I’m foolish. I’m deficient. I’m vulnerable. I’m naïve. I’m gullible. I’m rash.
I cursed myself as I stared at cloudless morning sky. Landon stirred beside me but I stayed my position wanting a moment to myself to chastise myself. Why did I just not give myself to Devin and act as his spy? Now I landed us on his hit list. Only when I saw the man I killed from the alley getting tortured did it occur to me what a mistake I did, the consequences I brought.
Devin is not a power to mess with. I’m just a vampire weakling who he created with no chance on defeating him much less escaping him. Sure now I’m safe within these school walls, but for how long? How long will it take Devin to find a way in? Not long now, he has two big motives.
Destroy The Heavens and kill the two that dared to –
“I know what you’re thinking. Stop it, there was no way you could work under him.” Landon said finally interrupting my conversation with myself. I twisted my head and saw him staring at the forest trees with a mixture of satisfaction. “Evil never wins.”
“It won on earth Landon.” I pointed out wearily. I twirled the locket that Julian made sure I get before Devin sent me out of his body. The very same locket I picked up from Cecile’s home where I first met Julian.
“But there’s good on earth too, it’s balanced out. Joining Devin will wipe out all goodness!” Landon said fiercely. I looked away as he turned to me with angry amber eyes. “I don’t know anymore, nothing is right.”
“What do you want?” Landon asked, the calmness returning to his voice. My lips twitched into a faint lips and I fished the list from my jeans. My smile dropped when I got the paper that held no signs of mutation of going through water.
- Help Devin.
- Help Devin.
- Help Devin.
- Help Devin.
The list continued with my previous ones crossed out with red ink. My nose picked up a trace of blood, I closed my eyes and quickly crumbled the paper before Landon could look properly. “I don’t know.” I lied gently. I’ll continue my old list, discover the spheres and their aura.
I might be bonkers but the spheres have something to do with The Heavens, maybe it’ll help me reach them and warn them about Devin. Maybe I should work for Devin as a double-spy. I stopped myself, wanting my old life back.
“You don’t trust me anymore then?” Landon asked quietly.
“Not anymore.” I confirmed,
“Do you still feel anything for me?”
“I…no,” I muttered, trying to explain as best as I could. “The vampire side of me does but the Audrey doesn’t. I do know it’s not a big deal, we only knew each other a short time. But finding out from Devin that Clarisse isn’t who she claimed she is and then you…” I trailed off.
“I’ll explain everything.” Landon promised. I shrugged and started to get up but Landon grabbed my hand stopping me and looked me in the eyes. He still had the effect to have my head go light and dizzy but something lacked.
“Guess I’ll have to win your heart all over again.” Landon said confidently. I laughed before I delivered the blow. “You never won my heart, I gave it away to easily.”
Landon chuckled and shook his head. “You’re stubborn. I find that utterly charming.” I smiled cheekily, our relationship quickly falling back into the ease that it is. “Promise me you won’t ever consider working for Devin.” Landon said, completely changing his demeanor and the vibe of the forest. I fleetingly wondered what happened to Zorya.
I sputtered, “But what if he took you again, you saw how easy he had you. I can’t risk that chance with anybody else.” I knew promises in the supernatural are different from the human world. Break it and you die, as simple as that.
“You almost promised me in Paradise.” Landon tossed back smugly. I frowned at the faint memory of Paradise, it was the reason that stopped me from working with Devin but I never completed the promise and I had Landon back so why should I care for the Paradise moment?
I closed my eyes when I figured it out. “You know there is a chance he’ll find us.” I knew we had no chance but hearing it from Landon thinking so just blew the tiny hope that I had. “No chance Landon, I made mistakes with angering him for that stupid uncompleted promise. He had you with him the entire time he had me, didn’t he?”
Landon hesitated before shaking his head, he never can lie with words. The siren must have sold him or Devin took him forcefully, knowing having Landon held hostage will push me to work for him. “If I agreed with working for him, you would still be with him. OK, I guess the promise saved your life in a way. For short term anyway, in a long term it’s not in our favor.”
“You know what? I’m confused now.” Landon said frowning. “You won’t take the promise then.” I shook my head and tried to gather my unfocused thoughts to explain. “If I do take the promise, I’ll lose you. If I don’t, I’ll have a chance to keep you even if the chances are small of us escaping again if we ever we’re captured. I could just say yes to Devin if he offers again and our fairy-tale ending is for us to keep.”
If we still feel for each other to want that ending.
“He’s the devil, why would you believe him?” Landon asked accusingly. “I don’t but I’m part of him, do you believe me?” I muttered, trying to confuse him to end the conversation.
“Yes.” And my wish came true. We sat in silence when I noticed something different. Every sound was twice as loud. Leaves rustling, bugs clicking, even the flies wings beating was heard, and Landon’s heartbeat. Irregular and off-track.
I stood up smiling and invited Landon to walk to the courtyard.
“Promise me you’ll never do anything to help me. Promise me you won’t work for Devin. Promise me you’ll love me till death do us part. Promise me you’ll never go to the dark side.” Landon whispered under his breath. I heard him though and ignored him as we walked back to the courtyard, hoping he’s not reciting the promises he wants me to take.
I stopped and spun around to grab Landon and screamed, “How did he get those screams if he can’t enter these walls how did he get them?”
Landon looked downright guilty as he avoided my eyes. “I…he ordered me to enter their dreams and get Julian along to grant their worst fears while they were asleep.” I shook my head, not hiding my disgust.
“My gifts are Dream Incarnation and Cloud 9.”
I gaped at him, both with disgust and admiration. “Cloud 9 would be?”
“When I want I send out waves of elation that make you feel floating with happiness. Sappy gift in my opinion totally not for a man like myself, don’t you agree.” I snorted out a laugh, not wanting to agree and feeling like my old love-struck self as I usually am around Landon.
It didn’t last long because the next minute I shoved him back angrily then looked down and noticed my the blood on my hands in horror. Looking up, I saw the spot excatly where I shoved Landon's heart is beating just as bloody as my hands.
I blinked and rubbed my eyes, and only looked when I knew the blood vanished. The blood in the air comfirmed it for me but I double-checked by peeking.
“Audrey, it’s fine.” Landon murmured, approaching me but I took a step back. Why was I acting like this? One minute happy then the next I’m feeling angry and then seeing non-existent things. “You’ve been through a lot today, I don’t blame you if you hate me right now. I’ll blame you if you keep hating me though.” Landon added with a straight face, not understanding my turmoil.
I shook my head at his words and tried to calm my emotions. “Audrey!” twisting I found Dakota and Quinn running towards me, I gaped at them before greeting them rather shakily.
“Audrey is that really you?” Quinn said in a hushed tone, frowning. I cocked my head to the side and studied Dakota who was behind Quinn looking frail and pale and kept fussing over me silently with bloodshot eyes. Quinn on the other hand looked the same.
“Where have you been?” Dakota asked weakly. “We thought you ran away.”
“You don’t know where I’ve been?”
They both shook their heads looking amazed. “I fell through the forest cellar, it led to –“
“Neurombel.” They finished in unison. I nodded uneasily. “How did you return? I heard it’s impossible to leave the place once you land on the Island.”
“I…have my ways so what did I miss?” I asked, weakly changing the conversation.
“Actually a lot Audrey,” Quinn said still frowning at me. I squirmed and waited patiently, avoiding her gaze now. “Jason went and attacked Zorya the day after you disappeared and he’s still under probation.”
“Under probation?”
“He lost his gifts temporarily.”
I felt flattered and couldn’t help do a blushing smile which seemed to cause Landon to possessively wrap a arm around my waist. Apparently, Quinn and Dakota hadn’t noticed Landon before because they stared at him with shock.
“Oh this is Landon guys; he’s actually the one who helped me out of Neurombel.” I explained feeling self-conscious now. “I’m also her mate.” Landon added winking shamelessly. Quinn blushed being naturally shy and Dakota remained vacant but held a faint smile now.
I rolled my eyes and nudged him. I couldn’t help but to keep my gaze flitting over to Dakota remembering what the sphere showed me. Dakota crying on the floor holding a letter. “Anything else Quinn?” I prodded after an awkward silent.
“Well Sabina and Ashton are coming tomorrow actually.” Quinn said happily. “Oh don’t look surprised, the hunting they do takes ages and I heard they found two supernatural kids.”
“That’s great!” I said earnestly. Dakota muffled a sob rather badly, Quinn looked guilty and looked at me with newfound tears. “Dakota isn’t feeling well, obviously.”
I went forward releasing myself from Landon, hugged Dakota and patted her rather stiffly. I wasn’t that best comforter in the world. Hearing everything loudly, I couldn’t count the heartbeats. Quinn’s jittery, Landon’s calm, and Dakota’s racing. It calmed me down. “What’s the matter Dakota?” I asked gently.
“D-drew’s dead.” Dakota whispered but I heard her like clear as a gunshot. “He’s dead?” I echoed feeling empty at the loss of someone close. I could imagine Dakota’s pain, just remembering how I felt when I thought I lost Landon couldn’t be close to how Dakota's.
That’s impossible. Didn’t I see the sphere show both Jason and Drew at the library? I fingered the locket nervously in my jeans pocket and debated about all this. Could I tell them about Devin? What if he had something to do with this, I had little doubt it wouldn’t be him.
"How did he die?" I whispered.
"Well...I," Quinn started looking scared as if the memory was playing in her head. "I found him...Blood pool and I -- he was covered in vines and the room smelt like --"
My hearing left me completely and my vision slowly started blacking. I looked at Dakota who somehow left my arms and was rocking herself on the floor looking at me knowingly. How much did she know? No, how did she know?
Did Devin lie to me? Did he want me to believe I was safe in Wildmasters so I let my guard down or have me find out and give in to his power when I realized he managed to kill someone within the boundries.
I slumped beside Dakota, shaking and picked up a scent of blood and cinnamon. The very same odours of the Devil. Why does he smell like cinnamon? Why does the courtyard, the open space, smell like the two? I thought blindly. Why didn't Hell smell like that?
Landon shook me with faint screams that never reached my ears. I tore myself from Landon's grip and tried to crawl next to Dakota only stopped when I saw her fall over unconscious. I gagged at the powerful smell, and saw Katrina and Jason hovering over me with Landon all willing me to stay.
Katrina and Quinn carried Dakota and soon I was in Landon's arms bouncing as he darted inside with Jason leading in front of us. I let out an airy laugh that was a sure sign I was near hysteria.
A pain shot through my arm that I let out a bleeding shriek and thrashed around in Landon's arms until he dropped me. My head hit the floor rather roughly but the pain was nowhere near the pain in my arm. Left arm. I looked at my room still laying on the floor and just stared.
The sign of the Devil was scorned. Three six's forming a shape of an triangle, bloody red against my pale skin as if I was seared only seconds ago, the fire continued running through my veins.
Landon stooped down and Jason joined him and they linked hands with me gingerly as the scene melted into the hospital ward. My vision to dimmed now only seeing the bleary nurse and a shiny object before I went completely blind. The sensation of airy coldness met my leg as the fabric was ripped and a stinging.
I gripped on the locket harder now, enjoying the coolness of it and let my mind repeat my current wish until it was part of me, it was my first but certainly not last.
Deal with Clarisse.
I’m foolish. I’m deficient. I’m vulnerable. I’m naïve. I’m gullible. I’m rash. I'm betrayed.