Midnight Blood (Born Immortal) (21 page)

     Shayna rolled her eyes, but, was a little flattered by his concern, “Whatever Aiden.” she said, leaning on the counter next to him, “So tell, me again, why, you’re doing this for me.”

     Aiden inched closer to her, he liked her sweet scent. “Shortly after you were born,” he said to her. “Your father came to me, and asked, that if anything were to happen to him, that I make sure you were safe from Changelings, and anything else seeking your blood. He also asked me to prepare you for your eternity,” Shayna felt Aiden’s cold arm on her’s, and goosebumps covered her body. “I promised him I would, and after I spread his ashes, I came to find you.” He said looking down at her. “That was when you started dreaming about me.”

     “Why didn’t you bring
me
his ashes?”

     “Because, if a vampires ashes are contained, and they get into the wrong hands, horrible things could be done. Especially with your
fathers
ashes.”

     Shayna accepted the answer, and asked, “Why doesn’t Cain enter my dreams like you? And, why would my father’s ashes be so special?”

     Aiden laughed, “Because Cain is weak!” he said. “He needs your blood, so he can have the ability to do things, that he can’t do now. He needs to change.” Aiden nudged Shayna’s with his elbow, “So if you’re done with all the questions, we need to figure out where I’m going to keep you Friday night.”

     “Where you’re going to keep me?” Shayna became defensive, “What are you talking about Aiden?”

     “I told you,” he said, and walked into the diningroom, Shayna followed. “I’m not letting you out of my sight, especially not Friday,” Aiden walked to the window that looked out at the backyard, brainstorming. “What about that prom, or ball thing, at your school? We could do that,” he looked at Shayna hopeful. “Those things usually go until around midnight, right?” he smiled mischeivously at Shayna, “What do you say?”

     Shayna laughed at him, “No.”

     Aiden looked disappointed, and asked, “Why?”

     “How the hell would I explain you to everyone?” Shayna said, shaking her head. “To my sister? To my mother?” she paused to think. “No.” she wouldn’t budge.

     “Tell them that I am Cain’s brother, and that Cain is out of town, and he asked me to take you, because he knows how much you want to go., Aiden folded his arms, he wouldn’t budge either.

     Shayna laughed, hard, at him, “That’s funny,” she walked back into the kitchen.

     “What?” he asked following her, “What’s so funny?”

     Shayna turned around to face him, “I have never gone to any of my school formal functions, and everyone knows, that I’m not going to. Why would I go now? With you?” she said smiling.

     “You changed your mind,” he said. His plan would go much smoothly if she agreed to go to the prom, with him. “It’s your senior year, you don’t want to miss it, remember?”

     “You do spy on me, don’t you?” she said, pointing an accusing finger at him,  remembering the conversation, that her and Melina had.

     “It will work,” he assured her, “Your sister will buy it at least.”

     “Shayna groaned in frustration. “Fine!” she barked. “If it makes you feel like you’re fulfilling my fathers wish, then, I’ll let you take me to the formal.”

     “I won’t bother you anymore after that, I promise,” he said, crossing his heart, but winking at her too.

     “Yeah right!”

Shayna had a feeling Aiden took the job her father gave him, more serious than he should.

     Aidens eyes suddenly widened, and Shayna and him both heard a board above them creak.

     Melina
.

     “You have to go,” Shayna said to Aiden, and pushed him toward the back door. She could hear the footsteps getting closer to the stairs. “Now!” she insisted. She opened the back door and pushed him out. “Sorry,” she told him. A mass of feathers erupted into the night sky, and Shayna closed the door, wondering how he had gotten in.

     She turned around, and walked out of the kitchen, just in time to meet Melina at the bottom of the stairs.

     “Who’s here?” Melina asked suspiciously.

     “No one,” Shayna answered, “It must have been the TV in the kitchen. Shayna started past her up the stairs, and Melina grabbed her arm, stopping her.

     “Where did you go earlier?” Melina questioned.

     “I went to Cain’s. I needed to talk to him,” Shayna said, and looked down at Melina’s hand, on her arm. She felt violated in a strange way.

     Melina let go of her arm, “And?” she asked curiously.

     Shayna smiled at her twin “And I’m going to the Winter Formal, like you said I should.” Shayna started up the stairs again, then stopped and looked back at Melina. “With his brother,” she added.

     “What?!” Melina blurted out, “Why not Cain, and who is his brother, and where is he?” She demanded.

     Her and Aiden, hadn’t worked out the details about him, Shayna had to think of something, fast.

     “Aiden is only visiting, he goes to college out of state. Cain will be out of town on Friday, so he asked Aiden to take me,” she told Melina, proud of herself for thinking up something, so fast, but disappointed in herself for lying.

     Growing more suspicious, Melina asked, “Can I meet him?”

     “Friday,” Shayna told her, “Goodnight.”

She quickly turned and rushed up the stairs, Melina stood at the bottom, her mind racing, wondering what in the hell was going on.

     Melina sat down in the same chair, she had sat in the previous time that she had met Noah in the library. She had sent him a text, telling him to meet her their. She arrived first and axiously waited for him.

     He strutted in, and pulled up the chair next to her, “Sup kiddo?” he tilted his fedora to greet her.

     Melina took in a deep breath, “Remember, I said Shayna said a boy’s name in her sleep?” Melina lowered her voice so she couldn’t be heard by the other students.

     Noah nodded his head and said, “I remember.”

     Melina felt like she was betraying her sister, but she knew something wasn’t right. “She is going to the formal, with Cain’s brother Aiden,” she said.

     Noah’s eyes grew large. “What?” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Aiden is the name she said in her sleep?”

     “Yeah,” Melina said, “It is.”

     They sat in silence for a moment, while Noah processed what Melina was telling him.

     “Shayna’s going to the formal?” he finally said. “That’s weird itself. What the hell is going on?” Noah leaned back in his chair, and put his hands behind his head.

     Melina chuckled flatly, “That’s what I keep wondering.”

     “I think I need to try to talk to her, maybe I can get something out of her.” he said to Melina, doubting that he could.

     “Good luck with that,” she told him, shaking her head, with the same doubt.

     “Somethings not right with this scenero,” a look of worry crossed Noah’s face. “I have a bad feeling about all of this. Where did these guys even come from?”

     “California?” Melina suggested, but wasn’t quite sure.

     Noah smiled at her, he had a thought, “I know what will get Shayna’s attention, you go, with
me,
to the formal.”

     “Why are we trying to get Shayna’s attention?” Melina asked dumbfounded, “How does that help?”

     “It helps me,” Noah said matter of fact, “Take
you
to the formal,” he crossed his arms in front of him, and sat looking at her, with a quirky grin.

     Melina thought about what Noah was suggesting, she wouldn’t tell him, but the thought of going with him,
had
crossed her mind. He was good looking, but socially, he wasn’t her type. What is my type? She asked herself.

     “Okay,” she said, “I’ll go with you.

Chapter 17

     Shayna barely made it through the next day at school, without Cain. She sat in their art class, staring at her portrait, in a daze. Ms. Olson stopped her after class and asked her if she was okay. Shayna smiled politely, and told her she was fine. She lied. She was not fine. She needed Cain to come back to her. She was becoming lost without him, and couldn’t believe that she had let Aiden talk her into going to the Winter Formal. Am I going crazy? She wondered.

     She sat on the porch swing alone. Both Melina and Sarah were at work, Cain was gone, and who knew where Aiden was. Shayna thought about what Aiden had said about Cain coming back for her blood. He could have it. She wanted Cain to have her blood. Maybe she shouldn’t be going along with Aiden’s charade. She thought. What was she doing?

     She thought about her birthday. She wished she knew what was going to happen to her. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be going anywhere other than her room for a while, after the fateful day. Especially if Cain didn’t return.

     Noah’s El Camino pulled up to the curb, and Shayna wasn’t surprised. His face had popped into her mind on and off through out the day, and she sensed he would be coming to see her. He walked up the steps, and sat on the swing next to her. Both sitting in silence, staring across the street. Shayna couldn’t take it any longer, she knew Noah had come over for a reason.

“What is it Noah? I know you didn’t come over, just to sit here with me.”

     Noah turned and looked at her. He could see what Cain and Aiden would want from her. She was gorgeous.

“What the hell is going on with you Shayna?” he asked glaring at her, “And don’t tell me ‘nothing’, you know I’m not stupid.”

     Shayna didn’t know how or where to start. If there was one person she wished she could tell her secrets to, it was Noah. But she didn’t think she could. She knew deep down that if she wanted to remain friends with him, that one day, she would have to tell him.

     She had to say it, she didn’t know what else
to
say, “Nothing. Melina and I talked the other day, and she said I should go to at least one formal before we graduate. So I asked Cain to take me.” Shayna wished the questions would stop, so that the lies would stop.

     “But Cain’s not taking you,” Noah pointed out.

     “No, he’s out of town, and Aiden’s visiting, so he asked him to take me,” she said sticking to the original lie.

     All Noah could do was look at her blankly, he knew he wasn’t going to get much more out of her, and it drove him crazy to know she was lying to his face.

     “Would you just  talk to me?” he pleaded with her. He couldn’t give up.

     Shayna closed her eyes briefly, and took in a deep breath. The air was chilly, and smelled sweet, “You wouldn’t understand Noah,” she said, with a soft sigh. “But, I promise, I’m fine.”

     “Maybe I would understand Shay,” he insisted, “Try me.”

     “Not now,” Shayna said.

     “When?” Noah was frustrated, “Why can’t you just tell me what is going on, and where
is
Cain, anyway?”

     “I wish it was that easy. Why is it such a big deal anyway?” Shayna was growing frustrated herself. All the interrogations from him and Melina were getting exhausting, “Just let it go Noah.”

     Noah stood up in a huff, “Dammit Shay! Your so stubborn,” he started off of the porch, “When you’re ready for me to understand, you know how to find me.”

     Shayna let Noah leave, and didn’t try to stop him. She wanted him to stay, and keep her company. But, not if he was only going to keep invading her buisiness. She hated distancing herself from him. He probably would understand. She thought, realizing that she
was
stubborn.

     The smell of bacon filling the house woke Shayna up out of another dreamless sleep. She loved when Sarah woke up early, and surprised her and Melina with breakfast.  Shayna quickly got dressed and went down stairs, but to her surprise Melina, was already gone.

     “Where’s Mel?” she asked Sarah, and sat down at the bar that seperated the kitchen from the diningroom.

     “She left early,” Sarah answered, and flipped the pancakes she was making, “I want to talk to you Shayna Marie.”

     Shayna rolled her eyes, leaned back in the bar stool, and crossed her arms, “Oh God, what?”

     “Shayna this is serious,” Sarah said, putting the pancakes on a plate, she brought them to the bar. “I know things are going to be different when you turn eighteen, but you still need to take your responsibilities serious,” she grabbed the bacon and eggs from the counter and brought them to the bar also. “When was the last time you went to the waterfall to draw?”

     Shayna was growing defensive, “There hasn’t been any snow,” she said, “I am trying to capture
all
of the seasons.”

     “Okay,” Sarah wasn’t done, “Did you get your transcripts?”

     “Yes.”

     Sarah raised an eyebrow, and put her hands on the counter, “Did you send them off?”

     Shayna looked down at her plate, and poured syrup on her pancakes.

“No,” she said quietly.

     “What about your History paper?” Sarah asked.

     Shayna jumped off the stool, “Crap!” she hadn’t finished the assignment. She grabbed the rest of the bacon off of her plate. “I have to go.”

     “You can take my car,” Sarah said, although she was disappointed in her daughter, “The keys are by the door.”

     Shayna sprinted for the livingroom.

     “Shayna!” Sarah called after her.

     Shayna stopped and looked at her mom.

     “This is
exactly
what I’m talking about,” she had a stern look on her face, and Shayna knew she was upset with her.

     “I get it mom. I’m sorry,” Shayna was embarassed. She grabbed her backpack, and her mothers keys, and left.

     Shayna had just finished wrapping up her History assignment in the school library, when she heard two familiar voices. Melina and Noah. She was shocked when she realized that they had come to library to discuss her, and if she could hear them, then other students might too. She stuffed her books into her backpack, stood up silently, and walked around to the other side of the bookshelf that seperated them. Melina’s eyes grew very large when they met Shayna’s.