Love Sucks

Traitorous - Chap. Thirty-Two

Rain, she thought dejectedly, the perfect weather for your wedding occasion.

Abbi walked a faster than she had before, trying to decide which direction the red-headed vampire might've gone, since she was no longer in sight.

At the moment Abbi had stepped onto the paved street there was another rumble; only this time it wasn't thunder. She looked to the left, her eyes locked on a sleek black Cadillac pulling to a stop directly in front of her. When one of the back doors opened, Abigail ignored her nagging consciense and slid blindly into the backseat.

She shut the door firmly behind her and faced forward, immediately recognizing the two sitting in the front cabin.

"Patten ... Evie ... I need you to tell me what's going on." She said, having just about enough of being totally, utterly, and inconveniently clueless to the obvious issue at hand. Her statement was greeted by silence, and honestly, Abigail had just about enough of silence. So, instead of waiting for them to answer her, Abbi scooted up to the edge of her seat and shoved her face between the driver and passenger chairs. "Please guys ... answer me."

It was Patten who finally turned his head, giving Evie a lingering glance before focusing his gaze back on the road; then the boy spoke. "Abigail, an Assembly is not something to take lightly. This is serious."

Abbi bit her tongue and held back the urge to groan. "I'm finding it extremely difficult to not take an Assembly lightly, considering I don't even know what it is." She mumbled, knowing very well that they both heard her.

Evie pursed her lips, fidgeting with her hands; she was uncomfortable just being there. "An Assembly is ... well, it's never happened in ... our generation."

"-And by 'our generation' she means in over a century-" Patten cut in.

"Yes," Evangeline dropped her eyes down to her twisting hands, "and it shouldn't happen in any generation, or any century to come. You see, The Council ... it is their way of demanding the laws be enforced more thoroughly. Once the Assembly is called; it is somewhat like war being declared. Every vampire is expected to attend the Assembly, and if they do not, they're automatically considered dead."

By the time Evie had finished speaking, she was nervous and wary. Abbi had never seen such fear in her eyes, Evangeline being as strong as she was; just the mere subject of this 'Assembly' had the girl quaking in her boots.

"But why are they declaring one now?" Abigail asked foolishly, shaking her head as she did. What Abbi didn't notice was how Evie stiffened and Patten frowned, the small space between them suddenly a large void.

"You," Patten choked out quietly, "and Nate."

Abigail couldn't find anything to say. In those few seconds her world seemed to flip sides, changing direction so quickly that Abbi had nothing to grab a hold of before she fell. "But-" I already told Nate I didn't love him ... that was the deal ... She gulped; clenching her fists into her dress.

"Who declares the Assembly?" Abigail asked slowly; being careful to not spew her raging emotions all over the dashboard.

"Lucifer."

Abbi's heart skipped several beats. There was no way to describe the feeling burning its way through her veins, the insanity of it all ringing in her ears. Oh yes, Abigail was mad. Not only had she been naive enough to trip into Lucifer's dealings, but she'd also allowed him to manipulate the way she felt into one massive smudge of deceit.

There might've been some uncomplicated way to get out of this mess; if only she'd made the right choices on the way here she could've avoided all of it. Instead, she just had to fall in love with a vampire, and in turn, it all backfired.