Surrender [H.S]

Chapter One

Layla.

I sighed. "Niall, are you finished yet?" I grunted out in annoyance and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I'd done that already a few hours ago, and he nearly chewed my head off for it because I ruined the angle of my eyes for his painting.

"Nearly, Layla," he responded, standing behind his canvas once more, only peaking his head out occasionally, almost as if he didn't trust his photographic memory.

"Can't believe I agreed to this," I mumbled, through tight lips and continued staring at the exact spot on the wall I had been staring out for the last few hours. It was lucky that my immortal status made it so that I could stand and be still for long periods of time.

"You agreed to it because you wanted to be painted in this decade rather than a hundred years into the future," Sophie said as she suddenly appeared in front of me, grinning toward her vampire mate.

Niall sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Soph, move. I need to get this right, or else I'll have to do it again," he told her, and then laughed quietly, only love in his eyes despite that his tone was annoyed.

She smirked and carefully stepped out of the way. "Well, you've been here all day, and it's getting dull around the house."

"Why don't you go watch Khloe then for Emma and Justin?" I asked, glancing at her from the corner of my eye, causing Niall to sigh again.

"Layla!" he scolded, glaring at me. "Stay still."

"Leigha's supposed to be watching her," Sophie answered, and shrugged. "And she's only four, so one babysitter is enough. I also don't want them to feel like I'm intruding."

"What are you talking about? Leigha loves you and so does Khloe," I said, and rolled my eyes at the way Niall glared at me again. "Niall, you have a fucking photographic memory, and so do I. I think between us I'll be able to get back in position very easily and you should be able to paint me from memory. Besides, I'm sure you're just adding little details or something."

He grunted and went back to painting, though I could tell that he was angry at me. He took his art and painting extremely seriously.

"Yeah, maybe she does, but I don't know about your brother or Emma," Sophie said, and sighed quietly. "Don't get me wrong, your brother is a good guy, Layla, but he's just so...," she trailed off.

"Overprotective?" I offered up the first word that came to mind when describing my brother.

She nodded. "Yes. Very much so. He rarely lets anyone besides Lauren, you, Liam, Harry, or Leigha around her, and when he does let someone outside of that group see her, and they have to be in the presence of someone from the group."

I sighed. "I know, but that's just how he is. And I don't blame him. Emilia could come for her at any time," I said, quietly.

There have, obviously, been no attacks or threats on my niece from Emilia or Andrew, but it was even more obvious that there would be soon enough. Khloe was young, however, she was powerful and she was also a key to Emilia's final demise. Right now, she should be so deathly ill that she wouldn't be able to move without help. I've read up on the effects of the dagger from a book that Lauren leant me, and I could honestly say that I almost felt sorry for what Emilia would go through. After living so many years, she's bound to have so many memories that she would like to bury and never have them see the light of day again.

The dagger's main ability, besides the death craving pain, was to drag out your past; forcing you to lose yourself. My handful of days that I spent changing into a vampire was enough of my worst nightmares playing in front of me, and I couldn't imagine having to deal with it awake on top of pain.