Uprising

Chapter 15

I vanished back up to my room as I sat looking out the window with my hand holding on tightly to my pendant that Cordelia had given me when I'd left the house as protection from whatever was going to happen after I'd left. I sat spaced out, looking out the window, as I thought about Cordelia's words about her sister, my mother. She's dead. Had Cordelia known all this time and not told me? Why hadn't she told me? Had it been to spare my feelings so that I could hope that she was alive and so that I could carry on?

I closed my eyes and let out my breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I needed answers and regardless of how hard I knew the conversation was going to be with Cordelia, I knew I needed to have it. I needed to have peace, move on, and maybe grieve if that's what I needed.

A knock on the door made me open my eyes and I looked up to see Jake standing at my door watching me. I had no clue how long he'd been watching me and the idea of him standing there for a while put me on edge.

"Umm, I just came to apologise for speaking like that with you right there and also for the way I spoke to you earlier and my attitude towards you."

"Don't worry about it. Cordelia has a way of shifting the conversation in the direction she wants it to go and also shifting it around what she wants to talk about." I couldn't help but laugh a little. "As for earlier... I get it." I looked at him seriously. "You felt betrayed that you were left out of the loop, even though there isn't much of a loop as I'm left out of it too."

"Can I come in?" I noticed the way he'd seemed shy to ask me if he could come in, which made me laugh and smile a little.

"Sure." I shrugged as he walked in, shutting the door behind him as if he were giving us privacy. "You do know in this house there's no such thing as privacy, except for your thoughts." I laughed.

"Oh, I know that feeling at the hunter's house." He laughed and sat on my chair near my desk. "I'm sorry if my comment came off a little cold about wanting to keep you safe for Eric's sake."

"It's fine." I told him. "We had an agreement at the end of the day. The agreement was that we'd tolerate each other for his sake when our paths crossed. It just seemed that this time we'd not been expecting it as there had been no warning signs from either side." I rubbed my arm a little, feeling bad at my comment, but I knew he'd understand what I was getting at, as clearly he'd felt the same way. We were trying to be friends for Eric's sake, not for our own sake.

"Yeah, I certainly wasn't expecting to run into you today." Jake seemed to run his hand through his hair. "So if you don't mind me asking, how long have you lived with Cordelia and is that how you know of Mirror's Edge? I mean, last night I assumed that you knew of it because of your vampire lord, but now I get the feeling it's Cordelia."

I glanced out the window again, thinking back to that day at Mirror's Edge. I had no plans on telling him the truth about the matter. Telling the truth only gets me hurt. I turned back to Jake again and looked at him. "My family lived in Mirror's Edge and served as servants to Cordelia's sister." I decided to be loose with the truth; after all, he'd never know if I was telling the truth or not. "My family never escaped the fire. I was lucky; I was out of the house when the fire broke out and Cordelia came and found me and she took me in." I told him simply. Smooth with the truth there...

I noticed Jake frown and then look at me as if he wasn't going to argue with me about it. "I'm sorry to hear about that. Did you know Cordelia's sister and niece well?"

"Very. Her sister was nothing but kind to me, treated us all well and even let me play with her daughter." I gave a little smile as if I were remembering a memory, when I knew deep down I wanted nothing more than to cry from remembering my mum.

"You look like you want to cry, want to talk about something else?" I simply gave Jake a nod while I tried to keep my composure and looked around to keep it all together, despite the fact that I clearly wasn't. I didn't feel half as put together as the act I was doing was making me appear to be.

"Why did you come?" I asked him in hopes that he'd want to tell me that much. "I mean, I did ask earlier but you seemed wrapped up in the revelation you had about me."

"Yeah, sorry about that too." He ran his hand through his hair again and laughed. "I guessed because everything was starting to make sense. I blurted that out rather than answering your question." He laughed. "I mean, I came to warn her about those people and then I couldn't help but let my curiosity get the better of me and I had to ask her about you to see if she knew where you lived or something so I could talk to you and apologise for earlier and I'd hoped she'd clear up why Eric was so protective... But I understand now." He laughed a little. "He's always had a soft spot for those in need."

I couldn't help but laugh and agree with him, as I knew that was Eric too. All he wanted to do was make everything better for everyone all the time, and he'd do that anyway he could, either as a friend, as a hunter, or whatever else he needed to be.

"Umm, I guess I should get going as I don't want to keep you from whatever it is you want to talk to Cordelia about and I still have to solve my mystery of who will be my last victim despite the fact that I feel like it's going to be Cordelia."

"You made that sound like you were about to kill someone." I couldn't help but laugh again.

"I promise you, I'm not about to kill anyone, unless they are the bad guy and I've been told to kill them." He laughed again, lightly. "Isabelle, can I give you something?"

"Depends what it is." I was a little unsure of where this conversation was going to go.

"Nothing bad, I don't think..." He seemed to tap his chin as if thinking over his next words carefully before he said them. "Nope, it's nothing bad, just my number in case you want to talk or if anything happens and your fed up with your usual friendly hunter who comes to your rescue."

"Sure. There's some paper on my desk behind you and a pen somewhere; help yourself and I'll add you to my contacts." I watched as his face lit up a little at the idea of me having his number. I wasn't sure what was going through his head, but I certainly hadn't promised I'd call him and I had no plans in the slightest to call him regardless of what happened.

Jake went rumaging on the desk and found the pen and paper as Hex came walking back in and jumped on my lap. I sat scratching his head as he curled up. I glanced up to see Jake scribbling his number down for me and then leaving it on the desk. "I mean it, Isabelle; if you need anything, call me, and I'll do what I can to help you."

"Thank you." I told him quietly as he got up, walked to the door and opened it.

"Oh, by the way, let's not tell Eric about that. I don't want him to get upset that he thinks I'm moving in on you. I promise, it's not to flirt or anything with you." I shook my head and laughed quietly.

"My lips are sealed." I told him with a grin. "Drive safe, Jake, and good luck with your work. I hope you find the answers you are looking for and who is going to be killed next." Jake looked at me as if he wanted to say something, but I could see the hesitation in his face as he shook his head and walked out of my room. I heard his footsteps down the hallway and then down the stairs. After that, I lost track of his steps as the smile slipped away from my face and I took a slow, deep breath. Just what was Jake Blackwell up to? I had no clue and honestly, I hadn't really wanted to find out either; I needed my own answers as much as he needed his own.

I listened for the door closing and then got up, making Hex jump out of my lap and run across the room and through the door. He'd get out of his bad mood with me eventually, but for now, Cordelia had her next appointment and that appointment was with me.