The Awakening: A Witch-Vampire Romance: Feel the Heat. (15 page)

Jaxx
is shaking his head no at me. So I lie.

“No, honey, I haven’t. Why, what’s wrong,” I try to sound calm, but there is a tremor in my voice.

“I came to visit
her early this morning, hoping to catch her awake before they doped her up on pain meds and the whole floor was in an uproar. She’s gone Ells. No one knows where she is. If she left on her own, or if someone has taken her. Her parents are freaking the hell out.”

“What
do they think happened? Was anyone hurt,” I ask this thinking about the nurse that Jessa had nibbled on.

“No. No one was hurt. They just don’t know where she
is. She has just vanished. Disappeared. The cops are swarming and asking questions. They think it was foul play because of the nature of her accident.”

“Fuck
,” I breathe out. That’s the only response I can think of.

“Baby boy
, we will find her. I promise. They couldn’t have taken her far. If someone actually did take her, you know how Jessa is. She probably woke up mad as hell, knowing that Sabrina caused this shit. She’s probably on her way to her house to kick her ass. Even if she is limping and hurt,” I chuckle, wishing that was the truth of it.

“You’re probably right. She’
s a tough little munchkin. Okay, I have to go. The police want to talk to me again. Don’t be surprised if they want to talk to you too sometime today. Please call me if you hear from her. And I will do the same. Love you!” He drops the call quickly.

I thro
w my phone against the wall opposite me. It shatters from the strength of my anger. I look from Jaxx to Gavin then behind them. The pictures on the walls start to sway and the house’s foundation rumbles.

“WHERE THE FUCK IS HE,” I scream at the top of my lungs.             

“Calm yourself
, Ella. I’m not Jaxx and I’m not going to placate you like a child. I’m your brother, your blood. I know anger like you can’t even imagine. I know for a fact that you can control this shit.”

Jaxx looks
like he is about to pummel Gavin for that remark, but I hold up my hand when he starts to move in my brother’s direction. I take a couple of deep breaths and calm myself. Yeah. I’m strong. Stronger than the temper fluctuations, but I am newer to this world than Gavin is. He just basically called me a spoiled brat.

Fuck that
.

He might know anger
, but he doesn’t know me. Not yet.

I st
and slowly and turn toward Gavin. I fling out my hands and push all of my anger over Jessa and all of my hurt and betrayal of what he just said to me and send it traveling toward him. Green lightening shoots from my palms. He is thrown through the window at the back end of the hallway. The only reason he doesn’t tumble toward the earth is because Jaxx grabs him before he clears the window itself.

“Fuck you
, Gavin,” I tell him, staring at his slumped, still form.

“Twin my ass. You have no idea who
I am. What I’m feeling or thinking. You are a stranger to me, blood or no. I found out I was a True two fucking days ago! So shove your sanctimonious bullshit up your twat and wallow in it!”

I storm
to the staircase that leads up to the third floor, determined to find Sebastian on my own and give him a piece of my immaturity also. As I round the corner, I shoot another bolt of energy at Gavin as he is pulling himself to his feet. His shirt is a smoking, charred mess. I aim this bolt for a body part farther south. He dodges it in the nick of time. More’s the pity.
Prick
.

I sprint
up the stairs and find the entire floor empty. I scream and drop to my knees in pain, ripping at my hair. Jessa.

My sister
.

I let this happen. The fucker that
was supposed to care and love her is nowhere to be found. Everything that has happened to her is on me. When I raise my eyes from the floor, Jaxx is standing at the top of the staircase as if he is scared of me. Or doesn’t know what to make of me.

“I just talked to Seb
astian on his cell. He is with Jessa. He found her wandering around the wooded section of the hospital grounds. He is explaining everything to her,” Jaxx tells me quietly.

I look up at him with so much hurt in my eyes
, he flinches.

“He was supposed to be there, Jaxx. He
promised
me. He said it was his duty and honor. That she was his now. Like I’m yours. Like you are mine. I would have never let you wake up like that. Confused and…and…”

He cut
s me off, jerking me to him.

“No. You wouldn’t have. And n
either would he have if he wasn’t searching in vain for Sabrina. She has gone off the grid. She is still out there and a very big problem,” his voice says into my neck as he pulls me closer still.

I fe
el some of my anger leak out of me.

“What are we going to do about her parents and Devon?”

“I don’t know
, little raven. That will be up to her to decide. In the meantime you need to call her parents and tell them that she texted you and told you that she needed time to think or some shit. Make up something they will believe. You know them,” his voice is calming again. I am beginning to think that my trigger temper scares him a bit.

“Not very well,
” I grumble, sulking now.

I j
ust blasted my brother, lost one of my best friends for God knows how long, and now I have to lie to the police and said best friend’s parents.

This morning rocks. Ugh.

I call Jessa’s parents house using Jaxx’s phone and thankfully get her mom. I tell her that I got a text from Jessa telling me that she is going off to figure her shit out. That she will be in contact when she is able to. I tell her mom that I think she is scared of whoever fucked with her car. Which is a bold-ass lie, but she buys it. Next I call Devon.

“Baby boy?”

“Ells, have you heard from her?”

“She texted me, said she was going to go figure shit out. She wouldn’t listen to reason, Dev. I think she’s scared about Sabrina. The accident got to her,” I lie my ass off.

“Bullshit, Ells! She wouldn’t do that! Why are you lying?”

“Devon-” I start.

“
Shut up! I can’t believe you’re lying to me!” He hangs up the phone.

Another best friend down. None to go. Go me!

Jaxx can tell that I am miserable and tries to cheer me up in various ways, but nothing works.

“I just want to go to my uncle’s house and get some of my shit. I want to get out of here for a while. I want you to start training me” I tell him in a sullen voice.

“What are you going to
do about Gavin?”

“Not a damn thing. He can sulk in his room until we are packed but he
is coming with me. He is the only family I have and I am keeping him, whether I like him right now or not.”

Jaxx chuckle
s at that.

“Is there a place we can go where you can train me? I want to ge
t in control of myself. Gavin is right about that. Every time I get pissy I can’t cause an earthquake.”

“I know of a secluded cabin. Let me make some calls
,” his voice is off. But I ignore it.

“Okay
,” I sigh. “Thank you so much!!” I jump him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his hips.

He growls
. “Welcome,” he says and I smirk at him as he lets me down.

I decide
I had better hash it out with Gavin. He is my brother and he’s had a hard life, probably much worse than I’ve had. He has most of the same gifts as I do. I want him to help Jaxx train me since Sebastian is on my shit list and better be occupied, but that isn’t the only reason why I want him with me. I love him. He is my other half.

I k
nock on his door, but there isn’t any kind of answer so I just walk in.

“Gah
,” he yells at me as he wraps a towel back around his hips. He must have just gotten out of the shower.

“I knocked
,” I shrug at him, walking over to his bed and sitting down.

“Knock harder
.” He starts to dig through his duffle, still holding his towel tightly closed.

“I want you to come with me and Jaxx to a cabin he
knows about. I need you to help me train. You were right about my control,” I tell him grudgingly.

He looks
at me slack-jawed.

“Hey! I can admit when I
am wrong about some things.” I shrug once more and start to pick at my nail beds. A nervous habit.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I
seem to set you off.”

I look at him fully. Eyes to eyes. Soul to Soul.

“Gavin, I was wrong to try and hurt you. You were just trying to help. I love you. I know that I don’t show it well. Maybe I don’t say it enough either, but the truth is, you are the second most important person in the world to me, Jaxx being the first, of course.”

When he doesn’t answer me, j
ust stands there staring at me, trying to read my intent, I frown.

“Come here
, I want to try something,” he beckons. I walk over to him and he takes my hands.

“Here
, press your palms to mine.” I press my palms to his.

“Now close your eyes and think of nothing. Just clear your head of thoughts.” I close my eyes and blank out everything around me.
“Now I want you to think about me. Nothing, but me.”

I
do as he asked and think of Gavin. How I felt when I first saw him, the mirror of myself. How I felt when I saw the sadness and loneliness in his eyes that mirrored mine. I think about how happy I am to have someone that is mine. And mine alone. That will never leave me. That no one can take away from me. He is my soul twin. My blood. My brother. My only family. I think about how he annoys me and makes me smile with his snarky remarks. I also think about the deep welling of love I have for him that will never run dry. I open my eyes and see that he has tears running silently down his cheeks.

“I see you Gavin. I see all of you. And I want you in my life. I will love you eternally no matter what,” my voice cracks.

“Even
if I kill someone,” he chuckles like he is joking, but I think maybe he isn’t.

“I’ll bring the shovel.” I smile
, throw myself into him and hug him to me tightly.

“Okay okay,”
he laughs, shoving me off.

“Get out before you see more than I want you to,”
he laughs, trying to get his emotions back under lock and key.

“So you will come with us?”
Hope has to be shining like beacons from my eyes.

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”

I turn and leave him to get dressed, feeling lighter than I have all morning. I find Jaxx in the kitchen finishing his call.

“Did you get everything worked out
,” I ask him as I walk into his arms.

He kisses
me on the forehead.

“Yes,
I’m going to rent a secluded cabin from a member of my clan.”

I pull back and look into his eyes. They are troubled.

“What’s wrong? And when do I get to meet your clan? You’ve met my family. Well, what I call my family.”

“That’s the problem
. They want to meet you.
Badly.
They are anxious.”

“That’s a problem why?” I
try to pull back. To pull away from him…

Is he ashamed of me?

“I know what you are thinking
, and it isn’t that. They are a ruthless, but honorable, clan. They will test you when they meet you. And you are not ready. I need more time to train you.”

“Then I guess it
is a good thing I want to get the fuck out of here for a bit.”

“Yes,
pretty eyes. It is.” He pulls me tighter against him once more.

He still looks
troubled. I try not to worry about it. I am strong, stronger than most Trues, according to Seb. Gavin comes down the stairs with his duffle over his shoulder, ready to hit the road.

“Are we
all riding together or can I take my bike,” Gavin asks Jaxx.

“I wish I could take my bike
,” I grumble.

“Your bike will be ready in about a week
, pretty eyes. And I figured we could all take the Lexus. Safety in numbers.”

Gavin ca
tches my look. He glances at Jaxx and notices that he is worried about something as well.

“Well
, get your ass packed so I can go to my uncle’s and get the shit I need.” I slap Jaxx on his ass on his way out of the room.

“What has him up in arms
,” Gavin asks me.

“He said he was wigging because his clan wants to meet me. That they are ruthless and will want to test me or some shit. Maybe they want to make sure
I’m good enough for him.”