Blood Awakening (34 page)

“Maybe it is,” Erik said, “but it’s the only one we’ve got. There’s not enough time to think up anything else.”

I ran my hands through my hair, which had definitely seen better days. “This is so frustrating.” I took a page from Aldric’s How to Handle Stress handbook and began pacing, my shifting feet stirring up dust that was instantly carried away by the wind. “I should’ve listened to you and Sebastian, Aldric.”

“Sebastian?” Aldric practically fell over himself to get to me.

“Yeah. He said it was too dangerous to get tangled up with Zyris. You did, too. I’ve just been too stubborn to listen.”

“Ava.” Aldric took me by the shoulders and turned me to face him. “I need you to tell me everything Sebastian said to you about Zyris.”

“What? Why?” I had to admit, he was scaring me a little.

“He can’t be trusted, Ava. Ever.”

“You think I don’t know that?” I squirmed from beneath his hands. “I know how evil he is, Aldric, remember?”

“Of course I do. I was there, too.” A dark sadness filled his eyes. “But there are things about Sebastian you have yet to learn.”

“Really? It’s hard to believe he’s worse than my imagination makes him out to be.”

“Believe it.” He was looking at me but not looking at me, his thoughts elsewhere. “I’ve been all over the world in my lifetime, Ava. I’ve encountered countless people—both living and unliving—who were lethal.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “Get to the point, please.”

“Of all those monsters, those who killed for pleasure…Sebastian is worse than any I’ve known.” His eyes focused on me again. “That’s my point.”

“Okay, I get it. He’s pure evil. The devil with fangs.”

“Make jokes if you must, Ava. But be warned that trusting him, in any capacity, is very foolish.”

“I’ve already told you, I don’t trust him. I’ll never trust him.”

“Good. But I still need to know what he said about her.”

“It’s more what he didn’t say. I got the feeling that he and Zyris both want the same thing.”

“They did.” I watched as he took a page from that same handbook and started pacing. It was creepy, because it was the first time I realized that I probably looked the same way when I did it. “Zyris felt that Sebastian was wasting too much time putting their plan into motion, however.”

“Yeah, he told me that. Apparently she was ready, he wasn’t, I guess.”

More pacing; I was starting to get dizzy again. “Zyris was unhinged, even back then. She was too desperate to set their plan in motion. Sebastian felt they needed to wait.”

“Aldric, I know all this already. What does any of it have to do with what they’re up to now?”

“I don’t know, yet. But it can’t be good. Not when it comes to Sebastian.”

“Now that’s not a very nice thing to say about an old friend.” Sebastian’s words halted Aldric’s stroll down memory lane as he appeared through the shadows like an undead ninja.

C
HANCE ENCOUNTER

J
esus!” I yelled, jumping back as Sebastian stepped out into the open. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Forgive me, Ava,” he said with a creepy smile. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“Just a bonus, I suppose?” Aldric said, seeming overly tense, even for him.

“You know me too well, Aldric.” Sebastian stood in front of his “friend.” I could see the history between them, love and hate mixing with a growing indifference.

“A few centuries helps with that.”

“Yes, well, some things have changed over the last one, haven’t they?”

“Hmm.”

“What are you doing here, Sebastian?” I asked. “You’re not really my favorite person right now.”

“Be that as it may, Ava,” he turned his attention to me, “I’m afraid that you must endure my presence a bit longer. At least until this little transaction is finalized.”

“What?”

“Why are you involved in this ‘little transaction,’ Sebastian?” Though it was difficult to see, there was fear on Aldric’s face—which didn’t help quell my own anxiety.

“Oh, I think you know, friend.” I watched Aldric’s face as Sebastian spoke. I had gotten pretty good at reading his expressions over the time I had known him. And right now? He was definitely hiding something.

“Why don’t you share with the rest of the class?” Erik said. He was standing behind me with Lacey and Kayla, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked calm and disinterested, but I knew him; being this close to Sebastian had to have been driving him insane with rage. I felt bad for him, for Lila’s unnecessary death. I said a silent prayer that he would stay calm and not do something stupid that could get us all killed.

“In due time, young man,” Sebastian said. “Everything will be brought to light soon enough.”

“Speaking of due time,” I said, stepping between him and Aldric, “can we get on with this, please?”

“A wonderful idea.” Zyris emerged from the darkness just as Sebastian had done. I probably would have jumped again, had it not been for who followed her out of the shadows.

“Chance? Are you okay?” I wanted to rush over to him, to make sure that he hadn’t been hurt, but I didn’t. The entire scenario was eerily similar to that night in the clearing. I felt as helpless as I did then.

“He is perfectly fine, Ava.” Zyris joined me in the middle of everyone else. “No need for your concern.”

“I’d like to hear it from him.” I stared her down. I was scared, but no way was I backing down.

Zyris smiled. “Of course.” Her eyes still on me, that unnerving smile still on her face, she spoke to Chance. “Mr. Caldon, would you mind telling everyone how you are?”

“I’m fine, Ava.” He didn’t look at me when he said it, but I looked at him. He was several yards away, the river and towering skyscrapers of New York at his back, a couple of Zyris’s walking-dead henchmen flanking him. I could clearly see his face in the moonlight, his eyes a bright gold mixed with their normal, human jade. In all appearances, he looked the same.

But I knew he wasn’t.

There was nothing behind his eyes. No emotion, no soul. He was staring straight ahead, watching Zyris like a hawk. She did something to him, somehow. It wasn’t Chance. At least, not the one I remembered—human or vampire. Seeing him like that scared me more than anything.

“Thank you, Mr. Caldon,” Zyris said. “As I said, and as you yourself can see, he is perfectly fine.”

“You call that fine?” I gestured toward Chance, the vampire inside of me fighting for release. “What did you do to him?”

“She didn’t do anything to me, Ava.” Finally Chance looked at me, his haunting eyes making me uncomfortable. “I’m fine.”

“You can’t lie to me, Chance Caldon. I know you too well.” That was a lie. I honestly had no idea who he was now. I couldn’t swear that Zyris had actually done something to him, or if he was just becoming more and more comfortable being a soulless monster.

“You used to.” There was no inflection, no emotion in his words. It was something Vampire Chance would say.

“I still do.” I took a few steps in his direction. The vampire guards inched closer to him, so I stopped.

“I believe you are close enough for conversation, Ava,” Zyris said.

I wanted to tell her to mind her own business, to go away and leave us all alone, but I was too worried about Chance to waste more time. “What did she do to you, Chance?” It hurt not being able to go to him, to hug him and tell him that I still loved him. “And please stop saying she didn’t do anything. Because I know you’re lying.”

“Fine,” he said, “I won’t say it. But it’s the truth. Whether you believe it or not, it’s the truth.” He was staring me down as he spoke, but I had never felt farther away from him.

“I’m here to help you.” I was fighting back tears with every word. “I’m here to take you home.”

“I am home.”

No way I heard him right. “What?”

“I said, I’m home, Ava. I’m home. This is where I should be.”

“No, you’re not. This is not where you should be.” I couldn’t stop the tears, which only made me angrier. “She’s tricked you, Chance. Or brainwashed you or something. She’s made you think that you belong with her.”

“No.” His features were hard, the muscles of his face and neck tense and bulging. “I know this is where I belong.” He finally stepped toward me. “I’m a vampire now, Ava. I’m not part of your world anymore.”

“I’m a vampire, too, Chance. I’m a part of this world. And so are you.”

“No, you’re not, Ava. I wish you were, believe me. I wish you wanted to be with me, really be with me, forever.” I wiped tears from my cheeks, unable to speak I was in such shock. “But you turned me down, remember?”

“I didn’t, Chance. I didn’t turn you down.”

“You didn’t say yes. It’s the same thing.”

“No it’s not.”

“Then why won’t you come be with me? With us?” His face lit up, a light returning to his eyes, though not the same as before. “It’s amazing, Ava. Since this happened to me, I’ve felt out of place, like I should have died that night in the woods.”

“Don’t say that, please.”

“It’s true, I should have.” He moved even closer to me, close enough that I could almost reach out and touch him. “But I didn’t.” His expression changed. “I was reborn, Ava. Reborn into a world where I am finally accepted, where I don’t have to hide what I really am.”

“How can you say that, Chance? You have to hide what you are from everybody.”

“Not here, I don’t. I can be myself. It’s an amazing feeling.”

I shook my head, refusing to listen to any more. “You’re not thinking straight.” I cut my eyes at Zyris. “I don’t know how, but I know she got to you.”

“Could you two save the After-School Special for later?” Lacey said. “I really don’t wanna be out here all night.”

Zyris took a deep breath, smiled and turned to Lacey. “An excellent idea,” she said. She focused in on Lacey, her eyes swirling; I knew she could smell her blood. “Perhaps you would care to join me, human?”

Lacey stammered. “Um, I, ah—”

“—stay the hell away from her.” I moved between them, ignoring the sweet scent that Zyris was after. “You’ve done enough damage.”

Zyris laughed. “It must be so exhausting being you, Ava.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You spend all your time either protecting these unworthy humans…or resisting the life you are clearly meant for.”

“I’m living the life I’m meant for.”

She laughed. “You are living a lie, Ava. A lie that has been told for far too long.”

“Zyris.” Aldric’s voice tore through the mounting tension.

Zyris glared at me before turning to him. “Hello, Aldric. It really is wonderful seeing you again after all this time.”

Aldric remained stoic. “Why are you doing this?’

Zyris walked over to him. “It’s wonderful to see you again.” She stepped close to him and lifted her hand toward his face; Aldric took a step back. Zyris seemed uncomfortable, even sad. I smiled.

“Why are you here now?” Aldric asked, briefly looking away from her. “After all this time. What is it you want?”

“The same thing I have always wanted,” she said, walking away from him. “To take our rightful place at the top.” She crossed the open space and stood by Sebastian. “It is what we both have always wanted.” Sebastian smiled.

“Oh my God.” Realization began to set in, and I looked at Sebastian in shock. “You used me.”

Sebastian grinned.

“Ava, what are you talking about?” Erik came up next to me and grabbed my arm.

I didn’t acknowledge him, my mind still too numb. I kept my eyes glued to Sebastian and that evil smirk on his face. “He played me. Us. To get us to come here tonight.”

“What?” Erik’s hand squeezed my arm tighter when I didn’t answer. “Ava?”

“He’s working with her.”

Erik slowly let go of my arm. “He’s what?”

“I knew it was a mistake getting mixed up with him,” Kayla said, joining us. “I tried to tell you not to trust him, Ava.”

I ignored her I-told-you-so tone. “Why, Sebastian? What is it you want from me?”

Sebastian looked to Zyris, something unspoken between them, before looking at me. “You mean, you still don’t know the truth?” I had no idea what truth he was talking about. “Honestly, Aldric, I thought by now you would have filled her in on all that is going on.”

“Shut up, Sebastian,” Aldric said.

“Dearest Aldric,” Zyris said, a tsk tsk in her voice. “That is no way to speak to your Creator.”

“Your…Creator?” I asked, turning to Aldric. He wouldn’t look at me, his eyes burning gold and staring down Sebastian and Zyris. “Aldric?” He slowly turned his head toward me. “You never told me…Sebastian? Sebastian is the one who made you this way?”

“It’s irrelevant,” he said, his words forced. “Knowing that would serve no purpose to you, Ava.”

“Perhaps,” Sebastian said. “But knowing the truth about who she is certainly might.”

“What truth?” My stomach was doing somersaults, anxiety and fear fighting to cripple me. I was terrified of the truth Sebastian—and apparently Aldric—was keeping from me, but I also was desperate to hear it, no matter how bad the revelation. I wanted answers to my life, to the life I once had. And I knew they had them. “Tell me, Sebastian,” I went on. “What truth? What are you not telling me?”

“It isn’t me who is keeping things from you, Ava. I have wanted all along for you to know the truth. Well, since I discovered you existed, that is.” He cut his eyes at Aldric. “You are not the only one he has kept things from, I’m afraid.”

My head started pounding again, burning with blinding pain. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers into my temples, hoping to ease the intense pressure. “I don’t understand what’s going on here,” I said. “I can’t handle this.”

“This needs to stop.” Erik wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. I finally opened my eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust to the dull throb of pain still coursing through my head. “Whatever truth it is you think she needs to know, it can wait.” He squeezed me tight against his chest. “Let’s just get this over with so we can get the hell away from you.”

“Such rudeness for such a beautiful human,” Zyris said, smiling at Erik. “I must admit that I am not particularly drawn to such a mediocre species, but you are…quite impressive.” She took a slow, deep breath and smiled. “Inside and out.”