“Are you all right?”
I nodded, swallowing back my fear. He didn’t leave, though. He came and sat next to me on the bed.
“Do you want to talk about it?” His hand gripped his leg and I wondered if that helped him from touching me.
I shook my head, no.
“Come on, lay back down,” his gentle voice warmed me from the inside out. It brought me comfort and calmed my nerves that had been wired only moments before.
He smoothed out the tangled covers, and I obediently lay back down on my pillow. He brought the covers up over my shoulders, but let his hand linger there. I closed my eyes, taking a breath to slow my heart rate one last time. When I opened them, he was gone.
There’d been other moments, too. Just small things. Times when I’d even notice him stopping himself and backing away when he’d come to sit next to me at the apartment.
Clearly, nothing was going to change his mind, no matter how much either of us wanted him to. He was on a mission to protect me and that was that. He was punishing himself and me in the process, but I tried to hide that part. I couldn't bear to see him hurting because of my actions, so I sucked it up when he was around.
If he thought this was his duty and what he needed to do, who was I to change his mind or how he’d been doing his job for centuries? I pretended we were fine. Maybe he saw through me but hey, I was trying, and that had to count for something. It was still nice to talk and be close to him. He was someone I could rely on, which made learning from him important. He could help me with all of the information on vampires and my bloodline. His knowledge might be helpful when I was on my own with Emma, Devon, or whoever else they were working with, if and when it came to that.
He told me about other family members of mine whom he had protected. Most were not like Emma, thankfully, which made me happy. I remember asking him if he knew me when I was a kid. It was weird to think about, but I was curious.
“No,” he chuckled. “I didn’t see you until you arrived here at Kingsbrook.”
He didn’t laugh much any more, so when he did, it was magical.
“My father and I are not close, as you know. We stayed away from each other, even when it came to assignments, unless it was absolutely necessary for the bloodline to have both of us. There weren’t any threats on your mom, and since my father was in charge of her and you were always there, there wasn’t a need for me to be around. I worked on other assignments. While Protectors watch the bloodline, there are other things we do for other vampires. It’s almost like the secret service in a way. We can be hired to protect others, if they so wish.” I was relieved that he hadn’t watched me grow up. Something about that would have seemed creepy.
“How many of you are there?” I asked.
“Only about a hundred or so, I’d say. There aren’t too many of us compared to the population as a whole, and direct descendants of the Protector line are even fewer. I turned before I had a child of my own, which is why my line has stopped. There was only one in the story I told you about that was saved, if you recall.”
“Our line was supposed to be much like your line; we have a child and then turn them once they have a child, and so on, so that our strength passes on. It’s one of the reasons I disappointed my father. I disobeyed the rules. I was angry that my mother had been killed and went to my grandfather to turn me. He was the Protector saved by the child after the massacre. He seemed like he understood and abided by my wishes to turn before I continued the line.”
“I’m sorry things are bad with your dad. That’s probably pretty hard.”
He just smiled at me. “I’m okay, Ariya, I promise. Once you came to college, I was put in charge of watching you. I thought you’d be a brat like Emma, but was proven wrong quickly. Since day one here, you were always doing something for someone else.”
“When the werewolf activity increased, I had to make myself known and got to interact with you directly, which was more than I hoped it would be and…”
He trailed off and became silent. I didn’t want to push anymore at the risk of bringing up a conversation of duty again and why this wouldn’t have worked. I smiled a small smile and we went back to just sitting in silence.
I had started asking if I could go home to my family or if I had to stay here at school for Christmas break. None of the group seemed opposed to the idea of me heading back for the holidays, and I guessed they were working out among themselves who would be in charge of me then.
James probably would be there no matter what. I hoped he would stay out of sight. I don’t think I could bear Christmas with him. The awkwardness would only be magnified when I added in my family and my mom asking why he was back home with me. He probably wouldn’t come in anyway, since my mother didn’t know what was going on.
I didn’t know what the plan was, but I was sure it was under control and I didn’t need another thing to worry about. I’d leave it in their hands as to what they all wanted to do. They didn’t fill me in, so I just packed up some of my clothes, put them by the door in my bedroom, and decided I’d wait for the go-ahead to head home for the holidays.
The last night of finals, it was decided that we were going to have a night out. It’s a Wonderful Life, which is my favorite Christmas movie, happened to be playing at the school theater. It felt like forever since we’d had a fun night out, so I loved the sound of it. It would be relaxing and we could all use that for a good two hours. Emma would be there, but it was a dark theater and I didn’t have to sit next to her. If I let the movie engulf me, I wouldn’t even have to remember she was even there.
We arrived at the theater Thursday evening and I excused myself to go to the bathroom. Emma followed, claiming she had to go, too, to touch up her makeup. I rolled my eyes when my back was turned to everyone. I couldn’t wait to be home and be rid of her for a solid month. Unless she did something to me when I was at home. But James would most likely be there somewhere, I think, and apparently his father, if he was still watching my mother as James said he was. That would be another thing that would be hard on James, if he came. He’d have to work with his dad. Protecting me was not putting him into good situations.
When we got to the bathroom, Emma grabbed my arm, taking me by surprise.
“It’s time, Ariya.”
My eyes bulged? “Time for what?” I whispered.
“Ariya, you’re going to do everything I say. I’ve gathered the werewolves to the town and they have orders that they can attack your friends and kill with just one word from me. I won’t let you save them, either. Riley and what was his gal’s name again? Whatever. They are being watched.”
“What am I supposed to do, Emma? What is it you want?” I was trying to keep my voice as low as possible so the others wouldn’t hear.
Emma turned the water on and pulled me to the corner of the bathroom.
“I want you to say you want candy when I give you the signal, and I’m going to follow you. If the others try to follow, you’ll say you’re fine, or whatever it takes to make them stay in the theater. Got it? Then you’re leaving. Simple enough, right? Now nod that you understand.”
I nodded once and my stomach clenched. She’d had so long to make her move, but she’d chosen to wait until now. Emma had chosen a time when she knew I was complacent. She was glaring at me as she walked closer to whisper in my ear. She must have been worried the others would be trying to listen.
“One wrong move and you’ll regret it the rest of your life.”
She walked out and I was left alone with my thoughts. Putting my hands over my eyes, I shook my head hard. After a deep, calming breath, I decided that I wouldn’t be afraid. She was taking me somewhere, but that would at least mean I was away from the others, and no harm could come to them.
There was nothing to be done but go with her. Protecting my friends was all that mattered. Whatever their plan was, I would at least go down fighting, and the others would be safe. The rest would play out as it would. I didn’t think I’d
be this calm when faced with my own life at stake. My heart pounded with anticipation, but I wouldn’t let fear creep in. I would block it out.
I pulled myself together again with a few deep breaths and headed back to enjoy the last few moments I had before fate would intervene. No sense in crying over spilt milk, at least that’s what the saying was, right?
I made sure to sit next to James just in case things didn’t end well. I set my arm up on the armrest and glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He was looking at me as well. For a minute, we made eye contact and I smiled out of the side of my mouth facing him. Then I faced the screen.
My fingers twitched and I began to pick at my cuticles nervously. My gaze was set on the screen, but my eyes weren’t taking in anything. My mind was spinning. A worried look must have been on my face because I felt a hand graze the side of my leg, and I almost sighed out loud.
I felt the touch everywhere. James was thinking he needed to comfort me for something. He hadn’t slipped up much lately as far as actually touching me goes, but the few times he did, it was perfect. I needed to start doing a better job of acting again or he’d be in danger. That one moment alone just between us that no one else could see was enough to calm me down a bit. I closed my eyes. His thumb rubbed my leg again and then he stopped and drew his hand back.
That was all he was going to allow himself. That was all I was going to get. I opened my eyes. It was enough. I had the strength I needed. Now, I just needed Emma to hurry up. I could do this.
About forty minutes into the movie, I glanced over at Emma. She nodded my way and I knew it was time. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was time for, but that would be revealed soon.
“I’m going to grab some candy.”
I heard her pipe in, “I can go with her. Be right back.”
They didn’t try to follow. Maybe they trusted Emma now. I must have done a good job of selling our newfound friendship, even to Caroline.
We got to the counter and Emma veered off to the side of it instead of walking up like we were truly going to get something. From the shadows beyond the stand, Devon emerged. My skin began crawling as it had the last time I’d seen him. I was surprised that he was here, then again, he was in on the plan. He held his finger to his lips to silence me and walked closer. He twirled a piece of my hair in his finger, making me shake. Now, I was afraid.
“So, what are you gonna get?” Emma said trying to play off the candy thing.
She raised her eyebrows at me, “Oh, uh, Reese’s are my favorite.” I was surprised at how steady my voice sounded.
I could do this – I could protect them, I reassured myself.
“Ew, I never liked those. Are you sure we’re related?”
She made a motion to Devon and pointed at her arm. He took out what looked like a syringe from his pocket. Holding it in his hand firmly, he stabbed her right there in her arm in the middle of the lobby like it was no big deal. I let out a gasp, but was quickly silenced by Devon’s hand around my mouth.
“Showtime,” she mouthed, winked, and then I heard her gasp.
It didn’t seem fake, so what could it have been in the syringe that Devon had just stuck her with? She seemed ready for it, which I took to mean everything was going according to plan.
Devon grabbed my wrist, jerked me closer to him, and then moved his arm around my waist. We were flying out the door at an extremely fast pace and the world was whirling by. I had no idea how Emma was going to play this one off to the rest of the group, but that wasn’t my problem. My problem was staying alive.
Devon ran with me a shorter distance than I assumed we would travel away from the others. We had come up to an old abandoned building on the outskirts of town. Nothing looked familiar to me when he slowed down, then again, what reason had I ever had to walk past the lighted area of the town? There appeared to be only woods beyond it. Maybe hiking, we would have seen it. That was something people liked to do before it got too cold.
Whenever we went hiking, the few times Riley and I convinced Caroline to, we started from the apartment, which was on the opposite side of town. I was familiar with the woods that way, but not this way. That might be the point, to take me somewhere I didn’t know.
It hurt to think of those times. Before I knew about vampires. Before Riley and I weren’t speaking. How did I get here? Things were so different. Devon had been carrying me the whole way, and now that we were at this building, he set me down outside the door, making sure not to let go of my wrist. He unlocked it and we headed inside. He was leading me, jerking my arm as he went. He was painstakingly careful not to let go, even for a second. I wouldn’t have tried to run even if he had. I almost said that out loud because I hated that he was touching me and badly wanted him to stop, badly.
Having him this close was making my skin crawl. We went down a rickety flight of stairs and into the basement of the building. There was a chair in the center of the room and he slammed me into it. He started tying me up, attaching me to the chair. I couldn’t fight back yet, not until Emma showed up to see I was cooperating, at least for now. Then she wouldn’t have a reason to hurt anyone. He pulled the ropes on my hands and pain shot through me. It felt like he had cut me, and I couldn't suppress a yelp.
“Careful, it’s a turn-on when you struggle.” Oh, I was going to vomit.
Was he going to try to do something with me?
Now that it was dusk, I looked around the room, straining my eyes to try to see my surroundings. There were windows higher up surrounding the room, so I could glimpse outside to see what the light situation was. There wasn’t much left.
“Oh, Ariya, don’t look so tough. You’re avoiding looking at me. I’ve missed you. Haven’t you missed me?”
I raised my lip in a snarl. I was going to go after him the second I could and he wouldn’t even see it coming. I was sure of it. When I didn’t answer, he continued talking.
“As much as I want to continue chatting, I'm under orders to gag you. We don’t want you yelling for help.” He shoved something into my mouth and tied it around my head. “Emma will be here soon and then the fun can really begin. I was told nothing could happen before she was here. Seeing you tied up like this gives me plenty of ideas for later, though.” That sentence and the gag in my mouth made the bile I’d been pushing down rise in my throat. Only carefully breathing through my nose prevented me from actually throwing up. He was gone in the next minute.
The room holding me was an empty, damp, and cold place. I was racking my brain trying to put together where in the world I was. If I escaped, I needed to know the direction to run. There were no sounds of voices, so we weren’t anywhere close to anything. There weren’t even noises like cars, people, laughter, or any of the other normal sounds of a small town early in the evening. There was nothing. Not a single sound except my breathing.
Were James, Caroline, and Nick looking for me yet? I hoped they weren’t worried. Who was I kidding? Of course they were worried. James would be blaming himself, even though it was completely outside his control. I had to be strong and I had to get out of here. Maybe they would call for help. I knew there were other Protectors. James and his father hadn’t watched out for us their whole lives on their own. There were others. James had said there were a hundred! They would come and help, if they were needed.
It felt like I had been sitting there by myself forever! My body began shivering from the dampness of my surroundings. If they wanted to freeze me to death, it might actually work. My jacket was in my seat back at the theater, and it was winter in Mineral Point, meaning the temperature was going to be below freezing, if it wasn’t already, the minute the sun went down. I could see the breath coming out of my nose or mouth, whichever I exhaled from. The gag was wet and if I thought about it too much, I started choking. I tried to take calming breaths through my nose and not think about the gag or the cold.
I finally heard heels hitting the concrete floor and knew it had to be Emma arriving. It was time for whatever pl
an they had to be put into action.
“Hello, my dear. That took longer than expected. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
She yanked the gag out of my mouth. My lips were chapped and my throat dry, even though the mouthpiece itself had been wet. My throat was hurting from the cold air, and I knew I had to start talking just to do something to warm up a little bit. My body shook now from the cold more than any kind of fear.
“What was in the syringe?”
“Oh, you are observant. Werewolf blood. It weakens us vampires for a bit until it passes through our system. Since we heal quickly, it doesn’t stay in it very long. Quite clever of me, huh? I told you, always have someone to blame it on. Mine was Devon. He didn’t mind. Now, where to start?”
She was in the best mood I’d ever seen her in. That couldn’t be good. It meant the others had no idea what was going on. She had been there in order for them to discover her. That must mean they thought that Devon was the only bad guy around. I had hoped somehow they would see through her.
“Where are the others? Are they okay?”
The panic in my voice was evident. I had done everything she asked and I only hoped it had been enough to spare them from whatever this plan entailed.
“I don’t really have any reason for them not to be, so you’re safe. Oh, Ariya, you should have seen their reaction! It really was priceless. I thought James might die on the spot. He was so distraught.”
She leaned down closer to my face and sighed a fake and heavy noise.
“He is just devastated. Who knows if he’ll recover? Pathetic.”
She laughed her evil laugh, not the forced one that I had heard so often when we’d been around the others.
“Now, my job is you. I actually have two options for you as to how this will play out. Would you like to hear them? Of course, you would! You have no idea why you are here and I’m sure you’re dying to know.” She started circling me and continued.
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