Devlin's Descendant

by Felicia Tatum

  Olivia’s heartbreaking reunion with her mother still tugged at my heart. I knew how lost and alone she felt without her parents here…but to find out one had gone to the wrong side of the fight? I couldn’t imagine how worried Liv was about her dad. I, myself, wanted to know why he did it. Why did he turn? Her mother said because he wanted power, but it had to be more. He stayed with them far too long, was a part of his family for too many years to just abandon them for power. Devlin did something…offered him something more. I was sure of it.

  I knew I’d only share my suspicions with Sadie, when the time was right. Olivia and Scott had enough to worry about, and Anna…I was doubting her loyalty.

  We slowly and cautiously made our way up the stairs and to the front porch. Scott opened the door and entered, with the three of us trailing closely behind. I heard Anna screech at the sight of him, and come into the room to see her holding him close while his mother held Olivia, and his dad moved to Sadie. I stood awkwardly at the doorframe, stuffing my hands in my pockets. Anna released Scott, then motioned me forward, pulling me in for a breath squelching hug. When she released me, his mom and dad also took turns hugging and letting me know they were glad I returned safely.

  It was odd, really, how quickly this family took me in. And after my face reminded half of them of the bad and evil things they’d been through. It showed how wonderful they were, how strong of characters they held. After we all shared our greetings and kind words, the four of us seated ourselves in a row on the couch, while his mother and Anna rushed to the kitchen to bring in the tea they just prepared. His dad, Spencer, conjured up snacks. Half sandwiches and crackers with a variety of cheeses filled the table in front of us, and we all dug in. Facing the council had been absolutely exhausting.

  We were all quiet, each of us lost in our own worries and thoughts. When Sabrina and Anna returned, I caught a glimpse of Scott. He finished chewing his food, wiped his fingers on his jeans, and stood.

  “We have a few questions,” he directed to Anna.

  Scott

  Grandma gulped, her face pale. I knew she didn’t want to tell us, she was trying to protect us from something, but we needed to know. “Scott…I’m assuming you all met with the council?”

  “Yeah, but I think you knew that,” I stated. I ignored the gaping face of my mother, and the stern expression my father was giving me. I needed to know why Grandma didn’t tell us about Mark, or Olivia’s father. “Did you know Markus Lowe is a council member?”

  She sighed, nodding reluctantly. “I found out about that the same time I found out about Olivia’s father,” she admitted. “I was given the same silencing spell, Little One. I couldn’t tell you anything. I tried my best to prepare you,” she sobbed.

  I glanced down at Livvie, who nodded behind her clasped hands. I moved to Grandma’s open arms, reveling in her comforting embrace. “The council is awful.”

  She nodded against me. then pulled back, “I know, Little One, I know. I tried to prepare you the best I could, but there’s really nothing that can do that. I would have never let you all go if there had been any other option. What did they say?”

  Livvie spoke up, standing and coming to my side. “I have to defeat Devlin and The Crimson Calamitous by my eighteenth birthday or they’re just going to let me die. And keep my mother,” she cried. I pulled her close, feeling her hand snake around my back. She sobbed against me, and I gently caressed her back, hoping to calm her.

  Grandma embraced us both. “Dear children, we will figure this out. Why don’t you all go rest and we’ll talk more later?”

  ###

  I led Livvie upstairs, walking past the bedroom she shared with Sadie and directed her to mine. I pulled her close, shutting and locking the door behind us before showering her with kisses. Starting at her forehead, I trailed my lips down her cheek, across her jaw, to her lips, where she eagerly waited, and back around the other way where I ended on her nose. She sighed against me, arching her body and opening her lips to invite me back in. I kissed her with more passion, sinking my hands into her soft skin, easily lifting her and carrying her to my bed. Her lips became more desperate as she nipped and pulled at my mouth. Our breathing was erratic as I lay her down, hovering over her as I kissed and sucked her smooth and sexy neck.

  She moaned beneath me, her hands inching under my shirt and caressing my abs. My breath hitched and I couldn’t move when she trailed her finger gently across the inside of the top of my jeans. “Livvie…”I growled.

  “Scott,” she said breathlessly. She pressed her lips to mine, showing me how much she wanted me. Her hands pulled and pushed my body into hers while her lips devoured my mouth. I felt myself losing control, the wonderfully dizzy feeling only Livvie could bring was taking over.

  I had to stop her. She was sad, grieving. I wanted her to enjoy our first time, for it to be special and everything it should be. I broke my lips away, set on telling her we must stop when she did the unthinkable.

  She snaked her nails up my back, tearing my shirt off in the process. The strangely erotic pain she caused set me on fire, inside and out. I knew she felt how much I wanted her, but the vixen writhing beneath me seemed to enjoy every second of it. She arched into me, hitching a leg around my waist and using it to pull me closer.

  “I want you, Scott,” she growled in my ear before taking it between her teeth and pulling.

  I placed both hands by her head, resting my weight there instead of her body. “And I want you, love. We can’t do this now, though. You know that,” I admitted sadly, kissing her nose.

  She nodded, her eyes still dark with desire and her hair sprayed out all around her on the bed. “I know. Your parents are in the house,” she giggled. Being the sexy kitten that she was, she traced lines up and down my chest, stopping at the top of my jeans. She did this over and over, driving me mad. I finally leapt off of her, grabbing my shirt in the process.

  “You…are going to be the death of me,” I laughed. The stricken look on her face made me realize what I’d said and the guilt was immediate. “I didn’t think, Livvie. I’m sorry.”

  “I know,” she said, smiling sadly. “I’m just worried about all of this.”

  I climbed in beside her, holding her body close as I covered us with my blanket. “We will figure something out. Let’s get some rest,” I urged. I played with the ends of her hair until she stilled, her breathing even. She looked so peaceful, like an angel, and I hoped she didn’t have bad dreams. I drifted off to sleep not long after, haunted by everything we were up against.

  Olivia

  I woke to Scott’s sweaty and jerking form beside me. His eyes were closed tightly, so he was asleep, but he was in an awful state. He snapped from side to side, his fists clenched at his sides. I moved just in time before he slammed one into the bed.

  “Scott,” I said, hoping to not startle him. I didn’t touch him. I wasn’t sure what he was going through in the dream, but it wasn’t good. “Scott,” I called a bit louder. His constant moving stopped, but his eyes remained closed. I inched my arm forward, gently shaking his shoulder.

  He popped to a sitting position, mumbling incoherently, and looked around the room with a wild gleam in his eyes.

  “Scott, it’s me, it’s Livvie,” I said, trying to get him to focus. “It’s ok, I’m here. You were dreaming,” I explained.

  His eyes focused. The wildness stayed, however, and he floored me with his words. “I just got a visit from The Crimson Calamitous. I know what Aiden is.”

  ###

  We rushed down the stairs, our feet unsteady beneath us. He still hadn’t told me anything, claiming he needed to only tell his tale once. From the disturbing way he woke me up, I imagined nothing good happened from his visit. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I grabbed his hand, pulling it to my chest. “Remember what you said before I fell asleep. It’s true. We’re all in this together.”

  He peered deeply into my eyes before nodding with uncertainty. “I know I have you,
Livvie,” he said, pulling me to him and resting his chin on my head. “This is going to be really difficult for us. The next few months won’t be easy.”

  I agreed, wrapping my arm around his back and leaning into him. “Let’s round everyone up.”

  We searched the rooms, finding his parents and Anna, but no Sadie, no Aiden, no Santos, and no Kyle. Where was my brother? He’d been suspiciously absent lately, and after the weird displays he did before we left, it frightened me. Scott still acted strangely. He was really shaken up from his dream, and it worried me. Why would he come to Scott? Was it just for torture?

  “Where are the others?” I asked Anna, who was making tea.

  “Sadie and Aiden went for a walk. Santos is out back and Kyle…I haven’t seen him, Liv. He’s been keeping to himself. The whole time you were gone, he stayed in one of the guest bedrooms.”

  I mulled it over, knowing I must confront him about what was going on. I sipped my tea, lost in my thoughts as I waited for everyone to return. Scott sat by my side, his eyes dazed and glossy with confusion…or fear. I couldn’t tell a difference anymore. I held his hand, letting his warmth and love comfort me for a little while.

  Sadie

  “Thank you for walking with me…I need time to think and not be bombarded, ya know?” Aiden said, his steps completely in tune with mine.

  How did he do that? “Yeah, I understand. I’m a little overwhelmed myself,” I sighed. And it was true. Everything that happened with the council and after came crashing down on me, causing me to not be able to rest. I was exhausted, desperately needing to sleep, but couldn’t. I’d walked downstairs for water when I ran into Aiden and he suggested a walk.

  So here we were. Dangerously close, hands almost touching, while walking through the neighborhood. We carried on in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Something about being with Aiden calmed me. I didn’t know if it was his witty humor, his charming personality, or some other factor I couldn’t quite place.

  We walked on, the setting sun still bright enough to light the world around us and give us some warmth. The large sweatshirt I pulled on hung like a tunic, the sleeves covering my hands. I couldn’t stop my gaze from pointing to Aiden, his dark hair tousled and one little section standing straight up in the air. His chin was lightly covered in stubble from where he hadn’t shaved in a few days. The ends of his locks that blew up and stayed there annoyed me, so I stopped, causing him to follow suit. I reached up, fixing it with my hand gently. He watched me with a desirous intensity, and grabbed hold of my wrist, pulling me closer.

  We stood, watching each other, getting lost in the other’s eyes, when we heard a scream a few blocks away. The tension broke, both of us facing in the direction of the sound. Aiden released me and sped off in the direction, with me pounding my feet on the sidewalk a few feet behind him.

  We arrived to a small grassy area behind the park. Empty this time of night, there was only a couple having a picnic in the area. And…Kyle? I stopped dead in my tracks, looking to Aiden in shock. “Is that…?”

  His mouth fell open, and he nodded. “Yeah.”

  Kyle had his back to us, facing off to the couple. He was growling, moving at an inhuman speed. I froze. Had he come unbound? Had something happened to him? He finally turned, sensing us, and his eyes were blood red. Aiden gasped, stepping in front of me.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed. I tried my best to maneuver around him, knowing we would need my powers to get him back to Grandma’s.

  “Trying to protect you,” he huffed, pushing my body behind his once again.

  I chuckled. It probably wasn’t the right time, considering, but I couldn’t stop. Aiden gave me a quick glance, his brows raising.

  “Aiden…you’re human. If anything, I need to protect you right now. Stop being so macho and move so I can subdue him,” I ordered.

  He listened, kind of, and allowed me to his side, where I called to Kyle. It was no use, he was blinded by blood thirst. He stalked the couple, who quivered and cried to each other. Yeah, it was scary, I get it, but come on.

  Kyle set his sights on me, his deep red eyes locked with mine, a deep, guttural growl sounding all around us. Aiden pulled me close, but I was quicker. I threw my hands out, controlling Kyle’s movements with my power. “Aiden, I need you to go over there and guide him,” I commanded, not breaking eye contact. I couldn’t lose focus or he would tear us both to shreds.

  “You want me to go over there?” he yelled, completely freaking out.

  “Calm down and do as I say. I won’t do anything to hurt you, you should know that by now,” I said, hoping my sincerity made him listen.

  He sighed heavily, then slowly made his way to Kyle, who was frozen and completely under my control. The couple was long gone, which I was thankful for, them leaving right after he refocused his attention. Aiden stepped closer, and I prayed I kept Kyle safe to be around until we got home.

  Aiden

  Liv’s brother was standing in front of us, eyes blood red, looking like he wanted to rip my heart out and have it for lunch. His eyes…completely red. No white, no pupil, just red. I shivered as I walked closer, hoping Sadie really had control of this situation.

  I thought Juniper’s eyes were freaky, but they were nothing compared to this.

  “What do I do?” I called. I refused to take my eyes off of him for a second. Not that it would matter, from the looks of things, he could out move me.

  “Just hold on to his arm and pull him with you to me. We have to get back but I have to be touching both of you,” she directed.

  Sighing, I mumbled a prayer and clamped my hand down on his arm, the shocking coldness of his skin freezing me to the bone. “He’s so cold,” I said. I started walking, gently guiding him and making him follow. I walked backwards. “Sade, tell me when to stop,” I said.

  I moved slowly. He cooperated, but his eyes were completely focused on Sadie. Not once did he blink. I got us to Sadie, holding him roughly as I waited for direction.

  “Aiden…I need you to grab ahold of both arms and hold him from the back. I can’t do both at once, so you’re going to have to hold him while I break eye contact for a split second and get us home. We’ll have help once we get there,” she said, her voice shaky.

  Oh, boy. This could easily turn into a complete disaster. I did as she directed, holding as tightly as my strength allowed, but knew it would be nothing compared to him. I had my suspicions he was a vampire, though I didn’t know how it happened.

  It was hard to believe this was my life now. Sorcerers, vampires, and crazy council members. I sighed, for the thousandth time today, and nodded to Sadie. She got as close as she could, took a deep breath, and broke contact.

  Scott

  I sat in the living room, listening to my parents drone on about saving Sebastian. I couldn’t help the anger and hatred I felt for him now. He’d kidnapped my girlfriend, for goodness sake, so what did they expect me to do? Give him a high five? I didn’t think so. I knew he was coming back for Aiden at any time, and I expected him to be coming for the rest of us, too. We had to find him and The Crimson Calamitous first.

  “Scott,” Mom said sternly. “Are you listening?”

  “No, Mom,” I admitted, shaking my head. “I don’t know what you want me to say. He wants us dead.”

  “He has to be brainwashed,” my dad interjected.

  “I don’t know, Dad, maybe, but I’m not going to sit back and try to reason with him if a repeat of Sadie’s party happens,” I said. Why were they being so dense?

  A crash in the kitchen, followed by a scream and a yell for help had me flying in there. I skidded to a stop, seeing Aiden lying in the floor, scrambling to get to his feet, Kyle frozen in place by my grandmother and Sadie, and Livvie staring in shock from the table. I rushed to her side, then glanced to Kyle and saw the reason for her widened eyes.

  Kyle was a vampire.

  “Grandma, what do we do?” I exclaimed, holding my hand out to help Aiden up. He
stood by my side, both of us ready to do whatever was necessary.

  “He’s hungry,” Sadie cracked. “He was trying to attack a couple in the park. He didn’t recognize us at all.”

  “How did you get him back?” I questioned, inspecting him closer. In a trance, he didn’t budge. I could see the deep red that took over his eyes, making him look menacing and evil.

  Aiden explained as he too inspected him, while rubbing his shoulder.

  “You ok?” I asked, nodding to his upper arm.

  He groaned, “I think he may have dislocated my shoulder.”

  “Let me heal you, it won’t be as bad as setting it,” I explained. I lay my hands on his wound, surging my power to heal him. He explained what happened, how they got here, while I worked. He only grimaced once, something I was thankful for. I turned back to Grandma, still standing in the same spot as she controlled Kyle, and asked, “What are we going to do with him?”

  She pursed her lips, letting out a heated breath. “We have to lock him up.”

  Livvie jumped to her feet, pushing the chair back loudly, “What? No!” she exclaimed.

  “Olivia, dear, he’s thirsty. He will kill us all,” Grandma explained, calmly but sternly.

  “My mother doesn’t hurt anyone,” she countered, moving to her brother’s side.

  “Well, your mother is in control. Kyle here is not. I think he’s come unbound, and it gradually changed him,” she continued, “I don’t know why it took so long, though. It may be because you came unbound,” she said, thinking out loud.

  “Where is he going?” she asked, her voice heavy with her sadness and guilt.