by Megan Duncan
“Why do you live there? Because of what they said on the news?” She picked up the remote to flip on the television. Her favorite station flickered on, lighting up the living room in a flash of colors as a music video played. “They keep playing clips from the announcement.”
“Sort of.” I took a deep breath, dreading the conversation I knew was coming. I had to tell Liz the truth, I only hoped she’d come with me. It wasn’t safe for her here. Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that the Noire region would be Baal’s first target.
Liz hugged the pillow in her arms like a life vest as I recounted the tale of my life as a vampire. Tears burned hot trails down her face when I painfully detailed Ana’s attack at the palace and the unspeakable violence of the assault by The Dark. I felt like I was forcing her to watch a scary movie as she sat, horrified by my every word.
“I don’t know what to say.” Liz had unfolded her limbs from the chair and was bouncing her feet on the floor. Her emotions buzzed with nervous energy. “Why doesn’t Nicolae just take all the vampires and go attack them?”
“Because… the dark vampires are very strong.”
“And that’s why you want me to come with you?” I nodded. “What makes Naos safer than here?”
“You can stay with me. I can watch over you and make sure you’re always protected.” I couldn’t hide the desperation in my tone. I wanted her to come to Naos so badly. “You’ll like it there, Liz. It’s beautiful.”
“What about your mom? I mean… Jacklyn, and my mom?”
“Jacklyn didn’t want to come. She said she wanted to stay behind and inspire more people to follow Nicolae; that he and the vampires needed the people’s support more than ever.” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice. I understood Jacklyn’s reasons for staying, but they still burned like a fresh paper cut on my heart.
“Oh,” Liz exclaimed, sounding surprised. “I guess that makes sense. Ever since you left she’s been completely consumed with her work. Even more so than she ever was before.”
“Yeah…” Jacklyn was a subject I didn’t want to revisit. “Isn’t winter break coming up?”
“It’s next week. Why?”
“Tell your mom you’re going on vacation for the break with me. That’ll explain your absence and she won’t be worrying about you.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Like she’d worry about me anyway.”
I squeezed her hand. “You know what I mean. She’s loves you, Liz. She’s just…” How could I put that her mother was a self-absorbed, gold-digger nicely?
“She has a new boyfriend; a real winner this one.” New anger fumed below the surface of her words as her eyes rolled dramatically. Liz’s mother’s boyfriends were nothing but trouble. She’d pick them up at bars or nightclubs; any guy that looked like he had some serious money. They’d have a whirlwind romance that would usually end up with the cops being called, and then Liz would stay with me for a couple weeks because she was pissed off at her mom. I was pissed off at her too. “She probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“That’s not true.” I don’t know why I was trying to play neutral when I knew Liz was probably right. She could tell her mother she was going to be a tree-hugger and live in the forest with the magical fairies, and her mother wouldn’t bat an eyelash. But, it was her mother, didn’t she deserve a warning too? I told my mom, it was only fair.
“And don’t even think about inviting her to come with,” Liz growled at me as if reading my mind.
“We have to at least tell her,” I pleaded with my best friend.
“What’s the point? She won’t believe us.” Liz shot up, throwing the pillow onto the chair behind her and headed to the kitchen.
I followed.
“Probably not, but we should at least warn her.” I watched Liz pop open a can of diet soda and gulp it down. She opened a second can and slid it across the counter to me. I caught it without taking my eyes off her.
Her eyes fell to the soda in my hand and then back to her own can. “Sorry, I forgot you don’t…”
“It’s okay.” I smiled at her. We used to always share a soda together when we were stressed about something. Although I had no desire to down the cool, bubbly contents; I wanted to, just for nostalgias sake.
She traced the rim of the can with her finger, the condensation dripping down to the countertop. “I’m glad you came back, Claire. I’m still pissed at you, but I’m glad you came back.” A genuine smile lit her face.
“Me too.” I smiled back at her, no longer afraid to let my fangs peek out between my lips.
“What’s it like?” She rounded the counter slowly, eyeing my fangs with amazement.
“It’s like… I’d been living my whole life with blurry vision, and didn’t even realize it until I was turned.” No one had ever asked me that before, but I felt that summed it up nicely. There were so many emotions, sounds and details in this world that humans were missing out on.
“Wow.” Liz and I were standing face to face as she eyed me curiously. Taking in every aspect of my new appearance. “You still look like you… mostly.” She smiled at me wryly, a hint of the old, wild Liz coming back.
“Gee… thanks.” I flicked her arm playfully.
“You do know that you’re going to have to tell me all the deets, right?”
“I thought I did.” I twirled the soda can between my fingers, spinning it on the counter as it glided across the condensation like an ice skater.
“I mean the good stuff.” She swallowed the last gulps of her soda. “Not the scary, evil vampires are going to kill us all stuff.”
“Oh! That stuff.” I giggled at her.
A gust of air blew into the kitchen as Arrick flew in like a ghost. “We should get going. It’ll be sunrise soon.” He smiled at me as I sensed him searching my emotions. I winked at him, letting him know he’d been right and that I felt loads better. From now on I’d let everyone in and be open to their feelings. The only anger I needed to feel would be focused solely on Baal.
“Whoa…” Liz’s mouth hung open as she gazed at Arrick who stood like a chiseled bulk of sexiness beside me.
“Hello, Elizabeth. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Arrick said, holding out his hand. He could be a total guy sometimes, but then he’d act like… well a prince for lack of a better word. He was so weird, but I loved it about him.
A snort burst out of me, and I slapped my hands across my mouth to stop the giggles from erupting, but I failed miserably. Liz’s eyes were practically bugging out of her head, and Arrick looked like a dignified gentlemen utterly confused by her reaction. It was completely comical.
Liz took his hand weakly, too flabbergasted to grasp it tightly. “This is Arrick?” She whispered to me like he wouldn’t hear.
“Yeah.” I wiped the happy tears from my eyes and sighed as I caught my breath. I bumped Arrick’s shoulder. “She hates being called Elizabeth by the way. It’s Liz.”
“Oh, I don’t mind.” Liz fluttered her eyelashes and flashed a dazzling smile at him. She popped her hip to the side, striking her usual pose. I knew this pose all too well; she’d tried teaching it to me once. She said it showed off a woman’s curves and drove men wild. She was no longer weakly holding his hand, so Arrick slid his fingers out of her grasp, like her touch made him uncomfortable. A trickle of nervousness eked out of him, and the expression on his face almost made me break out in laughter all over again. The immediate attraction Liz felt for him was obvious, it filled the room like the smell of sweet cotton candy, and it made Arrick tense. His eyes kept dodging her and searching for an escape. Was he scared I’d get jealous? I wasn’t even close to jealous; I thought it was hilarious to see him squirm.
“I guess I better get ready,” Liz said, without taking her eyes off Arrick. She smiled at him sweetly, her eyes drinking him in like a delicious cup of hot chocolate. He retreated, standing behind me, resting his hand on my shoulder. His desperation to show his connection with me warmed my heart, but still ma
de laughter bubble in my belly.
“Pack up as fast as you can,” I ordered her.
She dashed up the staircase as Arrick and I took a seat in the living room to wait for her return. “Make sure you tell your mom!” I called out after her, not sure if she’d actually do it or not.
“You seem happier,” Arrick commented as he locked eyes with me.
“And you seem nervous.” I winked and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
“I… I… I have no intentions to…” he pointed to the second floor of Liz’s house as if pointing at her directly, stumbling through his words like a panicky school boy. A small laugh popped from my lips like bubble gum.
“Calm down.” I pushed his hand back down and held it in mine. “I’m just teasing you. I’ve just never seen you act like this before.”
“I’ve never seen anyone act like her before.”
“You can’t tell me that every human girl you’ve ever met hasn’t fawned over you in the exact same way.”
“Not to that extreme.” He sighed, letting his stiff posture finally rest against the back of the couch.
I waved it off. “Liz has always had a flare for the dramatic. Besides, she has had a thing for vampires since we were kids. You should see all the posters on her bedroom walls. It’s like a shrine for every hot, eligible vampire in our entire region.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” He grimaced at me. “I just don’t want you to think that…”
“I would never think that.” I twined our fingers together and pushed my newfound positive emotions into him. It was nice feeling happy and letting go of my anger. I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but I could at least enjoy it while I could. I knew Arrick would never do anything to betray me, and neither would Liz. Sure, she’d flirt like a professional until the end of time, but that’s all it would ever be. She’d never do anything to spoil our friendship. Besides, as soon as we got back to the palace she’d have more than enough vampires to keep her eyes off Arrick. That thought brought a smile to my lips. I wondered which would catch her eye most.
To my surprise it only took Liz thirty minutes to stuff four designer suitcases, and two shoulder bags. She’d also managed to throw on some seriously short shorts, and an oh-so-low cut pink blouse. Normally I’d make a comment about her attire; tell her she was overdressed, or that she’d give guys the wrong impression, but not now. I had a completely different view of the human body and what was beautiful or too risqué. Sure, Liz would have looked stunning in jeans and a knit sweater, she didn’t need to be so revealing but it was her personality. If she liked to show off her flesh, more power to her, although it would hold a whole different meaning where we were headed than it ever had before. Maybe I should warn her.
“All set?” I asked when Liz dumped the last of her bags by the front door. Arrick had already stepped out, popped the trunk with the gadget on the key ring and was prepared to load her things. Perhaps it was the fact that sunrise was only a couple hours away, or did he want to keep himself busy so he wouldn’t notice Liz drooling over him?
“Pretty much.” She spun around with her hands on her hips, looking at her bags like she had x-ray vision. “If I forget anything I’ll just borrow it from you.” Her eyes sparkled with mischievousness.
“Since when have you ever wanted to borrow anything from me?” I asked, leaning against the banister while Arrick grasped the last two bags and carried them to the trunk. His muscles didn’t strain in the slightest even though I’m sure those cases were pushing one-hundred pounds.
“Good point!” Liz winked at me as she headed for the door.
“Wait a second.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her back in. “Did you talk to your mom?” I bit my tongue, hating how much I was sounding like a mother myself. Liz was eighteen and technically she could do whatever she wanted to, with or without her mother’s permission. I just wanted to avoid causing any more chaos than there already was in my life.
“I tried.” She groaned, folding her arms across her chest and pouted.
“And?” I attempted pulling more information out of her. She hated talking about her mother unless it involved something she’d just bought in an attempt to buy her daughter’s affections or get back into Liz’s good graces. Sadly, that tactic always seemed to do the trick.
“She and her boy-toy are going on vacation. She was more than happy to hear that I’d be your problem while they’re gone.”
“She didn’t say it like that, did she?” Liz’s mom might not have been mother of the year, but she definitely wasn’t mean. Unless, of course, this was new behavior inspired by this new “love” interest.
“She got the point across… let’s just leave it at that.”
Liz brushed passed me and walked out the front door without looking back. Had things really been that bad for her here since I’d left, or had they always been like that? Maybe I was always too wrapped up in my own problems and loneliness that I never saw it. Again, just another prime example of me not focusing on the feelings of those around me.
I stepped out into the predawn night and, with one sad gaze behind me, I shut the door to Liz’s house. I might not ever come back to this house again, or even mine. To be honest, I may very well never see this city again. I had no clue what the future had in store for me, but if the past was any evidence then I had many dark days ahead. In some small way I felt like I was locking up a bit of the Claire I used to be, the little pieces that I clung to as if they were keeping me from turning into something else. Something dark.
The back door sat open for me, and I slid in beside Liz. She’d already ordered Arrick to turn on the radio, and one of her favorite tunes was blaring through the speakers. I was exhausted, but somehow the thumping of the beat drowned out my thoughts and allowed me to just enjoy the moment. My best friend was coming with me to Naos, and I wouldn’t have to worry about her safety. Even though Naos had been attacked, it still felt like the safest place in the world to me. Maybe because my real family was there, or maybe because it was the only place I’d ever felt like I truly belonged. Either way, I’d be able to keep a watchful eye on her and everyone else I cared about.
I couldn’t remember the last time I listened to music. Liz and I sang off key at the top of our lungs on the ride back to the palace. She might have been wild, outspoken and a bit dramatic, but that was everything I loved about Liz. She ripped apart my buttoned-up attitude, and to put it as she would; she made sure I didn’t get my panties in a wad. That was her favorite term, not mine, but she did have a point. I rarely let loose, but with Liz around it would be hard not to.
Arrick’s eyes captured mine the whole ride home. Every time I caught him glancing at me through the rear view mirror I blushed with embarrassment. He winked, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he kept with the beat. I felt so incredibly normal it was almost intoxicating. We were just three people, driving in a car and listening to music. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done anything so normal.
I was relieved to see that there weren’t any news vans or reporters in sight when we pulled through the gates of the palace. It was nearly dawn and everyone was getting ready to sleep. I was fighting the urge in order to stay awake myself. The high of reconnecting with Liz had faded and we all sat in comfortable, yet exhausted silence as Arrick clicked open the garage door and we pulled in.
Nearly all the cars that had once filled the expansive space were now gone. Yet, the smell of grease and rubber still filled the air. It was mixed with fresh paint and cut wood. The repairs from the damage that happened on the night I had left the palace, the night Ana tried to kill me, were just being finished. It would take a lot longer to repair what Baal and his monsters had destroyed.
“Come on.” I latched onto Liz’s hand and pulled her out of the car. “Let me show you my room.” When I first came here I dreamed about showing Liz around and sharing this amazing new world I’d entered. Now that dream was a hazy shadow of what it once was.
“Damn! This place is even more amazing in person than it is on television.”
Liz skipped ahead of me, stopping to look at a piece of artwork or smell the flowers the servants had just begun to place in vases like they used to. I sniffed the air and allowed their delicate scent to replace the smell of the carnage that evil had left behind. A whiff of Liz’s fresh perfume filled my senses and eased me farther away from the nightmarish memories that were trying to break through.
“It’s even better when it’s not under construction.” I flicked my fingers across a tarp that was draped over an expanse of wall. Ladders, workbenches, buckets of paint and all manner of tools lined the hallways as we made our way up the back staircase to my floor.
“What is that?” Liz squealed, tapping the glass of a large window.
“That’s the palace gardens.” I smiled at the memories I had there; walking with Arrick that first night after our Blood Mate ceremony and my favorite bench on the edge of the pond. “Seems to be the only thing that wasn’t destroyed during the attack.”
“It’s beautiful.” Her voice grew softer as a yawn escaped. “Can we go there?”
“Sure, just not tonight.” As much as I’d like to walk amongst the fragrant flowers and sit at the bench under the ancient tree that overlooked the pond, I wasn’t going to. I would take Liz to the gardens in Naos. They were just as beautiful.
“Can I at least stay with you tonight?”
“Duh!” I winked at her. “Of course you will. My bed is big enough for four people.”
“That should be enough space for you to roll around like a maniac, and hopefully not kick me in your sleep?” She raised her eyebrows at me. I was a notorious fidgety sleeper.
