. After a moment there was a thud and a groan. I instantly recognized Joel¡¯s voice. Pushing open the door, I found myself blind in the pitch ck room. ¡°Joel? I called into the darkness. There was no coherent response, just a moan of pain. Worried, I moved forward slowly, putting my hands out in front of me to keep from bumping into anything. My hand trailed across the wall, searching for a light switch. After a few seconds I found the light switch and flipped it. I blinked to adjust my eyes to the sudden light. When they were ustomed to it, I nced over the room, trying to find Joel. My brows furrowed together when I couldn¡¯t see him. Was I hearing things¡­? ¡°Emily¡­¡± My eyes dropped to the ground where theynded on Joel. A startled gasp escaped my lips when I realized he was covered in blood. For a second my vision swam before me and I fought the urge to gag. There was so much of it¡­ He had arge, gruesome gash across his chest, which he was holding with a bloody hand. Smaller scratches were across his face and hands, as well as a deep purple bruise. I couldn¡¯t pull my gaze off the sickening sight. . . . ¡°Emily,¡± he called again, sounding my clearer. ¡°Get out.¡± I snapped myself out of my trance. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Leave.¡± ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡± I demanded, ignoring hismand. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re bleeding so much! We need to get you to a hospital-¡± He shook his head. ¡°Get away from me.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Go get Sebastian or Vincent or the King. You need to leave.¡± I stared at him, too shocked to move. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a vampire. I¡¯ve lost a lot of blood. I need- ugh,¡± he groaned, shutting his eyes. ¡°Hurry¡­¡± Shaking my head, I dropped to my knees, taking off the sweatshirt I¡¯d fallen asleep in. ¡°You need to put pressure on the cut-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t heal like humans,¡± he snapped, shoving his my hand away. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°Joel!¡± He pushed me away again, looking irritated. ¡°Find someone. Quick.¡± His increasingly paling face got the best of me and I nodded, pushing myself off the ground. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be right back then.¡± ¡°Hurry,¡± hemanded again weakly. ¡°Go out the other way¡­ Vincent¡¯s room is right across the hall.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I mumbled, carefully stepping around him. ¡°I¡¯ll wake him.¡± Just as I took the first two steps toward the door, an amazing crash of thunder shook the house. The lights flickered and went out. A grimace crossed my face. Just perfect. Moving more slowly now, I brought up my arms again to make sure I didn¡¯t bump into anything. Unfortunately for me, I ended up scraping my knee against the edge of something hard. I hissed in pain, stumbling back a few steps. ¡°Emily?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see where I¡¯m going and I hit my knee!¡± I called, turning my head and trying to see in the dark. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± ¡°Keep going,¡± Joel urged in a strain voice. ¡°Get Vincent.¡± I ground my teeth together, moving forward again. Apparently he didn¡¯t understand the words I can¡¯t see. Why couldn¡¯t I just call¡­ I blinked. Duh! ¡°Vincent!¡± I called, stopping again. ¡°Vincent,e here!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t hear you,¡± Joel told me. ¡°When vampires are asleep they¡¯re instincts nullify.¡± ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± I muttered sarcastically. Joelughed, but it turned into a groan of pain. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± . . My pace quickened at the sound. He definitely didn¡¯t sound good. With my concern for Joel urging me, I proceeded ahead again, moving more swiftly then before. My knee throbbed in pain, but I ignored it. Joel¡¯s wounds were more important. Just as I reached the far wall, the sound of Joel¡¯s breathing cut off. ¡°Joel?¡± No answer. ¡°Joel?¡± I tried again, feeling panic well up in me. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m almost to the door!¡± My hands trailed against the wall as I shifted right, looking for the door handle. When I touched the cool metal of it, a breath of relief rushed through my lips. My fist closed around it and I twisted it quickly. Suddenly a handnded on my shoulder.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I started, my breath catching in my throat. With my hand still on the door handle, I nced to my left, where I could feel someone¡¯s breath on my cheek. ¡°Joel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± he panted. ¡°What is?¡± I questioned, holding my breath. ¡°I can get Vincent, it¡¯s not toote Joel!¡± Even though I couldn¡¯t make out his face, I tried to stare him in the eyes. There was a short amount of silence before he spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°For what-¡± My voice was cut off short when Joel abruptly pulled me away from the door, only to m me back into it. I breathed out sharply, surprised by his action. One of his hands was pushing on my shoulder, holding me in ce against the door. Terror crashed over me as I felt his breath at my neck. ¡°Joel,¡± I whispered, feeling panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he told me apologetically, running his lips at the base of my throat. I started struggling to liberate myself from him. ¡°Move Joel! Stop! I¡¯m anemic, remember?¡± With a rude awakening, I realized I hadn¡¯t taken my iron supplements in two days. ¡°Joel!¡± His free hand went to my face, cupping my cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°If you ever need someone, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. I¡¯ll hear you.¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± I shrieked, bringing my hands to Joel¡¯s face and shoving it. ¡°Help me! Sebastian!¡± ¡°Move your hands,¡± Joel growled, removing his hand from my face to smack mine down. ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°No! Help! Sebastian! Solomon!¡± I screamed, squirming in Joel¡¯s grasp. Without warning, he pped a hand over my mouth. ¡°There,¡± he sighed, ignoring my panicked, smothered shrieks. ¡°You can squeeze my arm if you want.¡± I didn¡¯t have time to prepare myself before I felt two incredibly sharp, cool incisors piercing the tender flesh of my neck. A harsh scream tore through my throat at the diforting feeling. My knees gave out at once- the only thing now holding me up being Joel¡¯s one hand pressed against my shoulder and the knee between my legs. The excruciating burning sensation started at my throat and spread to the rest of my body like poison. I moaned weakly, my vision swimming before me. I could not pass out now. . . Without warning, the door behind me burst open, knocking both Joel and I forward. He released me and I fell to the side, unable to support myself. My skin made a sickening pping sound as I hit the wood floor. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Someone swore from above me. ¡°Joel, what the hell do you think- what happened to you?¡± I managed to turn my head to see Vincent lookingpletely thrown off guard. He nced down at me, narrowing his eyes. In one swift motion he had me off the floor and into his arms, carrying me princess style. He stared at my neck for a moment, a scowl crossing his face. ¡°I¡­¡± I started, my eyes bulging when the small sound caused my throat to catch on fire. ¡°Shut up,¡± he ordered, turning his attention back to Joel. ¡°Joel, can you walk?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± came the feeble reply. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt as much now.¡± Vincent clenched his jaw. ¡°I¡¯d hope so, since you nearly killed this stupid girl.¡± I wanted to tell him that he¡¯d almost killed me before too, but decided it¡¯d be safer if I didn¡¯t. He started moving; going out the door he¡¯d all but knocked down earlier. The swaying motion caused by his steps made me feel like I was going to be sick, but I managed to keep my stomach under control. I closed my eyes, deciding to let sleep take over me. Suddenly I was jerked up. My eyes flew open and I stared at Vincent in shock. He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Stay awake.¡± I opened my mouth to ask him why, but he cut me off. ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes. Where did he get off ordering me around? I was the one in agony! ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt to talk?¡± he inquired, guessing my thoughts. I blinked at him. He was right. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Little did he know that staying up was a tougher task than expected. The weariness weighed upon my shoulder like weights. It was an endeavor just trying to keep my eyes open. I could hear Joel trailing behind us, hisbored breath a little moreforting than before. It didn¡¯t sound like he was dying know. ¡°Can you talk, Joel?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± There was a small sigh. ¡°Some of Ashton¡¯s goons. They attacked me while I was on the way home from hanging out with Samuel.¡± ¡°How many?¡± Vincent questioned, his voice hard. ¡°Four.¡± He set his jaw. ¡°On one? How weak.¡± ¡°Hey! I did my best to fend them off! It¡¯s kind of hard, especially when one has a dagger!¡± Joel cried in defense. . . ¡°Not you,¡± Vincent corrected. ¡°Ashton.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± If I could, I would have smiled, but I didn¡¯t have the energy. Vincent abruptly stopped, causing my head to pound from the sudden stop in motion. He yanked open the door we were before, entering swiftly. Light flooded the room, causing me to squint my eyes as they adjusted. ¡°Fiona,¡± Vincent said loudly. ¡°Wake up.¡± I turned my head; my eyes now adjusted to the new brightness, and recognized Fiona¡¯s pink walls. My eyes shifted to the side, where Fiona was sitting up in bed, looking utterly confused. Her gazended on my neck and her mouth dropped open. ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± he snapped. ¡°It was the other idiot.¡± Fiona looked at Joel. ¡°Joel?¡± ¡°Guilty,¡± he responded sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ I might be hurt.¡± The sound of someone dropping to the ground made my heart skip a beat. Fiona was out of her bed in a sh, shooting behind us. ¡°Joel!¡± ¡°I thought you said you could walk!¡± Vincent used him. ¡°Emily is more important than me,¡± he replied simply, sounding in pain again. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Fiona appeared at Vincent¡¯s side, looking me over. ¡°That looks so gross¡­¡± ¡°Take her and help her,¡± Vincent demanded, shoving me into Fiona¡¯s arms. ¡°I have to go inform Father of what happened. Where do you want me to bring Joel?¡± ¡°The medicine room,¡± she responded, heading toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll check them out as soon as I¡¯m done with Emily.¡± She moved silently and briskly, hastening down the hallway, Vincent following right behind her. I bit my lip to keep myself awake. My neck had gone numb now- I wasn¡¯t sure to be worried or happy about it. Soon we were in a familiar white room and I was pretty much tossed onto a bed. ¡°Put Joel on the other bed,¡± Fiona ordered. ¡°Sure.¡± She disappeared from my view for a few seconds, returning a momentter with a bottle of liquid in one hand and a cloth in the other. ¡°This might hurt,¡± she warned me. I grit my teeth together, preparing myself for the stinging sensation. It wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected- or maybe it was, and I just couldn¡¯t feel it. Either way, I managed to stay silent as she cleaned the blood from my neck. ¡°How much blood did you drink?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I heard Joel respond. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really keeping track, you know?¡± She frowned at him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help. Geez, Joel. You couldn¡¯t have given her a cleaner bite?¡± ¡°I was a little preupied by my instinctual needs.¡± ¡°Still.¡± I used most of my strength to lightly p Fiona¡¯s side with my hand. Her eyes shot back to me, a sheepish smile crossing her face. ¡°Sorry. I bet you¡¯re tired, huh?¡± I nodded. Was she going to let me sleep? ¡°You just need to take this pill before you can rest,¡± she told me, once again disappearing from my vision for a moment. ¡°It¡¯ll be tough¡­ Open your mouth.¡± I did as she ordered, nearly closing it when pain shot through my body. Just the feeling of air against my throat caused it to burn. She ced the pill in it and I immediately closed it, making a face at the acrid taste of the medicine. ¡°Ready?¡± I shook my head, causing her tough. After a moment I braced myself, making my hands into fists. Then I swallowed. It wasn¡¯t as painful as I assumed it would be. It hurt like hell still, but I managed to swallow it in when try. Tears formed at the edges of my eyes, but I managed to blink them away. ¡°Good girl,¡± Fionamented, patting my head. ¡°You can sleep now. I¡¯m going to set up an IV and give you some blood¡­¡± Her words became garbled as I allowed myself to drift off into unconsciousness. ___________________ 26 Emily?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡± ¡°She needs to wake up.¡± ¡°Just let her sleep,¡± a familiar voice growled. There was a soft sigh. ¡°She¡¯s already awake. Emily, open your eyes,¡± another familiar voicemended softly and I felt a hand shaking my shoulder. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°What?¡± I groaned, refusing to open my eyes. A sharp burning sensation ripped through my throat and I hissed in pain, snapping my eyes open. I gently touched my finger to it, pulling it back instantly when it burned. ¡°Ow!¡± Sebastian peered down at me, chuckling. ¡°Don¡¯t try to speak¡­ You¡¯re throat hasn¡¯t fully healed.¡± Last nights ordeals shed in my mind, causing my eyes to grow. ¡°Joel?¡± I inquired, wincing at the pain in my throat. An ufortable expression crossed his face. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Is he okay? Oww,¡± I moaned, feeling like I had strep throat. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say not to talk?¡± a snippy voice snapped.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I turned my head to re at Vincent. When I opened my mouth to retort, he told me to shut up. ¡°Vincent,¡± Sebastian chided reproachfully. ¡°Cut her some ck. She was attackedst night.¡± ¡°Well maybe if she wasn¡¯t so stupid-¡± ¡°Enough,¡± a deep, booming voice stated, making me jump in fright. The King appeared in my field of vision, looking ready to drop. ¡°Emily, try not to speak. Fiona¡¯sing with a white board in a few moments, so just write what you need to say.¡± I stared at him for a moment before jerking myself out of my trance and nodding. ¡°To answer your question, Joel is fine,¡± he continued, running a hand through his shaggy hair. ¡°Perfectly fine¡­¡± His answer made me feel a little anxious. How could Joel be fine after those horrendous wounds? Was Solomon lying to me? Why would he do that? I needed to see Joel. ¡°Have no fear! Fiona is here!¡± a bright voice chirped and momentster the vampire herself appeared above me. ¡°Ie bearing a magical board of white.¡± I forced a smile at her, too worried about Joel to find any actual amusement out of it. As soon as she handed me the marker, I began scribbling. My first question was asking if Joel really was okay. ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± Fiona assured me, smiling widely. ¡°I¡¯d bring him to you, but he¡¯s at the court right now.¡± Why? Sebastian shifted his position, an upset expression crossing his face. ¡°Well¡­¡± . . . ¡°With the wounds Joel acquiredst night, they shouldn¡¯t have healed for at least a week,¡± Solomon started, pulling a chair up next to my bed. ¡°However, after he drank your blood, they seemed to heal almost instantly.¡± ¡°When I went to clean him up, he was nearly healed,¡± Fiona interjected, grinning at something. ¡°Which was weird.¡± ¡°So I had Fiona cut Vincent¡¯s arm-¡± ¡°What?¡± I gasped, staring at Solomon in shock. A searing pain went through my throat and I clenched my teeth to stop from showing it. He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Vincent can handle it. Besides, he¡¯s the only other one that has ever tasted your blood.¡± I blinked at him, notprehending how that had to do with what we were talking about. ¡°You look confused,¡± Sebastianmented, the corners of his lips twitching up. ¡°We took some of your blood and gave it to Vincent to drink.¡± My head swiveled around to gawk at Vincent. He didn¡¯t look perturbed. He just red at me, crossing his arms. Confused, I slowly dropped my gaze, wondering what he was upset with. ¡°Anyway, Vincent, show her the arm we cut.¡± Heaving an annoyed sigh, I lifted my head back up just in time to see him pull up the sleeve of his ck sweater. My eyebrows pulled together when I realized there was no trace of any type ofceration. Where is it? I scrawled. ¡°It seems you have Blue Blood.¡± I stared at Sebastian like he was crazy. All humans have blue blood. I waved the whiteboard in front of his face a few times to get my point across. He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°Stupid,¡± Vincent muttered. I red at him. What was up his butt today? I hadn¡¯t even say ten words to the guy today! ¡°Blue Bloods are humans who have a certain type of blood that can heal any kind of vampire wound rapidly,¡± Solomon exined, frowning at Vincent. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe any more existed but¡­¡± It took a few moments for his words to register in my mind. When they did, my eyes bulged. I snatched the marker back up from the bed. What are you talking about? ¡°It¡¯s not possible to make it any more simple,¡± Vincent snapped, sounding irritated. ¡°Your blood heals us.¡± ¡°You fit the criteria too,¡± Fiona told me, tapping her chin with a finger. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever think how weird it was that you needed so many blood transfusions and so often? It¡¯s not normal. Nor is it normal for a human to resist having their memory erased. I read about Blue Bloods in a book once.¡± . . Blue Blood? What were they babbling on about? I could heal vampires? The thought almost made me snort. ¡°You look like you don¡¯t believe us,¡± Sebastian observed, cocking an eyebrow. ¡°We can test it out on Sebastian if you want-¡± ¡°No!¡± Immediately I regretted vocalizing my reaction. My hand shot up to my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut. Fiona giggled but quickly stifled it. ¡°Sorry, Em¡­ You¡¯re funny.¡± I rolled my eyes at her. How was causing myself pain funny to her? I turned to Vincent, ring at him. Leave Sebastian alone, I wrote. ¡°Whatever.¡± A sinking feeling made itself known in my chest and I felt the sudden urge to cry. Why was he being so mean? I wracked my brain for a reason for his behavior, but came up short. There was no reason for him to be so moody toward me! ¡°Focus,¡± the Kingmanded. ¡°This is a serious issue.¡± I cocked my head to the side, furrowing my eyebrows again. ¡°Emily, if word gets out that you have Blue Blood, you¡¯ll be in danger,¡± Sebastian told me. ¡°There are¡­ poachers, if you will, who will want to get a hold of your blood as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Poachers?¡± I squawked in horror, ignoring my throat¡¯s protest. ¡°Shh,¡± Fiona shushed, flicking me on the shoulder. ¡°Write.¡± Picking up the marker with a shaky hand, I began to scratch my thoughts down as quickly as I could. What do you mean by that? Poachers? Like the ones who kill those poor baby seals? ¡°Except these ones kill Blue Bloods,¡± Solomon corrected me. ¡°They also sometimes keep them locked up so they can use them repeatedly.¡± My eyes widened considerably. ¡°We won¡¯t let anyone know though!¡± Fiona assured me quickly. ¡°No one will know you¡¯re a Blue Blood. If anyone did find out¡­¡± She made a face. ¡°Well, we¡¯d be screwed.¡± How many are there? Solomon smiled sadly. ¡°That we know of? One.¡± I blinked at him. Did he mean I was the only one? Confused, I picked up the marker again. That¡¯s me? Where are the others? ¡°Dead,¡± Sebastian responded tly. ¡°Like my father said before, those rogue vampires used them for their blood carelessly. I¡¯m sure there are some around somewhere, but they¡¯re probably in hiding. Generally Blue Bloods are humans from vampire descent¡­ As in, maybe they¡¯re great, great grandparents were a human and a vampire; they had a child, that child married a human, until the vampire in them was hardly there. They also know vampires exist.¡± . . ¡°She definitely didn¡¯t know vampires exist when I drank from her,¡± Vincent stated. Solomon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, she didn¡¯t know, which is why I¡¯m confused¡­ You¡¯re one strange human, Emily. Never before have I met someone, human or vampire, as troublesome as you.¡± I smiled sheepishly. It wasn¡¯t like it was my fault. Vincent was the one who kidnapped me. ¡°As of tomorrow,¡± Solomon started slowly, his emerald eyes piercing into mine. ¡°You¡¯re going home.¡± ¡°What?¡± Vincent and Sebastian cried before I could even start to react. In fact, his words hadn¡¯t even sunk in yet. When they did, my heart swelled with joy. ¡°Really?¡± I croaked, not even noticing the pain this time. ¡°Father, that¡¯s-¡± ¡°Silence Sebastian,¡± Solomonmanded, cutting him off. ¡°This is the only way to keep Emily safe. She must return to the human world.¡± ¡°But the court¡­?¡± The King shook his head. ¡°The court will not know we¡¯ve returned Emily home.¡± I nearly shook with excitement. I could go home? I¡¯d be able to see my family again? I could go to school! On any other asion I would be ecstatic that I didn¡¯t have to go to school, but school sounded so¡­ normal. ¡°There¡¯s a chance she might not be safe there,¡± Sebastian argued, giving a pleading look to his father. ¡°It¡¯d be safer if she was here-¡± ¡°Sebastian, don¡¯t allow your feelings to change what you know is the right thing to do.¡± He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it abruptly, his shoulders sagging. ¡°Of course, Father.¡± ¡°Feelings?¡± Fiona inquired, lowering. ¡°You have feelings¡­?¡± She nced at me, her eyes betraying the calm expression on her face. I shook my head immediately, my chest constricting at her hurt look. Even if she didn¡¯t say it, I now knew she still had feeling for Sebastian. ¡°No surprise there,¡± Vincent said scornfully. ¡°I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings,¡± Sebastian confessed smoothly. ¡°She¡¯s just easy to talk to about my¡­ problems.¡± I nodded at his words. Friends, only, I jotted down, showing it to Fiona first. She rxed straightaway, her usual smile slipping onto her face. ¡°Oh. I can¡¯t exactly say I want Emily to go home either, for the same reasons. It was nice having a girl around to talk to¡­¡± I returned her friendly expression. It was nice being able to talk to Fiona too¡­ I bit my lip roughly as my mind began to process reasons to stay. There was no way I wanted to stay here! My friends and family were at home; here were only vampires I¡¯ve only known for a week¡­ Vampires who were surprising sweet and caring, who seemed impossibly normal, and who I truthfully felt like I¡¯ve known forever instead of a few days. . . 27 ¡°Emily?¡± I jolted out of my reverie, staring at Solomon. ¡°Sebastian had a good point. You may not be safe at home.¡± A frown slowly appeared on my face. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Emily, don¡¯t talk!¡± I shook my head. ¡°The pain will go away eventually¡­ besides, I¡¯m tired of using that marker.¡± Fionaughed. ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s your pain.¡± ¡°It means that vampires might attack you back in your human world,¡± Solomon rified, a weary expression crossing his face. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Father, if that¡¯s the case then one of should go with her,¡± Sebastian interjected, cutting me off. ¡°At least for a little while, to make sure she¡¯s safe.¡± Solomon nodded. ¡°I agree. However, Sebastian, it can¡¯t be you.¡± ¡°I already know,¡± he responded glumly. I grinned at him disappointment. Fiona was a better choice anyway. If I ever did get hurt, she knew how to fix me up. ¡°Vincent will go.¡± ¡°What?¡± I cried, narrowing my eyes at the King. At the same time, Vincent scoffed a ¡°yeah right¡±. He cocked an eyebrow in amusement. ¡°You are Vincent¡¯s responsibility after all.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s a jerk!¡± Sebastian and Fiona chuckled, abruptly stopping when Vincent threw them a harsh re. ¡°This will be a good way for you two to get along then, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Father, I will not-¡± ¡°You will,¡± Solomon ordered, an edge to his voice. ¡°And you will keep an eye on her at all times.¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°That¡¯s not fair! I have a life too!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want him follow me around!¡± I told the King, shaking my head in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯ll scare everyone away! What about school?¡± Sebastian grinned. ¡°School?¡± ¡°I heard high school is the time of your life,¡± Solomonmented thoughtfully, turning to look at his son. ¡°It¡¯ll be an experience.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to high school.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to have Lue figure out how to enroll you¡­¡± . . ¡°Father!¡± Fiona giggled, winking at me. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you get to see Vincent in ss- Oh my god! Does your school have a uniform?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I muttered, gritting my teeth together. Had Vincent been acting the way he did before he¡¯d suddenly had a stick shoved up his butt, I would be thrilled about this surprising event. The old Vincent could have been one of my best friends, and maybe more- I shook my head. Too far. He was still a vampire. He could have been one of my close friends. But now¡­ Dropping my scowl, I nced at him. He clenched his jaw, his eyes meeting mine. I nearly flinched at the anger. ¡°Well Vincent, at least you won¡¯t have to bring a lot of clothing,¡± Solomon stated, smiling widely. ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Vincent growled, clenching his fists. ¡°I¡¯d rather die.¡± With that, he stormed out of the room, mming the door behind him. I winced at the noise. ¡°Ooh, he¡¯s angry,¡± Fiona remarked, staring after him. ¡°I would be excited if I got to go to high school again¡­ I actually had fun.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee to go too, Fiona,¡± Solomon told her. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to return home afterwards.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she eximed, her eyes lighting up in excitement. He nodded. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just school.¡± Sebastian crossed his arms, looking grumpy. Iughed at him, feeling much better. If Fiona was going to be there too, I could handle it. ¡°Feeling left out, Sebastian?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he muttered tly. ¡°Sorry, Sebastian, but we need you here¡­¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°I have to go find Lue now¡­ Emily, would you mind going to tell Vincent he better start packing? After that, you can start too.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡± I made a face. He would ask me to do that. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to his room,¡± Sebastian offered, nodding toward the door. ¡°I know you like to get lost.¡± I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Just like I like to be attacked by Joel and Vincent?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Just like that.¡± I rolled to the edge of the bed I was in, just now realizing there wasn¡¯t an IV attached to me. Instead of inquiring about it, I shrugged it off, cing my feet onto the ground. As soon as I stood up, my legs gave out from under me, and I dropped to the floor. Sebastian and Fiona both grabbed me halfway down, setting me back on my feet again. . . ¡°You okay?¡± Fiona questioned worriedly. ¡°My legs are asleep,¡± I admitted embarrassedly, feeling my face grow hot. ¡°I¡¯ve got it now.¡± Holding onto the bed, I managed to take a few shaky steps on my own before the feeling started to return. ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Sebastian said, watching as I staged toward the door. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t experience their limbs feeling asleep¡­ I wonder what it feels like.¡± ¡°It hurts,¡± Fiona and I stated simultaneously. He grinned. ¡°Does it?¡± ¡°It feels like a thousand pins and needles being stuck into your skin,¡± I told him truthfully. ¡°Ow¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Fiona responded, wrinkling her nose. ¡°I don¡¯t miss it one bit. I¡¯m going to go eat something, so I¡¯ll see you twoter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join you after I drop Emily off,¡± Sebastian informed her, nodding to me. ¡°Just a minute.¡± She nodded and saluted him. ¡°See you then, Seb.¡± As she walked away he watched her, a gentle smile on his face. I nudged him in the side. ¡°You should tell her how you feel.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? She definitely still likes you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to be together.¡± ¡°That just sounds like you¡¯re making up an excuse to not get together.¡± He pursed his lips at me. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I just said it sounded that way.¡± ¡°I want to,¡± he disclosed, sighing again. ¡°However right now, with the dilemma with you, I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s the right time.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s probably right.¡± He nodded his head, pushing me to the right. ¡°Vincent¡¯s room is the second door on your right.¡± He pointed toward it. ¡°Have fun.¡± I tried my best to smile. ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± He ruffled my hair. ¡°I suggest telling him than running.¡± Iughed, pushing his hand off my head. ¡°Yeah, otherwise he might through his bed at me.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± My gut dropped. ¡°Wait, he would do that?¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Sebastian warned me, winking. . . An anxious feeling crept over me as I trudged to the door. I raised my fist to know, but figured it wouldn¡¯t matter if I did or not. Opening the door, I poked my head slowly, locating Vincent on lying on his bed. Holding my breath, I slipped inside the room, hoping he wouldn¡¯t notice me. He didn¡¯t move, so I figured he hadn¡¯t. ¡°Shut the door,¡± he suddenly snapped, making my heart jump into my throat. ¡°S-sure,¡± I stuttered, closing it behind me. ¡°Solomon told me to tell you to start packing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°But he said you had to¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Scowling, I marched to the side of his bed, putting my hands on my hips, and hovering over him intimidatingly. ¡°Do you have a problem with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± His eyes slid over to me, an annoyed expressioning onto his face. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Obviously I did something,¡± I snapped at him. ¡°You were actually being friendly for the past couple days and now you¡¯ve returned to being a jerk.¡± ¡°I thought I was always a jerk.¡± ¡°You are! But usually not this bad!¡± He shrugged, returning his attention to the ceiling. ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°Careful, if you yell any louder Sebastian mighte.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Vincent sat up abruptly, nearly knocking his head on mine. ¡°Don¡¯t you want him to save you? Isn¡¯t that why you called for him when Joel was attacking to you? Even though I was one room away?¡± I blinked at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my responsibility,¡± Vincent growled at me. ¡°Not his. You should have called for me.¡± ¡°Vincent,¡± I started, my eyes widening. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Are you jealous I called for him and not you?¡± His face nked at my words. ¡°You are, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who is?¡± he grunted, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Jealous? Why would I be jealous?¡± A smirk grew on my face. ¡°You are! That¡¯s why you are so angry! You wanted me to call for you!¡± ¡°I never said that-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± I dered smugly. ¡°Your actions say it all. You¡¯re jealous of Sebastian.¡± ¡°I am not!¡± ¡°Yes you are.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stupid.¡± I patted his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Vincent. The only reason I called him was because he said if I ever needed help to yell and he¡¯d hear me.¡± ¡°Which apparently he didn¡¯t,¡± Vincent appraised me. ¡°I was the one who heard your terrified squeaks.¡± I ignored his taunt, frowning at him. ¡°I tried calling you at first, you know. ¡°You did?¡± ¡°You were asleep,¡± I informed him. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You were the one that saved me though,¡± I continued, feeling awkward. I dropped my gaze to the floor. ¡°So, thank you, I guess¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± My eyes snapped back to his sapphire ones. ¡°What?¡± The smirk that was on my face earlier had transferred to his. ¡°I guess I¡¯m a hero.¡± I smiled wryly at him. ¡°Don¡¯t inte your ego too much.¡± ¡°You owe your life to me now,¡± he notified me. ¡°That¡¯s how it goes in the books, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything,¡± I responded, pressing my lips together in a t line. ¡°Yes you do.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Before I could blink, he¡¯d swept my legs out from under me and had me on the bed. I stared up at him, my heart racing from his sudden actions. He held me down by my shoulders, acent expression on his face. ¡°I saved your life, and I can also end it.¡± ¡°Get off me,¡± I demanded, pushing on his chest and ignoring his threat. I knew it was an empty one- and so did he. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting human, you know that?¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Any other one in this position would be trying to take advantage of the situation.¡± My face flushed at his innuendo. ¡°Whatever. Get off now.¡± Heughed loudly, allowing me to sit up. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± ¡°Get packed,¡± I ordered him. ¡°This better be worth it,¡± he muttered, looking irritated again. ¡°High school? What is Father thinking?¡± I shrugged. Whatever he was thinking, I was d he was thinking it now. Vincent was back to his normal, holier-than-thou attitude. I raised a hand to my mouth, hiding the secret smile that was beginning to form. A jealous Vincent was actually pretty cute¡­ ______________________________ 28 Being back in the human world was a bizarre change. Where the Rutherford Manor was- in their magical barricade, or whatever ¨C it seemed to be always raining and gloomy. As soon as you stepped out of it (emerged from the woods, more like) the sun was shining brightly. Vincent, Sebastian, Fiona, and I all squinted our eyes as we drove into the sunny winter day. The sight of a familiar area was like a breath of fresh air to me. I sighed contently, sinking into my seat. Saying goodbye to the King and Queen was a lot harder than I¡¯d expected. It felt like I was saying goodbye to closer rtives I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Lue had promised me we¡¯d see each other again and Solomon gave me his word he¡¯d see to it. Knowing I¡¯d see them again made me feel a little better, but it also made me feel depressed. Seeing them again almost meant having to deal with vampires again- setting aside Fiona, Vincent, and Joel, who decidedst minute to enroll so Vincent wouldn¡¯t be totally alone. A smile crossed my face when I thought Joel¡¯s profound apology. He¡¯d practically dropped to his knees and begged for my forgiveness. After I¡¯d epted it, he berated me for not running away when I had a chance. I¡¯d countered with something along the lines of, ¡°I didn¡¯t know vampires existed until about a week and a half ago. How was I supposed to know you sumbed to animalistic instincts while hurt? And, if you haven¡¯t realized it, I healed you too.¡± It¡¯s safe to say that shut him up. ¡°So what¡¯s the story, Emily?¡± I pulled myself out of my reverie, my eyes snapping to Sebastian¡¯s emerald ones. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± He chuckled a low, deep chuckle. ¡°What you¡¯re going to say if your friends ask you why Vincent is at your house?¡± ¡°My parents decided to take him in so he wouldn¡¯t have to be sent to a correctional institute for his uncontrobly bad behavior,¡± I recited, trying my best to remember what Solomon told me. ¡°And how do your parents know him?¡± ¡°My dad¡¯s best friend¡¯s son¡­?¡± He nodded his head appreciatively. ¡°Very good, Emily.¡± Fiona giggled, ncing at Vincent. ¡°His bad behavior? Well I guess it¡¯s partially true.¡± Vincent mockughed, giving her a t look. ¡°You¡¯re hrious, Fiona.¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± ¡°There¡¯s your school,¡± Sebastian announced suddenly, causing everyone in the car to turn their head in the direction he pointed. My stomach lurched when my eyesnded on the familiar building. My school¡­ It was the first time in my life I actually missed it. ¡°Are there a lot of cute boys there?¡± Fiona twittered excitedly. I cocked an eyebrow, turning to her. ¡°Not too many. Notpared to you vampires, at least.¡± Sebastian caught my eye in the rearview mirror. ¡°You¡¯ve only met a few vampires who are exceptionally handsome; not all of us are good looking.¡± . . ¡°Really?¡± He nodded. ¡°Just like humans, there are ugly and beautiful vampires.¡± Fiona sighed wistfully. ¡°Too bad there are more ugly vampires than handsome ones¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually d I¡¯m not going to high school with you guys now,¡± Sebastian dered, his mouth twisting into a frown. ¡°Fiona is going to be hard to deal with.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± she protested. ¡°Try not to act too much like a love struck fool.¡± She glowered at him. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Raising a hand to my mouth to hide my smile, I gave Sebastian a knowing look. He pretended he didn¡¯t catch my look, focusing intently on the road. A warm feeling grew inside of me- it was cute how he was jealous over Fiona. It made me wish I had someone to be jealous over¡­ I shook my head. That would be a bad idea. It might be fun to tease jealous people, but feeling jealous wasn¡¯t exactly a ball. ¡°Hey Stupid, what¡¯s your brother¡¯s name?¡± My eyes snapped to Vincent and I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t call me stupid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I want, Stupid,¡± he drawled, gazing through the window mirror at me. ¡°His name is Jake,¡± I told him, deciding to ignore his taunting. ¡°He¡¯s a senior, like me, but older by a few months.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a senior?¡± Sebastian inquired curiously. I stared at him nkly. ¡°You don¡¯t know what a senior is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what your called when you¡¯re in yourst year of high school,¡± Fiona exined, scooting her butt up in her seat so she could cling onto the back of Sebastian¡¯s head rest. ¡°You know this! I was a senior when we¡­ We¡­¡± she trailed off, a blush crossing her face. Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly as Vincent shook his head, making a disgusted face. ¡°I know, Fiona. I was just teasing Emily.¡± I gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°Oh, ha ha.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized with a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that I won¡¯t be able to see you for a long time after I drop you off¡­¡± My heart sunk at his words. ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad. I won¡¯t be gone forever.¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t be the same without you around,¡± I mumbled, slumping back into my seat. ¡°There¡¯s no one who¡¯s as easy to talk to as you.¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°Save your love talk until I¡¯m out of the car.¡± ¡°I think of him more as an older brother, for your information,¡± I snapped, scowling at the back of his head. . . ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this why¡­?¡± I nked. Why was I exining that to him? It shouldn¡¯t have mattered what he thought¡­ But somewhere in me, I wanted Vincent to know I didn¡¯t like his brother like that. ¡°Obviously because she¡¯s head over heels for you,¡± Fionamented casually, causing me to choke on air. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Sebastian and Fiona chuckled, clearly finding my response humorous. Vincent just rolled his eyes, returning his gaze to the outside world. Embarrassed, I dropped my gaze, deciding to focus intently on my hands. What was Fiona thinking? Joking about something like that? It wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit true! Surreptitiously, I stole a peek at Vincent. He was still gazing nkly at the green trees rolling by, evidently not affected by Fiona¡¯s words at all. ¡°Emily, do I take a right here?¡± My eyes shot up to Sebastian, who was looking out his window to the left. I followed his gaze, my eyesnding on a familiar street sign. A rush of an excitement swept over me as I nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one!¡± He smiled at my enthusiasm. ¡°Very well. Which house is it?¡± I watched out the front window as we pulled onto my street. My gaze immediately went to number 27 on the left side of the street. A two-story, robin egg blue house met my sight, causing my stomach to flip. Using a shaky finger, I pointed toward it. ¡°That¡¯s my house¡­¡± I was the first one out of the car when Sebastian parked in my driveway. Quickly following after me as Fiona, bounding to my side, her eyes open in excitement. ¡°Ooh! Are your parents home? Can I meet them?¡± My face fell when I gazed into the garage, looking for their Mitsubishi and finding it empty. ¡°They¡¯re not home¡­¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯ll be back eventually!¡± Fiona chirped,ying a hand down on my shoulder. I turned back to the car, watching as Sebastian and Vincent climbed out. Vincent¡¯s eyes ran over my house, his mouth twisting into a smile. I knew he was thinking my house was like a teepeepared to his colossal mansion. It didn¡¯t bother me though- my home was my home. I loved it just the way it was. ¡°Umm, would you guys like toe in?¡± I offered, itching to go through the front door and inhale the nostalgic scent of apples and cinnamon. My mom always used way too many of those air fresheners. Sebastian shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must decline. I have to return to the estate and do some¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment, looking unsure of whether he wanted to tell me what he had to do or not. ¡°Kingly duties?¡± I guessed. He smiled. ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± We smiled at each other for a few minutes more before I ran toward him, nearly knocking him off his feet in a giant bear hug. Now that I was home, now that I was safe (okay, sort of safe), now that I didn¡¯t have to worry about being away from my family anymore, I found new fondness of the vampires who¡¯d once kidnapped me. They were more like best friends than enemies now. I clung to him as I forced myself to stay calm. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d never see him again. . . ¡°Are you going to let go any time soon?¡± he inquired in an amused voice. I pulled away from him, but didn¡¯t remove my arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you,¡± I confessed, feeling my chest tighten. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say goodbye yet¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not saying goodbye for forever,¡± he pointed out. ¡°You cane visit me whenever you want. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re not allowed to return to the vampire world. We¡¯re literally five minutes away from you.¡± ¡°Absolutely hidden,¡± I pointed out. ¡°I won¡¯t know where to go.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You do realize Fiona and Joel will being from there to here and back almost every day right?¡± I stared at him for a moment. Duh. A sheepish smile spread across my face. ¡°Well, it still won¡¯t be the same. I¡¯m going from seeing you every day to¡­ who knows?¡± ¡°At least once a week you have toe down,¡± he told me. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, trust me.¡± I bit my lip, my chest tightening again. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll miss you Sebastian.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, Emily,¡± he responded, pulling me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯ve really got to get back though now, so say goodbye to Fiona.¡± I forced myself away from his strong arms, opting for Fiona¡¯s much more slender ones. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± she told me. ¡°Bright and early!¡± A grimace crossed my face. ¡°Erg¡­ I like the idea of finally seeing my friends again, but I still hate waking up early.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it!¡± sheughed, pulling away from me. ¡°Bye-bye, Vivi! I¡¯ll callter!¡± Vincent shot her a dirty look. ¡°Why can¡¯t I just go home?¡± Sebastian pursed his lips at him. ¡°Because Emily needs protection.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like anything will happen,¡± he stated, crossing his arms. ¡°You never know.¡± Sighing, I turned my back to Vincent, pushing Sebastian toward his car. ¡°Come on, Sebastian. Time to go. I¡¯ll talk to youter, okay?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded, easily moving out of my grasp. He paused before his car, sending me onest friendly smile. ¡°Bye, Emily. Bye, Vince.¡± Vincent did a quick, one-hand wave before turning his back on his brother. I waved as Sebastian and Fiona climbed into the car again, shortly disappearing from sight. With a heavy heart, I turned back to my house. As I headed for the door, the weight began lifting of my heart, and once again I was happy. Pushing open the front door I inhaled deeply. It smelt like home. My eyes nearly watered at the familiar sight of my kitchen- it looked as normal as always, with dishes piled up like a mountain in the sink. ¡°Are you going to stand there like an idiot or let me in?¡± . . 29 I jumped, momentarily forgetting Vincent was standing behind me. Annoyed, I turned to scowl at him. ¡°This is my house, Vincent. That means you follow my rules. This won¡¯t be the same as the mansion. You can¡¯t disrespect me in my own house-¡± ¡°Move,¡± he demanded, pushing me out of the way. ¡°Where am I staying? I want to put my luggage down.¡± For a few seconds I glowered at him, but it soon faded into a small smile. An obeying Vincent wouldn¡¯t be as fun as normal, egotistic, holier-than-thou Vincent. Even if he annoyed me, he was still amusing¡­ In a way. ¡°The guest room,¡± I informed him, gesturing for him to follow me. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been used in awhile so it might smell bad¡­¡± ¡°Going from my mansion to this¡­ What is my father thinking?¡± he muttered under his breath. I paused, turning around to scowl at him. He nearly walked into me. ¡°It may not be big,¡± I started, crossing my arms, ¡°but it¡¯s my home and I love it.¡± He looked taken aback for a second. ¡°Er¡­¡± ¡°This way,¡± I ordered, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to slip onto my face. Since we were in my house now, he had to obey my rules. Oh, life was sweet. Vincent grunted, obediently following me to his temporary room- also a satisfying change. Instead of me having a temporary room, he did. When I opened the oak door to my house¡¯s guest room, a rank odor rushed out. Wrinkling my nose at the smell of mothballs, I held the door open for Vincent to go in. He didn¡¯t seem effected by the smell in the slightest. I went straight for the window, nning to open it and get swap the stale air for fresh air. My intention was foiled when I realized it was stuck. Straining my muscles, I grit my teeth together, pressing my palms t against the panes, and trying to push the window up. After a few fruitless seconds I paused, scowling deeply. Without warning an arm shot out on either side of me, hands going straight for the window. Using no effort at all, Vincent managed to lift the frame all the way up, allowing the breeze to carry crisp air into the musty room. My heart skipped a beat his proximity and I desperately tried to move away, but only seeded into stepping back into his chest. I twirled around in embarrassment, pressing my back against the window to put space between us. ¡°Something wrong?¡± he inquired, a smug expression crossing his face. ¡°I¡­ Um¡­¡± What was wrong? Since when did I be so flustered when he was close to me? Well, that was a stupid question. I was always flustered, but still. ¡°Stop showing off your stupid vampire strength,¡± I snapped, deciding to take the offensive instead of exining my nervousness. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be human.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t stoop that low.¡± ¡°Hey-¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± he started, speaking in a low voice and bringing his lips to my ear. ¡°I¡¯m allowed to go out to eat, right?¡± I pushed him away, feeling my stomach twisting. ¡°Do what you want. I just don¡¯t want to hear about it. Can¡¯t you survive on human food?¡± . . He shrugged. ¡°I could, but then I¡¯d be much weaker than if I drank human blood-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! And don¡¯t say that so casually!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like the fact vampires drink human blood?¡± he drawled, putting his arm out to block my escape when I tried to slide around him. Narrowing my eyes, I ducked under his arm. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Or do you just not like the thought of me drinking other human¡¯s blood? I could always drink yours¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± He chuckled, jogging in front of me to stop me from leaving his room. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, stupid. My job is to protect you, not kill you.¡± I shifted ufortably. Protect me? That sounded¡­ romantic. Smacking myself mentally at the thought, I immediately shook it away. Vincent? Romantic? It was impossible. He was incapable of anything of the sort. Not to mention a vampire. A muffled ttering sound abruptly filled the room. Vincent narrowed his eyes, a frown crossing his face. ¡°Some guy is here. And a dog.¡± Not even five secondster my husky Hachi burst into the room, barking loudly. My eyes widened at the sight of him. ¡°Hachi!¡± Dropping to my knees, I threw my arms around the pup, rubbing my cheek against his thick gray coat. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± ¡°Emily?¡± My head snapped up. ¡°Jake!¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± Vincent cried mockingly, mimicking my tone. I ignored him, using Hachi to push myself to my feet. He followed at my heels as I left the room, crashing into Jake before I could take three steps into the hall. My brother steadied me, his startlingly green eyes shing in amusement. ¡°In a rush to go somewhere?¡± he joked, shaking his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes. ¡°I missed you, you idiot!¡± I eximed, wrapping my arms around him. ¡°Okay, this is creepy,¡± he responded, putting his hands on my shoulders and shoving him away from me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I scowled at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been gone for a week!¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t miss me at all?¡± I demanded. He shook his head. ¡°Actually, it was nice not having to hear your constant bbering.¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°So where¡¯s the delinquent?¡± he inquired, looking around the hallway. ¡°Did he run away or something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Jake¡¯s eyes shot to the side,nding on Vincent¡¯s annoyed face. For a second they stared at each other, seemingly sizing the other up. Then Jake uttered one simple word that made both Vincent and myself freeze. ¡°Vampire.¡± . . Vincent¡¯s face hardened and I gawked at my brother, my jaw on the floor. How could he have figured it out so quickly? Did he seriously believe in vampires? Why wasn¡¯t he freaking out about it? ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Vincent challenged, giving my brother the look he always gave me when I asked him something idiotic. ¡°A vampire? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± My brother rolled his eyes. ¡°No. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re a vampire.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I sighed, letting my shoulders rx. ¡°You just look like the stereotypical vampire,¡± Jake continued. ¡°The Twilight version, of course¡­¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°I take that as an insult.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about your good looks. Nothing else. Unless you sparkle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sparkle,¡± Vincent snapped as Jake snickered. ¡°Why are you getting so defensive?¡± I decided now was the best time to interrupt. ¡°Ahaha, sorry, Vincent. This is my brother Jake, the vampire fanatic. Jake, this is Vincent¡­¡± ¡°Hey Vivi,¡± Jake greeted, smirking at the nickname he thought of. Vincent didn¡¯t look amused at all. ¡°It¡¯s Vincent.¡± ¡°I like Vivi,¡± Jake dered tly. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, dragging me closer to him. ¡°Now listen up, Vivi. You may have good looks, but if youy a hand on my sister, I will kick the shit out of you.¡± ¡°Jake!¡± I protested, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Vincent set his jaw. ¡°You think you can¡¯t beat me up? Why don¡¯t you try-¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± His eyes snapped to me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t argue with him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do, stupid.¡± Jake frowned at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call her stupid!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I want!¡± ¡°Vincent! This is my house! Obey me!¡± I ordered boldly. He gave me a t look. ¡°I¡¯m not a dog.¡± ¡°Speaking of dogs, I hope you like them Vivi,¡± my brother said, his eyes dropping down to Hachi, who was wagging his tail excitedly. ¡°Since you¡¯re living with us, you¡¯ll be taking over my chore of walking him every day.¡± ¡°Yeah right,¡± Vincent snorted. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to hide my smile. My parents were seriously going to give him chores? Oh, I could not wait to see that. . . ¡°Ooh, by the way, Emily,¡± Jake started, calling me to attention. ¡°I just rented a good vampire movie! Let¡¯s watch it tonight!¡± I opened my mouth to protect, but shut it swiftly. There was no way a vampire movie would scare me now. Not when¡­ My gaze shifted to Vincent briefly before returning to my brother. ¡°Oh? Sounds good.¡± My response threw him off guard. ¡°What? I don¡¯t have to force you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been quite the week in Cali. I¡¯ve outgrown that silly fear.¡± He looked disappointed. ¡°Really? Well, we¡¯ll see. I heard this movie is terrifying. Vince, do you want to watch it?¡± ¡°I thought I was Vivi?¡± Vincent muttered in response. ¡°I¡¯ll call you what I want.¡± I winced. If this kept up, one day Vincent was going to kill Jake in his sleep. These two were like fire and water. ¡°I¡¯ll watch it,¡± Vincent decided, his eyes meeting mine. ¡°I¡¯d like to see Emily¡¯s reaction.¡± Emily. I was so unustomed to hearing him say my name it sent a tingle through my body. It sounded incredibly attractive- nice. It sounded nice. ¡°We¡¯ll watch it tonight then,¡± Jake stated, nodding his head. ¡°I hope you like vampires, Vincent.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sometimes I prefer humans.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I didn¡¯t have to look up to know he was smirking. Without notice, my brother began dragging me down the hallway. Confused, I threw a confused nce at Vincent before turning my attention to my brother. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just want to chat with you in private for a second,¡± he informed me. ¡°Stay there, Vincent!¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± I silently begged that whatever Jake wanted to talk about, it wasn¡¯t something about Vincent because I knew he¡¯d be listening with his stupid advanced vampire senses. ¡°What do you want to say that you can¡¯t in front of Vincent?¡± ¡°What went on between you two in California?¡± Jake asked bluntly. I blinked at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s obviously some kind of tension between you too. Not sexual tension-¡± ¡°Jake!¡± ¡°-But definitely some kind of rtionship tension. Did you date and it didn¡¯t work out?¡± he guessed. I shook my head violently. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us!¡± ¡°Ah, so you have a one-sided crush.¡± ¡°C-crush? What are you talking about?¡± He smirked at me. ¡°You think I can¡¯t tell when my little sister has feelings for someone? I don¡¯t like the idea of you liking that guy though. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s done, but he¡¯s a delinquent for a reason.¡± My mind was in turmoil. Crush? He thought I had a crush on Vincent? A vampire? Was that even possible? Of course it was. That exined my flustered actions. I had a silly schoolgirl crush on Vincent. It wasn¡¯t like it could be helped though. He was handsome and unexpectedly nice sometimes. A crush was okay. It¡¯d go away eventually¡­ ¡°Are you listening?¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± I mumbled, too distracted with my thoughts to say more. He gently knocked his fist on my head. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll hold you to that. Let¡¯s go back now.¡± For a second I stared at the back of his head as he returned to where Vincent was. He was holding me to what? Curiosity burned on my tongue, but I did my best to ignore it. Whatever Jake was talking about would probably just annoy me. Acent expression on Vincent¡¯s face told me that he¡¯d definitely heard everything my brother just said. Keeping my threatening blush under control, I puffed out my chest refusing to give Vincent any proof that what Jake said was true. While I could ept it, I couldn¡¯t deal with the taunting I knew he would press on me if he found out. No, this was going to be my little secret. ¡°So Vincent, tell me about yourself,¡± Jake requested, throwing an arm around the vampire. ¡°I hate being touched.¡± ¡°Get used to it.¡± A smile spread across my face as Vincent shoved Jake¡¯s arm off of him. Having him staying with us was actually going to be very interesting. __ 30 I could tell at once my dad didn¡¯t like Vincent. The moment he entered the house, he dodged my hug, opting to head straight for Vincent. They both sized each other up for a few minutes before my dad faked a punch. Well, I didn¡¯t know he was going to fake it, so I¡¯d cried out in protest, but Vincent didn¡¯t flinch. My dad didn¡¯t like that. Vincent folded his hands over his chest, his eyes twitching in annoyance as my dad attacked him with thousands of questions. How old he is, what bad things he¡¯s done, what his grades are in school, what¡¯s his family like, does he have any siblings, how he knows my aunt, and a lot more. Now Vincent was ring at me, as if it was my fault my dad was acting like the Spanish Inquisition. ¡°Emily?¡± I twirled on my heel,ing face-to-face with my moming through the front door, two bags of groceries in her hand. ¡°Mom!¡± She smiled as I basically threw myself into her arms. ¡°How was vacation?¡± ¡°Ah, interesting,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I met some pretty cool people¡­¡± Her eyes went from my face to Vincent, who was still being barraged by questions. ¡°This young man included? Wow, he¡¯s handsome.¡± I smiled dryly. ¡°Mom¡­ Don¡¯t inte his ego.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like he can hear me,¡± she retorted. ¡°You never know,¡± I muttered, ncing back at Vincent and seeing the corners of his mouth lift up into a smirk. ¡°What are you smirking at?¡± my dad demanded. Vincent dropped it. ¡°Nothing, Mr. Brown.¡± Now it was my turn to smirk. He was speaking so formally- it was amusing. ¡°Call me Jack,¡± my dad ordered. ¡°Sure, Jack.¡± My mom sighed lightly. ¡°Jack, ease up on the boy. You don¡¯t want him to hate you.¡± She walked over, holding out her hand. ¡°Hello, Vincent. My name¡¯s Mary.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he responded, stiffly cing his hand in hers. ¡°Would you mind helping me with the groceries?¡± she requested, not waiting for an answer before shoving the bags into his arms. ¡°You look like a strongd.¡± Vincent smiled tensely. ¡°No problem.¡± I stared at him for a few minutes, awed by his amiable personality. He was a pretty good actor. It never urred to me he would be this friendly. I wondered briefly if Solomon threatened him. Probably , I thought with a grin. Humming to myself, I followed my parents and Vincent into the kitchen. As my mom instructed Vincent how to put everything away and where it went, my dad turned toward me. For a brief second he surveyed me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Have you been a hermit these past few days?¡± ¡°Er¡­ No? Why?¡± I responded, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°Well since you went to California, I assumed you would get some sort of tan. To show off to your friends, you know?¡± Tanned? Crap! I didn¡¯t think about that. ¡°Oh, I-I just did more inside stuff this time¡­ Usually I go to the beach and stuff but this time I preferred shopping.¡± . . My dad nodded. ¡°Well, you are a teenage girl.¡± ¡°By the way, honey, you have to go pick up your car,¡± my mom interjected, her brows pulling together. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you left it in the parking lot of that building, but it might be towed if you don¡¯t get it soon.¡± I nearly gasped. My car! With wide eyes, I turned to Vincent. My keys were at his house¡­ He noticed my rmed expression and smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I grabbed your keys for you. I can¡¯t believe you were going to leave them on the kitchen table, stupid.¡± I forced out augh. ¡°Silly me¡­¡± I trailed off, narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you go get your car? And while you¡¯re at it would you mind stopping at the ice cream store to buy a carton for here? Chocte would be best.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I responded, happy to go retrieve my car- happy to drive again. My mom smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you! Take Vincent with you too. Show him around a bit.¡± My expression fell the tiniest bit. ¡°Er¡­ Okay.¡± ¡°Make sure he doesn¡¯t steal your car,¡± my dad said in mock seriousness. ¡°Or kidnap you.¡± ¡°Again,¡± I muttered. ¡°What?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Nothing!¡± Vincent gave me a sharp look. ¡°Ice cream sounds good,¡± hemented stiffly. ¡°Ask your brother if he wants some too,¡± my mommanded, nodding her head toward the stairs. ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°Will you pay for mine too?¡± She sighed lightly. ¡°I suppose, since you¡¯ve been gone for awhile.¡± I waited patiently as she went into her wallet and pulled out a twenty-dor bill. Thanking her, I gestured for Vincent to follow me out of the house. It was nearly night now. Thest golden rays of sun were fading into the horizon, creating a deep purple and soft pink sky. It brought a warm smile to my face. In that little vampire world Vincent lived in, it didn¡¯t ever seem to stop raining. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I missed the sunset. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to get ice cream from your brother?¡± Vincent inquired, breaking the silence. ¡°I¡¯ll text him when we get there¡­ I just realized my car is like twenty blocks away. Maybe we should take my mom¡¯s car-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Vincent told me, disappearing from my view in the blink of an eye. I stood idly by the side of the road, unsure what Vincent meant by that. Hopefully it was something helpful. He seemed to have a better personality now- but that could be because he was forced to by his father. Whatever the reason, it was pretty nice. And it meant I didn¡¯t have to do the dishes. Suddenly the roaring of a car engine resounded in the air, scaring the crap out of me. My head snapped in the direction of it, surprise filling me when I realized it was my car. It was barreling straight toward me. I stumbled back into my driveway, watching as Vincent mmed on the breaks, skidding ten feet down the road beforeing to a halt. After idling for a minute as I gaped at him, he honked the horn impatiently. I hastened to the car immediately, wrenching the driver¡¯s door open. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I demanded angrily. ¡°You can¡¯t speed down the street in my car!¡± He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°I believe I just did.¡± . . ¡°Vincent! Do you even have a license?¡± In a sh he produced the small stic card with his picture. ¡°Yeah, I do. Get in.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not driving.¡± ¡°Get in before I force you to.¡± Grinding my teeth together, I stomped to the other side of the car, sliding in the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°No speeding.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Wussy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my car! You can do whatever you want in your car but since this is mine what I say goes- Ah!¡± I cried out as he mmed on the gas, causing me to m back into my seat. ¡°Rx, stupid. I¡¯m a great driver.¡± I clutched my door for dear life. ¡°No, you¡¯re reckless. Do you even know where we¡¯re going?¡± He gave me a t sidelong nce. ¡°It¡¯s not like I live in a hole. I do leave the mansion.¡± ¡°Well from what I gathered while there you stay home all the time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I had to watch you,¡± he responded, rolling his eyes. ¡°I thought you could figure that much out.¡± I scowled. ¡°Whatever, jerk.¡± ¡°So your family seems interesting.¡± I turned to look at him. He was going to start small talk? That was unusual. ¡°Um, yeah, I guess. It¡¯s nice to see them again. It really makes a difference when you think you¡¯re never going to see someone again and then you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny how your dad thinks he can intimidate me. I could snap his neck in a second.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± I responded, grimacing. ¡°And don¡¯t talk like that either, Vincent. That¡¯s my family.¡± A shortugh left his lips. ¡°Okay.¡± Laugh? Heughed? I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowing together in bafflement. ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he drawled, ncing at me again. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You rarelyugh,¡± I pointed out. He sent me a sly look. ¡°You only know the home me.¡± I cocked my head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can I ask you a serious question?¡± he inquired, ignoring my question. ¡°Um, sure.¡± ¡°Are you stupid?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°That¡¯s not a serious question! No, I¡¯m not stupid! And I would appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t call me that! I just asked one question, Vincent! I didn¡¯t know what you meant by ¡®home you¡¯!¡± He smirked. ¡°You really are riled up easily.¡± I groaned in frustration, crossing my arms. ¡°And here I thought you actually became nicer.¡± ¡°I mean at home I¡¯m one person, but out of the eyes of my parents and Sebastian, I can actually be myself.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I responded in realization. ¡°I¡¯m the same way!¡± . . ¡°Except you don¡¯t have to act like a prince at home,¡± he added tly, ¡°so sorry if I don¡¯t live up to your expectations outside of that ce.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. A frown flitted across my face. ¡°I never said that¡­¡± ¡°Text your brother,¡± he ordered, pulling onto Main St. where the ice cream parlor was. ¡°Tell him to set up that movie for when we get back too.¡± ¡°You really want to watch it?¡± He nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to watch your reactions.¡± I made a face. He wasn¡¯t interested in seeing the movie. He was interested in seeing me scared. For a split-second, my mind wandered, thinking he¡¯d find my fright cute, but I forced that away quickly. The only thing he¡¯d think of would be something to tease me about. Sighing, I reached in my pocket for my phone. When my hand met nothing, my heart skipped a beat. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s my phone¡­¡± I trailed off when my eyesnded on it. It was on the floor of my car, dead. I almost pped myself. How could I forget I¡¯d left it in here the other night? ¡°Um, Vincent. My phone¡¯s dead. Can I use yours?¡± Did he even have a phone? After a positive grunt, he dug his hand into his pocket, producing an iPhone. He tossed it to me. ¡°Put your number in there when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°You want my number?¡± ¡°In case something happens.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°We get separated somewhere,¡± he rified. The corners of my mouth turned down. ¡°Wait¡­ That sounds like you¡¯re nning on following me everywhere?¡± ¡°Duh,¡± he replied. ¡°That¡¯s what I was ordered to do.¡± ¡°Follow me everywhere? You mean I get no privacy?¡± ¡°Would you rather have privacy or die?¡± he shot back. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t like this just as much as you.¡± My stomach shifted ufortably as I typed out a quick text to my brother, sending it and then adding his contact to Vincent¡¯s phone. Was I an annoyance to Vincent? Probably. I was ruining his regr life because of my stupid abnormal mind. Even if I considered us friends, he could still view me as a troublesome brat. I typed in my phone number, saving the contact under Stupid . ¡°All set,¡± I responded, clicking the button that brought the main menu back onto his phone. ¡°Now text your phone so you have my number.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I mumbled, returning my attention back to his phone. A part of me was really tempted to look at his texts and contacts, but I didn¡¯t want to intrude on his privacy, so I stopped myself. Vincent pulled into the ice cream parlor parking lot, parking carelessly, and cutting off the engine. I gave him his phone back and together we climbed out of the car, heading inside. The bell on the door tinkled, announcing our arrival. ¡°Hello!¡± a bright voice chirped before a very familiar face came into view. Her mouth dropped open. ¡°Oh my god! Emily!¡± ¡°Alli!¡± I cried, throwing my arms out as my best friend came barreling toward me. ¡°Long time no see!¡± ¡°You think?¡± she snorted, pushing her ginger bangs out of her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were going to California? . . 31 I smiled wryly at her. ¡°It was kind of ast minute thing. I forgot to mention it.¡± She nodded understandingly. ¡°I guess you forgot to mention it to our boss too, huh?¡± ¡°Aha¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she responded with augh. ¡°More money for me. Now¡­ I see you brought a friend?¡± Her gaze turned to Vincent, who was standing by the door still, looking at us with a bored expression. I gestured for him toe toward us. ¡°This is Vincent. Vincent, this is my friend Alli.¡± I tried to give him a look that said ¡®be polite¡¯. ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted smoothly, holding out a slim hand to her. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± Resisting the urge to role my eyes at his Sebastian-like greeting, I watched as Alli gave him the eye of approval. In other words, she thought he¡¯d make a suitable boyfriend. Silently I begged her not to say anything. Usually she didn¡¯t, but sometimes¡­ ¡°So did you guys meet in Cali then?¡± Alli questioned, heading back to the cash register as a customer came up to pay. I nodded, following her. ¡°Yeah, my parents are taking him in for a while.¡± She gave him a curious look. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I kidnapped someone.¡± The woman at the register snapped her head around to look at him so fast, I was surprised she didn¡¯t get whish. Vincent kept his face dangerously expressionless while I started panicking on the inside. What was he doing? He couldn¡¯t say that! Finally Alliughed, breaking the tension. ¡°Good one. So I¡¯m going to guess that you got really into drugs?¡± ¡°No,¡± Vincent sniffed. My mind raced, trying to find a usible excuse. What were somemon misdemeanors? ¡°Umm, he actually-¡± ¡°I stole a lot of stuff,¡± he said, cutting me off. ¡°So I was shipped here to correct my ways.¡± Alli looked impressed. ¡°And your parents agreed to this?¡± ¡°Er, yeah.¡± They really didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Well, that¡¯s cool. Will you be attending school with us, Vincent?¡± He nodded. ¡°Starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Leah will be excited,¡± Allimented with a smirk. ¡°Have a nice day!¡± she added as the female customer left, eyeing Vincent suspiciously. I immediately understood the innuendo. To my annoyance, it sent a shot of jealousy through me. Vincent was handsome- I wasn¡¯t going to lie. I wasn¡¯t going to be the only one who thought so either. Once he went to school tomorrow and all the girls saw him¡­ ¡°Your brother wants vani,¡± Vincent announced, breaking my thoughts. ¡°Hurry up.¡± Rolling my eyes, I went to the register. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll get a pint of vani, two pints of chocte, a pint of mint chocte chip, and¡­¡± I trailed off, waiting for Vincent¡¯s choice. ¡°What do you want, Vincent?¡± . . For a minute he looked taken aback, like he¡¯d never been asked what kind of ice cream he wanted before. ¡°Birthday Cake,¡± he finally responded. Before I could stop myself, I burst outughing. ¡°Birthday Cake?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he snapped, shoving his hands into his pockets. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had it, so I can¡¯t say if I agree or not, but it totally doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± Alli cocked an eyebrow at me, pausing with an ice cream scoop in her hand. ¡°Since when does ice cream suit people?¡± I looked at Vincent pointedly. ¡°Tell me honestly if you saw Vincent that would be the ice cream you¡¯d think he liked.¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe not.¡± ¡°See?¡± Vincent shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re stupid.¡± ¡°Whatever, birthday boy.¡± He mockedughed. ¡°Very funny.¡± ¡°Are you guys dating or something?¡± Alli inquired, leaning down to scoop the vani ice cream into one of the cartons. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Emily so flirty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being flirty!¡± I protested. ¡°We¡¯ve been dating for a week,¡± Vincent notified her. ¡°Ah.¡± I whipped my head around to her. ¡°Alli! Don¡¯t believe him so easily. We¡¯re not dating.¡± Vincent gave me a smug look when Alli didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie, Emily.¡± The use of my name caused my mind to nk for a moment. I really liked the way it rolled off his tongue¡­ Shaking my head to rid myself of those thoughts, I frowned at Alli. ¡°Seriously though, I¡¯m not dating him. I wouldn¡¯t date a¡­¡± ¡°A?¡± ¡°Arrogant ass,¡± I burst before I could stop myself. I kind of regretted it, but it was better than saying vampire like I was going to. But would that statement even be correct? When Sebastian asked me if I¡¯d ever be romantically involved with a vampire, I never gave him a clear response. My first instinct was no, but¡­ Alli mmed the ice cream cooler shut with a noisy pop, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Your totales to 18. 52,¡± she told me, going over to the cash register. I handed her the twenty. ¡°Keep the change. Vincent, would you take the ice cream?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded, surprising me. ¡°Since you paid for it.¡± I smiled. ¡°Are you going to say thank you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alli snorted, a grin appearing on her lips. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to like him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you like people that poke fun at me,¡± Iined. ¡°It¡¯s always like this! You always-¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Vincent demanded, cutting me off. ¡°I want to watch that movie. We¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Alli.¡± She waved. ¡°Bye-bye!¡± . . After returning her wave with a flourish of my hand, I turned and followed Vincent out of the parlor. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to be so rude.¡± ¡°You¡¯re different too.¡± His response threw me off. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re different than when you were stuck at the mansion,¡± Vincent informed me, frowning. ¡°More social and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Not afraid to be annoying.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered sarcastically. ¡°It might help that I¡¯m actually around people I like.¡± He thrust the bag of ice cream into my hand when we arrived at the car. ¡°I¡¯m sure my family would be hurt upon hearing that.¡± I slipped into the passenger side, deciding not to duke it out with Vincent in public. He could drive home. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I like them, but I¡¯m not asfortable around them, you know?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± he replied vaguely. ¡°Have you been to school before?¡± I asked, deciding to change the topic. ¡°Yeah, but not a human one.¡± I turned toward him, interested. ¡°There are schools for vampires?¡± ¡°How do you think we learn?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not much different than human high school. We just learn different subjects.¡± For a brief moment I debated about asking him what he learned, but decided against it. It would probably be best I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re smart enough for human high school?¡± I joked. He gave me a quick,cent look. ¡°I¡¯m smart enough for human college.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I said skeptically. ¡°I¡¯m royalty,¡± he stated, as if it exined everything. Sighing, I dropped the subject. The sky waspletely dark now; reminding me of the Halloween night I¡¯d been kidnapped on. How long ago was that? A week and a half? I could just imagine how much math homework I¡¯d have¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to have a social life for a week. When we arrived back at my house, I ordered Vincent to park my car on the side of the road. He obeyed and even took the ice cream when he climbed out of the car. It took me a second to realize he was only doing it to impress my parents. We walked into the house and he went straight to the kitchen, handing my mom the bag. I trailed along after him, letting out a long yawn. ¡°Your brother is set up in the den,¡± my mom told me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring him his ice cream? I think he¡¯s watching a movie.¡± ¡°We¡¯re watching it too,¡± I replied, moving to the drawer we kept our silverware in and grabbing three spoons. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to bed.¡± She nodded. ¡°Good idea. School will be rough tomorrow. You¡¯ll show Vincent where the extra room is, right?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Please make yourself at home!¡± my mom chirped, sending a sweet smile to Vincent. ¡°Let Emily, Jake, Jack, or I know if you need anything.¡± Vincent returned her smile with one of his own. ¡°Of course, Mary.¡± I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Seeing Vincent so polite was kind of creepy. ¡°I¡¯m going to the den now¡­ Come on, Vincent.¡± My mom bid us adieu as I led him out of the room and down the hall to the den. The lights were off and Jake was already sitting on the couch, watching the previews before the movies. When he noticed us, he scooted over on the couch to make room. I sat down next to him, handing him a spoon. ¡°Vincent has the ice cream.¡± Vincent took thest seat on the couch, next to me, before handing Jake¡¯s ice cream to him. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Thanks, Vivi.¡± ¡°Look, you little brat-¡± Jake cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Little? I do believe I¡¯m older than you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Vincent responded dryly. ¡°I¡¯d bet you a million dors you aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Vincent,¡± I said warningly, giving him a sharp look. He red at me for a second before letting out a huff of breath. ¡°Whatever.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Jake grinned triumphantly. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°Just y the movie,¡± I interjected before Vincent could open his mouth again. ¡°So I can prove to you that I¡¯m not afraid of vampires anymore.¡± ¡°You know, fears don¡¯t just disappear in a week,¡± Jake mentioned, clicking the y button on the DVD yer remote. I shrugged. ¡°Well it depends.¡± He gave me a dubious look. ¡°Depends on what?¡± ¡°On¡­¡± I trailed off, feeling heat rise to my face. What was I going to say? It depends on how nice they are? How kind Sebastian is? How amusing Solomon is? How silly Fiona is? How surprisingly sweet Vincent could be? Yeah, right. ¡°Just y the movie,¡± I finally mumbled. A smug look crossed his face. ¡°I already started it, stupid.¡± ¡°Vincent, didn¡¯t I-¡± I cut myself off when I realized I¡¯d said Vincent¡¯s name instead of Jake¡¯s. Jake gave me a suspicious look. ¡°Vincent?¡± ¡°What?¡± Vincent nced at him. I could tell he was holding back a smirk. ¡°Nothing,¡± I said quickly, trying to avoid further embarrassment. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch the movie¡­¡± ¡°You might want to block your ears, Vivi, she¡¯s really loud when she screams.¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Jake paused, his head snapping back to Vincent. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I flushed at his innuendo. ¡°Not like that, Jake!¡± ¡°Or is it?¡± Vincent added. Jake scowled. ¡°It better not mean that. Not with my little sister, you delinquent!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you think what you want.¡± ¡°Vincent! Jake, he didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Jake still didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°I¡¯m watching you two.¡± I sighed. Great. 32 Are you sure you can do this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Are you positive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡± ¡°Are you sure you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! ¡± Vincent growled, whipping his head around to re at me. ¡°Stop asking the same damn thing over and over again!¡± I blinked at his sudden outburst. ¡°I-I¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he muttered after a second, returning his attention to the outside world. My eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, the corners of my lips turning up into a small smile before joining his gaze. We were parked in front of my high school, waiting for Fiona and Joel to show up. Every now and then Vincent¡¯s brows furrowed together as he stared up at the massive structure. He had to be nervous. Heck, even I was nervous- and I¡¯d been going to that school for four years. ¡°It¡¯s not as scary as it looks,¡± I told him. He snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re scared.¡± His head swiveled around again, his face twisted into mock horror. ¡°Oh no! Teenagers! Look, I¡¯m not like you and almost drop dead at the sight of another species.¡± I glowered at him. ¡°Yeah, well at least humans are supposed to exist!¡± A t look crossed his face. With a gasp, I realized my words. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry-¡± ¡°Stop apologizing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry- crap!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± I bit my tongue, turning my back to him. That was my question. What was wrong with him? Why was he being so much nicertely? Surely being out of his house couldn¡¯t have made such a drastic change of attitude, could it? I nced at him again, narrowing my eyes. ¡°What now?¡± he asked, his eyes sliding over to mine. ¡°Nothing,¡± I muttered, snapping my head forward again. ¡°Turn toward me again.¡± Curious, I rotated my head once more; jerking my head back when I realized how close Vincent¡¯s was to me. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Your hair,¡± he muttered, reaching a slim hand toward me. ¡°This piece here is sticking up.¡± He put his hand on the top of my head, running it down the front of my bangs. My heart stuttered in my chest at his unexpected gesture. ¡°T-thanks¡­¡± ¡°No problem,¡± he responded, keeping his hand on my head. ¡°Er¡­ what are you doing?¡± I asked after a moment. He grinned evilly. ¡°This.¡± Before I could protest, he ruffled the hair on my head roughly; messing up the perfect part it¡¯d taken me five minutes toplete this morning. ¡°Vincent!¡± I cried in outrage, shoving his hand away. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Heughed- impossible, I know- and pulled his hand away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± . . ¡°My hair!¡± I snapped angrily, yanking down my visor to use the mirror to fix my hair. ¡°Ugh, it looks like crap now.¡± ¡°It looks fine, stupid.¡± I red at him from the corner of my eye. ¡°No it doesn¡¯t, you jerk.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± He shrugged, looking out the window again, an amused smile on his face. After huffing out a burst of angry air, I tried to repair the damages he¡¯d done to my hair. Fortunately for him, I was able to do so more easily- otherwise I would have murdered him. Even if I didn¡¯t exactly know how to do so. My gaze wandered back to the school building, where ss was probably already in session. Mr. Don¡¯t-wake-me-up-early-unless-you-want-to-die had slept in for half an hour, causing us to be half-an hourter. And now we had to wait for Fiona and Joel, who were also runningte. It was an awkward five minutes of silence before an unfamiliar, ck BMW rolled up next to us. As I peered into the driver¡¯s side window, Joel¡¯s face suddenly appeared in it, his nose squished to the ss as he grinned at me. I jumped back in shock, not expecting it. ¡°Finally,¡± Vincent groaned, unlocking the doors. ¡°That¡¯s really inconspicuous,¡± I mumbled sarcastically, feeling as though my out-of-date Mitsubishi was trashpared to his car. Vincent paused, his door on the handle. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Your cars. They¡¯re so fancy. How Twilight .¡± ¡°If you were around for thousands of years, you¡¯d be rich too,¡± he retorted, wrenching the car door open. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be jealous.¡± I ignored hisment, pushing my door open as well. Not even five seconds after I climbed out of the car, Fiona nearly tackled me to the ground in a hug. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± I replied honestly, squeezing her tightly. It¡¯d only been one day, and yet it felt like forever. Sebastian floated through my mind for a moment, causing my heart to clench. Who knew spending a week with people could make you feel so strongly about them? ¡°How¡¯s Sebastian?¡± Fiona chuckled, releasing me. ¡°He¡¯s good. He says the mansion is too boring without you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Vincent interjected, an annoyed expression on his face. Joel elbowed him in the ribs. ¡°Aw, you jealous?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, shoving Joel away from him and into the BMW. I winced, expecting a dent. ¡°You can¡¯t do that in the school, Vincent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡± ¡°Vivi!¡± Joel cried, looking at him in mock horror. ¡°You¡¯re still insulting her? You¡¯d think after your first night together you¡¯d-¡± Fiona gasped. ¡°First night together?¡± ¡°Not like that!¡± Vincent and I said at the same time, my eyes giving Joel and using look. Vincent was a safe distance away from me at night- not that I thought he was going to kill me in my sleep or anything, but my dad thought he might try something, so he ced a lock on the guest room door. I covered my mouth quickly to stop myself from bursting outughing. Vincent was not happy with that. We both knew he could easily break the door if he wanted to, but it was still amusing. He wasn¡¯t allowed to leave his room at night. . . ¡°So, Emily,¡± Joel said, breaking the silence that had settled. He threw an arm around my shoulder, dragging me closer to him. ¡°You¡¯re a human. Show me around this ce!¡± ¡°Well since you guys are new, I think you have to go to the office first to get your schedule¡­¡± I trailed off, my mouth drying. Why hadn¡¯t I thought about that? The chances were high that we wouldn¡¯t have any sses together! ¡°What happens if you guys don¡¯t have sses with me? What are you going to do?¡± Joel pped me on the shoulder. ¡°Sebastian took care of that!¡± I was afraid to ask what he meant by that. Deep down, I knew I already knew, but I didn¡¯t really want to hear it out loud. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Every single ss!¡± Fiona chirped. ¡°Why?¡± I cried. I was going to go crazy!¡± Vincent sighed heavily. ¡°Stupid really is a fitting nickname. Why are we here again?¡± I faced him, putting my hands on my hips. ¡°To make sure I don¡¯t get into any trouble.¡± ¡°Now, pray, tell me how are we supposed to do that if we don¡¯t have sses together?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I hesitated, a sheepish expression crossing my face. ¡°Good point.¡± ¡°Yeah. Now let¡¯s go.¡± Without waiting for any of us, Vincent began stalking off in the direction of the school. Fiona watched him for a moment, a dissatisfied look on her face. ¡°I thought getting him out of the house would make him ease up a little bit¡­ Generally when we go out he loosens up.¡± I frowned at her. So he wasn¡¯t acting weird after all. He really did act different outside of the manor. ¡°He was kinda like that before, but when you guys showed up¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Joel gasped dramatically, retracing his arm. ¡°I¡¯m a bad influence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re his best friend,¡± Fiona pointed out. ¡°Aside from Sam. He wouldn¡¯t change his attitude in front of you.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then it¡¯s you.¡± Fiona quietly snorted. ¡°Yeah, right.¡± ¡°Well, whatever. Just let him be moody. He¡¯ll scare all the girls away this way,¡± I said, starting for the school building now. Vincent was already at the entrance. ¡°Come on.¡± Joel threw me a sly grin. ¡°You don¡¯t want the girls all over him?¡± ¡°No,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Ouu, do you have a crush?¡± I did my best to keep a straight face. Was it that obvious? Couldn¡¯t I just not want girls all over him? I grimaced. No, I couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°No,¡± I finally lied smoothly. ¡°It¡¯d just be annoying to have all the girls around him when he has to be around me all the time. That means the girls will be there too.¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± Joel responded, nodding his had understandingly. ¡°That could get annoying.¡± Fiona cocked an eyebrow. ¡°If girls surrounded you when Vincent was around?¡± ¡°Well for me it would be other guys,¡± he rified. ¡°Vincent!¡± I shouted, waving my hand frantically at said man. ¡°Wait a second! I¡¯ll show you where to go!¡± He turned back to me, his lips pressed into a t line. ¡°I can figure it out myself.¡± ¡°We can all go together. Our excuse for beingte could be I had to go pick you guys up because you couldn¡¯t find your way.¡± . . 33 ¡°Whaaat? We have to be on time every day?¡± Joel asked, looking at me in distaste. ¡°Ew.¡± I smiled patiently at him. ¡°You could bete at that¡­ whatever school you guys went to before?¡± Joel, Vincent, and Fiona nodded. ¡°We¡¯re from the royal family,¡± they chorused. ¡°Well lucky you,¡± I responded with a forced grin. Stupid royalty. Vincent pushed open the doors to the school as we reached it, allowing us to enter first before he shut it. Together we traversed down the main hallway, littered with lockers and disy cases. Joel was looking around with wide eyes, Fiona had a nostalgic expression on her face, and Vincent just frowned. They were going to be one very interesting trio. ¡°Miss Brown!¡± Ms. Scully, the office person, greeted me loudly, a smile crossing her plump face. ¡°Long time no see! I bet there are the new transfer students you¡¯re tugging along with you!¡± ¡°Yep,¡± I told her, moving toward the desk. ¡°I brought them here to get their schedule. We all just arrived.¡± She smiled warmly at Vincent, Fiona, and Joel for a second before returning to me. ¡°I¡¯ll write you guys a pass in a moment. Let me just find these guys¡¯ schedules. You¡¯re just in time for second period¡­¡± ¡°Second period?¡± Joel whispered loudly. ¡°That¡¯s so gross. Why do we need to know that?¡± My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. I whipped around quickly, dragging a finger horizontally across my chest. Fiona giggled, whispering something in his ear. He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Oh! Whoops¡­¡± ¡°Idiot,¡± Vincent sighed. I rubbed my temple with my forefinger and middle finger. It was going to be a long day. What subject were we starting off with? I racked my brain for a moment before remembering with a crushing weight that second period was math. A groan slipped through my lips. ¡°Something wrong, dear?¡± Ms. Scully inquired, waddling back to the main desk with papers in hand. ¡°Here are your schedules¡­ Fiona? Vincent? Joel?¡± She nodded to each as she said their name, handing them their schedules. ¡°I hope you have a great first day!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Joel and Fiona chirped together while Vincent just muttered his gratitude. ¡°We have math first,¡± I told them glumly as we trudged out of the office after receiving ourte slips. Joel was looking at his schedule in confusion, so I stole a nce at it. I did a double take when I noticed his second period was physics. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Fiona tapped me on the shoulder, thrusting her schedule in my face. ¡°I have Asian Civ. second period.¡± I blinked again. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought we all had the same schedule?¡± Joel spoke up, turning to Vincent. ¡°Right, Vivi?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Apparently not if yours says different.¡± ¡°But then who¡¯s going to watch Emily?¡± ¡°I have math second period,¡± he replied, waving his schedule. I yanked the piece of paper out of his hand, scanning it briefly. Vincent almost had every subject with me- everything but Chemistry and English. ¡°Fiona, do you have English period four or chemistry period five?¡± ¡°I have English sixth!¡± Joel said excitedly. ¡°Vivi¡¯s not in it?¡± ¡°No, and don¡¯t call me that,¡± Vincent growled, narrowing his eyes threateningly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it again.¡± . . Joel smirked. ¡°Sure, Vivi.¡± ¡°You son of a-¡± ¡°I have chemistry fifth,¡± Fiona interjected, shooting her brother a t look. ¡°So we have you covered throughout the day¡­ Do we have any sses all together?¡± I nced over all their schedules again, frowning a little bit. ¡°Art, history, and Spanish¡­ And lunch.¡± She beamed brightly. ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Well, we better get to ss,¡± Joel said, smiling expectantly at me. ¡°Which way am I going?¡± I pointed to the yellow hallway that was next to us. ¡°Follow that all the way to the end and it¡¯s thest door on the right.¡± He saluted me. ¡°Ay ay! What about history?¡± ¡°Someone from ss will show you the way,¡± I assured him, praying someone actually would . One of the girls had to- Joel was way too cute to pass up giving help to. ¡°Are you all set, Fiona?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± I sighed. ¡°Just follow the stairs that are around the corner to the top floor and it¡¯s the middle door on the left in the green hallway.¡± She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then go for it. Don¡¯t be afraid to ask someone for help if you get lost!¡± I called as they started walking away. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next period!¡± They both waved me off. I watched them for a second, my stomach twisting ufortably. Was this how it felt when mothers send their children off to school for the first time? I almostughed at the simile I made. Fiona and Joel were not my children. My nerves were probablying from the fact I just sent out two vampires into a human school¡­ Two overly zealous vampires. ¡°Any day now,¡± Vincent said, knocking me gently on the head. ¡°Are we going to ss or not?¡± I studied his face for a moment, frowning. What were the students going to think of Vincent? To me he looked pretty normal (well, besides being abnormally handsome), but what if to other people he looked fake? Would they figure out something was weird¡­? No, there were cuter guys than Vincent at this school (if only by a little bit), so his looks probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He wore normal clothing- blue jeans and a ck t-shirt that fit him pretty well. Even his skin didn¡¯t look as pale as it usually did. Vincent suddenly crossed his arms over his chest, faking an embarrassed look. ¡°Stop checking me out!¡± I pulled myself out of my thoughts, shooting him a dirty look. ¡°I wasn¡¯t! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Sure you weren¡¯t,¡± he responded skeptically. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m used to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I nced back at him. ¡°Girls will be staring at you all day¡­¡± For a brief second jealousy washed over me, but I shook it away. I¡¯d be worried if girls didn¡¯t stare. Besides, I didn¡¯t have anything to be jealous about- Vincent probably wouldn¡¯t give anyone a second look. Abruptly a hand enclosed around my upper arm, effectively yanking me to a stop. Surprised, I turned my head to look at Vincent. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look down, stupid,¡± he ordered, looking irritated. I did as he said, my eyes widening when I realized we were at the stairs. I hadn¡¯t eve noticed! Letting out an embarrassed chuckle, I slowly eased my arm from his grip. ¡°W-well, what do you know¡­¡± . . ¡°Pay attention,¡± he demanded, brushing by me and descending the stairs. ¡°I can just imagine what my father would say if you died from falling down the stairs.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have died,¡± I responded, hurrying after him. ¡°Take a right down this hallway,¡± I added, tugging on his arm. ¡°First door to the left.¡± He grunted in response, allowing me to pull him with me. ¡°How long is a school day?¡± ¡°Six hours.¡± He froze, making me body jerk as I came to a stop. ¡°What did you say?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°You didn¡¯t know school was six hours?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Well it is. How long was¡­ v-school?¡± ¡°V-school?¡± I flushed, narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°You know! The word I can¡¯t say.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°It was three hours every day,¡± he responded grumpily. ¡°We have to sit through six of human high school now?¡± ¡°Technically it¡¯s six and a half¡­¡± ¡°Kill me,¡± he groaned. I dropped my gaze to the floor. ¡°Well if I knew how¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± My shoulders sagged in defeat. ¡°Whatever. I wasn¡¯t that curious anyway. Let¡¯s go to ss now.¡± Vincent sighed heavily before I heard the sound of his footfalls following me. My heart began to race as we grew closer and closer to the ssroom door. I had no idea why I was feeling so nervous. It¡¯d only been about a week and a half since I¡¯d been out, and everyone thought I¡¯d been in Florida- no big deal. Sweat covered my palms as I clenched thete pass in my left one, right before the door. After taking a soothing best, I turned toward Vincent. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°No,¡± he deadpanned. I breathed out a nervous chuckle. ¡°Here we go¡­¡± Bracing myself, I pushed open the door. Immediately twenty pairs of eyes snapped to Vincent and myself. I smiled awkwardly back at them, making eye contact with a few of my closer friends. When they sent me bright smiles, I began to feel more rxed. Ms. Schott, the math teacher, looked up from her notes to scowl at us for a moment. She didn¡¯t like interruptions. ¡°Ah, Emily, you¡¯re back!¡± she cried after a few more moments. ¡°Good! Now you can y catch up. And I¡¯m assuming this is Mr. Rutherford?¡± At the sound of Vincent¡¯sst name, whispers burst through the ss, as if every had just noticed Vincent. I took a quick peek at him, taking in his bored expression. A small smile slipped onto my face as I returned to look at Ms. Schott. Vincent wasn¡¯t even looking at the other students. ¡°He¡¯s hot.¡± My head automatically shot toward the girl, Jessie, who¡¯d uttered the words. Of course, that sparked an automatic reaction from everyone else who had to get their opinion in. I didn¡¯t have to turn around to know Vincent was smirking now. He was probably basking in the attention. ¡°Please take a seat and start today¡¯s notes then,¡± Ms. Schott continued, making me realize I hadn¡¯t heard one thing she said in thest minute. ¡°Have Mr. Rutherford sit next to you since you¡¯re both behind quite a bit.¡± I nodded, gesturing Vincent to follow me to the back of the room where our seats were. A few people whispered greetings to Vincent and myself. As expected, most of the girls, and even some guys, couldn¡¯t keep their attention off him. I slumped into my chair wearily. It hadn¡¯t even been ten minutes of school and I was already tired. ¡°Emily!¡± my friend Hannah hissed, waving frantically to get my attention. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± I stared straight ahead, pretending I couldn¡¯t hear her. Ms. Schott didn¡¯t like people talking in ss anyway. ¡°Emily!¡± another voice whispered. I focused intently on the board. ¡°Em!¡± ¡°Emily!¡± ¡°Guys, shut up!¡± I hushed quietly, ring at the three girls bothering me- Hannah, Grace, and Stephanie. If they wanted to ask questions about Vincent they could do itter, or ask him directly. ¡°Today we¡¯ll be learning about radicals,¡± Ms. Schott suddenly announced, making eye contact with me. ¡°What¡¯s a radical?¡± Vincent muttered, leaning back in his seat. He wore an ufortable expression, revealing to me that the seats didn¡¯t please him. I did my best to keep my energy calm. After a few more seconds I gave up, dropping my head onto my desk. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Vincent. I don¡¯t know.¡± 34 . By the time lunchtime rolled around, Vincent, Fiona, and Joel were the talk of the school. I wasn¡¯t too surprised though- every new kid had their five minutes of fame at my school. While it wasrge structure wise, it contained a small student body. We barely got any transfer students. Currently Fiona, Joel, Vincent, and I were headed toward the school cafeteria. Somehow we¡¯d all managed to find each other in the mob of students who were also moving toward it. Fiona was chattering excitedly, telling me how awesome her day was going. Not to anyone¡¯s surprise, she got three guy¡¯s phone numbers. Joel, on the other hand, was sulking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I asked him as soon as Fiona was done ranting. He heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°The things you guys are learning are things I¡¯ve already learned more than-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± I interjected quickly, making a face. ¡°Just use a general term.¡± After giving me a curious look, he shrugged. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve already many years ago. It gets really boring after awhile.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Vincent grumbled, his face set into a moody scowl. ¡°The teachers make me feel like I¡¯m three with the way they teach. How can you stand it?¡± I winced, a little insulted by that. Sometimes I had a hard time understanding what they taught¡­ ¡°Haha,¡± Iughed awkwardly. ¡°Who knows¡­?¡± ¡°Well knowing you, you probably have trouble understanding it, huh, Stupid?¡± Gritting my teeth together, I decided not to answer him. How long was he going to keep calling me stupid? He must use the damn word one hundred times a day! Didn¡¯t he ever tire of it? ¡°Emily!¡± By the sound of his voice and the annoyed expression that crossed Vincent¡¯s face, I knew it was my brother who¡¯d called out to me. Turning around, I greeted him with a bright smile. ¡°Hey Jake!¡± ¡°You forgot your lunch money this morning,¡± he informed me, handing me a five dor bill. I blinked. I hadn¡¯t even noticed. I¡¯d been too busy forcing Vincent out the door. ¡°You¡¯re a life saver, Jake.¡± He ruffled the hair on my head. ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta keep an eye on you¡­ Who are these people?¡± he added, noticing Fiona and Joel staring at him. ¡°Umm, these are my friends Fiona and Joel. Fiona, Joel, this is my brother, Jake.¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Fiona chirped brightly, her eyes lighting up. ¡°As Em just said, I¡¯m Fiona!¡± I suppressed a grin. She definitely had her flirt on. Unfortunately the poor thing didn¡¯t know my brother he had a crush on Leah. I had to remind myself to tell herter¡­ and tell her all the other guys at school were taken. Even if it were fun to her, Sebastian would probably be hurt if she progressed further than friends with any of them. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Vincent grumbled, shoving me in the back. ¡°Show me where the food is.¡± ¡°Hey-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shove her!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, guard dog.¡± Joel snickered as Jake red at him. ¡°I could have my parents kick you out.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°No you couldn¡¯t, trust me.¡± ¡°You little brat-¡± ¡°Hey, hey,¡± I interjected, pushing my brother back as he tried to advance on Vincent. ¡°Can¡¯t we all get along?¡± Jake jutted out his chin stubbornly. ¡°No. Not when that monster is around my little sister.¡± An awkward silence passed by us. Monster . That¡¯s what I¡¯d referred to Vincent and his family by at one point. Now the word made me feel ufortable. It sounded degrading. . . Luckily, Leah, who nearly tackled me to the ground when she seemed to jump out of nowhere, broke the moment. Joel reached out to steady me as my brother startedughing, relieving the tension. Vincent looked down at her like she was an unwanted bug in his room. Grimacing in pain, I unwound her slim arms from around my neck, pushing her off me. She beamed at me. ¡°Hey Emily! You didn¡¯t tell me you knew the transfer kids!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you all day,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Are we going to go eat or not?¡± Joelined. ¡°I¡¯m with Vivi. I¡¯m hungry.¡± Vincent threw an elbow in his direction. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Jake looked at Joel appreciatively. ¡°Vivi? I see great minds think alike.¡± ¡°You call him that too? Well, great minds think alike,¡± Joel responded smugly. ¡°Two against one, Vivi.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± he growled, pushing past me. ¡°I can figure out things by myself.¡± On instinct I made to go after him, but my brother grabbed my elbow, yanking me to a stop. ¡°Hold on there.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked wearily. ¡°Make sure he doesn¡¯t deal any drugs or anything, Em. He looks like the type.¡± I almostughed. Drug dealing? Vincent? Could vampires even do drugs? That wasn¡¯t actually a bad question. I¡¯d have to ask one of them when no humans were around. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to, er, keep an eye on him.¡± Jake crossed his arms. ¡°Good. I have to go; otherwise I¡¯ll bete for fourth period. Enjoy your lunch.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to ss!¡± Leah offered enthusiastically. She threw me a quick nce. ¡°Make sure you save me a seat at the table.¡± After bidding adieu to her and my brother, I gestured for Fiona and Joel to follow me the rest of the way to the cafeteria. When we entered, the first thing I noticed was Vincent. He was sitting at one of the tables to the far right, brooding. No one was approaching him. A gaggle of sophomore girls stood near him idly, shooting nces at him and whispering every now and then, almost as if they were trying to gather up enough courage to go sit with him. ¡°Can you guys figure out the lunch lines?¡± I asked, turning to Joel and Fiona. ¡°The one on the far left is a carte, and the two on the right are main lunch.¡± Joel shed me a grin. ¡°I think we can figure it out.¡± ¡°Okay, then meet me by the door again, okay?¡± They nodded and took off together. I turned back to Vincent and his followers. One of them took a hesitant step forward, causing her friends to giggle. After a second she moved back into her group, shaking her head. Before any more of them could try to approach him again, I quickly strode across the cafeteria,ing to a stop next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s eat outside,¡± I blurted. He nced up at me, dropping his brooding look for the moment. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s-¡± I cut myself off, my eyes widening. I couldn¡¯t say it was because there were too many girls in here. That would make it seem like I was jealous¡­ While it was okay to be jealous since I had a crush on him, he didn¡¯t know I did, so I couldn¡¯t act like it. ¡°It¡¯s a nice day?¡± I finally finished. ¡°So?¡± I scowled at him. He had to make it difficult, didn¡¯t he? ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been locked up inside your house for nearly two weeks. I want to eat outside,¡± I told him, lowering my voice. He gave me a bored look. ¡°Why do I have toe?¡± ¡°I want you to,¡± I responded in a duh voice. When I realized what I said, I bit my cheek to stop from blushing. . . He gave me an annoyed look. ¡°Stop being such a pansy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t want to get suspended!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back before anyone notices we¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Fiona!¡± I shouted, seeing her enter my field of vision. ¡°Help me!¡± She turned to me, her eyes widening slightly in surprise as she took in Vincent dragging me. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± she inquired, jogging up to us. Vincent paused for a moment. ¡°Taco Bell.¡± ¡°Oh, dang. I wish I could go. I already bought my lunch though,¡± she said glumly, holding up her lunch tray of food. ¡°We¡¯re not going! Tell him to stop!¡± Her head titled to the side. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± I gaped at her. Did these two even know the meaning of rules? ¡°It¡¯s against school rules!¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°If they¡¯re not vampire rules, we don¡¯t have to follow them.¡± ¡°See? Now let¡¯s go,¡± Vincent ordered, staring toward the day again. ¡°Ugh!¡± I groaned in frustration. ¡°Fiona, we can¡¯t just leave you alone in here-¡± ¡°Your friend Leah is over there,¡± Vincent interjected. ¡°Fiona, go hang out with her.¡± Fiona followed his gaze and nodded. ¡°Will do!¡± ¡°At leaste with us, Fiona,¡± I begged her. I wasn¡¯t going to go down alone if I was going down. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯d be a waste. I¡¯ll see you two when you get back!¡± ¡°What about Joel?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll sit with Fiona,¡± Vincent told me. ¡°Now you have no more excuses. Move.¡± Grumbling under my breath, I allowed him to lead me away from the crowded cafeteria and into the now empty hallway. If it weren¡¯t Vincent, I¡¯d be putting up more of a struggle. Since it was, and I knew he was a hundred times stronger than me, I knew it was no use. He¡¯d kidnapped me once. He could do it again with ease. ¡°I hate you,¡± I finally settled on. He smirked at me. ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting there. Why do you want to go Taco bell so bad?¡± ¡°To get out of this ce,¡± he responded simply. ¡°It reeks of cheap perfume and body odor. And that cafeteria food.¡± I sniffed the air, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°It doesn¡¯t smell to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a vampire.¡± ¡°Shh!¡± I hushed him, whipping my head around. ¡°Don¡¯t say that so loudly!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°No one else is in the hallway.¡± ¡°Still you can¡¯t just say that word out loud. People will think you¡¯re crazy. Or like, a Twilight fan.¡± ¡°What if I am?¡± I gave him a t look. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± ¡°I said what if.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You know what? You¡¯re really annoying. I liked you better when you didn¡¯t talk.¡± He gave me a sly smile. ¡°You like me?¡± I struggled to keep myposure. ¡°N-not like that.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded skeptically. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± He feigned a hurt look. ¡°Ouch. You don¡¯t have to deny it so vehemently.¡± I clenched my fists. He was doing this on purpose. ¡°You stupid, narcissistic vamp-¡± . . 35 ¡°Someone¡¯sing,¡± he interrupted, covering my mouth with his hand. I struggled to pull his hand, his surprisingly soft hand, away from my face. Laughter echoed through the hallway as two people came around the corner. I recognized them instantly- Alli, and my other friend, Kai. Kai was the first to notice me. His brown eyes lit up as he bolted toward me, yelling my name. Vincent tensed up, stepping in front of me protectively¡­ Wait, protectively? Did he think Kai was some kind of threat? Kai came to a stop about a foot away from Vincent, his naturally dark hair falling into his eyes. He shook it away easily, narrowing his grey eyes at Vincent. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Vincent responded in the same tone. ¡°Kai!¡± I said before the young boy could respond, moving around Vincent to hug him. ¡°Long time no see!¡± He squeezed me tightly, cutting of my breath for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re telling me! You went off to California without mentioning it to anyone it seems!¡± Iughed awkwardly, peeling myself from him. ¡°Um, surprise!¡± ¡°Hello Vincent,¡± Alli greeted as she closed in on us. ¡°How¡¯s your first day been?¡± He frowned at her. ¡°Fine. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± I protested as he grabbed my hand, jerking me away from Kai. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Bye Emily!¡± I turned my head to give Alli an incredulous look. Why was she so calm about Vincent dragging me away? She didn¡¯t know him! He could have been a serial killer! ¡°Alli!¡± She grinned at me. A knowing grin. A grin that made me think she knew I had a crush on Vincent. Sometimes having a best friend like that was creepy. ¡°Have fun! Come on, Kai!¡± ¡°She looks like she doesn¡¯t want to go,¡± Kai protested, attempting to walk toward me. Alli blocked his way easily. ¡°Nope, she wants to. Let¡¯s go eat lunch.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Move.¡± ¡°Alli!¡± I called again, this time more frustrated. Vincent chuckled darkly. ¡°It¡¯s toote. No one can save you now.¡± I pursed my lips at him. ¡°What if we get in trouble?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it.¡± ¡°We have to go out the side door,¡± I muttered in resignation. ¡°Otherwise they¡¯ll catch us on the visitor camera they have installed in the front.¡± Vincent grinned at me. ¡°That¡¯s more like it, Emily.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. My heart gave a little flutter as he said my name. I was so unustomed to it. Was it a bad thing I was getting used to being called stupid? Probably. But Vincent was in an unusually good mood. He was the time we snuck out of the mansion too. Did he get a kick out of breaking the rules? I grinned a little bit. That was cute. His little boy side came out during these situations. Even if we could get in trouble, I decided it was worth it to see this side of him. Suddenly a different thought hit me. ¡°How are we going to afford Taco Bell? I only have five dors.¡± ¡°I have money. I just wanted you to pay for my lunch.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°You jerk!¡± He smiled in amusement. ¡°I¡¯ll buy your Taco Bell.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± My eyes narrowed in suspicion. He definitely had ulterior motives. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯m driving.¡± . . ¡°Nope.¡± He let go of my hand- I hadn¡¯t noticed he¡¯d been holding it the whole time- and snatched my keys from my belt loop. ¡°I get to drive.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I protested, pping a hand to my belt a second toote. He triumphantly pushed open the side door, leading to the outside. ¡°Lady¡¯s first.¡± ¡°You know that was only invented so the guy could check out the girl¡¯s butt, right?¡± My sarcastic response seemed to have thrown him off guard because he stared at me nkly for a moment. I returned his stare awkwardly, clearing my throat after a moment. Finally emotion came back onto his face. He smirked. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Lady¡¯s first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a pig,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a vampire. Now move.¡± I stumbled out the door after he gave me a rough push to the back. After glowering at him for a moment I turned and started marching for my car. He was so demanding. Did thate with being royalty? Or was that just him? Fiona and Sebastian weren¡¯t like that¡­ It had to just be him. When we were finally in the car, anxiety finally set in. I kept ncing out the window, waiting to see my principal ring back at me. I slid lower in the passenger seat. ¡°We¡¯re so going to get caught.¡± ¡°No we¡¯re not,¡± Vincent said, starting the engine. ¡°We¡¯ll be out of here in three seconds.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speed,¡± I warned. Vincent ignored me. Within seconds, he had the gas to the floor and we were shooting out of the parking lot. I grappled at the side of my door, trying to find anything to grab on to. ¡°Slow down!¡± I cried. ¡°We¡¯re still in the parking lot! They know my car!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± He chose to ignore me, peeling out of the parking lot, and onto the main road. Lucky for him, there was never any traffic on it. Or police. I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes and sighing. ¡°Stop pretending you hate this. You know you Taco Bell sounds good.¡± ¡°It does,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I really don¡¯t like the idea of getting trouble. We have to get there and back in the next thirty minutes. It only takes about seven to get there, so I think we can make it.¡± A mysterious smile appeared on his lips. I didn¡¯t like it. He was probably thinking we¡¯d be there in less than seven minutes with the way he drove- which was true. Instead of taking the normal seven minutes, it took four minutes. What was even more surprising was that we didn¡¯t get pulled over. Usually you couldn¡¯t speed through a town center without cops taking notice. Vincent was one lucky guy. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he inquired, pulling up to the drive through. I hesitated. I didn¡¯t want to look like a pig in front of him, but I was really hungry¡­ ¡°Um, two soft tacos and a drink.¡± He looked at me skeptically. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Whatever.¡± When we drove up to the speaker box, he ordered my meal, and a five-dor box for himself. I stared out the window, resting my hand on my chin. It was weird doing something so normal with Vincent. Going to Taco bell was such a human thing. It was hard to grasp how simr vampires and humans actually were, even though I already knew they were a lot alike. ¡°Here,¡± Vincent said, handing me my bag of food. ¡°And you¡¯re drink.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I responded, putting the beverage between my legs. ¡°We can eat in the school parking lot and then go in.¡± He didn¡¯t respond as he rolled up the window, pulling away from the building. I watched him carefully. Instead of taking a right like he was supposed to, he took a left. ¡°Vincent, where are we going?¡± I demanded. He nced at me from the corner of his eye. ¡°Not back to school.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean exactly what I mean, Stupid.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°What? No! We have to get back! We¡¯ll get suspended for skipping!¡± ¡°Suspension sounds good,¡± he responded with a smirk. ¡°Now, where should we go?¡± ¡°Vincent! No! Turn around!¡± ¡°Are you the one driving?¡± he asked. ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± he continued before I could respond. ¡°So I won¡¯t.¡± I gaped at him. He seriously wasn¡¯t going back to the school. I dropped my head. We were going to get in so much trouble. 36 We¡¯re going to get in so much trouble! Oh my god! We¡¯re going to be suspended and-¡± ¡°Will you calm down?¡± Vincent snapped, cutting me off. ¡°Stop being such a goody-goody.¡± I glowered at him. ¡°Sorry for not wanting to be in school after I missed two weeks thanks to you!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°If you missed two weeks, what would one day matter?¡± ¡°Since I was there this morning! I¡¯ll be on the attendance list and you will too! They¡¯ll figure out we ditched.¡± ¡°Just tell them I kidnapped you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Vincent!¡± He shrugged. ¡°Okay, then I guess you¡¯ll just have to get over it.¡± I scowled at him for another minute before letting out an angry puff of air. ¡°Fine. Where are we going?¡± ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Somewhere we won¡¯t be seen.¡± A sigh left his lips. ¡°That¡¯s no fun. I don¡¯t want to go to the park.¡± I grinned, giving him an amused look. ¡°The park? There are other ces we can go and not be seen. We¡¯re not limited to the park.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± he retorted. ¡°There¡¯s, like, the movies,¡± I continued, trying to think of ces where I wouldn¡¯t be caught. Chances were that anywhere we went we wouldn¡¯t be caught, but there was that slight possibility of my parents driving by. Vincent smirked, his eyes on the road. ¡°The movies? Like a date?¡± My head snapped toward him. ¡°What? No-¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± he said, cutting me off. ¡°I haven¡¯t been on a date in awhile.¡± I stared at him, my mouth ajar. ¡°W-wait, Vincent-¡± ¡°The movies it is,¡± he dered, making an illegal u-turn, heading back toward the school. ¡°I don¡¯t have money for the movies!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a date. I pay, Stupid.¡± A date? With Vincent? Excitement bubbled up inside of me, but I quickly popped it. He was probably joking around. Why would he want to go on a date with me? ¡°I don¡¯t wan to,¡± I stated stubbornly. ¡°Too bad.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being teased!¡± He turned his head, giving me a surprisingly serious look. ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you.¡± I blinked back at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a date with a human,¡± he informed me. ¡°You should feel lucky.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to feel lucky as a test subject.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± he responded, sounding frustrated. ¡°You really know how to hurt someone¡¯s ego don¡¯t you?¡± My look softened. Did he seriously want to consider this a date? ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. You just surprised me.¡± ¡°No one takes you out on dates?¡± he asked, sounding far too amused by it than my liking. ¡°No, they do,¡± I responded, clenching my jaw. ¡°But, you know, they aren¡¯t arrogant vampires. And you have to admit, your ego could use a little harming.¡± . . He shrugged. ¡°Vampires, humans. We¡¯re almost the same. And I think my ego is fine.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t take that offensively.¡± ¡°About which thing?¡± A grin shed across his face. ¡°Both.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really-¡± ¡°Tell you what,¡± he interjected, ¡°since I¡¯m forcing you to skip school, you get to choose the movie.¡± Taken aback, I stared at him. He was letting me choose? If it wasn¡¯t for all the genres of movies I could pick just to irk him, I would have been slightly creeped out. Vincent was never that nice. Did he feel bad about forcing me to ditch? Or was it because he was trying to be a gentleman? Or maybe he was just in a good mood because he didn¡¯t have to go back to school. Whatever the reason, I was going to use it to my advantage. ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, smiling widely. It was dra time. I wracked my mind for movies as such, but quickly realized I didn¡¯t know what movies were ying. It¡¯d been two weeks since I¡¯d watched any type of moviemercial. Vincent was smirking to himself when I looked back up at him. Immediately I realized what he¡¯d done. ¡°You¡¯re a jerk!¡± I used. ¡°You knew I wouldn¡¯t know any of the movies that were out!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a jerk,¡± he protested, mocking hurt. ¡°You¡¯re just stupid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid!¡± ¡°Yes you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you my grades!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been out for two weeks, I doubt they¡¯ll be up to par.¡± I glowered at him. Why did he have to have such goodebacks? ¡°Whatever, Vincent.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Emily. I won¡¯t insult you from this moment on.¡± Was it strange my heart still sped up when he called me by my actual name? I swallowed nervously, ncing out the window at the Walmart we were passing. ¡°You¡¯re acting weird,¡± I stated. ¡°I¡¯m not going to respond to that because I will insult you,¡± he replied, keeping his eyes straight ahead. I gave him a dubious look. ¡°You really think you can keep that up all day?¡± ¡°I can do whatever I want,¡± he told me smugly. ¡°I¡¯m royalty.¡± ¡°Not here in the human world, bud.¡± He ignored myment. ¡°Turning right.¡± Even with his warning, I couldn¡¯t stop my head from bashing into the window from the sudden change of motion. I groaned, rubbing my head. Why did that always happen when I drove with him? Couldn¡¯t he turn like a normal person? Where did he learn to drive? Wait. That was a good question. ¡°Vincent, where did you learn to drive?¡± I inquired, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like, do you have vampire driving schools? Or a vampire DMV?¡± He snorted. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did you go to the human one?¡± ¡°No.¡± I thought for a moment. What else could there be? Vincent¡¯s lips twitched, as if he was trying to hold back a smile. I narrowed my eyes at him. What did he find so funny? Was myck of knowledge about vampires really that entertaining? ¡°I don¡¯t like guessing,¡± I muttered moodily. ¡°Just tell me.¡± . . ¡°Okay. I taught myself how to drive.¡± I nked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I taught myself how to drive-¡± ¡°No I heard you! Vincent! That¡¯s illegal! How did you even get a license?¡± He nced at me. ¡°Sebastian handled it.¡± ¡°Pull over.¡± ¡°Oh,e on-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even go to driver¡¯s school!¡± With a small groan, he pulled to the right, going into a Cumby¡¯s. ¡°Look. I know all the rules of the road. I know the speed limits. I know who gets the right away at an intersection. I know to go in the direction of the skid. I¡¯m not stupid. I can drive.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Now, I¡¯m going to put gas in your car and you¡¯re going to stay seated and not try to slip into the driver¡¯s seat while I¡¯m gone.¡± I frowned at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have money for gas.¡± He pushed open the car door. ¡°I¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back,¡± I promised him, watching as he climbed out. He waved his hand in dismissal, shutting the door behind him. For a second I watched his back as he headed into the store, my eyes focusing on his slim shoulders. They were much more attractive than the broad ones most of the guys at my school had. Although Sebastian had broad shoulders and he made them look good¡­ I sighed quietly, tapping my finger against the window in a slow beat. At some point I really needed to go visit the Rutherfords. This whole Blue Blood thing was bull. So what if I had blood that could heal vampires? That didn¡¯t mean every vampire would be after me, would it? I paused in my tapping. There was a possibility it would. Wasn¡¯t that why I was sent away? Because it was dangerous? That was also why Vincent had to watch me all the time. Would it be dangerous to go visit Sebastian again? But nobody knew I had Blue Blood¡­ The sound of the door opening pulled me from my thoughts. Vincent slid back in with a sigh, tossing something onto myp. I looked down, seeing a package of M&Ms. ¡°What are these for?¡± ¡°Me,¡± he responded, starting the engine. ¡°Put on your seatbelt,¡± I demanded, tossing the M&Ms onto hisp. He rolled his eyes, but obeyed. ¡°I was kidding, the M&Ms are for you. Take them.¡± I waited for him to throw them back at me, but he didn¡¯t. Hesitantly, I reached for the package of candies on hisp. ¡°Emily, you naughty girl.¡± I automatically ripped my hand back, feeling a blush rise on my cheeks. ¡°I knew you were going to say that! Why are you so perverted?¡± Heughed; covering his mouth with one of his hands while his other was on the steering wheel. ¡°I¡¯m a guy, I can¡¯t help it,¡± hemented through his sniggering. ¡°Look at you blush!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°That¡¯s another thing I like about humans,¡± he said, sobering up almostpletely- there was still a small smirk to his lips. ¡°When you blush, I can tell you¡¯re embarrassed. With vampires, it¡¯s harder.¡± ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t blush,¡± I muttered, crossing my arms. ¡°It¡¯s the most annoying thing in the world.¡± ¡°Or are you just ashamed it shows what naughty things you¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think naughty things!¡± Vincent snatched the package of M&Ms off hisp and handed them to me. ¡°Calm down.¡± . . 37 ¡°I am calm!¡± I burst, swiping the candy out of his hand. When I realized how much my words contradicted my motions, I ducked my head. After a moment, I startedughing. ¡°Vincent, you¡¯re the only one who can get me so easily riled up.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly apliment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take it as one.¡± I shook my head, smiling. ¡°Just drive.¡± He gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? Rollerding?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± My response died in my throat when an image of Vincent rollerding rolled into my head. I quickly covered my mouth to hide my grin, turning to face the window. That was something I had to see. The rest of the drive to the movie theaters was silent. I¡¯d tried listening to the radio, but quickly learned Vincent wasn¡¯t the one for music. At least the music they yed on the radio. I couldn¡¯t me him though- even I got tired with all the rap that yed nowadays. So we settled for silence. It wasn¡¯t an awkward silence. Quite the opposite. For once, it was afortable silence. When we arrived at the cinema, we stuffed our Taco Bell into my backpack, deciding it was the best way to sneak it in. Surprisingly, we managed to agree on a movie. As much as I wanted to drag Vincent into a dra, I enjoyed the Fast and Furious series, and apparently so did Vincent. ¡°Umm, two tickets to Fast Five,¡± I ordered, leaning in to the ticket window. The worker in it smiled handsomely at me, shaking his blonde bangs out of his face. His green eyes narrowed in confusion as he took me in. ¡°Two?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Couldn¡¯t he see Vincent? I turned my head slowly, doing a double take when I realized no one was there. Confused, I looked around. Vincent had disappeared. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Where was he? He didn¡¯t mention anything about going anywhere! He had the money! He wasn¡¯t ditching me, was he? My heart sunk in my chest a little. Was all this really just a joke? Immediately disappointment washed through me. As much as I hated to admit it, I was actually excited about this being a date. I guessed I should have known better. Biting my lip, I returned my attention back to the worker. ¡°Um, actually¡­¡± ¡°I get off in five minutes,¡± he informed me. My eyes widened a fraction. Was this guy hitting on me? He smiled flirtatiously. I stared back at him, unable to form a coherent response. I wasn¡¯t used to having random guys flirting with me. ¡°Two tickets,¡± a hard voice ordered. I jumped in shock, twirling to see Vincent behind me again, a bucket of popcorn in his hands. Relief flooded me and I let my shoulders sag. I really needed to break my pessimistic habit. ¡°Coming right up,¡± the man in the box said, a little bit bitterly. Vincent nced at me, his lips in a tight line. ¡°Hold the popcorn,¡± he ordered, pushing it into my arms. ¡°Sure,¡± I mumbled, taking it from him. I knew that look. It was the same one he got when I called for Sebastian and not him. His jealous look. Once more I found myself hiding a smile from him. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he demanded when he got the tickets from the worker. ¡°Shit. I was gone five minutes and that idiot tried asking you out?¡± I quickly followed him. ¡°He probably just felt bad¡­¡± ¡°Doubt it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He gave me a t look. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re the ugliest girl on the.¡± . . I half-smiled at him. That was probably supposed to be apliment, but it sounded more like an insult. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You know what I mean,¡± he responded unhappily. ¡°You can¡¯t use your excuse of me being your responsibility on this,¡± I taunted, making sure to keep a few steps away from him in case heshed out. He turned to give me a mocking look. ¡°If you¡¯re implying that I¡¯m jealous, I am.¡± ¡°Yes you are- wait, what?¡± Heughed through his nose. ¡°You should know. Didn¡¯t I say you were my source of entertainment? I¡¯m not letting anyone take you away, silly human.¡± I gaped at him for a moment. He responded by moving closer to me. So close our noses were almost touching. My breath caught in my throat at his vicinity. ¡°W-what?¡± I forced out in a shaky breath. ¡°I was just thinking that if you were a vampire we probably wouldn¡¯t be friends,¡± he said simply, moving away. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re different.¡± I let out a whoosh of air, suddenly feeling tired. My heart was pounding in my chest. I gritted my teeth in frustration. Why was Vincent having this effect on me? He was a vampire. I used to be terrified of them! Now I couldn¡¯t even keep myposure while he was near? And what was with thosements of his? I wasn¡¯t a ything! I was a human girl! ¡°Keep up, Emily. You might miss the theater.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. I hurried after him, dispelling my thoughts. I could worry about those thingster. For the moment, I was going to enjoy my date with Vincent. It probably wouldn¡¯t happen again for a long time. We entered theater seven just as the previews started ying. Thanks to the random timing of the day, we had the dark theater to ourselves. Although I wasn¡¯t sure to be happy or worried about that. I didn¡¯t want Vincent going all vampire on me and trying to suck my blood while I was engaged by the movie¡­ The thought made me gulp. I shot a surreptitious look at the back of his head. He wouldn¡¯t do that¡­ would he? ¡°Want to sit at the top?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I responded quickly, ashamed at my thoughts. It wasn¡¯t like he was some bloodthirsty monster. We climbed the dark steps to the top, scooting through the tiny aisle until we were in the middle seats. Vincent copsed into one of them, motioning for me to sit in the adjacent one. Obeying his gesture, I dropped into the seat, letting my backpack fall to the floor. ¡°Want your food?¡± I asked. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Umm, how often do you need to drink¡­ you know,¡± I mumbled vaguely, handing him the bag from Taco Bell. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Use the bathroom? Just as much as you.¡± I grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± he questioned, a knowing look slipping onto his face. My eyes narrowed. ¡°You know what I mean!¡± ¡°Drinking-¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Water?¡± he finished innocently. Heaving out a puff of air in disbelief, I crossed my arms. ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°Twice a week,¡± he notified me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell you when or what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, focusing my attention on my knee. Why did I feel bad now? It wasn¡¯t like he disgusted me. Did he think that? ¡°Just so you know, I know you have to do that to survive, so it¡¯s not you that disturbs me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well you do, but in a different way.¡± ¡°Jerk.¡± I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. This time I was positive he was joking. There was no way I was going to respond to him mocking me. ¡°The movie¡¯s starting.¡± ¡°I love car chases,¡± he said contently. ¡°I love Han.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a girl. Going to see a movie for a guy.¡± I nudged his side with my elbow. ¡°No! I like car chases as much as you. Han was just awesome. Well is I guess. He¡¯s alive in this movie.¡± ¡°Shh,¡± he hushed me. ¡°I¡¯m trying to watch a movie.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Shh!¡± I pursed my lips, turning to face the screen. I was never going on another date with a vampire. ___________________________________ 38 When Vincent finally drove us home, I felt a lot better about the whole ordeal than I had at first. The movie was awesome- definitely more fun than school could ever be. I didn¡¯t even care that I skipped anymore. In fact, I had no qualms about skipping school for the rest of my life. Well, no. That was a lie. I wanted to do something with my life. But I wasn¡¯t against skipping every now and again with Vincent. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± I shouted as Vincent and I walked through the front doors. My brother appeared out of nowhere, leaning against the kitchen doorframe, his arms crossed. ¡°Where did you two go?¡± ¡°Movies,¡± Vincent responded the same time I said, ¡°Walmart.¡± He shot me an amused nce while I scowled at him. My brother frowned. ¡°Emily, you¡¯ve never skipped school before, so you obviously weren¡¯t the instigator here. Which means¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes at Vincent. ¡°You¡¯re the problem.¡± ¡°Guilty,¡± Vincent said tly. ¡°You can¡¯t force Emily to skip school!¡± ¡°How did you even find out?¡± I interjected, furrowing my eyebrows. His narrowed eyes turned to me. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you more upset about this? And the reason I know is because we have study hall together, remember?¡± Oops. That had totally slipped my mind. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°You can get suspended for this, you know,¡± he continued, talking to both of us now. Vincent snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°You should! If you don¡¯t clean up your act, you¡¯re getting sent back to California!¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not.¡± My brother looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Who do you think is allowing you to stay here?¡± ¡°Allow? I think you mean forcing-¡± ¡°We got it, Jake,¡± I snapped, sending Vincent a warning look. ¡°We won¡¯t skip again.¡± Jake still didn¡¯t look satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Em. This guy seems to be a bad influence.¡± I stole a nce at Vincent. Seems to be? More like is. ¡°Er, well¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡± ¡°I tricked her,¡± Vincent told him in a hard voice. ¡°She let me drive and I decided I didn¡¯t want to go back to school. It wasn¡¯t like she could stop me since I was driving.¡± Jake gave him a disapproving look. ¡°I knew you were no good.¡± ¡°Oh my god, Jake, shut up,¡± I said, putting my hands on my hips. ¡°What is your deal?¡± ¡°My deal is that I don¡¯t want my little sister being hurt by some jerk,¡± he replied, turning back to me. I softened my look. ¡°I¡¯m not little anymore¡­ And Vincent wouldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± I hope, I added silently. Who knew what could happen with him. Joel had lost control before. Couldn¡¯t Vincent? ¡°Whatever. You still don¡¯t trust guys like him.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± Vincent repeated, looking half amused, half annoyed. Jake nodded. ¡°Handsome? Jerk? A suave voice? Your sense of style? You have the makings of a total yer.¡± I covered my mouth to hide my smile. ¡°Wow, Jake. You think he¡¯s handsome? Should I be worried you might fall for him?¡± ¡°No!¡± my brother cried, looking repulsed at even the thought. ¡°No way!¡± Vincent smirked. ¡°Sorry to disappoint, Josh, but I like girls.¡± . . ¡°It¡¯s Jake!¡± ¡°Jake, Josh, whatever.¡± ¡°No, not whatever!¡± I shook my head, sighing. If they kept it up I was going to get a headache. While they continued to bicker, I headed for the kitchen. When I entered, a familiar brte was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of Count Choc. I blinked at her for a few moments, taking in the scene. ¡°Fiona?¡± I finally spoke. She grinned at me, waving her spoon. ¡°Hey, Em!¡± ¡°What¡­ What are you doing here?¡± I asked, moving toward her slowly. ¡°And why are you eating my cereal?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. I had to taste Count Choc,¡± she told me with a giggle. She held up the box. ¡°A vampire turning into a bat? That is such a myth. I wish we could do that!¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I eased myself onto one of the stools at the ind, watching as she lifted a spoonful of the chocte cereal into her mouth. ¡°Do you have a reason foring here?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah, I have to tell you and Vincent something.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see your car. How¡¯d you get here?¡± ¡°Joel dropped me off,¡± she informed me. ¡°He¡¯ll pick me upter. Where¡¯s Vincent?¡± Using my head, I gestured toward the front hallway. ¡°Squabbling with my brother¡­ By the way, does he know you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Vincent?¡± ¡°No, my brother.¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the one who helped me find the bowls.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± My brother and Vincent chose that moment to join us in the kitchen. Jake looked annoyed while Vincent held a smug expression. He sent me a superior look. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out he had outsmarted Jake. His eyes travelled next to me,nding on Fiona. They widened a fraction of an inch. ¡°Fiona? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Coming to talk to you!¡± she chirped. My brother stared between the two, wrinkles appearing in his forehead. ¡°Whoa, you two look a lot alike.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re-¡± ¡°Cousins,¡± I blurted, interrupting Fiona. ¡°They¡¯re cousins. That¡¯s why they look so much like each other.¡± Jake gave me a suspicious look but shrugged it off. ¡°Oh. If she¡¯s his cousin, why isn¡¯t he staying with her?¡± ¡°No room,¡± Fiona replied before I had the chance. ¡°But um, anyway. I¡¯m in the mood for a walk! Emily, Vivi, care to join me?¡± ¡°No,¡± Vincent grumbled. ¡°Good! Let¡¯s go!¡± Iughed at the pair, but quickly sobered up with the look Vincent was giving me. Fiona hopped off her stool and I followed, ncing at her leftover bowl. ¡°Jake, will you pick that up?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded with a sigh. ¡°Just leave it to me, Jake, the house keeper.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°I was being sarcastic!¡± he called after me as I ushered Vincent out of the kitchen, Fiona on my tail. I decided to pretend I didn¡¯t hear him. Fiona, Vincent, and I went out the front door, and into the cool air. The sun would be setting soon. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way!¡± Fiona suggested, leading us to the right. ¡°Sure,¡± I mumbled, following her. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Vincent demanded, getting straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s cold out here.¡± . . Fiona pursed his lips at him. ¡°Get over it, you baby.¡± ¡°Fiona,¡± he started in a warning tone. She sighed. ¡°Fine, fine. Sebastian called me earlier and told me an interesting little fact.¡± ¡°Interesting how?¡± I questioned, already getting a bad feeling about the answer. ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember the name Ashton, right?¡± ¡°The guy who had his friends attack Joel,¡± I stated, the corners of my lips turning down. ¡°And the guy who wants the kingdom.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Fiona responded. Vincent nced at her, his jaw set. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what you¡¯re about to say has something to do with him figuring out we have a Blue Blood.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°Bingo.¡± He growled. ¡°How is that even possible? No one outside our immediate family knew this!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± An ufortable feeling washed through me. ¡°Does that mean someone in your family betrayed you?¡± ¡°That or we have a spy,¡± Vincent stated, crossing his arms. ¡°Joel would never tell anyone a royal secret, so we don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± ¡°It must be the same person who told everyone we had a human staying with us,¡± Fiona said, picking up a piece of her hair and twirling it in her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone has betrayed us¡­ Neither do our parents.¡± I shuffled my feet. ¡°So what does this mean?¡± Vincent gave me an impatient look. ¡°You can¡¯t figure it out?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± I snapped, taken aback by his condescending tone. ¡°That means you¡¯re in trouble,¡± Fiona exined, sounding tired. ¡°As of now no one knows where you are, so you¡¯re safe.¡± I blinked at her. ¡°Trouble like¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand this whole Blue Blood thing,¡± Vincent started,ing to a stop, and turning to face me. ¡°Remember what we told you about the poachers? Those still exist, Emily. They¡¯ll want to use you for you blood, be it killing you, or kidnapping you to use your blood over and over again. Either way, it won¡¯t be a pleasant experience.¡± Grimacing, I let my eyes drop to the cement sidewalk. ¡°I understand,¡± I mumbled. ¡°So does that mean everyone will being after me? All the poachers, or whatever?¡± Fiona hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not positive, but from what Sebastian knows, no. Only Ashton¡¯s group knows about you. I think they¡¯re keeping the secret because they want you to themselves.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s kind of good, right?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I guess, but Ashton is pretty powerful. His rule may not be, but as a person he is.¡± ¡°This is unbelievable,¡± Vincent muttered, clenching his fists. ¡°You really are a troublesome human.¡± ¡°Well sor-ry! It¡¯s not my fault I was pulled into this mess if you remember, Mr. I-will-drink-your-blood!¡± He shot me a mocking look. ¡°Oh, very clever, stupid.¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± Fiona ordered in a very un-Fiona like tone. She gave us both serious looks. ¡°Emily, you¡¯re still safe. Vincent, you don¡¯t need to get your panties in a bunch over it at the moment. As long as no one finds out where Emily is, we¡¯re all good. Sebastian just wanted to let us now in case something ends up happening.¡± ¡°Something ends up happening?¡± I echoed. She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s our job to protect you, Em. We won¡¯t let you die. Even if it means taking on Ashton¡¯s group.¡± . . 39 Once again a feeling of unease washed over me. ¡°You mean like¡­ kill?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± she said with a shrug. I winced. How could she say that so easily? ¡°Are there a lot of people following Ashton?¡± Vincent scoffed. ¡°He wishes. There¡¯s no more than we can handle.¡± ¡°But, like I said, we don¡¯t even have to worry about it,¡± Fiona added quickly. ¡°Sebastian was just giving us a heads up. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, Em.¡± I grunted in response. Even though she said that, I knew better. If they figured out that I was a Blue Blood, how could they not find out where I was staying? They¡¯d find my house and try to get me¡­ I froze. What if they went after my parents? Or Jake? They had no idea vampires existed. They wouldn¡¯t know what wasing. I violently shook my head. I¡¯d have to trust the Rutherfords. If they said nothing was going to happen, I would believe it. I knew at least Sebastian would tell Vincent or me if I were in any danger. Solomon and Lue would too, if not him. ¡°Shoot!¡± Fiona suddenly cried, startling me. ¡°I left my backpack in your house! Crap! Joel will be here any minute to pick me up and I told him I¡¯d be waiting outside! I¡¯ll be right back you guys!¡± Before Vincent and I could respond, she took off toward my house. I looked around wildly, afraid someone might have seen her vampire speed. Luckily for her, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was out. I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°She really needs to be more careful.¡± ¡°So do you.¡± I looked up at Vincent¡¯s serious tone. ¡°Huh?¡± He frowned at me. ¡°There¡¯s nothing about Ashton you can trust. While Fiona might want to keep you from worrying, I think you better know the truth. He¡¯ll probably find you very easily.¡± ¡°A-are you sure?¡± He nodded. ¡°Ashton has his ways. I won¡¯t let him hurt you though.¡± ¡°Otherwise Solomon will be pissed,¡± I said, making a face. I¡¯d only briefly glimpsed a half-angry Solomon. That itself was pretty scary. I couldn¡¯t imagine a full out pissed one. ¡°That and you¡¯re my entertainment source.¡± A smile threatened to appear on my face, but I managed to hold it back. I didn¡¯t want Vincent thinking I enjoyed being his source of amusement. ¡°And you can¡¯t have it dead, can you?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°What are you going to do if I get a boyfriend?¡± I questioned. ¡°If I hung out with you all the time, he¡¯d get jealous.¡± Vincent smirked at me. ¡°Who said I¡¯d let you have a boyfriend?¡± I gawked at him. ¡°What if I want one?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at your only contender,¡± he responded, tapping his chest. My heart fluttered at his words. What did he mean by that? Was he just trying to be an ass? Or did he want me to choose him as a boyfriend? Did I want him to mean that? He was a vampire¡­ I nearly pped myself. I needed to stop thinking like that. So what if he was a vampire? They were basically the same as humans¡­ Except theysted a lot longer. But still. It was hard to take Vincent seriously. I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up and then have them crushed when I found out he was just taunting me. ¡°And if I don¡¯t want you as a boyfriend?¡± I finally spoke up. ¡°Then you are SOL.¡± I sighed. ¡°Stupid vampire.¡± ¡°Stupid girl.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just date Kai,¡± I started slowly, my eyes stuck to him to gauge his reaction. ¡°We¡¯ve always had a thing for each other.¡± That was a total lie. He was like my brother. . . Vincent didn¡¯t seem bothered by my words. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him.¡± I made a face. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Vincent. You sound like one of those psychopaths on T. V that want a girl that doesn¡¯t like them, so they go around killing all the people who she does like.¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°I¡¯m nothing like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll fall for me eventually,¡± he stated confidently. ¡°Once I¡¯ve taken an interest in something, I don¡¯t let it go.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure to be ttered or annoyed by his words. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you, Vincent.¡± ¡°No one does.¡± My eyes widened at his words, but I realized he didn¡¯t say them with anger. He said it calmly, like it didn¡¯t matter. It made me smile. ¡°I like how un-dramatic you are, Vincent. Most people would be bitching about the fact people don¡¯t understand them. I can¡¯t tell you how many thins I¡¯ve seen on the Inte that have those kind of slogans. You can¡¯t understand me, no one does, don¡¯t bother trying¡­¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°That shit is so annoying.¡± I smiled wider. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Why are you grinning so much?¡± My smile dropped. ¡°Nothing, never mind.¡± He raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Can we go back inside now? I¡¯m cold.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Sure,¡± I responded, turning on my heel. ¡°Baby,¡± I added after a moment, unable to stop myself. He shoved me to the side gently. Unfortunately for me his gently was my roughly. I stumbled over my feet,nding t on my butt. He snickered while I scowled up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call me a baby. I¡¯m not the one who is afraid of thunderstorms.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a legit fear!¡± I protested, pushing myself up off the ground. ¡°Oh no! Thunder!¡± he said in mock horror. ¡°Shut up!¡± He smirked at me. ¡°Of course, stupid.¡± Before I could say anymore, a loud honk filled the air. I jumped, twisting around to the street. A ck, window-tinted Rolls-Royce rolled up to Vincent and I, stopping next to us. I peered at it, trying to decipher who was inside. I didn¡¯t know anyone rich enough to own one of those things. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± I heard Vincent mutter in an irritated voice. The car shut off, parking illegally in the street. Secondster the driver door opened, and out stepped someone I was no stranger too. My mouth dropped open, and before I realized it, my feet were running toward him. ¡°Sebastian!¡± I cried, throwing my arms around him. He seemed taken aback by my action, but after a moment he returned my hug. ¡°Hello to you too, Emily.¡± Embarrassed, I quickly let go of him. ¡°Um, sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me.¡± He chuckled in that deep voice I missed so much. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I take it everything is going okay down here?¡± I nodded my head. It was hard to believe it¡¯d only been a day since I¡¯dst seen him. I really had grown too ustomed to having him around. ¡°Geez Sebastian, I didn¡¯t realize how attached to you I became.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with me,¡± he responded with a handsome smile. ¡°Your presence is definitely missed in the castle. Yesterday Mother asked for you. You should have seen the look on her face when Father reminded her you weren¡¯t there anymore.¡± . . ¡°Oh,¡± I responded, feeling my heart drop. They missed me? ¡°I think you shoulde back,¡± he said, his eyes twinkling. I scratched the back of my head. ¡°Haha, but I don¡¯t belong there.¡± My eyes widened as the words spilled out of my mouth. The truth of them weighed upon me heavily. I really didn¡¯t belong there. I was a human¡­ they were vampires. I was where I belonged. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t belong there, you¡¯re weed,¡± Sebastian told me in a quiet voice. ¡°Anytime.¡± The tension in me broke and I grinned up at him. ¡°Well thank you.¡± He ruffled my hair. ¡°Anytime. Vincent, are you just going to stand there and re at me or say hello to your brother?¡± ¡°Hello,¡± Vincent responded. ¡°No go home.¡± Sebastian rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up Fiona. Where is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Fiona cried, her voice sounding far off. Sebastian and I turned, seeing her running at a human pace down the sidewalk. ¡°I had to get my backpack! Where¡¯s Joel?¡± ¡°I asked if I coulde pick you up so I could say hello to Emily,¡± he informed her, putting an arm around my shoulder. ¡°Father said yes.¡± Fiona beamed at him. ¡°Ooh, well if it¡¯s you, can we stop for ice cream before we go back?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Of course we can.¡± I nudged him in the side, giving him a knowing look. He gave me a disapproving look when I wagged my eyebrows. ¡°Please,¡± Vincent muttered loud enough for me to hear. Iughed, removing myself from Sebastian. ¡°You guys better get ice cream before it¡¯s dark¡­ Sebastian, you¡¯lle back soon, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°As often as I can. You cane to the manor too.¡± ¡°You shoulde do something human this weekend,¡± I pressed. ¡°Ask Solomon to give you a day off so we can y together.¡± ¡°y?¡± ¡°You know what I mean,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°Use the paddleboats or something.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Paddleboats?¡± I nked. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No, I-¡± ¡°Get that day off, Sebastian. I have a lot to show you.¡± He sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, but I¡¯ll try.¡± I nodded. ¡°Good. I n on seeing you on Saturday then.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just hear me-¡± ¡°Bye Fiona! See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°See ya, Em!¡± she responded from the passenger seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Seb!¡± Sebastian pursed his lips, shaking his head. ¡°Fine. See youter, Emily.¡± He gave me another quick hug before climbing back into his fancy car. As it rolled away, I returned to Vincent¡¯s side. ¡°That car is very conspicuous.¡± He made a nomittal grunt before heading back toward my house. I had to jog to keep up with his brisk pace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong now?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re jealous of Sebastian.¡± He scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You so are,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re just friends.¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Instead of replying, I settled on knowing that he was jealous. I was already recognizing the signs. It was pretty cute too. Vincent would have never pinned me as the jealous type. ¡°What is a paddleboat?¡± he asked after a moment of silence. I gaped at the back of his head. Vampires were very ignorant creatures. ________________ 40 ¡°It¡¯s Friday, Friday! Gotta get down on Friday!¡± Kai sang, appearing out of nowhere as Vincent and I headed for the school¡¯s back exit. ¡°Kai,¡± I said in surprise,ing to a dead halt. His eyes flickered to Vincent, who also came to a stop. ¡°I see your guard dog is with you again.¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°Ha ha.¡± ¡°You know, that¡¯s probably why you don¡¯t have any friends,¡± Kai responded thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a slim, tanned finger. ¡°Maybe if you were actually nice .¡± ¡°He is nice,¡± I protested. ¡°To you,¡± Kai corrected me. ¡°You saw the other day when he totally cut me in line when you decided to go to a carte.¡± I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling. That was two days ago, when I tried to escape Vincent for at least a few seconds. He literally never left me alone. At first it was kind of heartwarming, but now it was getting kind of annoying. My friends (aside from Alli) were afraid toe near me whenever he was around. Every time they tried, he would re at them. I never realized how anti-social he was. On top of that, he didn¡¯t even try to be nice. Especially when it came to Kai. ¡°Go away, pup,¡± Vincent snapped, narrowing his eyes. Kaiughed. ¡°Clever one, Vivi.¡± I sent Kai a warning look. It seemed like only those who annoyed Vincent the most called him Vivi. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Vincent demanded, taking a menacing step forward. ¡°Was it from Joel?¡± ¡°Joel?¡± Kai repeated. ¡°He calls you Vivi too? Huh. I always knew I liked that guy¡­¡± ¡°As does every other person in this school,¡± I muttered disdainfully. Joel and Fiona went from new kids, to god and goddess. The students here practically threw themselves at their feet. It didn¡¯t help Joel flirted with everything that had a pair of legs. Including the teachers. Of both genders. Kai cracked a grin. ¡°Jealous? You want his attention? He seems to pay extra attention to you.¡± I waved him off. ¡°No he doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes he does. So does Fiona. Were you guys best friends before she came here or something?¡± Well, if you count living with her for about two weeks because I was kidnapped, then yes . I smiled at my thoughts. There was no way I could say that out loud. ¡°Kind of,¡± I finally admitted. We were friends¡­ Kai frowned. ¡°You three are awfully close. Even Vincent talks to them.¡± ¡°We, er¡­ Well Fiona and Vincent are brother and sister,¡± I informed him, talking to slowly. ¡°Seriously?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No! Now that you mention it though, they do look a lot alike. Except Fiona¡¯s actually good looking-¡± ¡°Do you want something or not?¡± Vincent said in an irritated tone. I bet thatstment was a hit to his ego. ¡°Not from you,¡± Kai retorted with a turn of his nose. ¡°Emily, what are you doing tonight?¡± I thought about it for a second. What was I doing tonight? ¡°Nothing.¡± As the words came out of my mouth, I immediately felt like a loser. Kai was one of those people who always had something to do on weekend nights. Usually I was too, but under the circumstances¡­ . . ¡°Perfect! Want to go see Fast Five?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already seen it,¡± Vincent responded for me. I frowned at him for a moment before turning back to Kai. ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± he chirped. ¡°We can see something else.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going out tonight.¡± Kai raised an eyebrow while I whipped my head toward Vincent. ¡°What?¡± He gave me a t look. ¡°You need to stay home.¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yes you do.¡± I ced my hands on my hips. Now this whole protection thing was taking it too far. It¡¯d been almost week and nothing had happened! What was wrong with going out to a movie with him? ¡°I want to go out, Vincent.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t she go out with her friends, guard dog?¡± Kai demanded. ¡°Because I said so,¡± he said in a low, dangerous voice. Suddenly a yful smile crossed Kai¡¯s face. ¡°Ooh, I know. You don¡¯t want her to go out with me because you¡¯re jealous!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous,¡± Vincent denied, rolling his eyes. ¡°Yes you are.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Vincent,¡± I warned, giving him a shut-up look. He crossed his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s?¡± Kai repeated. Realization crossed his face. ¡°Wait, you two live together?¡± ¡°Where have you been, Kai?¡± I asked, feeling my lips turn up into a smile. He really was slow. ¡°The whole school knows now.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s why you two are so close! I thought he just had some creepy crush on you.¡± I stifled a giggle with my hand. It was rare to see someone insult Vincent so casually. Kai really had no sense of fear. ¡°Yeah, he got into trouble in California so he¡¯s leaving with my family now.¡± ¡°How¡¯s Jake taking it?¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Kaiughed. ¡°Not so well then?¡± ¡°Vincent and Jake get along about as well as you and Vincent.¡± Vincent gave me a hard look. Impatience was written all over his face. ¡°Are you done chatting now?¡± Once again I found myself frowning at him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. If you¡¯re in such a rush, go home by yourself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said in a duh voice. ¡°And why not?¡± Kai questioned, crossing his arms. ¡°I can take Emily home. I¡¯m taking Alli home anyway. They live close.¡± Vincent shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± I chewed up my lip. Vincent¡¯s responsibility was really starting to irritate me now. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand why he had to do it. Even I knew Solomon would have his ass if he didn¡¯t keep an eye on me. But if I wasn¡¯t even allowed out, it wasn¡¯t going to work. There¡¯d been no vampire attacks so far. What was one night? ¡°Look, if you really have to, you cane out with us,¡± Kai said reluctantly. ¡°That way you aren¡¯t separated from your precious crush.¡± Vincent gave him an unamused look. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± . . ¡°Well I am,¡± I piped up, ignoring Vincent¡¯s cool gaze. ¡°Maybe not a movie, but something like¡­¡± ¡°Bowling?¡± Kai suggested with a grin. ¡°Did I hear the word bowling?¡± Kai turned and I looked over his shoulder to see Alli heading toward us, a grin on her face. ¡°Yes you did,¡± Kai told her. ¡°Are we going bowling tonight? Hey Vincent,¡± she added, seeing him sulking in the background. ¡°I want to,¡± I told her, looking to Kai. ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°Definitely! We¡¯ll get Alli and Jake to go too. Oh! And Fiona and Joel if they want to too!¡± Iughed at his excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them.¡± If they went, even if Vincent didn¡¯t want to go, I could go. Joel and Fiona could handle watching me. Alli nodded. ¡°Okay. So do you all want to meet up at like 10?¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Kai and I agreed. Late night bowling was always the best. ¡°Then I seriously need to get home so I can shower before my work shift,¡± she continued, giving Kai a pointed look. ¡°Ready?¡± He gave her an affirmative answer. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Em,¡± he said, giving me a quick wave. ¡°And you too, Vincent, if you stop being a hermit for five seconds.¡± Vincent didn¡¯t reply. His eyes were fixed to the exit. ¡°Bye, Emily!¡± Alli called as her and Kai headed through them. I waved once before the door shut, leaving us in silence. ¡°Ready to go-¡± ¡°Are you really going bowling tonight?¡± Vincent inquired. ¡°Yes,¡± I said defiantly. ¡°I am. Why?¡± He scowled. ¡°Because of Kai?¡± ¡°Maybe Kai is right. Maybe you do have a creepy crush,¡± Imented in a teasing tone. ¡°It¡¯s not creepy,¡± he snapped. ¡°Of course it¡¯s¡­¡± I trailed off, my throat catching. Why didn¡¯t he deny the crush part? What was that supposed to mean? ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± hemanded, moving toward the doors. ¡°I¡¯m driving.¡± ¡°Wait! What do you mean by it¡¯s not creepy?¡± I had to jog to keep up with the brisk pace he¡¯d taken on. ¡°What do you think, stupid?¡± I glowered at his back. ¡°Stop calling me that! Howe you didn¡¯t deny the crush part?¡± He paused, causing me to run into him. After steadying me, he smirked. ¡°I told you I was interested in you.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s different than a crush!¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Yes it is!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Why are you getting all strung up about this?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not!¡± I denied, feeling embarrassment flooding my body. How could I not? It wasn¡¯t every day life worked out in your favor and had your crush have a crush on you back. If we liked each other didn¡¯t that mean we could¡­ I shook my head. No, we couldn¡¯t date. He was a vampire; I was a human. A human with Blue Blood, or whatever. If anything happened between us it¡¯d probably put us both in danger. My feelings of tion dissipated. It would have been better for me to not know Vincent¡¯s feelings¡­ but it was only a crush. I¡¯ve had a crush on a countless amount of guys that I would have probably never dated. It didn¡¯t always mean something. I was just a source of entertainment¡­ This wouldn¡¯t make things awkward between us. Besides, he wasn¡¯t acting like it was a big deal. I shouldn¡¯t either. . . ¡°Are youing or what?¡± I snapped myself from my thoughts to see Vincent standing a good ten yards away, already at my car. ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going bowling tonight,¡± he told me as soon as I was sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°I don¡¯t trust Joel and Fiona.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯m sure nothing is going to happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re na?ve.¡± I set my jaw. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But I don¡¯t want youing along if you¡¯re going to be a stick in the mud.¡± ¡°I liked you better when you were afraid of me.¡± ¡°I like you better when you¡¯re not a jerk to my friends¡­ Oh wait, that¡¯s never.¡± He snorted. ¡°Why should I be nice to them?¡± ¡°Give me a reason why you shouldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not their friend.¡± Unable to think of a clever response, I shut my lips and crossed my arms. ¡°Whatever, Vincent. If you¡¯reing along tonight, you¡¯re going to act at least a little bit civil.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°That means no bashing on Kai.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making any promises.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even do anything to you!¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t like him.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You just don¡¯t like the fact I have guys friends.¡± Vincent shot me a look of disbelief. ¡°They¡¯re humans. They can¡¯tpare to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous of a human?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous.¡± I looked out the window so he couldn¡¯t see my smirk. ¡°I can see why you would be. I mean, you do have a crush on me¡­¡± The words felt foreign in my mouth. I¡¯d only had five boyfriends in my life, and I¡¯d never been able to say they had a crush on me because I never got the upper hand like that. ¡°I don¡¯t see how that goes with jealousy.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a crush. Not love. You¡¯re a human.¡± Surprisingly, his words hurt, even though I was saying the same thing in my mind. It couldn¡¯t work between us and I knew that. But couldn¡¯t Vincent at least have a little bit of hope? I winced. Wasn¡¯t I being a hypocrite? For some reason I couldn¡¯t see Vincent and I as a couple¡­ I couldn¡¯t see myself with a vampire¡­ Could I? If Vincent was here in the human world, it would be like he was a human, not a vampire. But then there was the problem of his slow aging and my normal one. Someone would think it was weird if our crushes became something else and it looked like I was a forty year old dating a twenty year old. I banished the thought from my head. I didn¡¯t even want to think about it. When this whole Blue Blood thing was over, I¡¯d probably never see the Rutherfords again. That thought almost made meugh. Who was I kidding? Nothing could stop me from seeing them again. ¡°Maybe if you were a vampire I would-¡± ¡°Erg, don¡¯t even say that,¡± I interjected, shuddering. ¡°No offense, Vincent, but I just couldn¡¯t see myself as one of you. I¡¯m human. I¡¯ve been human my whole life. I want to be human my whole life.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I said maybe. Not, ¡®Emily, you should be a vampire so I can love you!''¡± Iughed sarcastically. ¡°Real funny, Vince.¡± . . ¡°I¡¯m not capable of love,¡± he said in a serious tone. I sobered up, my eyes widening. ¡°Wait, what?¡± After a moment of silence passed, a smirk appeared on Vincent¡¯s face. Then heughed. ¡°You should have seen the expression on your face! Totally nk!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a jerk,¡± I muttered, crossing my arms. ¡°Haven¡¯t you loved someone before?¡± ¡°No, have you?¡± ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°Close to it, but not it, you know?¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°Not really. My longest rtionship was four months.¡± ¡°Mine was a year,¡± I told him. ¡°Freshman year¡­ Yeah, not something I like to remember. It was more like a middle school rtionship. And we all know how those work.¡± ¡°Except me, since I never went to a human middle school¡­¡± ¡°Right,¡± I replied, letting my headrest against the window. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to take a nap before we go bowling.¡± My mind was already starting to hurt. When Kai had mentioned it, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea, but now that I was thinking about it, having him, Vincent, Joel, Jake, Alli, Leah, and Fiona all in the same ce would be hectic. There would probably be a brawl going down. I held in a groan. At least I could hope it turned out well¡­ 41 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ¡°Shoe size?¡± ¡°Seven,¡± I told the worker, who stooped down and pulled out a size seven pair of bowling shoes and gave them to me. I passed the money in my hand over to him. ¡°Thank you.¡± The worker smiled briefly before turning to Vincent. ¡°Shoe size?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± I threw him a surprised look. ¡°What? Giant feet!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°No, that¡¯s average for someone my size, stupid.¡± ¡°My size is average for my size too and I¡¯m not that big!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize you were a guy.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°There you go. Women sizes are different than men,¡± he appraised me; taking the shoes the bowling ally worker was holding out to him. ¡°Pay for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I paid for the movies.¡± Heaving an irritated huff of air, I paid for Vincent¡¯s bowling fee. Together we made our way down to thene on the far left of the ally. From the distance, I could make out Kai, Fiona, Joel, and Alli. When Kai caught sight of me, he waved excitedly, jogging to meet me half way. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting toe!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ditch,¡± I protested, frowning. ¡°You might, but he might¡¯ve made you stay home,¡± Kai insisted, nodding his head toward Vincent. He lowered his voice,ing closer to me. ¡°There¡¯s something weird about him¡­ Almost inhuman,¡± Vincent snorted as I jerked away from Kai, my eyes widening. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Kai said innocently, shoving his hands in his pockets. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go set up your names in the box.¡± Vincent and I followed him to where the others were. Fiona and Joel gave both of us an enthusiastic greeting which ended with Vincent punching Joel hard enough to make him stumble backwards a few steps. Alli threw them both an amused nce before turning to me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Where¡¯s Leah?¡± . . ¡°Jake went to pick her up,¡± I informed her. ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°What a waste of gas. You all should have just driven together.¡± I looked pointedly at Vincent. ¡°That would have probably ended up in a crash.¡± She smirked. ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t like the bad boy?¡± ¡°At all,¡± I told her, letting out a small sigh. ¡°That and Vincent doesn¡¯t let anyone but himself drive my car.¡± ¡°Not even you?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Her face wrinkled. ¡°What a jerk.¡± ¡°Leah!¡± Kai suddenly shouted, waving his arms like a maniac again. ¡°Jake! Over here!¡± Vincent shot him an annoyed look, crossing his arms over his chest. I fought back the urge to smile. Kai was loud and obnoxious (in a good way): something Vincent despised. As Jake and Leah approached, Vincent tensed, keeping his back to them. Jake made the first move, slinging an arm over his shoulder. ¡°Well, what do you know? The hermit Vivi is out to y? Who would have thought you had an announce of socialness inside you?¡± ¡°Get off me,¡± he demanded, shoving Jake¡¯s arm away. ¡°In a bad mood already? I hate to think what you¡¯re attitude will be like when we start ying and I beat you.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Joel interjected, shing my brother a handsome smile. ¡°I do believe I will be the victor here.¡± Jake waved him off. ¡°Joel, you can¡¯t even run ap in gym ss.¡± ¡°I can. I just choose not to.¡± I raised an eyebrow at Joel. ¡°You refuse to run in gym?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to run like a slug,¡± he told me, making a face. ¡°You don¡¯t run fast?¡± Kai asked. I blinked, realizing Joel¡¯s mistake. For a vampire, fast running was really fast. So running at a human pace must feel like walking incredibly slowly for him. ¡°Come to think of it, Joel is a really slow runner¡­¡± He forced out augh. ¡°Ah, yeah. Leg problems¡­¡± Leah gave him a pitying look. ¡°That must really suck. So I take it you¡¯ve never done any sports?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Your pretty toned for not doing sports,¡± Jakemented. His eyes slid to Vincent. ¡°You too.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m just lucky,¡± Joel responded with another awkwardugh. ¡°Anyway, shall we start ying? I¡¯m ready to kick some ass. What are the teams?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll split in two for eachne,¡± Kai suggested. ¡°Emily and me-¡± ¡°Kai and me,¡± Alli interjected, shooting me a surreptitious wink, ¡°Leah and Jake, Fiona and Joel, and Emily and Vincent.¡± Joel grinned at Fiona. ¡°We are definitely going to win.¡± ¡°Definitely!¡± she chirped. For a second I debated about telling them to slip up, but decided against it. Even if they were vampires, it didn¡¯t mean they were awesome at bowling. Kai, Leah, Alli, and I went bowling a lot. Not trying to brag or anything, but we were pretty advanced now. ¡°We¡¯ve got this,¡± I said to Vincent as we headed to ourne with Kai and Alli. ¡± I¡¯ve got this,¡± he told me. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you get a gutter every ball.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± I said, rolling my eyes at him. ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­¡± . . As it turns out, today was not my day for bowling. Each ball I sent down thene either hit five pins, three pins, missed them all, or went into the gutter. Luckily for me, Vincent had got a strike every time, keeping us ahead of Alli and Kai, but not by far. Kai was getting really into the game, shouting in victory every time he got a strike or spare. Vincent, on the other hand, waspletely expressionless when it was his turn. Not once was there a flicker of triumph on his face with every strike he got. It was making me increasingly frustrated. We were down to three more sets before the game was over now. ¡°Do you best!¡± Kai cheered as I reached for my bowl. I red at him over my shoulder. ¡°Shut up.¡± He smirked. ¡°What? I¡¯m only cheering you on.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I said doubtfully. He was probably trying to use some Jedi mind trick that would cause me to mess up. Slowly, I made my way towards thene, holding up my eight-pound bowling ball in front of me. Before I could swing, I felt a hand on my arm. Turning, I found Vincent standing beside me. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Swing your arm back like this,¡± he ordered, taking a hold of my arm gently and bringing it back in a straight line. ¡°The ball will go in the direction you want it to.¡± ¡°Straight back?¡± I repeated quietly. My arm where his hand was touching me started to tingle. He did the motion for me a few times, his hand never gripping my arm any tighter. It was one of the first times he¡¯d touched me where it actually didn¡¯t hurt. ¡°You got it now?¡± I nodded. ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Do it swift and do it strong,¡± he said before taking a step away. Swift and strong , I told myself. Swinging my arm back as far as I could, I brought it forward with as much force I could gather, letting it go at the second. Unfortunately, I lost my bnce under the momentum, and fell over backwards, earningughs from everyone around me. Blushing in embarrassment, I scrambled back to my feet, scowling at Alli, who was literally on the groundughing at me. ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Look!¡± Kai cried and I heard pins being knocked over. ¡°Strike!¡± I whipped around, my eyes widening when I saw all ten pins lying on the ground. My jaw dropped and I faced Vincent, excitement bubbling up in me. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Congrattions,¡± he responded, an amused smile slipping onto his lips. ¡°You finally smiled too!¡± The smile dropped. ¡°No I didn¡¯t.¡± I shook my head at him, moving over to take a seat next to him. ¡°You could at least pretend to have a little more fun. I feel bad for making youe.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t force me toe.¡± ¡°But I knew you would if I went,¡± I admitted. ¡°I thought you might have a little bit of fun.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny watching you make a fool out of yourself every time your ball goes into the gutter. It¡¯s cute.¡± Hisment threw me off guard for a moment. Then I shot him a dirty look. I didn¡¯t look like a fool. ¡°You¡¯re a jerk.¡± ¡°You say that to me every five seconds. When are you going to realize it has no effect?¡± Huffing angrily, I pushed myself up from my seat. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get lost,¡± he said teasingly. . .N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. I resisted the urge to hit him. The bathrooms were on the far right of the building, by the snack shack. They weren¡¯t that hard to find. After telling Alli and Kai I would be right back, I headed toward them. I Like It started ying on the speakers above me, and I soon found myself humming along to it. Even if Vincent was being a lump, I was still having fun. It¡¯d felt like forever since I¡¯d been out with my friends doing something human. Though judging by Fiona, Vincent, and Joel¡¯s scores, vampires yed bowling too. They must have yed often too: all three of them were like prodigies. How was it even possible to get such a perfect score like Vincent did? He didn¡¯t even look like it was hard, either! It was crazy¡­ and a little bit annoying. I felt inferior to him. It was embarrassing that I was doing so worse than him. Usually I could bowl better than I had been tonight. Suddenly something hard hit me- or I ran into something hard. Letting out an ¡± oof!¡± , I stumbled backwards, nearly falling over. A firm pair of handsnded on my shoulder, holding me up. I looked up to thank the person. My breath caught when my eyesnded on a pair of smoky grey ones. ¡°Are you okay?¡± the owner of the eyes questioned, sounding concerned. ¡°I¡¯m, uh¡­¡± I trailed off, finally taking my eyes away from his, only to be drawn in by the stranger¡¯s white hair. It wasn¡¯t old man white; it was dyed white. I¡¯d never met someone with dyed white hair other than Sam, but Sam was a vampire. His eyebrows knitted together. ¡°Your¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I blurted, feeling warmth rise to my cheeks. What was I doing? Checking out a stranger while he was watching to me? ¡°Okay, good. Sorry about that, by the way,¡± he added after a second. ¡°I should have been paying more attention to where I was going.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No! It¡¯s totally my fault. I was spacing out!¡± Dimples appeared in his cheeks as he grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it was both of our faults, okay?¡± ¡°Um, sure,¡± I responded, once again being captured by his smoky eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve got to return to my friends,¡± he told me, nodding his head toward thenes. ¡°Sorry again.¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem, sorry to you too,¡± I rambled. He smiled again before turning his back and heading toward thenes. ¡°Bye, Emily.¡± ¡°Yeah, bye¡­¡± I trailed off as his words registered in my head. Bye, Emily . How did he know my name? I hadn¡¯t met him ever before in my life. I would have remembered those ashy eyes. Maybe he went to my school or something. A younger student¡­ A wave of unease washed over me and I quickly twisted on my heel, heading back for my friends. The bathroom could wait. When I got back to ourne, it was my turn again to go. Vincent caught my eye, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. I stared back at him, surprised by his tone. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to pass out.¡± ¡°I do?¡± I raised a hand to my cheek. ¡°Did something happen?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No¡­¡± He took a step closer to me, putting his hand to my head. ¡°Are you feeling anemic?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I insisted, taking a step back, and cupping my elbow with my hand. Did I really look like I was going to feint? I felt fine¡­ Vincent didn¡¯t seem satisfied and he scowled. ¡°Look-¡± ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s with that look man?¡± Kai interjected, appraising Vincent with his eyes. ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to eat her.¡± I grimaced. That was actually possible. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my turn now¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess up our score,¡± Vincent responded, ring at Kai. 42 Ignoring him, I picked up my bowling ball and headed toward thene. Before I rolled it, I looked toward the other side of the building. The ashy-eyed man was staring right back at me, a blonde woman by his side. I blinked at him. He grinned and waved. I twitched my fingers in a quick wave back before turning to bowl. There was definitely something weird about that guy. The rest of that night and Saturday passed by quickly, but the image of the smoky eyed man never left my mind. The scene yed over and over again in my head, never giving me more than a little while to think of something else. Vincent knew something was up, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything to him. There was something holding me back¡­ Maybe the thought that Vincent would go snap the neck of anyone who made me ufortable. Fortunately though, after Vincent beat Kai at bowling, Vincent had at least be a little more courteous to Kai. Although that was most likely due to his smugness. Whatever the reason, it was still an improvement. At least they wouldn¡¯t be at each other¡¯s throats like Jake and Vincent. Sunday morning I was up bright and early. As a result of my constant pestering, Sebastian had managed to get the day off toe down and y in the human world. He, Fiona, and Joel were supposed to show up sometime before eleven. That gave me more than enough time to shower and get ready, but I was too excited to stay asleep. So I mbered out of my four-poster, ced my feet on the freezing floor, and head to Vincent¡¯s room to wake him up. The rest of the house was silent as I trudged toward the guest room. My parents had both already left for the day- my dad to work, my mom to her morning sewing ss. Jake had gone fishing with his friends, leaving the house to Vincent and myself. Which was good, because I wanted Vincent to make breakfast for me. I wouldn¡¯t admit it to my dad, but Vincent could cook much better than him. In fact, Vincent was the best cook I¡¯ve ever met. I slipped into the guest room, not bothering to knock. He was pretty much dead asleep on his bed. Grinning a little bit, I tiptoed to his bedside, trying to decide what to do. One choice was to just shake him awake, but that would be boring. My next thought was to jump on him, but that was too immature. Maybe scaring him would work¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± A surprised gasp left my lips as Vincent stared up at me, his eyes narrowed and bleary. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know you were up,¡± I responded, dropping my eyes in embarrassed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t fully up until you came in.¡± ¡°But I was being quiet!¡± He pointed to his ear. ¡°Sensitive hearing.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I said dumbly. How could I have forgotten? ¡°Go away now,¡± he ordered, rolling over and pulling theforter over his head. ¡°It¡¯s too early to talk.¡± I frowned. ¡°It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°My point exactly.¡± ¡°Come on Vincent,¡± I started, taking a fistful of the covers and beginning to pull them back off him, ¡°time to get up.¡± ¡± No ,¡± he growled, holding them firmly in ce. Was he really going to act like a five year old? Sighing, I went for a different approach: shaking him. Moving my hands to his shoulders, I began to joggle him. He let out an annoyed groan and tried to shove my hands away. ¡°Vincent,¡± I protested, clinging to his shoulders tighter. ¡°Come on, get up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a vampire. Creature of the night ,¡± he responded irately. ¡°And I¡¯m hungry.¡± He popped his head out from his nket, a confused expression on his face. ¡°What?¡± I gave him a pleading look. ¡°Make me breakfast?¡± . . . ¡°No!¡± ¡°Please?¡± He scowled at me for a moment more before disappearing under the covers again. ¡°No. Now go away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do the dishes tonight!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°For the next to days?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean your room.¡± ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Please, Vincent?¡± ¡°No means no, Stupid.¡± Now it was my turn to scowl. ¡°You¡¯re up anyway, Vincent! It¡¯ll be hard to sleep.¡± He snorted. ¡°Not if you leave the room.¡± ¡°For royalty you sure arezy!¡± ¡°Or tired.¡± I sighed in frustration. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°Not for food.¡± I blinked at him. What else could you be hungry for¡­? Wait. That was a stupid question. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll make you a deal. I¡¯ll let you suck my blood if you make me breakfast,¡± I offered jokingly. Vincent didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I bet anemic blood tastes better,¡± I continued thoughtfully. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal either. My blood transfusion appointment ister today.¡± ¡°Go away,¡± he finally grumbled. ¡°No sweet, sweet blood for Vivi?¡± Before I could blink he was out of the covers, one of his hands closed around my wrist. He tugged on it roughly, causing me to stumble forward. My other hand shot out under me to hold me up, but he quickly swiped that one from under me, making me fall face first into the mattress. ¡°I might have to take you up on that offer,¡± he told me, holding me in ce. I struggled to pull my face away, but found it almost impossible. Lowering myself to my knees so that I wasn¡¯t bent at a ny-degree angle, I tried to speak. My words were muffled and incoherent. After a few more moments he allowed me to raise my head, but he didn¡¯t let go of me. Scowling at him, I tried to free my wrists. ¡°Let go!¡± He shook his head, a smirk crossing his face. ¡°You offered a deal. I think I might take it.¡± ¡°I was kidding!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get morefortable,¡± he suggested, slipping one of his arms around my waist so he could pull the rest of my body off the floor and onto the bed. As I tried to liberate myself, he flipped me onto my back, and pinned me with his body. I gave him the most reproachful expression I could, trying not to show the fear that was slowly building up in me. ¡°No, Vincent.¡± ¡°You started it,¡± he said, bringing his head closer to my neck. ¡°Even though I went outst night, I could still-¡± . . ¡°Wait, what?¡± His amused eyes pierced into mine. ¡°Oops, did I say that?¡± My eyes widened. ¡°When did you do that?¡± ¡°You were asleep.¡± ¡°Who did you attack?¡± I demanded. He rolled his eyes at me. ¡°How am I supposed to know? Blood is blood-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± I told him, turning my head away from him. ¡°I take that as an invitation,¡± he murmured before I felt his lips graze my neck. A shudder ran through me as I remembered the past two times blood had been sucked from me. Neither had been pleasing experiences. Both had been painful and horrifying. ¡°T-this could be sexual harassment, Vincent.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the one who suggested it.¡± ¡°I was kidding!¡± He let out a sigh, his breath caressing my skin, sending tingles down my spine. ¡°Well, now you¡¯ll know in the future not to do that.¡± I whipped my head back around to face him. Our noses touched, but I couldn¡¯t jerk away. My breath caught at our proximity. For a few seconds I waited before speaking, hoping he would create more space between us. He didn¡¯t. ¡°Vincent,¡± I started in the firmest voice I could muster. ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. You said yourself you have a blood transfusionter.¡± ¡°I-I lied!¡± ¡°No you didn¡¯t. I heard your mom say that to youst night.¡± My next protest died in my throat. Of course he did. His vampire senses were really starting to get annoying. A smirk graced his lips at my silence. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt as much if you rx,¡± he advised me, moving his lips back to my neck. I grit my teeth, preparing myself for the worst. Sharp teeth brushed against my tender skin. Doing as he suggested, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to make myself calmer. Hopefully his words would be true. Even with that thought though, I could feel my body quaking with tremors of terror. Vincent was taking his time, tracing circles on my flesh with his fangs. It felt like some type of tickle torture. Part of me wanted to yell at him to get it over with, but the other part of, the sick part, kind of enjoyed the feeling. To my surprise, his teeth left my neck. Still holding me down, he moved his head to my chest andid it against it. Surprised by his actions, my head snapped so toward him, my eyes widening. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± ¡°Listening to your heart,¡± he responded in a duh tone. My eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Why?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. He nced up at me, a fascinated look in his eyes. ¡°Human hearts are funny. They already normally beat so much faster than ours, but when a human is scared they beat even faster. Especially with you. I like listening to it.¡± ¡°Umm,¡± I responded, feeling a blush start to spread on my cheeks. Never had I seen Vincent look so intimate and intrigued before. It was really cute. . . 43 ¡°It must be nice to be a human,¡± he remarked. ¡°It must be nice to be a vampire.¡± He snorted. ¡°That¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny about it?¡± His eyes returned to mine, an emotion I¡¯ve never seen before in them. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand because you¡¯re human.¡± I stared back at him in surprise. He¡¯d spoken in a soft voice, but the underlying tone was harsh. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Vincent didn¡¯t like being a vampire? Why was that? Wasn¡¯t having keen hearing and eyesight useful? Wasn¡¯t slow aging a good thing? Wasn¡¯t having impossible strength handy too? ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how many vampires wish they were humans,¡± hemented, he voice t. ¡°Are you one of those?¡± ¡°Not really. There are some perks to being a human, but not nearly as much as to being a vampire. I think being a human would suck. They¡¯re weak and annoying.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Thanks.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°You should know by now not to include yourself when I talk about humans as a whole. You¡¯re different.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a source of entertainment.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°But now I know it¡¯s also because you have a crush on me,¡± I said boldly, trying to keep the blush that was threatening my cheeks from my daring words off. Vincent eyes slowly slid back to mine. ¡°Well, yes.¡± The corners of my mouth turned down slightly, forming a little frown. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you embarrassed by that?¡± ¡°Embarrassed by what?¡± ¡°The fact that I know you have a crush on me!¡± He gave me an are-you-stupid look. ¡°Why should I be?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I stared back at him, unable to process his mind. If I was the one saying I had a crush on him, I¡¯d be able to fry eggs on my face at this point. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural?¡± I blurted. ¡°Maybe for an idiot like you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me an idiot!¡± ¡°Okay, Stupid.¡± ¡°You know for saying you have a crush on me, you act like such an asshole,¡± I snapped angrily. A smirk crossed his face. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since you called me an asshole to my face.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°That isn¡¯t something to be amused by, Vincent! If you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m not stupid.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not stupid, Stupid.¡± ¡°Then why-¡± ¡°It¡¯s my nickname for you,¡± he told me, rolling his eyes. ¡°You¡¯d think you would¡¯ve figure that out by know.¡± That was his idea of a nickname? That was stupid! ¡°Why not just call me Em? Or Emmy?¡± . . ¡°Could you see me calling you either one of those?¡± I tried to imagine it. I almostughed. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. Now,¡± he started, removing his head from my chest and his hold on my body. ¡°I¡¯m going back to bed.¡± ¡°Vincent-¡± He quickly grabbed the fallenforter off the floor and spread it out- over both of us. The heavy nket covered my face. For a moment Iy still, my body not realizing its freedom. When it did, I sat up immediately, aiming to climb out from under the covers. Vincent easily pushed me back down. ¡°Stay.¡± ¡°I¡­ Why?¡± I asked, feeling incredibly self-conscious. Vincent¡¯s arm was lying next to mine, or skin touching. ¡°You make it warmer,¡± he stated simply, drawing my body closer to his. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t have body heat.¡± My body stiffened. ¡°Vincent, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Embarrassed?¡± he guessed, his tone leaking amusement. ¡°Ufortable,¡± I muttered, trying to squirm away from him. ¡°Yeah, okay, you confessed you like me. But I never said I liked you -¡± ¡°You never denied it when your brother mentioned it.¡± I turned to face him- an action I regretted immediately. Our faces were only three inches away from each other now. ¡°I knew you were listening!¡± He grinned. ¡°I already figured you had a crush on me. So see? No need to feel ufortable.¡± ¡°Vincent, we haven¡¯t even kissed. I don¡¯t want to sleep in the same bed-¡± ¡°Kiss?¡± ¡°Yeah, as in lips touching,¡± I rified, trying not to roll my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve kissed plenty of people in your life.¡± He thought about it for a minute. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Of course. ¡°But never a human. A kiss from human huh¡­¡± His eyes pierced into mine. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay what-¡± My words were cut off as he brought his lips to mine. My eyes closed on instinct. At first they only gently brushed mine, like the way he¡¯d brushed them against my neck earlier. Still, it immediately sent tingles ran down my spine. I didn¡¯t even think of pulling away. The second time our lips met it was a real kiss. His lips were still incredibly soft and smooth, but more firm against mine. A thrill shot through my body. Everyone always talked about fireworks when they kissed, but to me it felt more like electric currents running through my body. Only one other kiss had caused reactions like that- my first boyfriend who I¡¯d had a crush on for a year. The kiss onlysted a few brief seconds before he pulled away. My eyes shot back open as he did so. To my surprise, he looked thrown off guard. Perhaps he had experienced the electricity as well. ¡°How was that?¡± Vincent asked, breaking the awkward silence that had settled him. He seemed to be over the shock, a smug expression now taking over his face. My surprise from the kiss wasn¡¯t gone yet. I was thinking fast for a reply, which was hard to do. My mind kept wandering back to the softness of his lips. ¡°You¡¯re inexperienced,¡± I finally blurted. It took all I had to keep my expression straight after that. . . The bewilderment on his face nearly sent me over the edge. It almost literally hurt to hold in myughter and try not to smile at his expression. ¡°Inexperienced? I¡¯ve probably kissed more people than you¡¯re whole generation!¡± he said eventually, his eyes narrowing. ¡°More vampires ,¡± I corrected him, making a face. ¡°You can¡¯t kiss humans the same way you kiss vampires.¡± Honestly, he could kiss anyway he wanted. He was a good kisser. In fact he was probably better than any human at kissing just because he was a vampire. ¡°What was different than a human kiss?¡± he growled, frustrated. Now it was my turn to smirk at him. ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t like not being able to kiss?¡± ¡°I kiss fine!¡± ¡°Apparently not.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try again,¡± he stated, closing his face in on mine. I turned my head quickly. My heart couldn¡¯t handle kissing him again at the moment. It was a good thing it hadn¡¯t calmed down from the anger earlier otherwise Vincent would have noticed the increase of pace. ¡°I can¡¯t go through that again, Vincent.¡± ¡°You have to be kidding me!¡± ¡°However, I do feel sorry for you, so I¡¯ll be your bed warmer.¡± He muttered something I didn¡¯t quite catch under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll show you I can kiss,¡± he promised fervently. I swallowed nervously. ¡°If you¡¯re going to get more sleep, do it. Because in an hour you¡¯re waking up to cook me breakfast.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± ¡°Yes you are. Sebastian ising today so you have to get up anyway.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about seeing Sebastian.¡± I turned to frown at him. ¡°Too bad. You¡¯re getting up. One hour. Whether you like it or not.¡± He set his jaw. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Should I change that to half an hour? And I will leave you with your cold sheets again.¡± He growled softly before turning his back to me. ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡± A pleased smile crossed my face. Being the one with the upper hand for a change was nice. Vincent obeying me was nice as well¡­ Maybe I should threaten him more often. Maybe I should let him kiss me more often and then tell him he sucks¡­ What thought hit my mind next had the smile off my face in a split-second. I was the first human Vincent had kissed. I¡¯d kissed a vampire. Not just any vampire¡­ a royal vampire. How could I have done that? I wasn¡¯t supposed to be kissing vampires! It wasn¡¯t right! But even though it wasn¡¯t right, I couldn¡¯t help but to think it felt right¡­ And wasn¡¯t that all that mattered? My brain was thrust into turmoil. Vampires wouldn¡¯t bring anything good to a human. Vincent and I had silly crushes on each other; it wouldn¡¯t lead to anything else. It would be okay to kiss each other. It wasn¡¯t like we were in some serious rtionship. Besides, if he was the one kissing me there was no reason to say no to it. It was fine. And yet I still couldn¡¯t force away the tightness that had appeared in my stomach. Vincent moved his arm so that ity on my side. The coolness of it made goosebumps appear on my skin. The act calmed my nerves. I couldn¡¯t predict the future. Neither could he. Nor could anyone. I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen in the future so there was no point in worrying about it. I had to focus on the present. And if the present included kissing Vincent, I was going to do it and not worry about the future consequences. Those wouldeter and I could deal with them then. For now, I was going to enjoy living my life as a person, like Vincent. I wasn¡¯t going to think of vampire or human. ¡°I can kiss,¡± Vincent suddenly said. I cracked a smile. ¡°Just go to sleep, Vincent.¡± ¡°I can!¡± he protested. ¡°You can try againter.¡± The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. However, I didn¡¯t regret them at all. Vincent seemed satisfied with my response because he didn¡¯t say anything more. Instead he settled into a morefortable position, one of his pajama d legs resting against mine. I rxed as well, closing my eyes and trying to relinquish all the thoughts racing in my mind. It was a pretty easy task. Soon my eyes were drooping and I found it hard to stay awake. Vincent¡¯s breath was smooth and regr, revealing to me that he had fallen back asleep. I found myself joining him. Within seconds, I fell asleep as well. __________________________________ 44 ¡°Emily. Emiiiily! Em! Wakey-wakey!¡± A pair of gentle but firm hands gripped my shoulders, lightly shaking me. ¡°Come on, Em! Get up!¡± A low moan came from me and I tried to squirm out of the grasp of my captor. ¡°Go away,¡± I ordered in a grumble. Giggles came from above me. ¡°You want more alone time with Vincent?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sebastian ising. I hear him now.¡± Now I was even more confused. Sebastian who? Opening my eyes sounded like the best idea, but I just wanted to sleep. So I pretended I was just hearing voices in my head and spread out further on my bed. When my leg and hand touched another body, I froze. ¡°Is Emily up ye-¡± ¡°Argh!¡± I cried loudly, shoving myself away from the body I recognized as Vincent¡¯s. Unfortunately for me, the guest bed wasn¡¯trge enough for me to push backwards without falling off it. My stomach flipped ufortably as I fell the two feet to the ground. Inded on my back roughly, screwing my eyes up, and holding in a shout of pain. ¡°Are you up now?¡± a female voice, which I now recognized as Fiona¡¯s, chirped. For a second I debated on pretending I¡¯d stayed asleep through the ordeal, but I figured she¡¯d be able to tell I was awake by my heartbeat. The next thought I had was to kick her in that face. That one was also dismissed swiftly. If I tried that, chances were I¡¯d break my foot, not her face. ¡°Emily?¡± My eyes shot open and automatically met bright green ones. It took me a second to register the rest of Sebastian¡¯s face. When I did, I immediately sat up, nearly bashing our heads. ¡°Sebastian!¡± He chuckled, holding out a hand to me. ¡°Good morning, Emily. Or should I say afternoon?¡± ¡°Sure! Ignore me!¡± Fiona protested grumpily. ¡°What time is it?¡± I inquired, looking for any type of clock in the room. It only took a few seconds for me to realize there were no time-telling devices in the room. ¡°It¡¯s time for you guys to shut up and get out.¡± Fiona pursed her lips at Vincent, who was now glowering at all of us. ¡°I see sleeping in the same bed with people makes your morning grumpiness rub off of them.¡± Her eyes twinkled in amusement. ¡°I bet it¡¯d rub off more if you two-¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Vincent repeated in a hard tone. ¡°I¡¯m sleeping.¡± ¡°It¡¯s noon,¡± Sebastian stated, half answering my question, half informing Vincent. ¡°You should get up. It¡¯s not healthy to sleep thiste.¡± Vincent snorted, burrowing himself under theforters. ¡°For humans. Vampires are different and you know that.¡± Without warning, I threw myself at Sebastian, wrapping my arms around him in the hug I¡¯d been holding back. ¡°Don¡¯t argue! I want to have a nice day where we all get along!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were trying to perform a miracle,¡± he responded with a deep chuckle, returning my hug. ¡°Sebastian.¡± . . ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t try. Although I¡¯m not the one who does his best not to get along with his family¡­¡± Vincent flipped over to re at his brother. ¡°It¡¯s normal for brothers to argue with their siblings, Sebastian.¡± ¡°Well actually, Jake and I get along pretty well,¡± I pitched in, cocking an eyebrow at him. ¡°I think we¡¯ve only fought seriously like four times in our lives.¡± ¡°Yeah, and you haven¡¯t lived with your brother for a million years-¡± My eyes bulged. ¡°A million years?¡± There was a moment of silence before Sebastian and Fiona burst outughing. Even the right corner of Vincent¡¯s mouth lifted up in amusement. ¡°Not literally,¡± he notified me. ¡°Oh,¡± I saidmely, ducking my head. Sebastian put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°You should go get ready. If you take as long as Fiona takes to get ready even as a vampire, we¡¯ll be here for the next few hours. And don¡¯t you have to go to the hospital at four?¡± Reluctantly, I nodded. ¡°That only gives us four hours¡­ Will you be around after I get out?¡± ¡°I have to go back,¡± he admitted unenthusiastically. Nodding in acknowledgement, I stepped around him, heading for the door. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to hop in the shower really quickly then.¡± ¡°Take Vincent with you!¡± Fiona called after me. ¡°He probably needs one as well. You guys slept in the same bed, so why not shower together?¡± My head snapped toward her and I glowered, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. ¡°Fiona! No!¡± She cocked her head to the side, her green eyes wide and innocent. ¡°Well why not? It¡¯d save on water.¡± ¡°Fiona,¡± Sebastian said reproachfully. ¡°Stop¡­ Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s too embarrassed to admit it¡¯s a splendid idea?¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± I cried in betrayal, whipping my gaze to him. ¡°No!¡± He patted the top of my head. ¡°Go on, admit it.¡± I opened my mouth to protest, but Vincent decided to speak up at that moment. ¡°All of you stop being idiots and get out.¡± ¡°Aww,¡± Fiona cooed, sounding highly amused. ¡°Vivi is embarrassed! Seb look at him!¡± ¡°This is new,¡± Sebastian mused, his eyes sliding over my head to the bed where Vincent was still lying. Interested, I twisted on my heel to look at him. To my surprise, he did look embarrassed. Sheepish too. He was ring, but there definitely was a faint blush on his defined cheeks. In turn, this caused me to grow more embarrassed. Why was he acting like that? He should be the one smirking smugly at me and saying it was a great idea! Why wasn¡¯t he doing that? What was he thinking? ¡°I-I¡¯ll go take a shower downstairs. Vincent, you can use the shower upstairs,¡± I blurted finally, wrenching my gaze away from him. ¡°Sebastian, Fiona, you guys can go wait in the den or something. Make yourself at home.¡± . . ¡°Sure!¡± Fiona chirped happily. ¡°I¡¯m actually kind of hungry.¡± ¡°Then go eat,¡± I told her, starting for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be about fifteen minutes. Try not to mess up the house too-¡± Suddenly a body appeared in front of me, causing me to run straight into the owner¡¯s chest. A startled gasp left my lips and I stumbled back, looking up to see a familiar blonde. ¡°Hey!¡± Joel greeted me. My hand flew to my heart. ¡°Joel! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You thought I¡¯d miss out on a day of fun in the human world?¡± he asked rhetorically. ¡°Vivi¡¯s right. You are stupid.¡± My response to hisment was cut off when Vincent appeared out of nowhere at my side, shoving Joel roughly in the chest. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Joel winced, staggering back a few feet. ¡°Ouch, dude. You need to control your force.¡± ¡°I did that on purpose, idiot.¡± I escaped by the two, deciding not to listen to their bickering. There was only about four hours before Sebastian had to go back to the manor. It wasn¡¯t in my best interest to dilly-dally with anyone. My n was to hop in the shower, hop out, and be on the way. That could easily be done in ten minutes. After stopping in my room to snatch up a fresh pair of clothing, I hastened to the downstairs bathroom. All the while I was in the shower, I was half-expecting someone to burst in, but, fortunately for me, that didn¡¯t happen. After I finished cleaning myself, I speed-dried by body, pulling on my clothes as quickly as I could. With a towel around my damp hair, I exited the bathroom, heading for the den. When I entered, a confusing sight met my eyes. My brother was there, lying on the ground on his back, his face screwed up in frustration while Joel was on top of him, pinning him in ce easily. Fiona was squatting by my brother¡¯s head, poking him in the cheek, grinning widely. Hachi was next to her, waving his tail excitedly. Vincent was sitting on one of the dark brown leather couches, his arms crossed, looking incredibly bored. Sebastian was next to him, the very same expression on his face. It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen them seem so simr to each other. ¡°Okay! Okay! You win!¡± my brother suddenly cried, thrashing around under Joel. ¡°Geez, man!¡± Joelughed triumphantly, easily pushing to himself to his feet. ¡°Geez what? Geez, I knew you were incredibly strong?¡± ¡°You have like, super human strength,¡± Jake muttered, ignoring both Fiona and Joel¡¯s hands and easing himself back up. ¡°You¡¯re like a freak of nature.¡± Now I decided to interject. ¡°What were you guys doing?¡± Jake¡¯s eyes snapped to mine. ¡°There you are! You didn¡¯t tell me you were throwing a party.¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± I informed him, crossing my arms. ¡°Why were you two wrestling?¡± ¡°Obviously to see who is stronger,¡± Joel responded with a mysterious smile. I rolled my eyes. There was no question about the answer. Everyone in the room, aside from Jake, knew Joel would be the stronger one. Why even bother testing it? ¡°Okay, well we¡¯re leaving. Come on you guys.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hold up,¡± Sebastian said, springing up from the couch. Taking the towel from around my shoulders, he covered my head with it, and began to dry my hair energetically. ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you don¡¯t dry your hair properly.¡± . . Trying to shove him away, I grabbed his arms, attempting to hold them in ce. ¡°Sebastian! I just brushed it!¡± ¡°You are her boyfriend!¡± Jake stated usingly. ¡°I knew it! You lied to me!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in the car,¡± Vincent announced, leaving the room briskly. ¡°Hurry up or I¡¯ll leave without you.¡± I managed to throw the towel off my head. ¡°You don¡¯t have my keys¡­¡± I trailed off when he dangled them from his pointer finger. ¡°Okay, never mind.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jake demanded. ¡°Out,¡± I replied, grabbing Sebastian¡¯s hand and leading him out of the den. ¡°Fiona. Joel, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± they chorused cheerfully. ¡°Wait!¡± Jake cried after us. ¡°Tell me!¡± I ignored his calls, hurrying outside. The air was pleasantly warm when it met my face as I opened the front door. Definitely warmer than the past few days had been. It almost felt like summer. The sun was shining high in the sky and there was virtually no wind at all- just a small breeze now and again. Not bad weather for the beginning of November. Vincent was already in my car and had the engine running. After a five-second fight between the three vampires, it was decided I would ride shotgun since it was my vehicle. Agreeing, I slipped into the seat, snapping my seat belt. As soon as it was secured, Vincent pressed on the gas, jolting everyone inside. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked. ¡°Look Park.¡± He nced at me briefly. ¡°Really?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows at him. ¡°Yes¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°Are we going to go on the paddleboats?¡± Fiona inquired, leaning forward in her seat so that her head was in between Vincent and my headrests. Joel moved forward in seat as well. ¡°Are we? Really?¡± I nodded. ¡°Sebastian has never used them before, so yes.¡± ¡°Did you bring money for the park fee and paddleboat fee?¡± Fiona asked, a frown adorning her face. ¡°I have money,¡± Sebastian interjected before I could respond. ¡°I don¡¯t mind paying if it costs money.¡± Shaking my head, I turned in my seat so I could grin at them. ¡°My dad helped build all of the establishments in the park, so I get in for free. That includes all of the amusements too.¡± Joel looked impressed. ¡°I¡¯ve never met your parents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because one, you¡¯ve only been to my house twice, and two, they work a lot. My dad¡¯s a contractor and architect and my mom is a nurse. My dad doesn¡¯t really like guys either, so you might not want to meet him.¡± Vincent scoffed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really? That¡¯s the understatement of the century.¡± ¡°He really doesn¡¯t like Vincent,¡± I informed the trio. A smile crossed my face at the thought of my dad¡¯s reactions when Vincent was around. Brief, rude, and sarcastic. It was actually highly amusing. . . ¡°It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s a bad boy ,¡± Fiona giggled. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s because Vincent sleeps in the same bed as Emily,¡± Joel said suggestively. I shook my head at him. ¡°This was the first time that ever happened! And it wasn¡¯t even the whole night. It was only like, four hours.¡± ¡°And she counts the moments spent in that bed,¡± Sebastianmented in a dramatic tone. ¡°Knock it off,¡± Vincent and I demanded at the same time. Snickers filled the back of the car. As much as I tried to be annoyed with them for teasing us, I found I couldn¡¯t be. It was hard to believe these were the same people who kidnapped me. Well, indirectly kidnapped me. Still, it was basically the same thing. And here I was today, acting like they¡¯ve been my friends for forever when in truth I¡¯d only known them for over a month. A month and I felt as close, if not closer, to them as I felt to Alli, Leah, and Kai. It was crazy. The park was only a few miles away from my house, so we arrived quickly. Vincent slowed down by the tollbooth, after the park¡¯s gated entrance. ¡°It¡¯s closed,¡± he dered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I responded, gesturing him to go on. ¡°That just means nothing will be open.¡± ¡°But if nothing is open then how are we-¡± ¡°Just go,¡± I ordered, shaking my head at him. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± He grunted in response, pressing down on the gas and heading down the hill that led to the main parking lot of the park. Following my directions, we traveled through the park on the paved roads until we reached the other side, where theke was. Some straggler ducks were floating around in the stream before it, looking around for something to eat. Vincent parked in the paddleboat parking lot, cutting the engine. All of us piled out of the car and headed toward the wooden booth that usually collected the money you had to pay to use the boats. Today, however, it was boarded up and locked. Ignoring it, I moved toward the gates leading to theke. They were also closed and locked. ¡°Now what?¡± Fiona asked in a disappointed tone. ¡°I thought you knew what you were doing?¡± I turned to cock an eyebrow at her. ¡°Do locks really keep you out of ces?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She blinked. ¡°Not me,¡± Joel interjected with a grin. ¡°I think I know what you¡¯d do in a situation like this.¡± To show what he meant, he moved toward the tall, ck gate. In one swift, graceful movement, he vaulted himself over it,nding on the other side without a sound. Fiona stared after him for a second. ¡°Ohh! I can do that.¡± Keeping true to her words, she also hopped over the fence. ¡°Sebastian, go on,¡± I urged, turning to him. He looked a little hesitant. ¡°This is breaking humanw¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a vampire. It doesn¡¯t count for you.¡± The corners of his mouth lifted into a tiny smile. ¡°You¡¯re a bad influence, you know that?¡± I returned his smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be bad every once in awhile.¡± . . 45 ¡°Very true,¡± he replied, stretching out his arm so he could reach the top of the gate. Smoothly, he cleared the fence. Vincent watched me with apprehensive eyes as I moved toward the cool metal, putting my hand to the top of it. When I noticed him staring at me, I nodded for him to go over. ¡°It¡¯s easy.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I can do it. I¡¯m more interested in seeing you do it.¡± ¡°I do it all the time,¡± I told him confidently. Albeit Kai or Alli always helped me over, but it couldn¡¯t be too much harder without them. ¡°Watch and learn.¡± cing both my hands at the top of the fence, I used my upper body strength to lift myself off the ground. Or let me correct that. Try to lift myself off the ground. Groaning in strain, I managed to get myself a foot up before my arms gave out and I dropped back down. Joel covered his mouth to hide hisughter. I red at him, then at the ck fence. Kai and Alli barely helped me over! Kai lifted me up while Alli helped pull me over¡­ A grimace crossed my face when I realized how much they did actually help me. Suddenly a pair of cool hands was ced on my hips. I jerked in surprise, twisting my head to see Vincent behind me. His expression was t, but his eyes were smug. ¡°Need help?¡± ¡°I¡­ No,¡± I said defiantly, standing a little straighter. He moved his head closer to mine. ¡°Liar,¡± he whispered in my ear. Before I could protest, he hoisted me into the air. Automatically, I reached for the fence, gripping the top bar of it. He kept raising me until I was able to get one leg over it. At that point I could do the rest myself, so he let me go. Not so elegantly, I jumped down, stumbling a little bit as Inded. Secondster Vincentnded next to me with a dull thud. ¡°Now what?¡± Joel asked, turning toward theke. ¡°Do we just take the paddleboats?¡± He gestured toward the small pleasure boats at the side of theke. I followed his gaze, nodding. There were ten of them, about as long and wide as a small car. They came in four different colors: blue, red, green, and yellow. A small dust of rust covered the bottom of a few of them, showing their age. We moved toward the stic vehicles, debating which ones would be the best to use. ¡°Should we just use two?¡± Fiona asked. ¡°We could have two on one and three on the other.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with Emily alone,¡± Sebastian stated quickly and firmly. I stared at him in surprise. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± he said hesitantly. ¡°Um, yeah, but¡­¡± He smiled gently at me. ¡°I just want to talk.¡± ¡°Then Fiona, Vincent, and I-¡± ¡°I¡¯m going alone,¡± Vincent dered tly, interrupting Joel. ¡°You and Fiona share one.¡± Joel shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡± I nced at Vincent as he moved toward the closest paddleboat. He didn¡¯t seem to share the same idea of getting along as I did. Shrugging, I turned to Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what to do;e on.¡± . . Moving toward the boat behind Vincent¡¯s, I demonstrated how to step onto it without falling into the water. Of course seeing as how Sebastian was a vampire, he didn¡¯t really have to worry about bnce. He got on more smoothly than I did. By the time I was seated on the boat, Vincent was already paddling out. It was kind of a funny sight. Usually I didn¡¯t see him doing anything active. ¡°So what do I do?¡± Sebastian asked, looking down at the pedals at his feet. ¡°You paddle,¡± I instructed him, putting my feet on the pedals at my feet. ¡°Just like on a bike.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s pedaling.¡± ¡°No, paddling,¡± I corrected him, pressing down on one of the pedals so we could start going. ¡°Use it like a bike. And use the wheel in the middle for steering.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded slowly, moving his feet in a circr motion to keep up with me. ¡°Let¡¯s go the opposite way than Vincent. I know he¡¯ll be listening.¡± My eyes wandered to the other man¡¯s back, which tensed at Sebastian¡¯s words. Growing even more curious about what he wanted to talk about, I nodded, steering the wheel to the left so we could go to the other side of theke. For a while Sebastian stayed quiet, focusing on the nature around us. ¡°It¡¯s nice here,¡± hemented casually. ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± ¡°Yep.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Do youe here a lot?¡± I turned to look at him now. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s a different topic. What do you want to talk about?¡± He sighed lightly. ¡°Well there are actually two things. One is pretty casual, and the other is more serious. Which one would you like to hear first?¡± ¡°Serious,¡± I responded, feeling my gut shift ufortably. ¡°I figured you might. You don¡¯t have to look so nervous though. It¡¯s not that bad¡­¡± He hesitated, pursing his lips. ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯m not sure if it is or not.¡± ¡°Well what is it?¡± I inquired. A scream cut the silence around us and both Sebastian and I snapped our heads around to see what the problem was. My heartbeat increased tenfold as my eyes searched the immediately area. They finallynded on Fiona, who wasughing hysterically at something while trying to grab onto the back of Vincent¡¯s boat. I figured the scream must havee from her. ¡°What is that girl doing?¡± Sebastian muttered, his gaze never leaving her form. His eyes showed half amusement, half concern. ¡°Umm Sebastian?¡± I said after a moment, putting a pause to my paddling so I could get his attention. He snapped out of his trance. ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized quietly. Iughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. But I¡¯m starting to feel sick. What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Oh, you know, just the whole Blue Blood situation. It seems like there will be problems in the near future¡­¡± . . ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Yesterday we received a letter¡­ Or rather I received a letter,¡± he rified, furrowing his eyebrows together. ¡°My father was expecting this.¡± ¡°Expecting what?¡± ¡°Well the letter said if I didn¡¯t step down from the thrown there would be a death¡­¡± My eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re being threatened?¡± ¡°If I was being threatened, why would I be talking to you about it like this? It wouldn¡¯t be any of your concern. I wouldn¡¯t want to make you worry unnecessarily, Emily.¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± At that moment, I realized why he was telling me this. ¡°It¡¯s me, isn¡¯t it?¡± My heart sunk as I said these words. He nodded, a frown developing on his face. ¡°It¡¯s Ashton and his goons. They think they have the upper advantage since they know you¡¯re a Blue Blood.¡± ¡°I should have guessed.¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been too hard. Blue Bloods are rare, so of course they would think that.¡± ¡°Does it run in families or what? Are my parents Blue Bloods?¡± I asked him, cupping my elbow with my hand.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯spletely random. Luck of the draw.¡± ¡°Figure,¡± I muttered. ¡°Have you figured out how Ashton knows?¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, I¡¯m sorry. My father and mother believe it was someone from the kitchen help. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised about that. But that¡¯s not what we should be talking about.¡± ¡°What exactly did the letter say?¡± ¡°It was long,¡± he exined. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much at the moment, I just wanted to give you a heads up. I won¡¯t be stepping down from the throne, but I won¡¯t let any harme to you either. Neither will Vincent, or my mother, or my father, nor anyone else who knows about you. Ashton isn¡¯t nearly as powerful as he thinks he is.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want anything to happen to any of you because of me.¡± He brought his hand to my face. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Emily, but you really shouldn¡¯t say that. Vincent was the one to drag you into this mess in the first ce.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not his fault!¡± I protested. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was,¡± Sebastian replied, dropping his hand and cocking an eyebrow. ¡°He is just the one who brought you into the vampire world. You didn¡¯te in willingly.¡± I brushed my hair away from my face, starting to paddle again. ¡°Sebastian? What does Ashton look like?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I saw someone strange at the bowling ally the other night¡­¡± ¡°I highly doubt Ashton would be at a bowling ally,¡± Sebastian responded slowly, ¡°but he has the same form as Vincent, height, weight, and body structure. He might have grown taller though. It¡¯s been at least half a year since I¡¯ve seen himst. He also has ck hair, the natural kind.¡± . . Relief flooded through me. The guy from the ally had white hair, and it looked pretty natural to me. ¡°What about eye color?¡± ¡°Grey. That¡¯s probably where he got his name from.¡± So they had the same eye color. But that happened with a lot of people, didn¡¯t it? It could be some random guy from school that knows me- a person from a younger grade. Or maybe it was Samuel and I didn¡¯t recognize him. How long had it been since Ist saw him? A few weeks? Would Ashtone to the human world to find me? The guy at the ally had a lot of friends with him, and his friends were definitely human. He was the only one who looked like a vampire¡­ at least to me. Now that I was thinking about it though, it was hard to tell the difference. ¡°I really don¡¯t think it was him you saw,¡± Sebastian spoke up. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about that person though, stay away if you see him. It¡¯s better not to throw caution to the wind. Also, I wouldn¡¯t mention him to Vincent.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°He would go hunting for that person, I assure you.¡± I narrowed my eyes in confusion. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Well, that brings us to topic two. Do you remember when I asked you if you¡¯d ever date a vampires?¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°You kind of hesitated then. If I asked you right now, would you hesitate again?¡± I paused, pursing my lips to the side. Would I hesitate? Sure, I had a crush on Vincent and I liked him a lot, despite his outer jerk persona, but would I date him? My gut was telling me yes, but my mind was saying no. He was still a vampire. I didn¡¯t want to end up like Sebastian and Fiona¡­ unable to be with the one I love and a vampire. Repressing a shudder, I looked at Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯d still hesitate.¡± His famous kind smile graced his face. 46 ¡°I thought so. Emily, I understand your feeling about vampires. Vincent though¡­ He¡¯s never expressed an interest in someone as much as he has in you. He doesn¡¯t talk to anyone like he talks to you. He would never share a bed with someone. I¡¯m actually surprised he allowed us to ride with you two in the car today. If you looked up the word sociopath in the dictionary, Vincent¡¯s name would be there.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a sociopath,¡± I objected. ¡°He just doesn¡¯t like most people¡­¡± ¡°All people,¡± Sebastian corrected me. ¡°Especially his fancy. He¡¯s only civil sometimes, as I¡¯m sure you witnessed while staying with us.¡± I crossed my arms at him. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°My point is if Vincent ever wanted to progress your rtionship with him, would you let him?¡± His question threw me off guard. Even though I should¡¯ve realized it wasing, it still shocked me. Why was he questioning me about my rtionship with Vincent? Did it matter? Did he know something I didn¡¯t? He couldn¡¯t. Vincent didn¡¯t seem like he would ever talk to Sebastian about things like that. ¡°I know my brother,¡± Sebastian continued, noticing my silence. ¡°It may sound like a cheesy line from books and movies, but the way he looks at you-¡± ¡°Stop,¡± I interrupted, holding my hand up. ¡°Sebastian¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡± . . I dropped my head. ¡°Can I bepletely truthful with you?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Will you judge me?¡± ¡°No¡­ But I may try to change your mind if I don¡¯t like your way of thinking,¡± he added after a moment. I grinned for a second, but it quickly disappeared. ¡°I kissed Vincent today.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Really?¡± He sounded impressed. ¡°It was one of those fireworks kisses. You know?¡± ¡°I definitely know.¡± ¡°Yeah. However, there was still that sick feeling in my stomach. My gut telling me Vincent is a vampire. That I shouldn¡¯t be doing that. It¡¯s not right, Sebastian. You guys are different¡­¡± Sebastian stayed quiet for a moment. ¡°But did it feel right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I confessed, turning my head back up. His eyes smoldered into mine and I held his gaze. ¡°I like him, Sebastian¡­ But I have this stupid gut feeling that won¡¯t go away, no matter what.¡± He nodded understandingly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emily. It¡¯s only natural. You were afraid of vampires your whole life until now, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°There you go. One day that feeling will go away.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another thing too.¡± ¡°Let me take a wild guess,¡± he said, smiling again. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be a vampire?¡± I stared at him in surprise. ¡°H-how did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious, Em.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmured. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯m not going to look down on you for it. I wouldn¡¯t want to be a vampire either.¡± My eyes finally shifted away from Sebastian, back to the other side of theke where Vincent was now by himself, drifting by the rocks. ¡°I¡¯m human and always will be. Vincent is a vampire and always will be. If my crush ever turns into something more, I know how it will end. Heartbreak.¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not true, Emily.¡± ¡°Yes it is.¡± ¡°It could work out. You have to try.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± His eyes pierced into mine. ¡°Why give up before you give it a chance? You¡¯re better than that.¡± I chewed on my bottom lip. ¡°You guys are royalty¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m serious when I say Vincent doesn¡¯t act the way he acts around you around anyone else.¡± ¡°Why do you care so much?¡± ¡°Vincent is my brother. While he may not care too much about me, I love him very much. I dislike seeing him alone all the time. I¡¯m sure you would feel the same way if Jake was like that, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°I can definitely imagine that. I can¡¯t promise you anything, Seb, but I will try¡­ If anything happens.¡± Relief flooded his face. ¡°Thank you, Emily.¡± . . ¡°Don¡¯t thank me.¡± ¡°I just did.¡± I gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°No really. But hey.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll try to fix things with Fiona,¡± I demanded, giving him a serious look. ¡°Okay? Promise me.¡± He gave me an ufortable look. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? You love her don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes-¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s all that matters. Sebastian, you¡¯re going to be king. You can do whatever you want. Who cares if you¡¯re in love with someone that used to be human? You can¡¯t help who you fall in love with.¡± The expression on his face was nk for a few moments until he finally smiled gently at me. ¡°You¡¯re right. If worsees to worse, I can just drop the throne. However, Fiona¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°Fiona still loves you too.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a girl. I just know,¡± I told him, shrugging. Heughed. ¡°Okay. I guess I¡¯ll have to trust you. I¡¯ll talk with Fiona. You should talk with Vince too, Emily.¡± The corners of my lips lifted into a tiny smile. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°No, not maybe-¡± ¡°Fine, soon,¡± I snapped, ducking my head in embarrassment. ¡°Paddle me back. We¡¯re switching.¡± He chuckled and obeyed my order. We closed in on Vincent¡¯s boat and he turned to re at us. Obviously he wasn¡¯t having too much fun. Sebastian moved our boat as close as possible to his. ¡°I¡¯m switching over,¡± I informed them both, grabbing onto Vincent¡¯s paddleboat. ¡°Try not to rock the boat.¡± Sebastian nodded while Vincent stayed quiet, keeping an eye on me. Carefully, I pushed myself off my seat, leaning more onto Vincent¡¯s boat. His arm shot out to steady me as I half jumped, half fell into the back of his. My left foot went into the water, sending freezing water through my shoe. I yanked it back quickly, letting out a squawk of surprise. This caused both men tough. After scowling at them, I climbed into the front of the boat next to Vincent. Sebastian started paddling off to join Fiona and Joel, who were by the waterfall. ¡°What did he want?¡± Vincent asked after a second of silence. ¡°Umm, just to ask me how you are doing,¡± I made up¡­ Well sort of. He was worried about Vincent. Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°And what did you say?¡± ¡°That you cry of homesickness every night.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± Iughed at his expression. ¡°I¡¯m kidding! I said you were fine and that you were doing great in school.¡± He automatically scowled at me. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny, stupid.¡± ¡°To me it was.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± he responded, turning his head away from me. ¡°Do you want to just sit here or go around theke?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go around theke,¡± I decided, starting to paddle. ¡°Since you spent the whole time wallowing here you¡¯ve missed out on a lot of the nature.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t wallowing.¡± ¡°Sure, okay.¡± He turned to me, leaning over so our faces were only a few inches apart. ¡°You¡¯re being awfulcenttely.¡± I had to remind myself to breathe. Letting out a small breath, I did my best to smile smugly. ¡°No. You¡¯re just referring to the fact you can¡¯t kiss.¡± ¡°I can! ¡± ¡°Apparently not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stupid!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bad kisser.¡± ¡°So are you!¡± I didn¡¯t find this offensive at all. ¡°You didn¡¯t say thatst night, so I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re saying that just to try to make me angry, which isn¡¯t working.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°You know what¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. Tell me.¡± A huff of anger left his lips. I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing again. If this is what he felt when he teased me, now I knew why he did it. He was adorable when frustrated. If there ever was that chance of progressing our rtionship, I now knew what I would choose. Come hell or high water, I would definitely give it a chance. _____________________________ 47 The next few days rolled by without incident. I hadn¡¯t seen that silver haired young man since the bowling ally and he was slowly easing out of my mind. Every now and again a random thought about him would pop up, but I¡¯d shrug it away. It was weird he knew my name, but a lot of students at my school I didn¡¯t know knew my name. It could¡¯ve been one of them. When I walked the halls now I kept an eye open for the smoky eyed man. Vincent, while not being quite the social butterfly, started being a little friendlier with my friends. Well, Alli and Leah at least. There was still some unspoken tension between him and Kai- which I didn¡¯t understand. Unless Vincent thought Kai had a crush on me, or something. That was possible. Kai could be over friendly. And it was cute to think Vincent was jealous of him. When Friday arrived again, my friends and I were nning out what we were going to do that night. To nobody¡¯s surprise, Vincent was skulking in the corner while Kai did most of the nning. I personally didn¡¯t care what we did as long as we went out. My brother had to stay home, so I didn¡¯t want to subject Vincent to that. They still didn¡¯t get along at all. ¡°I say bowling,¡± Leah suggested, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. ¡°We should keep up the custom.¡± Kai shook his head vehemently. ¡°No, we did thatst week. I say we go to the movies.¡± ¡°Or the carnival,¡± Alli suggested, cupping her elbow with her hand. Leah gave her a crazy look. ¡°There¡¯s no carnival.¡± ¡°Yes there is,¡± she disagreed, shaking her head. ¡°In the mall parking lot. I passed it yesterday and it wouldn¡¯t only be opened on a Thursday and not a Friday, Leah.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m up for a carnival,¡± Kai said, a grin slipping onto his face. ¡°How about you, Vivi?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± I whirled around to stare at him. ¡°What? But I want to go!¡± Kai narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°What does him not going have to do with you?¡± ¡°He, um-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t. She can go.¡± My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What? Really?¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°Go for it. I have ns for tonight.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yeah, with a prettydy.¡± Alli nudged him in the side with her elbow. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s this? I-Hate-The-World Vincent has a date?¡± He shoved her away lightly, which to her, was roughly. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You have a date?¡± I repeated, an unusual tightness in my chest forming. Was that jealousy? Did he even know any girls to date? He never left my side throughout the school day, nor did he ever go out at night. ¡°Yes,¡± he stated, his sapphire eyes piercing into mine. ¡°You don¡¯t know her,¡± he emphasized. Kai gave him a p on the back. ¡°Good going, Vincent!¡± ¡°Touch me again and I will break your fingers.¡± Normally I would scold him for his words, but I was still in shock. Why would Vincent be going out on a date? He said he liked me! He even knew I liked him too, so why would he say yes to a date with someone? Unless he was the one to ask the girl¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t go,¡± I blurted out. . . Everyone turned to look at me. Vincent smirked. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I, uh, w-well I¡¯m sure my parents wouldn¡¯t let you. You do remember you¡¯re hear because of your delinquency, right?¡± ¡°That never meant I was going to stop.¡± Incredulity filled me as I stared at him. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s jealous,¡± Alli sang tauntingly. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day Emily got jealous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± A hand appeared on my shoulder and I turned to see Kai shaking his head at me. ¡°Wrong guy to get jealous over, Em.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous!¡± Even Leah was giving me a pitying look. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do¡­¡± ¡°Vincent, can I talk to you alone for a second?¡± I muttered, grabbing his arm before waiting for his answer. Despite the fact I was using all the strength in my body to tug at him, he didn¡¯t budge. Straining so hard I could feel the muscles in my neck tightening, I couldn¡¯t to push him. Without warning he started moving, causing me to tumble forward. My friends chuckled as my head went straight into his rear. Blushing, I erected myself and began to march away from them, rounding the corner to the stairwell. Within seconds Vincent caught up to me, smiling smugly again, holding the door open for me to pass through. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡± ¡°What do you mean date?¡± I demanded, ncing at him from the corner of my eye. ¡°Why are you going on a date? If you wanted to go on one, why not ask me?¡± Thest words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Vincent cocked an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be up for another date.¡± ¡°Another?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say the movies was a date?¡± I frowned. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry though. It¡¯s not that kind of date. You don¡¯t need to be jealous .¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! Geez! You¡¯re a vampire! No way!¡± His hand shot out to cover my mouth with enough force to cause my top lip to smash painfully into my front teeth. A muffled cry of pain left my lips and he gave me a harsh look. ¡°Shut up.¡± His words sent a shudder down my spine. An unreadable expression crossed his face, but I couldn¡¯t determine what it was. It looked almost offended. After a moment of trying to pull his hand away, he finally released me. I licked my lip, feeling it burn painfully and tasting the tang of blood. ¡°Ow¡­¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he muttered, catching my chin in my hand. Without warning, he pressed his lips to mine in a deep kiss. Caught off guard, I tried to push him away as a blush rose to my cheeks. Unfortunately for me, he easily batted my hands away. Part of me was enjoying the kiss while another part was panicking. What if someone walked in on us? Everyone knew we were living together. It would get incredibly awkward if they thought we were dating. The teasing would be endless. My worrying ceased when Vincent eventually pulled away, sliding his tongue over his bottom lip. Giving him a disapproving look, I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, pulling it away to see blood. ¡°Hey!¡± I cried, my head snapping back up so I could meet his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You did that for my blood, didn¡¯t you?¡± The corners of his lips twitched, but other than that he kept his face straight. Or at least tried to. He was failing miserably. ¡°How could you use me of such a thing?¡± he inquired. . . I scowled at him. ¡°That¡¯s gross!¡± ¡°Not when you essentially live off blood.¡± ¡°To me it is!¡± He waved me off. ¡°Are you nning on going to the carnival or not? If so, take Joel or Fiona with you.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You know.¡± ¡°I thought you just said you had a date-¡± ¡°With my meal,¡± he rified. Realization set in and I wrinkled my nose. ¡°Oh. In that case, go right on ahead. I¡¯ll bring along Fiona if she¡¯s interested.¡± And maybe I could drag Sebastian along as well¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about asking Sebastian, don¡¯t. He¡¯s busy tonight,¡± Vincent told me. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I already asked him if he wanted to hunt for¡­ my cat together,¡± he muttered as the door to the stairwell opened. I nodded at him, watching as the passerby (Ben, one of the members of the baseball team) hurried past us, saying a quick hello. We exited the stairwell after that, going back to Leah, Kai, and Alli. They all had knowing expression on their faces that made my cheeks warm up. Hopefully not enough for them to notice though. ¡°So, are you going to go?¡± Kai questioned. ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m up,¡± I told him, smiling. ¡°But I¡¯ll drive myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive myself too,¡± Leah added. ¡°No offense Kai, but you¡¯re car sucks. It¡¯s a hazard just look at.¡± He stuck out his tongue. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to a carnival in a long time. I¡¯m pretty excited for some cotton candy,¡± Imented thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m excited for the baked potatoes,¡± Alli said excitedly, her eyes lightening up. ¡°If I could live off of those, I would.¡± Leahughed at her. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s a lot of starch. You¡¯d be fat in no time.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You take the fun out of everything, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just looking out for you.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll me up at eight?¡± Kai suggested, looking at all of us. ¡°Make sure to bring a coat. It¡¯s getting cold.¡± Alli grinned widely. ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s twenty-five days until Christmas.¡± I blinked at her. ¡°Wait, really?¡± ¡°Where have you been? It¡¯s December first.¡± It was already the first? That meant a month had passed since I¡¯d met Vincent. Which meant it¡¯d already been about two weeks since he came to live with me. And nothing had happened in that amount of time. There had been no attacks, not even any threats. Was he really needed after all? I nced at him. He seemed to be thinking the same thing. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t think about leaving¡­ Just in case. ¡°Eight?¡± Kai pressed, waiting for our answers. ¡°Sure,¡± Alli, Leah, and I chorused. He nodded, turning to Vincent. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want toe, Vivi?¡± He shot Kai a dirty look. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. And no, I don¡¯t want to go if you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Ouch,¡± Kai responded, putting a hand to his heart. ¡°Your words pierce me deep¡­¡± . . ¡°Shut up.¡± I shook my head, smiling in amusement. ¡°Come on, Vincent. Let¡¯s get you home before you turn rabid.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°Thanks to thatment, I get to drive.¡± ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°Toote,¡± he responded, dangling my keys in front of me. I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°How did you even get those?¡± He smirked for a second before turning on his heel and heading for the school exit. Sighing, I said a quick goodbye to my friends and trotted after him. * * * * * At eight o¡¯clock sharp I pulled up to the carnival parking lot. It was already dark, so the event was lit up brightly with different styles of lights. Four towering stadium lights were positioned at the four corners of the parking lot where the carnival was set up. From where I was, I could see countless tents and booths set up. Driving slowly, I maneuvered my car around all the people swarming the parking lot. Eventually I found and open spot and quickly pulled into it. Kai was already waiting by the entrance when I came up to him. He grinned and waved excitedly as I hurried toward him. ¡°I bought your wristband for you,¡± he told me, giving me a bright green piece of paper. ¡°Wrist band?¡± I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows as I slipped it around my wrist and snapped it into ce. ¡°It¡¯s to let everyone know you paid admission,¡± he informed me. ¡°Apparently you have to pay this time to get in.¡± I stared at the bracelet in annoyance. At least my sweatshirt would cover it. ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°Already inside,¡± he responded, slinging an arm around my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± I told him, ncing at my watch. ¡°It¡¯s only two after. I pulled in at exactly eight.¡± Kai rolled his eyes. ¡°Rule of thumb, Em. Did you forget? Always arrive ten minutes earlier than our set time.¡± ¡°No one said that.¡± ¡°Well it just so happened everyone but you showed up early.¡± I shoved him. ¡°Whatever. Just bring me to where everyone is.¡± ¡°So Vincent didn¡¯t want toe after all?¡± he asked, apparently deciding to change the subject. ¡°Was it because of me?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s just, um, well he¡¯s going on a date.¡± Might as well use the excuse he told them. Now that I knew it wasn¡¯t a real date, it was okay. Kai frowned. ¡°Really? I thought he liked you.¡± ¡°You did?¡± I asked in surprise. He snorted. ¡°It¡¯s really obvious.¡± ¡°It is?¡± ¡°Just not to you, I guess. Everyone else thinks so too.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I shrugged it off. It wasn¡¯t like it was untrue. A smile crept onto my lips. Kai noticed and smirked at me. ¡°Guess you like him too, huh?¡± ¡°No-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. It¡¯s written in the stars.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A million miles away. A message to the main.¡± It took me a second to realize the background music from the carnival. Kai smirked at me. ¡°Seasonse and go, but I will never change. I¡¯m on my way!¡± . . 48 I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°And here I actually thought you were going to say something semi-romantic.¡± ¡°Me? Never,¡± he replied with an impish grin. ¡°Look, there are the others!¡± Following his pointing finger, my gazended on Alli, Leah, and Joel, who came in ce of Fiona seeing as how she was helping Sebastian with something back at the manor. He started jogging up to me, an apologetic look on his face. ¡°Hey, Emily. Do you mind if I leave? Samuel is in dire need of someone to y Halo with-¡± ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Leah interjected, smiling slyly. ¡°He¡¯s going on a date. Some girl named Tiffany.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Really?¡± Joel scowled at Leah. ¡°You ruin everything, you know that?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Tiffany?¡± I asked, feeling a smile spreading onto my face. He pursed his lips at me. ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°Aw, are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°Do you care if I go or not?¡± he demanded. ¡°Umm, is that a good idea?¡± ¡°Yeah. Nothing¡¯ll happen with this many people around,¡± he told me casually. ¡°Just make sure you go right home after you leave.¡± Going against my gut feeling of telling him to stay, I agreed with him, and let him leave. Kai and I rejoined the rest of the group. Alli was holding a half-eaten baked potato. As I approached, she held it out to me to take. I shook my head to refuse her offer. ¡°So have you guys looked around yet?¡± ¡°A little bit,¡± Leah responded, folding her arms over her chest. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of food booths. Not so many game ones.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? There are plenty!¡± Alli disagreed, looking at her friend skeptically. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need sses?¡± Leah rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take another swoop around then,¡± I suggested, leading the way. ¡°Swoop!¡± Kai mimicked. I shoved him sideways, causing him tough. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± We circled the entire carnival twice; taking in everything was there. During the second round, I stopped and bought some cotton candy. After that, Kai started pestering us to y games. My hand found its way into my pocket, fingering the money I had on me. Normally I spent way too much at these types of attractions, so this time I¡¯d decided to limit myself and only bring thirty. With the purchase of my cotton candy, that left me twenty-five. Enough for a few games. ¡°Emily,¡± Kai started, turning his pleading eyes toward me. ¡°You know what you should do? y that basketball game and win me a giant penguin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± Leahined. ¡°I want one of those gigantic stuffed animals too! You can only win once!¡± Kai stared at her. ¡°Then y yourself.¡± ¡°But with Emily it¡¯s a guaranteed win!¡± ¡°I asked her first, so ha!¡± ¡°Emily!¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°How about you both try to win for yourself? That sounds pretty fair to me.¡± Kai shoved me toward the basketball hoops. ¡°Just go win something for me.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled. ¡°But you and Leah can fight ¡¯till the death for the plushy. I¡¯m not choosing.¡± Determination shed across Leah¡¯s face. ¡°Understood.¡± . . Together we walked up to the worker in charge of the booth. He was a grizzly old man, resembling a bear in many ways starting with the thick beard on his chin and his bulky physique. A happy smile crossed his face as I stopped in front of him. ¡°Would you like to y? Two dors for one ball, five for three.¡± ¡°She only needs one,¡± Kai told the man confidently, holding out two singles to him. ¡°Sure,¡± he responded, taking the money and tossing me a ball. ¡°Good luck. One in wins you any prize.¡± No sooner had he finished his sentence, my basketball swished in the. The worker¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°W-what would you like for your prize?¡± he finally asked after a moment of awed silence. ¡°Penguin,¡± I said, pointing to the ck and white animal. When he gave me it, I quickly put it on the ground. ¡°Okay. You guys can go after it in three, two, one¡­¡± I stepped away from the stuffed animal and Kai and Leah both lunged for it, causing Alli and I to burst outughing. Leah had its feet while Kai had its flippers and they were both caught in some kind of tug-a-war. ¡°While they¡¯re busy, I¡¯m going to get a drink,¡± I told Alli, slipping around her in search for a food stand or trailer. In the immediate area were only game booths, so I had to travel a little ways before I could find a concession one. I went to the closest one and ordered a can of overpriced coke. As I turned to go back, a familiar silver-haired person entered my vision: The smoky-eyed man. My breath caught in my throat. What was he doing here? By the looks of it, he was alone. He stood casually, his hands in his tight ck jeans¡¯ pockets. A light blue, long-sleeved Hollister shirt covered his torso. An expression of mild amusement was on his face as he watched a couple of children y with tiny water guns. My feet were glued to the ground as I stared at him. I couldn¡¯t decide what I wanted to do. What I needed to do was find out who he as, but I didn¡¯t want to go over to talk to him. What if he was Ashton? No one was around to help me out. With that thought in mind, I spun my heel to go round the booth I was at so I could evade him. As long as he stayed where he was, I could pass without being noticed. My pace was unusually quick as I all but jogged past the two booths that separated us. What if he noticed me? Would he even recognize me if I was moving this fast? Would he call out to me? Did he remember my name? What if- My thoughts were cut off when someone suddenly turned the corner of the water gun booth, causing my body to barrel into theirs. Two firm hands steadied me as my head reeled from the impact. My body went rigid when I recognized the Hollister shirt. When my eyes met smoky grey ones, I wasn¡¯t surprised. The young man smiled at me. ¡°Hello, Emily.¡± ¡°H-hey,¡± I stuttered, taking a step back away from him as casually as I could manage. If I acted normal, he wouldn¡¯t think anything was weird between us. ¡°We always seem to be running into each other,¡± he told me, his voice deep and smooth. I nodded in agreement. ¡°S¡¯pose so¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever formally introduced myself,¡± he started, holding out a slim hand to me. ¡°My name¡¯s Kyle.¡± Kyle? I eyed him suspiciously. ¡°We¡¯ve never met before. How did you know my name?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you on Facebook,¡± he admitted sheepishly. ¡°Friends of friends.¡± ¡°Like who?¡± My voice sounded more using than I intended. ¡°Well for starters, Kai.¡± My shoulders sagged in relief. If he knew Kai, that meant he definitely wasn¡¯t Ashton. ¡°Oh, well nice to meet you in person.¡± . . Together we walked up to the worker in charge of the booth. He was a grizzly old man, resembling a bear in many ways starting with the thick beard on his chin and his bulky physique. A happy smile crossed his face as I stopped in front of him. ¡°Would you like to y? Two dors for one ball, five for three.¡± ¡°She only needs one,¡± Kai told the man confidently, holding out two singles to him. ¡°Sure,¡± he responded, taking the money and tossing me a ball. ¡°Good luck. One in wins you any prize.¡± No sooner had he finished his sentence, my basketball swished in the. The worker¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°W-what would you like for your prize?¡± he finally asked after a moment of awed silence. ¡°Penguin,¡± I said, pointing to the ck and white animal. When he gave me it, I quickly put it on the ground. ¡°Okay. You guys can go after it in three, two, one¡­¡± I stepped away from the stuffed animal and Kai and Leah both lunged for it, causing Alli and I to burst outughing. Leah had its feet while Kai had its flippers and they were both caught in some kind of tug-a-war. ¡°While they¡¯re busy, I¡¯m going to get a drink,¡± I told Alli, slipping around her in search for a food stand or trailer. In the immediate area were only game booths, so I had to travel a little ways before I could find a concession one. I went to the closest one and ordered a can of overpriced coke. As I turned to go back, a familiar silver-haired person entered my vision: The smoky-eyed man. My breath caught in my throat. What was he doing here? By the looks of it, he was alone. He stood casually, his hands in his tight ck jeans¡¯ pockets. A light blue, long-sleeved Hollister shirt covered his torso. An expression of mild amusement was on his face as he watched a couple of children y with tiny water guns. My feet were glued to the ground as I stared at him. I couldn¡¯t decide what I wanted to do. What I needed to do was find out who he as, but I didn¡¯t want to go over to talk to him. What if he was Ashton? No one was around to help me out. With that thought in mind, I spun my heel to go round the booth I was at so I could evade him. As long as he stayed where he was, I could pass without being noticed. My pace was unusually quick as I all but jogged past the two booths that separated us. What if he noticed me? Would he even recognize me if I was moving this fast? Would he call out to me? Did he remember my name? What if- My thoughts were cut off when someone suddenly turned the corner of the water gun booth, causing my body to barrel into theirs. Two firm hands steadied me as my head reeled from the impact. My body went rigid when I recognized the Hollister shirt. When my eyes met smoky grey ones, I wasn¡¯t surprised. The young man smiled at me. ¡°Hello, Emily.¡± ¡°H-hey,¡± I stuttered, taking a step back away from him as casually as I could manage. If I acted normal, he wouldn¡¯t think anything was weird between us. ¡°We always seem to be running into each other,¡± he told me, his voice deep and smooth. I nodded in agreement. ¡°S¡¯pose so¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever formally introduced myself,¡± he started, holding out a slim hand to me. ¡°My name¡¯s Kyle.¡± Kyle? I eyed him suspiciously. ¡°We¡¯ve never met before. How did you know my name?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you on Facebook,¡± he admitted sheepishly. ¡°Friends of friends.¡± ¡°Like who?¡± My voice sounded more using than I intended. ¡°Well for starters, Kai.¡± My shoulders sagged in relief. If he knew Kai, that meant he definitely wasn¡¯t Ashton. ¡°Oh, well nice to meet you in person.¡± . . 49 . . ¡°You too,¡± he responded with a handsome smile. ¡°My friends are waiting, so I have to go, but can I ask you a quick question?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Where did you park? I parked in the Target parking lot, but I¡¯m not sure if we were allowed to park there¡­¡± Iughed a little bit at his nervous expression. He definitely wasn¡¯t as intimidating as he seemed. This whole Ashton thing was making me paranoid. Kyle couldn¡¯t be an evil guy if he was wondering about parking. ¡°It¡¯s okay to park there,¡± I told him, ¡°I parked there too. Toward the back though. It¡¯s easier to pull out.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that for next time,¡± he told me, a grin spreading across his face. ¡°Thanks, Emily!¡± I waved my hand at him. ¡°No problem! See you around.¡± ¡°You too!¡± For a second I watched as he walked away. I couldn¡¯t help but think about how cute he was. It was normal for a girl to think that too. It didn¡¯t mean anything. Pulling myself from my thoughts, I headed back for my friends. Luckily, they were still near the basketball game. The penguin was in Leah¡¯s arms and Kai was holding his eye, scowling at her. I raised an eyebrow as I grew closer. ¡°Where were you?¡± Alli asked curiously. ¡°I ran into Kai¡¯s friend, Kyle,¡± I told her, ncing at Kai to gauge his reaction. Kai¡¯s eyes grew round. ¡°What? Kyle¡¯s here? Where?¡± Using my pointer finger, I pointed back to the food stands. ¡°He went off that way to meet with his friends.¡± ¡°Argh! I need to find that kid!¡± he responded, frowning. ¡°He owes me twenty bucks!¡± ¡°You owe me fifty!¡± Leah told him. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I¡¯m going to go find Kyle! See you guyster!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Leah demanded, chasing after him. ¡°I¡¯ll find you twoter!¡± she called over her shoulder to Alli and I. The rest of the doubt in me was cleared by Kai¡¯s words. He obviously knew Kyle. Maybe Vincent was right. Ashton wouldn¡¯t try anything in public. I was safe here and I was making a new friend. Kind of. If I kept running into him like that, he could be scared of being harmed when he was near me. I smiled to myself at that. ¡°Emily? Want to go y with darts?¡± Alli questioned, waving her hand in front of my face. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I chirped, linking my arms with her. ¡°I¡¯m going to own you!¡± Sheughed. ¡°Why¡¯d you get so happy all of a sudden?¡± I gave her a confused look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You went off all tense and returned all rxed,¡± she rified, leading me toward the darts. ¡°Maybe I was just really thirsty,¡± I told her, trying to change the subject. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to try to win Kai a giant penguin. I kind of feel bad.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Alli said, letting out a sigh. ¡°Otherwise we¡¯d never hear the end of it from him.¡± ¡°True,¡± I agreed, wrinkling my nose. ¡°Oh, by the way, can I hitch a ride home with you? Leah¡¯s going to her mom¡¯s house which is on the other side of town.¡± I bobbed my head in an affirmative response. ¡°Any certain time?¡± . . She shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Okay. Now let¡¯s go win that penguin!¡± I cried, thrusting my fist into the air. Two hourster, sixty bucks down the drain, Alli and I finally were victorious. After trading up multiple times, we¡¯d seeded in winning three more giant penguins- one for each of us. Leah and Kai had rejoined us and for the rest of the time the carnival was open, we sauntered around showing off our prizes and eating different carnival snacks. By the time we were heading toward the exit, my legs felt dead and only a few stragglers were left in the area. The mall had shut down, so the only cars in the parking lot were the few teenagers left in the carnival. ¡°I parked up here,¡± I informed my three friends, gesturing toward the dark part of the parking lot. ¡°So we¡¯ll split up here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with her,¡± Alli told the other two. ¡°So see you guyster.¡± ¡°Bye,¡± they chorused, both raising a hand in farewell. I returned it with a quick wave. ¡°Bye guys. Come on Alli, it¡¯s freezing.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she replied eagerly, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Put on the heat full st.¡± ¡°I will,¡± I told her, feeling a shudder run through me. We hastened toward my car; ready to get out of the chilly air. The only light in this section of the parking came from the stadium lights facing the carnival, so it was shadowy and a little intimidating. It reminded me of the night I¡¯d run into Joel and Vincent. My body subconsciously moved closer to Alli. ¡°Hey!¡± Both Alli and I jerked in surprise at the loud voice shouting after us. Turning around, I saw Kyleing toward us, a stuffed bear in his arms. He grinned as he approached. ¡°You two leaving now?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± we replied simultaneously. ¡°Want a bear?¡± Kyle offered me, holding out the white plushy. I raised my penguin. ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you though.¡± He smiled and shrugged. ¡°No problem. I won it kind of by ident. I didn¡¯t realize how good at darts I was.¡± Alli and I exchanged a secret nce. ¡°Who are these girls?¡± a new voice asked, a young male appearing in my field of vision a few secondster. He was about as tall as Kyle, but much more physically built. A wave of unease washed over me as I took him in. ¡°This is Emily and¡­¡± ¡°Alli,¡± Alli introduced herself with a smile. ¡°And I hope you don¡¯t mind, but we¡¯re cold, so we¡¯re going to head out, okay?¡± Kyle¡¯s smile faltered a little bit. ¡°Oh, sure¡­¡± Alli gripped my arm, turning me and leading me toward my car. I turned to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± she asked, lowering her voice. ¡°That guy and his friend aren¡¯t normal¡­ There¡¯s something weird about them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Kai¡¯s friend Kyle.¡± She stopped, giving me a confused look. ¡°What? No. I know Kyle and he definitely doesn¡¯t have silver hair.¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°What? Are you sure he didn¡¯t dye it?¡± ¡°No, I saw him yesterday,¡± Alli told me, looking as apprehensive as I felt. ¡°We should probably go¡­¡± ¡°Not just yet.¡± . . I whipped around to see Kyle- or whomever the smoky eyed man was ¨C standing behind us with his bulky friend and another new person, this time a slender, young male with pale blonde hair. Alli took a step closer to me, drawing herself up to her full height. ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded, forming my hands into fists. The blonde man on the left turned to the silver haired one. ¡°Wow, you were right. She really doesn¡¯t know who you are.¡± Smoky eyes chuckled deeply. ¡°Well, I might as well introduce myself, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°How¡¯s Joel?¡± the bulky one asked, his ck eyes piercing into mine. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since I left him bleeding.¡± Ice water washed through my veins. That guy had to be the vampire who¡¯d attacked Joel. One of Ashton¡¯s goons¡­ ¡°Who are you? Joel¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Alli spoke up, her voice ten times more confident than mine. The blonde frowned at her. ¡°Who is this girl, Ashton?¡± ¡°Ashton,¡± I gasped, my eyes locking onto his grey ones. ¡°I see you¡¯ve heard my name,¡± hemented casually, not showing any kind of emotion at all. Alli nudged my side. ¡°You know these guys?¡± ¡°Luca.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± the blonde, Luca, asked, turning toward Ashton. He pointed at Alli. ¡°Take care of her.¡± Before I could blink Luca was in front of me, shoving me away form Alli. ¡°Let go!¡± she shouted as Luca captured her arms and twisted them behind her back. ¡°Let her go!¡± I cried, gripping Luca¡¯s shoulders and trying to pull him away. ¡°Stop it! She doesn¡¯t have anything to do with his!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she demanded. ¡°Let me go!¡± I whipped my head to Ashton. ¡°Ashton! Tell him to let her go!¡± Suddenly Alli started screaming. ¡°Help! Someone help us!¡± ¡°Luca,¡± Ashton barked. As abruptly as it started, Alli¡¯s screaming stopped and her motionless body crumpled to the ground. For a second I couldn¡¯t breathe as I stared at her still body. ¡°W-what did you do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s not dead,¡± Luca responded in an offhand voice. ¡°It was just to shut her up.¡± Swallowing nervously, my gaze switched from Alli, to my car, to the three vampires before me, and back to Alli, and back to my car again. There was no way I could just leave Alli here, but I had to get away. No one was around to help me out. I was in serious trouble. ¡°Get her in the car,¡± Ashton demanded. ¡°Jared, bring the redhead back to her house on Bridge Street. Number thirty-six.¡± How did Ashton know where Alli lived? Was he stalking my friends? Before I could think about it anymore, Luca moved toward me. I twisted on my heel, preparing to run. I coulde back for Alli. For now, I couldn¡¯t be caught. Unfortunately that n came crashing down around me as Luca stuck out his foot, bringing me effectively to the ground. Just as I was about to scream, a hand was pped over my mouth. Ashton took my hand, pulling me to my feet and shoving me toward what I assumed to be his car. Luca followed us, telling Jared he¡¯d see himter. My heart pounded so hard in my chest I was afraid it was going to burst out. I was positive the reason Luca and Ashton were smirking was because of the sound of it. Panic was welling up in me, but I managed to keep it from spilling over. I¡¯d been kidnapped before. It wasn¡¯t something new. I came out of that one okay¡­ But this one was a lot different. These vampires actually wanted to hurt me. _________________________________________ 50 After Ashton shoved me into the back seat of his ck SUV, I could talk. Immediately I tried to escape out the door, but child lock was on. Great vampires think alike, I thought sarcastically. That or they all took a course in kidnap. ¡°What are you doing with me?¡± I demanded as Ashton climbed into the front seat. ¡°Vincent will know I¡¯m missing-¡± With a loud rev of his engine, Ashton floored it, causing me to lose my bnce and fall back into the seat. ¡°Don¡¯t talk,¡± he ordered. ¡°It distracts me when I drive.¡± ¡°Let me out!¡± I cried, moving to one side to bang on the window. ¡°Stop the car! Let me out!¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t break the windows!¡± Luca growled, turning in his seat to scowl at me. ¡°Touch them again and I¡¯ll break your wrists. Both of them.¡± ¡°Luca,¡± Ashton said in a reprimanding tone. ¡°Stop it. Emily, please don¡¯t bang on my windows.¡± I stared at the back of his head incredulously. What was he thinking? Please? Asking me to please do something while he was kidnapping me? ¡°See, Luca, saying please always works-¡± ¡°Let me out!¡± I cried, resuming my pounding on the windows. Why wasn¡¯t anyone driving around? It wasn¡¯t thatte! Luca snorted, twisting in his seat to scowl at me. ¡°Apparently not, Ashton.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± I demanded, shooting Luca a dirty look. ¡°If I told you that would ruin the surprise,¡± Ashton responded. Gritting my teeth, I fell back into the leather backseat, bringing my foot up to kick Luca¡¯s seat. After ten seconds of this, Luca bared his fangs at me. Instead of being frightened I scoffed at him. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s scary?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I can make it scary. Come here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Too scared?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to catch your ugliness,¡± I snapped back at him. He jolted forward in his seat, stretching his arm toward my neck. Before he reached me Ashton grabbed his arm, pushing it to the side. ¡°Children, please.¡± ¡°Can we kill her now?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ashton decided to ignore him. ¡°Emily, I heard you¡¯re a blue blood. Is this true? Or did our little spy make it up?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your spy?¡± I countered. He waved me off. ¡°No one you¡¯d know of.¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t answer me, I won¡¯t answer you.¡± A quiet chuckle left his lips. ¡°Ah, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in the position to be bargaining with me.¡± Luca smirked. ¡°Speak up, little girl.¡± ¡°No,¡± I stated, turning my head away from them. ¡°You can¡¯t force me to tell you anything.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Lucamented, a hard edge to his voice. ¡°Can¡¯t say it¡¯ll be too pleasing of an experience for you.¡± His words shook me, but only a little. If I showed my fright, they would think they had the upper advantage. For now I had to keep my cool. Maybe a chance of escape woulde up. Or Vincent would realize I was gone. I blinked. Even when he did realize I was missing, he wouldn¡¯t know where I was. A groan of annoyance escaped my lips. . . ¡°Car sick?¡± Ashton inquired. I ignored him. Luca red at me for a few more moments before he turned around and faced forwards again. A sick feeling was beginning to spread through me. Habit had me crossing my arms over my stomach to try to settle it. Apparently the rumor that Ashton knew about my blood was true. Did he kidnap me because he wanted my blood? Was he going to kill me? I couldn¡¯t keep the mental imagines out of my head. Pictures of me lying like a prune on the ground, all the blood drained out¡­ My hand shot up, covering my mouth as I resisted the urge to be sick. That probably was what would happen. Silence settled in the car now, leaving my thoughts to wonder and be more gruesome. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block them out. Maybe I was being too negative. Maybe they were just going to take me out to dinner¡­ Yeah, and you¡¯re the main course, a dark voice in my head stated. I shooed it away. They weren¡¯t going to eat me. Vampires didn¡¯t eat humans; they only drank their blood. And when it came to my blood, they¡¯d probably pour it into tiny vials and keep it stored for future use. ¡°Emily?¡± My head snapped up, my gazending on Ashton¡¯s through the rearview mirror. ¡°What?¡± I snapped before I could stop myself. So much for keeping silent. ¡°Do you know where we are?¡± I nced out the car window. We were whizzing by a dark forest, the tall trees blurring together. The sight felt familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite ce my finger on where I¡¯d seen it before. It kind of reminded me of the trip I¡¯d taken to Vermont with my family a few years back, but we were definitely not in Vermont. ¡°Do you seriously not know where we are?¡± Luca questioned, a smirk ying around his lips. ¡°You¡¯re stupid, aren¡¯t you?¡± I glowered at him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Sorry I don¡¯t recognize a blurry mass of trees, Blondy!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Good one. You¡¯re blonde too.¡± ¡°You know what-¡± ¡°Right around the corner is Rutherford manor,¡± Ashton informed me, his eyes piercing mine through the windshield mirror again. Realization swept over me. That¡¯s why it looked familiar! Even though I¡¯d only traveled this path a few times, I¡¯d been able tomit the inky forest to memory. What were we doing here though? Why would he be bringing me to the manor? Was he trying to get himself killed? Who in the right mind would bring the girl they kidnapped to a house full of the vampires they¡¯d kidnapped her from? Well, in a way. Technically Ashton hadn¡¯t kidnapped me from anyone, but Vincent was supposed to be watching me so¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re thinking we¡¯re going to the manor, you¡¯re wrong,¡± Luca informed me, rolling his eyes. ¡°Believe it or not, we¡¯re smarter than that.¡± ¡°Where are we going then?¡± ¡°To a campsite,¡± Ashton told me. ¡°My makeshift campsite, rather. I would bring you to my house, but I¡¯m afraid once the Rutherfords catch onto your disappearance they¡¯lle hunting for you and my house would be the most obvious ce.¡± I frowned, biting my lip. It was nearly impossible for anyone to be found in the woods at night. What if they were nning to kill me? I was definitely a goner. And then it¡¯d take a while for the police to scavenge the area for my dried up remains¡­ I shook my head. No. No depressing thoughts. Maybe they were just dragging me out here to scare me, or something. ¡°Luca, call Jared to see where he is.¡± . . ¡°Why do I have to call him-¡± ¡°Do it.¡± Luca growled quietly, but didn¡¯t protest again. I knew why, too. Ashton¡¯s tone had scared even me, and I wasn¡¯t talking to him. After a second Luca whipped out his cell phone, putting it to his ear. My hand went to my pocket absentmindedly, checking if I had my cell phone. Satisfied when I felt it there, I rxed back into my seat. Then I shot back up. I still had my cell phone! That meant I could call Vincent! Or Joel! Or anyone who could help me! Luca and Ashton noticed my sudden change in stance and nced at me. I smiled sheepishly at them, trying to keep my face straight as possible. After a moment Luca sighed, looking away, but Ashton still frowned at me. ¡°Where are you?¡± Luca barked into his phone. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to meet us here. We drove slowly!¡± Drove slowly? Is that what they thoughtN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. slowly was? ¡°Luca, calm down.¡± Luca grunted. ¡°Fine. Get here quickly. I don¡¯t care about that. You can kill him if you have to.¡± My eyes widened. Kill? Who were they killing? ¡°He can¡¯t kill anyone,¡± Ashton said in a hard tone. ¡°Luca, give me the phone.¡± ¡°He already hung up,¡± Luca responded, snapping his phone shut. ¡°And why does it matter if he kills a cop? They¡¯re pigs anyway¡­ Literally.¡± ¡°It matters because he¡¯ll be killed for killing a human,¡± Ashton snapped at him. ¡°Think a little bit, Luca.¡± An awkward silence settled into the car again and I returned my focus out the window. For a bad guy, Ashton sure did look out for his friends. If Jared was his friend. Maybe he was his follower. My hand rested on top of my pocket that held my phone. How was I supposed to use it without being noticed? Would I even get a chance? Nobody was on speed dial, so I would have to look up a contact. That would take at least five seconds. Would that be too long? Unless Vincent was on my recent calls list. Then I could just hit the call button twice¡­ That would give me enough time. Ashton suddenly veered right, sending me off bnce. I rectified myself, noticing we weren¡¯t traveling on the dirt road anymore. Now we were speeding through the forest. It became incredibly bumpy, so I clung to the door handle for support. After about five minutes of this, we reached a small clearing that was lit up by the moon. The trees cast sketch shadows around it as they waved in the gentle wind. My heart was starting to beat faster at the ominous scene. ¡°Luca, get Emily out of the car,¡± Ashton ordered, bringing the car to an abrupt halt. I watched as Luca nodded, climbing out of the passenger¡¯s door anding around to mine. As he opened it, I scooted to the other side. This didn¡¯t amuse him. ¡°Get over here before I force you out by your hair.¡± After sending him the harshest re I could conjure, I slowly slid back toward him. He grabbed my arm, yanking me out the rest of the way before mming the door behind me. With disregard to my stumbling feet, he brought me over to Ashton, who was leaning against the hood of his car. He studied me for a few minutes. ¡°If Luca lets you go, will you run away?¡± ¡°No,¡± I promised easily. Even if I did try to run, one of the two would catch me and break my legs or something. Seeming satisfied with my response, he ordered Luca to let me go. Doing as I promised I stayed in the spot I was in, shooting Luca a dirty look. Didn¡¯t he know not to manhandle a girl roughly? The wind whipped my hair into my face and I brushed it back, too afraid to let my eyesight be blinded for too long. Luca shifted on his feet ufortable. ¡°Are you going to do it or not, Ashton?¡± . . 51 ¡°Patience, Luca,¡± Ashton said, gazing thoughtfully at me. I refocused my attention to the dirt on the ground. ¡°I want to taste her blood,¡± Luca stated, bringing a cool hand to my face and resting it on my cheek. I jerked my head away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Ashton yawned, looking awfully bored. ¡°Let her be, Luca. All in due time. For now though, I just want to speak to her.¡± ¡°About what?¡± I asked. ¡°A few things. First of all, I heard you¡¯re the Rutherford¡¯s new y thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a y thing,¡± I snapped. He smiled. ¡°They certainly have taken an interest you. Why else would they protect you so strongly?¡± I shrugged nonchntly. ¡°My blood, maybe? Except instead of wanting to take my blood, they¡¯re happy just letting me live my normal human life.¡± ¡°What a waste,¡± Ashton sighed wistfully. ¡°Your blood is far too precious to go to waste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to waste when I¡¯m living my life!¡± Luca spoke up now. ¡°Wait, we don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s a Blue Blood yet. We should test it.¡± Ashton chuckled. ¡°You just want to taste her blood, Luca.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Maybe,¡± he responded with a smirk. ¡°Very well. Cut yourself then.¡± My whole body tensed when Luca produced a switchde from nowhere. A sharp one, too. In one clean, swift action he cut down his wrist, following his vein. Blood immediately began to pour from his arm. Ashton turned to me. I locked gazes with him. His was calm, amused. Mine was scared, frantic. Now was the time to panic. Going against my early promise, I slid to the other side of the car, running around to the back of it. Ashton smirked, walking slowly toward me. My hand shot into my pocket and I prayed that Vincent was the first person on my recent calls list. I hit the call button twice and waited. ¡°Come here,¡± Ashton cooed, holding out his hand. ¡°We just need a sample. Luca, go from the other side.¡± Luca nodded, advancing on me. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want to bleed out, girl. Get over here.¡± ¡°No!¡± I protested, swallowing nervously. Had someone picked up yet? Or did it go to voicemail? ¡°Why would you bring me by the Rutherford Manor to do this? Why not in the mall parking lot, Ashton?¡± He cocked his head to the side. ¡°Does the scenery really matter?¡± ¡°Don¡¯te closer,¡± I warned, taking a step back away from him. Right into something hard. A gasp escaped my lips and I twisted around to see Luca towering over me. He easily pushed me into the trunk of Ashton¡¯s car, pinning me into ce. The phone fell from my hands. ¡°A little sample,¡± he promised, bringing his lips to my neck. ¡°I bet you¡¯re used to it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No,¡± I pleaded, trying to shove him away. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me.¡± . . ¡°We¡¯re not going to kill you, Emily,¡± Ashton told me smoothly. I shook my head, trying to put Luca off. ¡°Stop it, please! I promise you I¡¯m a Blue Blood! I promise! You don¡¯t have to try it out!¡± Luca¡¯s moist breath on my neck was starting to make me dizzy. It was giving me memories from when Joel had attacked me. It was making me remember the pain. ¡°Do it quickly,¡± Ashton told Luca. ¡°You don¡¯t want to lose too much blood.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I begged, pounding on Luca¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just wait! Please! Don¡¯t do it! Please!¡± Luca¡¯s canines brushed against my neck. ¡°I bet you¡¯ll taste sweet.¡± ¡°No wait, ugh!¡± I groaned as I felt his fangs pierce my skin, just hard enough to break the skin. ¡°Please,¡± I tried again, whispering now. ¡°Sorry, Babe,¡± Luca responded, sinking his teeth in the rest of the way. A familiar burning spread through my system instantly. A sharp scream tore through my throat before Ashton quickly covered my mouth, quieting me down. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon,¡± he told me in a soothing voice. My feeble attempts at pushing Luca away ceased. Like a rag doll, I flipped back against the trunk, letting Luca suck my blood. Nausea washed over me as the sucking sound Luca was making met my ears. Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a brisk action? Why was he taking so long? If he drank too much, I would pass out like usual. I couldn¡¯t afford to pass out when these guys were around. ¡°Luca,¡± Ashton said in firm voice. ¡°Enough.¡± Luca moaned in protest, his teeth still in me. My breath starteding in short rasps. He was drinking too much! ¡°Luca!¡± Ashton tried again. ¡°Your wound is healed. Enough.¡± Luca still didn¡¯t pull away. Why wasn¡¯t he listening to Ashton? If he kept this up, he was going to kill me! My eyelids fluttered as wave after wave of dizziness crashed into me. ¡± Luca! ¡± Ashton growled. Before my mind could process what was happening, Luca was across the field, wiping blood off his face. My knees copsed and I plummeted to the ground. Within seconds Ashton had me back on my feet, holding me against the trunk again so I couldn¡¯t fall. ¡°No,¡± I said weakly, trying to push him away. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m ane-¡± ¡°Anemic, I know,¡± he stated, clenching his jaw. ¡°Ites with the Blue Blood. Shit. Luca, do you see what you¡¯ve done?¡± Luca appeared at his side, a smug smile on his face. ¡°She looks fine to me. Tastes pretty fine too.¡± I didn¡¯t even have the energy to re at him. ¡°Are you going to kill me now?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ashton said, frowning. ¡°Why would we waste your blood like that?¡± ¡°Then what¡­?¡± ¡°If we keep you alive, you¡¯ll keep producing the blood. Why we kill you?¡± Horror spread through me. ¡°You¡¯re going to harvest me?¡± I asked, appalled. He chuckled. ¡°Something like that.¡± . . ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t kill myself?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s where I threaten you a bit.¡± It took a lot of effort to give him a t look. The world was already starting to spin. I couldn¡¯t pass out here! ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± He suddenly pressed against me harder, cutting off my breath. ¡°Either youe with us, or we kill your precious vampire.¡± ¡°My¡­?¡± My eyes widened in realization. They couldn¡¯t know how I felt about Vincent! Nobody knew but Vincent, and he only knew about the silly crush. Not the deeper feelings I was harboring for him! ¡°That¡¯s right. If we kill Sebastian, not only will I have you, but I¡¯ll also have the throne. Sounds like a good deal, right?¡± Sebastian? They wanted to kill Sebastian? ¡°No!¡± I protested, my voiceing out more loudly than I expected. ¡°You can¡¯t kill him! No!¡± Ashton chuckled. ¡°Then you¡¯lle with us?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Did you not hear him?¡± Luca growled, closing in on him. ¡°You have no other choices.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± My mind was reeling. And not just from the dizziness due tock of blood. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do? Give my life for a vampire who I¡¯ve only known for two months? But it was Sebastian¡­ But I couldn¡¯t give up my life. I had a family! But so did Sebastian. Vincent, Fiona, the King, the Queen¡­ He had more family than I did. Could I really live with his death on my hands? Ashton wasn¡¯t going to kill me. He just needed my blood¡­ But there was no way I could deal with getting the blood sucked out of me all the time. If they tried to kill Sebastian, wouldn¡¯t his family protect him? They also had to have guards, or something. It would be difficult to kill him. 52 Waking up in strange ces was something I was growing ustom to. Having an IV attached to me wasn¡¯ting as a surprise either. I nced down at it, my vision blurry and shifting between focused and unfocused. It took a moment for it to settle on my normal eyesight. I turned my head, trying to get a good look around the room. My neck throbbed painfully and a grimace crossed my face. What¡­? ¡°Oh! You¡¯re up!¡± My heart skipped a beat and I shot up into a sitting position, looking around wildly, and forgetting the pain in my throat. When my eyesnded on Fiona I flopped back with a huff of annoyance. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that!¡± She gave me an uncharacteristically serious look. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me!¡± ¡°W-what do you mean don¡¯t scare you?¡± I snapped, putting a hand over my frantically beating heart. ¡°Disappearing without a trace?¡± she started, narrowing her emerald eyes at me. ¡°Leaving that horrifying voicemail on Vivi¡¯s phone? You nearly gave me a heart attack! And trust me when I say giving a vampire a heart attack is quite an achievement!¡± I stared at her in surprise, my mouth hanging open. The voicemail¡­ Memories of the night before rushed through my mind. Luca, my choices, Ashton¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I stammered after a moment. ¡°But Ashton-¡± ¡°And then, oh boy, the look on Vivi¡¯s face. I am going to have nightmares for weeks. Poor Joel¡­¡± ¡°What happened to Joel?¡± Fiona solemnly dragged a slim finger across her pale neck. ¡°He killed him?¡± ¡°Well, no, Sebastian didn¡¯t let him do that¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t his fault!¡± I protested. Joel just had bad timing. I was the one who let him leave. ¡°If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s, it¡¯s mine. Vincent should be mad at me!¡± She smirked. ¡°Oh, he is.¡± My heart sunk. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she questioned, changing the topic. ¡°You lost quite a lot of blood. About the same amount as the time Joel sucked you¡¯re blood¡­ Huh. You¡¯re pretty prone to vampire attacks, aren¡¯t you? I bet it¡¯s because you¡¯re a Blue Blood. They¡¯re rare creatures¡­¡± I grimaced. ¡°Creature?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you referred us vampires to.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized sincerely after a moment of stunned silence. Thinking back now, how could I have been so callous? I was pretty bad¡­ She waved it off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If you¡¯re feeling okay now, my parents would like to talk to you.¡± ¡°The King and Queen?¡± ¡°The one and only.¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked, taking another look around the room I was in. Nothing stood out to me. It waspletely white and bare, aside from the bed I was lying on, and the drip that Fiona was now taking off of me. She gave me an amused look, removing the IV from my arm. ¡°You can¡¯t figure it out? We¡¯re at my house.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡± . . ¡°Yep. Now I¡¯ll be back, gotta go get my parents. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, rxing back into my pillow. Might as well enjoy a few moments of silence until the questioning began. My eyes closed and I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Fiona¡¯s footsteps revealed to me that she was heading for the door. It squeaked loudly as she opened it. A tiny gasped escaped her lips. ¡°Vivi-¡± Vivi? Somehow I managed to fight the urge to sit up and snap my eyes open. If I could feign sleep, I wouldn¡¯t have to face him. I tried to keep my breathing even and my heartbeat calm. If I didn¡¯t, he could figure out I was awake by just that. ¡°Get out,¡± I heard him order. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping-¡± ¡°Go get everyone,¡± Vincent snapped. Fiona huffed angrily. ¡°Fine. Be nice, Vivi. It wasn¡¯t her fault.¡± A grunt was his response. Fiona sighed lightly before her footsteps started up again, going down the hallway. The door closed, leaving Vincent and I alone in silence. I focused on my fa?ade, breathing in and out slowly. ¡°I know you¡¯re awake,¡± Vincentmented in a hard voice. ¡°It¡¯s no use pretending. You were just talking to Fiona a few seconds ago.¡± Damn. Slowly, I opened my eyes and smiled at him. ¡°H-hey, Vincent-¡± ¡°Are you stupid?¡± he growled, cutting me off. ¡°What don¡¯t you understand about the fact you¡¯re not supposed to be alone?¡± I winced. I knew he was going to be pissed. ¡°Vincent, hold on-¡± ¡°You should have said no when Joel asked to leave! He¡¯s just about as stupid as you are-¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± I cried abruptly. ¡°Shut up for a minute! Stop saying I¡¯m stupid!¡± ¡°Well you are!¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Then exin to me why I found you near death on the ground in the middle of the forest,¡± he growled. Wow. That sounded a lot worse than I figured it would. ¡°That¡¯s not my fault. Ashton¡¯s the one that left me there.¡± ¡°Why would you even go anywhere with him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was Ashton until thest second!¡± Vincent crossed his arms. ¡°How could you not know?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know, maybe because I¡¯ve never seen him before in my life? That sounds like a pretty damn good exnation to me!¡± He stayed silent. I smirked smugly. Finally I¡¯d outsmarted him. ¡°You¡¯re too trusting,¡± he finally stated. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Sorry I don¡¯t recognize an evil vampire when I see him. He must have dyed his hair, or something.¡± ¡°Was Luca with him?¡± . . ¡°Er, yeah. You know him too?¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°Luca tried to kill me once, of course I know him.¡± ¡°Really? Why? How? When?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk about that,¡± Vincent snapped, shooting me a stern look. ¡°What I¡¯m here to talk about is your idiocy. How did Ashton even manage to get you? You were in a public ce. I don¡¯t know how you managed to get yourself kidnapped without being noticed. How stupid can-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be an asshole about it!¡± I interjected, giving him a harsh re. ¡°It wasn¡¯t public at midnight! No one was around, Vincent! And you should know how I got kidnapped since you did it yourself a few months ago! Vampires are stronger than humans! You know, most people would be happy to see a kidnapped person alive, not angry at them and calling them stupid every five seconds! It¡¯d be nice to know you cared!¡± ¡°I do care,¡± he snapped back. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m pissed? I¡¯ve been on edge all day because I¡¯ve been worried about you, you stupid girl! It¡¯s irritating me! I don¡¯t want to, but I can¡¯t help but be concerned over you! If it was any other human I could care less, but because it¡¯s you it makes me angry that I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± My next retort died in my throat. He¡¯d admitted he was worried about me- that he cared about me. All the anger in my body faded. ¡°Vincent¡­¡± A deep scowl was still set on his face. ¡°I knew. The one night I decide you¡¯ll be safe without me, you aren¡¯t. I shouldn¡¯t have let you go alone. If I had, you wouldn¡¯t have had to gone through that experience again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I told him, my expression softening. ¡°It was just a bad coincidence. There¡¯s nothing you could have done.¡± He crossed his arms in a very childlike gesture. ¡°So?¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m okay though.¡± ¡°I see that, stupid.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to stop calling me stupid?¡± In the blink of an eye, Vincent¡¯s face was solely an inch away from mine. ¡°You might have mentioned it.¡± I took in a shaky breath, surprised at his close proximity. ¡°H-how many times do I have to say it?¡± He grinned. ¡°Until you admit that I¡¯m a good kisser.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯ll be never.¡± The grin dropped off his face immediately. Before I could protest, he crushed his lips to mine. For the first few seconds I tried to resist it, afraid his parents might walk in, but I slowly gave in, allowing him to dominate the kiss. In a matter of moments I was breathless. When he pulled away, a satisfied expression was on his face. ¡°How was that?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Kind of like rotten eggs¡­¡± ¡°Let me try again,¡± he requested, moving in. I quickly pressed my palm to his lips. ¡°No, Vincent. I don¡¯t think I can handle another without throwing up.¡± It was funny how easily lies came when it came to teasing him. He ripped my hand away. ¡°God, Emily, care to beat down my self-esteem a little more?¡± ¡°Hey Vincent?¡± . . 53 ¡°What?¡± he asked, annoyed. ¡°I really like when you say my name,¡± I told him honestly, smiling happily to myself. It made my heart flutter. He did a double take, his eyes widening slightly. I beamed at him, taking in his almost-embarrassed expression. ¡°Y-you¡¯re stupid,¡± he finally muttered, turning his back to me. I held in a giggle, settling for just grinning widely at his broad shoulders. Maybe he calling me stupid all the time wasn¡¯t so bad. The door suddenly burst open and in came a blur of blonde. Three secondster it felt like a cement brick had ttened me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Joel cried, crushing me painfully against the bed. ¡°J-Joel! O-ow!¡± I wheezed, pressing myself into the bed. ¡°Get off,¡± Vincent ordered. Joel immediately backed off me, his eyes pleading forgiveness. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! I shouldn¡¯t have left you! I heard the voicemail on Vincent¡¯s phone and nearly died! It never urred to me Ashton might be at the fair!¡± I held up my hand to silence him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It didn¡¯t ur to anyone. Don¡¯t beat yourself up too much about it.¡± ¡°Vincent already did that for me,¡± he muttered disdainfully. ¡°Want s¡¯more?¡± Vincent asked threateningly. Joel shook his head rapidly. ¡°No! I¡¯m good!¡± Iughed at him. ¡°Vincent, leave him alone. He didn¡¯t do anything on purpose. And I¡¯m okay now-¡± ¡°Emily!¡± a new voice cried, a new form appearing in the doorway. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡± My eyes grew as round as saucers. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Without thinking, I threw the nkets off my bed and scrambled to my feet, aiming to fling myself at him. Instead, as soon as my feet touched the ground, I fell forward, unustomed to my weight. ¡°Careful!¡± Sebastian advised me, his arms swooping down to catch me before I could touch the ground. ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized sheepishly, my gaze over his shoulder to where Vincent had his arms outstretched toward me. He dropped them quickly. I gave him a look that told him I¡¯d seen his gesture. He abruptly turned away from me. Sebastian set me back down on the bed. His emerald eyes searched mine, worry evident in his. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting used to it,¡± I joked. He didn¡¯t find it funny. ¡°When I get my hands on Ashton,¡± he started in a low, dangerous tone. ¡°Emily!¡± My head snapped to the door as once again a new person appeared. ¡°Lue! Solomon!¡± I added after seeing the umber haired man join his wife. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s been a long time!¡± Solomon chuckled. ¡°It always seems like we meet when vampire attack you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I told him before I could ask. Lue danced to my side, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much! The manor is so silent without you and Vincent.¡± . . Vincent snorted. ¡°With Fiona here?¡± ¡°Fiona¡¯s been dogging Sebastian aroundtely. It¡¯s keeping her upied,¡± Lue exined, releasing me from her death grip. I shot a sly look at Sebastian. He returned it with an embarrassed one, dropping his gaze. At least he kept true to his words. The bed sunk down to my left and I nced over to see Solomon sitting next to me. ¡°Emily, we need to talk about what happenedst night.¡± My chest tightened. I knew they were going to ask about it, but I didn¡¯t know what to say. Ashton had never said I couldn¡¯t tell them about the decision he was forcing me to make, but he also never said I could. Anyway, how was I supposed to tell Solomon that Ashton was making me choose between his son and myself? But I had to tell them! We¡¯d both be in more danger if I kept it to myself. ¡°Emily?¡± ¡°After they took me from the carnival they took my blood to make sure I was indeed a Blue Blood,¡± I rushed, my gaze dropping to the ground. ¡°T-they told me they wanted me so they could use my blood and sell it and stuff. They want me alive so they can, excuse myck of vocabry, harvest it. I told them no¡­¡± I hesitated. Sebastian bent down in front of me. ¡°What else, Em?¡± I stared at him, trying to calm my frantically beating heart. ¡°I-I¡­ They said if I didn¡¯t go with them, then they would kill you¡­¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Kill me?¡± ¡°Yes! They¡¯re making me choose between us, Sebastian!¡± I cried, clenching the bed sheets in my fist. ¡°How can I do that? I couldn¡¯t choose you over me, Seb!¡± ¡°Calm down, Em,¡± he said slowly, putting his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Emily, why did they let you go?¡± Solomon asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see why they wouldn¡¯t take you while they had you¡­¡± ¡°Father!¡± Sebastian and Vincent protested. He smiled sheepishly. ¡°What? I¡¯m just saying¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I know what you mean. They gave me a week toe to my decision.¡± ¡°A week, huh?¡± he responded, furrowing his eyebrows together. ¡°That¡¯s not a lot of time¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let them kill you,¡± I promised, returning my attention to Sebastian. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do, but I won¡¯t choose myself over you-¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, Emily. You¡¯re a human. I¡¯m a vampire. Who do you think has a better choice?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°That would be a stupid move thinking you would be okay with Ashton,¡± Vincent interjected, giving me a hard look. ¡°Think about it. If you go with them, what about your family? What about your friends? What about Sebastian and Fiona and Joel and my parents? What about¡­¡± he trailed off, his eyes hardening. I knew what he was going to say. What about me? My chest tightened and before I knew it, I was fighting back tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to choose.¡± . . ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± Lue said softly, cing a hand on my thigh. ¡°You¡¯re a human. What Ashton is nning is illegal for vampires.¡± ¡°And since it¡¯se down to threatening the next King, we can take action,¡± Solomon added. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you protected, Emily.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? You don¡¯t understand, Sebastian. They¡¯reing back for me-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll stay here then,¡± Solomon decided. ¡°If theye here, we can fend them off.¡± ¡°Fend them off? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means we¡¯ll make sure Ashton doesn¡¯t take you, or me,¡± Sebastian exined, smiling gently at me. ¡°There¡¯s only three of them, right? There¡¯s five of us here, plus our guards. They have no choice of beating us. We¡¯ll throw them in jail.¡± ¡°Or kill them,¡± Vincent said darkly. ¡°You¡¯re going to fight?¡± I gasped. Solomon gave me a solemn look. ¡°It¡¯s the best we can do, Emily. We can¡¯t let them have you. You¡¯re part of our family now, whether you want to be or not. Sebastian can take care of himself, you on the other hand¡­¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You¡¯re a lot more fragile,¡± Lue finished. My head was beginning to throb. I didn¡¯t want anyone to fight. Even if the Rutherfords had the upper hand, Ashton could still manage to surprise them. What if someone died? My heart tightened at the thought. Ashton had said he¡¯d kill Sebastian¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I finally apologized. All five vampires stared at me. ¡°Sorry?¡± they echoed in perfect unison. ¡°I¡¯m creating problems for all of you,¡± I borated, feeling like aplete idiot. ¡°I¡¯m putting Sebastian in danger¡­¡± Sebastian shook his head at me. ¡°We¡¯re the ones who kidnapped you first¡­ Well, Vincent is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not putting any me on him!¡± I cried quickly. Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Defending him?¡± ¡°I- What- No!¡± Lue beamed at me. ¡°Having you two live together seems to have improved your rtionship! How nice!¡± Solomon wrapped an arm around me. ¡°I knew Vincent had a weird interest in you.¡± ¡°Father!¡± Vincent snapped. Solomon looked at him innocently. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s embarrassed,¡± Joel taunted quietly. ¡°Do you want my fist in your face again?¡± ¡°No! No! I¡¯m kidding! Kidding, Vincent! Don¡¯t hurt me!¡± The King and Queen chuckled while Joel cowered in fear behind Sebastian. Vincent red at the group. Sebastian sighed, turning to me. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, Emily, but you¡¯ll be staying here for the next week.¡± A numbness spread through me. ¡°Another week¡­ here?¡± Sadness dipped into his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± I corrected, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯s just, I finally caught up in math and now I¡¯ll be behind again¡­¡± He chuckled, ruffling my hair. ¡°Vincent will teach you.¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°Yeah, right.¡± I knew he would. ¡°Sebastian, you¡¯ll have to go change everyone¡¯s memories again,¡± Solomon stated, pushing himself off the bed. ¡°Fiona is getting your things from your house at the moment, Emily.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I responded, pushing myself off the bed. This time I was able to stay upright. ¡°Vincent?¡± His sapphire eyes snapped to mine. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Would you make me something to eat?¡± I questioned, using the most innocent voice I could muster. Silence filled the room as everyone waited for his answer. His eyes narrowed at me while his lips twitched. It seemed like he was having an internal struggle. Finally he let out a long sigh. ¡°Fine.¡± Lue and Solomon exchanged looks, both of them clearly surprised by his answer, Sebastian looked smug, and Joel smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he demanded, hurriedly exiting the room. I followed after him quickly, but before I left the room I caught Lue¡¯sst whisperedment. ¡°I think our son¡¯s in love.¡± Involuntarily, my heart jumped, but I tried my best to ignore it. Love? I almostughed. That was impossible. Vincent didn¡¯t¡­ My eyes traveled to the broad shoulders I had stared at earlier. Was it impossible? He had said himself he was interested in me. We had known each other long enough¡­ He¡¯d stayed up with me during thunderstorms. He got jealous easily¡­ He was worried enough to the point he got angry¡­ I shook my head. Assuming things led to bad results. Right now, I¡¯d just let things y out as they would. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Vincent asked me, ncing over his shoulder. ¡°Um, my favorite,¡± I responded vaguely, trying to keep the smirk that was threatening my face off. Vincent faced forward again. ¡°So you want a bowl of Cinnamon Life with sliced bananas?¡± I blinked. When had he learned that? _______________________________ 54 Just like before, the weather was dreary and rainy around the Rutherford Manor. With each drop of rain, I banged my head against the windowpane. Not only was it pouring, but also all the Rutherfords were busy doing something. Sebastian was doing his usual Kingly duties, Fiona was out shopping with Lue for new clothes, Solomon was out ying golf, and Vincent had gone hunting with Joel, which left me by myself. In and around the manor, the security had increased greatly. There were a lot of new vampires I didn¡¯t know hanging around. I didn¡¯t want to know them either- they were quite intimidating. So while the others were away (or in Sebastian¡¯s case, holed up in his room) I was sitting in my old temporary roompletely bored. To pass the time, I mindlessly thumped my head against the window. Thump. Thump. Thump. ¡°You¡¯ll get stupid doing that, you know.¡± My heart flew into my throat and I twisted around in my seat, my gaze falling on Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian! You scared me half to death!¡± He chuckled, his green eyes twinkling in amusement. ¡°Oh, I know.¡± ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you had work?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take a break and keep youpany?¡± he inquired, feigning a hurt look. ¡°Emily, you wound me¡­¡± I shook my head, grinning at him. ¡°No, actually, I appreciate it. I¡¯m really bored. No offense, but there¡¯s nothing to do here when you¡¯re by yourself.¡± A sad smile crossed his face. ¡°I know. Since you¡¯re not doing anything and I¡¯m taking a break, would you like to talk?¡± ¡°Talk?¡± I repeated. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°A few things,¡± he said vaguely. With a strong hand, he grabbed mine off myp and gripped it, pulling me easily to my feet. ¡°We¡¯ll go to my room though, in case someonees home early. I can just say you forcefully barged your way in.¡± I fake scowled at him. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°Life¡¯s not fair, Em.¡± The tone behind his words wiped all expression from my face. They were bitter and cold. ¡°Is something wrong, Sebastian?¡± A heavy sigh left his lips. ¡°Is there ever a time where something isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Um, well, I don¡¯t know,¡± I responded honestly, blinking at the back of his head. ¡°We can talk about it though.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to talk now?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± He threw a quick smile over his shoulder at me. ¡°Then we¡¯ll talk. Make yourselffortable.¡± We reached his room in no time and I entered first, taking in the familiar room. The same brown curtains hung from the gigantic window on the opposite side of the room. The Oak colored couch was still in the same ce. Even the random magazines on his little coffee table were still there. Cocking an eyebrow, I turned to look at him. ¡°You don¡¯t use your room much, do you?¡± ¡°No, not so much my room. More like my office,¡± he informed me, pointing to a door I¡¯d failed to notice before. ¡°Oh.¡± . . ¡°Have a seat,¡± he insisted, pointing to the couch. ¡°It feels as though it was only yesterday I told you about Fiona in here. Time¡¯s been passing by quickly.¡± Nodding, I copsed onto the incrediblyfortable couch. I really needed to get one for my room back in the human world. ¡°Speaking of Fiona, how¡¯s it going?¡± With a sigh, he sunk down next to me. ¡°What¡¯s it ?¡± ¡°Your rtionship.¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I frowned at him. ¡°Sebastian. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t made any moves.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make any moves,¡± he told me, his emerald eyes hardening. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. We¡¯ve caused enough trouble for our family as it is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still no reason to give up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be King,¡± he said tly. ¡°There is nothing to give up because whatever I had was taken away from me when this was decided.¡± My next response was stuck in my throat. ¡°D-did something happen, Sebastian?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he responded, clenching his fists on hisp. ¡°Apparently I have to marry soon.¡± ¡°Marry? What?¡± ¡°Wait, it gets better. You remember the fairy tale Cindere?¡± I cocked my head to the side. ¡°Yes?¡± My eyes widened in realization. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a ball? Oh my god! That¡¯s so exciting! Is everyone going to dress up in fancy dresses and suits? When is it?¡± Sebastian stared at me, blinking. ¡°Oh, wait¡­¡± I cupped the back of my next and gave him a sheepish smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is bad, right?¡± ¡°Well if you don¡¯t like balls¡­¡± ¡°So there is a ball!¡± He half-smiled. ¡°You cane, if you like. It¡¯s next Friday.¡± I blinked. Next Friday? When Ashton was going toe? ¡°It¡¯s going to be one busy night,¡± Sebastian said with augh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. If there are more people there, it¡¯ll be harder for him to find you and easier for us to either defeat him or scare him away.¡± I shifted ufortably. ¡°Right¡­ But I¡¯m not worried about that. Well, I am, but also about you finding a wife. Was this your parents¡¯ idea?¡± He snorted. ¡°Yeah, right. It¡¯s the court¡¯s.¡± ¡°Did Solomon and Lue have a marriage like this?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sebastian told me, ¡°and luckily for them they managed to be a happy couple. They had a thing for each other before the ball¡­ ¡°But you don¡¯t love anyone besides Fiona¡­ Do you even know any other girls?¡± He gave me a t look. ¡°Of course I do. But none capture my interest.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll be forced to marry someone you hardly know?¡± ¡°Marry in haste, repent in leisure.¡± I stared at him. ¡°Huh?¡± He sighed. ¡°Those who impetuously rush into marriage may spend a long time regretting having done so.¡± . . 55 . ¡°Oh. And if you have to find a wife, Fiona-¡± ¡°Will live her life with someone else, which has to happen anyway. I¡¯m not upset about that.¡± I pursed my lips. ¡°But, Sebastian-¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us. Besides, she doesn¡¯t love me anymore.¡± ¡°Yes she does!¡± I protested, bringing my face closer to his. ¡°Sebastian, do you have any idea how many guys have asked her out at my school?¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Good for her.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say yes to any of them, Sebastian.¡± ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t meet her fancy.¡± ¡°Come on!¡± I cried, grabbing the front of his ck jacket. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true! She still calls you Seb! We¡¯ve talked about this! What¡¯s got you so depressed all of a sudden?¡± He easily shoved me away from him. ¡°I have to get married, Emily!¡± he shouted, losing his cool for the minute. ¡°It¡¯s over for us! I have no choice upon whether or not I want to be King or not! My life hasn¡¯t been mine since birth!¡± I blinked at him, my mouth hanging open. This was the first time ever that I¡¯d seen him yell. ¡°I¡¯d rather die,¡± he finished harshly. ¡°So run away.¡± The words left my lips before I realized I was uttering them. Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened in shock. I quickly covered my mouth with my hands. After a moment, he let his shoulders sag and fell back into the couch. ¡°I can¡¯t, Emily. I can¡¯t do that to you and Vincent.¡± ¡°Me and Vincent?¡± ¡°If I leave and Vincent bes king, it¡¯s over for you two. A king could never rule with a human.¡± My cheeks warmed and I held up my hand. ¡°W-wait Sebastian, Vincent and I will never get married.¡± He gave me a dubious look . ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. He¡¯s a vampire¡­ I¡¯m a human. The boundary can¡¯t be crossed. You know that more than anyone.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between Vincent and I though, Emily. Vincent will not be king. He could live with you in the human world.¡± ¡°And watch as I grow old and die while he stays neen forever?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s not neen. He¡¯s actually-¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± Sebastian grinned. ¡°Okay. Well, sure, he looks like he¡¯s neen, but you could also stay young forever.¡± ¡°I could?¡± ¡°Yes. You know how, too.¡± My body froze up when I realized what he was suggesting. It took me a moment to find my voice. ¡°Sebastian¡­ I-I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t be a vampire.¡± ¡°You can,¡± he urged. ¡°It¡¯s not hard. It doesn¡¯t even hurt.¡± ¡°No! I can¡¯t! Don¡¯t say it!¡± . . ¡°Why? Why not, Emily? You could join our family for real. No one could say anything!¡± My hands were shaking. The thought had never crossed my mind. Me? Bing a vampire? Sure, Vincent had joked about it, but he hadn¡¯t been serious. Not like now. Sebastian was dead serious. But it couldn¡¯t happen! How could I be one of them? I was human¡­ I would always be human. I always wanted to be human. Even if I lost Vincent¡­ My heart lurched. I grasped my chest, making a face. What was that ? ¡°Emily? Are you okay?¡± Sebastian asked, his eyes clouding over with worry. ¡°Ah, yeah,¡± I responded, slowly releasing my shirt. A throb of what felt like electricity swept through my body making me wince again. Sebastian didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Are you sure? You can tell me.¡± I shook my head, trying to smile at him. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Just a cramp.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he replied skeptically. ¡°Emily, you know I¡¯m not going to force you to be one of us, right?¡± ¡°I know,¡± I told him, cupping my elbow. ¡°I just can¡¯t wrap my mind around it. I don¡¯t belong in this world.¡± He ced a hand on my thigh. ¡°If you be a vampire, you will lose your Blue Blood status. Your blood will be normal.¡± I caught my breath as this new information was thrown at me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have normal vampire blood. That means Ashton would stoping after you. You¡¯d be useless to him.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have Blue Blood anymore if I became a vampire?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My mind was thrust into turmoil. Now what was I supposed to think? Would I rather join them? Or be hunted my whole life by Ashton? Even if the Rutherfords destroyed Ashton there was a chance he told some other hunters¡­ It would be an endless game of Cat and Mouse. ¡°Emily, you don¡¯t have to decide now. We still have six more days until Ashtones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not changing,¡± I blurted out. Was he serious? He thought a week was enough time for me to decide something that big? ¡°I can¡¯t decide in a week. I need more time.¡± A gently smile crossed his face. ¡°I thought so. We¡¯ll hold Ashton back. You can take as much time as you need, but you must remember while you¡¯re using that time, Ashton will keep being a hazard not only to you, but my family.¡± ¡°Somehow this feels like ckmail,¡± I muttered. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°I guess in a way it is. I don¡¯t want to see you fade away, Emily.¡± ¡°That sounds like a love confession,¡± I teased. His eyes twinkled. ¡°Do you want it to be?¡± I pretended to gag. ¡°You, Sebastian? Maybe if you got down on your hands and knees and said, ¡®Oh, Emily. How I¡¯ve longed for you. I love you more than all the stars in the sky and more. When I see your face, butterflies appear in my stomach. Please be mine forever¡¯.¡± . . ¡°You really want a cheesy confession from someone, don¡¯t you?¡± he responded with augh. I ducked my head in embarrassment. ¡°No. That was meant to embarrass you if you did it.¡± He suddenly pushed himself up from the couch and lowered himself to his hands and knees. I cocked an eyebrow in amusement. He wasn¡¯t going to¡­ Was he? ¡°Oh, Emily,¡± he started dramatically, heaving a heavy sigh. ¡°How I¡¯ve longed for you. I¡¯ve longed for you like a dehydrated cheetah longs for a puddle¡­¡± Iughed. ¡°Nice improv.¡± ¡°I love you more than all the stars in the sky and more,¡± he continued, his facepletely serious. ¡°Actually, I love you more than all the water in the ocean. When I see your face, butterflies appear in my stomach. Please be mine forever.¡± I scooted forward in my seat. ¡°That¡¯s not very King-like, but of course, Sebastian. I love you too.¡± ¡°Congrattions.¡± I jumped in fright, my head whipping to Sebastian¡¯s door. Vincent was standing there, his dark, wet hair matted to his forehead. A scowl was set onto his face, his eyes hard and hurt. My mouth opened, but no words came out. He didn¡¯t think was real, did he? ¡°Vince,¡± Sebastian started, easily springing to his feet. ¡°Wee home-¡± ¡°Go die,¡± he responded, storming out of the room, and mming the door behind him. Sebastian and I exchanged startled nces. ¡°He doesn¡¯t actually think I meant it, does he?¡± Sebastian inquired. I felt my heart sink. ¡°I think he does¡­¡± ¡°Oh boy,¡± Sebastian breathed out. ¡°Maybe I should go talk to him-¡± ¡°And get yourself killed? I think not. I¡¯ll go tell him. It¡¯s not like we did anything wrong¡­ While I¡¯m doing that, why don¡¯t you just say everything you just said to me to Fiona?¡± His expression darkened. ¡°Emily.¡± ¡°You have one week left of freedom,¡± I started, narrowing my eyes. ¡°You owe this to yourself and Fiona. Make it worth it, Sebastian.¡± He faltered for a second. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± he said quietly. I nodded. ¡°And if you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll tell Fiona how much you¡¯re still in love with her.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I would and will. Now, I have to go find Vincent.¡± He nodded. ¡°Very well. See you at dinner.¡± I hurried out of his room and took a right, heading for Vincent¡¯s. Chances were he wasn¡¯t in there, but it was worth a check. My theory proved to be right as I popped my head in to find Vincent was not in it. Frowning, I made my way to the kitchen. Maybe he¡¯d be in there. ¡°Emily!¡± My heart leapt into my throat at the sound of my name being called. I twirled around. ¡°Joel!¡± . . The blonde grinned at me. ¡°What did you say to Vincent? He¡¯s pissed. He said something about you before storming out the door.¡± ¡°He went outside?¡± ¡°Yep, out the back.¡± ¡°I have to go find him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°He heard Sebastian saying he loved me and that I loved Sebastian.¡± Joel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Eh? And here all along I thought you liked Vincent! Sneaky, Em, sneaky!¡± ¡°No, Stupid, I do like Vincent. Sebastian and I were just joking around.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s no fun,¡± he responded, pouting. ¡°I thought we were going to have some drama around here. Oh! I know! I could say I¡¯m in love with you too!¡± I rolled my eyes, brushing by him. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, Joel.¡± ¡°Wait! I love you! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± I waved my hand at him from over my shoulder. ¡°Goodbye, Joel.¡± ¡°Farewell, my love!¡± Finding the back entrance was surprisingly easy. It led to the dreary outside. I stepped out, squinting into the dark forest that surrounded the estate. Vincent was nowhere in sight. This didn¡¯t surprise me. Sighing, I chewed my lip, trying to decide what to do. Going into the forest alone would be very stupid. However, finding Vincent was my priority. Maybe if I traversed through it, I¡¯de across him. Or maybe he¡¯d hear me ande toward me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do,¡± I muttered and, with a sigh, started for the tall trees. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s in the forest here¡­¡± It didn¡¯t seem like there were any animals. The forest was eerily hushed as I stepped onto the first dead leaf on the ground. It cracked under my foot, causing some sound in the silent woods. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself deeper into it. I had to find Vincent. At least the rain had turned to a light drizzle. I tried going in a straight line so I wouldn¡¯t get lost. Every now and then I¡¯d look around for andmark so when I went back I¡¯d be able to find my way. No sounds came from anywhere among the trees. Not even the slightest crack of a tree branch. The silence was making me uneasier than any noise would. What kind of ce was the area around the Rutherford manor? It felt like a holy ce. No, not holy. It felt like some kind of sacred ground. A sacred ground for vampires , I thought dryly. Time crawled by slowly and the rain became heavier. I continued searching for Vincent despite it, keeping my eyes wide and my ears alert. My legs were beginning to hurt and I was shivering, the cold going all the way to the bone. I was surprised it wasn¡¯t snowing. ¡°Vincent!¡± I called, cupping my mouth. ¡°Vincent! Where are you?¡± Where are you? I heard in an echo. Confused, I looked around. How could there be an echo in here? ¡°Vincent!¡± Vincent! ¡°Must be a cliff around here,¡± I muttered, trying to see through the clusters of trees. It was nearly impossible. . . I wiped away the rain that was dribbling down my face, and then ran my hand through my damp hair. Maybe it was time to go back. Vincent would return home on his own ord at some point and I could talk to him then. ¡°It would¡¯ve been more romantic if I¡¯d found him after searching in the rain for song long,¡± I sighed wistfully. ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± My hand went to my heart and I scowled. What was up with people and scaring me today? It was really getting on my nerves! I turned slowly, shooting daggers at anything my gaze met. When I noticed unnaturally blonde hair, blonder than Joel¡¯s, I froze. I blinked a few times, just hoping it was my imagination.¡± ¡°Well hello there,¡± the blond grinned. ¡°Luca?¡± ¡°Heh. You actually remembered.¡± Immediately I clenched my fists, going into an offensive position. ¡°W-what are you doing here? Where¡¯s Ashton?¡± ¡°Not here,¡± Luca responded simply, closing in on me. ¡°I was patrolling by myself today.¡± ¡°Patrolling?¡± He rolled his eyes at me. ¡°You know, keep a guard over the area?¡± ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°To keep an eye on you, of course. We¡¯ll need to know if the Rutherfords decide to move you. Telling them was an interesting choice, girl. You just brought this to a whole other level. This will be much more fun.¡± Slowly, I moved backwards, ready to turn and start sprinting. Ashton and Luca were keeping an eye on me? Was that how they knew I¡¯d been moved to the manor? They were keeping tabs on me! I clenched my fists, angry. At least they didn¡¯t know of anything inside the manor. ¡°Joel knows I went out here¡­ If I don¡¯te back he¡¯ll tell someone.¡± Luca smiled viciously. ¡°Joel can be easily taken care of, if I really wanted to silence him.¡± ¡°No!¡± He chuckled. ¡°Keep your wits, girl. I won¡¯t kill him. I didn¡¯te to harm you. I told you, I¡¯m just patrolling. You have your week.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I have something for you,¡± he told me, taking a few long strides so that he was in front of me. I could smell the scent of campfire on his clothing. His arms went around me, and I felt something being pushed into the back pocket of my pants. I stayedpletely still, holding my breath. When he didn¡¯t move away, I tried to back up. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ashton won¡¯t care if I taste your blood again though,¡± he murmured, tightening his grasp on me. ¡± No ,¡± I said in a hard tone. ¡°Get away from me, Luca.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stop me,¡± he teased, easily gathering my wrists into one of his hands. ¡°I won¡¯t lose control like before¡­ well, maybe I will, but let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t. Afterst time, it might actually kill you, right? Ashton wouldn¡¯t be happy about that.¡± I struggled to liberate myself. ¡°Luca! Let me go!¡± ¡°One little taste,¡± he said, his breath on my neck sending shivers down my spine. ¡°I bet you let your little vampire toy drink from you all you want.¡± . . 56 ¡°Actually, she doesn¡¯t.¡± Luca snapped back, his eyes narrowing in surprise. I took the moment to my advantage and stumbled away from him, putting plenty of distance between us. Behind him stood Vincent, a harsh re on his face. Luca grinned evilly. ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t Vivi.¡± ¡°Luca.¡± ¡°Did youe so I could try to kill you again? Last time was very entertaining. I hate how it got cut short.¡± Vincent clenched his fists. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean you hate how you weren¡¯t strong enough to beat me?¡± Luca¡¯s yful expression dropped. ¡°We were interrupted. I could have killed you.¡± ¡°Leave,¡± Vincent demanded forcefully, advancing on him. ¡°Leave before I kill you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡± ¡°Maybe not me, but how about Joel, Sebastian, and myself? They¡¯re in the manor right now. All I have to do is call¡­¡± Luca scowled at him. ¡°Wimping out?¡± ¡°No. I call this strategizing.¡± With a snort, Luca vanished into the tree. I stared at Vincent in amazement. That went over better than I could have ever hoped. Just as I was about to speak, he turned his back on me and started stomping through the trees. ¡°Vincent!¡± I called, jogging to catch up with him. ¡°Vincent, wait for me!¡± He didn¡¯t respond. I scowled, moving faster so I could catch up to him. When I did, I grasped his shoulder, attempting to pull him to a stop. He jerked away from me, hitting my hand off of him. ¡°Ow!¡± I cried, cradling my hand to my chest as it throbbed angrily. I gingery touched the knuckle furthest from my thumb with my finger. A grimace crossed my face as it burned. ¡°What the heck, Vincent?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. His eyes shed apologetically for a second, but the anger returned to them immediately. ¡°Stop following me.¡± ¡°Let me talk to you for a second.¡± ¡°Go talk to Sebastian. He¡¯s probably missing you.¡± ¡°Stop acting like a four year old!¡± ¡°Go away.¡± Huffing angrily, I moved around him so that I was standing in his way. He shot me a dirty look before stepping to the left. I stepped to the left too. He moved to the right. I mimicked him. Before I could blink he was behind me. I hung my head for a moment before twisting around and trotting after him. ¡°Vincent! I know you¡¯re upset over what Sebastian said.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He abruptly came to a halt, making me run into my back. A cold hand grasped my bicep to steady me. I gazed up at him, my breath catching into my throat. His sapphire eyes smoldered. ¡°I¡¯m angry about the fact while you love Sebastian, you yed me around. You¡¯re just like the vampires around here. I thought you were different. Humans and vampires are more alike than I thought.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t love Sebastian!¡± I told him, grabbing the front of his coat as he tried to move away. ¡°We were joking!¡± ¡°Nice try, Stupid.¡± . . ¡°We were! Ask him! I don¡¯t love him! I mean I do-¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°That¡¯s-¡± ¡°Let me finish,¡± I snapped angrily. ¡°I do love him, but only as a brother, Vincent. He doesn¡¯t love me like that either. If you¡¯d walked in early, you would have heard it was a joke.¡± He still didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because you feel bad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a¡­¡± ¡°Such a what?¡± he challenged. Instead of answering him, I kissed him. He tried to draw back, but I pushed myself harder into him so he couldn¡¯t. After a few moments he stopped trying to resist me and kissed me back. The tide turned and now he was the dominant one in the kiss. He moved forward and I staged backward until I felt my back hit the trunk of a tree. The bark scraped the section of bare skin that was revealed when my shirt bunched up, but I ignored it, dragging my hand through Vincent¡¯s hair. He kissed me eagerly and in a way that made me feel as though he was marking his territory. When he finally pulled away, both of us were breathing heavily. ¡°Emily, I¡­ No.¡± He suddenly turned away from me, putting a hand to his forehead. ¡°Vincent?¡± ¡°We should go back,¡± he started in a strained voice. ¡°You¡¯re going to catch a cold.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I said as he started walking away. ¡°Vincent, you¡¯re the only one I like. You¡¯re the only one I want to kiss. Not Sebastian.¡± He ran his hand down his face. ¡°I know. I got jealous.¡± My lips curved into a smile. ¡°It takes a lot to admit you¡¯re jealous.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he snapped at me. ¡°Just start walking.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I responded, skipping a few steps so I was next to him. ¡°You¡¯re kind of a moody brat, you know?¡± He gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°And you¡¯re stupid.¡± I glowered at him and heughed, surprising me by covering my hand with his and intecing our fingers. ¡°Ow!¡± I hissed, yanking my hand back. ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized, giving me a guilty look. ¡°I didn¡¯t hold back when I hit you. Sorry. It was a dick move. We¡¯ll put some ice on it when we get back.¡± I couldn¡¯t be angry with him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much.¡± He gave me a t look. ¡°Well, yeah, it hurts. But you¡¯re making up for it right now.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Being so honest and sincere¡­¡± I blushed at how ridiculous my words sound. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it¡­ You apologizing and stuff.¡± He turned away from me. ¡°Well, don¡¯t get used to it. It won¡¯t happen often.¡± I smiled, deciding to change the topic. ¡°How did you find me?¡± . . ¡°Luck,¡± he grunted. ¡°And you¡¯re pretty damn lucky I did. What the hell were you thinking? Going outside by yourself?¡± ¡°I was looking for you!¡± I returned. ¡°Joel told me you were outside!¡± ¡°So you decided to follow me? You¡¯ve never been in these woods before! You could have got lost!¡± ¡°I was usingndmarks.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Thosendmarks really helped you with Luca, right?¡± I puffed out my chest. ¡°Luca was different. He was unexpected.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go in the woods alone,¡± he ordered. ¡°Actually, don¡¯t go outside at all. I heard what Luca said.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. Father figured that they would be watching you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of annoying,¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll be over in a week.¡± ¡°Are you going to the ball?¡± Vincent threw me a surprised nce. After a second he frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew about that.¡± ¡°Sebastian told me.¡± ¡°Of course he did.¡± Now it was my turn to frown. ¡°Well, are you going?¡± ¡°I have to. Not that I want to. It¡¯s really annoying.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been to a ball before?¡± ¡°Duh,¡± Vincent responded. ¡°I¡¯m royalty. It¡¯s not only in books royalty throws extravagant parties. It¡¯s real life. No different for vampires than humans.¡± I dropped my gaze to the ground. ¡°Do you have a date?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you want to go with me?¡± ¡°No.¡± My head snapped back up. ¡°What? Why not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going,¡± he told me, giving me a disapproving look. ¡°That¡¯s the night Ashton¡¯s going toe looking for you.¡± ¡°I want to go!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°It was Mother¡¯s decision. It¡¯s too dangerous. Who knows where Ashton will be?¡± I pouted at him. ¡°But I want to go!¡± He gave me a wary look. ¡°No, Stupid. Are you even listening to a word I say?¡± ¡°Vincent, be my fairy godmother.¡± ¡°¡­ Excuse me?¡± ¡°Let me go for a little while! We won¡¯t tell your parents! If I¡¯m with the groups of people at the ball it will be harder for Ashton to find me and grab me. All the other vampires will be around, right?¡± He pressed his lips in a straight line. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Vincent! Please?¡± ¡°My word¡¯s final,¡± he told me. ¡°Fine,¡± I said,ing to a stop. ¡°If you won¡¯t be my fairy godmother I¡¯m sure Sebastian will. He won¡¯t say no to me. He¡¯s too nice to me. He cares enough. He¡¯ll be more than willing to help me out. He-¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Vincent growled, his eyes piercing into mine. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go. But only for a little while. But if Mother or Father sees you, it¡¯ll be your own head, got it?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± I chirped, trying to keep the sly smirk threatening to slip onto my face off. It was nice to know I could persuade Vincent to do something if I said Sebastian would do it. ¡°Stop standing there like an idiot and move,¡± he ordered, grabbing my uninjured hand into his. I grinned, allowing him to pull me back to the house. It was okay to have fun before everything turned sour, wasn¡¯t it? Onest night with the Rutherfords before Ashton came¡­ I froze. The note! ¡°What?¡± Vincent asked, turning to look at me from over his shoulder. ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing,¡± I responded, forcing myself to start walking again. If it was anything bad, I¡¯d show him¡­ but I wanted to see what it was about first. When I was alone. 57 ¡°Emily, Honey, are you going to eat?¡± Jumping slightly in surprise, my eyes shot to Lue, who was staring at me with a concerned expression. Changing my gaze to the food on my te, I picked up my fork and stabbed a piece of squash, shoving it in my mouth. ¡°Yep! See?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full,¡± Vincent said in a belittling tone. I red at him, resisting the urge to show him the chewed up food in my mouth. If it weren¡¯t for the others at the table, I would¡¯ve. Everyone in the Rutherford family was present- Solomon, Lue, Fiona, Sebastian, and Vincent. Joel was there too, but I figured he was included in most family gatherings. ¡°You¡¯ll choke,¡± Vincent finished after a moment, dropping his gaze down to his ce. Lue¡¯s eyes widened slightly. She mouthed something to her husband that I didn¡¯t catch causing him, and Sebastian who was sitting next to him, to smirk. I cocked my head to the side, gazing at the pair of men with questioning eyes. They both waved me off. I scowled. A new silence settled in after that, aside from the scraping of metal forks on the porcin tes. There was some type of tension in the air, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why. Usually the Rutherfords were pretty calm. They spoke what was on their mind (especially Vincent), so this was a little strange. I had my own reasons for being unsettled though. It was the second day since Ashton had left me in the forest. Technically second night, actually, which meant that meant there was only four more days before he came back to retrieve me. No one had spoken one word of it over the past two days. It made my mind race with questions: Why weren¡¯t they talking about it? Were they not worried about it? Were they secretly nning without me? Why wouldn¡¯t they tell me? ¡°Ah, before I forget,¡± Solomon started, interrupting the quiet dinner room. ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll be having a few guests from the court over for dinner. I do believe it would be in our best interests if Emily were out of the house. Fiona, Vincent, I¡¯ll leave that up to you two.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Joel asked excitedly. ¡°You need to go to your parents house for dinner,¡± Solomon told him. His jaw dropped. ¡°What? No!¡± I cocked an eyebrow. It never urred to me that Joel had parents. Well, no, obviously he had parents, but I¡¯d assumed Solomon and Lue were kind of his adoptive parents. ¡°They miss you,¡± Lue added. ¡°I will die,¡± hemented dramatically, flopping onto the table. ¡°I can hear them scolding me already¡­¡± Solomon shook his head at Joel before turning to Fiona and Vincent. ¡°So are you guys up for it?¡± Fiona beamed happily at him. ¡°No problem! I¡¯d do anything to stay away from the court members!¡± ¡°Same,¡± Vincent grunted. ¡°Those assholes can¡¯t even be polite enough to at least act like they like me.¡± ¡°Vivi,nguage,¡± Lue scolded him. ¡°Your swearing habit has gotten out of handtely.¡± Solomonughed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Lue, that will just make him do it more.¡± She frowned. ¡°That¡¯s no good¡­¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Father, will I have to attend this court meeting?¡± Sebastian inquired, disappointed washed across his face for some reason. The usual twinkle to his eye was gone. Did he not like the court either? . . ¡°Oh! No! I forgot to tell you, you don¡¯t have to attend either. Why don¡¯t you take the opportunity to go out and have some fun? I know you¡¯ve been busytely, so I think it will do you some good.¡± His eyes lit up like a child¡¯s on Christmas. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive,¡± Solomon responded, smiling at his son. ¡°Emily could use the extra protection too, right?¡± His words suddenly brought everyone to a halt. My eyes widened. Finally. He was bringing up the issue! Well, maybe not bringing it up, but mentioning it. It felt like my back pocket was burning, and I knew why. The note I¡¯d received from Luca was there, still unread. I¡¯d decided I wanted to read it with Sebastian. If I read it alone, there could be a chance that I wouldn¡¯t want to share the information in it and put both his family and myself in danger. However I hadn¡¯t managed to get him alone, so there¡¯d been no time to read it. For a second I debated on taking it out right now and showing everyone, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that would be the best idea. What if it was something really bad? Sebastian would know what to do. He always did. ¡°I think it would be fun to check out that new restaurant,¡± Solomon said thoughtfully, tapping his chin. ¡°Maybe you could eat dinner there and tell me how it is.¡± ¡°I like that idea!¡± Fiona chirped. Sebastian smiled at her. ¡°Anything for food, right?¡± She grinned sheepishly, her cheeks tinting pink. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Hey,¡± I began, raising my voice to gain everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Why are you all acting so normal?¡± Everyone but Vincent gave me a confused look. He gave me an eye roll. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lue questioned, cing her fork on her te. ¡°Ashton ising in four days!¡± I burst, clenching my fist. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we talked about a n? Or strategy? Or something! Isn¡¯t it going to be dangerous? You guys might have to fight him! Don¡¯t you think you should have some kind of idea of how to protect yourselves? What about me? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either!¡± There were a few moments of silence after my little rant. I stayed quiet, focusing on keeping my breath under control. Weren¡¯t they at least a little bit worried about what was going toe? Was I the only one worried for them ? ¡°Come to think of it, we should probably think of something,¡± Solomonmented, blinking at his wife. ¡°Maybe the ball nning can be put to a pause.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± she responded slowly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s best to be prepared even in a situation such as this.¡± I stared nkly at the two. Were they serious? They hadn¡¯t even thought about nning something? ¡°Unbelievable! I thought you two would at least be more worried.¡± ¡°Emily, you keep forgetting we¡¯re vampires,¡± Fiona interjected, rapping her fist gently on my head. ¡°We¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that your opponent is also a vampire!¡± I replied, feeling a wave of anxiousness wash over me. ¡°You guys need to take this more seriously!¡± Sebastian tapped his chin. ¡°Maybe we can set up some booby traps¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re so childish,¡± Vincent muttered. Then he smirked. ¡°I say we y a real life version of Mouse Trap. That¡¯ll be much more-¡± . . ¡°You guys!¡± I cried, pushing myself to my feet. ¡°Stop joking around! I¡¯m being serious! Don¡¯t go blindly into this! You never know what Ashton¡¯s nning! What if one of you gets hurt because of this? If you don¡¯t step up your game, I¡¯ll go with Ashton willingly-¡± Vincent sent me a harsh re, but before I could continue speaking, or he could start, Solomon abruptly startedughing, but easily changed it into a cough. ¡°Sit down, Emily.¡± Lue sent me a gentle smile as I did as the king ordered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Everyone at the table aside from Vincent hooked me a thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯re teasing you.¡± My mind went nk. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, I now know why Vincent teases you so much,¡± Solomonmented with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re so gullible and easily influenced.¡± ¡°I kind of feel bad,¡± Lue admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Sebastian and Fiona stated simultaneously. The nk expression was wiped away, reced by irritation. ¡°You guys are jerks!¡± Solomon chuckled again, pushing his dark hair out of his face. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Let me ease your worries. Everything is already nned. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about anything.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Sebastian or Vincent have told you, but on that same day is the ball for the search of Sebastian¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± Sebastian shifted ufortably, his shoulders tensing. ¡°It¡¯s just a ball,¡± he muttered, staring a hole in the kitchen table. Solomon frowned at him for a second before turning back to me. ¡°We really aren¡¯t that ignorant. Ashton¡¯s group really isn¡¯t a threat to us, but it¡¯s still wise to take precautions.¡± ¡°Also, there will be a lot of vampires here on our side,¡± Fiona added. ¡°It would be stupid for Ashton to try anything.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ So¡­ You might not have to fight?¡± I asked hesitantly. If they didn¡¯t have to use violence, then there would be no worries! Solomon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the favorable oue, however, there still is a chance we might have to engage in battle. Don¡¯t fret over it though; we have everything covered. Every one here knows what Ashton wants and will help protect us- even the kitchen crew. Relief washed through me. ¡°Oh, good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be your knight in shining armor if anything bad happens, Em,¡± Joel piped in, grinning happily at me. ¡°I¡¯m pretty strong.¡± ¡°Strong enough to get beat up by his crew before, right?¡± Vincent said mockingly, his sapphire eyes narrowing in amusement. Joel looked offended. ¡°They took me by surprise!¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Solomon began, taking my attention away from the bickering boys, ¡°you¡¯ll be in the back room of the ballroom. This way you¡¯re protected without being suspicious and Ashton will never know of your location.¡± . . 58 I frowned a tiny bit. So they were nning on keeping me away from the ball. That wasn¡¯t any fun. Trying to be inconspicuous, I slid my gaze over to Vincent. Our eyes met and after a moment he sighed, inclining his head a fraction of an inch. I brightened up immediately. Hopefully he was receiving my telepathic question of whether or not he was still going to be my fairy godmother. Why should I miss out on the fun at the ball? I wanted to dance too. It would take my mind off of the impending danger that Ashton posed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything,¡± Lue told me, her soft eyes meeting mine as I turned to look at her. I smiled back at her. ¡°I still will though.¡± Sheughed quietly. ¡°I can¡¯t say I me you. Even I¡¯m a little worried myself, although I¡¯m also sure that nothing will go against our favor.¡± ¡°Enough of this serious talk!¡± Solomon said, pping his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something more exciting.¡± ¡°Cute guys?¡± Fiona said enthusiastically. ¡°The NASCAR race?¡± Sebastian added. Joel nearly shot up from his seat. ¡°Fried squid?¡± Vincent sighed heavily, shaking his head. ¡°Just shut up, Joel.¡± ¡°What? Aww, does that mean we aren¡¯t talking about fried squid? I really want some¡­¡± ¡°Well if Vincent doesn¡¯t want to talk about fried squid, maybe he wants to talk about something a little more personal,¡± Sebastian said slyly. Vincent gave him a nk stare. ¡°Like what?¡± He looked pointedly at me. It took all I had to control the blush threatening to spread across my cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re stupid,¡± Vincent said with a sigh. Sebastian shrugged, the corners of his lips curving up into a smug smile. ¡°Whatever you say, Vince. I¡¯m done. If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± Solomon nodded. ¡°You may go.¡± ¡°Where are you off to?¡± Lue inquired. ¡°Shower,¡± Sebastian responded. I sat up a little straighter. ¡°Wait, can Ie with you?¡± Sebastian blinked at me while both Solomon and Lue stared at me with shocked expressions. Fiona giggled, patting my shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were into that.¡± It took me a moment to realize my words came out wrong. Flushing, I shook my head. ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± I sent a panicked look to Vincent, who rolled his eyes at me. ¡°I just want to talk to you for a moment!¡± ¡°Sure?¡± Sebastian responded in a questioning tone. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Secret,¡± I responded, ncing around the table. He got up from the table and I followed immediately, going to stand by his side. Solomon, Fiona, and Lue all bid us a farewell and goodnight, but Vincent just scowled. After a moment he stood up as well. ¡°I¡¯ming with you guys too.¡± My mouth opened in protest, but I stopped myself before I said anything. I didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. Would it really matter if Vincent read it too? Sure, he was a little hotheaded, but it wouldn¡¯t make that much of a difference. But what if it was something awful? I didn¡¯t want Vincent to read that¡­ . . After a few more seconds of hesitation and a suspicious look from Solomon, I decided there was no way I could convince Vincent not toe. I would have to deal with whatever would happen. The three of us trooped out of kitchen and into the hallway. Nobody spoke as we made our way to a room where we wouldn¡¯t be overheard. Sebastian led the way, deciding my temporary room would be the best- it was the furthest from the room that the others were in. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Sebastian questioned as soon as we were in my room with the door shut. ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± I responded slowly, sliding my hand into my back pocket. ¡°The other night Luca gave me something¡­¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Luca?¡± My eyes snapped to Vincent. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell anyone?¡± ¡°I told Father,¡± he returned, crossing his arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel that Sebastian needed to know.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± Sebastian demanded. ¡°The other night Emily ran into Luca. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Luca just wanted to let us know Ashton knew we had Emily,¡± Vincent exined briefly. He crossed his arms, leaning against the door. ¡°Now what do you want to talk about, Emily?¡± Sighing, I revealed the note, holding it out in front of me. ¡°He slipped this into my back pocket before leaving.¡± Vincent narrowed his eyes. ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I was going to read it with Sebastian,¡± I admitted, ¡°that way I couldn¡¯t hide any information it might contain.¡± Sebastian nodded,ing closer to me. ¡°Smart move,¡± he murmured, taking the piece of paper out of my hand. ¡°Shall I read it aloud?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Vincent responded curtly. ¡°I want to hear it too.¡± I swallowed nervously, shifting ufortably on my feet. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s the best way¡­¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Sebastian said, unfolding the letter. His eyes scanned it for a moment, widening slightly. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Read it,¡± Vincent urged him. He looked at Vincent with wide eyes, his mouth opening the tiniest bit. After a brief moment his gaze shifted to me. My heart thudded in my chest in anticipation. Sebastian looked from the note, to me, to Vincent, to the note, and back to me again. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t read this in front of Emily,¡± he finally dered. ¡°What?¡± I cried. ¡°Why?¡± Vincent added. Sebastian lowered his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t want her choice being influenced by it¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t influenced before, why would it be influenced now?¡± Vincent snapped. For a second, I felt like I didn¡¯t want to hear the letter. Was it really that bad? What would make me change my mind? I hadn¡¯t really decided on anything, anyway. The n was that Ashton wasn¡¯t taking me, and Sebastian wasn¡¯t going to be killed. What could be different? Taking a deep breath, Sebastian looked at the note again. ¡°It¡¯s not long. It¡¯s just¡­ Well, it added something new to think about.¡± ¡°Something new?¡± ¡°It seems Ashton knows more than he¡¯s let on,¡± Sebastian told us, his expression solemn. ¡°He knows about the thing with Fiona.¡± . . ¡°No way!¡± I gasped. Vincent strode forward, ripping the paper out of Sebastian¡¯s hand. His eyes shed with anger as he read it. ¡°So it¡¯s either we hand over Emily, or he spills the family secret and kills you, huh?¡± I tried to snatch the note, but Vincent held it over my head. ¡°Let me see it!¡± ¡°Ask politely.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°Please let me see it, Vincent.¡± He finally handed it to me, the beginning of a smirk on his face. ¡°Well if you say please¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, Emily,¡± Sebastian spoke, watching my reaction as I read over the letter. It really didn¡¯t say much. All it said was that Ashton knew the family secret- the thing about Sebastian turning Fiona, not Vincent. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ Why is that more threatening?¡± Vincent opened his mouth and uttered a small noise, but abruptly shut it. It seemed as though he was holding back a nasty remark. ¡°Think about it a little bit,¡± he said calmly. I gave him an impressed look. ¡°Hey! You stopped yourself from snapping at me!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Hey now,¡± Sebastian interjected, frowning. ¡°Emily, if anyone finds out that my family has lied about the whole Fiona fiasco, our family¡¯s name will be soiled. I may be kicked out of being the next king, and that would lead to Ashton having his way. Well, minus the part about having you, of course.¡± I blinked. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it though,¡± he urged me. ¡°We¡¯ll sort it out. Ashton is notorious for not being exactly¡­ good. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to convince everyone he¡¯s lying.¡± He crossed his arms, a pondering expression on his face. ¡°Although I do wonder why he would bring that up. Why did he think it might affect our decision? That doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°He¡¯s an arrogant little prick, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Sebastian trailed off, looking troubled. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°A bad feeling?¡± I echoed, feeling my heart rate increase. ¡°What do you mean by bad feeling?¡± Was he thinking someone would go wrong? The doubt in his voice unnerved me. If that was the case then¡­ Sebastian gently ruffled my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much. It¡¯s really nothing.¡± I frowned. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m off to take a shower,¡± he announced, standing up a little straighter. ¡°Forget about the note, Emily. It won¡¯t make a difference. Hand it over.¡± Reluctantly, I gave him the sheet of paper. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Take care tonight. I know you don¡¯t like thunderstorms and one is approaching,¡± he advised me. ¡°If you need to, you maye to my roomter-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Vincent interjected, shooting him a dirty look. He raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Very well.¡± After turning away from Vincent, he winked at me. ¡°Sleep tight, Emily.¡± I blushed, doing my best not to glower at him. ¡°Night, Sebastian.¡± Vincent and I stood in silence while Sebastian sauntered out of the room, chuckling to himself about something. After he was gone, I turned to Vincent. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he responded, sounding a little irritated. Frowning, I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine if you go. You don¡¯t sound like you want to stay.¡± He shook his head at me. ¡°I said I¡¯d stay.¡± ¡°Oh, I know,¡± I started, a smirk slipping onto my face, ¡°you are upset about thement Sebastian made. Geez, Vivi, it was only an offer.¡± ¡°So what?¡± he snapped, an embarrassed look crawling across his face. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Even if you say there¡¯s nothing between you too, I rather not leave you in his care. I was the one who stayed up with you before.¡± My lips turned up into a silly grin. Vincent was really cute. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, moving closer to him. Standing on my tiptoes, I gave him a quick kiss on the nose. He immediately jerked away, rubbing his nose. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hay is for horses,¡± I told him tauntingly, turning my back to him. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll go take a shower too-¡± ¡°Wait,¡± he ordered, grabbing my forearm and pulling me back. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kiss me, kiss me properly. Or else I¡¯ll never learn.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Instead of the usual insulted expression on his face when his poor kissing skills were mentioned, he lookedpletely confident. And a little smug. Almost as if¡­ My eyes widened as he drew in closer. ¡°Wait! You know?¡± ¡°Of course I know. I¡¯m not stupid, like you,¡± he returned with an evil smile. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident in my kissing skills. I just liked watching you think you were teasing me.¡± ¡°You-¡± He cut me off by pressing his lips against mine firmly. I kissed him back, but I felt myself blushing again. That was just like him. Making a fool out of me. Oh well , I thought. If he didn¡¯t do that, he wouldn¡¯t be my Vincent. __________________________________________ . . 59 ¡°Yep, I knew it, you look amazing in id,¡± I stated proudly, hooking Sebastian a thumbs up. He frowned, pulling at the cor of his dark green and lime colored id shirt. ¡°You said every guy looks good in id¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I responded, grinning. ¡°But you look great! That shirt really brings out your eyes too. You look better than most guys anyway. Hmm. You are a vampire though¡­¡± ¡°Not all vampires are handsome,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I told you that. And do I have to wear these jeans?¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Yes you do.¡± ¡°They¡¯re quite ufortable.¡± ¡°All guys wear jeans, Sebastian.¡± He gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°Yeah, but these are so stiff . I can barely walk. Why can¡¯t I wear a pair of my other jeans?¡± ¡°Darker jeans look better with that outfit. Now stopining. You¡¯re the one who asked me to help you choose an outfit for tonight.¡± ¡°Actually, I do believe I just asked you for advice,¡± he corrected, running a hand through his shaggy hair. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here.¡± I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. ¡°You think you¡¯re hot enough now?¡± ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t trying to look hot-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie,¡± I interjected, a smirk slipping onto my face. ¡°You want to look great in front of Fiona tonight. That¡¯s why you asked me.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°I just figured you would know what girls like her liked to look at.¡± Iughed. ¡°Different girls have different types, Sebastian.¡± ¡°Am I your type?¡± My face gave me away before I could answer, causing Sebastian tough. ¡°I¡¯m not interested though,¡± I snapped at him, feeling embarrassed. ¡°You know I only like Vincent.¡± ¡°Oh I know.¡± ¡°I wish you were my brother,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re so much cooler than Jake.¡± He smiled gently at me. ¡°If I was your brother you wouldn¡¯t like me as much, I think. You might act the same way Vincent does.¡± I frowned at him. ¡°It¡¯s not like he hates you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s close.¡± ¡°Not even,¡± I disagreed, shaking my head. ¡°He definitely cares about you, Sebastian. He just has a hard time showing it. That¡¯s just his personality. Like, he calls me stupid all the time but I know he just continues saying it because it¡¯s his own nickname for me. It¡¯s not meant in an offensive way anymore¡­ Well sometimes it is, but that¡¯s also just his personality.¡± Sebastian stared at me for a moment before ruffling my hair. ¡°I¡¯m d he found someone like you. I¡¯d hate to see him go on with life without someone who understands him like you do.¡± I pulled his hand off my head, pursing my lips together. ¡°I don¡¯t understand himpletely. I don¡¯t even get the gist of him.¡± . . ¡°You¡¯re doing well,¡± Sebastianplimented me. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. I just wish that¡­¡± ¡°Just wish what?¡± I asked usingly, narrowing my eyes. ¡°You know,¡± he replied, letting his shoulders sag. ¡°I want you to really think about bing one of¡­ us.¡± My stomach twisted ufortably. He was bringing this up again? We were having a good conversation until now! ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± He held up his finger. ¡°I know, I know. You don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± I protested. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think you belong here.¡± ¡°There was enough trouble with Fiona. Imagine if the same thing happened with me. I¡¯ve already caused enough trouble for your family.¡± He gave me an unhappy look. ¡°We¡¯re more than willing to wee you in. Reputation isn¡¯t as important as happiness.¡± ¡°I still have my family, Sebastian. I¡¯m not willing to give them up.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± he pressed. ¡°You could still visit them as much as you would like!¡± My eyes dropped down to his shirt and I noticed he¡¯d buttoned it up incorrectly. Moving forward to fix it, I tried my best to keep my voice even. As much as I loved him, his constant imploring was driving me crazy. ¡°You buttoned your shirt wrong. I¡¯ll fix it for you.¡± He allowed me to do so, but his body was tense. ¡°It would work out fine, you know.¡± ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t, Sebastian,¡± I countered, my hands shaking as I undid the first few buttons. ¡°Haven¡¯t you read Twilight?¡± He cocked his head to the side. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Well you should be able to figure it out. While Be was some stupid, heels-over-head-in-love-with-that-Edward-bloke-with-no-regard-to-anything-else-she-was-messing-up-and-not-taking-in-other-people¡¯s-feelings girl, she at least knew her family wouldn¡¯t notice that she wasn¡¯t aging anymore.¡± ¡°Then just tell your family.¡± I paused in my unbuttoning. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think my family will take it as well as Be¡¯s dad. In fact, I¡¯d be worried if anyone did take it as well as her dad.¡± ¡°Stopparing everything to that embarrassing book,¡± Sebastian snapped. ¡°Did you know she had a baby in the end?¡± He mocked an angry expression. ¡°Thank you for spoiling it!¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s good vampires can¡¯t get humans pregnant,¡± I mused out loud, dragging my hands down to the bottom of his shirt. ¡°That would just be weird. It¡¯d be like a dog getting a human pregnant.¡± ¡°Ouch, Emily.¡± ¡°Ah! That came out wrong. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have used dog¡­ Okay, let¡¯s say it¡¯s the same as a panther getting a cheetah pregnant. They¡¯re close, but they¡¯re not the same.¡± . . Sebastian suddenly pulled away from me, an uncharacteristic smirk on his face. ¡°Want to hear something interesting?¡± Wary, I raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are some humans that can be pregnant by vampire. Want to know what ones?¡± ¡°I have wild guess,¡± I muttered. ¡°Blue Bloods?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it. It¡¯s impossible for another Blue Blood to be born without some ancestral vampire blood.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°What? Does that mean my great grandma was a vampire?¡± ¡°Blue Blood,¡± he corrected. ¡°Not a vampire. She probably mated with one. It could¡¯ve been your great, great, great, great, great, great-¡± ¡°I get it,¡± I interjected. ¡°I thought it was random.¡± He blinked at me. ¡°It is random.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ never mind,¡± I gave up. ¡°Here¡¯s another difference between Be and I. I won¡¯t ever, ever get pregnant before the age of twenty-three.¡± ¡°Why twenty-three?¡± I shrugged. ¡°It seems reasonable enough to me. Hopefully by that age I¡¯ll be with someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.¡± ¡°Vincent?¡± Flushing, I refocused my attention to urately buttoning up his shirt. ¡°Will you stop with that, please?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily. I just love you. In a brotherly way.¡± Involuntarily, my heart skipped a beat. It wasn¡¯t every day an incredibly handsome guy told you he loved you. Even if he was a vampire. ¡°I-I love you too. In a sisterly way.¡± ¡°I want you to be in my family. I¡¯ve always wanted a little sister like you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a brother like you too, like I said earlier,¡± I responded, slipping the next button through its slit. The door suddenly burst open and Vincent appeared at my side in a sh, scowling. ¡°Why is it always you with Emily, Sebastian?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian faked an embarrassed expression. ¡°Oh, did you hear my confession?¡± ¡°What confession?¡± Vincent snapped. He turned to me. ¡°Emily?¡± ¡°He¡¯s joking,¡± I told him, trying not to smile. ¡°We¡¯re just talking¡­ Oh, and I¡¯m fixing his shirt,¡± I added, holding up thest button. ¡°Almost done.¡± Vincent didn¡¯t look satisfied. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you all over. Are you guys ready yet? We have to leave soon.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Fiona?¡± Sebastian inquired. ¡°Already in the car.¡± ¡°By herself?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Obviously, since I¡¯m here.¡± He frowned. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like being by herself, Vince. I¡¯m going out there with her- Emily, thank you for the help.¡± . . ¡°No problem,¡± I responded, waving him away. ¡°Go save your princess.¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡± He shook his head at me before hastening toward the exit of the room. ¡°I guess I¡¯d like to be the Knight in Shining Armor once.¡± Grinning, I turned back to Vincent, who was brooding. He frowned deeply at me. I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why do you act like that with him?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like¡­ Like you guys are dating or something,¡± he muttered, crossing his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t act like that with me.¡± I stared at him, a bit taken aback by his bluntness. ¡°Um¡­ well¡­¡± Narrowing his eyes, he took a few steps closer to me. ¡°You said you liked me, right?¡± ¡°I do!¡± I told him, stumbling back a few steps. ¡°Sebastian is just¡­ you know, less intimidating?¡± Vincent stopped. ¡°You think I¡¯m intimidating?¡± ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I mumbled, dropping my gaze. ¡°Have you seen yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sebastian¡¯s brother. We¡¯re not that different.¡± I kept my eyes glued to the floor. ¡°It¡¯s different with you¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± I stayed silent. ¡°Why?¡± Vincent repeated more forcefully, his cool finger forcing my chin up so that I was looking at him. ¡°How am I different?¡± ¡°Y-you just are,¡± I stammered. His eyes pierced into mine, smoldering. ¡°Give me a reason.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think of you like my brother,¡± I admitted quietly. ¡°I have to be more conscious about myself. I don¡¯t want to act like a fool in front of you.¡± ¡°You do anyway.¡± I scowled. ¡°Vincent! God! You¡¯re so annoying! See? I¡¯m trying to be honest with you and you can¡¯t see how hard it is for me to say the things I¡¯m saying! It¡¯s embarrassing!¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s not for me?¡± he replied, removing his finger from my chin. ¡°I¡¯m not used to people saying this stuff to me, stupid. And you don¡¯t have to call me God.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t, you¡­¡± I trailed off, biting my tongue. He was definitely doing this on purpose. A few moments of silence passed between us. I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. There was an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he spoke. ¡°We should go.¡± He turned around and started walking, but I quickly grabbed his hand. ¡°Wait, Vincent.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said Sebastian and I were acting like we were a couple.¡± He set his jaw. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Are you¡­? Are we¡­? Um, are you¡­?¡± A blush was threatening to spread across my cheeks. It was kind of embarrassing to say what I was about to ask out loud. ¡°Are we a couple?¡± I burst finally. ¡°I mean, we like each other, and we kiss¡­ A-and¡­¡± He gazed at me for a few moments, his faceplete emotionless. Then heughed. Surprised, I took a step back. ¡°You¡¯re stupid,¡± he said through hisughter. I scowled at him. ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk! I was asking a serious question! I fail to see how you find it funny!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I said it to you.¡± . . 60 ¡°Said what?¡± ¡°I said you couldn¡¯t have a boyfriend unless it was me, and you said you¡¯d never want me as your boyfriend, and here you are, practically begging-¡± ¡°I am not!¡± I cried in denial. He smirked. ¡°I know.¡± Grinding my teeth together, I marched toward the door. ¡°You know what, forget it. We¡¯re just friends with benefits.¡± Vincent easily grabbed my elbow, pulling me to a stop. ¡°Emily, wait.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I breathed, my heart skipping a beat at the use of my real name. ¡°Will you be my girlfriend?¡± My mouth nearly dropped to the floor. All I could do was goggle at him. That was the least expected thing I¡¯d imagined he¡¯d say. To my ongoing amazement, a small blush spread across his cheeks. ¡°Stop staring like that!¡± he snapped, turning his head away. ¡°You¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re blushing!¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°You so are!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°I will kill you.¡± I grinned giddily at him. ¡°Well, I suppose if you went through all that embarrassment just to ask that, I should say yes.¡± He shot daggers at me. ¡°Seriously.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± I responded with augh. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be your, um, girlfriend.¡± The smug expression returned to his face. ¡°Now who¡¯s embarrassed?¡± ¡°S-Sebastian and Fiona are waiting for us,¡± I said quickly, turning my back to him. ¡°We should go.¡± He picked up his pace to keep up with me. ¡°Now look who¡¯s blushing.¡± ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Aw, look,¡± he said teasingly, pulling at my cheek. ¡°So pink!¡± I pped his hand away. ¡°Stop it! Of course I¡¯m embarrassed! I didn¡¯t expect anything like that from you! It¡¯s almost like Sebastian¡­¡± I trailed off, my eyes widening. ¡°Almost like Sebastian put you up to it.¡± Vincent kept his face impassive. ¡°He did not.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°You liar! He did! What did he say? What did he promise you? Ugh, that guy!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t put me up to anything,¡± Vincent growled, turning to give me a dirty look. ¡°Now stop shouting.¡± ¡°No! What did he promise you?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re lying.¡± Vincent stopped, causing me to bump into him. ¡°He might have requested I do it, but I figured I¡¯d have to do it sooner orter.¡± ¡°Have to?¡± I repeated skeptically. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you feeling like I was just using you,¡± he told me, crossing his arms. ¡°I just assumed you¡¯d think we were¡­ like that¡­ but Sebastian said you didn¡¯t think that and I wanted to clear things up.¡± I rxed a little bit, easing up on my re. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay then,¡± I told him. ¡°As long as you mean it.¡± ¡°I mean it. Now stop making me say it.¡± Smiling again, I snatched up his hand. He jerked it back. ¡°Hey,¡± I protested. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled, shyly taking my hand up in his. ¡°I¡¯m not used to hand holding. It feels weird.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll feel good eventually,¡± I told him. Another smirk spread across his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied casually, speeding his pace up. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve gotta get to the car so we can leave before anyone arrives.¡± I frowned at him, but allowed the conversation to drop as he led me through the maze of hallways. Going out to dinner would be fun¡­ I grimaced. I was going out to dinner with vampires¡­ This was going to be an experience. __________________________________ ¡°Center of attention¡­ We¡¯re the center of attention,¡± I murmured as we entered the restaurant Fiona had chosen to eat at. ¡°Or should I say you guys are.¡± Literally every customer nced up from his or her table at us as we passed. It felt like I was walking around with a group of famous people. I was actually expecting someone to jump up and ask for our autographs. So much for vampires not being ostentatious. Vincent and Sebastian trailed a few feet behind Fiona and myself, Vincent with a moody expression on his face, Sebastian taking in his surroundings. Every few seconds he¡¯d wrinkle his nose and make a face. I figured it was due to the thousands of aromas lingering around the restaurant from the dishes. Fiona, who looked like she was having the time of her life, smiled flirtatiously at a few of the men we passed. ¡°Come on, Em! Flirt a little bit!¡± I shook my head at once. ¡°No way! I wouldn¡¯t flirt when I already have a guy I like. It makes me feel like I¡¯m betraying him.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± she responded, the smile slipping off her face. ¡°Do you really think that?¡± ¡°How would you feel if Sebastian started flirting with other girls?¡± She did a double take at me, but because she moved her head so fast it seemed like she only spared me a quick nce. ¡°S-Seb?¡± I grinned evilly. ¡°Are you blushing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± she cried, her cheeks blossoming with color, betraying her words. ¡°W-what are you even talking about?¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Fiona. Don¡¯t act so innocent. I know you like him-¡± ¡°Shh!¡± she silenced me, pressing a soft hand over my mouth. I blinked at her. ¡°He can hear you,¡± she whispered, removing her hand. ¡°Oh, yeah, oops,¡± I responded, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, Fiona.¡± She suddenly snatched up my hand, dragging me in the opposite direction we were headed. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°H-hey!¡± I protested, stumbling over my feet. ¡°I thought we were eating?¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sebastian questioned as Fiona tried to move by him. He easily blocked her way. ¡°Lady¡¯s room,¡± she answered easily, ¡°Emily said she had to pee really bad.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°What I-¡± ¡°Right?¡± she interjected sharply. ¡°I-I¡­ Yeah, guess so,¡± I muttered, lowering my gaze to my feet. ¡°S¡¯pose I have a bad dder or something. Vincent snorted and I quickly shot him a re. ¡°We¡¯ll meet you guys at the table. Order our drinks. I want a Coke.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a Sprite,¡± Fiona added, hooking her arm through mine. ¡°Our table says Rutherford.¡± ¡°Eh? We have reservations?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know what?¡± Sebastian inquired, furrowing his eyebrows.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I shook my head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Does this restaurant seem like a ce you can eat at without one?¡± Vincent asked, smirking at me. I puffed out my cheeks. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t know if I brought enough money for this-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not paying at all,¡± Sebastian cut me off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll handle your bill.¡± . . ¡°No, I will,¡± Vincent told me, crossing his arms. ¡°You pay for Fiona.¡± Sebastian frowned a tiny bit, but shrugged. ¡°Okay, sure.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back then,¡± Fiona stated, dragging me forward. ¡°Have a nice conversation while you wait.¡± I sent Vincent a helpless look to which he replied with a smirk. After narrowing my eyes at him, I turned myself around so I wouldn¡¯t stumble over my feet while Fiona was towing me toward the restroom. A few people gave us amused nces as we hastened between tables at an unusually quick pace. Instead of having a multi-stalled bathroom like most restaurants, it only had single person one. Fiona grabbed the handle, ready to wing it open. ¡°Wait, it might be-¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Oops, sorry!¡± ¡°-upied,¡± I finished, grimacing as she shut the door again, a silly grin crossing her face. Sighing, I covered my face with my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t just walk into bathrooms like that, Fiona. You¡¯re supposed to knock.¡± She sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m a Princess. I don¡¯t have to.¡± My jaw nearly dropped. ¡°Fiona,¡± I started in a scolding voice. ¡°You-¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± sheughed, waving her hand in my face. ¡°You actually believed me? I¡¯m not that awful.¡± Just then the bathroom door opened and an elderly gentleman came out of the room, avoiding all eye contact with Fiona. It was an awkward moment. Fiona briskly swept me into the room and closed the door behind us. Swallowing nervously, I eyed her as she locked it. Somewhere in the back of my mind I felt like she was about to murder me. ¡°What am I going to do, Emily?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Fiona was wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling quietly. Completely thrown off guard, I could only stand in my spot and gawk at her. Her change of emotion had happened way too fast! Awkwardly, I moved a little closer to her and put my hand on her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°On Friday,¡± she snuffled. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± Realization dawned on me. Sebastian was going to find a wife. ¡°Fiona¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡± she eximed, her eyes catching mine. Even with tears in them, she still managed to look stunning. ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear of this until a few days ago! No one told me! Even Sebastian! Why would they keep something like that a secret?¡± ¡°You do still have feelings for him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never stopped loving him!¡± she confessed, gesticting wildly. ¡°Why else do you think I¡¯ve stayed with the Rutherfords? I don¡¯t belong there at all, Emily. No one likes me in that family aside from the immediate family- Lue, Solomon, Sebastian, and Vincent. The only reason I¡¯ve stayed is to be close to Sebastian!¡± Still a little bit shocked, it took me a second to respond. ¡°Have you told him this?¡± ¡°No! I couldn¡¯t! Because of me¡­ Everything that¡¯s happened with Vincent¡­ I couldn¡¯t put him in such a position, Emily. But with the marriage¡­¡± Tears spilled over the edges of her eyelids again, rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell me?¡± ¡°Fiona, I think-¡± ¡°Is he going to marry someone else?¡± she cut me off. ¡°I can¡¯t live in that house anymore, Emily.¡± ¡°Fiona, calm down,¡± I demanded, putting both my hands on her shoulders. ¡°Sebastian won¡¯t marry someone else.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He has to, Emily! He¡¯s the next king!¡± . . ¡°No, Fiona-¡± ¡°Yes, Emily! You don¡¯t understand! Do you know who I am? I was human. It¡¯s impossible for me to be queen!¡± ¡°Fiona!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it! Even if we tried-¡± ¡± Fiona! ¡± She flinched back at the sound of my voice. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°What is with you vampires?¡± I demanded, scowling at her. ¡°You and Sebastian! You¡¯re so negative all the time! What if this? What if that? Guess what? Have you ever watched the Princess Diaries? What¡¯s-Her-Face was supposed to get married to a man, but she didn¡¯t! She ran the country on her own! Sebastian could do that too! You guys can start something new! Screw the rest of the world! You haven¡¯t been waiting this whole damn time for nothing, Fiona! Don¡¯t give up so easily! Stop crying!¡± With wide eyes, she nodded her head, wiping her eyes again. ¡°O-okay.¡± Breathing a little heavier than usual, I could feel my cheeks starting to heat up from my words. ¡°Honestly, Fiona. If you¡¯re in love, don¡¯t let anything stop you. I don¡¯t know much about your world, but you can¡¯t just give up so easily. Sebastian loves you too- don¡¯t give up so easily! ¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± she whispered. ¡°Sebastian and I are really close,¡± I answered with a wink. ¡°But both of you two are so¡­ so meek . Stop being pushed around by those above you. If Sebastian is going to be king, he can do something about this. King is higher than Court, right?¡± She slowly nodded her head. ¡°Y-yeah, I guess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the ball. Sebastian won¡¯t enjoy it one bit,¡± I told her confidently. ¡°Just get on the dance floor and make him jealous.¡± A grin broke across her face. ¡°Isn¡¯t that evil?¡± ¡°Well I think it¡¯s a fair trade. Him being forced to dance with women he doesn¡¯t have feelings for¡­ You have to watch it.¡± Sheughed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very fair to him.¡± ¡°Make sure to tell him you love him.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°What? No way! I told you I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°He needs to hear it, Fiona. He doesn¡¯t believe me when I tell him you still have feelings for him.¡± ¡°How did you know I did?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I can just tell. It¡¯s not that hard. Well, actually, it¡¯s a little more difficult with you than Sebastian, but you have signs.¡± ¡°Signs?¡± ¡°The way you still call him Seb is one,¡± I informed her, pursing my lips. ¡°And how you¡¯ve never dated any of the guys at my school¡­¡± She blushed. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like I rejected everyone because of him¡­¡± ¡°Yes you did. Just say it.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°Say you love him.¡± ¡°No way!¡± she cried, waving her hands in front of her body. ¡°I can¡¯t do that! Emily, that¡¯s too embarrassing-¡± I gave her a t look. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be harder saying it to his face?¡± She became more flustered, whipping her head back and forth. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to say that to his face!¡± . . 61 ¡°If you don¡¯t say it he might think you don¡¯t care and find someone to marry at the ball.¡± Silence filled the room after myment. It looked like Fiona was struggling on what to do. Finally she sighed, tugging at a piece of her hair. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡­ I love Sebastian,¡± she rushed. I shook my head, grinning like a maniac. It was fun ying Cupid. ¡°Nope, say it louder.¡± ¡°I love Sebastian.¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t hear you?¡± She glowered at me. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I love Sebastian!¡± Taken aback by her sudden shouting, I jolted back. Her face waspletely red and her shoulders were heaving. Without warning, the door to the bathroom opened. I turned my head to tell the person it was upied, but my breath caught when I noticed it was Sebastian. How clich¨¦¡­ ¡°Oh my god!¡± Fiona cried, her eyes widening. ¡°Fiona,¡± he started, his facepletely nk. She turned on me. ¡°Emily!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was there!¡± ¡°Fiona!¡± Sebastian repeated, moving toward her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she cried, putting her hand down. ¡°Excuse me-¡± ¡°Fiona, wait!¡± Sebastian demanded, twisting on his heel as Fiona disappeared from the bathroom. I stared after her, my mouth hanging open. That wasn¡¯t exactly what I nned. Sebastian was staring at me, bbergasted. I shooed him with my hands. ¡°Go! Go get her! I told you, Sebastian! Now get!¡± After a moment he nodded, stepping back into the restaurant. With his hand on the doorframe, he paused, turning back to me. ¡°Thank you, Emily¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± I responded with a smile, mocking saluting him. ¡°Go get her back.¡± He grinned. ¡°Vincent¡¯s alone at the table. The waitress is trying to flirt with him.¡± Nodding, I quickly hurried out of the bathroom, shutting the door after me. It only took a few moments for me to locate our reserved table. Vincent was sitting at his, crossing his arms, a grumpy expression on his face. Grinning at the sight, I slowed my pace to a crawl to keep him waiting. When he noticed me, he beckoned with his finger for me to hurry up. ¡°What took so long?¡± he demanded as soon as I was close enough. ¡°Oh, you know, just helping a friend out,¡± I responded with a smirk. He frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think Fiona and Sebastian are meant to be?¡± He dropped his head back and groaned. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°What? You should be happy for them!¡± ¡°I am,¡± he told me gruffly, avoiding my gaze, ¡°but I also know what this is going to cause. I¡¯ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.¡± I stuck out my chest. ¡°Good thing you have plenty of those.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever. This is a good thing I guess. No more awkward tension between the two.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re just so cute together?¡± I gushed excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s like a fairytale! They get to live together happily for forever! You know, because they¡¯re both vampires! If Fiona was still a human, she¡¯d die¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing my words. An ufortable feeling washed through me. Human¡¯s died¡­ . . Vincent seemed to be guessing my thoughts. ¡°Are you afraid of dying?¡± His question took me by surprise. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you afraid to die?¡± he repeated. ¡°Oh, um, yeah. Who isn¡¯t?¡± I responded, cupping my elbow with my hand. ¡°It isn¡¯t a pleasant idea, but it happens to everyone.¡± He hummed his response, his sapphire eyes smoldering into mine. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± My heart skipped a beat. What was he thinking? Was he nning on asking me if I wanted to be a vampire? Was that what was hidden behind his words? ¡°N-no I don¡¯t, but I-I mean I guess I have to one day. I hope it¡¯s when I¡¯m old and wrinkly.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°Old and wrinkly? Ew. I won¡¯t want you then.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± I fake scowled at him. ¡°You could be at least friendly about it!¡± ¡°You want me to lie?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so annoying!¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be creepy if I said I wanted an old woman?¡± he pointed out, giving me an eye roll. ¡°Think about that seriously, Stupid.¡± Crossing my arms, I let out a huff of annoyance. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t want to think about getting older. I¡¯m still a ripe, prime seventeen year old.¡± Vincent suddenly grinned maliciously. ¡°Jail bait, huh?¡± ¡°How old are you again?¡± Was it mean that I couldn¡¯t remember? ¡°I¡¯m-¡± ¡°In human years!¡± I added quickly. He smirked. ¡°Neen. I do believe I told you that before.¡± ¡°I forgot,¡± I admitted bashfully. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± he told me, reaching over to gently knock his fist against my head. ¡°Humans have weak minds.¡± I wrinkled my nose at him. ¡°I don¡¯t, remember? You can¡¯t erase my mind.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re a Blue Blood, remember? You¡¯re already different than everyone else.¡± ¡°I still age the same.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± My stomach twisted. Yes, I still aged the same. That meant I¡¯d look much older than Vincent one day. When I was thirty, he¡¯d probably still appear to be at the same age as he was now. But I couldn¡¯t be a vampire. I couldn¡¯t change into one of them! I didn¡¯t belong with them. But¡­ ¡°What?¡± Vincent demanded when he caught me staring at him. ¡°Do you want- ah!¡± I gasped, cutting myself off. I couldn¡¯t ask him that! What was I doing? What was I thinking? There was no way I was ever going to be a vampire! Even if Vincent wanted me to change¡­ it just couldn¡¯t happen! ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I finishedmely. He gave me a suspicious look. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°I¡­ Yeah,¡± I murmured, sending my eyes downcast. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important¡­¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Vincent?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Would you like me even if I was thirty years old?¡± He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°No?¡± I chuckled in relief. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Why would you even ask that?¡± . . ¡°I just figured if you were like Edward I¡¯d be too creeped out to keep dating you,¡± I exined. He scoffed. ¡°Please don¡¯t everpare us. You would have to be crazy to be attracted to an olddy.¡± ¡°What if you really loved me?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t ever love you that much.¡± I gaped at him in disbelief. ¡°Wow! You really are a jerk!¡± He snickered. ¡°Yeah, and?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you! That¡¯s so mean!¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Look,¡± he said tly. ¡°If I really loved you, do you think I¡¯d let you continue living on as a human?¡± I opened my mouth to reply to him, but found I couldn¡¯t say anything. For some reason, I felt disappointed. Did that mean he didn¡¯t love me? No, I thought, shaking my head. Of course he didn¡¯t love me. We¡¯d just be a couple. That would be silly¡­ But still I felt a little put out. ¡°Of course,¡± he continued when he realized I wasn¡¯t going to say anything, ¡°you¡¯re still a little young, so I¡¯d wait until your face matured before I did anything.¡± ¡°Yeah, we wouldn¡¯t want you looking like a pedophile,¡± I remarked slyly, smirking again. He shot me a dirty look. ¡°I don¡¯t look that old.¡± ¡°Or do you?¡± ¡°If I did, would you really think I¡¯m handsome?¡± ¡°Who said I thought you¡¯re handsome?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. It¡¯s obvious. I¡¯ve looked in a mirror before.¡± Laughing, I shook my head at him. ¡°Try not to be too pompous.¡± He suddenly flicked something at me. ¡°Here.¡± I nced down at the table, startled to see a red rose on it. For a moment I was too stunned to move. ¡°A rose?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you read the story? A Rose for Emily?¡± I shook my head, picking up the fragile flower. ¡°This is unexpectedly romantic.¡± ¡°It was Sebastian¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°Figures.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it count that I went along with it?¡± Well, since it was Vincent¡­ ¡°It does,¡± I decided. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you toe up with something like this. What¡¯s the story about?¡± He smiled wickedly, an amused glint to his eyes. ¡°An olddy sleeping next to a dead body.¡± Immediately I tossed the rose away from me. ¡°Ew!¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, it¡¯s just a creepy love story. That¡¯s just the ending part.¡± ¡°What do you read?¡± I muttered, snatching up the rose again. It didn¡¯t rte to the story¡­ and it was too pretty to waste. ¡°Thank you though.¡± ¡°Your wee,¡± he mumbled, looking away from me. ¡°Oh look who it is,¡± he said before I couldment about his embarrassment. ¡°The future King and Queen have returned.¡± Following his gaze, my eyesnded on the two vampires who, to my great satisfaction, were holding hands. My heart jumped a little in joy. Fiona caught my gaze and grinned happily. I just smiled back at her. ¡°Have our drinks came yet?¡± Sebastian asked, trying to act like nothing happened. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile.¡± ¡°No, they haven¡¯t,¡± Vincent told him. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing too. Maybe you¡¯d like to share one with Fiona instead.¡± Sebastian scowled at his brother while Fiona blushed. I nudged Vincent in the side disapprovingly. He justughed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind sharing one with Emily, since you two have shared spit before,¡± Sebastian retorted casually, obviously proud of his smarteback. This time it was Vincent who red at his brother while I felt my face heat up. I could tell it was going to be a very long night. __________________________________________ 62 If it was possible to drown in dresses, I would¡¯ve been dead five minutes ago. Every five seconds Fiona threw a new one at me, adding onto the mound that had been past my head about a half an hour ago. It was like her closet was endless! How did she fit so many dresses in it in the first ce? Magic? ¡°Oh! Em! Try on thatst one I threw you!¡± Withholding a groan, I managed to force all of the dresses off of me so I could stand up. The bright light caused me to squint for a moment, but my eyes swiftly adjusted and I picked a random dress off the floor. Maybe Fiona wouldn¡¯t notice I didn¡¯t know what dress was thest one she¡¯d thrown out. The dress I picked up was white, almost like a wedding gown. Grimacing, I tossed it to the side, snatching up another one just as Fiona popped her head out of her closet. ¡°Is it on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a quick change artist.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± I shook my head, ncing at the dress in my hands. This one wasn¡¯t as bad as thest. It was a deep green¡­ but really short. ¡°I don¡¯t want to try it on, actually.¡± She pouted. ¡°Why? That¡¯s one of my favorites.¡± ¡°It, er, doesn¡¯t match my eyes?¡± I asked, more than stated. For a moment she studied my face, squinting at me. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± she agreed finally. ¡°Let¡¯s find something else.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m hungry-¡± ¡°Well you¡¯ll just have to stop being so picky if you want something to eat,¡± she retorted, disappearing into her closet in the blink of an eye. ¡°You can¡¯t wear rags to the ball, Emily.¡± Mimicking her under my breath, I bent down and seized an armful of dresses from the floor and threw them onto the bed. In my excitement of being able to go the ball, I¡¯d forgotten about the part about wearing a dress. This whole trying-stuff-on bit got boring quickly. But I really did need something formal to wear. ¡°How about ck and yellow?¡± Fiona called. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Light green?¡± ¡°Nah.¡± ¡°Short and ck?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°in yellow?¡± ¡°No, Fiona.¡± My eyes skimmed over the mountain of dresses on the floor, skipping over every color that I either didn¡¯t like, or didn¡¯t look good in. Blue was the color I wanted. Fiona seemed to have ack of blue gowns though- probably because it didn¡¯t match her features too well. ¡± God, Emily! Can¡¯t you just try on some?¡± Fiona demanded, appearing in front of me again. My heart nearly failed. Breathing deeply, I put a hand to my chest. ¡°Fiona, don¡¯t just appear in front of me like that.¡± ¡°Try some on!¡± ¡°Fine, fine!¡± I muttered, bending down to grab a random dress. ¡°No, this one,¡± she insisted, thrusting an extremely poofy, green dress into my chest. ¡°I think it¡¯ll look good on you!¡± I stared at her tly. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Just try it on!¡± she urged. ¡°Okay, but go back in the closet,¡± I ordered, reluctantly taking the dress from her. ¡°Keep looking.¡± . . She grinned evilly. ¡°Aw, are you self-conscious?¡± Biting my tongue to keep from retorting, I just calmly nodded my head. It was partially true. Anyone would feel self-conscious in front of her¡­ but her dresses fit me fine, so I couldn¡¯t look too awful in them. ¡°Okay, you have five minutes to change!¡± As soon as vanished from sight, I started undressing myself. The first to go were my jeans, which were easy to slip out of. My shirt was a little more difficult, since it was one of those annoying half-shirt, half-cardigan things. After a full minute fight, I managed to get it over my head. Cold settled in as I stood in the room in my underwear, trying to figure out what the best way to get it over my head would be. It looked like stepping in would work, but the bodice seemed rather tight¡­ ¡°I¡¯ming in,¡± a voice announced in a gruff voice. My eyes widened in horror. ¡°W-wait!¡± Toote. Vincent already had the door open before my request could be heard. He gazed at me for a few moments before giving once-over. A small smirk appeared on his face. ¡°Fiona,¡± he started, his eyes never leaving me, ¡°Sebastian is looking for you.¡± ¡°He is?¡± she responded, stumbling out of her closet. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Do I look like him to you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°If you did, you¡¯d be much more handsome.¡± ¡°Funny,¡± he snapped at her. Giggling, she skipped by him and to the door. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be right back¡­ Emily, you should probably put some clothing on. Don¡¯t want anyone thinking the wrong thing we you two in here alone, do you?¡± Thanks to her words, the blush I¡¯d been managing to control so perfectly spilled onto my cheeks. ¡°W-whatever! Vincent, get out!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it, so what¡¯s it matter?¡± he questioned casually, pulling the chair from Fiona¡¯s desk toward me and turning it around backwards before sitting on it. ¡°You¡¯re trying to figure out a dress to wear?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± I told him, struggling to pull the poofy monster on. ¡°There¡¯s none I really like.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. He frowned. ¡°Well don¡¯t bother trying that one. It won¡¯t look good on you.¡± I gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°Gee, thanks. Aren¡¯t you the best boyfriend ever?¡± The word felt foreign on my tongue. Boyfriend¡­ It was weird addressing him as so. Almost unreal. ¡°Yes,¡± he said confidently, another smirk gracing his lips. ¡°Jerk,¡± I mumbled, dropping the dress. Not that I was going to admit it to him, but I already knew it wouldn¡¯t look good. However, I didn¡¯t want to stand around half-naked with him in the room, so I immediately pulled another off the floor and threw it over my head. This time it was a short maroon one. Vincent examined me thoughtfully, all expression dissolving from his face. ¡°No,¡± he finally decided. ¡°It shes with your eyes.¡± Shaking my head, I kicked a few of the dresses on the floor aside, looking for one that would be suitable. ¡°Fiona doesn¡¯t have much that works.¡± ¡°I know one,¡± he suddenly recalled, standing up from his spot. ¡°I¡¯ll find it. I think it¡¯ll be good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± He grinned wickedly. ¡°We can¡¯t describe you as perfect. You¡¯re just a mere mortal.¡± ¡°Okay, Edward,¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms and watching as he strode over to the closet. ¡°If I can recall correctly, you told me yourself not all vampires looked good! And you¡¯re far from perfect yourself!¡± . . His snickers could be heard from the depths of Fiona¡¯s never-ending wardrobe. Rubbing my eyes wearily, I copsed onto Fiona¡¯s bed, ready to fall asleep. If the ball was tomorrow night, why did I have to choose a dress right now? It¡¯d been a long day¡­ Joel had thought it would be funny to steal some of my clothing, so I¡¯d spent at least five hours searching for him through the monstrous estate. Sebastian had finally ran into me at one point just to tell me Joel had gone out with his Tiffany friend again. He still wasn¡¯t back, so I still didn¡¯t have my clothing. ¡°Here.¡± I shot up at the sound of Vincent¡¯s voice. In his hands was a shockingly beautiful dress. ¡°Um, wow,¡± I said dumbly, staring at it. Where had he managed to find that? Why hadn¡¯t Fiona pulled that out in the first ce? ¡°I think it¡¯ll suit you,¡± he told me sincerely. I was in the same mind. Instead of being off the shoulder or strapless like all of the other dresses, it was halter-top styled with a sapphire ribbon. The top started off white before slowly beginning to change to blue and finallynding in the same sapphire color as the halter ribbon. What was even more striking, was that the sapphire was the same shade as Vincent¡¯s eyes were. To top things off, although it was short, it was long enough to not seem slutty. ¡°Hey, stupid, are you going to stop gawking and try it on, or what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try it on!¡± I said excitedly, not even minding his name-calling. ¡°Give it to me! Give it to me!¡± He smiled naughtily. ¡°I¡¯ve never met someone who wants it so much.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± heughed, handing the dress to me. ¡°Go on. Try it on to your heart¡¯s desire,¡± he added, rolling his eyes. Taking it from him, I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Turn around and don¡¯t look.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously.¡± Scoffing, he turned his back on me. ¡°Prude.¡± ¡°Pervert,¡± I shot back, easily sliding out of the maroon dress. ¡°It¡¯s creepy when people stare, you know. Not romantic at all.¡± ¡°You know romantic?¡± he asked dubiously. ¡°More than you do,¡± I told him confidently. Holding up the multi-colored dress, I stepped through it, yanking it up my body. It fitfortably, not too tight and not too loose. Unfortunately there was a zipper in the back. That I couldn¡¯t reach. Regrettably, I had to ask for help. ¡°Vincent?¡± He made a grunt in response. ¡°I need your help.¡± ¡°You do, do you?¡± he replied, sounding amused. After a moment he twisted around to smirk at me. I gestured to my back. ¡°Will you zip me up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I might not be romantic enough.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be romantic!¡± I countered, glowering at his sarcasm. ¡°Just please do it!¡± He faked a polite smile. ¡°Well, since you said please. Turn around.¡± Doing as he said, I cautiously turned my back to him. I sensed him approaching and held my breath, waiting for him to tug the zipper up. When he didn¡¯t right away, I frowned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± . . ¡°Admiring your skin,¡± he told me bluntly. ¡°It looks soft.¡± ¡°Um, thanks¡­¡± The sound of my zipper going up met my ears and for some reason I felt a little relieved. However, as I went to step away from him, Vincent wrapped his arms around my waist and held me in ce. ¡°Should I be romantic?¡± he murmured into my ear, his breath sending chills down my spine. ¡°N-not now,¡± I told him, very aware of the goosebumps appearing on my arms. ¡°I think it¡¯s an appropriate time,¡± he disagreed, holding me tighter. ¡°We won¡¯t know what tomorrow brings.¡± My heart sank. ¡°What do you mean?¡± His arms grew tighter. ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like.¡± ¡°Do you think something bad is going to happen?¡± I inquired, a feeling of unease washing over me. ¡°Tell me honestly.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he responded solemnly. My heart skipped a beat. ¡°To me?¡± ¡°No,¡± he denied at once. ¡°No one will let anything happen to you. Don¡¯t worry about yourself.¡± Hesitantly, my hands found his hands on my abdomen. ¡°What about you? Should I worry about you?¡± He chuckled. ¡°No, I can take care of myself. My bad feeling must be about the girls who are going to want to dance with me.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, frowning deeper. It was obvious he was just trying to make me feel better now. ¡°Vincent?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Would you¡­¡± I trailed off, biting my tongue. What was I thinking? I couldn¡¯t ask him that. ¡°Er, would you mind letting go of me so we can see how the dress looks?¡± After a moment I felt his arms release me. I took a few steps forward before turning to him, posing dramatically. ¡°How do I look?¡± An impressed expression crossed his face. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Not bad?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have?¡± He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Greedy forpliments?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nice,¡± he muttered, whipping his head away from mine. Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrow. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what you were going to say.¡± ¡°Yes it was.¡± ¡°No it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I said it was.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just embarrassed!¡± I said teasingly. ¡°You really meant beautiful by that! Absolutely stunning! Alluring! Gorgeous! An absolute godd- mmph! ¡± My words were cut off as he pped his hand to my mouth. I gazed at him disappointedly. He always did that! His cool eyes bore into mine. ¡°Stopplimenting yourself.¡± Unable to respond, I just straightened out my back. ¡°Leave that to me,¡± he continued, giving me a rough shove backwards. His hand left my lips and I let out a startled gasp as I tripped over something, losing my bnce and falling. Instead of feeling the hard ground, I felt a soft mattress as Inded on the bed. It didn¡¯t ur to me I was still standing by it. Vincent was above me before I could blink, easily pinning me down. . . 63 ¡°What are you doing?¡± I demanded. ¡°Taking advantage of the moment,¡± he told me with an amused smile. ¡°Why waste something like this?¡± With my heart in my throat, I attempted to push him away. ¡°Get off.¡± He shook his head, lowering it so that our noses were only an inch away. ¡°That¡¯s not really what you want, is it Emily?¡± ¡°I¡­ You know it¡¯s not fair when you use my name,¡± I whispered, my hands moving from pushing on his chest to get him away to wrapping around his body to hold him closer. He smirked triumphantly, allowing me to press our bodies together. The feel of his muscled chest against mine made me sigh. After noticing this, he brought his face to mine. ¡°You sure you want that dress on?¡± Hisment made my face darken. ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m sure!¡± ¡°Just asking,¡± he said slyly, pressing his lips against mine before I could reply. Unfortunately for us, it was just at that moment that Fiona decided to return to her room. She uttered a little gasp of surprise, which caused us to break apart. A stunned silence settled in for a few seconds until she decided to break it. ¡°Vincent,¡± she started in a scolding tone, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t force others.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t forcing her!¡± he snapped back while I grinned. ¡°Sure,¡± she replied skeptically, turning her emerald eyes on me. They widened as she took in my attire. ¡°Oh! Where did you find that? That¡¯s perfect!¡± Struggling to pull myself off the bed, I nodded to her closet. ¡°Actually, Vincent found it. And thanks,¡± I added as he easily helped me to my feet. ¡°Oh my god! Why didn¡¯t I think of that dress? You¡¯ll definitely be the most beautiful person there!¡± I scrunched up my nose. ¡°Nah, I doubt it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± she chirped brightly. ¡°I might have to reconsider my outfit. A lot of vampires would be embarrassed to be shown up by a human.¡± ¡°By a lot, she means all the arrogant bastards that thing the vampire race is better than the human,¡± Vincent rified. I frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you one of those people, Vincent?¡± ¡°I may act like it,¡± he responded honestly, ¡°but I don¡¯t actually think it. What kind of foolish person believes he or she is better than another? Aside from thinking you¡¯re better than a serial killer.¡± Nodding, I cupped my elbow with my arm. ¡°Won¡¯t they notice I¡¯m human if I go to the ball?¡± Fiona shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that! Everyone knows not to say anything against you. I guess Mother and Father got wind of our little n to let you go¡­ They already told the important people. It seems like it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The Counsel isn¡¯t too happy about it, but then again, when is the counsel ever happy?¡± she sighed, letting her shoulders drop. ¡°They¡¯ll have a fit when they realize what¡¯s going down tomorrow¡­¡± I tilted my head to the side. ¡°What¡¯s going down tomorrow?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± she said vaguely. ¡°What about Ashton? We don¡¯t know when he¡¯sing.¡± Vincent scowled. ¡°Yes we do. He¡¯sing at seven o¡¯clock.¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°What? How do you know that? That¡¯s when the ball starts, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s invited.¡± . . ¡°Um, sorry, I think I heard you wrong¡­¡± That couldn¡¯t be right. Who in the right mind would invite him to the ball? Fiona bit her lip. ¡°As a rule, we have to invite everyone¡­ and technically we have no evidence of what he¡¯s nning.¡± ¡°That note-¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± Vincent interjected with a hard look. ¡°We can¡¯t say anything against him.¡± I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°So he¡¯s going to be here all night?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°He won¡¯t try anything,¡± a new voice from the door way assured me. I turned to see Sebastian leaning against the frame, his arms crossed. ¡°He¡¯s not stupid enough to do that.¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted with a warm smile. ¡°You look stunning,¡± he added, nodding his head appreciatively. ¡°It makes me wish I could have a date.¡± I grinned cheekily at him. ¡°Oh well.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Vincent began, drawing the attention to him, ¡°even if he doesn¡¯t try anything, you still have to keep your eyes open. Everyone does.¡± Sebastian nodded in agreement. ¡°That is true. We¡¯ll check in on you periodically, Emily. If anything happens just, you know, scream. We¡¯ll hear you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sound so amused when saying that,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯s creepy.¡± Heughed. ¡°It¡¯s only creepy if you take it that way.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Oh well,¡± he responded, mimicking my earlier response. Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°What are you doing here, Sebastian? I thought Fiona came to you to talk.¡± He frowned. ¡°She did. I can¡¯t stop by to see what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Tomorrow will be an exciting night,¡± Sebastian stated, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Make sure you all get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± I nodded my head in agreement. Exciting wouldn¡¯t be the adjective I¡¯d use, but tomorrow was going to be something. . * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ¡°Is it me,¡± I began slowly, watching Vincent skulking on the other side of the school hallway, ¡°or is Vincent ignoring me recently?¡± Fiona patted me on the shoulder reassuringly. ¡°He has a good reason?¡± ¡°A reason?¡± I repeated skeptically, narrowing my eyes at the slim vampire. What reason could he possibly have? I had barely talked to him for thest three days! He avoided me as much as possible! Even at home! I mean, there was that one time I snapped at him for leaving dirty dishes in my room, but it wasn¡¯t that bad. Besides, hadn¡¯t he heard of PMS? Every female had it! ¡°It¡¯s not something you¡¯ve done,¡± she rified for me. ¡°It¡¯s rather something¡­ that¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°With him?¡± She smirked. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Does he know I¡¯m on my period?¡± I questioned, frowning. I didn¡¯t remember mentioning it to him. ¡°You¡¯re on the right track,¡± shemented vaguely. ¡°How does he know?¡± I demanded. Did she tell him? She just shrugged, her smug smile still in ce. ¡°By your expression I¡¯m assuming you aren¡¯t going to tell me.¡± ¡°Go to him and find out yourself,¡± she ordered in a taunting tone. ¡°Joel might tell you too if you¡¯re lucky.¡± I nced over at Joel, who was talking to Tiffany, a junior with long red hair. They seemed to be getting along well, so I decided not to bother them. ¡°I¡¯ll just go talk to Vivi,¡± I finally muttered, moving through the throngs of people in the way. As soon as he caught sight of me heading toward him, he began to hurry away. Scowling, I picked up my pace and chased after him. We yed a short game of Cat-and-Mouse until he disappeared from my vision as I turned a corner into the science wing. The biology room door was open a tiny bit, so I stuck my head into it. ¡°Vincent, you asshole, stop running away from-¡± I abruptly cut myself off when I realized Vincent wasn¡¯t in the room. Instead, my old biology teacher Ms. Tracy and a few of the other science teachers from the building were there, along with a teacher I didn¡¯t recognize- a young teacher I didn¡¯t recognize. The stranger smirked at me, his grey eyes lighting up in amusement. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± I snapped, not in the mood to be looked down upon by strangers. He seemed taken aback. Ms. Tracy sighed. ¡°Sorry, Chris, she¡¯s a student¡­ I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing here though.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Since this is a teacher conference.¡± Taking that as my cue to leave, I pulled my head out of the room, returning on my hunt to find Vincent. To my luck, I spotted him at the end of the hallway. ¡°Vincent!¡± I shouted, breaking into a full out sprint. ¡°Stop right there!¡± He took one look at me before turning his back and booking it. I groaned in frustration, and then in pain as I tripped over my feet andnded face down on the floor. Why was he running away? My wrist throbbed with pain as I tried to push myself up. ¡°You¡¯re really stupid.¡± I jumped and looked up to see Vincent pursing his lips at me. ¡°Why do you keep running away from me?¡± I demanded. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he denied stubbornly. ¡°Yes you are!¡± I used. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m on my period? It¡¯s a natural thing, you know. What¡¯s so bad about it? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re experiencing it! How do you even know?¡± He set his jaw. ¡°You want to know the truth?¡± ¡°Yes, I do!¡± ¡°You smell bad.¡± I blinked at him. ¡°I¡­ smell bad? But I showered¡­¡± An ufortable expression crossed his face. ¡°That¡¯s not what smells bad¡­ It¡¯s¡­ blood,¡± he finally muttered. ¡°Bloo- oh my God!¡± I gasped in realization, horror dawning on me. ¡°Oh my God! Y-you can s-smell¡­ oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!¡± I repeated, unable to stop myself. The embarrassment was too much for me. My face felt on fire! Vincent was also looking incredibly embarrassed. ¡°Yeah, so don¡¯t ask again,¡± he snapped. ¡°Unlike regr blood that actually smells nice that¡­ Ugh. I don¡¯t even wanna-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± I all but shrieked,pletely mortified. No wonder Fiona made me ask him that myself! I felt like crying. Never, ever, ever again was I going to ask a vampire how they knew I was on my period. *********** 64 . As it turned out, Sebastian wasn¡¯t lying when he said there were ugly vampires. Ugly is a mean word, but it was hard to find a kind word to describe the less attractive vampires entering the ballroom. It was nice to know not all vampires were the perfect creatures that some people portrayed them as. Though, to my older self, they were just like Drac. But Vincent had mentioned there were those vampires too¡­ Sighing, I slumped onto the banister I was waiting by. Before I could enter the ballroom, all the other guests had to arrive first. This, apparently, was so I wouldn¡¯t attract too much attention to myself. It wasn¡¯t working though. Every few seconds a guest from down below would nce up at me and whisper something to their date or friends. Whether they new I was human or not, I didn¡¯t know. They could¡¯ve just beenmenting on my dress, or hair, or that I was alone. Whatever it was, it was making me ufortable, but I couldn¡¯t move from the ce. Solomon and Sebastian were standing at the front door, weing guests and keeping an eye on me. Sebastian was looking incredibly easy on the eyes in a ck tux. His hair wasbed back and spiked stylishly. It made me wonder if Fiona was the one behind his new hairdo. He was definitely going to be the center of attention tonight. That meant I wasn¡¯t going to be it, fortunately. So far Ashton hadn¡¯t shown his face. A part of me was wishing maybe he¡¯d just ditch the ball and forget about me. Or maybe he¡¯d suddenly got some weird vampire disease and died. Either way was okay with me. As long as he didn¡¯t show up and ruin the night. I was already nervous enough as it was. Adding him to the equation made me feel like throwing up. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Fiona!¡± I gasped, my hand shooting up to my heart. ¡°Geez! You nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± She giggled, batting her long eyshes at me. ¡°Oops.¡± I shook my head at her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in the ballroom?¡± ¡°I can¡¯te visit you?¡± she pouted, crossing her arms. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be lonely up here by yourself.¡± ¡°Well yeah¡­ but isn¡¯t it bad for your image, or whatever?¡± Sheughed quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to worry about images tonight.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I said you¡¯ll see,¡± she told me with a mischievous smile. Confused, I slowly returned my attention to the vampires continuously pouring into the building. There were a lot of women in mboyant, gaudy, poofy dresses. Notughing at them took most of my self-discipline. Were they expecting Sebastian to fall for them while wearing that? It seemed crazy to me. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of hopeful girls,¡± Fionamented after a moment. ¡°I almost feel bad for them¡­¡± I nudged her in the side. ¡°Just because you captured Sebastian¡¯s heart¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± sheughed. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have a chance anyway.¡± I flinched at her harsh words. ¡°And her true personality emerges!¡± She patted me on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m joking again. There was a time I was only an admirer of Sebastian. Just like you were only an admirer of Vincent.¡± ¡°Er, I wouldn¡¯t say admirer¡­ Truthfully, I¡¯m not sure why I like him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s mean. He¡¯s arrogant. He¡¯s a jerk¡­ There¡¯s nothing really to like about him,¡± I said thoughtfully, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, what do I like about him?¡± Fiona stared at me like I was crazy. ¡°You don¡¯t know why you like him?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a lot of good qualities,¡± I pointed out. . . ¡°But Emily!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Gesturing wildly with her hands, she tried to form a coherent response but failed. ¡°You can¡¯t just date someone without liking them!¡± she finally burst, wide-eyed. ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± I smirked. ¡°Just joking, Fiona.¡± It took a moment for my words to register. When they did, she narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°Good one.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I replied, shrugging my shoulders in an off-handed way. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious about it now. Why do you like Vivi? He is an arrogant jerk most of the time.¡± I cupped the back of my neck, trying to keep my embarrassment under control. ¡°Er, well¡­ He stayed up with me during all those thunderstorms. I guess that¡¯s what got me to start liking him. Oh, and he¡¯s cute when he¡¯s jealous. He does have his nice moments too. I¡­ I don¡¯t feel like talking about it,¡± I muttered, dropping my gaze to the floor. Sheughed again. ¡°That¡¯s all I get?¡± ¡°You should return to the ballroom.¡± ¡°Aw,e on! Don¡¯t ruin my fun!¡± I shooed her with my hands. ¡°Seriously. I don¡¯t want to get in trouble if Solomon looks up here and sees you.¡± ¡°Oops!¡± she cried, her eyes flickering to the door where Solomon was standing. ¡°I forgot he was there! You¡¯re right, I should probably go!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon!¡± I called after her as she disappeared through the door directly behind me. ¡°Hopefully,¡± I added under my breath after a second. It felt like these vampires would never stoping in. Suddenly there was a tension in the room. I froze, my eyes snapping to the front door, where Sebastian was standing on guard, drawn to his full height. Solomon was still retained a casual stance, but his face waspletely serious. Heading through the door was a familiar silver-haired man. Smoky grey eyes met my wide blue ones. In a sh Ashton was standing in front of me, his arm wrapping around my waist as I tumbled backward in shock, twisting my heel and almost falling over. Secondster, Sebastian was by my side, holding onto my arm tightly. Since when were vampires so fast? None I knew ever moved that fast around me, aside from Sebastian now. ¡°Hello, Emily,¡± Ashton greeted me with a handsome smile,pletely ignoring Sebastian. ¡°You look lovely tonight!¡± ¡°As do you,¡± I returned confidently, swallowing my fears. I wouldn¡¯t let him gain the upper advantage. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to show up.¡± His eyes shed with amusement. ¡°Did you now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Since you¡¯re here though, I hope you enjoy your night.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll definitely enjoy the night,¡± he responded, grinning wickedly. ¡°Save a dance for me.¡± I forced a polite smile. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Good. See you around then,¡± he said, retracting his arm from around my waist. ¡°Sebastian, enjoy yourst night as King.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get too over your head. I won¡¯t be renouncing the throne, Ashton.¡± Ashton waved him off. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me. I have prettydies to chat up.¡± After giving me a wink, he disappeared from view. ¡°Good job, Em,¡± Sebastianplimented, releasing my arm. Wincing, I rubbed it. A bruise would definitely be forming there soon. ¡°Good job with what?¡± ¡°Not showing your fear. You don¡¯t want him to know he¡¯s affected you. I hate to say it, but if he does request your hand to dance, please ept it.¡± .N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. . 65 ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed reluctantly. ¡°I want to dance anyway, so I guess that¡¯ll be my only chance.¡± Sebastian smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯ll dance with you.¡± ¡°Can you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± I gave him a quick hug, squeezing him tightly. ¡°I love you, Sebastian.¡± ¡°I love you too,¡± he responded, augh rumbling through his chest, ¡°but if you keep hugging me, you¡¯ll give our guests the wrong idea.¡± Quickly releasing him, I grinned sheepishly. ¡°Sorry. Am I going to be allowed in soon?¡± He nodded. ¡°There are only a few more guests arriving. It shouldn¡¯t be longer than ten minutes. Please be patient.¡± Thankfully, his words had been correct. The guests trailing in started toe to a halt, which meant Sebastian and Solomon could leave the entrance hall, which meant I could too. After getting the okay, I hurried down the stairs that led to the main level and joined the two men. They guided me to the back entrance of the ballroom so I wouldn¡¯t have to enter through the main one. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door a sliver and slid in, closing it quietly behind me. ring music met my ears. I didn¡¯t recognize the song, but it was some upbeat pop song. I know I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised at this point, but I hadn¡¯t been expecting vampires to listen to normal music. A little bit of anxiety fell over me as I came out from behind the tables were a few vampires were sitting, drinking what I hoped was red wine. No one spared me a second nce as I moved closer to the dance floor, eyes peeled for a familiar face. Going to any of the Rutherfords would just attract unnecessary attention, so my eyes were set for Joel or Samuel. It was awkward being here without knowing anyone. Raking my eyes over the crowd, they caught sight of Vincent. I did a double take. That was Vincent? By some weird coincidence, at that exact moment he chose to look over to where I was standing. I gaped at him, unable to pull my gaze away. There was no word strong enough to describe how he looked. He was beyond drop-dead gorgeous. Like Sebastian, he¡¯d had his hair gelled back, showing more of his perfectly structured face. He was wearing the same suit as Sebastian, except with a sapphire blue tie that matched both his eyes and my dress. After a few more moments of admiring him, a grin finally crossed my face. He grinned back after a moment too, doing an overdramatic rake of my body with his eyes. ¡°Not bad,¡± he mouthed. ¡°Same to you,¡± I mouthed back. Rolling his eyes, he turned his back to me as a beautiful brte vampire tapped on his shoulder. He seemed to be surrounded by all the good-looking vampires- men and women alike. It never urred to me he might be popr among them. I¡¯d just assumed no one liked him after the me he took for Sebastian, but I guess I was wrong about that. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Taken by surprise, I whipped around and came face-to-face with someone I didn¡¯t know. Standing before me was a tall, male vampire with long, ck hair that was tied up into a ponytail. I stared at him, my chest tightening up. ¡°Um, yes?¡± ¡°Would you like to dance?¡± he questioned, smiling handsomely at me. Now I was even more thrown off guard. He wanted to dance? With me? Did he not know I was a human? Was I even allowed to dance with the guests? No one had told me what to do if someone asked me to dance¡­ ¡°She¡¯d love to,¡± a different voice answered for me. Joel popped out from behind the ck-haired vampire, grinning. ¡°She¡¯s just a little shy. Emily, this is Jack.¡± . . Jack held out his hand. ¡°Shall we, then?¡± I sent a panicked look to Joel. How was I supposed to dance with this vampire? I didn¡¯t know the song that was ying! It had changed from the pop one to some waltz one that it looked like everyone knew the dance to. ¡°I don¡¯t know the song,¡± I told Jack honestly when Joel said nothing to help me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can guide you,¡± he promised. ¡°There you go!¡± Joel said, pping me on my shoulder. ¡°Have some fun. Turning down folks would be impolite, don¡¯t you think? Especially a human turning down someone of a higher ss¡­?¡± Jack shifted ufortably. ¡°ss doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Frowning, I understood what Joel meant. Basically he was saying I couldn¡¯t say no to anyone in case I offended them. Holding a sigh, I ced my pale hand into Jack¡¯s much tanner one. And so started my night of dancing with vampires. Surprisingly, I was a popr guest to dance with. I guess everyone wanted a chance to dance with the human. Well, not everyone. There were a few vampires who shot me dirty looks from along the wall- mostly female. It kind of boosted my ego a tiny bit. Even if they were just dancing with me to say they danced with a human, it was nice to not have to be a wallflower. After about two hours, my feet were killing me. Somehow I managed to escape the dance floor without being asked to dance again. I hurried to the refreshment tables, filling up a ss with what looked like fruit punch. A small sip told me my guess was correct. No one came near me as I drank my punch. I clenched it tightly, knowing it was my only defense against more vampires asking me to dance with them. Before I started again, I wanted to rest my feet. On my way to one of the fancy Victorian couches that lined the walls, my gazended on Sebastian, who was dancing with a vampire who appeared even younger than me. Outwardly, that is. Her expression caused me to grin. Completely smitten. It was actually kind of cute¡­ Aside from the fact knowing she was dancing with him because she was interested in marrying him. Fiona was dancing with Jack a few yards behind them, her flowing jade dress trailing the floor. It impressed me Jack was able to avoid stepping on it. Somehow I¡¯d managed to avoid stepping on my partners¡¯ feet, but it was difficult. I couldn¡¯t imagine trying to evade feet and a dress. Jack had gained a few points of respect from me. A little jealously ran through me when I noticed Vincent. A pretty blonde vampire in a short red dress was with him. He didn¡¯t seem like he was having fun, but I was still envious. I wanted to dance with him too. However, he hadn¡¯t even so much as nced at me since our contact earlier. Not even a little peep, or smirk, or acknowledgment. Scowling a little bit, I clenched my now empty ss tighter in my hand. Some boyfriend he was. ¡°Tired, pretty miss?¡± My attention snapped from Vincent to the person who¡¯d spoken. Ashton was towering over me, a polite smile on his face. I forced one back. ¡°Just a little. Never thought I¡¯d be so popr.¡± ¡°Neither did I. If only they knew the truth about you. Then you¡¯d be really popr.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t tell anyone though,¡± I responded confidently. He tilted his head to the side. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You want all my blood to yourself, right?¡± Laughing, he nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart. Put down your ss, we¡¯re dancing now.¡± Swallowing nervously, I ced my ss on the square coffee table that was ced next to the couch, and stood up. Taking my hand into his, he led me back to the dance floor where, to my luck, a slow song had just started. His grey eyes lit up in amusement as he ced his hands on my waist. I kept my face straight as I loosely wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping a roomy gap between our bodies. . . ¡°Is this how you dance with all the guys?¡± he questioned, rolling his eyes. Using no effort at all, he forcibly closed the space between us. ¡°I don¡¯t like being near people I don¡¯t like,¡± I retorted, attempting to take a step back. He held me tightly, keeping me still. ¡°Well you¡¯re I guess you¡¯re going to have to pretend you like me for the next four minutes¡­ Or rather, for the next few years.¡± ¡°More like minutes,¡± I said firmly, narrowing my eyes. ¡°We¡¯re only dancing for one song.¡± ¡°Whatever you say,¡± he replied, smirking. For the first full minute we were silent, challenging each other with our eyes. I ended up stepping on his feet a couple times, causing him to snicker at me. His grasp on my waist kept getting tighter and tighter, like he was waiting for me to say something about it. Refusing to do so, I returned his actions by purposely stepping on his feet, trying to trip him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to trip,¡± he finally told me, ckening his grip on my hips. There was definitely going to be a bruise on them in the morning. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to make you trip.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So have you decided?¡± he inquired, gazing at me inquisitively. I frowned. ¡°Decided what?¡± ¡°What you¡¯re going to do tonight,¡± he rified. ¡°You know,e with me or ruin the Rutherfords¡¯ lives.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going with you,¡± I informed him, hardening my gaze, ¡°and you won¡¯t be ruining anyone¡¯s life.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, I say you just walk away now while you still can, Ashton.¡± ¡°I should be saying that to you. If you don¡¯t want to be hurt, and you don¡¯t want your little vampire friends to be hurt, you should juste with me quietly. Of course to get your blood it might hurt a little, but nothingpared to what could happen.¡± I straightened my back. ¡°The only person getting hurt is you.¡± ¡°Keep saying that. Do you have any idea of what the Rutherfords are nning to do? Don¡¯t you think they might just offer you up to save themselves?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Clearly amused, he gave me an appraising look. ¡°You¡¯re merely a human. Surely they don¡¯t care about you that much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong about that,¡± I told him firmly. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said suddenly, blinking. ¡°You actually are in a rtionship with Vincent, aren¡¯t you?¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°How do you know that?¡± No one besides the Rutherfords knew. I didn¡¯t even know any other vampires aside from them! If you excluded Joel, Samuel, and Vincent¡¯s cousin, Phillip, we ran into that one time at Walmart. ¡°It seems the rumor is true. Do you love him?¡± he asked, grinning smugly. ¡°It¡¯s funny how history repeats itself. Didn¡¯t Sebastian and Fiona teach you anything?¡± ¡°Who told you?¡± I repeated more forcefully. He shook his head. ¡°No one. I just know things. But I guess I know who to go after if you won¡¯tply then.¡± ¡°Leave Vincent alone,¡± I warned in a dangerous voice. The song ended, but we kept dancing, ignoring the stares we were getting. Once again Ashton tightened his hold on my waist. ¡°You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re threatening, Emily.¡± . . ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± He moved his head closer to mine, whispering in my ear. ¡°And what do you think a weak human like you can do against a mythical creature like me? Hmm?¡± To demonstrate his strength, he gave my hips a rough squeeze that made me flinch. ¡°I could easily break your bones.¡± ¡°Let go of me.¡± He stayed silent, gazing at me thoughtfully. ¡°Let go,¡± I reiterated, striving to liberate myself from his grasp.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to go,¡± he dered quietly, swiftly sliding his left arm around my waist and grabbing my hand with his right hand. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene.¡± My breath caught in my throat. He wasn¡¯t going to try anything in front of all these vampires, was he? No way, he wasn¡¯t that stupid¡­ ¡°Move,¡± he growled. I refused to budge, so he started dragging me toward the back exit. As soon as I opened my mouth to gain attention to us, I heard Sebastian¡¯s voice. ¡°Can I have your attention please? Ashton, you too.¡± Ashton froze, his sharp eyes snapping to the front of the room, where all the Rutherfords and Joel were standing. All of them were ring at Ashton, except Joel, who grinned at me and waved. I grimaced. At least he knew how to lighten the mood. ¡°Guess we¡¯re staying for a few more moments,¡± he dered, letting me go. ¡°Don¡¯t stray too far, girl.¡± ¡°Emily,e up here,¡± Sebastian ordered. I nced at Ashton, who narrowed his eyes. With all the attention from everyone on the ballroom on me, I hurried away from him, toward Sebastian. When I reached him, he seized my hand and squeezed it. Puzzled, I allowed him to steer me to his left side. ¡°Everyone, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, this is Emily, our human guest.¡± There was a quiet murmur through the crowd watching us. ¡°She¡¯s a good dancer!¡± someone in the crowd shouted. He sounded suspiciously like Jack. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, but I¡¯m not up here to talk about her. I just thought it¡¯d be rude not to introduce her while I have your attention. It¡¯s better to let you all know what¡¯s going on here at the manor instead of leaving you in the dark.¡± I knew that was a lie. He only called me up seeing as Ashton was about to drag me out of the ballroom. Even so, I was grateful. He finally let go of my hand and I shuffled over to stand next to Vincent, who was radiating anger, his eyes focused on Ashton. ¡°I have something to tell you all,¡± Sebastian started in a solemn voice. ¡°Please stay quiet and listen all the way through.¡± I nced at him. What was he talking about? Was this the surprise Fiona was talking about? Why did he sound so serious? After taking a deep breath, he began. ¡°Awhile back, I¡¯m sure some of you remember, others might not have heard about it, but there was the whole incident with my brother, Vincent, and sister, Fiona. For those who don¡¯t know, Fiona is not rted to us by blood.¡± For the most part, there was a collective gasp throughout the room. It seemed only maybe thirty guests knew of the secret. I shifted ufortably on my feet. Why was he revealing the secret? Was it because Ashton had threatened to do it? Were they snipping the problem in the bud? It didn¡¯t make sense though. Wouldn¡¯t this ruin their reputation and kick Sebastian out from the throne? ¡°For those of you who do know about the ident, it was never Vincent. I was the one who changed her.¡± Now those who didn¡¯t gasp before did. I¡¯d never seen so many wide-eyes in my life. A very intimidating vampire dressed in apletely ck suit moved forward, his face set into a very scary expression. ¡°Mr. Rutherford-¡± . . 66 . . ¡°Er¡­ thank you,¡± Sebastian said after a moment, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. The round of apusested for a good two minutes before it slowly dwindled down. Music started ying again, but no one started dancing. It seemed everyone was now chatting about what just happened. I turned to Sebastian, grinning widely. ¡°Good job!¡± I told him, throwing myself into his arms. He chuckled, giving me a quick squeeze. ¡°Would it be cheesy if I told you I could do that because of you?¡± ¡°Because of me?¡± I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who made me realize I should do what I want,¡± he informed me, his eyes smoldering into mine. ¡°Thank you, Emily.¡± Taken aback by his words and adoring look, I felt my cheeks flush. ¡°I-It¡¯s no p-problem¡­¡± Fionaughed lightly. ¡°Look! She¡¯s so flustered! Like a girl being asked out by her crush!¡± I scowled at her, pping my hands to my cheeks in an attempt to cool them down. ¡°Shut up, Fiona.¡± ¡°Really though,¡± Sebastian pressed. ¡°I would have never said anything if it wasn¡¯t for you. I would have taken up a wife, even though I still love Fiona.¡± Now it was her turn to blush. ¡°Seb!¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion at her surprised tone. ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that!¡± ¡°Like what¡­?¡± ¡°Like¡­ Like¡­¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°It¡¯s all good that you two can be together forever happily and all that grand shit, but what about the counsel? They¡¯ll want your head.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be taking care of that,¡± Solomon spoke, entering the conversation. ¡°Everything Sebastian said was true. You do not need a queen to rule. They won¡¯t be able to say much. The only thing we could be in a little trouble for, is the part where Sebastian turned Fiona, but they don¡¯t know much about that incident, so all should be okay.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like a fairy tale ending for you two,¡± I sighed romantically, patting Sebastian and Fiona on the shoulder. ¡°How cute!¡± Sebastian half-smiled. ¡°We can¡¯t rx quite yet. Ashton is still here, remember?¡± My cheerful mood dropped instantly. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t locate him,¡± Sebastian announced, scrutinizing the chatting horde on the dance floor. ¡°Maybe he left.¡± ¡°Why would he leave?¡± ¡°We did ruin one of his threats,¡± Solomon told me. ¡°The secret about Sebastian and Fiona. That means he has onest thing against us. If I were him, I¡¯d run away too.¡± Frowning, I searched around the room for him. It did seem like he¡¯d disappeared. ¡°I highly doubt he¡¯s gone¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the rest of the ball then, shall we?¡± Sebastian suggested, lookingfortable and please with himself. ¡°I owe you a dance, Emily.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°I guess it won¡¯t harm anything. If you¡¯re with me it¡¯s not like Ashton cane out of nowhere and snatch me away without anyone noticing.¡± He nodded. ¡°Someone will just stay with you for the rest of the night. This way you stay safe and can still have fun.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s dance then,¡± I responded, putting my hand out for him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he started, closing his hand over mine, ¡°Vince, you can have her when I¡¯m done. Don¡¯t look so jealous.¡± Vincent glowered at him. ¡°I¡¯m not jealous!¡± . . ¡°You¡¯ve beenining under your breath all night,¡± Fiona added slyly. ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°He really has,¡± Lue sighed warily. ¡°It scared away some of the girls wanted to dance with him.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Vincent cried. She smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Yes?¡± His aggressive stance faltered immediately. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said after a moment, crossing his arms. ¡°One dance. That¡¯s it, Sebastian.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sebastian replied, leading me to the dance floor. ¡°I might step on your feet, Emily.¡± Iughed. ¡°Same to you.¡± Vampires parted for Sebastian and I as we moved to the center of the floor. Even though the music was still ying, no one had begun dancing again yet. All the guests were still busy gossiping about his speech. A few of the vampires nearest to us stared as Sebastian ced hisrge hands on my waist.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°We have too much attention,¡± I murmured. He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just dance.¡± And so I did. Luckily for Sebastian and I, another slow-paced song started ying so we didn¡¯t have to worry about weird waltz moves. Steadily, other guests joined us on the floor, pulling their partners close to us to dance again. I rxed then, knowing the ball would be returning to normal. ¡°So you¡¯re not taking up a queen?¡± I finally spoke up, breaking the silence, and raising an eyebrow. He smiled mischievously. ¡°Well, not right away. There¡¯s only so much trouble I want to go through at a time. That can wait untilter.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I responded, knowing full well why him taking a queen would get him in trouble. ¡°You think Fiona is up for the task?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she told me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I hope everything works out well for you guys in the future.¡± The light mood surrounding him abruptly came crashing down. It was almost like I could feel his change in demeanor. ¡°Emily, listen. I have something I need to tell you¡­¡± My chest tightened. By the sound of it, whatever he wanted to tell me, it wasn¡¯t going to be good. ¡°What?¡± ¡°About Blue Bloods¡­ Actually, you¡¯re only-¡± ¡°Sebastian.¡± He cut himself off, turning his head to where Vincent was standing. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± Vincent told him. ¡°The song¡¯s not over-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± He sighed, letting me go. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I demanded, grabbing his hand. ¡°What were you about to say?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± he told me, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Never mind.¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± He waved me off. ¡°Enjoy the rest of the ball. I¡¯ll try to dance with you againter. Vince, behave.¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± I glowered at him as Sebastian disappeared through the mass of slow-dancing bodies. ¡°Vincent!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He was just about to tell me something about Blue Bloods I didn¡¯t know!¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°He was? We told you everything we knew.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what Sebastian is talking about.¡± My lips curved down into a frown. Obviously Sebastian knew something Vincent didn¡¯t. But what was it? A nervous feeling spread through me, but I tried to keep it under control. It couldn¡¯t be that bad¡­ If it was really bad, he wouldn¡¯t have kept it from me. . . Unless it was so bad he didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Are we going to dance?¡± Vincent demanded impatiently. ¡°You have to put your hands on my waist,¡± I notified him, bringing my arms around his neck. ¡°You should know that. I saw you dancing with all those girls.¡± He snorted. ¡°Like you should be one to talk. How many guys have you danced with? A thousand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I could say no to them!¡± ¡°Same with me.¡± We glowered at each other for a few moments until I finally cracked a smile. ¡°Whatever, we¡¯re dancing together now and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± A grin spread across his face too. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve been waiting all night for this.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been dreading it.¡± He gave me a sarcastic look. ¡°Good one, stupid.¡± ¡°Call me Emily,¡± I ordered. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Just for tonight,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Only for tonight, then you can call me whatever you want and I won¡¯tin.¡± He thought about it for a moment. ¡°Even if I called you ugly?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What about annoying?¡± ¡°That too.¡± ¡°How about blonde?¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about fatty?¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± Heughed- one of his rare, freeughs. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Emily. If I said any of that, I¡¯d be lying.¡± My heart fluttered in my chest. Hearing him say my name had an amazing effect on me. ¡°So you think I¡¯m beautiful then?¡± ¡°Absolutely stunning,¡± he breathed. For a second, I was about to snap back at him because I expected an insult. His honest response threw mepletely off guard. A warm blush spread across my cheeks and his lips curved up into a smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that so suddenly!¡± I finally cried. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you!¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a rare night and I have a bad feeling about what¡¯s toe. Something bad is going to happen, I¡¯m positive-¡± ¡°No,¡± I interjected, pressing my finger to his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You don¡¯t know anything. We have to think positively. Hopefully Ashton just left. Don¡¯t say things like that, Vincent. It makes me scared.¡± His face softened and he gently removed my finger from his face. ¡°Sorry, Emily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I responded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about that right now. Just focus on not stepping on my feet.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I should be saying that to you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t step on your feet¡­¡± I trailed off, a sheepish smile slipping onto my face as I felt something under my foot. ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°Oops,¡± he mimicked smartly. Faking a hurt look, he limped a little bit. ¡°I think you actually broke it.¡± I resisted the urge to kick him. ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be a baby.¡± ¡°I think I might die,¡± he dered dramatically, staggering forward, causing me to stumble backward into another couple dancing. ¡°Vincent!¡± Snickering, he pulled me back to a space where we wouldn¡¯t bump into anyone. ¡°Just kidding, Emily.¡± I sighed. ¡°But seriously, if you step on my foot again it might actually break.¡± This time I didn¡¯t resist smacking him. ¡°Jerk.¡± ____________________________________________ 67 There¡¯s no feeling that canpare to the sensation of taking off high heels after a seemingly endless night of dancing. It was like jumping into a cool reservoir on a sizzling hot summer day. I sighed deeply, closing my eyes, and sinking back in to thefortable leather couch I¡¯d parked myself on. In only an hour, the somehow still lively guests would be urged to leave the manor and then I could go to my room and sleep for a century. ¡°Emily!¡± Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to see Jack hovering over me, grinning handsomely, his long hair now down from its ponytail and cascading down his chest. I smiled weakly at him. ¡°Hi, Jack.¡± ¡°You look exhausted,¡± hemented. ¡°Thanks.¡± Grinning, he took a seat next to me on the couch. ¡°I have something I want to talk to you about before I head out.¡± Curious, I turned my body so I could face him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Actually,¡± he started in a quiet voice, leaning his head closer to mine, ¡°I was outside earlier, on the balcony, taking a breather. From below me I could hear whispering and when I heard your name, I decided to eavesdrop a bit. They were talking about kidnapping you.¡± My heart dropped into my stomach. ¡°What else did they say?¡± ¡°Um, well they were talking about how they¡¯d kill Rutherford- I¡¯m not sure which one- to get to you since you¡¯d most likely be with them. They also mentioned the best time to get you was while everyone else was leaving the ball.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± His face became hard. ¡°Ashton and that crazy bastard Luca. Are they serious, Emily? Are they plotting to kidnap you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated, unsure of what to say. Was letting Jack know what was going on a good idea? What if he was a double agent and just telling me this to throw me off guard for when Ashton actually decided to make a move? ¡°Is that definitely what you heard?¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± I cried, relieved to see him. He¡¯d know if telling Jack was the right thing to do. A frown was set on his face, his arms crossed. ¡°So he didn¡¯t leave earlier like I¡¯d hoped. He¡¯ll make his move at midnight then?¡± Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, are you serious? He¡¯s plotting to kidnap a human? Why would he do something so stupid? He¡¯ll get in serious trouble!¡± Sebastian nodded gravely. ¡°What¡¯s worse is what he¡¯s nning onter.¡± ¡°Sebastian, we should tell someone-¡± ¡°No,¡± he interjected, ¡°We must absolutely avoid creating a scene about this. No one else can know besides those who already do.¡± Jack furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°Never mind, Jack. Thank you for informing us, but please forget about what you¡¯ve heard. It¡¯s dangerous to Emily if anyone else finds out about this.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jack agreed, sounding apprehensive. ¡°Make sure nothing bad happens to her, Sebastian. I really like her.¡± I grinned. ¡°Thanks, Jack.¡± ¡°I like her too,¡± Sebastian agreed, cing arge hand on my head and messing with my hair. ¡°We¡¯re going to do our best. I need to talk to Emily privately now, so if you¡¯ll excuse us¡­¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Jack responded, pushing himself up from thefortable couch cushions. ¡°See you twoter then.¡± I nodded, waving quickly to him. ¡°Bye!¡± . . ¡°Emily,e with me,¡± Sebastian urged, snatching my hand into his and gently pulling me off the couch. ¡°Where to?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he started dragging me toward the exit of the ballroom. Before we went through the door, he whistled like he was calling a dog. I nced around,pletely bewildered. As far as I knew, none of the Rutherfords owned any canines. What was the whistle for? My question was answered when Vincent, Joel, and Solomon all suddenly emerged from the ballroom, serious expressions on their faces- well, Vincent and Solomon¡¯s. As always, Joel had that happy-go-lucky look to his eyes. It was hard to even just use the words Joel and serious in the same sentence. ¡°Ashton¡¯s nning on grabbing Emily as soon as the ball ends so he¡¯ll have the cover of everyone leaving,¡± Sebastian informed the trio, running a hand through his hair. ¡°We should lock Emily up in my room-¡± ¡°Whoa, no,¡± I butted in, staring at him like he was crazy. ¡°You can¡¯t just lock me up somewhere! I won¡¯t let you guys put yourselves in possible danger for me and hide like a wimp, Sebastian.¡± He frowned at me. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can really do.¡± ¡°So being ced in a room where if Ashton found me I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape is a good idea?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll send Vincent with you-¡± ¡°No,¡± I interjected again, shaking my head. ¡°That¡¯s a stupid idea too. If Ashton decided to get violent, you¡¯ll need all the help you can get.¡± Solomon nodded in agreement. ¡°She¡¯s right, Sebastian. And if there were a target Ashton would go after that wasn¡¯t Emily, it would be Vincent. Remember he knows Vincent¡¯s the closest one of us to her.¡± ¡°But Emily is a human, no offense,¡± Sebastian added quickly. ¡°What can she do against him?¡± ¡°I do believe you¡¯re forgetting vampires have weaknesses.¡± I tilted my head to the side. ¡°They do?¡± Solomon turned to me, offering a small smile. ¡°Humans aren¡¯t allowed to know what they are, but I do believe you have a good reason to know them¡­ and put them to use.¡± ¡°Is light one of them?¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Garlic?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Silver?¡± He pulled at a silver chain around his neck. ¡°What do you think?¡± I scowled at him. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just guessing!¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± he replied, smirking. Solomon sighed. ¡°Focus you two. We have less than an hour to figure this out.¡± ¡°Where are Fiona and Lue?¡± I inquired, taking not of their absence. ¡°They¡¯re keeping an eye on the guests,¡± Joel told me, rocking on the balls of his feet. ¡°You know, so it doesn¡¯t look too suspicious.¡± Crossing my arms over my chest, I nodded. ¡°Right. So what are these weaknesses?¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh,¡± Sebastian started, suddenly growing a little wary. ¡°It¡¯s really clich¨¦¡­¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s more clich¨¦ than the light, Seb.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± He mumbled something incoherently under his breath. . . I blinked at him. ¡°What?¡± Once again he muttered a few words I didn¡¯t catch. Vincent sighed impatiently. ¡°Holy water. It burns our skin.¡± ¡°Holy water?¡± I echoed, my eyes widening in surprise. ¡°Why holy water? Sebastian, I swear I saw you wearing a cross around your neck the other day! A gold one!¡± He nodded, pulling it out from under his tux top. ¡°Crosses have no affect. We¡¯re not really sure why holy water burns. It might just be a joke being yed on vampires because of all those movies. Or maybe because we are technically monsters in God¡¯s eyes. Whatever it may be, it¡¯s kind of a bother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of¡­ anti-climatic,¡± I finishedmely. ¡°I was thinking it¡¯d be something like fire, or something.¡± ¡°Fire?¡± Vincent repeated skeptically, raising an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s even more stupid than holy water.¡± I waved him off. ¡°Whatever. Even if vampires are hurt by holy water, how am I going to get some in under an hour?¡± ¡°Every vampire family keeps some holy water in their house,¡± Solomon notified me, turning his back on me and hastening down the hallway. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Why keep holy water on you when it¡¯s dangerous?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous to other vampires too,¡± Joel exined, wagging his finger at me. That made sense. After traveling for a few moments, we came to a stop in front of a room with giant, oak wood doors. Solomon gestured for us to wait outside it while he slipped in for a moment. I tried to peek in, but the door shut before I could get a good look at anything. My guess was that the room belonged to Solomon and Lue. ¡°Oh!¡± Joel suddenly cried, his hand going to his mouth. ¡°I forgot to tell you guys!¡± ¡°And knowing you, it¡¯s important. What, Joel?¡± Vincent demanded. He grinned sheepishly. ¡°To be honest I just figured this out about an hour ago. Ashton didn¡¯te here alone today.¡± ¡°Luca¡¯s with him, right?¡± I guessed. ¡°That¡¯s what Jack said.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw Luca lurking outside when it was my turn to be on watch. But that¡¯s not all. There are two others I don¡¯t know.¡± Sebastian crossed his arms. ¡°Only two? I thought he¡¯d bring more.¡± ¡°That still leaves us six against four,¡± Vincent said confidently. ¡°There¡¯s still no problem.¡± I smiled, happy he included me. There was no way I was going to be a liability when this involved me. Even if I was a little scared. Solomon returned to the hallway, a ne in one of his hands, and a small ss bottle of holy water in the other. He held them out to me and I took them, staring at the ne in confusion. The pendant seemed to be some sort of emerald colored rose, hanging on a silver chain. It was pretty, but not something I was expecting Solomon to have. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°That¡¯s mine,¡± Sebastian informed me, narrowing his eyes at it. ¡°Father, how¡¯d you get that?¡± ¡°You left it in the bathroom the other day,¡± Solomon replied in an offhand voice. ¡°It¡¯s solely a good luck charm, Emily. Use it well.¡± Sebastian frowned. ¡°I want that back after. It means a lot to me.¡± I nodded to him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it back.¡± ¡°Now Emily, there¡¯s one more thing you need to know.¡± ¡°One more?¡± I echoed. Somber expressions appeared on all the vampires faces, as if they all knew what Solomon was about to say. Shifting ufortably, I waited for one of them to speak up. Somehow, I figured I knew what the next person to speak was about to say. . . Vincent was the one who confirmed my thoughts. ¡°You need to know how to kill a vampire.¡± ¡°Just in case you need to,¡± Sebastian added quickly. I nced down at the holy water. ¡°If this harms you, I have a pretty good idea of what kills you.¡± Vincent grinned wickedly. ¡°Yeah, from what I remember, you¡¯ve watched quite the amount of vampire movies, haven¡¯t you?¡± Huffing, I ced my hands on my hips. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sound so smug, otherwise I might stake you.¡± ¡°It sounds some,¡± Joelined, making a face. ¡°A stake through the heart killing you? It¡¯s stupid. That would kill a human too.¡± ¡°Where am I supposed to get a stake though?¡± I questioned. Solomon frowned. ¡°Well, I¡¯m hoping you won¡¯t have to use one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping I don¡¯t either. I don¡¯t want to be a killer,¡± I admitted honestly. ¡°But if I have to¡­ Well, I have to.¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°Good. You can¡¯t hesitate when ites to a life or death moment, Emily.¡± ¡°You think Ashton will get violent? He won¡¯t want to kill me if I have the blood he wants. Why would he shorten my life?¡± Sebastian shifted ufortably. ¡°The thing is Emily, with the blood you have now it could still make him a lot of money if he drained it and bottled it.¡± I wrinkled up my nose. ¡°Oh, ew. No. Mental images!¡± Joelughed. ¡°I can imagine it now. A whole room filled of blood filled bottles that say Emily on them¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh at that Joel,¡± I said, grimacing. He pressed his lips together tightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s actually awful.¡± I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he was suppressing a grin. After a second I threw the ne that was still in my hand around my neck, making sure it wouldn¡¯t unsp and fall off. ¡°Right then¡­ Sebastian and I have to return to the ball,¡± Solomon dered, shoving his hands into his suit pants¡¯ pockets. ¡°Joel, Vincent, show Emily where she can find a stake.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joel responded, mock-saluting the king. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Vincent said unenthusiastically, twisting on his heel and heading further down the hallway. ¡°Keep up.¡± I hopped forward a few steps and grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly. ¡°Are you grumpy?¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Grumpy? No? Angry that a maniac is trying to kidnap my girlfriend? Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Em, I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Joel proimed confidently, pping me on the shoulder. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Vincent be saying those words?¡± Joel feigned a hurt look. ¡°Ouch, Em. Just trying to be nice.¡± Iughed, but with every second my stomach was tightening. It was easy to act calm on the outside, but it was hard to blow off your body¡¯s reactions. The butterflies in my stomach were about to make me sick. Everyone seemed so confident about being able to fend Ashton off, but I felt like they were underestimating him. It scared me a little bit. ¡°Stakes are here,¡± Vincent suddenly announced,ing to a dead stop in front of a white door. ¡°A broom closest?¡± I replied, watching as he opened the door to reveal an incredibly tiny space where a ck box was. . . 68 He ignored me. ¡°There¡¯s a few of these closets around and each one has a stake in it. Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, I don¡¯t want you use them.¡± ¡°You mean I don¡¯t get to carry one around?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. I frowned, but nodded anyway. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Emily,¡± he started, sounding unexpectedly serious, ¡°I want-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Joel interrupted, pping his hands to his ears. ¡°Wait until I¡¯m gone. I don¡¯t want to hear any of that mushy crap! I¡¯ll be heading back to the ball now!¡± Vincent scowled after him. ¡°Good. Now scram.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cold to your best friend,¡± he sighed dramatically before scampering down the hallway at an impossibly fast pace. I pushed my hair behind my ears, facing Vincent again. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Just to kiss you,¡± he murmured, cing his cool hands against my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ve controlled myself all evening.¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t?¡± I retorted, pushing him against the broom closet¡¯s door. ¡°It¡¯s not fun having people around. If I so much as look at you they might think something weird¡¯s going on between us.¡± He brought his face closer to mine. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to get in trouble,¡± I whispered, our lips barely brushing. ¡°Trouble¡¯s my middle name,¡± he told me, pressing his lips firmly to mine. This was a gentle kiss, slow-paced and soft. I clung to him, enjoying the proximity between us. Knowing this would probably be the only chance I got to kiss him for a while, I put all my feelings and effort into it. He seemed to be thinking the same thing as well. ¡°Hey,¡± he murmured, pulling away for a second before quickly pressing his lips to mine again. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked between kisses. ¡°Stay away from me after this.¡± I froze, my eyes snapping open. Vincent pulled away, furrowing his eyebrows. Unable to speak, I just stared at him. What was he talking about? Stay away from him? ¡°What do you mean?¡± I finally demanded. ¡°If were together, that¡¯s probably what Ashton wants,¡± he rified. ¡°It¡¯d be better if were in separate ces, that way he can¡¯t make threats against us in front of each other.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I breathed, letting out a relieved chuckle. ¡± That¡¯s what you meant.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you think I meant? Stay away from me for forever after this?¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s stupid. Of course I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± I grabbed the cor of his suit jacket, smiling at him. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said, pulling his head down to me so I could kiss him again. ¡°You taste like garlic, by the way.¡± ¡°Kind of ironic, since I¡¯m a vampire,¡± he returned, grinning. ¡°It was a dish someone made. I got hungry. Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°You should grab something before midnight.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I nodded, my heartbeat starting to speed up. The nervous feeling was back. This normal chatting wasn¡¯t stopping it like I¡¯d hoped it would. Holding onto Vincent tighter, I tried to calm myself. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be careful tonight.¡± . . He flexed his muscles. ¡°I should be saying that to you.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Then I will too,¡± he promised, sealing it with a kiss. ¡°Now, lets¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s?¡± I prompted. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I have to go. Stay here.¡± ¡°What? Why? What¡¯s going on? Did you hear something?¡± ¡°Joel¡¯s on his way, stay here,¡± Vincent ordered sternly, pushing me away from him. ¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± I called as he raced down the hallway. ¡°Wait! Ugh! Stupid vampire!¡± The silence that filled the hallway after that unsettled me. Agitated, I nced at the closest. Vincent had told me not to grab a stake unless I absolutely needed it, but¡­ What would it hurt to have one on me just in case? It was better than just going with solely the holy water. ncing around the hallway, I swiftly opened the closet door and struggled to open the ck box inside it. In it were beautiful wooden stakes- was it weird to call them beautiful? The polish on the dark wood was mesmerizing. It was hard to believe such a thing could be used to kill. Closing the ck box and the closet, I slid the stake down the front of my dress, hiding it carefully in-between the space between my chest and stomach so it didn¡¯t stand out. ¡°Emily!¡± ¡°Joel!¡± I cried, twirling around, my heart jumping into my throat. Had he noticed? Judging by his look, he hadn¡¯t. ¡°Come with me,¡± he requested, holding out his hand. ¡°Ashton¡¯s made his move.¡± Baffled, I allowed him to lead me down the hallway. ¡°Already? It¡¯s not midnight though!¡± ¡°Some of the guests have started leaving,¡± he exined in a rush. ¡°I guess Luca got impatient and broke into the ballroom to look for you. Luca, if you didn¡¯t know, is one of the rogue vampires you learned about before. You know, the kind of vampire the counsel wants to throw in jail, so he wasn¡¯t invited. Now the counsel¡¯s hounding him and everyone is leaving.¡± He suddenlyughed. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen it! One of the girls tripped and face nted in her haste to get outside!¡± I grimaced. That was mean. ¡°Where¡¯s Ashton?¡± I asked. Joel shook his head, still grinning widely at the memory. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You have to stay with me though until I can trade you off to Sebastian. It¡¯s not safe to have you by yourself.¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay, sounds good. Where are we going?¡± ¡°Out back.¡± ¡°Is outside really safe?¡± ¡°Stupid question. Luca is inside¡­ the other two are inside. So where¡¯s Ashton probably?¡± ¡°Inside?¡± ¡°So wouldn¡¯t it be the safest outside?¡± I blinked. ¡°Huh, I guess so.¡± He snorted. ¡°Now I see why Vincent calls you stupid.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Do you have your holy water?¡± Joel questioned, ncing over his shoulder at me. ¡°Make sure you have it ready.¡± I gripped the ss bottle in my left hand. ¡°Okay.¡± We reached the back doors that led to the dark forest. Preparing myself for the cold, I held my breath as Joel opened the door. It was freezing, like I expected. Goosebumps erupted on my skin immediately and I shivered, crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to retain some body heat. Being outside in a dress was a bad idea. ¡°This way,¡± Joel said quietly, guiding me toward the back yard, which was lit up by the moon. ¡°Sebastian will be here soon¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Joel,¡± I responded, forcing him and myself to a stop. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be back here¡­¡± He cocked his head to the side. ¡°Why?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I really didn¡¯t know. An overwhelming urge to run away had randomly washed over me. Like I knew it was dangerous out here. ¡°Joel, we have to go back.¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡± ¡°Joel, please. Let go of me.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not? Sebastian will be able to find us somewhere else, I¡¯m sure of it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Joel told me, his grip on my hand tightening. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Our gazes met. I knew at once something was different about him. His eyes weren¡¯t bright like they usually were. His teasing smile was dropped, reced by a wicked smirk. His entire yful demeanor was gone. ¡°Ah, Emily.¡± My whole body tensed, my breath stopping short. There was no way¡­ It couldn¡¯t be¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve done well Joel¡± Ashton!! 69 Without warning, my arm was chicken-winged, causing me to cry out in pain. Joel held me tightly, keeping it almost impossible for me to struggle without inflicting pain on myself. ¡°Joel! What are you doing? Let me go!¡± ¡°No can do, Em,¡± he responded, shaking his blonde hair out of his face. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me rich.¡± ¡°Surprise,¡± Ashton said, finally stepping out from the shadows. ¡°You wanted to know who my little secret agent was, right? I do believe Joel suggested it was one of the kitchen help to the queen and king.¡± Joel nodded. ¡°I did. And they believed it.¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t¡­ it was you all along. That¡¯s how Ashton found out I was in the castle. That¡¯s how he found out I was a Blue Blood. That¡¯s how he knew I was in a rtionship with Vincent!¡± ¡°Bingo!¡± Joel replied happily. Betrayal coursed through my veins. ¡°I¡­ I thought you were my friend,¡± I whispered, wishing I could see his face. ¡°I can still be your friend if you forgive me for this. We¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other in the future, you know. Me, you, Luca, and Ashton. We¡¯ll be four best friends!¡± ¡°No way!¡± I cried in disbelief. ¡°You think I¡¯ll be friends with you after this? Joel, you¡¯re Vincent¡¯s best friend! He trusted you!¡± I felt Joel shrug. ¡°You trusted me too, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different with your best friend!¡± ¡°I was never his best friend, I only yed the part,¡± Joel snapped angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You don¡¯t need such things as friends in this world.¡± My mind was having trouble processing the situation. Joel? Joel was on Ashton¡¯s side? Happy-go-lucky Joel? Unfortunately it all made too much sense. He was the reason Ashton knew everything about me. How could we not have known? The time at the carnival should have made it obvious! I wanted to p myself! Joel left me alone when he knew Ashton was after me! How could no one have realized he wasn¡¯t on our side? I shook my head. ¡°What about that night you were attacked, Joel?¡± ¡°Luca and I got in a fight,¡± he exined casually. ¡°It got a little bit out of control. Lucky I had you to go back home to.¡± ¡°Speaking of Luca, where is that brat?¡± Ashton questioned, crossing his slender arms over his chest. ¡°Sebastian will be here soon.¡± My breath caught in my throat. What did Ashton want with Sebastian? Was he going to try to bargain me with Sebastian¡¯s crown? I couldn¡¯t believe it. We had everything all wrong. Ashton wasn¡¯t going to go after Vincent because he was in a rtionship with me. Of course not! What good woulde out of that? Ashton would go after someone who cared about me and held something of interest to him! ¡°Ashton, if I go with you, can we just leave now?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. You were easy to capture. I knew it¡¯d be quite simple all along. I only said you had a chance to escape to throw you off if you decided to choose between the two of you. However, my master n was to get everything I wanted. That¡¯s including you and the throne. Hopefully Sebastian will give it up easily. I don¡¯t think he wants anyone getting hurt.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Who¡¯s anyone?¡± ¡°You, Vincent, Solomon, Lue, Fiona¡­ Anyone, really. Whoever we can get our hands on. Elijah and Ace- you don¡¯t know them, but they¡¯re part of my crew- are keeping an eye on thedies. I¡¯m not worried about Solomon; Joel¡¯s informed me he¡¯s guarding the entrance in case I decide toe in that way. So when Sebastian gets here, it¡¯ll be just you and him against Joel, Luca, and myself. I can almost guarantee things will go my way.¡± . . I kept quiet, seeing two ws in his n. One, he forgot to mention Vincent. Who was watching over him? Two, Sebastian could easily lie and say he¡¯d renounce the throne and get away with it. There was no assurance that Ashton would gain the crown. Sebastian could easily tell the counsel, or whatever, that he was forced to lie.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. A rustle of clothing announced the presence of a new vampire. Luca. He grinned evilly at me. ¡°Well hello there, Emily.¡± ¡°Luca.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look pleased to see me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s just something about your ugly face I can¡¯t stand,¡± I shot at him. He scowled. ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± Ashton stifled at augh, cing a hand over his mouth. Luca changed his re to him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized, clearing his throat. ¡°It¡¯s just weird seeing someone say something like that to you. Usually the insulting person would be afraid of having his neck snapped.¡± ¡°She should be,¡± Luca growled. I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°You won¡¯t kill me. You need my blood.¡± Ashton nodded. ¡°We might as well make use of what we can, right? After that, you¡¯re useless.¡± ¡°What do you mean what you can?¡± His eyes twinkled in amusement. ¡°Ah, could it be you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what?¡± I demanded, the tightness in my stomach returning. It was bing hard to swallow. Was he about to mention what Sebastian was going to tell me? ¡°Does my blood return to normal eventually or something?¡± He nodded. ¡°Something.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Something what?¡± ¡°Stop asking questions,¡± Luca snapped. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You little-¡± ¡°Children,¡± Ashton interjected, throwing Luca a dirty look. ¡°Can you please not argue?¡± Joel chuckled, hisugh reverberating through his chest. ¡°I like a girl who can stand up to Luca.¡± A bit of hurt washed over me at his words. Why was he talking like I was a stranger? I was the same Emily! He was the one who was different! He was the backstabber her who¡¯d betrayed everyone¡¯s trust! My ears perked as I faintly heard someone calling my name. Ashton smiled broadly,ing closer to me. ¡°Ah, it seems that your knight in shining armor has arrived.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± I breathed. ¡°Oh yes,¡± Joel chirped. ¡°This is my favorite part! I love seeing people¡¯s faces when they realize they¡¯ve been stabbed in the back!¡± I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to hear thating out of Joel¡¯s mouth. It was hard enough trying to ept the fact he¡¯d double-cross the Rutherfords and myself. ¡°Emily!¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Sebastian! Go away!¡± I shouted as loudly as I could. ¡°Don¡¯te over here! Go get help!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Ashton said, frowning at me. He easily cut off my shouting by cover my mouth with his hand. My cries were muffled as I continued to try and warn Sebastian. It didn¡¯t work. A few secondter he appeared in front of me, his eyes wide. ¡°Joel?¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Joel greeted him. He continued to stare at him, not understanding the situation. ¡°What are you doing with Emily?¡± . . Ashton waved his free hand, catching his eye. ¡°I do believe he¡¯s helping me out, Mr. Rutherford.¡± Fury red in Sebastian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Joel?¡± he repeated, this time in a threatening tone. ¡°Does this mean we¡¯re not friends anymore?¡± Joel questioned, artificial sadness in his tone. ¡°How upsetting.¡± Sebastian clenched his fists. ¡°You¡¯re a true ckguard.¡± Joelughed. ¡°ckguard? I didn¡¯t realize just how old you were, Sebby.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he snapped at him. ¡°Let Emily go.¡± ¡°No can do,¡± Ashton answered for him, still holding his hand against my mouth. ¡°You know what I want, Sebastian.¡± Sebastian¡¯s body tensed. ¡°I won¡¯t give you the throne.¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t,¡± Ashton responded calmly. After a brief second of silence, he removed his hand from my mouth and started walking toward Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this a lot¡­¡± ¡°Sebastian, run away,¡± I ordered, struggling to liberate myself from Joel. ¡°Get Vincent or someone!¡± ¡°No, Emily, I won¡¯t leave you alone,¡± Sebastian told me, ncing around him. His eyesnded on Luca and he frowned deeper, apparently realizing it would be two on one if anything happened. Ashton sighed deeply. ¡°How romantic. You know, if it wasn¡¯t for Joel, I would¡¯ve assumed it was you two in love, not Emily and Vincent.¡± I glowered at him. ¡°Shut up, Ashton.¡± ¡°Let Emily go,¡± Sebastian demanded coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t do any negotiating if you have her like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to negotiate,¡± Ashton said, ncing at me. ¡°But I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter if we let her go. Just don¡¯t try to run, Em. We don¡¯t want you identally breaking a leg¡­¡± Joel released me at once and I jolted away from him, turning to give him the best re I could. He grinned at me. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of expression I like most.¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ashton pped his hands, gaining my attention. ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s talk. I¡¯ve been thinking about ways to get you to give me the throne. Every way I thought of had some kind of w to it, unfortunately. For example, you could just lie to me, or trick me. That wouldn¡¯t work out in my favor.¡± Sebastian stayed silent. I did too, holding my breath tightly. If he¡¯d realized that, why was he still calling Sebastian out here? ¡°That¡¯s when I realized what I had to do,¡± he continued somberly, a grave expression taking over his face. The bad feeling in my gut returned. It was hard to breathe again. The tension in the air felt so thick you could almost cut it. My heart was hammering in my ears as I waited for Ashton to continue. Somewhere inside me I knew what conclusion he was about toe down. ¡°What¡¯s the best of way of assuring the throne goes to me?¡± he questioned out loud, tapping his chin. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± He grinned maliciously. ¡°Killing the only person in my way. Luca, now.¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± I screamed as Luca lunged at him. He managed to avoid Luca, twisting around at thest possible second. Luca attacked again, this time using a fist. Once again he managed to avoid the assault, using his fists as defense. It never urred to me Sebastian would know how to physically fight. However, it was clear who had the upper advantage. While Sebastian seemed stronger, Luca obviously knew how to fight better. The advantage of being a rogue vampire, I assumed. . . 70 ¡°Make it quick, Luca. We must leave before anyone else notices,¡± Ashton called, stepping back to enjoy the fight. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you!¡± Unable to just stand watch them brawl, I moved forward, uncapping the holy water. Ashton nced at me curiously, but made no move to stop my actions. With a shaky hand, I aimed for Luca, ready to douse him with the liquid. It was hard though. He and Sebastian moved so fast they were almost like a blur in my eyes. If I missed, I¡¯d get Sebastian, and put him at an even bigger disadvantage. In the blink of an eye Sebastian was on the ground, Luca¡¯s hand around his throat. I took this as my chance. Lashing my hand out, I whipped the holy water at Luca¡¯s back. He howled in pain as the water hit its target. In a sh he was off of Sebastian, holding me by my neck instead. Surprised, I gasped, feeling my airway being cut off. ¡°Bitch,¡± he spat at me. ¡°Who taught you about the holy water?¡± ¡°That would be Vivi, kind of,¡± Joel responded helpfully. Luca tightened his grasp on my throat. ¡°Oh really?¡± I grappled at his hand, attempting to pry it off me. If he kept it up, my windpipe would be crushed. ¡°Luca, don¡¯t kill her,¡± Ashton finally spoke up, appearing at my side and removing Luca¡¯s hand. ¡°We need her alive.¡± ¡°Why does it matter if we kill her now?¡± he growled. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make too much of a difference if she¡¯s going to die one day anyway.¡± ¡°The difference is the time and the blood we can get,¡± Ashton responded calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t act so rashly.¡± Sebastian was back on his feet again, staggering slightly. Confused, my eyes raked over his body. Why was he so shaky? From what I could see, he had no injuries anywhere¡­ The struggle between Luca and him had onlysted less than a minute. There was no time for him to gain wounds! ¡°You look confused,¡± Ashtonmented. I turned to him, ready to nod, but found he was watching Sebastian. Furrowing my eyebrows, I turned back to Sebastian too. Surprisingly, he looked baffled as well. He slowly raised a hand to his chest, staring down at it. ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked, his voice sounding weak. ¡°It¡¯s a little useful thing I like to call poison. Just to slow you down. I don¡¯t have enough time to fight you, or just let the poison kill you off.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Poison?¡± I repeated in horror. There were poisons for vampires? As if reading my mind, Ashton nodded at me. ¡°Yes, there are poisons for vampires. They¡¯re a bit more difficult to find than human poisons, but they¡¯re there nheless. This one particrly was a hassle to find. Luca did a good job though. Applied it nicely as well.¡± ¡°Looks like it doesn¡¯t work on human¡¯s though. It should have entered her bloodstream already and she seems stable,¡± Luca grunted, scrutinizing my face. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± My hand shot up to the back of my neck, where I was surprised to find a small gash. It was sticky, so I assumed that it¡¯d drawn blood. How could I not have felt it? I should¡¯ve felt something like that! ¡°Joel, grab Emily again,¡± Ashton ordered. ¡°Yes sir!¡± he responded, easily bringing me under his control again. ¡°No, let her go,¡± Sebastianmanded, taking a few unsteady steps toward me. He groaned, squeezing his tux just above where his heart was. I stared at him,pletely terrified of the situation. How could he fight back when he was like that? Why hadn¡¯t he run when I¡¯d told him to? Ashton moved in front of me, frowning a tiny bit. His eyes raked over my body. I jumped when I suddenly felt his hands on my sides. He ran them up my body slowly, as if he was searching for something. . . ¡°Make it quick, Luca. We must leave before anyone else notices,¡± Ashton called, stepping back to enjoy the fight. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you!¡± Unable to just stand watch them brawl, I moved forward, uncapping the holy water. Ashton nced at me curiously, but made no move to stop my actions. With a shaky hand, I aimed for Luca, ready to douse him with the liquid. It was hard though. He and Sebastian moved so fast they were almost like a blur in my eyes. If I missed, I¡¯d get Sebastian, and put him at an even bigger disadvantage. In the blink of an eye Sebastian was on the ground, Luca¡¯s hand around his throat. I took this as my chance. Lashing my hand out, I whipped the holy water at Luca¡¯s back. He howled in pain as the water hit its target. In a sh he was off of Sebastian, holding me by my neck instead. Surprised, I gasped, feeling my airway being cut off. ¡°Bitch,¡± he spat at me. ¡°Who taught you about the holy water?¡± ¡°That would be Vivi, kind of,¡± Joel responded helpfully. Luca tightened his grasp on my throat. ¡°Oh really?¡± I grappled at his hand, attempting to pry it off me. If he kept it up, my windpipe would be crushed. ¡°Luca, don¡¯t kill her,¡± Ashton finally spoke up, appearing at my side and removing Luca¡¯s hand. ¡°We need her alive.¡± ¡°Why does it matter if we kill her now?¡± he growled. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make too much of a difference if she¡¯s going to die one day anyway.¡± ¡°The difference is the time and the blood we can get,¡± Ashton responded calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t act so rashly.¡± Sebastian was back on his feet again, staggering slightly. Confused, my eyes raked over his body. Why was he so shaky? From what I could see, he had no injuries anywhere¡­ The struggle between Luca and him had onlysted less than a minute. There was no time for him to gain wounds! ¡°You look confused,¡± Ashtonmented. I turned to him, ready to nod, but found he was watching Sebastian. Furrowing my eyebrows, I turned back to Sebastian too. Surprisingly, he looked baffled as well. He slowly raised a hand to his chest, staring down at it. ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked, his voice sounding weak. ¡°It¡¯s a little useful thing I like to call poison. Just to slow you down. I don¡¯t have enough time to fight you, or just let the poison kill you off.¡± ¡°Poison?¡± I repeated in horror. There were poisons for vampires? As if reading my mind, Ashton nodded at me. ¡°Yes, there are poisons for vampires. They¡¯re a bit more difficult to find than human poisons, but they¡¯re there nheless. This one particrly was a hassle to find. Luca did a good job though. Applied it nicely as well.¡± ¡°Looks like it doesn¡¯t work on human¡¯s though. It should have entered her bloodstream already and she seems stable,¡± Luca grunted, scrutinizing my face. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± My hand shot up to the back of my neck, where I was surprised to find a small gash. It was sticky, so I assumed that it¡¯d drawn blood. How could I not have felt it? I should¡¯ve felt something like that! ¡°Joel, grab Emily again,¡± Ashton ordered. ¡°Yes sir!¡± he responded, easily bringing me under his control again. ¡°No, let her go,¡± Sebastianmanded, taking a few unsteady steps toward me. He groaned, squeezing his tux just above where his heart was. I stared at him,pletely terrified of the situation. How could he fight back when he was like that? Why hadn¡¯t he run when I¡¯d told him to? Ashton moved in front of me, frowning a tiny bit. His eyes raked over my body. I jumped when I suddenly felt his hands on my sides. He ran them up my body slowly, as if he was searching for something. . . ¡°Oh?¡± he said after a moment,ing to a halt just above where my ribs started. ¡°You¡¯re right Joel.¡± ¡°Told you.¡± Without warning, he ripped open the part of my dress that covered the midsection. I gasped, feeling the cold air nip at my newly exposed skin. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I cried, feeling his cold hands touch my skin. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± With a lightning realization, I realized what he was looking for at the exact moment he grabbed it. The stake. ¡°Look what I have here, Sebastian,¡± Ashton started in a jeering manner, holding the stake out in front of him. ¡°Our little Emily brought the perfect weapon.¡± Horror washed over me. What had I done? Brought the weapon that was going to be used to kill Sebastian? I couldn¡¯t let that happen! ¡°Ashton, stop! Leave him alone!¡± ¡°Shut up, Emily.¡± ¡°No! Leave him alone!¡± ¡°Emily,¡± Sebastian said in a warning tone. ¡°Be quiet.¡± I gaped at him. How could he be so collected in a situation like this? Didn¡¯t he know what was going to happen? ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± Ashton inquired. Sebastian held himself steady, proudly straightening his back. Anyone watching him could tell how much effort it took for him to do that. ¡°Even if you kill me, you won¡¯t be king. No one would follow a despicable person like you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Ashton responded dryly. ¡°The sad thing about this situation is I can¡¯t be the one to kill you. I can¡¯t sully my royal hands, you know?¡± he joked. ¡°Who is then?¡± Ashton turned his head, looking directly at me. ¡°She is.¡± ¡°I am not,¡± I responded at once. ¡°No! Sebastian isn¡¯t dying! Solomon or Vincent will arrive any second and stop you-¡± ¡°It¡¯s either you kill him, or Luca and Joel will go kill all your little human friends.¡± Caught off guard, I didn¡¯t respond immediately. How dirty could he get? ¡°I won¡¯t kill Sebastian,¡± I stated firmly. ¡°Emily.¡± ¡°No Sebastian! You finally managed to say what you wanted about everything! You¡¯re not wasting it!¡± Luca scuffed his foot on the ground. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time. As soon as all the guests are gone Solomon wille looking.¡± Ashton held out the stake to me. ¡°Go ahead, Emily.¡± Joel let me go. I hesitated, staring at the sharp, wooden weapon. Thinking fast, I gripped the holy water in my hand. There was still a little bit left¡­ I reached my hand out like I was going to reach the stake, doing my best to stay expressionless. Ashton moved closer so I could grab it more easily. Closing my eyes, I whipped the rest of the holy water at him. He shouted in pain, informing me my target was made. Clenching the stake in my hand, I shot toward Sebastian, ready to grab him and run. ¡°Sebastian!¡± I cried, gesturing with my free hand to turn around and start moving. We were only feet apart now. If I stretched out my hand, I¡¯d be able to grab him and help him. His eyes widened. ¡°Emily-¡± Before I knew what was happening, my hand was thrust forcefully out toward him. Dumbfounded, I could only watch as my hand was forced to his chest. 71 ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Vincent froze, bringing us both to a halt. My eyes went over his shoulder, where Luca and Joel were standing. Slowly, Vincent turned around, setting me onto the ground. When he caught sight of Joel, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Joel?¡± ¡°S¡¯up, Vivi?¡± Joel responded, waving. ¡°How¡¯s life?¡± Vincent stared tly at him. ¡°Where did youe from? Are you really stupid enough to not notice what¡¯s going on?¡± He frowned. ¡°You¡¯re the stupid one.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t figure it out?¡± Luca said, rolling his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a lot dumber than you look. Emily figured it out quickly.¡± Vincent turned to me. ¡°Figured what out?¡± ¡°Joel¡¯s on their side¡± I told him quietly, squeezing his arm. ¡°He was the traitor, Vincent.¡± Shock passed across Vincent¡¯s face before his expression turned toplete rage . ¡°You asshole!¡± he spat at Joel. ¡°Come over here so I can tear your head off!¡± Joel feigned a scared look, holding his hands in front of his face. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me, Vivi!¡± Vincent easily pushed me to the side. ¡°You¡¯re going down.¡± Out from nowhere, he produced a stake. ¡°Wait!¡± I cried, but it was toote. He¡¯d already lunged at Joel. Luca took a step away from them, letting their fight begin. It was hard watching the two attack each other- after all, even thought it may not have seemed like it, they¡¯d been best friends. Vincent definitely cared about him. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a better fighter than me, Vivi!¡± Joel called, stumbling backwards as Vincent swung out his fist, the stake clenched in it. ¡°How do I know that¡¯s not an act too?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting sharper!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fucking bastard,¡± Vincent growled. A heavy sigh came from behind me, making me gasp in surprise. Twisting around, I came face-to-face with Ashton. Anger boiled up inside me and I swung my fist out at him,nding a hit on his jaw. He winced slightly, but otherwise seemed unaffected. My fist, on the other hand, throbbed painfully, but I wasn¡¯t going to let him know that. ¡°Are you angry? You had to do that to Sebastian,¡± he told me calmly, taking a step forward. I took a step back. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°I do believe you were holding the stake.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him,¡± I said through gritted teeth. He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You shoved that stake right through his heart. It¡¯s okay though, Emily. He needed to die.¡± My heart lurched in my chest. ¡°You need to die!¡± I retorted, clenching my fists. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you did. You¡¯ll never be King. You¡¯ll burn in hell.¡± Heughed. ¡°Hell? You expect me to believe such a silly thing like that? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m that foolish. Hell is a silly mortal idea.¡± As he continued to advance toward me, I carried on moving backward. We were slowly closing in on Sebastian¡¯s body. The sound of Joel and Vincent fighting met my ears- nder being thrown, the sound of rustling clothing, and swearing. Ashton nced at them briefly, an amused smile on his face. ¡°I see they wasted no time in getting at it. Poor Vincent. He must feel so betrayed.¡± . . ¡°How did you get Joel to be on your side?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to convince someone who needs money to do something for money,¡± he exined, shrugging. ¡°He¡¯s actually a pretty good actor. Sometimes he was so happy I thought he was double-timing me. It¡¯s good to know he¡¯s always been on my side though.¡± I red at him. So Ashton was the type of person to use another person¡¯s weakness against them. ¡°I hope you enjoy the next few minutes because it¡¯s thest few minutes you¡¯ll have in this world.¡± Heughed loudly. ¡°What? You think you, a scraggily, weak human girl such as yourself can kill me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think. I know,¡± I corrected him, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Wait!¡± The abrupt cry from Joel made both Ashton and I turn in his direction. Vincent had him pinned against a tree, the stake ced at his chest. Joel was struggling, trying to push him way, but Vincent wasn¡¯t having any of it. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± Joel pleaded. Vincent scoffed.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Begging for your life? After what you did? For a man, you sure dock dignity.¡± ¡°Vincent, please.¡± Ashton shook his head. ¡°Well, if he doesn¡¯t kill Joel now, I¡¯ll do it myselfter. What a pathetic excuse for a vampire.¡± ¡°My family needs me,¡± Joel continued desperately. I stared at them, forgetting to breathe for the moment. It was strange to see someone begging for their life. Sebastian hadn¡¯t done it. Sebastian had faced death calmly. Sebastian¡­ I clenched my teeth. It hurt too much to think of him right now. I needed to focus at the moment, not wallow in guilt and pain. Vincent pulled the stake back, ready to bring it forward and pierce Joel¡¯s heart. I sucked in a breath, ready to shout and tell him to stop, but his hand was too quick. I closed my eyes, unable to watch another death. Joel cried out, but stopped instantly as I heard a dull thud echo through the open space. Slowly I opened my eyes, relief filling me when I realized the stake had been stuck into the tree, and not the blonde. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Vincent started, his face close to Joel¡¯s, ¡°because I considered you a best friend. Even if you acted the part, and I seemed like a horrible friend, I still appreciated it. And for that, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°Vivi, thank-¡± ¡°In return, never speak to me again,¡± Vincent finished in a growl, punching Joel straight in the face. ¡°And that¡¯s what you get for betraying us.¡± Joel¡¯s eyes snapped open and his hand went to his nose, which was bleeding profusely. The stupefied expression on his face almost caused me tough. Almost. Ashton¡¯s next words gained my full attention. ¡°Luca, kill Vincent.¡± ¡°No!¡± Ashton switched his gaze to Joel, who was staring at him in disbelief. ¡°What, Joel?¡± ¡°You told me you wouldn¡¯t kill Vincent! You promised!¡± ¡°Just like I promised not to kill Sebastian,¡± Ashton responded, shrugging. ¡°If I lied about one, why not the other?¡± My eyes shot to Joel. He didn¡¯t know Ashton was going to kill Sebastian? ¡°You can¡¯t kill Vincent!¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Please, Joel. Why would I throw away the chance of killing both Rutherfords while I had the chance?¡± . . ¡°You promised me!¡± ¡°I told you. I lied.¡± Joel¡¯s eyes formed slits. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Ashton cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you grew attached to the little brat while ying make-believe with him, Joel.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Vincent interjected snippily. ¡°I beat Luca once, I can beat him again,¡± he continued confidently, turning his gaze to Luca, who was prowling around the outskirts of the forest. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Ashtonmented casually. ¡°Now Emily¡­¡± He faced me. ¡°I guess we should have a little chat.¡± Now at Sebastian¡¯s body, all I had to do was bend down to pick up the stake. It took all I had not to gaze at the deceased man¡¯s face. Just thinking about it was making my eyes prickle. ¡°Are you upset over his death?¡± Ashton asked mockingly. ¡°You¡¯ll get over it, I promise.¡± I clenched my fists. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°While we chat, we can watch the little brawl going on behind us, shall we?¡± he inquired, suddenly disappearing from my view. Surprised, I whipped my head around, searching for him. Cool hands wrapped around my bare arms and once again I was chicken-winged into an immobile state, my back pressed against Ashton¡¯s muscled chest. ¡°Let me go!¡± I cried. ¡°Shut up and enjoy the movie.¡± My gaze went to Vincent and Luca, who were both circling each other threateningly. For a brief second I imagined them five hundred pounds heavier as sumo wrestlers, but I quickly shook that idea away. This was serious. Luca made the first move,shing out at Vincent. His movement was so quick it barely had time to register in my mind before he made his next attack. Vincent managed to avoid all assaults with ease, gliding to the left or right swiftly. Once again I realized as they fought that Vincent was at a disadvantage because of Luca¡¯s nature. Vincent, like Sebastian, wasn¡¯t a rogue vampire. He didn¡¯t know how to fight like one. However he seemed to fare better than Sebastian did. ¡°Vincent!¡± I screamed as Luca smashed him into a tree. Even from where I was I could hear a bone snapping somewhere inside him. ¡°Ah, it seems that Luca has the advantage this time¡­¡± Vincent recovered from his assault promptly, moving forward to retaliate against Luca. To my relief, he still seemed perfectly okay. That or he was incredibly skilled at dealing with pain. ¡°You caught me off guard,¡± I heard him saying to Luca. ¡°You¡¯re stronger thanst time.¡± Luca smirked. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± ¡°It must be nice to have such a delusional way of thinking.¡± ¡°You piss me off,¡± Luca stated, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°Agreed.¡± Within the blink of an eye, he had Luca pinned to a tree. ¡°I¡¯ll give it my all now. For revenge for Sebastian. You¡¯ll die painfully.¡± A sh of steel entered my vision and my heart sunk in my gut when I realized Luca had produced a knife. Vincent hadn¡¯t noticed yet though. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I opened my mouth to warn him, but Luca already had the de in his shoulder. It seemed to have the opposite effect than what he was expecting though. Vincent had no reaction whatsoever. He simply held Luca with one arm while reaching for the knife in his skin. ¡°Knives won¡¯t work on me,¡± he stated, pressing the de to Luca¡¯s throat. ¡°But will they work on you?¡± . . ¡°It may just end up being you and me from now on,¡± Ashton murmured in my ear. ¡°If Luca can¡¯t defeat Vincent he¡¯ll be useless.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll kill him?¡± Ashton nodded. ¡°If Vincent doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a horrible person. A murderer.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same as me?¡± he questioned in an amused tone. ¡°You killed Sebastian.¡± I stiffened. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± There was a crash from where Joel and Vincent were standing and a nce toward it told me that the knife had been abandoned and now they were fist fighting again. Blood ran down Vincent¡¯s arm, but he paid no attention to in. Unease washed over me and I prayed he¡¯d take down Luca quickly. ¡°Yes you did,¡± Ashton spoke up, gaining my attention. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the feeling of the stake sliding through his skin like butter? Right into his heart?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Your hand was on the stake.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him! It was Luca!¡± He chuckled. ¡°Whatever helps you sleep at night. It¡¯s your fault he died, you know. You were a distraction to him. You brought the stake to the battle.¡± My heart clenched in pain. It wasn¡¯t true. I knew it wasn¡¯t true. Luca had control of the stake, not me. I wasn¡¯t the one who pierced it through his heart¡­ But at the same time I was. ¡°No,¡± I whispered, shaking my head. ¡°Yes,¡± Ashton breathed. ¡°How can you live with the guilt?¡± My knees suddenly gave out from under me and I copsed back into his chest. He let me go, letting me fall roughly to the ground. Pain didn¡¯t register in my mind as I nced at the body next to me, noticing Sebastian¡¯s hand only inches away from my own. My eyes began to sting as I stared at it. It wasn¡¯t my fault¡­ It couldn¡¯t be my fault¡­ but I¡¯d brought the stake. I¡¯d tried protecting him and failed¡­ ¡°How can you face his family?¡± Ashton questioned happily. My hand went to my chest, clenching the material covering it. I couldn¡¯t face his family. How could I tell his parents? How could I tell Fiona? There was no way. Not when it was by my hand¡­ ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better just to run away?¡± Would it? No. I couldn¡¯t run away. That would be shameless. ¡°You killed him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him!¡± I shouted, finally snapping. My hand went to the stake next to Sebastian¡¯s body. I clenched it tightly in my hand, twisting around to jam it into Ashton¡¯s chest. He managed to avoid the attack though, grinning in amusement as he did so. ¡°That was close,¡± he sighed, putting a hand to his heart. ¡°You almost got me. Now put down the stake like a good girl.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do it or I¡¯ll break your wrist.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°No.¡± Suddenly Ashton was thrown off his feet, falling down hard next to me. I blinked, realizing a few secondster the thing that knocked him down was Luca. The blonde groaned, rolling of Ashton quickly. ¡°Bastard,¡± he growled, jumping back to his feet and ring in Vincent¡¯s direction. ¡°Did that hurt?¡± Vincent asked in mock concern. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to throw you that hard¡­ You were just a lot easier to toss than I expected. Weaker, too.¡± . . 72 Luca scowled. ¡°Weak?¡± ¡°Move,¡± Ashton growled, shoving Luca to the side, and right into me. ¡°Stupid girl,¡± he snapped, stepping on Sebastian¡¯s hand as he tried to steady himself. Without thinking, I mmed the stake down into his foot. He howled in pain, jerking away from me violently. Somehow I managed to keep my hold on the stake so he wouldn¡¯t take it with him. ¡°Don¡¯t step on Sebastian,¡± I warned in low voice. ¡°Bitch,¡± Luca swore, grabbing the front of my dress and hoisting me to my feet. ¡°You¡¯re going to die.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Ashton and Vincent demanded at the same time. Luca red at the two. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You know you¡¯re not allowed to touch her,¡± Ashton apprised him. ¡°Do so and you will-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care,¡± Luca responded offhandedly, yanking his hand down. My eyes flew open in surprise as I was forced against the ground in a rough manor. I cried out in pain as my head ricocheted off the hard ground painfully. Within the next few seconds I felt his foot making contact with my side. ¡°Luca!¡± Ashton shouted. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for staking me,¡± Luca told me, now stepping on my hand that held the stake. ¡°Let it go.¡± ¡°No,¡± I stated defiantly. If I let it go, he¡¯d grab it, and then be able to kill Vincent. There was no way I was letting go. Vincent appeared in my field of vision next to Luca, his hands going for the other¡¯s neck. Luca elbowed him in the face efficiently stopping his attack. However, it didn¡¯t stop him from trying again. This time a fist made face with Luca¡¯s face, forcing him to step away from me. I instantly scrambled to my feet, holding the stake tightly. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that,¡± Vincent said menacingly. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for- Argh!¡± Luca staggered forward, holding his back. ncing behind him, I realized Joel was standing there, the bottle of holy water in his hand. ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill Vincent.¡± ¡°You traitor¡­¡± Luca seethed, turning to send daggers his way. Joel¡¯s face was impassive. ¡°I may have betrayed the Rutherfords, but I won¡¯t you kill Vincent.¡± ¡°Joel-¡± He suddenly moved forward, knocking Luca to the ground. ¡°Vincent! The stake!¡± Vincent¡¯s head snapped to me. On instinct, I chucked the stake at him. In an instant he was on Luca, the stake against his chest. ¡°Anyst words?¡± ¡°See you in hell?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to die by a stake,¡± Vincent told him, his jaw set. ¡°If I could, I would have stripped off all your skin and then burned you for what you did to my brother.¡± Luca faked a smile. ¡°Aw, isn¡¯t that so sweet? The little brother who put up a cold front but actually cared about his older brother. It¡¯s a shame that he¡¯s dead now, isn¡¯t it? Though, personally, I could really care less. One less wasteful person on this-¡± He never got to finish his sentence. Vincent rammed the stake into his chest, causing him to gasp. He didn¡¯t only do it once though. I flinched, looking away from the scene. Even if he did deserve it, it was still hard to watch. A death was still a death, after all. ¡°Damn,¡± Ashton swore quietly. ¡°Looks like it is you and me. I¡¯ll have toe back or Joelter and dispose of him. Let¡¯s go, Emily.¡± His hand wrapped around my wrist and he began dragging me toward the forest. . . ¡°Vincent!¡± I screamed. Immediately Vincent was at my side, holding my other hand tightly. Ashton came to a stop, an annoyed expression crossing his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take care of your brother¡¯s body?¡± he asked in a bored tone. ¡°After I take care of yours first.¡± ¡°You have five seconds to let go of Emily¡¯s hand before I break her neck.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that. You need her alive.¡± ¡°Three, two¡­¡± Scowling, Vincent leg go. I gaped at him. When he noticed my stare, he clenched his jaw. ¡°Do you not see his reaction to Luca¡¯s death? He doesn¡¯t care. He wouldn¡¯t care about killing you.¡± ¡°Smart move,¡± Ashton told him. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll take our leave¡­ Wait, actually, since it seems we have time, let¡¯s dispose of Joel. Vincent, I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡± ¡°I told you I won¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet, but it¡¯s either him or Emily.¡± Frustration welled up in me as I once again felt my arms being chicken-winged. Why couldn¡¯t I do anything? Why did I have to be such a weak human? I struggled violently to liberate myself, grunting form the effort. ¡°If you keep struggling you might cut yourself.¡± I paused. What did he mean¡­? My breath caught as I felt something cool pressed against my throat. A dagger. ¡°Now,¡± he continued, turning back to Vincent. ¡°Will you kill Joel?¡± With a hard gaze, Vincent slowly nodded his head. ¡°You give me no choice then.¡± Joel, who was standing a few feet behind him, froze. Ashtonughed in delight. ¡°Great! That helps me out a lot!¡± ¡°But first¡­¡± Vincent disappeared from our view. Then I felt his presence directly behind Ashton and myself. ¡°Wish me some luck.¡± ¡°Good luck then,¡± Ashton willed him. My eyes widened when I felt something being pressed into my hand. It was the stake. Why was he giving it to me? Did Ashton not notice? Vincent then returned to my field of vision, advancing on Joel. ¡°I won¡¯t put up a fight,¡± Joel told him. ¡°You should kill me. I let them kill your brother.¡± Vincent¡¯s hands clenched into fists. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Ashton¡¯s hold on me tightened. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t kill him,¡± Vincent repeated. ¡°Then you don¡¯t care if I kill Emily?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I stared at him, trying toprehend what he was thinking. Did he have some sort of n? How was I supposed to do anything without knowing it? ¡°How could-¡± All of a sudden Vincent reached out and grabbed Joel, twisting on his heel, and sending the blonde toward us. Ashton let go of me. I took this as my chance, ducking out of Joel¡¯s way as he crashed into Ashton. Vincent shouted something at me, but I didn¡¯t hear it, turning around so I could see the two vampires now on the ground. Joel was holding onto Ashton by the shirt, keeping him pinned against the ground. Unfortunately, Ashton still had the dagger. In a split-second decision, I kicked the hand that held it, causing him to let go. ¡°Get off!¡± he roared, shoving Joel to the side. Now it was my turn to pounce of him. So I did. Straddling his waist, I held the stake up threateningly. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± . . He gazed up at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. ¡°You think you can kill me?¡± I held the stake tighter. ¡°I know I can.¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. Because you already killed poor Seb, huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°Emily! What are you doing?¡± Vincent demanded in a stressed voice. ¡°Get away from him!¡± I shook my head. ¡°I want my revenge too.¡± Ashton grinned at me. ¡°Go ahead. Do it. Stake me. Make yourself a murderer, just like me.¡± My hand was shaking by now, but my grasp on the weapon didn¡¯t loosen. It was now or never. I could end this all¡­ All I had to do was bring my hand down. Closing my eyes, I raised my hand a little higher. ¡°Emily!¡± Vincent cried, sounding incredibly frustrated. ¡°Get away-¡± I brought my hand down, only to hear a sickening crack as my arm was forced away. My eyes shot open and I tried to scream in pain, but couldn¡¯t find my voice. Ashton smiled evilly at me. ¡°Did you forget you were a human? You never stood a chance. And now I have the stake.¡± ¡°No,¡± I groaned as he forced me back to the ground. Vincent appeared at my side secondster, gazing down at me worriedly. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Vince-¡± My warning came tote. Ashton had already jumped at him, knocking him to the ground next to me. ¡°Watch as I kill Vincent myself,¡± he ordered, holding the stake to Vincent¡¯s chest. ¡°I knew he¡¯d let down his guard if I injured you.¡± ¡°No! Please don¡¯t!¡± I pleaded desperately, my wrist throbbing painfully as I tried to push myself onto my knees. Vincent red at the man above him. ¡°Even if you kill me, you won¡¯t get the throne.¡± Ashtonughed. ¡°What makes you think that? No one will know I was the one who killed all of you¡­ Or at least, will be able to prove it. I¡¯ll kill you, and then Joel, and then no one will know what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Except me,¡± a deep voice interjected. My heart soared as I recognized the voice that spoke. Solomon! He was like God, standing a few yards away from us, at least a dozen of shadowy figures behind him. Two of them stepped forward and I recognized them as Fiona and Lue.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Ashton immediately dropped the stake. Vincent pushed him aside, springing to his feet and then helping me off the ground. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest,¡± Solomon continued, ¡°for attempted murder, for attempting to steal the throne, and for your traitorous actions. The counsel will fill you in about everything¡­ Won¡¯t you, counsel?¡± There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the shadow figures behind him. My heart stopped for a moment. Attempted murder ¡­ ¡°Father, Sebastian¡¯s dead,¡± Vincent stated. The silence that fell after that was almost suffocating. No one spoke for a few moments. Then a piercing scream filled the air. I knew at once it was Fiona. My heart sunk as I nced over to Sebastian¡¯s body, where the poor girl was now kneeling. ¡°Sebastian!¡± she cried, shaking his shoulders. ¡°No! Sebastian! No! NO! Sebastian!¡± ¡°How sad,¡± Ashton snickered. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned toward the vampire, aiming a kick where I knew it would hurt just as much as it would for humans. ¡°You¡¯re scum.¡± ¡°Take him away,¡± Solomon ordered in a hoarse voice. ¡°Everyone leave. Joel¡­¡± ¡°I betrayed you guys,¡± he confessed. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to prison too. Here, someone grab me.¡± Two of the shadowy figures approached him, each one grabbing his arm before leading him back to the house, where all the others were already leading Ashton away. In the background I could still hear Fiona crying and calling Sebastian¡¯s name. It was enough to make my heart feel like I was breaking. Solomon started to move toward his son¡¯s body, as did Lue. Vincent and I followed after them slowly. He grasped my hand, holding it tightly. I squeezed it, feeling tears start to form at my eyes again. ¡°My sweet boy,¡± Lue said, kneeling down next to Fiona and picking up Sebastian¡¯s hand. ¡°My son¡­ My brave son¡­¡± ¡°Please wake up,¡± Fiona begged helplessly. ¡°How could you let yourself die? You said you loved me! Sebastian! You can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Fiona.¡± Solomon spoke gently, but firmly. ¡°Calm down.¡± She turned to him, tears streaking down her face, her mascara running. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Sobs erupted from her throat and she stopped trying to talk, turning back to Sebastian¡¯s body. Her arms went around him and she lifted him up so that she could hug him. ¡°I love you, Sebastian.¡± ¡°How did this happen?¡± Solomon questioned, his voice cool and collected. However I could sense a hint of anger in it. ¡°Luca,¡± Vincent spat, ¡°but he¡¯s been taken care of.¡± He nodded his head off to wear Luca¡¯s corpse was. Solomon nodded gravely. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± I burst, gaining the attention from every vampire. ¡°The stake- it was in my hand- Luca just pushed it, but I¡­ I¡­ I killed him. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± I told them, wondering if they could make out my words through my heavy sobs. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Lue told me quietly, appearing at my side. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault for being a puppet.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it is. If it wasn¡¯t for me all this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Vincent should have killed me way back in the beginning-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Vincent snapped. ¡°You¡¯re being delusional. You need to calm down before you speak.¡± ¡°Fiona,¡± I started, turning to her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She shook her head at me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Wiping her eyes, she slowly stood, staggering over to us. ¡°Sebastian wouldn¡¯t want you to me yourself either. He¡­ He¡­¡± She trailed off, unable to say more. Lue took her into her arms, cradling her close. ¡°He knew what was going to happen,¡± Solomon said, turning to me. ¡°He was prepared for this. He knew there was a chance that he would be killed tonight.¡± ¡°Because of me-¡± Lue shook her head. ¡°No, not because of you. Because of himself. You should know, Emily, Sebastian is¡­ was a kind soul. He would¡¯ve done anything to protect the ones he loved. Even if it was in vain. My son was a brave man.¡± Nodding, I let fresh tears roll down my face. Vincent pulled me to his chest, rubbing my back soothingly. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to move his body,¡± Solomon started, his voice sounding strained. ¡°We¡¯ll hold a funeral¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult from here on out,¡± Lue stated, gazing at her husband. ¡°Everything¡¯s different now.¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to take it one step at a time.¡± Vincent squeezed me tight. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Emily.¡± But I knew it wouldn¡¯t be. Sebastian was dead and I had six months to live. Nothing was going to be okay. 73 ¡°All these people really respected Sebastian, huh?¡± Imented, watching the steady stream of people filling the room his funeral was to be held in. Fiona smiled at me. ¡°Everyone loved him.¡± My heart wrenched in pain, like it¡¯d been doing constantly over the past two days. Everyone now knew what had gone down at the Rutherford¡¯s mansion. Everyone now knew Sebastian was dead. Everyone now knew I was a Blue Blood. Everyone now knew someone new had to receive the throne. ¡°Fiona, I have to tell you something,¡± I started quietly, my eyes dropping to the floor. ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone else yet.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Sebastian¡­ before he¡­ before he¡­¡± I trailed off, swallowing deeply before continuing. ¡°He told me that because I¡¯m a Blue Blood, I¡¯ll only live until I¡¯m eighteen. That¡¯s six months away.¡± Fiona gasped deeply. ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± I nced up at her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Six months? But that¡¯s no good! You can¡¯t die! Not you too!¡± she cried, her eyes starting to water. ¡°Emily, no, you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°If I die, I bet I¡¯ll meet Sebastian again¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think like that! I need you, Emily!¡± I half-smiled at her. ¡°You need me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to need your help in the future! I need another girl my age.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Her hand drifted down to her stomach. ¡°Actually¡­¡± My eyes widened in realization. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°I think my baby could use a God mother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± I whispered, frantically gesticting with my hands. ¡°Is it- is it Sebastian¡¯s?¡± She nodded. ¡°Did he know?¡± Again, she nodded. Giving me a watery smile, she patted her stomach. ¡°He already named him or her.¡± ¡°Does anyone else know?¡± ¡°Just you,¡± she told me, lowering her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m kind of embarrassed to tell Solomon and Lue¡­¡± I leaned closer to her. ¡°You have to tell them! They¡¯ll be so excited!¡± ¡°What if they¡¯re ashamed?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t be!¡± I told her confidently. ¡°Not when there¡¯s a part of Sebastian still on this earth. No one would be unhappy with that. Besides, I¡¯m sure they already realized you two were still in love.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°You think?¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°If I tell, you have to tell everyone you¡¯re going to die in six months.¡± My stomach dropped. ¡°That¡¯s a little different¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°No it¡¯s not, Emily. Are you nning on just fading out of existence without a word?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°You still have a chance to live,¡± she continued, her pale hand snatching up mine. ¡°If you want, you can live forever.¡± I swallowed nervously, my stomach shifting ufortably. ¡°Fiona¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± She squeezed my hand. ¡°Please, Emily. Just thinking about. I¡¯ve already lost someone I love¡­ I can¡¯t lose another.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m human,¡± I whispered pathetically. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I want to stay human. It¡¯s my nature, Fiona.¡± Her expression dropped and she let go of my hand. ¡°Have you been thinking a lot about this?¡± . . I nodded. ¡°I have,¡± I told her honestly, ¡°for the past two days it¡¯s all that I¡¯ve been thinking about. It might seem unfair that I¡¯m going to die, but isn¡¯t it unfair to everyone who dies young? They wouldn¡¯t have a chance to be a vampire like I do. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to them if I lived. And¡­ Well, Sebastian told me to do what I want. All along I¡¯ve said I didn¡¯t want to change.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± she told me, putting a smile on her face. To me, it looked fake. ¡°We forcibly dragged you into this world, you should have the right to make your choice about leaving or not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you understand.¡± ¡°Just do me a favor.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°If you see Sebastian, tell him we¡¯re doing fine.¡± Iughed. ¡°Whoa there, Fiona. I still have six months.¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re staying for those six months? What about your family?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± A lump rose to my throat. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I want to be erased from everyone¡¯s memory.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much pain for everyone to bear,¡± I exined, my hand going to my heart. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone having to experience that. Not my mom, not my dad, not my brother, not my friends¡­ I don¡¯t want them going through it. Not when I¡¯m so young. I don¡¯t think my mom could handle it. That¡¯s why I want to be erased from human existence. If that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°It is¡­ but¡­¡± I stood up a little taller, giving her a confident smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine knowing they¡¯re fine. So please, Fiona. Try to convince Solomon for me.¡± She nodded, smiling again. ¡°I understand. I wish I was as strong as you, Emily.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stronger,¡± I pointed out. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Yes way.¡± ¡°No, you are.¡± ¡°How about we¡¯re even?¡± She grinned. ¡°Okay, that sounds about right.¡± Silence fell in the room below us, causing my heart rate to spike. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go,¡± I murmured, gazing at all the vampires in ck now seated on the benches below. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here for this.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she responded softly. ¡°Vincent should be outside somewhere. Don¡¯t waste time, Em. Tell him right now.¡± Reluctantly, I nodded. ¡°Right. See youter.¡± The atmosphere outside the dark house that was holding Sebastian¡¯s wake was a lot lighter than the heavy, somber one inside. I breathed a deep breath of fresh air, letting it out slowly. It was lightly drizzling, coating my bare skin with a light ze of water. Crossing my arms over my chest, I started across the field that led to the main Rutherford estate. It¡¯d been surprising when I realized a little further behind the mansion was a town. A ratherrge town at that too. All people that lived in it were somehow rted to the Rutherfords as well- whether it be rtives or workers. The town had everything: a school, a funeral home, grocery stores, a cemetery, and so on. It was actually pretty impressive. ¡°Hey, stupid. If you don¡¯t watch where you¡¯re walking you¡¯ll trip in one of these gopher holes.¡± Startled, I stumbled back a few steps, my heart leaping into my throat. When I noticed Vincent smirking at me, I scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t call me stupid.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at the wake,¡± he questioned, moving closer to me. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be there?¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s too sad. I¡¯ll go to the burial, but I¡­ I can¡¯t look at his body again,¡± I finished in a whisper, swallowing forcefully. It was too hard talking about him. . . Vincent wrapped an arm around my shoulder. ¡°Shh, let¡¯s talk about something different, okay?¡± ¡°How much trouble is Joel in?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not as much as he would¡¯ve been since he helped us out in the end. He¡¯s still a bastard though.¡± I half-smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to know he wasn¡¯t all bad.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Vincent grunted. ¡°Now I don¡¯t have anyone to y video games with.¡± ¡°You have me,¡± I told him, pretending to be offended.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He rolled his eye. ¡°You suck and you know it.¡± ¡°Not-uh! Sebastian¡­¡± I cringed. Why was it so hard to try to avoid thinking about him? At least I knew he¡¯d be in my mind forever. ¡°Never mind.¡± Silence fell between us. It wasn¡¯t an ufortable silence, but it was still strained. ¡°Come with me,¡± Vincent suddenly requested, his hand enveloping mine. ¡°You have something to tell me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°Your expression,¡± he told me, leading me away from the manor and toward the woods. I followed him, feeling wary about the forest. No one was after me anymore, but it still made me nervous. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To my special ce.¡± ¡°You have a special ce?¡± He nced back at me. ¡°It¡¯s a secret though, so if you tell anyone, I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡± Smiling, I shook my head. ¡°Sure.¡± Together we made our way through the wet woods, walking carefully so we wouldn¡¯t slip on any roots or leaves. We traveled for around ten minutes before we came upon ake. He stopped by the edge, gazing around it for a moment. I stared at the water; surprised it was a crystal clear blue. ¡°Wow,¡± Imented after a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had water like this around here.¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s my special ce. This way.¡± Hurrying after him, we started walking around the outer edge of theke. Our hands entwined again and I gazed at his back, spacing out. Six months was all that I had left¡­ Six months before I had to say goodbye to everybody. Did I really want to go through with it? Did I want to die? I gritted my teeth. No, I didn¡¯t want to die, but I had to. This was what fate had in store for me. ¡°Here we are.¡± Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked around, my gaze falling on what seemed to be a log cabin. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°My getaway cabin,¡± he responded, leading me up the steps to the door. ¡°Ie here when I want to be alone and not have anyone bother me. We can talk here.¡± The inside of the cabin was surprisingly warm. It was much nicer than standing outside in the cold. We went over to the couch where I sat while Vincent went to hunt down a nket. When he came back, he spread it over us, sitting next to me. I snuggled into him, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going to guess whatever you have to tell me is bad?¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± ¡°I hate waiting.¡± I turned my head so I could see his face. Stretching my neck a little, I gave him a quick peck on the lips. ¡°Before I say what I want to, I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Are you going to be the next king?¡± For a moment he gazed at me thoughtfully, but then a grin spread across his face and he shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± . . 74 ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± I asked, startled. ¡°Then who is? Don¡¯t tell me-¡± ¡°Not Ashton. He¡¯s in jail.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°Fiona.¡± ¡°Fiona?¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± ¡°What¡­ but¡­ how?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± he responded, shaking his head. ¡°My father is the one who talked to the counsel, though I have a pretty good idea of why he gave the throne to Fiona.¡± I frowned. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you, stupid. Stop doing that.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Sorry, but what do you mean me? Why would I be factored into that equation?¡± ¡°I think he has it in his head that we¡¯ll be together forever,¡± he told me, rolling his eyes. ¡°My mother too. So because you¡¯re human, it¡¯s easier just to have Fiona be queen.¡± My whole body froze up. Vincent wasn¡¯t going to be king because of me? Solomon thought we were going to be together forever? That was impossible! ¡°Vincent, did you want to be king?¡± ¡°Not really. Why?¡± ¡°Sebastian told me something before he died. Something important.¡± Vincent furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die when I turn eighteen,¡± I whispered in a rush. ¡°That¡¯s only six months away.¡± All expression was wiped from his face. ¡°What?¡± I pulled my knees up to my chest, dropping my gaze so I didn¡¯t have to look at him. ¡°I guess somewhere I knew it was going to happen. Ashton told me he wanted to get what he could out of me while he was able to do so. I figured something like that would happen. I just didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Live the next six months of my life to the fullest,¡± I told him, feeling my chest tighten. He didn¡¯t reply right away. ¡°Vincent?¡± ¡°Six months?¡± he finally said. I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°You only have six months left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± I told him, a little bit irritated. ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep repeating it.¡± His arms suddenly tightened around me. ¡°It figures. Finally I find someone I¡¯m interested in- a human, nheless ¨C and I only get to spend three months for her before I find out she¡¯s going to be gone in the next six months.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he said sharply. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Am I sure what?¡± ¡°You want to die.¡± I chewed on my bottom lip. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to die, but I¡¯m human, Vincent. I¡¯ll always be human. Being a vampire¡­¡± ¡°No, I get it,¡± he grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything more. So does this mean you¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°No,¡± I told him, turning to face him again. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here.¡± He frowned. ¡°What about your family?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t remember me.¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡± . . Smiling, I twisted my body so I could wrap my arms around his neck. ¡°I love when you say my name, Vincent.¡± He pulled me closer to him, holding onto me so tightly it hurt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily. I wish things could¡¯ve been different.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I whispered, inhaling his scent. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to make sure these next six months are the best of my life.¡± ¡°I will,¡± he promised me. ¡°I definitely will, Emily.¡± ¡°Can we stay here?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I pulled away so I could gesture around the room with my arm. ¡°I¡¯d rather stay here than in the manor. It¡¯s more secluded and less¡­ painful.¡± Comprehension dawned in his eyes. ¡°Of course we can. The manor will probably be busy anyway. Not everyone is exactly happy with Fiona being the heir. She has a lot of work to do.¡± ¡°Make sure they don¡¯t work her too hard.¡± He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± he demanded, frowning. ¡°Nope.¡± He narrowed his eyes threateningly. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll force you to tell me.¡± ¡°How?¡± He pretended to think about it for a moment. Then he leaned forward and let his breath caress my ear. ¡°I could tease you until you can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± he breathed, sending tingles down my spine. ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± I told him confidently. He moved his head to my neck, brushing his fangs against my skin. ¡°Should I threaten you?¡± ¡°Would you really put my life in more danger?¡± Moving his head away from me, he scowled. ¡°There¡¯s one thing left.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°This,¡± he said simply, moving his hands to my sides. Now it was my turn to give him a questioning gaze. ¡°What¡¯s this-¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s called tickling?¡± he responded, starting to move his fingers against my skin. My eyes widened. ¡°No!¡± I gasped, immediately trying to squirm out of his grasp. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± I knew I was weak, but I just couldn¡¯t take tickling. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant!¡± He froze immediately. ¡°What¡­¡± I smirked in triumph. Hopefully Fiona wouldn¡¯t mind I spilled the beans about her secret. She would probably tattle on me anyway. ¡°And it¡¯s Sebastian¡¯s.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sebastian¡¯s?¡± ¡°That means you have to be very kind to your niece of nephew,¡± I told him firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it because¡­¡± He shook his head, leaning down to press his lips against mine softly. It was a gentle kiss, slow and fragile. After a moment he pulled away. ¡°A child, huh?¡± I winked at him. ¡°Guess we know how they made up.¡± ¡°You have a dirty mind.¡± Laughing, I kissed him again. ¡°But you love it.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Instead of replying, he pushed me down on the couch, shifting so that he was hovering over me. I gazed up at him, a little bit caught off guard. He smirked. ¡°You know, no one knows we¡¯re in here.¡± . . ¡°And?¡± ¡°We have all the time in the world,¡± he told me, lowering his lips down to my neck. My heart thumped hard against my rib cage. ¡°A-and¡­?¡± He slowly kissed his way up my neck to my lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a make up of our own?¡± My cheeks med at the implication. ¡°B-but we didn¡¯t break up o-or have a fight or anything.¡± ¡°Emily, I¡¯m breaking up with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re over,¡± he told me, his face inches away from mine. I blinked at him. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back together,¡± he breathed, his lips brushing against mine again. ¡°Is it okay?¡± It felt like my heart was about to burst. Could I¡­? Should I¡­? I only had six months to live. And if it was with Vincent¡­ With shaky hands, I reached around his neck, pulling him closer to me. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He pulled back, blinking in surprise. ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± ¡°Were you not serious?¡± I asked in horror, shame flooding through me. ¡°Oh my God, I¡¯m so-¡± ¡°Stupid,¡± he interjected, smirking. ¡°Of course I was serious. Why wouldn¡¯t I be? I¡¯m a guy.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Good.¡± He frowned at me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes. You know, I think it¡¯ll work. You¡¯re a guy, and well¡­ I¡¯m a girl.¡± He chuckled, rolling off me. I stared at him in confusion. He cocked an eyebrow at my expression. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we¡­ You know?¡± ¡°On the couch?¡± he said skeptically. ¡°I was thinking the bedroom. It¡¯d be morefortable, but whatever you prefer.¡± I shook my head, scrambling to sit up. ¡°N-no! The bedroom is fine!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± he replied, holding out his hand. Slowly, I took it, allowing him to pull me off the couch and toward the bedroom. I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± he asked again, stopping in front of a closed door. I stared at him determinedly. ¡°Positive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just doing this because of¡­ time issues, are you?¡± ¡°No!¡± I denied. ¡°I know we¡¯ve never, you know, even talked about this but¡­ I could use a distraction.¡± He grabbed my hand, tugging me with him. ¡°Right. Well whatever your reason, it¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯ve been waiting for this for a long time.¡± I blinked. ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± He nced back at me. ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m a gentleman, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡± He smirked. ¡°Well, actually I thought you were a prude.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Well you¡¯re changing my mind now.¡± I scowled at the back of his head. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll say no now.¡± He paused, holding my wrist tighter. ¡°I won¡¯t let you say no.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rape you know.¡± ¡°Not if you enjoy it.¡± I sighed. ¡°No, that still is.¡± Heughed. ¡°Whatever. Don¡¯t be so nervous, if I was a mile away right now I could still hear your heart beating,¡± he told me, smiling in amusement. ¡°We¡¯ll go slow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time,¡± I confessed. His eyes lit up mischievously. ¡°Well, that just makes it better.¡± Putting his hand on the door handle, he pushed it open, gesturing for me to enter the room first. ¡°After you, Emily. Let¡¯s forget the world. Just for a little bit.¡± I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and entered the room. Just for now¡­ Just for a little bit, I¡¯d forget the world with the person I loved the most in it. 75 Time is a curious thing. What may seem like a year to someone may seem like a day to someone else. For example, to me, six months felt more like six weeks. Funny how fast time flies by when you know you¡¯re going to die. Solomon did some research on Blue Bloods, trying to deicide if what Sebastian found out was true or not. We weren¡¯t sure on whether or not his source of information was reliable, after all, none of the other Rutherfords had known about it until I told them. Unfortunately, and it didn¡¯te as a shock to me, Sebastian¡¯s words were true. Fortunately, it wouldn¡¯t hurt. The thought was scary, but my body would just shut down naturally, like if I¡¯d died of old age. Vincent stayed with me the whole time. Sometimes he was a little cranky, but he was surprisingly nice. It was pleasant, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice he was holding back his sarcastic remarks. When I¡¯d told him about it, he¡¯d told me I was crazy for wanting him to snap at me. I told him that was the Vincent I loved. So that brought him back down to earth a little. Even though he didn¡¯t say anything, I could tell he was getting more worried about me day by day. It was like he wanted to tell me to live, but couldn¡¯t¡­ which I was d for. I didn¡¯t want to change my mind. Fiona was somehow managing to keep up with all her queenly duties while dealing with her pregnancy. As it turned out, vampires get an elerated pregnancy, so I would be able to see her son or daughter before I passed away. From what she told me, the kingdom was dealing pretty well with the fact Fiona was recing Sebastian instead of Vincent. It was a new era, as the people said. As my days dwindled down to the veryst few, my body grew weaker. I spent more and more time in bed, unable to go outside and visit Sebastian¡¯s grave like I usually did once a week. That was probably the thing that upset me most about my body wearing out. I felt like I was turning into a cat- sleeping most the day and only waking up to eat and drink, and talk to Vincent for a little bit. Somehow I managed to keep myselfpletely calm with the situation. On my birthday, an excited voice met my ears and I slowly opened my eyes, rubbing them to try and rid the bleariness from them. It took a few moments for them to adjust to the light in the bedroom, but when they did, I noticed Fiona standing over me, something small cradled in her arms. ¡°Emily!¡± she chirped excitedly. ¡°Good! You¡¯re up!¡± ¡°Of course she¡¯s up,¡± a disgruntled voice snapped. ¡°You barged in here without even knocking and started making a racket!¡± Sitting up, I waved my hand at Vincent, trying to ignore the drowsiness that was tugging at the back of my mind. ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s here for an important reason,¡± I told him quietly, a yawn punctuating my sentence. ¡°Yep! Emily, meet your God son, William.¡± ¡°William?¡± Vincent repeated with a snort. Fiona frowned at him. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the name of the ce Sebastian and I first met. William¡¯s Pub.¡± ¡°Lame.¡± She ignored him, taking a seat on the edge of my bed so I could see the sleeping baby. ¡°He¡¯s so cute!¡± I cooed gently, gazing at the infant in her arms. He was incredibly adorable. ¡°Isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s going to look just like Sebastian!¡± ¡°He has your ears though,¡± I pointed out, smiling at the cute little pair of ears on his head. ¡°So adorable¡­¡± Suddenly he opened his eyes. My heart skipped a beat. He had Sebastian¡¯s eyes. Fiona smiled gently down at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t they the most beautiful eyes you¡¯ve ever seen?¡± I nodded. ¡°Sebastian would be so proud¡­¡± ¡°He is, wherever he is,¡± she told me brightly. Suddenly a wave of nausea rolled over me and I fell back into my pillow, grimacing. Vincent was at my side in an instant. ¡°Are you okay?¡± . . ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I told him, trying to give him a reassuring smile. For some reason, I was finding it difficult to lift my lips. Fiona frowned at me, her eyes starting to glisten. ¡°It¡¯s soon isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s my birthday,¡± I whispered, now finally managing to smile. ¡°Happy birthday,¡± she wished, her voice sounding shaky. I swallowed, my heart clenching painfully. I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was due to my feelings or my body. It was hard to tell these days. Tears threatened my eyes, but I somehow held them back. I didn¡¯t want to show how weak I was in front of Fiona. It would only make her sadder. ¡°Thanks,¡± I finally responded. ¡°Emily, are you sure you want to go through with this? I know you have something against bing a vampire, but I don¡¯t want you to go! Are you sure you¡¯ve thought this all the way through?¡± she rushed, her eyes wide and imploring. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you to reconsider-¡± ¡°Fiona,¡± Vincent snapped, cutting her off. ¡°Enough.¡± She turned her green eyes to him. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Vincent? You want her to stay, don¡¯t you? Tell me I¡¯m right!¡± He red at her. ¡°Shut up or leave right now.¡± ¡°Emily,¡± she tried again, turning back to me. A lump formed at the back of my throat, but I swallowed it. I couldn¡¯t change my mind now. I¡¯d been so resolute up until now! If I chickened out I¡¯d regret itter! No matter what anyone else wanted, I needed to keep to my word. It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I lived while other humans just like myself would have to die. I grimaced as a horrible pain shot right through my heart. My hand went up to my chest, squeezing my shirt. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Vincent demanded, moving toward Fiona. ¡°You¡¯re stressing her out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she apologized, holding up a hand. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else!¡± He scowled at her. ¡°Fiona.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I assured him, reaching out to grab his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. She can stay. I want her to stay.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Oh! I forgot to tell you!¡± Fiona suddenly chirped. ¡°I saw your brother the other day! It turns out he got into Harvard!¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Seriously? I never knew he was that smart!¡± ¡°I guess he is! Leah¡¯s going with him too!¡± Now I was really surprised. How had she managed that? ¡°Wow, a lot of things can happen when you¡¯re gone for six months¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± she agreed. ¡°Just the other day I was at Sebastian¡¯s grave and this little girl was there too. You know what she said to me? I want to marry him. It was too cute! I didn¡¯t know even little girls fancied him! It¡¯s impressive how much he affected everyone.¡± Iughed. ¡°Hmm, he even wooed the little girls? That could be taken a creepy way.¡± Vincent rolled his eyes at me. ¡°Sebastian wasn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Duh,¡± I responded, sticking out my tongue. He sighed. ¡°Funny how you¡¯re so energetic now that we¡¯re talking about him. It makes me wonder if you secretly loved him all along.¡± ¡°I did,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t joke about that,¡± he growled softly. Fiona giggled. ¡°Jealous, Vivi?¡± He let his head drop backwards. ¡°You still insist on calling me Vivi? Even though Joel¡¯s in jail, he still does it and it still annoying the crap out of me.¡± . .Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. 76 ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re still his friend then,¡± she responded simply. ¡°You know, he betrayed us. And if he annoys you so much, why keep going to visit him?¡± Vincent scowled at her. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°He¡¯s embarrassed to admit it, but he didn¡¯t want to give up Joel¡¯s friendship,¡± I told her, smirking. ¡°He told me himself.¡± ¡°Emily!¡± ¡°He¡¯s actually got a pretty good heart,¡± I continued, patting his chest. ¡°I never thought he¡¯d forgive something like that.¡± He pped my hand away. ¡°Shut up!¡± When he realized what he did, he froze. ¡°Sorry.¡± Iughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Vincent. I¡¯d rather you act normal than act like I¡¯m some doll made of ss.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Suddenly William started wailing. Surprised, Fiona stood up, bringing him to her chest. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. Quiet, William!¡± ¡°That brat is too noisy!¡± ¡°Well sorry!¡± ¡°Take him outside!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave!¡± I wrinkled my nose. I didn¡¯t like the sound of a baby crying. Fiona must have known quieting him down was hopeless, because she sighed. ¡°Alright, fine, I guess I have to go. I don¡¯t want to bother you,¡± she said reluctantly. I smiled at her. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I guess I should feed him anyway¡­ I¡­¡± She paused, her voice catching in her throat. ¡°Thanks for everything, Emily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± I responded, scratching the back of my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have to thank me for though¡­¡± She pursed her lips at me. ¡°Everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee then,¡± I said, grinning. ¡°Make sure William grows up to be a brave man like his father.¡± Sheughed quietly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll see youter then¡­¡± ¡°Hopefully not for a long time,¡± I replied, my grin dropping. ¡°Bye, Fiona.¡± ¡°Bye, Em¡­¡± After a moment more of gazing at me, she turned her back and hurried out of the room. Vincent sighed; sitting in the spot she¡¯d vacated seconds before. ¡°Finally. I thought she¡¯d never leave.¡± ¡°I wanted to see Sebastian¡¯s son,¡± I told him, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m d she came¡­ I wish she could¡¯ve stayed longer. He was really cute. Did you see his eyes?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he murmured, brushing some of my hair behind my ear. ¡°I saw. I¡¯ll see to it that he lives a long, prosperous life.¡± I nodded. ¡°Good.¡± He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. ¡°Emily¡­¡± I shook my head again, trying to keep my eyelids open. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Vincent.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest?¡± My hand reached out for his. He grabbed it and I squeezed tightly. ¡°I can¡¯t rest. Not yet.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he said, knowing fully well what I meant. He scooted over on the bed so he could sit with his back against the headboard. After that he released my hand and gently pulled me up so that I could rest against his chest with my head on his shoulder. My hand found his again and I inteced our fingers, doing the same with my other hand. ¡°I wish I had a chance to have children.¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve actually always wanted to have children.¡± He rested his chin on the top of my head. ¡°Did you?¡± . . ¡°Yeah, a girl and a guy. Preferably twins.¡± ¡°Why twins?¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve always loved twins. They¡¯d have matching names and clothes¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯d be awful,¡± Vincent snickered. Tears now gathered at my eyes now. ¡°Vincent, I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he said huskily in my ear. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, remember? Everything will be okay.¡± I shook my head, feeling tears rolling down my cheeks. ¡°No, I¡¯m scared. What happens after death? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯m going to miss you so much.¡± His arms tightened around me, holding me closely. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you too. You don¡¯t have any idea.¡± ¡°I love you, Vincent,¡± I breathed, clenching his hand. ¡°I love you too,¡± he whispered, kissing my cheek. ¡°I love you so much, Emily.¡± My heart stuttered in my chest. My eyes were growing heavy. I knew it was soon. My body was just going to stop functioning. It wasn¡¯t a surprise. I knew it was going to happen today. At least it wouldn¡¯t be painful but¡­ My mind was suddenly filled with images of things I hadn¡¯t done. Sky-diving, finishing high school, going to college, having children, buying my first house, getting a job, eating Indian food, even getting into my first car crash¡­ An overwhelming feeling of sadness crashed over me. No, I couldn¡¯t go like this. It wasn¡¯t fair. This was an inhuman reason for going. I was human. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for a human to die for an inhuman reason. And what about Fiona? She didn¡¯t want me to leave. Neither did Vincent; I knew it, even if he did put on a brave face like he¡¯d been doing for the past six months. He didn¡¯t know it, but I¡¯d caught his longing gazes and tight jaw when he was holding back something he wanted to say. I was being selfish by deciding I would die. It would hurt more people than I realized¡­ ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, Emily,¡± Vincent shushed me, pressing his cheek against mine. ¡°It¡¯s-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± I blurted out. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die yet, Vincent! I¡¯m too young! There¡¯s so much I want to do! That I have to do! I thought I could handle this, but I can¡¯t- I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Calm down-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± I sobbed, turning so I could face himpletely. ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡± He set his jaw, swallowing. ¡°Emily¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± he ordered again, pressing his hand to my mouth. ¡°Of course you¡¯re scared. Just take a deep breath.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I c-can¡¯t! I don¡¯t want to die! Vincent, please. Help me!¡± His eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± I repeated, staring determinedly into his sapphire eyes. He was the only one who could help me. ¡°Please help me.¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you. Or Fiona. Or William. Or Solomon. Or Lue. Not even Joel. There¡¯s too much I want to do. I¡¯ve been too selfish, Vincent. I wasn¡¯t thinking about anyone but myself¡­ Even now my reason is selfish-¡± He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. ¡°No, you¡¯re not being selfish,¡± he said after he pulled away. ¡°I was always hoping you¡¯d change your mind.¡± ¡°You were?¡± Grimacing, he nodded. ¡°Seeing the girl you love choosing to die is a lot harder than you could imagine.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been doing a good job of hiding your emotions.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to change your mind because of me,¡± he replied honestly. A hint of regret shed by his eyes. I chuckled quietly. ¡°You¡¯re a lot different than when I first met you.¡± ¡°I wonder who¡¯s fault that is,¡± he responded teasingly, brushing his nose against mine. Another wave of dizziness crashed over me and I let my head drop against Vincent¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How do you do it?¡± ¡°Just close your eyes,¡± he murmured, brushing my hair out of my face. ¡°If you go to sleep it¡¯ll be over before you know it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die?¡± ¡°I promise,¡± he assured me, kissing me once more. ¡°I love you, Emily.¡± Sighing, I nestled myself further into his arms. ¡°I love you too.¡± His lips brushed my neck and I closed my eyes. Once I awoke again I knew that when I awoke again everything would bepletely different¡­ But that was okay. I almost chuckled. How ironic was it that the anemic girl who was once afraid of vampires was bing one herself? It¡¯d make a good story. Maybe I could write about it¡­ With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes, letting the fatigue take over me and lull me into a peaceful sleep, filled with dreams of what the future had in store for me. FINAL CHAPTER Vivi! Vivi! Hurry! Hurry!¡± The young boy in front of me yanked roughly on my hand, causing my wrist to protest in pain. It took all I had not to rip it back and throw the br halfway across the field. ¡°William,¡± I snapped at him, ¡°calm down. The graves aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡± William turned to stick his pink tongue out at me. As his eyes opened, my breath caught in my throat like it usually did. He really did have Sebastian¡¯s eyes. It was too bad no one was around to save Emily¡¯s¡­ Shaking my head, I shoved all those thoughts away. Emily was crystal clear in my memory and that was enough. I would never forget her doe eyes or shiny blonde hair. Her voice still echoed through my ears as well as the sound of her heartbeat. I could never forget someone like her. ¡°I have to tell Aunty Emily what happened at school today!¡± William urged me, pulling on my hand again. ¡°Vivi, hurry! ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Vivi! It¡¯s Vincent!¡± ¡°Vivi!¡± ¡°You brat,¡± I growled, trying to grab his hair. He giggled, easily ducking out of my grasp. ¡°You can¡¯t catch me, old man.¡± Scowling at him, I didn¡¯t even attempt to retort. He was a simple little boy still stuck with a, in human years, ten year old¡¯s body. One day when he was older I could take out all my frustrations out on him. However, at the moment, he was too young. Fiona would have my head if Iid a finger on him¡­ I shuddered at the idea. Mothers were scary. ¡°Ah! Here¡¯s Aunty Emily¡¯s grave! And Dad¡¯s!¡± William called excitedly and I looked forward to see he¡¯d already raced to the far edge of the cemetery where the two mentioned were buried. A slight smile crossed my face when I realized the red rose bushes we¡¯d nted at Emily¡¯s burial were still alive and well- not that it was too surprising. They¡¯d been alive and well yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that too¡­ It still was a pleasant sight though. If graves could be beautiful (and I actually used the word beautiful), these graves would be the ones. ¡°Uncle Vivi! The flowers! The flowers!¡± William chanted excitedly when I finally caught up to him. ¡°I¡¯ll put them on,¡± I told him, kneeling down besides Emily¡¯s grave. ¡°William, why don¡¯t you go grab those white roses from the rose bush we nted near the entrance?¡± ¡°Ah, but-¡± ¡°No buts. Go.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± he cried, pouting slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes then.¡± Sighing, I waited until he was out of earshot before cing the blue flowers on Emily¡¯s grave. ¡°I know you won¡¯t know what kind of flowers these are today because you¡¯re stupid, so I¡¯ll tell you. They¡¯re rhododendrons. Fiona¡¯s been helping me out recently. As it turns out, I only knew about a few thousand different flowers¡­¡± Did that sound unmanly? Living a long life made one surprisingly knowledgeable¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for awhile now, so I may have to stare repeating flowers. Or maybe I could start with cactuses¡­¡± I snickered at the thought. A light gust of wind ruffled the back of my hair and I frowned, trying to smooth it out. It still felt a little awkward talking to a grave, but I¡¯d grown used to it over the years. Suddenly the familiar pang of pain shot through my chest. I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore it. Why was this still happening? It¡¯d been over years since Emily had passed away and yet every time I stopped at her grave it was like she was gone again for the first time. It was so damn frustrating! Swallowing hard, I stood up. ¡°I made the right choice, right? You never wanted to be a vampire, right? You were just desperate, right?¡± The words were falling out of my mouth without my permission, just like many times before. I could never be sure. Whenever I was around her grave, I always questioned myself. Did I make the right choice? Emily was scared at the time. She never wanted to be a vampire. Her thinking was out of wack. She didn¡¯t know what she was saying¡­ right? ¡°I miss you,¡± I muttered. ¡°And I still feel stupid saying this out loud to a rock.¡± Sighing, I squatted back down. ¡°Yesterday Fiona met a guy. Turns out he used to be friends with Sebastian. Small world, isn¡¯t it? It seems they hit it off great. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯ll lead to¡­ Fiona¡¯s been pretty unromantic after Sebastian left us. I¡¯m sure she wants him to be happy though.¡± I paused for a second. ¡°I wonder if you want me to be happy¡­ Probably. I am though, so don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t need someone anyway. Everyone¡¯s boring. You were the only interesting girl¡­¡± I lightly rapped my knuckles against my face. What was I doing? I needed to stop being so damn sappy! Emily wouldn¡¯t like that. Or maybe she would. I didn¡¯t even know what she liked or didn¡¯t like anymore! ¡°Emily, I¡­¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Vivi!¡± ¡°I hate that brat,¡± I finished harshly as William tried to tackle me to the ground. ¡°Get off me you little runt!¡± ¡°I found the roses!¡± he cried excitedly, dropping a few onto Emily¡¯s grave. ¡°Here Aunty Em! I brought them for you! My flowers are prettier than Vivi¡¯s, aren¡¯t they? Yesterday¡­¡± I stopped listening then, not bothering to hear the little brat¡¯s annoying story. If Emily was listening though, I bet she¡¯d be interested. As long as it was about my family, she probably wouldn¡¯t care. I nced over at Sebastian¡¯s grave, buried right next to hers. ¡°You¡¯re kid¡¯s just like you,¡± I told it. ¡°Annoying.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± William protested, apparently hearing me. ¡°My dad was awesome!¡± ¡°Your dad kidnapped little children and ate them.¡± ¡°He did not!¡± ¡°Did too.¡± ¡°Did not!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Mom!¡± ¡°Do it,¡± I challenged stubbornly. He huffed. ¡°I will! Right now! I¡¯m leaving without you! Dad, I¡¯lle backter! You too, Aunty Emily! Wait for me.¡± Rolling my eyes, I watched as the young boy started sprinting across the graveyard back to the manor. Fiona was going to yell at meter. Letting out the third sigh of the evening, I rested my head against Emily¡¯s tombstone. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll head back too. Nothing much to say. Stay well. You too, Seb,¡± I added, tossing nce at my brother¡¯s headstone. ¡°Keep keeping an eye on Fiona. She¡¯s crazy.¡± After onest lingering gaze on Emily¡¯s name, I turned my back on the stone. One day we¡¯d be together again. I knew that. For now though, I¡¯d continue living life just like she¡¯d want me to. When my time was up, we¡¯d be together. For eternity. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!