The Beginning (Book One in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Don't Speak

Michael left and I ran the whole thing through my mind several times. The predicament was torture. My whole situation was crazy. I was bonded to Michael, linked forever because I’d let him drink my blood once. But he’d warned me.

Unless you want me to taste you, take you, and make you mine forever.

That’s what he’d said. And then today he’d said I was supposed to be his. His how? The way I was feeling…was it just because of the bond? Was that clouding my mind and judgment? I looked over at the clock. I still had a while till dinner and an even longer wait till seeing Aidan…alone…in his room.

I grabbed a change of clothes and showered. I blow dried my hair and straightened it. Then I collapsed on the bed and passed out. I was so tired and I didn’t dream, at least I didn’t think I did. When I woke up I was still on my bed but someone had covered me up with the spare blanket I kept in my room. The lights were off and the door was cracked.

I looked over at the clock. It was nine. I slept way too long. Crap. I’d missed dinner and I heard laughing out in the living room. I got up and opened my door. I padded down the hall, squinting at the light.

“What’s going on?” I asked groggily. “Why didn’t anyone wake me up for dinner?”

My mother and father were sitting on the couch. My brother sat in one of the chairs and in the other…sat Aidan.

“Why are you here?” I asked yawning and walking over to his chair.

I sat down on the arm and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I was worried. You didn’t answer your phone and when you didn’t show up for dinner…”

“He was very upset,” my mother commented. “He thought something had happened to you. But once he got a quick peek of you sleeping he was ok.”

I looked at my Dad and raised an eye brow. He just nodded. I could tell he hadn’t said much. He was reserving his judgment until he could talk to me alone. Same old dad.

“What are you guys talking about?” I asked.

“Nothing too horrible,” my father said, smiling at me.

Aidan rubbed my knee. “Everything is fine."

“Then where’s my food?”

“And the Gremlin emerges,” my brother said, smiling.

“Sebastis,” my father chided.

My brother sunk in his chair, looking like a disciplined kitten for once. My mother got up and went to the kitchen, beckoning for me to follow. I followed after her, groaning a little in protest but I had to remember that I was the one that asked. 

“The dinning hall sent over something a bit heavier since you kept the spaghetti down.”

“What?” I said excitedly.

She uncovered the plate and I found it full of…meatloaf. I looked up at her.

“Meatloaf?”

“At least it’s not the singer.”

She turned away, taking the plate to the microwave. She started humming a tune, one I hadn’t heard in years. I really hated that song. She used to blare it when my father or one of us kids became over demanding.

“I love you Mom but I’m not eating that,” I said with a huge smile.

She turned around and looked at me. She winked and then turned back around as the timer on the microwave went off. She brought the plate over to me and handed me a fork.