by Lucy Lyons
“Isabel,” Oz said, brushing his hand under Isabel’s chin. “Don’t let me hold you back. We have a great time together, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feed on anyone else.”
Isabel opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She wanted to tell Oz that she loved him more than anyone, that there was no one else she would rather feed on or be with, but she held back. Oz made her weak, and she didn’t like feeling weak, not anymore. “You’re right,” she said after a long pause. “You’re not holding me back… I want to be here right now, with you.”
“Well, I was just making sure,” he said, brushing the hair out of her eyes. “I want you to forget everything you learned while I was away… I want you to start over.”
“And I will,” Isabel said, raising her eyes to him. “I promise.”
“We need to meet up, all of us, to plan our next move. Isabel, are you with me?”
She looked at him with the determination of a thousand warriors. “I’m with you.”
CHAPTER 5
Isabel woke up with a strange sense of contentedness. Her nights spent with Oz always seemed to recharge her, to make her feel whole again. She was ready for that meeting. “Hey, hey,” she whispered into his ear. He shifted in his place before he drifted off to sleep again. “Hey, Oz.”
“What?” he jumped. “Is it time for our meeting?”
“I would say so,” she smiled. “Come on, let’s call the rest… we need all the time we can get.”
Not long after all four of them were back around the round table next to the trapdoor. Every now and again, Ava would climb down, leave the hostages some food and then climb out again, a weary look on her face. “They don’t look so good,” she said, shaking her head. “They’re in really bad shape.”
“Word’s going around that the vampire council’s out looking for them,” Presten said, rising to his feet and beginning to pace the room. “One of the hostages threatened me last time I brought them food… he said the vampires would come for us. I’m surprised they haven’t, yet.”
“They must be plotting something,” Isabel said, looking a little frantic. “You can never really predict their next move.”
“They’re going to come for us, we just need to be ready for when they do,” Oz said. There was a pause. “Holy shit,” he said suddenly. “We’re missing something.”
“What, what do you mean?” Isabel asked, her eyebrows furrowed. “Oz, talk to me.” He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. He clenched his eyes shut, and for a moment it looked like he was mumbling to himself.
“They’re rebuilding the old mansion,” he hissed, his eyes fixated on the wall behind Isabel. “They’re trying to find another headquarters, and they’re leaving us to plan here like idiots!”
Isabel felt a lump rise in her throat. “This’s crazy,” she said, shaking her head in denial. “Do you think a lot of them made it out alive after the fire?”
“Right before the fire, the vampires had reached their peak; there were more of them at the mansion than we could count,” Oz said. “Gavin had already recruited tens, maybe hundreds of them… the hostages we have down there are nothing compared to the rest!”
Suddenly it hit Isabel that they were all severely outnumbered. Gavin had managed to round up so many vampires while Oz was away. It was unbelievable he had gotten away with it. Isabel kicked herself for never questioning him, for letting all of this fly past her. She felt stupid, but right now, she knew how to recognize a vampire when she saw one. “But they’re still going to come for them,” she said finally. “They’re going to reassemble their army and attack us here. We need to act, fast.”
“I know what we need to do,” Oz said, his eyes darting from Presten, to Ava, and then to Presten again. “You two need to go visit the mansion.”
“What, are you crazy?” Isabel asked, slamming her hand against the table. “This is insane, do you want to get the both of them killed?”
“Do you seriously think I would suggest such a plan if I thought it would backfire?” Oz asked, suddenly agitated. “Isabel, let me convince you on this.”
“Why don’t we just let them speak for themselves?” she asked, nodding towards Presten and Ava, who were seated across from them.
“I think Oz has a point,” Presten said. “A lot of the vampires don’t even know who I am or what I look like… they may know me by name, or that I’m the chosen one, but very few of them have actually seen me.” But Isabel wasn’t convinced. She shook her head in protest; were Presten and Ava about to throw themselves into the fire?
“What about Rene?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. “What if she sees you?”
“We’ll be careful,” Ava said, leaning across the table. “Isabel, you don’t have to worry about us… I know the old mansion like the back of my hand, nothing bad can happen.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” Isabel said.
“See, now that’s crazy.”
“If you can go, then I can go, too.”
“Isabel, no,” Oz said, jumping to his feet. “This isn’t going to happen; do you realize how impulsive you’re being?”
“These people know you, they’ve been after you for months now,” Presten said, his eyes locked on Isabel’s. Suddenly it felt like an intervention. The three of them were hunched over and staring at Isabel; they were going to talk her out of it if it was the last thing they did.
“And what am I supposed to do, stay behind?” she asked, suddenly furious.
“No, you’re going to come with me; we’re going to have a little talk with Gavin,” Oz said, raising an eyebrow at her. The sound of Gavin’s name sent shivers down Isabel’s spine; he was always there, at the back of her mind, taunting her. The very idea of having to face him made her skin crawl. “You and I, we can’t be at the other mansion, but what we can do is this: we’re going to go down there to the cellars and you’re going to try and get as much information out of Gavin as you possibly can.”
“And what about you? What are you gonna do?” Isabel asked, tugging at the tips of her hair.
“I’m going to come with you, but I’m not going to be in the picture,” Oz said. “Gavin’s more likely to trust you, to talk to you. I’m going to hide, and whenever you feel like he’s not giving you enough information, the information you need, that’s when I come in.”
Isabel wondered what that meant. She knew she could bend Gavin, or at least she thought she could, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t use some help. She and Oz made a great team; with him, she felt like she could do anything. But a part of her was still scared for Presten and Ava; what if they got caught? “I’m going to trust you on this one,” she said to Oz after a long pause. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I feel like we all need to get it together. I’m proud of us, I really am, but this is only just the beginning.”
The other three nodded solemnly, and then Oz reached his hand out to Isabel, motioning for her to get up. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go down there… we don’t have much time.”
Isabel took his hand and squeezed it. “Wait,” she breathed. “I’m, I’m scared.”
“Don’t be,” Oz said, blinking at her. “I’m going to be right there with you… we’re going to do this together.” He pulled her hand just a little bit more until she couldn’t resist him. They exchanged brief glances before Oz pulled the trapdoor open and climbed down. He nodded towards Gavin’s cell, and as Isabel slowly started tiptoeing her way across the dungeon, he crouched down in the corner, trying not to draw any attention to himself. The cells were so silent that even Oz was afraid. It had occurred to him that a hostage’s silence was not an indication of desperation, but of confidence. The vampire council already had their eyes out; maybe these hostages were just waiting for the right time to be rescued. Oz held his breath while Isabel made her way for Gavin’s cell. Deep down, he prayed she could do this on her own.
“Hello, Isabel,” Gavin said, lifting his head off the
floor. He had been lying, half-asleep, on his stomach, and had raised himself on his elbows when a pair of feet that he immediately recognized as Isabel’s, came into his line of vision. His gaze travelled up and down her body like a hungry wolf eyeing his prey. “What brought you here?” he asked, standing, then raising himself up on the balls of his feet before sinking to his knees again. He had a smile plastered to his face, that smile Isabel despised so much.
She squatted down in front of him. “I’m here,” she started, “to ask you a few questions.”
“And what might those be?” Gavin asked, his pearly teeth showing through his smile. Isabel opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. It’s happening, she thought to herself. “Come on, Isabel, cat got your tongue?” he asked. Isabel could feel the heat boiling up inside her.
“What’s the council’s next move? When are they coming for us, for you?” she asked, leaning in close to him. Her face was only inches from his, and she could feel his hot breath against her skin; it made her sick.
Gavin chuckled. “Ah, Isabel, you’re still naive… I thought you would’ve learned by now, but you’re still your old gullible self, how amazing!”
“You tell me, now!” Isabel hissed, reaching out and grabbing Gavin by the collar. “What’s the council’s next move?!” Gavin’s face drooped to a scowl. Their eyes locked on like magnets. Isabel figured she’d have to do a little bit more if she wanted him to talk. She found herself focusing on an empty space in the air between them, her hands slowly retreating from his collar and latching onto his neck. Gavin didn’t wince. Eyes narrowed and he got a vertical wrinkle between his eyebrows. His lips pursed slightly.
“Home, home,” he breathed. Isabel stared brazenly into his eyes.
“Home?” she said.
“Home, home,” he hissed. “Home is where the heart is.”
Isabel’s hands shook. She knew she had him right where she wanted him. She couldn’t lose her focus; she had to hold on. At the far end of the dungeon Oz lay with his eyes clenched shut. Little did Isabel know that he was right there with her. “What home?” Isabel asked, her grip around Gavin’s neck tightening. “Gavin, what home?”
“Get off me!” he snarled. Isabel’s arms fell limp to her side. Suddenly the whole dungeon fell silent. For a moment, she knew she had him, but then it all dwindled away for no apparent reason. Isabel turned around, her eyes scanning the place. Oz was still tucked away somewhere; she was glad no one could see him. “Oh, Isabel, did you really think it was that simple?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow at her. His lips curved to a menacing smile, and when Isabel tried to reel him in again, he snapped his fingers repeatedly, ordering her to stop. “We don’t have to do this, you don’t have to do this,” he said, shaking his head frantically. “You’re getting to me, you’re getting to me.”
“Home is where the heart is?” Isabel asked, popping her head in through the gap between the iron bars of his cell. “Tell me, what is your secret?”
“Isabel, stop, you don’t want to do this… you know you don’t, you still care about me and we both know it,” he said, his eyes boring into hers. His voice softened and his grip on the iron bars loosened; for a second, Isabel thought she would give into his orders. Her mind conjured up images of the two of them together; Gavin’s arms were around her, he was cradling her to sleep. She thought she would melt into his arms, but then she snapped out of it. Like a slap across the face, Isabel felt a gush of cold air hit her, but it wasn’t coming from outside. She knew it was Oz. He was the one controlling her.
“I won’t pity you,” she snarled. “That’s enough.”
Gavin shot her a glare before he retreated back into his cell. He crawled up into a fetal position and started cradling himself to sleep. Isabel rose to her feet and climbed out of the cell, and when the coast was clear, Oz followed her. “Well, what now?” Isabel asked, her eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know what to make of this.”
“Neither do I,” Oz said, slamming the trapdoor shut. “You did a good job, though, I’m proud of you.”
“Not good enough, apparently,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Or else we would’ve had more information by now.”
“Hey, just cut yourself some slack, okay? Even the two of us combined couldn’t control him… but we almost had him, maybe next time…”
“There won’t be a next time, don’t you see?” Isabel asked, a look of frustration on her face. “The council are going to break in eventually… they’re probably plotting right now.”
“Which is why Presten and Ava have a job to do… they’re on their way right now,” Oz said, brushing a hand through Isabel’s hair. “I don’t want you to worry, Isabel, just be patient. Everything will fall into place.” But Isabel wasn’t listening. In her mind’s eyes, she could see Gavin’s face shining in the dimness of the cells, mouthing the words “home is where the heart is” to her. She thought about what that could mean. She thought about whether he was just trying to fuck with her. Gavin repulsed her and all she wanted right now was to get rid of him. “Isabel, I think you should get some rest.” Oz’s voice seeped into her consciousness.
“Yeah, you’re right,” she said, sighing. “I think I just need to lie down for a while.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked, his lips coming to a smile.
“I think— I think I just need to be alone.”
Isabel ran for the stairs. She felt like she was going to hurl. She swung the door to her room open and collapsed into bed, her mind racing with a million thoughts at once. At that point, she was filled with doubt. She heard a knock at her door; she knew it would be Oz. But she decided she just wanted to be alone. She rolled over away from the door and the first thing she saw was the pile of books from last night. Immediately, she grabbed them off the floor and started skimming through them. The Earth and the Supernatural, one of them read, but the rest were untitled. “Well, what do we have here?” she asked herself as she flipped the book open. Deep down, she was scared to even look at it. This literary work taps into the role of the supernatural in shaping the natural world we know today… Isabel clutched the book in her hands for a moment before she flipped it open again. Shapeshifters, vampires, the vampire council and the succubi; it was all in this book. The origin of vampires, angels and shapeshifters, one of the chapter titles read. “Looks like I’ll be up all night reading this,” Isabel thought. Oz continued to knock on her door and she continued to ignore him.
CHAPTER 6
Oz sat by the fireplace, not moving. His eyes were fixated on the rising flames, and when he heard a knock at the mansion door, he shot up, startled, thinking it must be Presten and Ava. “Welcome back,” he said, his lips coming to a smile the second he saw them standing in the doorway. Behind him stood four or five strangers, who Oz immediately recognized as fellow angels and succubi. “Hello,” he said graciously. “Come on in.”
“See, I told you we wouldn’t disappoint you,” Ava said playfully. “No one knew it was us and we managed to rally up some allies, too.”
“Hi,” one of them said, peering at Presten through her bangs. He shook her hand and smiled at her, and it wasn’t long before she realized she needed to introduce herself. “I’m Nadia, a succubus from a small town here in France.”
“Hello, Nadia,” Presten said. But he was too distracted. The rest of them stared at him with wide eyes, like little kids meeting their teacher on the first day of school. “It’s nice to meet you all,” he said finally. “Are you all succubi?” They nodded in robotic motion. Presten didn’t know if this was a sign of discipline, respect, or just weak character. “Where’s Isabel?” he asked, looking around.
“Isabel has been in her room for quite some time now,” Oz said, his eyes dropping to the floor. “I don’t know what’s with her. She seems… distracted.” The truth was, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He just wanted to crawl into bed with her, pull her close. But she was too “in her head” to even talk to him right now.
“Home is where the heart is,” Oz said, avoiding eye contact. “Does that saying ring any bells for you?”
Ava shook her head. “No,” she said. There was a pause. “The vampires are still working on renovating the house. They’re still assigning everyone their rooms, still taking care of their injured. I would say we still have time.”
“That’s… optimistic,” Oz said, seemingly distracted. “Let’s not rely on that thought. I think it would be best if we plan ahead.”
“You’re right,” Ava said, folding both her arms across her chest. “Do you think we should go check on Isabel?” she asked.
“I tried, but she won’t answer the door,” he said. “But anyway, right now, we need to assign everyone their rooms. Ava, where would you like to stay?”
“I think it’s about time I stayed in the tower,” she said teasingly. The others stared back blankly. “Right, not a time for jokes?”
“Most certainly not.”
“Alright, I think we should spread out; Presten and Isabel already have rooms next to the dungeon… you and me, we can move a bit higher up,” she said.
“Sounds about right,” Oz said, folding both of his arms across his chest and shifting his weight to one leg. “Oh, hey, look who decided to crawl out of their cave.” Isabel smiled at him as she thumped her way down the hall. Her feet were clammy against the hardwood floorboards, but she couldn’t be bothered to put any shoes on.
“Hello,” she said, a smile plastered to her face. Her eyes immediately went to the five strangers standing next to Ava and she nodded at them graciously. “I see Ava has brought along some allies, welcome,” she said.
“Where have you been?” Presten asked, walking over to her.
“I’ve been reading,” Isabel said. “Oz, those books we found… I skimmed through them a little bit.”
