'Til Death (Conversion Trilogy # 3)

Chapter 8: Please Help Me

Chapter 8: Please Help Me

Stupidly dazed, my head swam a little bit as I stepped forward. Cursing myself for getting carried away with my birthday celebration, I pressed my fingers to my temple. “Gabriel?” I croaked out, sure I was having some sort of alcohol induced hallucination.

He tilted his head at me while Halina calmly walked to his side. “Are you…inebriated?” he asked curiously, inhaling me from where he stood.

Feeling heat flush to my cheeks, I was preparing my mouth for the brilliant response of, “No,” when Jacen leapt forward.

“You have to help her. You owe her!” he nearly shouted at me. Teren moved in front of the mixed vampire, shielding me. Jacen sort of resembled Starla, with a slight build, over-styled hair and blue-green eyes. Those eyes were wide and fearful as they stared at me.

I had a feeling Jacen would have flung Teren over the Prius, stormed over to me and lifted me into the air, demanding my assistance for whatever his problem was, but Gabriel blurred over to him before he could move. Lightly touching his fingers to Jacen’s shoulder, Jacen reluctantly straightened. In a more subdued voice, he said, “Please,” and slunk his arm around Starla’s waist.

It was a little surprising to see the affection, since those two snarked more with each other than legitimate brothers and sisters did, but Starla buried her perfectly spritzed-in-place head into his chest as she stared at me, teary-eyed.

“Help her with what?” I said slowly, proud that I didn’t sound the least bit slurred, although, even I could smell the alcohol on my breath. I smoothed my hands over my hair, just in case I was at all frazzled from my romp in the car with Teren.

One of Gabriel’s hands reached around Halina as she stepped into his side, the other lifted to the open front door of the house. “May we come inside?”

Teren blinked out of his stupor, placing his arm around my waist in a steadying way as I minutely stumbled. “Of course, please, come in.”

Starla sniffled again, clutching Jacen tight. The cutely similar couple leaned against each other for support as Jacen led her up the granite steps to Teren’s family home. Gabriel looked down at Halina for a moment before they both followed. My head evening out in the crisp, clean, cattle-fragranced air, I took a deep breath as Teren and I followed our surprise guests.

Starla and Gabriel had both been here before, of course. Starla at times reluctantly driving Gabriel up to visit with Halina, and even more reluctantly spending the evening in the living room, playing board games with Jack, Alanna and Imogen while her “father” occupied himself with his girlfriend. But Jacen had never been. Surprisingly though, he didn’t even look around. His pale eyes were fixated on Starla; he didn’t seem to notice his surroundings at all.

Concern flooded through me as Halina led the group into the comfortably plush living room. Whatever was distressing Starla and Jacen had to be bad. As Halina draped her body across a lounge chair, Gabriel walked over to stand in front of the lit fire. The flue behind him was encrusted with stones that were shaped into a giant flame. I’d always thought it was an exquisitely beautiful piece of art, but as I sat down, I also noticed that it provided a fitting backdrop for what looked to be a speech.

Teren and I sat close together on a long couch, staring over at Starla and Jacen on a nearby chair. Jacen held her tight as she gazed at the floor, still looking like she was suffering from shock.

“We are very sorry to intrude on your evening,” Gabriel began calmly.

My heart rate increasing, I shook my head. “What is this about, Gabriel?” I didn’t need his formalities. I needed to know why Starla looked on the verge of an emotional collapse.