Deadly Creatures

Chapter 14

The moon casts its silvery glow through the window, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. A full moon always makes me jittery. Vampires are so much stronger the brighter the moon is. And mortal witches are a coveted delicacy of theirs. Looking out the window, I find Nico wrestling with a lycan, as if they're playing. It's all so frigging weird. Then I feel a chill. It's not from outside either. I whip around to see the glowing blues in the corner as Mark stares at me. "What the hell are you doing in my room?" I bark. He smiles, his fangs sliding back in as he shrugs. "Nico wanted me to see if you felt like training?" Training? "I don't train yet. I'm still mortal. Now get out of my room." Within a blink, his hands are on me, restraining me. I gasp, but no air enters my lungs as his eyes penetrate mine, locking me into place and proving he's older than he looks as he uses the ancient power. "I thought Nico was lying. He said you were already immortal, but I knew better." I would scream if my lips would move, but he's frozen me, leaving me to his mercy as my stiff body protests my futile attempts to move. "Unfortunately for you, that means wonders for me. Your father… let's say he's owed this." His fangs slither out, slowly drawing out the building dread in the pit of my stomach. A tear breaks free to roll down my cheek, my only release of terror as he hovers over my body, his gaze leaving me defenseless… leaving me his prey. "Damn," he says while pulling a lock of my hair to his face and breathing it in. "You smell so good… so strong." I've only ever suffered this frozen state of terror twice, and I almost died both times. This time, there's not a healing room or a group of witches capable of the spells it would take to bring me back. "Your father thought it funny to kill the woman I had turned - the woman I loved. He said he had to remind me who was in charge. I think it's time I show him what happens when you take someone from somebody - you lose someone you love, too." Just as his chilled breath finds my neck, the door bursts open, and the cold blooded bastard is yanked off of me and thrown out the window as Nico walks toward me. "Are you okay?" he growls, his eyes not moving off the vampire who is still trying to figure out what just happened. I just nod while grabbing my throat, checking for punctures, and then he drops into a hawk and zooms out the window. I wobble up and gaze out to see him changing into a tiger - a white, beautiful tiger - before leaping onto the back of Mark, his teeth shredding the skin of the stalking asshole. "Kick his ass, Nico," one of the girl shifters cheers. "What the hell is going on?" one of the vampires interjects, and then the chatter rises to urge on the brutal fight. "Scarlet?" Justin murmurs while stepping into my room. "What the hell?" I don't answer as I stare out and wince when the vampire digs his fangs into Nico's shoulder, and red stains the white fur. He roars out his pain, shifting into a white, majestic lion, and suddenly the fight shifts again as he takes over. The vampire wails into the darkness, and though he's stronger at night, Nico's apparently older, more in control, and one hell of a force to be reckoned with. The lion roars louder, and suddenly red paints the white snow under their bodies as the night stalker goes limp - a chew toy for the fierce kitty with a bad temper. "s**t. Did he just kill a vampire?" Justin gasps in disbelief. "Yeah," I almost whisper, feeling my whole body growing a little numb from the adrenaline overload. "He's stronger than any shifter I've ever seen to take on a vampire under the full moon. That's when they're at their damn strongest." "I know," I murmur, still stunned as the lion shifts into Nico, and then he limps toward the house. I rush out of the bedroom and into the living room just as he comes in, and a girl offers him a towel to cover up his… bare lower half. He takes it, but he doesn't wrap up before collapsing to the chair, his shoulder bleeding profusely as he wearily pants his painful breaths. "Nico," I murmur guiltily while kneeling down to examine the terrible gash. "I'll be fine. I just need some blood, some sleep, and some solid food," he strains out. "I'll get the blood," one girl chirps, disappearing seconds later. The others disperse, and one begins clanking pans to start cooking him something. I cover up his lower half with a blanket that had been tossed across the back of the couch. "A naked man's body really bothers you, doesn't it?" he jokes, but then he winces when his laughter proves to hurt. I grimace while shaking my head. "I can't believe you survived a vampire under the full moon… under any moon for that matter," I murmur softly, ignoring his comment. "I told you I wouldn't let someone touch you and get away with it. If I hadn't gone all day without blood, I wouldn't have even gotten a scratch." "Why'd you go all day without blood?" I ask as one girl brings him a bottle full of it. He rises up slowly, wincing the whole way, and then he starts sipping. After a few guzzles, he pulls it back from his lips to answer me. "Drinking blood under a full moon makes me a lot stronger, but it also keeps me up all night. I prefer to sleep… unless I have a reason to be up all night," he says, ending on a menacing note. I let a ghost of a smile free, and then I stand to my feet. "I'm going to go get you some clothes," I say while walking toward his room. "Just shorts please. I'll be burning up all night now that I'm drinking this with that out there," he says, pointing at the full moon glowing through the window. I nod, and then disappear into the room. After I grab him some shorts, I decide to change myself. I feel creepy now that I've been almost violated by the vampire. When I walk into my room, I shiver. The damn broken window has let all of nature's chill settle inside. "Crap." I start to use my magic to reassemble the shattered pieces when a shadow appears around me. Nausea strikes, but before I can scream for help, a hand clamps over my mouth, and we evaporate into the wind. Blurs, streaks, and glimpses of the world pass me by as we travel through the forest. Dizziness rules me, and my heart feels like it's going to explode. Tears are stripped from my eyes by the winds, and every second I'm a part of the air, I feel closer to death. Finally, I feel the ground beneath me as I crash to it, being freed from whatever dark magic user just took me. I rock up to my knees, and then I expel the contents of my stomach as the dizziness starts to feel more like drunkenness. "It'll pass. I know how to carry people through the planes without killing them," a voice says from behind. I try to focus in on it, but I can't see the face. The images and colors are so distorted that I feel like I'm trying to see a face at the end of a Kaleidoscope. "Who are you?" I choke out before hurling out more liquid. I hear the chatter of the leaves as the unseen dark one walks around, circling me, as he watches me in my humbled state. "Someone who doesn't feel like being framed for the disappearance of your mother," the guy's smooth voice says, and the shadow moves to my side. I feel a hand on my back, and then my sickness subsides before clarity comes to life. My body stabilizes, bringing me back to normal. I whip around, falling back to my ass, and then I scammer backwards. "Calm down," he says, his dark hair a little longer, tousled by the wind in a sexy sort of way. Damn bad boys. “Calm down? You've got to be kidding me," I scoff, praying my voice is loud enough to reach Nico or Justin. Then I recognize him - the eyebrow ring, the dark hair, the mysterious beauty. Oh s**t. "You're the guy from the diner. You sat in the corner and used the free Wifi." He smirks, running his hand through his hair. "I was keeping an eye on you. It would have seemed odd if I just sat there drinking coffee." "Keeping an eye on me? You had to have heard that vampire threatening me that night, yet you did nothing. You were probably hoping he'd drain me dry, or you were planning to kill me yourself before Justin and Caius showed up." s**t. I shouldn't have said Caius's name aloud. Damn it. His head drops back and he releases an exasperated sigh. "I wouldn't have let him touch you. I stayed until closing, and then I watched to make sure you made it back to your home, untouched. If I wanted you dead, I've had ample opportunity to kill you. I'm here as a friend, for now. My people are not responsible for your mother's disappearance, so you need to call off your flock of killers." Say huh? "My flock of killers?" I ask in bemusement. "I don't have a flock of killers, and I don't believe you don't have my mother. You're the only ones with a true vendetta and the resources to take someone as strong as she is." He snorts derisively. "Your mother has pissed off a lot of immortals. That's what happens when you're a strong witch - you make enemies. Your killers are attacking innocent dark magic users." I let out an incredulous laugh while standing to my feet, readying myself to fight. "Innocent dark magic users? That's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one." His eyes narrow when he takes offense, and I silently start reminding myself I'm still not immortal. I'm an i***t to provoke him. "Don't be such a fool. Dark magic users are no different from you, except we harness black magic and live of our own free will. Not everyone who joins dark are vicious killers. Most of us just don't like the rules set up by the hypocritical light council. They think they rule you once you've chosen light, and yet they might as well be dark themselves. They'll condemn you to death for breaking the rules, but they'll abandon you when you need them most. Tell me I'm wrong." He has me there. The light council isn't what it was designed to be, but that doesn't make me trust a dark magic user. "If not you, then who?" "Who has your mother? I don't know, but I would know if her disappearance was related to my kind. No one wants to pick a fight with you or your father. You're not far from your immortality, and we're not the only ones afraid of what you'll be able to do. Have you ever thought this might not be about your mother at all, but you instead?" "Me?" I squeak, an overwhelming surge of questions burning through me. "Why would they go after someone as powerful as my mother when I'm still not changed? And how the f**k do you know who my father is?" "I have my ways of knowing things, though I can't believe he'd give you access to these killing machines destroying my people right now. Whoever this is went after your mother because if they swooped in and took you, your father would surely get involved. Whoever this is could be using her as a means to get to you without alerting your father of their true intentions." I shake my head as sense comes to me. "No, they want something my mother has. A group of vampires attacked me, and one of them wanted to know where it is. I assumed they were working with you." This time he lets out a mocking laugh. "Our people don't work with vamps, at least not on sanctioned missions. If one of our kind is involved, they're not aligned with the dark council. I can assure you of that. As for the things your mother protects, there's a long list. She's the strongest of the light, so they've tasked her with a great deal of their possessions. However, you might want to consider the black diamond of Roth." "The what?" "It's a powerful gem that can destroy or create. In the hands of the wrong magic user - light or dark - it could easily suck all the life from the world. The gem was too powerful to be entrusted to anyone else. Even we agreed with that." His soft blue eyes are almost convincing. His tall, lean body moves closer, and my breath catches in my throat as his true beauty is shown under the full streak of light cast by the moon. "Your mother is also respected by our people. You should know that we'd never seek to cause her harm when unprovoked." I force myself to counter, though his beauty still calls for my attention. "Your people tried to kill me when I was-" "In our domain, near our root of power?" he interrupts, sounding condescending and bitter. "They were protecting our tree just as you would yours. You even demolished many of our men for doing so." I take a step back, bringing my wandering eyes back up to meet his. "That wasn't us. A band of vampires and lycans stepped in and saved us." He tilts his head, and then he glances toward the house I can no longer see. "They're coming for you. Call off your killers, and I swear you won't have any further problem from my people." "I don't have killers. The people up there are looking for my mom, not chasing you down." "Not them," he murmurs. "There's a group of twenty or more vampires who've been shredding us apart." I gasp, suddenly realizing who he's talking about. "Those are the same ones who attacked me," I almost whisper. Again his head tilts, and then he kneels in front of me as the ground begins to sweep around us. Suddenly, an image appears, as if he's opened up a mirror to another place, and I gasp in awe as I stare down at the power. "Is this them?" he asks while moving back. I kneel and stare at the imagery - the horror show playing. Savage vampires rip apart dark magic users with effortless ease. They're fast enough to keep up with the evaporating warlocks and witches. "Yes. That one is the one who wanted me to tell him where-" "Scarlet!" Justin screams from the distance. The dark magic user glances that way, and then he turns back to me. "It appears we have a common enemy then. You'll hear from me soon." He walks away, and before I know it, he's dust in the air. "Down here," I call as I stare in the direction of my night time captor who is now gone. I turn back to view the image again, but it's gone as well. The vacant ground rests peacefully, showing no proof of the fight it once shed light on. Suddenly Justin is beside me, materializing as he throws his arms around me and jolts me forward. "What the hell happened?" I pull back, staring once more at the empty, silent woods ahead as I step out of Justin's hold completely. "A dark magic user robbed me from the room, showed me proof the same people are attacking them, and then he disappeared." "A dark magic user?" Nico growls as he joins us, his shoulder already healing. "I'm fine, Nico. You should be resting," I murmur while walking over to him. At least he's wearing something over his bare… um… manhood now. "You're not fine if you were just taken by a dark magic user." His hand snakes around my waist, and he starts leading me back toward the house, looking over his shoulder the whole time. Right now, I don't know if I want to tell them about the black diamond of… whatever. None of them will believe it until they see what I saw, and we don't have that kind of magic. I'll just wait on him to show up… again. The glare of the sun promises to melt the snow, but the frigid, white blanket refuses to go without a fight. I smirk as I see it sweating, the melting pieces trickling down, but there's so much of it. There's not a chance it'll all melt. "What are you doing? Watching the snow?" Nico chuckles as he sits down beside me on the porch steps. I sip my coffee and then nod. "This is the longest we've stayed in one spot, and I've finally had time to get bored. Where're the others?" "Out, running down leads. I'm yours for the day it seems. Let's cure that boredom," he says menacingly. "What's that?" I ask, motioning to the coin he wears on a chain and ignoring his scandalous comment. He looks down, running his fingers over it before palming it. "It's something I'm supposed to keep safe." "For what exactly?" He shrugs, dropping it back to his chest while leaning back. "I don't know. It was just given to me by someone special - someone powerful - and she told me to keep it safe until it found its way into the right hands." That's vague. "Whose hands are the right hands?" "That... I don't know. I assume the answer will reveal itself in time." Riddles and mysteries. I hate our world. His shoulder draws my attention. In just two days time, it's completely healed - no proof of his scrape with the vampire. "How are you not freezing with just a tank and shorts on?" I ask. He shrugs, and then he leans farther back to prop up on his elbows. "My metabolism burns quicker than yours. I have to eat more frequently, drink more, and… well, have blood of course. It's enough to warm me up in the coldest of places. I admit, heated spots are a bitch." I laugh a little, and then I touch his healed shoulder with the tip of my fingers. "It's a good thing you don't scar after immortality. That would have been a b***h," I murmur jokingly. His eyes are suddenly burning into mine as his hand rises up to catch mine on his shoulder. I'm worried about what's about to happen, but then Justin materializes in front of us. "Hey," I murmur in surprise, meeting his eyes which don't seeming very approving. "We should talk," he says very seriously, and I look at Nico who rolls his eyes while releasing my hand. "You're going to have to trust me sometime, warlock," Nico mumbles as he stands to his feet. "I just want to talk to Scarlet, alone. Nothing pertaining to the case, of course." "Sure," Nico grumbles. "I need to go flex my muscles anyhow. I have to make sure the perimeter is safe. I'll see you in a bit, pretty girl." He bends and takes my hand before pressing his lips to the back of it. I blush, and then he turns into a hawk, dropping his clothes in a puddle at my feet before flying off into the trees. Justin rolls his eyes as he takes a seat beside me, and I listen as the hawk's screeches become too distant to hear any longer. "You have to stop getting so close to him," Justin murmurs in a near whisper. Justin he just saved my life the other night. Not to mention the battle in the woods where he saved us both while you slept." "Have you asked him about that?" he muses, his eyebrow arching. "No, but just because it hasn't come up. What's wrong?" He sighs out loudly, and then he steeples his hands in front of his face while staring straight ahead into the woods. "I don't know. This just all… it's so odd. They've already proven to be dangerous. Mark could have killed you." "But he didn't because Nico tore him to pieces." He turns to me, his eyes a little worried, as he murmurs, "Exactly. A shifter took down a centuries old vampire under the full moon. Nico shouldn't be that strong, no matter how old he is. The moon fuels a vampire's strength. The fuller the moon, the stronger the bloodsucker. It scares me, Scarlet. And the way you've been looking at him scares me even more." "The way I've been looking at him?" I chuckle out, my cheeks blushing. "Yeah. You act like a school girl with a crush every time he's close lately. Ever think that's a little odd, considering you're head-over-heels for a human?" Caius's face flashes through my mind, and seriousness takes the place of my humor. "Caius is safer if he's not with me. As for Nico, it's called hormones… normal hormones. He's sexy, and he has that hero appeal. s*x never fazed me before, but now that I've had it… well… it's like socks." I blush deeper, staring away from the man I've always viewed as a father figure. This is definitely not a conversation to be having with him. "Socks?" he asks, seeming amused. "How is s*x like socks?" I laugh a little, my crimson burn stinging my cheeks a little more. "Well, if you lived your whole life without socks, your feet would be just fine. You wouldn't know the difference. But, once you've had socks and felt their comfort in hard shoes, warmth in cold weather, and softness against the harsh floor, then you become a little spoiled, and you notice when they're gone. You want socks again… a lot." He roars out his laughter, his seriousness broken, and then he shakes his head. "Honestly, only you could forever ruin the idea of sex." "This is gross," I murmur awkwardly. "I can't talk about s*x with you." I stand up, and he laughs louder while following me into the house. "I thought we were discussing socks." "Ha," I mumble, not looking behind me to find his mocking face. "I need a real drink and a change of subject." "Fine, then let's discuss your aunt." "Aunt Annabelle?" I ask while whipping around. "What about her?" "She's coming to help us." "I thought she was working undercover on some big immortal case." "She was, but when she found out about your mother's disappearance, she dropped the ruse, and now she's on her way to join us. She's not as strong as Adelaide, but she'll be some serious help - trustworthy help." "We can trust Nico, too," I murmur with a little agitation. "Then why haven't you told him what the dark magic user said?" he asks, his eyes narrowing. "Because Nico thinks I'm naïve. He'd probably go after him just to prove he was trying to play me. I want this guy to come back, tell me more. I believed him, and none of you ever listen to me." "I just think-" "Exactly," I grumble. "You think, but you never listen. Just forget it. I'm going to my room, reading, and shutting all of this out. Let me know when there's something I can do to help get my mom back." Storming by him, I huff as I head into my room, slamming the door behind me. No one thinks I'm mature enough for all of this, and here I am throwing a tantrum. I hate old magic. I stare at the phone in my hand, Caius's name slowly fading as the buzzing stops. Taking a deep breath, I wave my hand over it to bring it to life. "We'll find her. Maybe if you-" "Just stop. Stop trying to comfort me, Derek. I appreciate it, but it’s pointless. She doesn't know how dangerous this world can be, and it's starting to scare the hell out of me. I wish she'd just let me know she's okay." I frown, realizing the depth of his concern for me, and suddenly I feel extremely guilty for all the scandalous thoughts I've had about Nico. It's like I can't help myself though, and that scares me. I know it's in part because of the change I'm not far from - my immortality. I've been warned of the hormonal overload that comes with that. "I could call that friend of mine. He's never failed in finding someone for me before," Derek says, interrupting my own private thoughts. "He's too dangerous. He's a loose cannon, and he might hurt her. I'll find her on my own. Did you come up with anything on Addie Rosewood or is it just an alias?" My stomach sinks. I've always called myself Rosewood because, though Duvall is my true surname, it had to die with the ten-year-old girl they knew as Damon's daughter. It's easier to conceal myself with my mother's first surname. She's been married so much her name has changed too many times to count. Rosewood, her maiden name, is barely recognized. Addie Rosewood exists, but not the one you want. I'm coming up with the same dead ends the detective did. If they're in witness protection, Scarlet might not even be her real name." It isn't. I feel like such a b***h for lying to him, but it's always been important to conceal my identity. I haven't heard anyone call me Allison in so long that it's as if Scarlet really is my name. "I don't care what her damn name is. I just care about her." With a sigh, I type in a text, and I stare at it, wondering if I should send it or not. I'm okay. I miss you, but I hope you're moving on. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Pressing send, I hold my breath and listen in. "It's her," he gasps. He pauses briefly, and then Derek impatiently prompts him to share. "What? What is it?" "She said she's okay. See if you can ping where that just came from." s**t. I didn't think about him being able to trace me from a damn text. Now I'll have to listen until I know if he can track me down. He can't come to this place, not with so many of them now here… helping. Not now that I know they can't all be trusted. My encounter with Mark shook me up, and now more than ever, I realize how dangerous my life can be to someone as human as Caius. "Justin, I messed up," I mumble, and he materializes in the room, proving I was right to believe he was listening in on me. "What?" "I sent Caius a text to tell him I'm okay because he was worried about me. Now he's trying to trace me from it." He sighs, and then he takes my phone from my hand. "I'll make him think you're at home," he says, waving his hand over the phone. "Better yet, I'll send him back to his house." I smile, though it's forced. Part of me wants Caius here so badly it hurts, but the realistic side of me knows he'll be killed in my world. I listen in, waiting for Derek's response. "Got her. She's in… what the hell?" "What?" Caius prompts, and Justin smiles before giving me a wink and vanishing from the room. "She's at our place," Derek gushes in bemusement. "Call Angela. Find her." It doesn't take long for Derek to fill that request. "Hey, it's Derek. Scarlet's phone is saying she's at our house… I swear that's what it says. Go check." I wish I could hear her side of the damn conversation. I'll have to wait on immortality for that luxury though. I can only hear when they're closer, and for some reason, Caius and his friends keep their phones really low. "This doesn't make any sense," Derek says, apparently still talking to the girl looking for me. "f**k. I'll just go home and see if I can track her down. If she's in the area, I'll find her," Caius huffs. "Let's go." The conversation cuts out when he dials someone else, and I drop my phone while sighing in relief. At least he's still safe.