Within

Chapter Eighteen

When we finally arrived in California, Arthur pulled up to this storage facility and told (read: demanded) me to stay in the car. I listened to him. He hadn’t left the keys in the ignition, so I didn’t even have music to listen to.

I put my feet up on the dashboard, pulling all my hair over my shoulder and running my hands through it absentmindedly. I wondered what Arthur was doing... wherever. I was still in the parking lot, so I hadn’t seen where he had gone. I mean, I knew he was there, somewhere. I couldn’t get a read on his emotions--I guess it only worked when we were closer in proximity. Since we’d been so close lately, it wasn’t as if I had been able to notice this before.

In all honesty, I was kind of stressed out about being left alone. Arthur wouldn’t know if a demon had followed us (even if he insisted that we were safe), and if one had killed me or hurt me.

The demon that lurked in my dreams said he wasn’t going to kill me, and he appeared to be that “him” that everyone except for me knew about. Did the others listen to him? Were they separate? Was he in command or not? Was he some omnipotent demon?

I unwrapped a piece of gum and popped it into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Hmm...”

I hated being in the dark.

A knock on the window distracted me. I turned my head to see a man peering into the window. My eyes met with his gray ones and a happy smile spread across his face. I noticed the fangs almost immediately. Vampire fangs weren’t huge and protruding like people talked about in the stories, just the canines were a little sharper than most. And even though his skin was a rich shade of brown, there was still a pallor to it that made him seem a little sick. He probably hadn’t consumed blood in a while. I heard vampires had that kind of appearance when they didn’t.

“Hello!” His voice came out muffled because of the glass between us. “Are you Camille? Arthur sent me to go and get you.”

I didn’t answer. There was no way for me to tell if he was lying. And I wasn’t about to allow a starving vampire to trick me.

“I’m not lying, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m serious. Cross my heart and hope to die.” He sighed. “If I really wanted to kill you, I would have torn open this door and broken your body and drank your blood. But I didn’t!” His thick lips pressed into a thin line. “Okay, okay, fine! I’ll go back empty-handed and bring Arthur with me since you just refuse to believe me.”

He did. I watched the African-American man storm off in annoyance then come back with Arthur by his side.

“See!” he exclaimed loudly as I slowly got out of the car.

“Why would I believe you?”

“Have faith in humanity?”

“You’re not human.”

He blinked. “Huh. You’re right. Anyway, I’m Jeb.”

“Hi.”

“Sorry for not coming myself,” Arthur said. “I should’ve figured that you wouldn’t get out... I was a little busy, though.”

I nodded my head, tugging on the sleeves of my shirt. “Doing what?”

“It’s hard to explain.” He didn’t want to tell me, I sensed it. It was more than annoying, at this point. Seeing as we had driven across the country for this and he wouldn’t even tell me why or for what.

“Isn’t it al--” I bit my tongue, not wanting to start a fight in front of Jeb. “Okay, just, tell me later.”

“Yeah.”

Jeb looked between the two of us, scratched his dreadlocks, then said, “O-kay.”

Arthur exhaled. “Cam, for now, you’re going to stay with Jeb--”

“What?”

“You’re going to stay with Jeb for a couple of days. He’ll protect you, I have something else that I have to take care of.”

“Okay.” I tried not to sound upset, but I was feeling it. Due to the usual--him not understanding that communication was an integral part to any relationship. Arthur noticed this, because his jaw tightened.

“Jeb, can you leave us alone for a minute?” A pause. “And don’t listen in, either.”

The vampire simply nodded his head and walked away, hands in his pocket. I didn’t know how far he’d have to go--vampires had really good hearing.

“Listen, Cam... I’m sorry. I know you don’t feel safe with Jeb, but he’s a good guy. He’ll protect you for a couple of days while I handle some things. Okay?”

“It’s fine, Arthur, I understand.”

He nodded his head slowly. “Jeb’s stronger than he looks, so don’t worry.”

“He’s a vampire, they’re all strong,” I muttered.

Arthur smiled a little. “So will you be all right?”

“Yeah.” I smiled back at him, throwing my arms around him quickly before releasing him. “Be safe. I don’t know what you’re doing... but--just... be safe.”

“I’m not doing anything outlandishly dangerous,” Arthur informed me.

I read the deeper meaning of his words. “But it is dangerous.”

“A little. But vampires aren’t the only strong ones around.” He smirked at me, one corner of his mouth pulling upwards. It made my heart tighten.

“Right, forgot,” I finally said after not speaking for a moment too long.

“Just know that it’ll be all right. I’m coming back.”

“I believe you,” I said, meeting with his eyes. I was lost to the world for a second. His eyes... they were so expansive. So much was stored within them. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Arthur patted my shoulder and then dialed a number (I wondered when the hell he had gotten a phone) that I presumed to be Jeb’s because he told the person to come back.

And he did within a few seconds, playing with the earplugs that he held in his hands. “Ready?” he asked me.

I nodded.

“Follow me up,” he said.

I turned to Arthur, wrapping my arms around my body so that I didn’t hug him again. “Bye,” I breathed.

“Good-bye.”

Jeb’s place was small, obviously designed for one person and one person only. I got the futon, he got the bed. The first few hours were kind of awkward. Jeb was all right, but a complete stranger.

“Do you, like, want something to eat?” Jeb questioned, standing off to the side of the TV and looking a little lost. “Do you eat? Arthur said you weren’t undead... I just figured that you did?”

“Yeah, I need to eat food,” I said, jumping up from the couch. “I can order something though... unless you have food in the fridge.”

“I don’t,” his answer was immediate. “Sorry.

I shook my head, twisting my mouth. “It’s fine. Uh, is there like a deli--” I thought about the last time I ordered pizza. “Is there somewhere we can go to get food?”

“You’re not supposed to leave. Arthur told me not to let you leave.”

“And where is Arthur?” I asked. “Not here. He said that you’re strong, I bet you and I could handle demons on our own!”

“That’s not the point,” Jeb explained. “Listen, the demons don’t know where you are yet. It’s safer for you to stay inside.”

“Oh.”

“I can order you some take-out.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” I just hoped that no demons showed up and tried to rip out my jugular again. “Whatever you get is fine with me.”

Jeb nodded his head. “Okay.”

I turned back on the TV and Jeb walked away, calling a delivery place. I pulled my knees up, resting my chin on the tops of them. “How long have you known Arthur for?” I directed the question at Jeb after his phone call had ended.

He sat down to me with a huff, pulling his dreadlocks out of the ponytail and letting them fall around him freely. “Oh, man... It’s been a while, I’d say.”

I remembered how Arthur said he only had three friends--Jeb had not been mentioned. “Are you good friends?”

“Friends? Nah.” Jeb uncapped a beer bottle. “It’s more of a business deal.”

“Business deal? How so?”

Jeb answered, “He pays me to protect his things.”

I wasn’t his possession, but... “Like me?”

“No, but he extended the proposition to ensuring your safety.” Jeb shrugged, taking another swig from his beer. “Anyway, saying that we’re friends is a little much, but it’s not like there’s no relationship.”

Wouldn’t that equate to being friends? I wasn’t following.

“What about you?”

I shrugged. “I’m nothing special.”

“Really? Arthur comes up to me demanding that I don’t even let the wind knock you over and saying that if I let you get hurt, it’d be my head on a platter. You’re something special.” He peered at me through the corner of his eyes, smirking a little. “You his girl? I’ve never met any of his flames.”

I snorted. I wished. “No, we’re not anything.”

“But you want to be,” Jeb pointed out.

“Jesus Christ, is it that obvious?” Him and Janaé had both caught on without knowing me at all.

He laughed. “I’ve been alive for centuries, I know love-dovey eyes when I see them.”

“Well, we’re still not anything. Arthur... doesn’t like me like that.”

“That sucks.”

“I know.”

“He does care for you, though. Doesn’t want you getting hurt.”

I picked at my already chipped nail polish. “I know that, too.”

“So don’t try any funny business.”

“I won’t. I’m tired of bleeding.”

He laughed at that one. I didn’t see why it was funny; I was serious. “You’re a banshee, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Must be rough, I’m sorry.”

I knew that he was probably referring to the fact that everyone hated us. Janaé, Arthur, Jeb (at least so far), were all anonymities. “It’s what happens when you’re a bad omen.” I tucked a hair behind my ear. “Arthur’s been... regulating my powers, though--however he does that--so I won’t accidentally kill you or something.”

Jeb shrugged, seemingly unconcerned by the thought of me screaming his death.

We sat there and watched TV. I don’t think either of us were actually watching it, though. Jeb just stared blankly forward, not even bothering to pretend that he was breathing.

The doorbell rang at some point, and Jeb got up and then came back to me with some takeout from a Chinese restaurant that delivered.

“Do you know when Arthur’s coming back?” I asked Jeb as we were halfway into our second movie.

“A few days. Why?”

“Do you know what he’s doing?” I asked, stirring my noodles with my chopsticks absentmindedly.

He shot back with, “You don’t?”

I pouted at this. “Are you not allowed to tell me?”

“He’s taking care of it. You probably don’t want to hear about it, anyway.”

“Why?”

“It isn’t pleasant.”

I stared down at the food on my lap. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look... it’s not really my place--”

“Okay.” Jeb wasn’t going to tell me. Not surprising. Not that I could blame him either, really. “Can I just know a little? What’s his purpose?”

“He’s keeping you safe.”

I blinked, staring forward at the TV. “It’s for me?”

“Mostly, yeah. I’m not supposed to be saying any of this, so don’t let Arthur know.”

“Why doesn’t Arthur tell me anything? Why doesn’t he want me to know?”

Jeb paused, scratching his clean-shaven jaw. “Have you heard the saying ‘knowledge is power’?”

“Yes.”

“There’s your answer.” Jeb got off of the seat. “I’m retiring for the night, bye.”

“I thought that vampires didn’t sleep.”

“Doesn’t mean we don’t rest,” Jeb said as he shut the bedroom door behind him.

I exhaled, wrapping my body around a pillow and falling down onto the futon. It’d probably be the best course of action to take out the bed, put the sheets on that Jeb had given me.

I did that, albeit, taking my sweet time. When I finally finished, I collapsed back onto the futon, staring up at the ceiling. I turned off the TV, now just sitting in the darkness. Exhaustion made my body heavy, but I was afraid of what I’d meet in my dreams.

What would he do to me this time? I didn’t want to find out. So, I stayed up. Just lying there, ignoring the burning in my eyes and the sleep forming and attempting to seal my lids shut. Not happening, I told myself.

I climbed under the sheets, pulling them over my head. I wasn’t cold, I just found comfort in them. What was going to happen? How long was I going to have to fight the urge to sleep?

The answer, apparently, was not long, because I drifted off within a few minutes.