Post by silent.lullaby on Jun 7, 2011 18:20:23 GMT -5
It was more than a week before my father would let me leave the house. Not because there was something wrong with me, not because he thought I would hunt someone down and drain them. No because my brother had been murdered.
I wanted to argue that my ‘house arrest’ was useless. Tobias had been shot in the kitchen, but I couldn’t bring myself to rub that in my father’s face. Thinking about it made me feel ill. I met up with Marlowe. She hugged me tight and we sat in the park, talked for hours and I felt normal, like I’d never been in the basement. She was careful though, topic choice wise. Made sure never to mention anything about the basement, the council or Calum. She also avoided the rumour about hunters, the death of my brother an the impending war.
When she went home I found myself walking, letting my feet lead. I found Zakia by the lake. “Long time.”
“I smelt you coming,” she patted the spot next to her. “I hoped you’d come. I didn’t want to push... incase...”
“I understand.” I sat next to her and she stiffened when I let my head lean against her shoulder.
“Have you seen the wolves lately?”
“No,” I reply quietly.
“I briefly seen Harmony a while ago...” Zakia wrung her hands.
“What is it?”
“She seems fine. But she admitted she worries. Three wolves have been murdered in their human states in the past few weeks leading up to your brothers murder.” My jaw clenched tightly and my hearts ached. Marlowe had tip-toed around the subject. Zakia kicked the subject in the face.
“Anyone I know.” Panic swelled inside of me. I hadn’t talked to Wolfgang or Hayden, hell I didn’t like Skyler but I didn’t wish him dead.
“No one I knew, so I doubt it. More wolves are moving to the area though, other packs. Safety in numbers. I hear that the council is calling all of the covenant leaders to plan tactics.” Zakia stiffened again before whispering. “Jacques is coming.”
“Bonjour! Oh! Aries! How are you hun?” He grabbed under my arms and pulled me to my feet, spun me around and he gave me a bone crushing hug. It was strange, the hug made me feel safe, loved instead of actually crushed. I leaned against him and hugged back. “It’s good to see you out again.”
“Good to be out again...” the daylight was fading from the sky, dusk was coming and my sight was getting better. “Dad doesn’t want me out after dark though. I got to go. It was good seeing you both again.”
I had lied a little, and when I walked away from them I felt a little guilty. I was sure my father didn’t want me out after dark, but I had one more place I had to visit.
***
“I heard the news.” Four simple word and his embrace - I think that’s when I finally felt it. The heart crushing grief. Sounds of agony ripped from my throat as I held onto him like if I let go I’d fall into the abyss.
“Toby’s dead. Toby’s dead.” I don’t know how many times I repeated it, but I think I was getting use to the fact that my big brother was gone. Gone for good. Vampires don’t deal with death well. Death of human friends, sure we understand and acknowledge that their life span is so much shorter, but vampire deaths... no we don’t get use to it. We’re so hard to kill, so when we actually do die... it really did come out of the blue. No one expected it to happen.
He held me for hours while I cried.
When I got home my father was gone. My mother was crying in the kitchen. Angelique was crying in the basement. I went and crawled into the coffin with my sister and let her cry against me. My eyes hurt from all the crying, they were red and scratchy but I felt the sorrow in my heart, felt the tears brimming anew. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” Angelique cried and beat her fists against my chest. “Why!?”
Why? Now that was a good question. So was who. And how did they know where to hit us? Was it another vampire? A rogue? A covenant gone off the principals of the council? Was it the hunters? Were there even hunters?
***
Michael swore as he paced in front of the council building. He caught sight of Calum and with his current rage he surprised himself by not attacking. “My condolences for your loss.”
Michael nodded and felt the anger slip away. “Condolences don’t bring my son back, I have no need for them.”
Calum nodded. “I take it from your cursing that the council didn’t see things your way?”
“They say it’s an isolated incident.”
“I heard that some of the packs have been having problems as well. Wolves being murdered in their human state.”
“Which they say is unrelated.”
Calum shook his head. “What will you do?”
“Look out for my covenant the best I can, and hope that the council comes to it’s senses.”
“I could try talking to my grandfather.”
“He was the only one on my side, he’s not the one that needs to be swayed. But thank you.” Michael turned and started walking only to stop. “One more thing. If you think I can’t tell that my own daughter has been sneaking out to see you, you’re both less intelligent then I pegged you to be. If I fail to take care of her...”
“I will,” Calum assured.
“Good.” And with that Michael’s shape disappeared into the night.
I wanted to argue that my ‘house arrest’ was useless. Tobias had been shot in the kitchen, but I couldn’t bring myself to rub that in my father’s face. Thinking about it made me feel ill. I met up with Marlowe. She hugged me tight and we sat in the park, talked for hours and I felt normal, like I’d never been in the basement. She was careful though, topic choice wise. Made sure never to mention anything about the basement, the council or Calum. She also avoided the rumour about hunters, the death of my brother an the impending war.
When she went home I found myself walking, letting my feet lead. I found Zakia by the lake. “Long time.”
“I smelt you coming,” she patted the spot next to her. “I hoped you’d come. I didn’t want to push... incase...”
“I understand.” I sat next to her and she stiffened when I let my head lean against her shoulder.
“Have you seen the wolves lately?”
“No,” I reply quietly.
“I briefly seen Harmony a while ago...” Zakia wrung her hands.
“What is it?”
“She seems fine. But she admitted she worries. Three wolves have been murdered in their human states in the past few weeks leading up to your brothers murder.” My jaw clenched tightly and my hearts ached. Marlowe had tip-toed around the subject. Zakia kicked the subject in the face.
“Anyone I know.” Panic swelled inside of me. I hadn’t talked to Wolfgang or Hayden, hell I didn’t like Skyler but I didn’t wish him dead.
“No one I knew, so I doubt it. More wolves are moving to the area though, other packs. Safety in numbers. I hear that the council is calling all of the covenant leaders to plan tactics.” Zakia stiffened again before whispering. “Jacques is coming.”
“Bonjour! Oh! Aries! How are you hun?” He grabbed under my arms and pulled me to my feet, spun me around and he gave me a bone crushing hug. It was strange, the hug made me feel safe, loved instead of actually crushed. I leaned against him and hugged back. “It’s good to see you out again.”
“Good to be out again...” the daylight was fading from the sky, dusk was coming and my sight was getting better. “Dad doesn’t want me out after dark though. I got to go. It was good seeing you both again.”
I had lied a little, and when I walked away from them I felt a little guilty. I was sure my father didn’t want me out after dark, but I had one more place I had to visit.
***
“I heard the news.” Four simple word and his embrace - I think that’s when I finally felt it. The heart crushing grief. Sounds of agony ripped from my throat as I held onto him like if I let go I’d fall into the abyss.
“Toby’s dead. Toby’s dead.” I don’t know how many times I repeated it, but I think I was getting use to the fact that my big brother was gone. Gone for good. Vampires don’t deal with death well. Death of human friends, sure we understand and acknowledge that their life span is so much shorter, but vampire deaths... no we don’t get use to it. We’re so hard to kill, so when we actually do die... it really did come out of the blue. No one expected it to happen.
He held me for hours while I cried.
When I got home my father was gone. My mother was crying in the kitchen. Angelique was crying in the basement. I went and crawled into the coffin with my sister and let her cry against me. My eyes hurt from all the crying, they were red and scratchy but I felt the sorrow in my heart, felt the tears brimming anew. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” Angelique cried and beat her fists against my chest. “Why!?”
Why? Now that was a good question. So was who. And how did they know where to hit us? Was it another vampire? A rogue? A covenant gone off the principals of the council? Was it the hunters? Were there even hunters?
***
Michael swore as he paced in front of the council building. He caught sight of Calum and with his current rage he surprised himself by not attacking. “My condolences for your loss.”
Michael nodded and felt the anger slip away. “Condolences don’t bring my son back, I have no need for them.”
Calum nodded. “I take it from your cursing that the council didn’t see things your way?”
“They say it’s an isolated incident.”
“I heard that some of the packs have been having problems as well. Wolves being murdered in their human state.”
“Which they say is unrelated.”
Calum shook his head. “What will you do?”
“Look out for my covenant the best I can, and hope that the council comes to it’s senses.”
“I could try talking to my grandfather.”
“He was the only one on my side, he’s not the one that needs to be swayed. But thank you.” Michael turned and started walking only to stop. “One more thing. If you think I can’t tell that my own daughter has been sneaking out to see you, you’re both less intelligent then I pegged you to be. If I fail to take care of her...”
“I will,” Calum assured.
“Good.” And with that Michael’s shape disappeared into the night.