Seaside, California April 16, 2013
Lillian
MY room had become a nightmare over the last two weeks. Stacks of books were piled everywhere. Francis had been kind enough to bring me his collection of spell books. I had been looking into anything I could do to help cure Scott's mind.
Even after being drained eight times, the venom was still in his system. I hadn't seen him in weeks now. The last time I barged my way into the Pierce's house I was blocked by Zach and Cel.
I had just started speaking to her again just last week. Seeing how crazed I was over all of this, I understood why she knocked me out.
Twice.
My lip curled into a snarl just thinking about it. I was over it.
Almost.
They were giving Scott just enough blood so he wouldn't start to desiccate, but not enough to where he would have any strength to fight anyone. I believe that was prolonging the problem, but Zach assured me it would just take a little bit more time.
Maybe another few weeks he guessed.
I wasn't sitting around waiting while Scott was locked up like a damn animal.
All the spells I looked up were related to cleansing the body and spirit. Or one that requires leeches. Let's just say there were some weird spells in those books; they were from the 1500s.
So an idea had sprung into my head. A conversation I was having with my mother and Francis regarding werewolf bites yesterday.
I had just gotten back from school and they were there in the dining room.
If a human were to get bit, they would become a half-blooded werewolf. They couldn't take wolf form like pureblooded wolves, but they could still partially shift. So I asked her if a witch had ever gotten bit before.
That was when Francis told us a witch couldn't be turned; our blood rejected the venom.
He had a run-in with wolves centuries ago, he and Orion were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A whole pack had surrounded them. They barely got out alive, he had gotten bit in several places. Orion went blood-crazed while he didn't.
So since then, I had been awake reading. I think I had been awake for almost two days now. Everyone thought I had gone to sleep. Instead, I was high on caffeine and jittery as hell.
I was trying to figure out why a witch rejected werewolf venom.
I downed another cup of coffee. I had papers all over my bed, with arrows and question marks scrawled all over it. My hair hadn't been brushed since yesterday and I was in my pajamas. I probably looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings.
I was never like this. I hadn't taken my medicines either.
I lost the bottles somewhere in the mess that was in my room.
I was now on something for my anxiety. That and they put me on Adderall to help me focus more. I didn't need help focusing, I needed to figure out how to help Scott.
That damn doctor said I had attention deficit disorder, an anxiety disorder, and OCD. That wasn't a big shocker.
And now I was majorly depressed, so I've become a slob.
Did I have homework due Monday?
It was only Saturday morning, I'm sure I could do it all before then if I could just remember which classes had homework.
Why did my mother wait until I was eighteen to tell me that I should go see a doctor? I had problems for years with regulating my emotions.
This stuff with Scott made me finally snap.
I heard a knock on the bedroom door, causing me to snap my head up from my papers and back into reality.
"Don't come in!" I shouted and started gathering up the nightmare mess on my bed.
I jumped up and shoved all the papers onto my desk that was slapped full of books.
I could hear a series of whispers outside the door, it was my damn cousins.
One of them knocked again and tried turning the knob. It wouldn't budge; I had myself magically locked in my room. I wasn't letting anyone see me like this.
"Lily!" I heard Amberly yell, she started jiggling the knob.
"Go away!" I fumed and started looking for those damn medicine bottles.
I zoomed past my large mirror, catching a glimpse of my appearance. I sped back in front of it and gawked at myself. My hair was pointing in several directions, my eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath them.
I looked like shit.
"We are coming in!" I heard Elle squeal and the door knob fell from the door and creaked open.
"That spell wasn't supposed to do that," Amberly muttered to herself, she held the other knob from the outside.
"What the hell?!" I screeched and stalked over to her and yanked the knob from her.
All three of them barged into my room, each of them holding long garment bags. For what I had no idea.
"Jesus Christ, when was the last time you slept?" Cel asked and set her bag on my bed.
"This place is a disaster!" Elle shrieked. "Here, let me help clean—"
"Don't touch anything!" I snapped, throwing the knob onto my bed angrily. "I'm still trying to find a spell or something that can help Scott!"
"Lily, Zach already said its going to be a few more weeks," Cel sighed. "You need to stop doing all of this, it's literally killing you! Do you think Scott would want you doing this?"
I knew Scott would go berserk if he saw how I was right now. He would want me to just go on about my day like a normal teenager. There was nothing normal about me. And sometimes I think he forgets how far I'm willing to do anything for him.
If I had to go to hell and back I would.
"So?" I remarked and started rummaging through my papers again. "I'm close to finding the answer, I know it!"
"Lily you know tonight is prom right?" Amberly cut in.
Oh, God. I forgot all about it. I did resign from the decorating committee two weeks ago; Amberly took over for me.
"It is?" I questioned and glanced at the three of them. "Well, you all have fun! I'll be here!"
"What?!" Elle cried. "You have to go!"
"I could care less about a dance," I grinned and turned to Amberly. "I'm sure you planned a beautiful prom, but I'm not going without Scott."
"Lily you have to end this obsession," Cel insisted.
"Obsession?" I inquired.
"Yes! You need to get some sleep!" Cel demanded. "Scott isn't going anywhere. He is going to be fine."
Elle started looking at my papers with curiosity. I was about to snap at her again for touching stuff but I had no fight left in me. I just started pacing back and forth.
Amberly opened the door to my closet and came back out with the dress I had gotten a while ago. It was a long navy blue gown, with capped sleeves and a pretty satin bodice. The skirt flared out. I got it to match my talisman.
Scott got me matching earrings for Christmas last year. They were opals that dangled.
"You cannot miss the opportunity to wear this!" Amberly beamed and unzipped the garment bag containing the dress.
I gazed at it, it was beautiful. My mother helped me pick it out. But I had no desire to go tonight. How could I go have a fun night while Scott was suffering?
I started shaking my head and sat back down on the bed.
"Lily?" Elle murmured, holding a piece of paper with gibberish across it. "I think you found the answer."
"H-Huh?" I stammered.
Elle walked over to me and pointed to my scribbles on the paper, then a big arrow and question mark all around the word blood that was written in bold.
"It's in our blood obviously," Elle quipped. "What else would make a witch reject venom?"
"So he needs witch blood to clear him of the venom! That's it!" I announced and jumped up.
And immediately fell down.
"Think she's dehydrated?" Amberly chuckled.
"I think you all need to leave," I muttered as the three of them guided me to my bed.
"So what, you are going to go to Zach's like this and give Scott your blood?" Cel remarked. "Like hell you are. You need to get some rest first before you do anything."
"How can I sleep now?" I laughed. "I'm so wracked up on coffee I won't sleep for another three days. I'm going to see Scott right now."
"I think you should rest for a few hours," Cel suggested. "And then go over there."
My two other cousins nodded evilly in agreement with her.
"I swear to God if you use that damn spell on me one more time I'll—"
Cel just started to grin. All she did was snap her fingers.
And I was out.
WHEN I opened my eyes I was laying flat on my back. The smell of disinfectant burned my nose, I jolted upward and let out a loud sneeze.
"Bless you mi querida," I heard my father chuckle.
He was in the process of fixing the broken door knob. It looked like he was just about finished. My room had been completely cleaned, the mess was nonexistent. All of those books I had were stacked neatly in a corner, my papers in a straight stack on my desk.
On my nightstand were those God-forsaken medicine bottles. I just took both without another word.
"Where did everyone go?" I mumbled and lifted my phone from beside me.
It was already noon; I had been asleep for four hours.
"Amberly and Elle are downstairs, Cel went back over to Zachary's to check on what's going on there," my father informed me. "They told me about your plan to help Scott."
"Dad—" I began but he raised his hand to quiet me.
"I will not get into your personal life Lillian, but please understand how dangerous he is right now," my father stressed. "If you got anywhere near him right now he could kill you in a second."
"I'm not going to have him drink from the vein!" I yelped. "I'll have it put in a bag or a bottle and throw it near him, I'm not that insane!"
My father finished fixing the door and set his tools to the side. "Someone else can give their blood then, any witch can do it."
"No, I want to do it," I insisted. "And there is no changing my mind."
"Well, in that case, you better get dressed then. I'll take you over there," my father sighed.
Thirty minutes later after I made myself look half presentable, my father and I were on our way to Zach's. I kept my eyes glued to the outside world passing by. Spring had come, and everything was a bright pretty green.
Too bad all I felt now was despair. It was a beautiful day.
I still looked like hell, I didn't even bother putting my hair back. It was a wavy mess down my back.
My father's anxiousness was getting worse the closer we got, it was starting to make me wish I just drove myself. I probably would've driven off the cliffside knowing how tired I still was. My father was so paranoid he even brought his katana.
It was laying across the backseat of the Chrysler.
That was going overboard. What did he think was going to happen? Scott would break free and my father would slay him with a sword?
"Dad, please remind me why you brought that thing?" I asked, my tone laced with sarcasm.
"Just a precaution," he mumbled and turned down the road to Zach's.
"Dad, it's Scott," I deadpanned.
"I am well aware of who he is," my father remarked. "Just as I am aware of what he is. He isn't himself right now and you know that."
"No, I don't really know that because everyone has kept me from him," I snapped.
"We've only done that to keep you safe," my father insisted. "Had we let you go see him, you would have done anything to get him out wouldn't you?"
"Would you leave Mom in a situation like that?" I retorted, refusing to reply.
I knew I would have done everything to free him from that damn place.
"Lillian, you let your safety go out the window when it comes to him," my father fumed. "And don't try and change the subject."
"Yes I do let my safety go out the window," I admitted.
"Don't you think that is extreme?" my father pried.
"No, I do it because when you love someone, you are willing to do anything to make sure they are safe or stand by them even with the world against you," I breathed. "Call me young and stupid, I don't care."
"You aren't stupid Lillian," my father murmured. "I know you are angry with me and your mother for stopping you from going—"
"I'm not angry," I put in. "I understand why you guys did it. I just wish you all understood why I wanted to keep everyone away from Scott."
"I was young once you know," my father grinned and we left it at that.
We were at Zach's now. My father left the katana in the car, so perhaps our talk meant something.
Cel and Zach were already waiting outside for me, Zach's face was grim. Cel just looked pissed off.
My father and I walked up to them, the air around us feeling tense.
"Guys, what is it?" I implored.
I think my heart skipped a beat.
"We had to drain Scott again, when he woke up this time he was coherent but he—" Zach paused and gulped.
"He was an asshole," Cel finished.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I quipped.
"He was acting crazy, wishing we all just gave up and let him die already," Zach choked, he looked like he was about to start crying. "He started saying some horrible shit."
"He was being self-deprecating as always," Cel clarified, clearly not as distraught as her boyfriend.
She didn't put up with anyone's shit. I could already imagine her rolling her eyes at Scott's outburst while Zach was taking it to heart.
"And then I opened my mouth and the bastard finally let me have it," Cel smirked. "Called me all sorts of things. Hell, it's almost like he has no humanity."
My eyes widened so much that they were about to pop out.
"He does!" Cel corrected quickly and grasped my hands in hers. "It's just the venom messing with his mind. He has been in and out for days, but he is getting better. Him calling me a God damn bitch is progress."
"Well honestly you are," I grinned. "Like when you knock me out when you don't want to deal with me or being a smartass as Scott is writhing on the ground in torment, you bitch."
Cel just smiled darkly. "Damn straight, now let's go."
We all went inside, Markus had a station set up on the kitchen counter, there were syringes, an IV line, and an empty bag. I guess he was going to be doing the honors then. I just hoped he knew what he was doing.
"You sure you want to do this?" Markus asked me as I took a seat at the counter.
I just nodded and took my arm out of my cardigan sleeve, and laid it out flat on the counter.
"Markus you sure you know what you're doing?" my father gaped as Markus put on a pair of gloves and started stretching a tourniquet out.
"I was a combat medic, did you forget that?" Markus grinned.
"That was 24 years ago, you could forget a few things," my father fired back.
"There are some things you never forget brother," Markus chuckled. "Those were some good times back then."
"Uh, good times?" Cel piped in. "Zach told me you got shot like eight times."
"Eh, those only stung a little," Markus muttered absentmindedly.
My father just busted out laughing. I could only chuckle nervously as Markus wrapped the tourniquet on my upper arm. I squeezed my hand into a tight fist.
"You ready kid?" he asked me as he started wiping my skin with an alcohol wipe.
My eyes widened when he uncapped the needle. I just slammed my eyes shut and nodded again. I felt the needle go in, just as my heart rate shot up.
And then the pain was over. I opened my eyes, and saw my blood going through the tubing and into the bag slowly. And then we all awkwardly sat there for 10 minutes until the bag was full. Once Markus took the needle out and dressed the wound, I was ready to go downstairs.
Though the moment I stood up I felt lightheaded.
"You need to sit for a bit," Markus instructed. "You just lost a pint of blood, I believe we have cookies or something in the fridge if my son hasn't eaten everything."
"Thanks, Dad," Zach remarked. "There is actually some still left in the pantry."
Cel just laughed to herself and pulled out a can of Coke from the fridge and opened it for me. Zach got the cookies and handed me the box. Upon opening it I only saw there were three left.
"Thanks," I muttered sheepishly and devoured them in seconds.
"Well we will go see how this goes," Markus sighed, he and Zach left to go down to the basement.
I was going to ask to go, but there was no way in hell I was walking right now. My father took a seat beside me and started messing with something on his phone. Cel was digging through the pantry trying to find more food.
I could hear her mumbling to herself in there as she shoved crap around. What the hell was in there?
Then a series of shouts erupted from the basement, so loud we could hear it up here.
Cel poked her head out of the pantry, eyes wide.
"I'm going down there right now," I demanded and jumped off the stool.
When my feet planted onto the ground, the room felt like it was going sideways. I didn't care anymore and just went forward, holding onto the wall to steady myself.
My father and Cel were already beside me, both of their hands on me.
"Are you insane?!" Cel shrieked. "You are not going down there like this!"
"Get your hands off me," I warned then glared at my father. "You too."
"Lillian," my father pleaded.
I just stared ahead and realized the only thing I could do was what Cel did to me. I glanced at both of them apologetically and said the spell fast under my breath.
"Sorry!" I shouted as both of them collapsed onto the ground.
Honestly, the number of times that spell has been used was starting to become a running joke.
When in doubt, just knock everyone out. Heh, that was a good one.
I stepped over Cel's body and headed for the basement door, I still felt woozy as hell as I opened the door and went down the stairs slowly. I could hear the three of them shouting and cursing at one another.
Just as I stumbled down the steps, I heard the sound of chains snapping, and then Scott had Zach pinned up against the furthest wall from the stairs. Markus was trying to break the two of them up, but they were all locked in a stalemate.
"What the hell!?" I screamed and quickened my pace over to them.
Markus snapped his head to me, his eyes glowing blue. "You need to get out!"
He turned back to Scott, who was choking the ever-living hell out of Zach. Just as he was about to grab his neck, Scott released Zach and roughly shoved Markus away from them, sending him crashing into the wall.
He went right through the drywall.
Zach fell to the ground, gasping for air. His frantic eyes darted to me, just as Scott turned to see what he was looking at. His eyes were black pits, his face contorted into a snarl as he glared at me.
I didn't even know who I was looking at. And all I felt now in that moment was fear, my breathing becoming ragged.
I felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest.
Just as I thought he was about to lunge at me, his eyes reverted back to blue, his expression turning from raged to confused.
"Lily?" he gasped.
Zach took the opportunity while he was distracted and jumped up. Scott's gaze went back to Zach, just as he wrapped his hands around Scott's neck and broke it.
I jumped back in fright, a cry escaping me as Scott fell lifeless to the ground.
I glanced at Zach, who looked just as upset as I was. He just started to shake his head and went over to help his father up.
I looked over at the two of them my mouth agape as I took in the entire room. The chains were broken off from the wall and were in pieces all over the place. They themselves looked beaten up to hell and covered in blood. Scott himself looked awful. His hair was a mess, his beard had grown out too.
"What happened?" was all I could say as I held my hand over my thumping heart.
"We tried to give him the blood bag, but the moment he tasted it he went ballistic," Zach explained. "And I mean fucking ballistic."
I looked over at the one corner of the room that wasn't destroyed to only see the blood bag destroyed with my blood all over the ground. Well, that was a total waste of our time.
It looked just like the rest of the room, the floor was stained with blood all over. I suppose where they bled him out.
"He just started shouting and broke out of the chains," Zach continued. "I have never seen him so pissed off before, I don't even know how he had the strength to even fight. He hasn't had blood in days, not to mention he was bled out earlier today."
"Did he say why he was pissed off?" I questioned.
"Well I tried telling the bastard it was your idea to give him your blood," Zach remarked and glared down at Scott. "But no, in his fucked mind he thought we had done something to you and thought killing us was a better option than listening to us."
"And here we are," Markus sighed and spit out something from his mouth.
More blood.
I dropped to the ground beside Scott and turned him over so he was laying flat on his back. I knew what I had to do now. I just needed to convince the two of them to leave me in here alone.
A cold day in hell that will be. But I still had to try.
"Can the two of you go upstairs?" I pleaded. "And before you tell me I'm insane I can help him."
Zach's eyes widened.
I'm sure he guessed what I was about to do.
"Your father will kill us both if we left you here with him," Markus replied.
Zach shook his head. "Samuel I'm not worried about. Cel will really kill us."
"Okay, then I will knock the two of you out as I did them upstairs," I threatened.
"You what?!" Zach gawked and without another word bolted upstairs.
Markus glanced at me, his eyes unreadable. For a moment there was silence until he finally spoke.
"I know not everyone thinks this, but despite his ravaged state, I do believe he wouldn't harm you," Markus murmured. "Especially now. So I'll keep everyone away. Do what you need to do Lillian."
"Thank you," I breathed, relieved now that I didn't have to knock everyone out.
I got up and started looking around the room, looking for something sharp. I knew they used something to bleed Scott out with. There was the remains of a table, I looked through it and threw some of the splintered wood out of my way.
And there it was, a long sharp blade that was stained with blood.
This was super hygienic.
I sat back down on the ground and pulled Scott up and rested his head in my lap. And waited until I saw his hand twitch slightly.
"I am insane," I muttered to myself softly, just as I took the edge of the knife and slit it across my wrist.
My eyes welled up with tears from the pain, but I dropped the knife and put my bleeding wrist against his mouth, forcing it between his closed lips.
I felt his neck jerk as it healed. Then his eyes flew open. I pressed my wrist tighter against his mouth, praying he would just let me help him and not fight it.
His now blue eyes locked with mine. He grabbed my wrist in a flash and clamped it tightly.
"Please just let me help you," I begged.
It felt like forever before he closed his eyes and gave in. I held back a cry as his fangs sliced deep into my wrist.
I just held him close and ran my fingers through his dark wavy hair. If I felt tired earlier it was nothing like I felt right now.
I just smiled, feeling at peace as the world around me darkened.