Truce and Lies

Chapter 16: old habits

I kept Stefa in my arms as we waited. The flames crackled throughout the house and smoke tendrils floated into the breezy afternoon air. I wondered if people would see the smoke and say something. I hoped that no one would come to look, not with injured vampires sitting here.

"I'm not sure what the big deal about daytime is," Paul remarked. "It's not as magical as people make it out to be. It's bright. And cold. Oh man, feeling temperature is weird."

He leaned back and raised his face to the sky, eyes closed. Jackson frowned at Stefa and then at Lacy. She was curled up as tightly as she could be in my flannel shirt next to Jackson. Stefa sighed.

"Conor?" she murmured.

"Yes?" I bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Don't say no."

"What?"

"Just where you pulled me out of the rubble were our suitcases. It's not about the clothes, but my purse, our ID's, and..."

"Stefa, I will."

I carefully set Stefa on the ground and made my way over to the remains of the house. It seemed weird, but I knew that Stefa wouldn't have asked me if it hadn't had at least some importance. It was so strange to see the house I had been staying in such shambles. The stairs were just splinters. I wasn't wearing shoes but managed not to step on any nails. I hadn't noticed before so focused as I was on rescuing Stefa. The china cabinet ended up where Jackson and Paul had thrown it against what remained of the living room couch. I found the spot that Stefa had been trapped; it was slick with her blood.

This was dangerous, especially for something material. Still, I had promised and I probably would be fine. Carefully, I lowered myself down into the debris and carefully searched for something that looked like suitcase. After a moment, I found a handle and I could slowly haul it out. I could hear broken floorboards creak as I tugged, but I was able to rip it loose. Stefa's bag was buckled to the larger suitcase. I fell back as I freed the luggage, cutting my arm on a piece of glass behind me. I hissed, rubbing my arm before hauling myself out of the rubble.

The suitcase was cumbersome but not heavy and I dragged it along before navigating back to the group. Stefa was standing and there were more people than I had left. I dropped the suitcase with a thud, my nose flaring as I smelled a distinctly human scent. Stefa must have heard the bag drop because her head snapped towards me.

"Conor! Go for a run!" she shouted.

My feet were moving before I realized she had persuaded me. I growled, but was unable to shake the command so unprepared I was to hear it. I leap over the rubble and hit the scorched ground. In my helpless fury, I shifted, letting all four paws hit the ground. I sprinted mindlessly away from the house, and I could hear shouting behind me, I couldn't make out the words. Or perhaps, I didn't want to make them out.

I didn't quite understand why I was running away, or rather, why Stefa had wanted me to leave. She and the others had found a human, that much I knew. Perhaps the taking the chance I'd order them was too risky and so Stefa had sent me away? I was still angry as I hopped the fence and was into the next field.

Todd and Megan were out in the field with a kite, running about with an older woman. The woman noticed me first, frowning when she saw me. Megan smiled.

"Grandma, that's just Conor," Megan said. "He's the lady's dog from over there."

She pointed toward the remains of the house.

"Conor, have you seen my grandpa?" she asked me.

"Megan, he's a dog," Todd complained. "Come here and man your kite."