"Whoa! What's the problem?" I asked as I held my hands up in a defensive position.
"You know good and well what the problem is you homewrecker!" She spurted at me. She reminded me of a snarling rabid dog. All she was missing was to be foaming at the mouth.
"What are you talking about?" I remembered what happened with Alex and felt flushed. He had told her, and she was furious. What I do not understand though, was why she was so upset with me. I was the one who stopped it.
"What did you say to him!? Did you put a spell on him!? You need to tell me right now!" She said as she shoved me. One thing about me, is I don't take too kindly to people invading my personal space or putting their hands on me.
"First of all, I don't need to do a damn thing." I said as I shoved her back. "I did not tell him anything, and I only know a handful of spells, none of which could possibly affect Alex. Now you tell me why you are calling me a homewrecker." I rejected his advances. Alex may be handsome, and I will admit I feel this attachment to him, but I am not too keen on my emotions being decided for me.
"You won't get away with this! Boyfriend thief! He will be back I promise you that!" Lorraine retorted.
I looked around and realized a crowd had gathered as we were screaming and yelling at each other. They were all ooing and ahhing being nosey. I turned to walk away, and Lorraine grabbed my shoulder.
"Not so fast, homewrecker!" I cannot believe she touched me, AGAIN. What was her problem. It took a lot usually to affect me. I didn't understand it, but Lorraine set my blood on fire. I despised her and I did not know why.
I turned to face Lorraine and felt my blood boiling. I felt myself being lifted into the air speaking Latin, and I had no idea what I was saying. With my arms outstretched I opened my palms and closed both hands into a fist. As I did, I could not see anything, I just heard glass shattering and people screaming. As I felt the floor under my feet again, I could see the look of horror on Lorraine's face. She had fallen to the floor and looked at me as if she had seen a ghost.
There was a mirror directly in front of me behind Lorraine. I saw my eyes glowing as bright as my amulet and felt a sense of fear. Blinking my eyes, the glowing stopped. I looked around the library to find all the windows had broken. I knew I was responsible for it but had no idea how.
"How did you...a handful of spells my ass!"
"I don't know how...I did all of this?"
"Don't play all innocent, you know more than you are letting on, but I'll be damned if I let you steal him away from me. Alex is mine!" Lorraine said as she stood up. She no longer looked scared, instead, she looked pretty mad.
"Mirros de Vanos." Lorraine moved her hands as she spoke. The shattered glass lifted and was back in place as if nothing had happened. Why would she clean up my mess?
"You don't know who you are messing with, because I fight fire with fire." If that was not the corniest expression I have ever heard, then I do not know what was.
She walked away but I was still so confused as to what had just happened. What had Alex done? He obviously spared her the details, but why did he break up with Lorraine? As I questioned it, I thought about what I had told him the night before. I told him I could not because he was with Lorraine and then today, they are not together.
Was he going to try to be with me? I knew that could not happen, but the thought made me smile. Just as I did though, I stopped myself. Why am I smiling? I am not going to be with him. Stop it! I told myself.
Walking to class I felt nervous being beside Alex after our encounter last night. As I stepped into class, I noticed his seat was empty. Where was he?
"Welcome to class Ms. Duncan. Take your seat. Alex is out today, so you will have to pair with Raphael." How many names did I have? Some people say Duncan, and others say Gratu. What was my actual name?
I looked over to Raphael and saw him smile wide as he got up and sat in Alex's seat. Rolling my eyes, I walked over to my chair and sat down. Great, as if my life could not get any more complicated.
"Why are you smiling so much?" I asked as I rolled my eyes. He had been a complete jerk since she met him. Why would he be happy right now?
"Well, because I get to be your partner." He said with the goofiest grin I had ever seen. Disgusting. Now he had more opportunity to torment me.
I looked at him intently trying to decide what angle he was playing at. Why was he being so weird. Yesterday, he hated me, today he is happy to be my partner, even if for only one day. As the day went on and still no Alex, I realized I had not thought of anything else. All day I was lost in thought thinking about Alex. I had no idea what happened in any of my classes.
As I was walking out of school, I heard someone yell, 'Homewrecker!'
I turned to see Lorraine and her group of followers. How am I going to deal with this girl? She really had it in for me, even before Alex broke up with her. Since I got here Lorraine instantly hated me. I couldn't really blame her. If I were in her shoes, I would hate me too.
"Green really isn't your color, lowlife Lorraine." I stated as I remembered what Ms. Varlie said the day before.
Everyone laughed, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in saying that aloud. She puckered her lips out and turned walking away. Finally, she had nothing else to say. I knew she would have more to say Monday but for now I won the battle. I wondered how many more battles there would be before the war.
The day went on and I could not get Alex out of my mind. Why wasn't he at school today? Was it because of me? Before I knew it the entire night had went by.
Making it home I threw myself on the couch and turned on the tv. Finally, I had some peace and I felt myself feeling drained again of energy. Just as I was drifting off to sleep a knock came to the door. I ran to the door thinking it had to be Alex. I was disappointed to find Raphael standing in front of me.
"What do you want?"
"I...um...I wanted to talk to you."
"Okay, so talk."
"Could I come in? It won't take long, I swear it."
Stepping aside I motioned for him to come in. What could he possibly have to say to me? This entire thing was all so weird to me. First, he hates me, and now he has things to talk to me about. He walked over and sat on the couch as I followed. I sat next to him as he stared intently into my eyes. I saw a glimmer in his eyes that made me feel strangely comfortable.
"Well...what is it?"
"I wondered if I could show you something. There are so many things to discuss. I have waited an exceedingly long time for this moment." Was he going to propose marriage? I thought as I laughed to myself.
"Okay...you aren't being weird at all. What is it?"
"I want to explain our past. I actually want to show you what really happened. I know I am the last person you would want to talk about this with, but I have to."
"I already know what happened, I have had a dream about it every year on my birthday for as long as I can remember."
"From your point of view, you know only what your eyes have seen. You don't know anything from what I have seen."
"You talk as if you were there."
"I was, I am one of the few that didn't lose their life that night." As he spoke, I felt my heart speed up at an alarming rate.
"That isn't possible, I saw you fall, I killed you."
"No, you almost did, but with the death of Alessandro, you lost your life first, I assume to a broken heart." He responded as he held his head down in shame. Why was he being like this all of a sudden?
I felt my blood boiling and I looked down to see my amulet glowing and I felt as I did in the library. He was the original version of himself and he was the one who caused my death. How dare he come to my house and flaunt my death in my face. He was either brave, or stupid.
"Why would you tell me that?" I asked angrily.
"I have more to tell you. I want you to know everything. I want you to know about our families, our covens and why we are supposed to be married. I want to show you what happened that night first though."
"Okay, shoot! How are you going to show me?"
He moved closer to me causing me to flinch and grabbed my hand. He placed it on his face as he closed his eyes. I flinched at the sudden movement, not wanting him near me, much less touching me.
"Repeat after me, 'Memorus Vel Duram'."
I felt myself being jolted as I hesitantly repeated his words. When I opened my eyes, I was looking at myself pulling Alex into the woods. I realized it was a memory and I was seeing it through Raphael's eyes, also realizing it was Alessandro and not Alex. She was laughing as she let go of his hand and started to run.
Alessandro ran to catch up to her and almost in a blink of an eye they were both gone. I felt a singe of anger rise up in my chest and realized it was Raphael. I was not only seeing what he saw, but I was feeling his emotions that he felt. Suddenly, I was running through the woods and knew Raphael was searching for them.
He must have wondered for hours and stopped suddenly. Hearing my own voice was stranger when I was hearing it through someone else's ears. Ducking down I saw Alessandro laying on top of her. They were bare skinned, and I knew what they had run away to do. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
I felt a pain in my heart followed by anger that rose in my chest again. I felt as if I wanted to look away, but I could not. I realized Raphael was her intended in marriage and caught his betrothed laying with another man. Love or no love, that was pretty messed up.
I saw her turn her head pulling Alessandro's head down welcoming him. His fangs came out and he lowered his head to her neck. She was offering him her blood. She must have really loved him to allow herself to be his personal blood bank. As I kept watching I saw Alessandro bite his wrist and place it to her mouth. He was giving her his blood in return, that is what Alex was talking about.
It was rather ironic to me that the night before me and Alex were pondering the exchange of blood, and here Raphael was, verifying the fact. I pulled myself from the memory. "I don't want to see anymore. I know what happens next."
"I understand, but I needed to show you what started the whole thing." He said as he veered his eyes to the ground.
"How could you do that!? You kill me, and come here to show me why, as if that is a justifiable reason for taking someone's life!"
"I know! I am sorry, I just want you to know everything. I know you must be confused as to what all of this is."
"I am but that doesn't give you a right to-"
"Let me explain everything, please." The desperation in his voice and my need to find out everything I possibly could in order to make sense of this made me listen. I should be more weirded out at the fact that I am sitting next to the man that killed a version of me over a marriage.
"You see, Alex and you were always inseparable, even as a child. You fell for him through years of friendship. He was always there no matter where you were or what was happening. My coven and yours were stuck in a blood feud with each other over power. When the covens broke free from the vampires, thanks to your great grandfather, there was a question as to whom would then take power. There had to be someone to take charge.
As your particular family were servants of the Vortigen family, Dorian presumed he would be the leader of both covens. My family, however, thought otherwise. For years, we had been split and feuding with each other, until your birth. My family offered a peace offering, if you and I were to wed, then we would no longer be at war with each other and we would rule the covens together. Your family, as skeptical about it as they were, agreed."
"Okay, so we are supposed to be married, even now, to bring our covens together. What would have happened if I would have married Alessandro?"
"Then it was a different time, women didn't really have the luxury of choosing as they do now. That would not have happened, unless..." He trailed off and I knew he was going to say unless they elope.
"Okay I think I have heard enough; this is all a lot to take in and understand. I think I am going to call it a night."
"Wait, I want to ask...can I..." He could not finish his sentence, but I realized he was inching toward me as if to kiss me. He would not...Did he really think she would even want to kiss him? Pushing him back I said, "Stop it! What do you think you are doing!?" He did not stop he kept coming as if he had not heard me.
I slapped him and realized I had forgotten that I was a witch in that moment, and I had, for the first time in a long while, felt vulnerable and scared. What would I have done if he had not stopped once I slapped him? Especially since all knowledge that I am a witch left without a trace for a solid three minutes.
He looked a little hurt but understood.
"I am sorry, I forget you aren't who you were then. I truly am sorry."
What did he mean by not who I was then? I wondered if he were saying that then, I would have kissed him. That would mean that he had a justifiable reason for being upset. It also would mean I was a certified tramp. Talk about a love triangle gone wrong. He got up and walked to the door and as he unlocked it Alex came bursting through.
"What are you doing here!?" Alex yelled as he raced in picking Raphael up by his throat.
"Alex! Stop it! Why are you here?" My heart started racing. I should have been more concerned than I was, for the well-being of Raphael.
"Why am I here? Why is he here!?" Raphael was struggling to breathe let alone talk.
"Look at me Alex, put him down!" He turned his head to me and dropped Raphael.
"You need to explain to me why you are here." I yelled at him.
"I...I felt you, you were...it felt like you were..." Grabbing my face he held his head down. "What are you doing to me?" He put his other hand on the other side of my face and pulled me to him as he hung his head.
"Well, I think I will just see myself out." Raphael said as he stared at the two of them. I realized he was watching us... again. His betrothed with another man, and he could not do anything about it. I pulled away from Alex and walked Raphael out the door.
"Just be careful, He isn't Alessandro, he is a different person entirely." He said as he smirked at Alex.
"Thank you for tonight and thank you for your concern. I'm a big girl though, I can handle myself." I said as I closed the door. I waited a minute before I turned to look at Alex. He was not at school and yet he came all the way to my house in the middle of the morning. I turned to look at Alex and saw him looking at me already.
"Do you...are you hungry? or thirsty...I can fix you something to drink." I said as I motioned toward the refrigerator.
"No but thank you. I should...I should go."
"Wait, why did you break up with Lorraine? Now she is calling me a homewrecker, just to add to the list of names everyone calls me already."
"I think you know the answer to that." He said as he walked over toward me. I started to back up but before I could he was right in front of me.
"What are you doing to me?" He bent down to kiss me, and I turned my head.
"I am not doing anything to you. Why are YOU doing this to ME?" What did he mean; what I was doing to him? I am not doing anything; he is doing this to me!
"I want you, and I think you want me." He said to me with the most intense look on his face.
I wanted to turn away, but I could not move. He was wanting to embrace me, and I wanted to let him.
"We can't do this. This, can't happen." I said as I unsuccessfully attempted to sound confident in my decision.
"Why not? Maybe we should, maybe it will end differently this time. This is why you cursed the town, for this, for us." He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. "I am tired of fighting this; aren't you?" He said as his grip tightened around me. No. I wasn't tired of fighting this. I will continue to fight this. I hope. I thought to myself.
It took every bit of strength I had in me to pull away from him. "I just don't think this is a good idea. These feelings aren't our own." I said, trying to convince myself, more so than him.
"Yes, they are, in a matter of speaking. Our past lives, who we were then, is much of who we are now. Since I first saw you a couple weeks back, I have not been able to stop thinking of you. I can't fight this anymore and I don't want to." He sounded so in control of his emotions and his words as if he had thought about it heavily.
"Why were you not at school yesterday?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"I had some prepping to do for my ascension. I turn eighteen and I am to ascend the throne in a month. You will be there, won't you?" He asked as he smiled.
"Wow, ascending the throne. King Alex?" For a moment I wished that we were just a regular guy and a regular girl. I had almost forgotten that he was to be king, and that I was going to be a queen to my people. This is just a lot to take in and accept. Every girl wishes to be a princess when they are young, so why did I have this feeling of dread about it in the pit of my stomach?
"Yeah, I believe I will have to go by Alessandro for official purposes. You didn't answer me; will you be there?" He said as he looked at me with a decided look on his face.
"I will be there." I said smiling.
We both sat down on the couch laughing and carrying on, I lost all track of time. Realizing it was so late I stood up.
"It is getting late; I have to get some rest. Will I see you at school today?"
Standing up and taking the hint, Alex walked over to the door. "Yes princess, I will be there. Goodnight Katerina." He said as he kissed my hand.
I needed to find out why I was always feeling like my energy was being drained every night. Every day I feel as if I had run a hundred miles. I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. Much like every night, I dreamt of Alex. He was on my mind while I was awake, and I thought of him every night while I slept. I wonder how long I could fight it, especially knowing he intended on having me.