Enchanted By: Mariah Soleta

Chapter 10- Alex

   Shortly after Lizzie left, I heard a bang in my kitchen, so I went to check it out.  I walk in just as Adam bursts through the door.  My earlier, forgotten feelings of abandonment return, making me stand my ground defiantly.  He comes to hug me, but I hold out a hand and ask, "Where were you?"  

   He looks at me with a sorrowful gaze and my heart almost breaks, seeing all of the sadness in his eyes.   He stepped forward, reaching for me but I stepped back and kept my hand in the air.  His shoulders sagged in defeat and he walked past me tiredly.  I knew he wanted me to follow him, so I followed suite behind him, all the way up to my room.  He walks into my room and I close the door behind us, in case someone would come home earlier than expected.  

   He takes a seat on my bed and I sit beside him, resting my head on his shoulder.  He takes a deep breath and begins, "I was hunting in the woods and I was just heading back to the school.  I was walking towards my car but then I see Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend, Calvin, leaning against it.  I ask him what he's doing here and he basically tells me that I have to give him Elizabeth, or else he'll hurt you.  Badly."  I swallow a gulp, then he wraps a strong arm around me and continues, "I told him he couldn't go anywhere near you and I made a move to get to him but I was stuck to the spot by an invisible force. Then, a very powerful witch named Lyssa walks out of the woods and breaks her hold of me for just a second, but that second was all I needed to grab a hold of her and I told Calvin to leave.  He did leave, but before he did he warned me that this won't be the last time I see him."  

   Nervous chills run up my arms and goosebumps appear on my skin.  I ask him, "What happened to Lyssa?" 

   He looked at me warily and answered, "I don't know, I was too worried about finding you."  I ignore the swelling in my heart when he says that and focus intently on his tired eyes.  

   He looks at me, but his eyes begin to droop and he starts to sway.  I hold him steadily and look into his warm brown eyes, "What's wrong?"  

    He shrugs and says tiredly, "I really don't know, I was feeling fine before but now I feel sick, I feel nauseous, light-headed, and very dizzy.  This has never happened before."  I lay him back carefully on the bed and lay beside him.  I feel his forehead and I can feel and see beads of sweat forming.  

   I prop my self up on one elbow and ask him worriedly, "You're sweating, Adam.  Is that normal for someone like you?"  His eyes turn wide and he shakes his head.  

    "I have never heard of this ever happening to a vampire.  Our immune systems are built so we don't get sick.  This shouldn't happen to a vampire, a Royal one at that."  He tells me weakly. 

    "Well, just lie down and sleep.  Maybe it is just a little bug."  I tell him, but I am highly sceptical.  

    He just nods and closes his eyes and within minutes, he is sleeping.  I lay my head down on his sculpted chest and sit there for a while.  But I get up softly, so as not to disturb him, and I quietly tiptoe out of the room.  I grab my spring coat and slip it on.  I open my front door and start walking to Lizzie's.  It takes no less than 20 minutes before I slip into her front door.  I know that sounds rude, but I was in a hurry because I was really scared.  

    I walk into her room and I see her laying on the bed, reading a very thick book.  She snaps her head to look up at me and I sit on the edge of her bed.  She must see my worried expression because she asks me, "What's wrong, Alex?"

    Tears start springing to my eyes and I say, "Something is up with Adam."

*************************************** Adam P.O.V.*************************

    The fire was raging through my body, not stopping at any time.  My legs were shaking and the world was spinning around.  My arms felt like dead weights at my side and the worst thing was, I had no idea about what was going on.  My fingers were trying to find the warm presence that was Alex but she wasn't there.  I tried saying her name but it came out as a raspy croak.  There was no reply.  I tried again and again but there was never a reply.  I finally mustered up all the strength I had left and tried yelling her name.  It sounded like I was just talking regularly but I finally got a reply.  

   "Adam, I'm here.  It's okay," comes her angelic voice.  "Shh, it's okay, we're going to stop it.  Just be calm, I am here."  Those simple words calm me better than any other thing would.  There's another voice besides her but I just focus on hers and only hers.  

    Someone sticks a sour tasting liquid in my mouth and I almost spit it back it out, but the mystery person clamps my mouth shut, so I have no choice but to swallow it.  The liquid burns my throat as it goes down and I almost start screaming.  More fire starts racing through my body and I clench the sheets like they were the only thing that could save me.  I feel my hands being opened and she places her cool soft hands into my burning ones.  I keep my eyes clamped shut and wait for the fire to pass.  Somewhere in the middle of it all, I fall into a deep dark sleep.

*********************************************Alex P.O.V.****************************

   I keep a firm grip on Adam's hand, even though it felt like he was crushing mine.  I couldn't help the tears that were falling silently down my cheeks, I just couldn't stand seeing him in this much pain, it was heartbreaking.  I look at Lizzie, who's sitting down on my desk chair, looking on nervously.

   I look pleadingly at her and she says reassuringly, "It's all out of his system now, I can guarantee that."  

   I nod and then take his cold hand and rub it against my wet cheek, "What was it?"

   She takes a breath and says, "Well, usually, we witches never use our powers for anything other than good deeds, but some don't live by that.  Some will do anything and everything in their power to exterminate vampires from the Dark World.  Some like, Lyssa Vandderwielle.  Lyssa is centuries old and no one knows how she has lived this long while looking the way she does.  Some suspect she's part vampire, others think she is just that powerful.  I don't suspect either, though.  I just think that she has somehow conjured some very dark magic and that is how she's living this long.  Anyways, Lyssa is known for cursing humans, werewolves, shape shifters, you name it, but never before Adam, has she cursed a vampire.  It has never been heard of nor done before."

    I nod my head but I'm still befuddled.  "So why did Lyssa want to curse Adam out of nowhere?"  

   She shrugs and says, "Well judging from the story you had told me earlier, I am guessing she was just mad that he threatened her master.  Once witches are "bonded" by their masters, they serve them until whichever one dies first.  The only ways you cannot be a slave is if you are Royal, like me, or if you were set free.  I have heard stories about witches dying for their masters, that's how strong the bond is.  You would give your life to save your master, but the feeling wouldn't be mutual."

    I nod my head once again and I can feel that Adam is starting to turn restlessly again.  One glance at Lizzie tells me she immediately understands and she leaves us in the room alone.  I lay my head down on his chest and set one of his hands on my hair and I keep the other grasped in mine.  He calms down quite a bit and I feel quite content, laying like that, but then I hear a car door and my mother's surprised voice coming from downstairs.  It's muffled but then I can hear footsteps climbing the stairs.  I thought it was Lizzie at first, but I know I'm wrong when my bedroom door opens and my mother gives a surprised gasp.  

   "Alex, what are you doing on that boy?"  My mother shrieks.  I scramble off of Adam and my mother peers behind me.  "Is that Adam, as in the Adam that lived next door?"

   I nod and my mother starts clapping her hands.  I stand there confused and she gushes, "I always knew you two would end up together."  My cheeks flush and I look at my feet like they're the most interesting thing in the world.  She looks at me weirdly then asks, "Have you told your father yet?"

   Oh crap.