This Totally Bites

Chapter 9

"What is it, Lucas?" I questioned, standing up.

He walked back to his closet, "My parents don't know I have this in my room, but you deserve to see it." Lucas pulled out a cloak-covered from and brought it over, "Isabella and Aleece," he spoke, uncovering it.

There stood a portrait of four people. Two of which looked just like Maya and me-- minus our hair having colored tips. The man behind them looked similar to Lucas, and a woman stood beside him.

"This was before the council's conspiracy to start the war. Isabella and Aleece were incredible friends of my grandparents after being cared for and taken in as children. They were about your age when this was painted," Lucas informed.

"Screw it," a voice said from behind us. We found Randeria climbing through the window, "I'm a good actress, if they catch me I'll pretend I didn't kno-" Her words were cut short when she saw the painting, "H-how do you have this?"

"It was in the basement," Lucas answered, "It is my family after all."

"You can't. There isn't a single way. This was confiscated on site by the council decades ago, there is no way," her voice sounded frightful.

"They took a fake," Lucas explained.

"Wait, Randy, why are you so upset about this?" Maya asked.

"No reason. I just don't want you guys to get in trouble." Randy answered, "By the way, Hunter and Ashton went to go get someone. I'm not sure who."

"Why the subject change?" Lucas questioned.

"Lucas, she doesn't need your interrogation," Maya snapped.

"Alright..." Lucas mumbled, looking back at the painting.

A few seconds later I had caught Maya dozing off, "Wake up lazy," I chuckled, shaking her lightly.

"You should probably get to bed," Lucas advised, "It's getting late."

"What about you?" Maya asked.

"I'll be fine. I have something I need to do, but you guys seem tired. I think you should sleep."

I shook my head, "Not yet. We still have things to plan out. I don't know about you, but the plan to hang around here is a little shaky. It could go wrong in so many ways. We need to sort it out."

Lucas hesitated before nodding, "Fine. Only because I know you'll be too stubborn to go to sleep."

"What's our next move?" Maya asked.

"We keep moving. That's our best bet," Randeria pitched.

The window opened again and Ashton climbed through, followed by a girl, followed by Hunter.

"Emmie," Maya whispered, looking back to the vampire council book. She was right, this girl was Emmie Solaris.

I looked at Ashton who was staring at the painting, his gaze unbroken. Hunter was staring at it too, "They confiscated this..." He spoke.

"Yeah we've been through this," Lucas started, irritated, "It's my family's, not the vampires'."

"You'll get into trouble if they find out you still have it," Emmie warned.

"I know," Lucas looked at Ashton until what it seemed like was something snapped in his head, "What are you guys all doing here? My mom can sniff out vampires!"

"Then why are they here?" Emmie gestures to Maya and I.

"Listen - Emmie, is your name? - I'm not sure if you know how werewolves work. When vampires are first turned, they don't have the complete scent. The longer you're vampires the stronger the scent becomes," Lucas explains. 

"Who is this Emmie figure anyway? And why did you take the time to go get her?" Maya asked stubbornly. 

Randy opened the window, sitting on the sill. It wasn't until she gasped that we all stopped arguing.

"How?" Randy asked frantically, falling off the sill. 

Ashton helped her up, "How what?" he looks out the window, "Oh God... We need to leave. Now. They're here." 

Lucas thought to himself, "There's a secret passageway in the basement. I guess we'll just have to risk my mom seeing you all." Lucas hides the painting in his closet again and grabs the vampire council book, knowing we'll need it. 

"Let's go!" Emmie spoke, opening the door. 

We all ran out of Lucas' room and downstairs. He was right, his mom did see us. She walked right in front of us, "Lucas what is this? Why are there vampires in my house?" 

"Mom I really don't have the time to explain but let me tell you this now. We're protecting M and Ember and we need to use the secret passageway we have. It's urgent," he looked to the front door, "It's better you know less so please just be careful. Please. Also, we were never here." He pushed past her, not listening to her response and led us to the basement. 

Lucas brought us to another portrait of a snarling wolf, and I was guessing it was his grandfather, by the aged fur he had. He pulled the frame off of the wall, revealing a tunnel, "I'll go first to lead. Ember, M, you follow. Then from there ladies first. Put the frame back on over the tunnel, whoever is last," he climbs into the tunnel as we hear a loud knocking at the door. 

I let Maya climb in first and quickly followed after her. Emmie hopped in, then I'm guessing Randeria. Ashton and Hunter after them. We kept hearing yells and loud thuds. 

The tunnel was extraordinarily dark as we crawled through, but it seemed like Lucas knew exactly where he was going. After a few minutes, a light glowed from behind me. I looked back to see Emmie's hair glowing dimly, lighting up the whole passageway. There was whispering and Randy had reached out her hand to gently shake Emmie, "Hey, back to reality, hun. You're glowing again." 

"Actually, we could use the light," Lucas speaks from the front, "My night vision isn't fully developed yet." 

Emmie's hair kept glowing as Lucas showed us the way. Lucas tells us to be quiet as we reach the end, "Stay here until I say it's clear," he climbs out of the tunnel. 

We did as he said and sat quietly in the tunnel. About fifteen minutes later, however, we heard a painful cry from Lucas.