The Soul's Mark: FOUND

by Stoyanoff, Ashley

  “Gotta run,” Erin chirped, glad her voice sounded steady, racing through the house. She had managed to stay away from Him all night but she was really starting to run out of excuses and she really hoped her goodbye would be enough to keep his suspicions at bay.

  “Hold on a minute,” he said, appearing from nowhere. “Where are you running off to?”

  Erin stretched her cheeks into a sweet smile. “School, I promised to pick up Millie,” she said, not bothering to look at him. She knew all too well that he would see she was hiding something and if he saw it, he’d check and if he checked he wouldn’t let her leave. And if she didn’t leave, then she wouldn’t be able to help Millie.

  Erin held her breath when he reached out and tipped up her chin. He searched her face and the soft buzzing started. Shit, she thought, trying to erase the corrupting thoughts from her mind but it just kept popping up. Desperation engulfed her; she couldn’t get rid of it. He would find out and then…

  She kissed him. Erin reached up on her tiptoes and took his bottom lip between her teeth with a little nibble. “You are such a hottie,” she whispered against his lips, praying the distraction would work.

  He pushed her away, his black eyes boring into her, hard and cold. Erin trembled under his stare, had he already seen her plan? She wasn’t sure, but the look he was giving her was deadly.

  Her bottom lip quivered and his eyes flashed to it. He sighed and closed his eyes tightly for a second, then pulled her closely into his arms. “You’re being careful, right?” Erin couldn’t answer, she didn’t want him to hear the tremors in her voice and she nodded against his chest. He kissed the top of her head lightly. “Good,” he said, dropping his arms. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Erin kissed his cheek and then ran out the door before he changed his mind.

  “Cover up that mark, Erin,” he called after her.

  “Yeah, I will,” she called over her shoulder without slowing down. “I have cover-up in my purse.”

  Erin had never been so happy to be in her shiny red VW. She jammed the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. She let out the pent up breath, tossed the car into reverse and sped off, leaving a spray of loose gravel and dust behind her.

  She drove in fear, waiting for the inevitable. He knew something was up. She was sure of it. So why hadn’t he come after her yet? Because he doesn’t know, she tried to reassure herself.

  Once out of sight from the house, Erin pulled over. She was shaking so badly she could barely keep the car on the road and she knew she needed to calm down.

  After a few deep breaths and a double-check of the bond to be sure he wasn’t listening in, Erin riffled through her bag for her phone. She hated to make the call, hated that she was betraying him and it made her feel sick.

  But Amelia is innocent, Erin told herself firmly. She’s nice, caring and a friend. The thoughts reaffirmed what needed to be done. She didn’t have to be like him. She wouldn’t let the hunger for revenge ruin her like it had him. Not this time around.

  Erin tapped in the number and hit call. The shrill ring of the phone was torture and she waited for Madame Crystal to answer. “Hello, Erin. I’ve been expecting your call.”

  An involuntary shiver passed through Erin. She hated the idea of psychics and witches. Wasn’t a vampire soulmate enough? At least she knew how to deal with vampires. She took a deep breath, remembering Amelia’s friendly smile and said, “I need you to help my friend, Amelia. She's in trouble and she doesn’t know she’s a witch yet. She needs to be able to protect herself. It’s all happening too fast and…”

  “I know, dear,” Madame Crystal said, cutting off her panicked rambling. “His plan has changed.”

  “Can you help her?” Erin asked, holding her breath. If Madame Crystal couldn’t help, she’d have to figure out how to get Amelia out of town. She’d have to figure out how to hide her.

  “Maybe, bring her to me as soon as you can,” the psychic said and then she hung up before Erin could get another word in.

  Erin let out her breath in a gush of wind. Maybe. That wasn’t exactly what she had been hoping for, especially after bumping into the psychic last week in the supermarket. She replayed the words Madame Crystal had said, “You will meet a new friend and you can save her by bringing her to me.” And now all she was getting was a “maybe”?

  She bit her bottom lip nervously. Had the prophecy changed? She tried to call back. She needed answers but the line just rang and rang and rang. After the eighth try, she tossed her phone back into her bag and swore under her breath.

  The sky opened up and rain pelted down, pinging against her car. Erin scrubbed at her face, took a deep breath and then put the car in drive. At least “maybe” is better than “no” she told herself, trying to see the positive in a bleak situation. Now all she had to do was figure out how in the world she would get Millie to Madame Crystal.

  CHAPTER 23

  Morning dawned, gloomy with rain. Amelia rolled over dreamily and took a deep breath. Mitchell’s sweet, clean scent lingered in the air. Amelia opened her eyes to sneak a peek at him, and she was disappointed to find that he wasn’t there. Work. He must have gone to work she thought with a yawn, and closed her eyes, listening to the tapping rhythm of the rain.

  Suddenly, the rumbling thunder shook the windows and, stunned, Amelia bolted out of bed. Wide awake now, she noticed her alarm clock was blinking; the power must have gone out. She snagged her phone off the nightstand: 8:46. Crap. She had slept in and Erin would be there to pick her up in fourteen minutes.

  Amelia took the quickest shower on record, cursing under her breath. Mornings sucked, life sucked, and it was pouring rain.

  She got dressed in record time, pulling on a pair of low-rise jeans and a gray hoodie. She could almost picture the look on Angelle’s face at her choice in clothes, and it made her grin. No time for make-up or to dry her hair—not that it mattered—it was raining. Amelia piled the curls high on her head and secured them with a jumbo butterfly clip.

  Amelia had just stuffed her books and the paper that she had written with Mitchell into her backpack when her bedroom door swung open, cracking against the wall. She spun around, dropping her bag with a clunk, to find Mitchell barging in and he was not happy. If looks could kill, Amelia was certain she would be dead.

  “It’s called knocking,” she snapped. “I know it’s probably a foreign concept to you but it’s when you rap your fist on the door and then you wait for someone to answer it.”

  He glowered at her, unimpressed. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “To school,” she answered, returning his glare. Two could play at this game, and Amelia knew she had a killer, screw-off look. “I told you I’ve got a paper due today.”

  “You’re not going, Amelia. We need to talk.”

  Amelia grabbed her bag, puzzled at the sudden mood swing. She wasn’t in the mood for his crap, not in the morning, so she slung her bag over her shoulder and shuffled towards the door. “We can talk later. Right now, I’m going to class. Erin’s waiting for me.”

  “Who the hell is Erin?” Mitchell growled, staying on her heels.

  A wave of jealousy rushed over her and for a second Amelia thought it was her own. Their emotions jumbled together, like a tossed salad, it was getting harder and harder to figure out whose feelings belonged to whom. She gritted her teeth, certain it was him, and kept right on moving. “Seriously, Mitch. Get a hold of yourself. Erin is a girl. She’s a friend and she’s driving me to school.”

  “You’re not going,” he yelled, and Amelia winced at the sharp stab of pain in her chest. It took everything she had but she managed to keep moving, head down, concentrating on making her legs work. It felt as if she was attached to a bungee cord and every step she took away from him, the cable tried to snap her back. She made it to the foyer with Mitchell right behind her.

  “Dammit, Mitch,” Angelle cursed, appearing from nowhere. “You need to stop this. She’s not r
eady.”

  “This is none of your business,” he snarled. Amelia got a flash of a dangerous thought, he wanted to hurt Angelle and she stepped in between them. She wasn’t going to let him hurt one of her friends, not again, not like Eric. The uneasiness in her gut faded. “Amelia, stop it! You are acting like a spoiled brat,” he yelled in her face.

  “Why? Because I’m trying to go to school?” she retorted, bitterly. “It was your idea in the first place. You’re the one paying for it.”

  “Don’t push me.” His eye flickered, streaking red.

  Amelia sucked in a steadying breath and pushed on. “Or what? What more can you do to me?”

  “Whoa, let’s take a breather here,” Eric said. Amelia hadn’t seen him come in but he was now in between them. Bad idea. She knew Mitchell wouldn’t hit her, but she wasn’t so sure about what he would do to the rest of them.

  “Back off, Eric,” Mitchell said with a lethal undertone. “This doesn’t concern you.”

  Eric didn’t seem bothered. He gripped Mitchell’s shoulder. “Dude. You need to chill. You can check in on her anytime you want.”

  The blast of a horn sounded and Amelia glanced at the door then back to Mitchell. “I’m going, Mitch. If you really want to stop me then stop me, but I’ve made up my mind so you’ll have to hurt me again.” She went for the door, twisted the knob then looked back, meeting his crimsoned stare. “Go on, stop me. I dare you,” she said so coldly that she felt the chill rolling off her tongue. Then she left, slamming the door as loudly as she could.

  Amelia made it to the car with little discomfort. She could feel how mad he was but that he was trying to keep it under control, and she was grateful. It was pouring down in sheets and the last thing she wanted was to collapse on the soggy grass writhing in pain.

  “Morning,” Erin chimed when Amelia got into the car. “Who’s the hottie?” She was wearing her usual, overalls and fitted long sleeved t-shirt. Amelia was starting to doubt that Erin owned anything other than overalls. Her hair was in its normal style—stubbly pigtails.

  “No one noteworthy.”

  “I’m sensing a lover’s quarrel.” Erin shifted the VW in reverse. “But that can’t be right because I’m pretty sure you were at my house making out with Ty last Friday.”

  Why did everyone have to be so chatty in the mornings? Amelia wondered. It was a phenomenon that she would never grasp. She huffed. “Look. I’ve had a rough couple days,” Amelia said sharply. “You said it was important that we talk alone, so what is it?”

  Erin giggled, apparently enjoying her crankiness. “Chill out and trust me for a minute. He could be snooping.”

  “What are you talking about?” Amelia asked, but as soon as the question came out, she already knew what Erin was talking about. Mitchell. Amelia wanted to scream. Another one of her so-called friends knew the truth and had hidden it from her. “You know about the mark.” Her tone was caked with animosity.

  Erin snuck a quick look and focused back on the stormy road. The splattering rain on the windshield was loud and Amelia almost missed what Erin said next. “I’ll explain as much as I can but first, I need you to see if he’s listening. He can’t know about me.”

  Amelia closed her eyes and rummaged around for any trace of Mitchell. She could feel him, but the sensation was murky and distracted so she was pretty sure he wasn’t spying. “I don’t think he’s paying attention,” she said after a few moments.

  Erin loosened her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and a pent up breath gushed from her lips. “So I’m guessing the hottie is Mitchell Lang. He must’ve been pissed about Ty.”

  “That’s definitely an understatement,” Amelia groaned. “How’d you know about me?”

  “I was going to tell you. I tried at the party but your entourage of bodyguards ruined that plan. I’m marked, too.” Amelia spun her head around and examined Erin’s neck. The mark was there and for the life of her, she didn’t know how she had missed it. Erin must have guessed her confusion and explained, “I usually cover it. I know what you’re going through and I thought you could use a friend. You know, one that’s not all…” she mimicked fangs and then replaced her grip on the wheel. She looked so relaxed about the whole vampire thing it made Amelia realize how wrong it all was. She had been so wrapped up with Mitchell being real and that he bit her, that the vampire part seemed like the least of her worries, but now, it was hitting her with staggering force.

  “How can you be so calm about this? Don’t you get how impossible it is?”

  Erin shrugged, keeping her eyes on the road. “I grew up with them. Tristan took me when I was just a baby. I guess I just don’t know anything else. It must be hard just coming into it.”

  “How do I stop it? How can I get rid of him?” Amelia’s voice came out more scared than she had hoped for and she took a few soothing breaths.

  “You don’t,” Erin said matter-of-factly. “You can’t break the bond between souls. I’m actually a bit surprised you made it out the door this morning. He didn’t look impressed.”

  Erin turned into the parking lot at the University and found a spot. “I didn’t think he was going to let me leave,” Amelia admitted. Erin handed her an umbrella. “It was touch and go for a minute but I don’t think he actually wants to hurt me. Once I stood my ground he backed down.” She opened the car door, popped the umbrella open and jogged to the shelter of the school. Erin trailed behind a moment later.

  Erin shook her umbrella, flicking water drops everywhere, closed it, and then did the same with Amelia’s umbrella. “You’re lucky. Tristan never backs down from our fights.”

  Amelia rolled her eyes and held the door for Erin. “You call this lucky?”

  “I know you’re pissed right now.” Erin dropped her voice to a whisper as they walked through the hallway. “He was probably a big controlling jackass. They usually are. And in case you missed it, Mitchell kinda rules the vamp population here so he’s used to getting his own way. But he’s your soulmate and whether you like it or not you can’t help but love him. You can’t get away from him. Even if you die, you’ll just keep coming back and he’ll keep finding you. Reincarnation sucks.”

  “Reincarnation?” Amelia yelped, and then quickly checked herself as heads turned in their direction. Another reason to hate Mitchell, Amelia thought; it was his fault that anyone even noticed her. “You can’t be serious.”

  Erin kept walking, keeping her voice low. “This isn’t my first life with Tristan. I was murdered fifty-three years ago. It took a bit to come back but here I am. It’s kinda strange. I can remember everything from my past life. Tristan says that it’s because a soul never forgets.”

  “This is insane,” Amelia hissed. “First vampires, and now you’re telling me that you’ve died before and you’ve been reincarnated.”

  Erin shrugged. “Welcome to my life.”

  “Why can’t Mitchell know about you?” The suspicion was evident in her voice, but Amelia didn’t care. So far every friend she thought she had made since she arrived had stabbed her in the back and Erin wanting to hide just seemed strange, especially if Mitchell, in fact, ruled the town. Shouldn’t he already know about her?

  “It was another vampire that killed me.” Erin stopped just outside the door of their class and the look she gave Amelia made her want to cry. “Someone Tristan trusted. He thinks that the fewer vampires that know I’m marked, the safer I’ll be. He’d freak if he knew I was hanging out with you.”

  “Then why are you?” It seemed like a good question, but once it was out of her lips, Amelia wished that she could take it back. Erin might have hid this from her but it was for her own protection, Amelia was sure of it.

  To her relief, Erin hugged her. “Like I said, you need a friend.” She released her embrace and winked. “Also, I heard you were smart and I need someone to copy off of. This whole math thing isn’t my forte.”

  Amelia laughed, rolled her eyes, and they snuck into class taking a seat in the bac
k, just as the professor started talking. Glancing around the room, Amelia was surprised she had never noticed before, but now as she looked at her classmates she could tell them apart. There was the group at the front on the right that looked timid and bunched together. She knew, almost instinctively, that they were the locals and she was pretty sure they knew about the vampires. They had been overly welcoming and had tried the hardest to please her. To her left, in the middle, was Fiona, surrounded by a bunch of shiny and fake-looking magazine cut out girls—marked or vampires. Amelia could see glimpses of exposed marks on some of their necks and realized with a start that Mitchell must have made them cover them for her benefit. Then there were the out-of-towners. Those were the ones who were strictly here for school and knew nothing about the dangers that lurked in the town. They were the ones that had spoken to her because of the hype surrounding her, but nothing more.

  CHAPTER 24

  Amelia never ever thought she would think it, but school sucked. She could think of a million different places she would rather be and it was deeply disturbing that each place involved Mitchell.

  He wasn't paying attention to her and it felt as if it was a deliberate effort to stay as far out of her mind as he could get. It hurt. It really hurt, and she found herself trying to see what he was doing. Amelia let her mind drift. Shutting out the droning professor, ignoring the students’ muted whispers and extending her mind.

  She reached a wall of blinding, shimmering light, and then she found him. Mitchell was sitting on her bed, holding a photo, and he was crying. Soft tears slid down his cheeks, and little droplets wetted the surface of the photo. His thumb glided over the tiny puddles, pushing them off the glossy page.

  She focused on the photo. Who had made him so sad? A rush of anger pierced in and she just knew that she would kill the person who had hurt him.

  It was her.

  Mitchell was holding a picture of her. His soft murmurs drifted to her ears, "I love you, Amelia. I'm so sorry, love. I'm sorry." He set the photo down and rubbed at his face.