“Of course,” said Isaac pulling out a chair for me. He took his seat next to me and continued to eat his food like I sat here every other day.
“What brings you to this side of the cafeteria?” Isaac asked; glaring at the table I usually sat at.
“Nothing,” I said looking down at my uneaten lunch.
“Nothing? Nothing, usually means something,” he said trying to see into my eyes.
“You’re very intuitive.” I said still not meeting his gaze.
“Did your boyfriend,” he sneered the word, “say something to upset you? Because I’ll go over there and tell him off for hurting your feelings.” He said in all seriousness. I met his electric blue gaze and gave him a weak smile.
“No, I’m just overreacting,” I said giving him a small smile while I pulled apart the sandwich I had packed.
“About what?” He asked.
“Everything,” I breathed trying to stop the trembling in my lower lip.
He absorbed my answer with a contemplative look. “Did he say something to make you overreact?”
I got perturbed with Isaac. “Do you think that maybe this might be about me and not him?” I snapped. “Not everything is about Jonathon!” I raised my voice. “I am Kylie. I am a separate being from Jonathon. Yes, I love him but that doesn’t mean we’re attached at the hip,” I glared at him even though Jonathon and I were practically inseparable.
Isaac looked taken aback. “Well, what are you upset about?”
“Leaving,” I said looking down at the white lacquered table.
“Leaving?” He asked his black brows knitting together.
“Yes,” I said sighing. “When we graduate I’m leaving,” I said like it was obvious.
“Where are you going?” He asked, looking worried. I was more upset by the prospect that in a short time I may be leaving this Earth but Isaac didn’t need to know that.
“I don’t know,” I breathed which was true. I had no clue where Jonathon was planning on taking me and I preferred to keep it that way. The less I knew the better.
“Then why are you leaving?” he asked. I was getting sick of the twenty questions game.
“Because I have to,” I said exasperated.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I’m here for you, Ky. I’ve got your back,” he said and patted my back in emphasis.
“I know. But I have to leave. It’s just better that way.” Safer.
“Are you going with someone?” he asked. And I knew his real question. Was I running away with Jonathon?
“Yes,” I said hoping I didn’t hurt his feelings. But I could see that he was hurt. I wished desperately that he would get over his crush on me and just be my friend. I needed a human to talk to. Sometimes it was hard only being able to talk to vampires.
The bell chose this moment to ring and I was relieved. I left the table in a flash maybe even faster than a vampire. I had to get out of this confined room. I dumped my trash and put my tray hastily into the bin and all but ran out of the lunch room.
“Kylie, what is wrong with you?” Jonathon’s voice sounded close to my ear so no one could hear. His cold hand was around my wrist and it sent a shiver down my spine and he let go.
“Oh nothing,” I mumbled. I had tried explaining this to him again and again just like this morning and he never seemed to understand. I did understand the need to kill Selena because not only would she kill me but she would kill others in the process to kill me. Her death was necessary. Others were not. But I just wished that Jonathon and the others wouldn’t discuss the matter in front of me. It made it all the more real and I thought he of all people would understand that. I didn’t need reminders of what had happened in that house and what could happen in the future. It wasn’t good for me.
I pulled him into a deserted hallway and whispered frantically, “Jonathon, we discussed this earlier this morning. I know she has to be killed but I don’t want to hear about it. If you need to discuss battle strategies or whatever please don’t do it around me. I don’t need any more reminders about what happened and what probably is going to happen. When graduation is over I’ll leave with you. I don’t want to go but I will. I’ll go wherever you want to take me as long as I am with you I don’t care where you take me. Just don’t leave me again,” I finished my voice cracking into a higher pitch on the last word.
His silver eyes were warm and caring and for the first time in months I think he finally understood what I had been feeling. “Okay,” he said. “I promessa, no more battle planning in front of you after tonight.”
“After tonight?”
He looked sheepish. “We’re meeting The Coven tonight. You need to go so they know what we’re protecting, you. And since you’re the only person Selena has made direct contact with you need to be there to explain the situation to them. You have more information than we do. Plus, they don’t trust us since we’re vampires. But you, you’re human. They’ll trust you and protect you. It’s their job after all.” He said rolling his eyes.
“How will they react?” I gulped.
“I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. They’re temperamental humans, no offense,” he said and then grinned.
“You know when people say, no offense, it usually means you should take offense,” I said trying to lighten the mood. It worked.
“I guess you’re right,” he chuckled.
“Hey,” I said smacking him in the arm.
“Ow,” I said cradling my hand, “I have got to stop doing that.” I mumbled to myself. He chuckled and picked up my hand bringing it to his cold lips and placing a soft kiss on it.
“All better?” he asked.
“All better,” I said, but not only about my hand. I felt like he finally understood where I was coming from and things would get better from now on. I hoped. I desperately hoped so.
Jonathon held tightly onto my hand as we followed the others down the dark underground tunnel. I had expected The Coven’s headquarters to be above ground in some kind of modern building. I hadn’t expected this dark tunnel. This was what you expected from vampires, not humans. It seemed like every turn and curve led us farther underground. It smelled old and musty and kind of dank like it had been closed off for a long time and only recently re-opened. Maybe it had once been a city that had long been buried.
The walls and floors were all stone making the small curving underground hallway very cold. And the presence of so many vampires didn’t help to make it any warmer. Not only had the Pulmers come but other vampires had shown as well. I wasn’t sure what this, Coven, would think of so many vampires entering their, ‘lair’, as I liked to call it.
Amelia, Patrick, and Danny walked in front of Jonathon and me, while Mason, Joseph, and Diana were immediately behind us, the other vampires that had introduced themselves as Luigi, from the deli/bakery, Balthazar, Vivian and Viola, who were sisters, Benji, and Gabriel.
Luigi I had already met, Balthazar seemed very nice, he was taller, his hair was brown and disheveled, and he had the power of charm, which wasn’t the most amazing power ever but still useful in its own way. Vivian and Viola who were sisters frightened me when I first saw them but they turned out to be very sweet, they both had vivid red hair, both their lips were painted a bright cherry red, they wore dark shades of reds and purples, but their powers were pretty cool, at least I thought so. Vivian had the power to make things disappear while Viola had the power to make things appear out of thin air. Viola was constantly making things appear and Vivian was making them disappear just for fun. Benji was a short guy and very quick, even for a vampire, and very young. He had been turned at a young age of about fifteen; he wasn’t sure how old he had been when he was turned so this was just a guess and he was constantly playing pranks. But despite all the years he had lived as a vampire he was still a little kid. He had light brown hair that stuck up in every direction. Benji had the power of invisibility which I thought was awesome but Jonathon found annoying since he seemed to get
the brunt of Benji’s pranks. Gabriel. Gabriel frightened me. He had black hair and his silver eyes seemed almost white. He seemed to wear a permanent scowl. He wore a black short sleeve t-shirt and black jeans with a black belt and black shoes. Everything about him was black. His hair, his clothes, and his personality. But he wanted to help so he was welcome. And he had unique power. There was no other vampire with his power; at least not that that anyone knew. Gabriel is an implanter. He can take your mind and entangle it with his and plant any thought he wants into your head and whatever he tells you to do you have to do it. It is a frightening power. But a useful one. Especially in this situation. With his power we might actually have a chance at winning. But with Selena you never knew your odds and I didn’t want to get my hopes up but I could feel that it was already happening. I couldn’t help it.
The ground kept sloping downwards and it kept getting colder and colder. The torches in the walls made me feel like we were entering some sort of medieval torture chamber. My breathing was becoming more labored and coming out in puffs of fog. I was so scared for what was going to come. Jonathon hadn’t given me much of a description of The Coven and every time he mentioned them or I did he always flinched and got mad. There was something I didn’t understand.
We came around another curve in the wall and finally I saw more light ahead.
We entered a large underground room. It was circular and the stone wall and torches continued in here. It was empty except for our own party. There was another opening on the opposite side of the room. I clung tightly to Jonathon’s arm. The fog of my breath filled the room. I was shaking partly from the cold and partly from fear.
I knew it didn’t make sense to be afraid of a human. Or part human. Or whatever they were. Especially when I was surrounded by vampires but if these humans could kill a vampire, lord only knew what they could do to me. No one in our little group spoke. We stood in a huddle, Jonathon and me in the middle. I was the object they had to protect at all costs. Their bodies acted as my shield. I clung to him like he was a life vest and I was sinking under into the cold water.
I could hear voices and footsteps coming from the other archway. Their shadows were coming closer. My breathing increased to the point of hyperventilation and I thought for a moment I might pass out. That would be embarrassing. My fingernails dug into Jonathon granite skin.
The first figure appeared in a bright red cloak, the others that followed were in charcoal black, they all wore hoods that covered their faces, the person in red, whom I assumed was the leader, stood in the middle a little in front of the others. I counted how many there were. There were twenty including the leader. It seemed a small number to me but I was sure that this was not the only Coven of vampire hunters. There were bound to be others. Like Jonathon had said, as long as vampires exist so do vampire hunters. It was a vicious cycle. But as Selena had proven it was necessary.
The leader, the one in red, threw back his hood. He was around fifty years old, with salt and peppered colored hair and beard. His eyes were a searching yellow color. They reminded me of a hawk. His mouth was set in a hard line. He didn’t appear to be a pleasant person and he scared me more than Gabriel. But what scared me the most was the angry red scar that ran down his face. It started at his scalp and went down the right side of face and continued down his neck and maybe went farther because his cloak covered his body from his neck on. It pulled the corner of his eye down into a grotesque shape. It was an old scar, healed by many years, but it still managed to look awful.
My grip tightened on Jonathon’s arm.
He said something in quick Italian that I did not understand. Maybe I should of listened to my mother the summer before we moved here and learned Italian. But no, I had been a stubborn teenager intent on speaking only English. After all, the school here catered to not only Italian students but students from all different countries. I hadn’t thought it was necessary to learn it. But I hadn’t planned on falling in love with an Italian vampire either. Now, I wished I had bothered to at least buy a dictionary.
The others threw back their hoods.
I gasped.
“Isaac?” I whispered.
“Ky?” he asked his face full of complete and utter shock.
I thought I was going to fall down onto the dirt floor from the shock but Jonathon’s strong, sure, arms held me up. He was my safe harbor.
“What are you doing here Isaac?” I asked in a shocked voice.
“The better question is what are you doing here with him?” He said rudely. Suddenly the man in red turned to Isaac.
“Did I give you permission to speak, Fledgling?” The man in red spoke in a harsh accent that was not Italian. It sounded vaguely Russian.
“No sir,” said Isaac bowing his head.
“Then do not speak,” growled the scarred man.
Isaac’s mouth snapped shut he sent me a hurt look and felt bad that I was the cause of him getting in trouble.
“He can talk if he wants,” I said to the guy in red. Jonathon’s grip tightened on my arm. “And who are you anyway?” I said getting angrier by the minute with this man. Jonathon tightened his grip again in silent warning.
“You, child, are in my domain. I will ask the questions. Do you understand?” He said. This man frightened me more than the vampires in the room so I just nodded my head that I understood.
“What brings you here?” he asked Patrick who had stepped forward as our leader.
“There is a rouge,” said Patrick in his pleasant and patient tone but I knew he was anything but.
“A rouge you say?” said the man. I still did not know his name.
“Yes. As far as we know she has only killed twice,” said Patrick holding his head high.
“Humans?” the man asked.
“One vampire and one human,” said Patrick.
The man in red absorbed this information his scar blinked red and angry in the low light. “But she could have killed more?”
“Yes, that possibility is most likely,” said Patrick. “She has been this way for over a hundred years.”
“Do you know what she is after or is she just random in her acts?”
“Of course. Kylie.” Patrick said motioning to me.
I stepped forward. Jonathon followed me, my protector.
“A girl? This girl? She wants to kill this girl,” said the man like he had never heard anything more absurd.
“Yes,” said Patrick with the upmost patience.
“Why?” asked the man in red sneering at me.
Jonathon growled. “Because she is my soul mate,” said Jonathon glaring at the man in red.
“Soul mates!” yelled Isaac. The man in red shot him a glare and Isaac’s eyes glimmered with sheer panic.
“What has she done to make this vampire go mad?” asked the man rolling his eyes.
“Not her, me,” said Jonathon. “It was a long time ago. Her soul mate died and I was there. When a vampire’s soul mate dies we slowly go crazy, merciless, we go on a rampage of hate. All you can focus on is the fact that you lost part of your soul. When we are turned into a vampire we lose half our soul. That half is then put into our soul mate. So, when a soul mate dies that part of your soul dies too and you are only left with half of a soul. You are split in two. Not vampire and not human, just nothing. Then eventually you expire.”
“So, eventually she will die on her own, correct?” said the man raising his gray eyebrows.
“Yes,” whispered Jonathon.
“Then why don’t we wait and let her die then? That seems the most appropriate solution,” the man said.
Jonathon glared at the man in red. “I will not let her die because of you,” he said indicating me, “And isn’t it your job to protect humans from wild vampires?” hissed Jonathon.
“Indeed,” said the man steepling his fingers in front of his mouth.
“Then do your damn job and stop being a lazy ass!” Jonathon yelled.
“Language,” whispered Patrick hast
ily.
“I want to hear from the girl,” the scarred man said.
“Her name is Kylie,” said Jonathon and Isaac at the same time.
I started forward with Jonathon. “You,” said the man in red speaking to Jonathon, “Back there,” he continued flicking his hand to indicate that Jonathon should move back.
Jonathon growled low in his throat, his pointed teeth slid out again, “No,” he said in an icy voice.
“It’s okay. They won’t hurt me,” I said but even I didn’t really believe my words. His eyes told me he didn’t either but there was nothing else for him to do so he moved back two steps.
“Why would a vampire be after you?” He said in a mystical voice. “Why are you so important?”
“Why don’t you ask me a question that actually means something? Instead of acting like the big bad wolf cause’ I’m not buying it,” I said sarcastically. A year ago I would have never said anything like that.
He chuckled, “I like you. You have spunk.”
I wanted to say, “Well, I don’t like you,” but I held my tongue. Best not to push my luck.
He began pacing his hand at his mouth in a contemplative gesture.
“Tell me what this vampire has done to target you?” he said, finally deciding on a question that had some merit.
“First, she started leaving little notes for me,” I said before he interrupted me.
“Notes?” he asked stopping his pacing to stand in front of me.
“You will not interrupt me if you want answers. Understand?” I said. This guy was seriously pissing me off. Someone needed to put him in his place.
“Proceed.” He said with a wave of his hand as if it was no big deal. I cleared my throat and continued, eyeing every member of the coven, except Isaac.
“She leaves me these notes, on little scraps of paper with things like, ‘I’m watching’ or ‘see you soon’, stuff like that. She places them in places where only I will find them like my bed for instance. I don’t understand how she is getting into the house, the Pulmer’s house, I should say. Another time, when I was staying at my mother’s house she came through the window, this was the first time I ever saw her. Then her little notes stopped for a while,” I said looking back at Jonathon. He looked down in shame. “But shortly they started again. And then on the night of the dance I went to the bathroom and she kidnapped me.”
Forbidden (Fallen Series Book 2) Page 7
