Bright Lights and Dark Blood (On Hold)

Chapter 18

♪Redemption by The strange familiar♪

 

 

 

The girls chatted heavily in front of their pizza boxes as the boys just ate in tense silence. By the way Nicholas and Ella were eating with one hand, it was clear that the others were under the table. Henry called dibs on the delivery guy and after feeding, gave a hefty tip before wiping the poor boy’s mind. Him fully fed took the edge off. Ella went back to looking at Alexia “…and so that’s how I found Henry” Libby laughed so hard she clutched her chest. Alexia spent a good thirty minutes animatedly acting out how she was quietly sipping her drinks when Henry mistaken her for a local and bought her a drink and talked in perfect Italian trying to score before he realizes who she is. “Oh gosh”—Libby wiped a tear of her eye—“That was hilarious!”. Henry cracked his first smile of the evening, “You couldn’t blame me, I clearly remembered her as a brunette and the last we heard from her was what? Nine years ago when she was on her way to France” before biting on a peperoni pizza.  

Alexia looked down with a somber expression. She cleared her throat, “I’m sorry about that. I just needed time to be in peace with what I am. Discover my roots and master my powers” she looked up with a weak smile.  Those nine years were tough and it rubbed off on her. By the clothes she wears, the harshness of her eyes and how she sees people. “I don’t want to be rude but…” eyes flung at Nicholas “Powers?” he smiled  in disbelief. This set-up feels like one of those books he collected and it feels downright surreal. He looked at Alexia with both eyebrows high and he gave him a sincere smile. “I’m a witch” Alexia replied and shrugged like it was no big deal.  His mouth fell before he clears his throat and gained his composure.

Ella pecked his cheek without thinking.

Did he hear that right? A witch? “Umm… so what other umm---“ he thought saying ‘creatures’ would be rude “Supernatural beings are out there?” he looked at Ella with wide eyes, mentally scratching his head. “I thought you said he knows everything?” Alexia turned to Libby after closing her pizza box “Just the vampire parts of ‘everything’” she answered.

“Well let’s see, you know vamps are real. Then, witches-slash-warlocks and. . .” Libby counted on her fingers “oh and werewolves but their a bit extinct at the moment” waving her hand in dismissal. “Mmm! they still exist. . .” Alexia puts the can of cola on the table. “Met a small pack in Europe up north” she smiled.

Ella sat there admiring the stunned look on Nicholas’ face which clearly registered how his mind is running a thousand miles per second.

Nicholas laughed a bit and shook his head “This is unbelievable” unbelievable being an understatement.  He takes a look at a smiling Ella seeing the pair of emeralds once again. A hand heavily patted him. “Well, he is taking all of this pretty well. Too well if you’d ask me” Libby narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion then smiled.

“Hmm. . . you’re awfully wrapped up” she noticed how his leather jacket was zipped up to his neck and little beads of sweat on the side of his face. Nicholas gulped. “None of your business” he hissed. With the way Ella and Nicholas nervously looked at each other plus the faint sound of clothes ripping earlier unsuccessfully masked by the loud music, it was one plus one equals shirtless. A golden opportunity to humiliate him fearful. Or at least be a little scared, because honestly Libby can’t quite figure out how this human can have dinner with a bunch of vampires and a witch and not run to the doors. Most of all, he has the balls to stand up to Henry. Libby always thought he’d scour away when Henry comes back but noo…

“Oh c’mon  Nick! Hang your jacket somewhere, you’re sweating” she waved her hand.

“I don’t reckon letting you call me Nick.”