"I can't believe we're leaving." I glance around the cabin that Felix and I have stayed in for one whole month. It almost feels like home now. The overstuffed sofas, tables, tiny kitchen, wooden walls, comfy bedroom. Everything about it has become close to my heart and I've grown to love it. I hope we can come back sometime next year. Marcus and I could come here for our anniversary.
Marcus glances up from the suitcase he's been packing and sighs. "I know you've grown attached, Lee." He sympathises, neatly arranging folded clothes in the compartments of the suitcase. "We'll come back." He promises.
"Haven't you heard Lee's war plans?" Felix pipes up, and I blush red, knowing that he's talking about my ridiculous plans in my notepad. "No, I haven't." Marcus says solemly. "Don't tell him." I warn but Felix looks to Marcus for approval.
"Do indulge me." Marcus teases, smiling and Felix shares the smile with him. "I quote, 'kill Jeanie, find Marcus, emigrate to Turkey.' It's idiotic." Felix smiles while Marcus gives me a curious look. "Why Turkey?" He prompts, gesturing to himself. "I'm a vampire. The hot weather would expose me." He reminds and I shrug, indifferent.
"Turkey seems lovely." I shrug again and he watches me closely. "Do you have a strong connection with the country?" He asks softly. "My father was Turki-" I trail off, unable to continue. "They said he was Turkish. It said in my file." I turn away from him. "It'd just be nice to go to my roots. See where I come from." I add quietly though he heard me.
"I agree that Turkey is very beautiful." He replies, zipping the suitcase. "I've always wanted to learn the language." I pipe up. "It sounds lovely."
"I speak many languages but never Turkish. We should try learning it. You and I." He kisses the top of my head.
"Hmm. Where are we going anyway?" I enquire but he taps his nose, something he's been doing since I first asked him. "Come on, Marcus. Why not?" I practically tug on his arm in desperation. "Please."
"It'a surprise. One that will make you very happy." He summarises. "Why would I want to ruin it for you?" He rubs his nose playfully against mine, but it doesn't faze me. "Marcus......"
*****************
Less than an hour later, all the possessions I've brought with me are stuffed neatly and organized into a suitcase and we've just arrived at a local French airport. "So we're going to another country? Oh, great, the adventure continues." I huff, rolling down the window to see more clearly.
"It doesn't look so busy. We shouldn't be too long waiting for a flight." Marcus jumps out of the car and opens my door so I can get out. "Again with the formalities?" I scoff, pulling myself out. "I have to show respect to my mate. It's an unwritten rule." He says importantly and I sigh at him.
"It's a male dominance thing. I get it." I shrug, going around to Felix to collect my suitcase. "Please, Lee, let me carry it." He tries to keep a hold on it but I pull it out of his grasp. "I'm just as much of a man as you two are." I give them both a hard look and they sigh at me.
"I'm a man in strength levels. A man in violence. A man in attitude." I glance at Marcus. "Most importantly, I'm a man when it comes to be able to protect and look after myself." I pull out the handle and drag it towards the airport entrance. "Hurry up!" I call over my shoulder to them.
"We'll miss the flight. Wherever we're going." I smirk, walking through the doors and instantly feeling a blast of hot air from the body heat of everyone rushing around in time to make their flights.
The loud sounds of hustle and bustle from the drag of suitcases and people chattering animately to each other. Marcus and Felix catch up with me and murmur quietly to each other. "What are you two mumbling about?" I snark, taking a seat on the cold metal benches that are scattered about everywhere.
"Nothing." They reply in unison. "There's no time for sitting down. The flight is boarding." Marcus pulls me along before I can object. The only question in my head now is 'where the fuck are we going?'
*************
When we land in England, I am utterly shocked and annoyed that Marcus kept this from me. Like, bitch, this is my home country. Are we in Liverpool? "Really? You're such a dick." I poke him and Marcus looks at me in offense. "I didn't want to tell you until we arrived." He defends, unbuckling his seat belt.
"Come along." He grabs my hand and we walk together through the terminal to collect my luggage. Once outside, I notice the weather is hot for once. UK weather is usually pretty predictable. It either rains or fucking pelts down.
Marcus glances at my content expression and frowns. "Why are you looking so happy? That's not like you." He observes. "Rude. It's warm. It's a change for once." I shrug and start wheeling my suitcase over to the car that Felix has started waltzing over to, confidently, and when I realise who the driver is, I understand why.
Demetri is leaning casually against the side of the car, looking so human wearing blue jeans and a checked shirt, his thumbs hooked into his pockets. He nods at Felix and bows at Marcus's arrival. "Master."
When he turns to me, a smile lights up his face. "Good to see you, my Prince." He says cheerfully as always, the cute thing. "Hey Demetri." I give a small wave which he takes as an opportunity to pull me into his arms. "How I've missed you."
Then it hits me. Felix's words come from our first night at the cottage come back to me. Liam is in London. With Priest and Demetri.
We're off to London. I'm going to see my brother.
"Is he ok?" I blurt suddenly, unable keep my thoughts and concerns inside me. Demetri gives me a look of bewilderment and I realise that I haven't even mentioned Liam's name. Oops.
"Liam? Is Liam ok?" I add quickly and Demetri looks calm so I'm guessing that's a yes. "He's fine. He's having a lot of fun with his boyfriend." He raises his eyebrows at the latter and I roll my eyes. We all know what that means.
As long as I don't ever walk in on them in bed together again, then my mental health will remain stable and I'll be unscarred by the events that are to follow.
"I will warn you." Demetri says as he starts up the engine. "The location of our hideout is quite secure and hidden. It may seem a bit.....unneccesary but it has to happen. A lot of Jeanie's contacts live in London." He informs us as he drives.
"I'm sure it's more than secure, Demetri. I have every faith in you." Marcus assures and Demetri smiles. "Thank you, Master." He gives a formal nod.
When we arrive, I cran my neck, looking around at the crumbling buildings we've pulled up outside, thinking it's a joke Demetri has played on us. There's an abandoned bank with it's windows boarded and the wonky sign has fallen off one of it's supports.
"You're teasing right? This is meant to be London." I point out, waving gesturing towards the buildings. "This street is virtually abandoned. London is meant to be glamorous." I add but Demetri seems amused by my comments.
"We don't want to be anywhere too busy. We don't need to draw attention to ourselves." He protests, pulling out of the car and we all follow.
Felix grabs my suitcase. "Do you see that clothes shop?" Demetri points. "That's where we're staying." He says, smiling.
We walk into the clothes shop, a tiny box of a room which smells of old people and gone off cheese.
The owner, an old woman, is sleeping in her seat at the counter, completely unaware of our presence. Demetri beckons us over to a changing cubicle. "Are we trying on clothes?" Felix jokes, gingerly touching the old musty clothes on the racks.
"No." Demetri smiles, pushing back the curtain so we can step inside. "Well." Marcus glances at the four of us, squished together in a tiny changing room. "This is claustrophobic." He raises his eyebrows and I frown at Demetri. "Hey, what the fuck are we doing? If you've brought us here for a quickie, it ain't going to happen." I warn though Demetri is smiling.
"There now, Prince. There will be no sexual contact. Relax." He starts to pull the mirror on the cubicle wall, and as he does, half of it comes away and opens like a door, revealing a doorway into the wall. "You're joking. No way." I let out an impressed whistle and even Marcus looks surprised.
"Come along." Demetri smiles over his shoulder and makes his way along the corridor until he reaches another door which is wooden. "Hurry." He teases.
We follow to the wooden door, and step through, revealing a....well.....vampire headquarters. Two human guards from the Volturi are sitting at a table in front of thirty different CCTV screens, showing London and Italy.
"They're tracking Jeanie and her contacts whereabouts. They're doing well." Demetri explains. The two humans are connected to a headset and have a computer each. There's a long table in the centre of the room, covered with black and white police looking photos.
There are some vampires milling about, conversing, doing different things. "I feel like I've stepped into a Spy Kids movie." I mumble to Marcus who smiles at me. "I've never watched it. We'll have to see it together." He decides.
"Where's my brother?" I demand, not noticing Priest or Liam around and there's no other door to go through. Demetri smiles knowingly again. "Here." He walks to a wardrobe and pushes aside the rack of clothes to reveal a keypad resting in the middle.
He punches in a four digit pin and I hear a whirring noise. The back of the wardrobe slides back, revealing a larger space behind. We step into the wardrobe and through the gap to find an appartment. I shake my head in disbelief. "This place is like the fucking Labyrinth." I look around the hallway which is dark and gloomy.
"I'm half expecting David Bowie to start walking around." I joke though no on reacts. "Come on guys? Surely you've seen that film?" I groan at their blank stares. "You guys haven't lived."
Then as we make our way into the living room, Liam leaps up from the sofa and rushes into my arms. "Lee. Damn, I've missed you." His arms hook around me but not before I see his bruised eye. I look at him at arms length. His face is covered in bruises and his eye is black.
"What the fuck happened to you?"