Storm (Blood Haze: Book Two) A Paranormal Romance (15 page)

“I feel fine,” I responded. “Have you heard

about the Council meeting?”

“Yeah,” he nodded solemnly. “Alexi told us

about it. We’re all set to take you away if the

vote doesn’t go well.”

We sat down at the patio table, and Kai took

my hands in his.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“We don’t know,” he admitted. “Alexi has it

all planned. But he says his father can see the

future, so we’ll have to keep moving and make

only last minute decisions about where we’re

going so they can’t get there before we do. We

will have to stay one step ahead.”

“It seems like you and Max are getting along

really well with Alexi,” I noted.

“We have to,” he said. “He knows how to

protect you.”

“Kai, I’m really sorry I’ve gotten you involved

in all of this. You, Max, Jamie… you have

nothing to do with any of this.”

“There is nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said

gently. “Before I met you, my life was

completely meaningless. You’re the only thing

that makes me whole.”

I smiled weakly.

“I love you,” I told him.

“I love you, too,” he said, leaning over to

plant a gentle kiss on my lips.

A few minutes later, Alexi brought me a tray

full of food, including a sandwich, an apple, a

salad, and a Diet Coke.

“Roast beef,” I mumbled. “It’s my favorite.”

“I know,” Alexi said. “I’ve known you your

whole life, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I keep

forgetting you’ve been stalking me through your

dad for years.”

He laughed.

“Well, I wouldn’t put it that way,” he

chuckled. “Eat. You need your strength.”

I took a bite of the sandwich. It was just like I

liked it. The bread was soft white bread, the roast

beef was thick and juicy, and there was just a hint

of mustard for flavor.

“Good? Alexi asked.

“Yes, thank you,” I told him, and he smiled.

“I will leave you two alone,” he said, bowing

to me and backing toward the door.

“I don’t like him,” Kai muttered.

“Why not?” I asked.

“He thinks you two are destined to be

together,” he grumbled. “I’ve got news for him.

I’m not letting you go.”

I smiled.

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

*****

Chapter Ten – Sacrifice

Liam called Alexi early the next morning to

let him know the Council meeting would be held

at noon. None of us slept much. My mother and

Jamie had taken a nap around midnight, but they

were up before dawn, and Kai, Max, Alexi, and

Will had all spent the night strategizing in the

dining room.

Our bags were packed and ready in Alexi’s

huge black Guardian – an SUV designed to be

bulletproof and extraordinarily fast. I paced back

and forth, chewing my fingernails. I’d picked up

the habit of biting my fingernails from Jamie, and

oddly enough, she’d stopped doing it recently.

This was all so frustrating. Everyone I loved

was in danger, and it was all because of me.

Somehow, my actions had led up to this

calamitous chain of events – events that

threatened the lives of everyone I cared about. I

couldn’t keep putting them in danger.

What could I do? How could I possibly

remove myself from this equation and make sure

no one I cared about got hurt? If the Council

voted to kill me, everyone I loved was prepared

to risk their lives to save me. I couldn’t allow

that to happen. Not anymore.

The more I thought about it, the more I

realized there was only one option. While

everyone was discussing strategy, I quietly

slipped out of the dining room. I took one last

longing look back at everyone, and I headed

upstairs to Alexi’s room.

It wasn’t difficult to locate what I was looking

for. Alexi’s cell phone was resting on the table

beside the bed. I noticed he’d left it there after

Liam called that morning. For weeks, I had been

sleeping in Alexi’s big, soft bed while he slept

uncomfortably in a chair in the corner, guarding

over me. I woke up when Liam called, and I’d

noticed him place the phone on the table.

With shaky hands, I fiddled with the phone. I

found Liam’s number and dialed it.

“Alexi?” Liam answered.

“No, it’s Alice,” I said.

“Alice? What it is? Is something wrong?”

Liam asked.

“Sort of,” I explained. “I want you to come get

me.”

“What? Why?”

“I want to turn myself over to the Council.”

I was met with an awkward silence.

“Liam?” I asked.

“Did I hear you right?” he said at last. “You

want to turn yourself over to the Council?

Why?”

“Because I can’t keep putting the people I care

about in danger,” I told him. “Liam, I don’t want

to do that anymore. I’d rather just turn myself

over and be done with it.”

“You’d really sacrifice yourself for them?”

Liam asked.

“Of course,” I said, as if the answer was

obvious.

“Alice, you don’t know what you’re getting

yourself into,” he told me.

“I don’t care,” I responded. “I’ll do whatever it

takes to keep them all safe. Will you come get

me?”

“If that is truly what you wish, I will be there

in about twenty minutes,” Liam said. “Meet me

at the curb.”

“Thank you, Liam,” I said.

“Twenty minutes,” he said, and he hung up.

I went into the bathroom across the hall and

turned on the shower. I was hoping that anyone

who came looking for me would assume I was in

there and wouldn’t keep looking for me. I crept

down the stairs and snuck out the back door so

no one would see me, and then I went down to

the curb to wait for Liam. True to his word, he

pulled up in a shiny red sports car exactly when

he said he would.

“Alice,” he said, nodding at me.

“Liam,” I acknowledged, returning his nod.

“Are you
sure
you want to do this?” he asked.

I sighed, looking wistfully back toward the

dining room window where I knew everyone was

sitting and planning how to keep me safe.

I nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Liam shook his head and sighed.

“Alright, then.”

He shifted gears and sped off, while I looked

over my shoulder and fought back tears. I knew I

might never see any of them again.

A few minutes later, we pulled up at the gates

of a stately manor. Liam pushed a button on the

call box, and called his name when the guard

asked him to identify himself. There was a faint

buzzing sound, and the gates slowly opened.

Liam drove through the gates and parked right

outside the front door. He turned car off and his

hand hovered over the keys for a moment. He

looked at me.

“Last chance,” he said. “Is this really what you

want?”

“Liam, I have to,” I said sadly.

He nodded.

“Alright,” he said with a shrug. “Alexi’s going

to kill me, though.”

With that, he removed the keys and slid them

into his jacket pocket, and the two of us got out.

I followed him up the grand stairs to the landing,

and the huge front doors swung open.

“Master Liam,” acknowledged a man in a

tuxedo, bowing graciously.

Liam nodded once to him, and he walked

through the doors and into the enormous palatial

estate. We were standing inside a formal entrance

that looked like a huge hallway. Overhead I saw a

massive dome-shaped skylight. The sun streamed

in and illuminated the opulent room, where

towering palm trees flanked a giant waterfall at

the far end, and priceless works of art adorned

the walls. A long red carpet ran the length of

room, stopping just before the pool where the

waterfall flowed, and each dark paneled wall held

at least a half dozen wooden doors.

In a moment, we were greeted by a trio of

cloaked individuals. All of them wore the same

black cloaks as Liam and Alexi, but around their

necks, they had large red ribbons, which held

huge silver pendants with massive rubies set in

the center.

A slight woman with high cheekbones and

shocking golden eyes was in the front, and behind

her were two men, whose faces were hidden in

the shadows of their cloaks.

“Liam,” the woman spoke. “We weren’t

expecting you until noon.”

“Veronica, I have brought someone who

wishes to address the Council,” he said.

Veronica’s eyes burned into mine as she

analyzed

me.

It

made

me

exceedingly

uncomfortable, and I looked at the floor. She

kept staring at me for several more seconds, and I

grew more and more anxious.

“Wait here,” she said at last. “I will inform the

Council.”

The trio turned and walked down the long

hallway. They disappeared inside one of the

rooms. Liam stood motionless, and I followed

suit. We waited for just a minute or two, and

Veronica stepped out of a door down the

hallway. She motioned for us to come to her, so

we obliged.

We walked into the room, and were greeted by

the piercing eyes of more than a dozen vampires.

I could feel their stares burning into me, and I

shifted uncomfortably.

They all sat around a massive table, each of

them in a high-backed brown leather office chair.

At the head of the table sat a very old man. He

had his hood off, and his milky white hair hung

down to his shoulders. His skin was snowy

white, like Alexi’s, and his eyes were the same

incredible shade of violet.

“You must be Alice,” he said in an accent

similar to Alexi’s. “Please, come here and let me

have a look at you.”

I looked at Liam, and he nodded once to let

me know it was okay. Anxiously, I crossed the

large room and stood beside the man. He peered

at me with his head tilted sideways as though he

were trying to understand me.

“You are indeed as beautiful as I remember,”

he said.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I asked.

He chuckled.

“No, dear,” he said. “But I know you very

well. I believe you have now saved the lives of

both my sons.”

I felt my forehead wrinkle as I thought, and

then I realized that this was Alexi and Liam’s

father.

“Oh, it’s you,” I whispered.

“I am Barnabas Christakos,” he said. “You

may call me Elder Barnabas.”

“Alright,” I answered.

“Why have you come to see us, Alice?” he

asked.

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say, and I

stammered. “I… want to turn myself over to

you.”

Barnabas raised one eyebrow at me and tilted

his head the other way.

“Do you understand what that entails?” he

asked.

“N-no,” I admitted. “But I am aware that the

Council wishes my presence.”

He nodded. “That we do. You do not know

why?”

“I guess it has something to do with my

abilities?” I asked.

“That is but a small part of it,” Barnabas

stated. “But it is not yet time to reveal all of that

to you.”

“Why not?” I asked him.

“You are not ready,” he replied.

“When will I be ready?”

“In time,” he answered cryptically. “I cannot

be more specific.”

“I see.”

“I’m very glad you have come to us, Alice,”

Barnabas said. “In time, you will be a part of this

family. For now, please make yourself at home.

Liam can show you around the grounds.”

I turned to Liam and he beckoned me to

follow him.

“Oh, Liam?” Barnabas called.

“Yes, Father?”

“Please inform your brother that he is not to

have contact with young Alice until he hears

from me.”

“As you wish, Father,” Liam said, bowing

before him.

We left the room, and Liam led me past the

waterfall and down another long hallway, which

stretched out along the back wall of the grand

entrance hall. This opened up into a massive,

dimly lit library with dozens of tables and chairs.

Each table held a small lamp, which cast a subtle

golden light. The floor was carpeted in rich red,

and the bookshelves held thousands of books –

far more than even Alexi had.

“This is the library, of course,” Liam said.

“You will see to your studies here.”

“My studies?” I asked. “You mean I won’t be

going to school?”

“I’m afraid not,” he answered. “You won’t be

learning traditional subjects here. You’ll learn

how to hone your abilities in preparation for…

for whatever the Council wishes you to do.”

I followed him back toward the waterfall, and

we headed down the hallway on the opposite side

of the entrance hall. At the end of this hall, there

was a staircase leading up, and another

descending down through the floor.

“Upstairs is where your room will be,” he

said. “But for now, I need to show you