Georgia flailed her arms trying to get free as Kian whispered in her ear, "stop squabbling and stay still."
Georgia stopped immediately and looked through the gap of the closet doors at the couple from the park as they walked in front of where her and Kian were hiding. The woman's hair was so long it swayed past her bottom as she walked, she was wearing the tightest blue jeans with a revealing white shirt and high heeled boots. The man looked scruffy and had a shaven head that made his ears stick out. He was dragging something that sounded heavy, "Catrina, look what I have found hiding in the room down the hallway."
The woman, who must have been Catrina, turned around and smiled at him. "Ooh yummy. My next meal. I would share but I know this isn't your type." She took the heavy body from him and delved into its neck. Kian could feel Georgia's heart racing and silently begged her to stay still.
After Catrina had devoured the body she turned to the man, "well Nick. What is our plan of action then? I am getting desperate for this Alchemy and feeling inpatient. I don't want to lurk in the shadows anymore."
Nick walked over and wiped the blood from her chin before kissing her. "My sweet Catrina, we are closer than we have ever been before. Frederick said Teresa is here, and guess what..." Catrina was hanging on his every word, "he said the Jones witch has a human female descendent. The Alchemy is in our grasp" Catrina jumped for joy, "but first, the necklace." Catrina blew him a kiss and stepped over the body she had just enjoyed before strutting off down the hallway, Nick closely followed.
When Kian heard the doors bang further down in the building he moved his hand from Georgia's mouth. She didn't move. "Georgia it's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you", he could smell her fear and knew he had to get her out. Still not moving and transfixed on the blood on the floor, Kian took Georgia's hand and dragged her out the closet. As he let go Georgia walked over to the puddle of blood, she put her hand to her mouth as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Kian slowly walked towards her and gently took her hand, "come on", he whispered as he took her through the building, out the main door and into the alleyway round the side so they were hidden.
Georgia snatched her hand away and realised she was out, "how were you there? How did you know I was there?" she felt like she was on the brink of a meltdown.
Kian smiled and put his hands on her shoulders, "Georgia have you learnt nothing? I can hear for miles. I can zone in on you and work out exactly where you are."
Georgia looked up at him in shock. "So you are following me?" she started fiddling with the key around her neck. Kian caught sight of it.
He took his hand out to hold it but it burnt his hand, "ow. What is that?"
Georgia looked up at him, "mum gave it to me. Here, you can touch it."
She held it out to him again and a bit more hesitantly he held it in his fingers. "Georgia, where is this from?" He was starting to work out who Georgia's mum really was. He started putting the puzzle pieces together in his head; she knew how lavender affected their kind, she didn't seem scared touching his cold skin at the hospital and he had seen the necklace in the picture of Georgia's mum on the side in her house.
Georgia shrugged and took the chain back to hide under her top. That is when he noticed the smell of blood. He could hear crying over in the skate park next to the alleyway. He went to touch his blood band and realised it wasn't on his wrist. "What is it?" Georgia had been talking the whole time but Kian had completely zoned out.
"Georgia, you need to leave" he shouted at her, "run!"
Before her eyes she watched Kian's eyes turn from the sparkling blue to dirty yellow. The muscles on his arms became more defined. His lips started changing shape making way for something sharp appearing at the corner of his lips. Georgia couldn't move.
"Kian, stop" Arabella pushed Georgia aside and grabbed Kian's shoulders. "You can do this, calm down." Arabella kept a firm grip on him, ignoring Georgia who had fallen to the ground. Arabella kept hold of him as Kian panted and tried to control himself. "Kian, this isn't you, you can restrain yourself." Arabella looked down at his wrist and noticed his blood band was missing. She looked back up to face him, "come on baby brother, you can do this."
After a few minutes she slowly let go of Kian as his features returned to normal. She took a red circular band out her jeans pocket and put it on his wrist, "this is the only spare Kian. Look after it." Georgia looked horrified at them, but Arabella was too fixated on Kian to notice, looking at him curiously to make sure he was okay. Kian stepped back and looked down at Georgia, mortified at what had happened. Georgia sat there stunned as Arabella turned to face her; she looked between them both as Kian stared at her. Georgia shook her head in disbelief, got up and walked off.
*
Throughout the following week Georgia kept her head down at school not wanting to talk to anyone. Sophia was obsessively following Zachary around, Clara was miserable having not heard from her mother and Arabella and Kian were nowhere to be seen. Friday evening came around quickly and Sophia had dragged Georgia out with her for the bonfire night show at school as Clara refused to leave home in case her mum came back. Bonfire night was a big event at school and everyone loved the fireworks. Zachary saw Sophia and Georgia arrive and walked over, "hi Georgia, I haven't seen you in a while", he smiled at her.
"I hadn't noticed" she said gleering back at him.
Zachary turned to Sophia, "gorgeous girl, would you mind getting us some coffees?"
Sophia looked oddly at him, "why do I have to go?"
Zachary grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, staring straight into her pupils, "you want to go and get us some coffees, now!"
Georgia looked angrily at him but was taken aback as Sophia agreed and walked off to the coffee hut. Zachary suddenly turned to Georgia and aggressively took her by the arm and dragged her to the side, "look Georgia, stop being such a hero. I need that necklace otherwise Miss Nichols over there isn't going to be around much longer. There is only so much of this charade I can do", the yellow tint in his eyes glowed at Georgia, he looked deep into her pupils, "you are going to find me the Jones necklace I am after and bring it to me."
Georgia felt the heat from her chain, resisting his coercion and yanked her arm away from him, "don't ever touch me again Zachary", she marched off pushing past Sophia who was on her way back with the drinks, leaving a baffled Zachary watching after her, not quite believing his coercion didn't work.
Georgia found herself a quiet spot away from the massive crowd forming to watch the fireworks. She felt someone behind her and knew exactly who it was, that beautiful smell was iconic now. "I didn't think I would see you again Mr Richmond" she raised her eyebrows as she turned around to face him.
He put his hands in his pockets and smiled at her. "I didn't know if you would speak to me actually."
Kian suddenly turned as a couple walked past them, dropping their drink; without a second thought Kian caught it and handed it back to them. The couple laughed nervously as Kian gave the drink back to them, he laughed it off and claimed it was just 'reflexes'. Georgia looked at him impressed.
"So I thought you weren't the sociable type with all these people around...", she turned back around to face the fireworks, catching Kian touching his blood band on his wrist.
"Let me take you somewhere you can really see them."
Georgia faced Kian again, "how do I know I can trust you?" she asked hesitantly.
He held out his hand and moved closer to her, "you don't..."
Georgia took a deep breath and took his hand. He took her back up the hill from the school field where everyone was and towards the back of the school building. He wrenched open the locked door and waited for her to go in. Georgia stopped for a second and stared inside, "I'm not sure Kian, wasn't that door locked?" He smiled at her guiltily but didn't say anything. Georgia felt her heartbeat quicken as she ignored her gut instinct and walked into the dark building; Kian followed.
"Come on, I'll race you", he said showing off. Georgia watched him run up the four flights of stairs to the top and heard a door open. Looking around her at the darkness she sped up until she reached the open door. As she got to the top she had to stop, panting as she held onto the side. Kian looked over at her and smiled, "it's worth the walk up, I promise."
Georgia got her breath back and slowly walked over to him, standing next to his confident silhouette. Her hand lightly brushed his just as there was a massive BANG in the sky. Georgia marvelled at the display of fireworks erupting in the sky. "Wow, thank you for bringing me up here!" she said, entwining her fingers with his as the fireworks continued.
All the nervousness that had built up inside of him had suddenly vanished. He could hear the blood rushing through her body and her heart beating fast with excitement; instead of worrying about what he could do to her he felt safe and secure for the first time in years. Almost like she was the person he had been waiting for his whole life.
When the display had finished Georgia sat down on the floor staring up at Kian. He knelt down next to her. "Tell me the truth Kian, I am not scared of you."
He sighed, touching his blood band for security, "Georgia, I think you know it all already." She stood up and moved her body close to his; she touched his cheek, feeling the coldness run through her body.
He leant his face down to hers, almost touching her lips as she smiled "...vampire".
Kian smirked back, "do you really want to know?" he raised his eyebrow at her. Georgia nodded. He boldly swung his arm under her legs and walked with her in his arms to the edge of the building. Georgia looked down at the drop to the ground, feeling butterflies wriggling in her stomach. "You ready?" he said smirking, feeling her heart exploding with nervousness. She nodded, not taking her eyes off the ground beneath them. He held her tightly and jumped down to the ground.
Georgia stared up at him in amazement and awe, "show me more", she said excitedly. Kian laughed and shot off into the woods nearby.
That evening was the strangest, most magical night of Georgia's life. He took them into the depths of the woods and put her down as he walked over to a huddle of trees. He showed Georgia how nature can serve to his needs, he explained how he gets the blood he needs in his system and about his blood band and how it protects him from feeding on humans. He explained that without his blood band he would turn into a monster, but it was usually so tight on his wrist that it was rare for him to lose it. He showed her his strength, his speed and how much his senses were heightened compared to a human being.
Georgia walked over to him as he paused, watching a firework go off above them. "Kian, I saw something I wanted to ask you about..." He looked down at her, waiting for her to continue. "I came across a photo, it was from 1917..."
Kian looked at her puzzled, he didn't want to tell her any more than she already knew, "what about 1917?"
"I saw the article, with you, Arabella, Joanna and Luke's picture next to it... How did you become the way you are?"
Kian sighed and turned away, he hated thinking about that day. Georgia stepped in front of him and put her hand under his chin, staring deeply into his eyes. "There's not much to say Georgia, some vampires or hybrids, whatever they were, let themselves into my parents' house, they took pleasure in scaring them and taunting them before they killed them. Arabella and I arrived home and tried to hide but got caught, then Joanna and Luke just so happened to find us and I'm guessing killed the vampires or hybrids that were there? Joanna and Luke have always hunted vampires that kill humans for fun, there is a lot of them out there. There aren't many that are like us and don't get pleasure out of killing people. I suppose dying and still being here is better than dying and being buried in the ground..."
Georgia watched his crushed expression and pulled his face down to hers, leaning her head on his. "They would be proud of you, you know. Both of you!"
Kian stepped back, trying to forget the sadness that had suddenly consumed him. "Come on, the fireworks have finished. We should get you home." Georgia watched him walk off out the woods and felt her heart flutter with excitement as she watched the moonlight touch his glistening skin.
*
Georgia's house wasn't far from the school; Kian held Georgia's hand tightly as they made their way back. She became quieter as they got closer to her house and she stopped a few houses down from hers. "Georgia I can't read your mind" he said as he looked at her searching for an answer. She turned to face him, putting her arms around his neck. Kian took a deep breath, breathing her in.
"What if I wanted to be a vampire too?" she said quietly, like the world was listening to them.
Kian pulled her arms down, "you don't." He started walking towards her front door but she grabbed his cold hand.
"Kian, I am being serious. You wouldn't have to protect me if I can protect myself."
He turned around to face her, "there's so much more to it than that though Georgia, it doesn't guarantee your safety."
Georgia was about to argue back when Teresa opened the door. "Everything okay?" she asked them, looking back and forth at the couple.
Georgia was still staring at Kian, "yes fine mum." She was searching in his eyes for anything to know how he felt but gave up feeling Teresa's stare on her. "Bye Kian", she kissed his cheek and walked to the door.
Teresa shut the door behind her and watched Kian walk off down the road. "Georgia, what is happening with the two of you then?" she asked intrigued.
Georgia took out a glass from the kitchen cupboard and started filling it up with water, "oh nothing really. We are just good friends, just getting to know each other. He only started school in September so I haven't known him long."
Teresa looked at her daughter inquisitively and smiled, "darling, I'm not stupid. I can see exactly what's happening. Just be careful, I know the Richmond's, they seem to draw in danger wherever they go."
Georgia took a big gulp of water and looked at her mother's concerned expression. She kissed her cheek and walked towards the stairs, "I will be alright. You taught me how to look after myself mum, you don't need to worry."
Teresa watched her walk up the stairs and went over to the picture on the side of herself with the Jones necklace on. She knew that Georgia had no idea of the danger that was around them and felt worried of her ever finding out and the importance of who she was.